Katie’s Reading - Chapter 3

Cheers to a new year, my friends!

For anyone new to my thread, I’m Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog, Nuala/Noodles.

My reading varies widely - I love genre fiction (romance and crime), contemporary and historical fiction, and narrative nonfiction. I try to balance my reading in all these areas. I also use my thread as a bit of a life journal, which mostly means I talk about what I’m cooking, eating, drinking, watching, doing, and avoiding doing.

Thanks for being here!

Currently Reading
(Kindle) (Print) (Audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED

Books Off My Shelf: 4
Books Off My Kindle: 2
Books from Audible/Chirp: 4
Library Loans (print/e-books/audios): 6

JANUARY
16. Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn (4.5 stars)
15. Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor (audio) (3 stars)
14. I Came All This Way to Meet You by Jami Attenberg (4.25 stars)
13. Prejudice Meets Pride by Rachael Anderson (3 stars)
12. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (audio) (4.5 stars)
11. The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll (4 stars)
10. I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa De los Santos (audio) (3.5 stars)
09. My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin (3 stars)
08. A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie (audio) (2.75 stars)
07. Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson (4 stars)
06. The Duchess Hunt by Lorraine Heath (3.75 stars)
05. The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy (audio) (3.5 stars)
04. The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys (4.5 stars)
03. Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner (3.5 stars)
02. Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach (audio) (4 stars)
01. Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (audio) (3.5 stars)

Did Not Finish

My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = Whyyyyyy?
3 stars = Eh, ok.
4 stars = Definitely worth the time.
5 stars = Perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)

Katie and The Wayne's Movie "Project"
(Wherein we alternate choices in 6 genres - Drama, Comedy, Romance, Speculative/SciFi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense, Action - and we each have to pick one in each genre before re-setting the genre list)

Watched:
1/28/23 - Pitch Perfect - Katie pick - Comedy (I broke the rules here, so next round I won't get a comedy pick)
1/28/23 - Up in the Air - Katie pick - Drama
1/27/23 - The Lost Battalion - TW pick - Drama
1/14/23 - Taken - TW pick - Action
1/14/23 - Bringing Up Baby - Katie pick - Comedy

I bought this card in a little shop near Covent Garden when we were in London last October. It made me laugh.

Copied over from my last thread...



My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin

What a frustrating read! It is rare for me to grow to dislike a character more and more as a story progresses, but that is what happened here. Unfortunately, that character was the first-person narrator of this novel, and while I don't mind unlikeable characters, I prefer not to have them in my head the entire time.

This is a college novel - young woman from the lower-middle class, Jewish, attends a fancy Northeast college and feels out of place. Ho hum. Has inapprpriate relationship with a professor. Yawn. There is really nothing new here, though having the story set during the unfolding Clinton-Lewinsky scandal was either an interesting choice or a lazy one, depending on how generous I feel towards the author (less generous as time wore on). The writing, on balance, is fair. There are some great passages, but there are also some weak, awkward, and cringe-inducing pieces of dialogue, similes, metaphors, etc. I think this book was work-shopped to death. It has a self-conscious quality to it that I found grating.

All that said, I couldn't stop reading it. I think Florin's greatest strength might be her pacing.

3 stars

* This was a free ARC received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.*

Happy new one, Katie! Glad the dentist visit went well. Craig recently had his two implants placed. What a long and arduous process that is, but they do look great.

>4 katiekrug: This made me laugh!

>5 katiekrug: Sounds like you took one for the team. Hoping your next read is more enjoyable.

I see you! And in a new thread, but I have about 35 messages in the older one, so will be back a day or so later!
Happy reading, I'm having a silly-fun romp with A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting these days.

>6 Crazymamie: - Yeah, I'm not looking forward to the implants. Ugh.

I'm glad the card made you laugh, too!

And thanks for the good wishes for my next book. It's already an improvement.

>7 SandyAMcPherson: - Hi Sandy! Come back anytime :)

The Wayne has announced he doesn't want to cook tonight, so no Moroccan chicken stew for me. But we've agreed to go to a favorite place we haven't been to in a while, and they have a great happy hour and app menu, so I'm a happy camper :)

Happy new one! I like your category rule for the movie watch list. I am surprised that you finished the book since you disliked the main character more and more!

>10 Berly: - I'm kind of surprised, too, Kim!

Sweet Thursday, Katie! Happy New Thread!

>12 msf59: - Thanks, Mark!

Happy new one!

>14 figsfromthistle: - Thank you, Anita!

Happy, happy new one!

Happy new one, Katie. I love the card.

>16 drneutron: / >17 BLBera: - Thanks, Jim and Beth!

Happy Friday! It looks like the rain has cleared out and we should have a decent day, if not exactly a winter day...

After we got back from dinner (French onion soup and two small short rib tacos for me), I hopped on an off-schedule happy hour video chat with some former colleagues. It was good to catch up with them. They are prepping for a Board meeting, and I was glad I was not :)

We have a gym session this morning, and this afternoon, I'll go out to get a gift for our friend who's having a birthday party tomorrow night. Other than that, not much planned. Moroccan chicken stew for dinner tonight.

Books:
I started The Mammy yesterday - it's a short, fast read which is what I wanted as I wait for a library hold to come in. Still enjoying the audio of I'll Be Your Blue Sky...

Viewing:
TW's alma mater is, surprisingly, nationally ranked in basketball at the moment, so now he's super interested in watching their games, so we watched the Florida Atlantic Owls take on the UTSA Roadrunners. Thrillsville :-P

Morning, Katie! You will love The Mammy I think - it had me laughing out loud in places. Irreverent and snarky and poignant all at the same time.

Funny, I couldn't get on with The Mammy. I thought I would love it, and whooped over finding the whole Agnes series at a library sale, but it just didn't click for me. Usually I'm right there with the Irish brand of humor.

>5 katiekrug: I am sorry to hear that the book grated on you, Katie, and hope your next read is a better fit.

Happy new thread!

>20 Crazymamie: - I'm enjoying it, Mamie! Forgive me for not remembering - have you read/listened to Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? yet? It's a wonderful memoir - amazing on audio read by the author - and The Mammy is making me think of it...

>21 laytonwoman3rd: - Sometimes books surprise us, eh? I am liking The Mammy fine, though the (over) use of exclamation points is somewhat annoying...

>22 alcottacre: - They can't all be winners! Thanks, Stasia.

Done with the gym. I was pretty low-energy, as my sinuses are bothering me, but I got it done. Now to shower and start the fun part of the day :)

>23 katiekrug: I have not - I have it on Kindle as I picked it up after Richard's review of it - last year? Anyway, now I'm thinking I will go with the audio. Thanks, Katie!

>25 Crazymamie: - I really htink hearing the story with the Irish accent enhances it :)

Congratulations on doing the gym even though you're having sinus issues -- that's admirable! Hope the rest of your day rewards you :)

Happy Friday, Katie!

>23 katiekrug: >26 katiekrug: It was one of my favorite reads from last year. It was so good on audio.

>27 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. It's been a decent day.

>28 Storeetllr: - Hi Mary! Totally agree about DYHMD. I loved it SO much.

Happy new thread, Katie. Nice to have a Friday without rain. Surprisingly we did too!

Hi Katie! Oh, you're reading The Mammy! I loved those books, though I read them years ago. Enjoy!

>30 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg! Yay for no rain :) We had some sun in the morning and it was lovely, but then it got overcast and windy which was Not Nice...

>31 AMQS: - Hi Anne! I enjoyed it a lot - and have the next two on my shelf, so yay!

Hello, friends. I'm sick. Boo. Another head cold. Not the end of the world, but I always feel sorry for myself at the start of a cold. I'll get over it :)

Yesterday was very chill - we did go our for Mexican, as it was National Cheese Lovers Day, and the MExican place was offering free queso. How does one pass that up? Afterwards, we drove to a big, new liquor store and got the craft vodka for our friend who is having a party tonight. I don't really remember what I did after that - TW took a nap, and I guess I just puttered. He made the Moroccan chicken stew for dinner - it was very good and will definitely go into the keeper file.



Today, I need to go to CVS for a prescription, but other than the party tonight, I have no definite plans. I'll probably take it easy. Fingers crossed the Giants game is on a TV somewhere tonight :)

Books:
I finished up both The Mammy and I'll Be Your Blue Sky yesterday. I haven't started a new audio yet, but in print, I've picked up I Came All This Way to Meet You, which is a memoir in essays, so I can easily set it aside when my next library hold comes in.

Viewing:
We weren't up for a movie, so we watched two episodes of The Big Brunch. I really enjoy the show, but the eliminations in both episodes made no sense to me. Grrr.

I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa De los Santos

This audio was better than I expected it to be - I had downloaded it from the library because I was in the mood for something light and mildly sentimental. It is both those things, but it is also funny in parts and tackles an important issue. Yes, there are a lot of coincidences and the resolution is tied up in a pretty bow. But for a book with a dual timeline, it was well done. Each time period held my interest, and there were some nice turns of phrase throughout. I also loved the bantering between Clare and Dev - very well done, thanks in no small part to the narrator who was very good.

3.5 stars

Morning, Katie! I am so sorry to read that you are sick. Poor, poor baby. Hoping you feel better very soon.

The Moroccan chicken stew looks most yum.

Crossing my fingers you get to see at least some of the Giants game - what bad timing for the party.

Sorry to see you are sick. Hope you get some rest

I prescribe more Morrocan stew for the head cold. It must be therapeutic, with all those warm spices, right?

>35 Crazymamie: - Thanks for the sympathy, Mamie. I did drag myself out to the pharmacy and I have a bit more energy now, so maybe I'll actually accomplish something today?

The stew was great, though it could have used a tad more spice IMO.

I ffel bad for our friend, who is not much of a sports fan. She knows everyone is going to be wanting to watch the game....

>36 ChelleBearss: - Thanks, Chelle!

>37 laytonwoman3rd: - You are, no doubt, right, Linda! Harissa, ginger, cumin.... Mmmmm.... There are some leftovers!

Feel better soon, Katie.

>39 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth.

The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll

Agnes Browne is widowed in her early 30s, left to raise 7 children on her own in 1960s Dublin. This novella relates scenes from her family's life in the first year after her husband dies. There is some very broad humor, as well as some very Irish dark humor, but there is also a lovely friendship and a tight-knit bond among the family. I would love to hear this on audio, as some of the dialogue between Agnes and her best friend, Marion, is wonderful and laugh out loud funny, and I can only imagine how much better it would be to hear it. I have at least two of the follow-ups to this novella and will save them for when I need a funny and heartwarming read.

4 stars

NB: And now I must track down the film Agnes Browne to see how the book was adapted...

>34 katiekrug: Adding that one to the BlackHole for when I need something light and sentimental.

>41 katiekrug: I already added that one to the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

Sorry to hear about the cold, Katie. Feel better soon!

>41 katiekrug: I think I might appreciate the movie...didn't know it existed. Thanks for mentioning!

Boo to the cold! I'm sorry you're under the weather Katie, but encouraged that you're still planning to go out tonight.

>42 alcottacre: - Thanks for the good wishes, Stasia!

>43 laytonwoman3rd: - No problem :) It stars Anjelica Huston as Agnes.

>44 lauralkeet: - Like all colds, it was worst in the morning. I feel 80% human right now. We probably won't stay long at the party, but I at least want to give her her gift.

>41 katiekrug: Can't imagine trying to manage 7 kids on my own!! Hope you feel better and manage to have some fun tonight. : )

>5 katiekrug: and >7 SandyAMcPherson: Yup, I'm back and enjoyed your review of My Last Innocent Year very much.
Those tropes usually distract me so much nowadays that I usually DNF the read. Good on you calling them out and also saying the writing "has a self-conscious quality", because I have not found a good way to express that feeling of preciousness (as I tend to think it).

>41 katiekrug: Oh yes, do track down Agnes Browne. It was a movie I saw in our arty cinema which caters to the non-mainstream movies often made overseas. I liked it enough to borrow the DVD at least twice to re-watch with friends (all pre-streaming via the library).
I've not read the book the film was based on. Looking forward to your comparisons!

Late popping my head round the door of the new thread.

>46 Berly: My Great granny was one of 18. That boggles my mind every time I think of it. I can't imagine coping with one child, let alone multiples of them. There's a reason we never had kids!

Feel better soon. Hope you had a good time at the party regardless.

>46 Berly: - I wouldn't want to manage one kid, so.... yeah :)

And thanks for the good wishes, Kim!

>47 SandyAMcPherson: - "Preciousness" makes sense, too, I think.

I'll have to see if 'Agnes Browne' is available through any of our streaming services. Otherwise, my library might have a DVD of it.

>48 Helenliz: - Hi Helen! I didn't last long at the party, but it was fun.

Happy Sunday, friends. As I mentioned to Helen, I didn't last long at the party last night. It was crowded and loud and I am old, plus I was really tired. So we stayed for an hour or so, had a couple of drinks, and went home. The Giants were shitting the bed in their playoff game, so we watched some basketball. The only notable thing about the night was my delicious dinner of sliced prime rib on toasted rye with Swiss cheese, sauteed onions, and horseradish sauce :) I made TW try it, so he could make it at home sometime.

Today will be very relaxed. TW is going to the grocery store for me, so I'll just have the laundry on my Must Do list. I'll probably putter a bit and do some other things, but we'll see. I slept well, but I'm still tired. And so full of snot.... You're welcome.

Books:
I started a full-cast production of The Graveyard Book on audio yesterday. It's excellent. I read the book in print several years ago and loved it, of course. I am also enjoying Jami Attenberg's memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You, which so far is about her peripatetic early adulthood and being a writer.

Viewing:
Just the aforementioned sports.

Ahem. You are NOT old. That is all.
Enjoy your relaxing day!!

Morning, Katie! What Laura said. Sorry abut your Giants. And the snot. AT least dinner was full of fabulous.

We are doing relaxing today, too.

>51 lauralkeet: and >52 Crazymamie: - Well, I *AM* an old soul, so..... :)

Old soul is completely different. Birdy and I are also old souls. Age has nothing to do with it.

>54 Crazymamie: - Ok :)

Just to be completely clear -- none of you lot are old!! Old souls, yes, but "old" no.

Enjoy your day :)

"Old soul is completely different... Age has nothing to do with it." There's a nugget of sound truth, right there. I've known children who were old souls.

>56 RebaRelishesReading: - Yes, ma'am!

And have a good day yourself :)

>57 laytonwoman3rd: - I was a bit of an old soul as a child, for sure.

The food was also the best part of the Giants game for me. (My SIL had a spread of nachos, taquitos, and Mexican street rice from Trader Joe's.) Ah well... next year. And go 49ers.

>41 katiekrug: The Mammy looks good. Three kids were almost too much for me. There should never be more kids than adults in a family. ;-)

Sorry about your cold, Katie. At least you still have your appetite. Sliced prime rib on rye sounds like good medicine. Feel better soon...and go Chiefs! I couldn't resist.

Hope the head cold leaves as fast as it appeared!

>59 bell7: - Yesterday's football was much more pleasing!

>60 Donna828: - Hi Donna. Thanks for the sympathy re: my cold. I had more energy yesterday, but was still very congested. Oh well. I'll take the energy!

I don't mind the Chiefs at all :)

>61 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita. It's still with me, but I think I'll survive...

Morning, Katie. Sorry about your Giants. I was rootin' for them but the Eagles were unstoppable. Great games yesterday. Both teams I was hoping to win- did.

It's gross out there this morning - rainy and cold. Of course, not cold enough to do what it's supposed to do in winter, which is SNOW, dammit!

Yesterday was just as quiet as expected, but I did manage to get the laundry done. We watched both football games and were pleased with both results. I also worked on my puzzle and got some good listening time in with my audio. TW made chili, which was fantastic, as always.

Our gym session got moved from today until tomorrow, so I have exactly zero things on my calendar. Nice. I have a few appointments to make and some "desk work" to do. Other than that, lots of time with the books. A new-to-us recipe from Nigella Lawson for dinner tonight, I think.

Books:
I wanted to space out my reading of I Came All This Way to Meet You a bit, so when I finished the first part yesterday, I switched to reading a light contemporary romance. I'll read a few chapters a day in the former, but it's a lot to absorb so I didn't want to rush through it. Still enjoying The Graveyard Book on audio.

Viewing:
Sportsball!

>63 msf59: - Morning, Mark! Both teams I was rooting for won yesterday, too. As the wife of a Dolphins fan, I am not allowed to root for the Bills. And of course I loathe the Cowboys, so win-win!

ETA: The less said about the Giants game the better ;-)

That Bengals/Chiefs game is shaping up to be the best game in the post-season. I love the Chiefs but I think I will be pulling for Burrow & Co.

>66 msf59: - I'll probably just watch that one in neutral, saving up all my energy to root for the 49ers against the hated Eagles!

Ooh a no-agenda day. Very nice indeed!

>68 lauralkeet: - I'm pretty happy about it!

Enjoy your quiet day! :)
It's weird how we are only a few hours away from each other and yet we got a ton of snow here yesterday and you've got rain.

Morning, Katie! No agenda on a Monday - excellent work. I have errands to run but nothing too taxing.

>70 ChelleBearss: - Well, I think it's more like 8 hours, Chelle, maybe a little less as the crow flies. But yeah. I'd like some snow. We'll probably get all our snowfall in March and it will be my least favorite kind - heavy and wet...

>71 Crazymamie: - Ha! Thanks, Mamie. Careful on those errands - leaving the house on a Monday is a bold choice ;-)

>72 katiekrug: Right?! But I have to pick up Abby's meds.

>73 Crazymamie: - Ok, yeah, that's important enough to take the risk!

>72 katiekrug: Wow, is it that many? Wonder why I was thinking just a few hours. Maybe I was thinking NY state (Buffalo) is only a few hours, since you post about NY visits.

>75 ChelleBearss: - Yeah, I'm just outside New York City, and about 6 hours from Buffalo. It's a big state :)

You can only pick 3 to stay - all others disappear forever into a black hole...

This caused me much anguish, and my answer changes every time I look at it. But tater tots are always on the list...



Any opinions?

>77 katiekrug: Any opinions?

Yes. Yes to all of them. If I have to choose: tater tots, British chips, potato wedges. Although garlic fries and cheese fries are pretty good, too...

Nope. I'm back to "yes to all of them". Maybe not the smiley face ones; I generally don't like food that looks back at me, unless it's made of chocolate and in the shape of a rabbit.

>78 rosalita: - I'm mostly with you about "yes to all of them" except for sweet potato fries. They shouldn't even be included, as they are an affront to the universe and fried potatoes everywhere.

>79 katiekrug: I respect your opinion no matter how wrong it is. :-) Although I will also say that I don't think they belong on this list because they are a completely different food.

>80 rosalita: - We can, at least, agree on that!

Spud solidarity, sister!

>82 rosalita: - *fist bump*

>77 katiekrug: Belgian frites, Belgian frites, Belgian frites.

Okay fine, that and then curly fries, garlic fries and chili cheese fries. The whole bottom row could get wiped off the face of the earth and I wouldn’t even notice.

>84 ursula: - I don't think I've ever had Belgian frites, Ursula, though I did have frites in Paris out of a cone, with mayonnaise, so maybe similar?

Love me a good (seasoned) curly fry! And yeah, I've not had any of the bottom row, either.

Any except steak fries and sweet potato fries - what are they doing in the list to begin with??!

I'm with Julia, yes to all of them except the smiley face ones.

>86 drneutron: - What's wrong with steak fries?!!? All that potato-y goodness....

>87 Crazymamie: - Y'all are cheating. You can only choose 3! Obviously, they are all good (Except for the nasty swee tpotato ones), because they are all fried potato - the fun is in prioritizing :)

My current 3:

tater tots
curly fries (but only if seasoned)
waffle fries

Too mushy. I'm a fan of really crispy fries.

Waffle
Curly
McDonalds

My sister once bought me a bag that reads "I've never met a french fry I didn't like" so I guess you know where I stand. :-)

Okay, then:

Shoestring
Standard cut
Garlic Fries

>90 drneutron: - That's fair. You pass :)

But then what about shoestring? They are usually super crispy! Of course, the ratio of crisp to potato is weird...

>91 japaul22: - I see where you stand: You refuse to play! Hmph. ;-)

>92 Crazymamie: - Classic choices, Mamie. Fits with your love of old movies and general all-around classiness!

>85 katiekrug: probably the same, or at least a French attempt at the same thing! Half the fun is in the sauce options besides mayo though (I do love mayo with them too). There is usually a pretty comprehensive list of choices.

>94 ursula: - My favorite fry dip is probably the curry sauce at Irish (here, not there) pubs...

Sweet potatoes in any form are better than any of the other choices, IMO.

>96 ffortsa: - *picks jaw up off of floor*

To each her own.... :)

*gives Judy side-eye*

>88 katiekrug: But, but this is the first time mentioned that we had to pick three???

>98 ELiz_M: - Oh, shit! You're right.

APOLOGIES TO EVERYONE!

I grabbed the graphic from Twitter, and I guess the "Pick 3" was in the tweet. Bad Katie.

Going to edit the post....

I'm not bothered, to be honest. I'd keep the (British) chips, and the frites, but that's it. There are other cooked potato foodstuffs I'd keep ahead of chips - of any variety.

Ok, then. Belgian fries, British chips, tater tots.

>101 Helenliz: - Sigh. Ok, then I'mk picking your 3rd and it's tater tots!

>102 japaul22: - A fine selection! Especially the last one :)

In other news, we had 30 whole minutes of "wintry mix" this afternoon! I saw snow! Now it's back to regular rain. Boo.

Standard Cut, Belgian Fries, and Chips.
But wait ... no Old Bay Fries?!

>77 katiekrug: Standard cut, tater tots, and garlic fries stay, I think. Though sometimes I might pick waffle fries over garlic fries.

Ok but where is the POUTINE FRIES??

With the lack of poutine my choices would be:
Sweet potato fries (with spicy mayo please)
Cheese fries
Curly fries

>105 lauralkeet: / >107 ChelleBearss: - The list is also missing Disco Fries, a Jersey favorite!

>106 bell7: - Garlic fries come and go on my list....

Oh dear - I want Belgian Fries, garlic fries and either crinkle or British chips. The garlic parsley chips in Buenos Aires are to die for.

I'm missing the patatas bravas and batata harra - both borderline possible inclusions worthy of mention.

>109 avatiakh: - Garlic parsley fries on the side of a nice Argentinian steak, with a glass of Malbec please!!

Our favorite tapas place has THE best patatas bravas.... Must visit there soon...

>77 katiekrug: Garlic fries please with a little salt and no dip. Bye-bye to the rest of them from me.

>77 katiekrug: That is a totally unfair question!! Potatoes in any form are my favorite, so only 3?!?! Nope I refuse to limit my yummy choices. Although I agree that tater tots are amongst the best. : )

>111 RebaRelishesReading: - The fries can feel your disdain, Reba!

>112 Berly: - Totally with you on potatoes in any form, Kim!

'Tis Tuesday, friends! We survived Monday!

I managed to clean up my desk yesterday, which felt like quite an accomplishment. Beyond that, I read and puzzled and futzed around. We had leftover chili for dinner instead of the new dish. I guess that'll be dinner tomorrow.

This morning, we have the gym and then I'll do some tidying around the house. Trivia tonight.

Books:
Still reading the same two and listening to the Gaiman. A book I've been looking forward to - Georgie, All Along - released today, and I was first on the holds list, so I have that to look forward to.

Viewing:
The latest University Challenge and two episodes of Jack Ryan.

Wordle 584 4/6

⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

PENIS, BRAND, MOUNT, COUNT

>114 katiekrug: Just stopped by to see if you'd watched last night's UC. That winning team is so good!

Have a great day, Katie.

>116 lauralkeet: - I like the captain, but I find McLaughlin insufferable!

Me too Katie. I believe we've discussed McLaughlin before. He wasn't as bad last night as in previous appearances but still, I won't be heading down the pub to hang out with him. Ha.

>118 lauralkeet: - I'd only hang out with him at the pub if they had really good fish and chips :)

Mmmm….chips!!

>108 katiekrug: I had to google Disco fries and it looks like they are pretty much your version of poutine, so therefore they must be delicious! :)

>120 lauralkeet: - I'm sensing a theme to my thread...!

>121 ChelleBearss: - I hadn't made the connection between poutine and disco fries, but you're right. *whispers* They aren't actually a favorite of mine.... :) *

Morning, Katie! I had never heard of disco fries. Guess I have learned my something new for today, which means I can take the rest of the day off, right?

Which season of Jack Ryan are you watching?

>123 Crazymamie: - Absolutely! Well done - it's not even noon :)

>124 MickyFine: - The first one. It hadn't interested me much, but when you menioned you and Mr. Fine were watching it, I thought I'd give it a go. And it's something TW is willing to watch with me, so win-win.

>125 katiekrug: Nice! It's technically Mr. Fine's pick for one of his TV nights but we both really enjoy it. I hope it continues to be solid viewing for both you and TW.

>126 MickyFine: - We are only 3 or 4 episodes in, and TW keeps telling me how they changed things from the books, but I'm pretty sure we'll keep watching.

Gym done - it wasn't pretty, as I tweaked my back doing leg presses. Annoying!

But I am rewarding myself with one of the scones I made yesterday :)

Standard cut, chili cheese fries and potato wedges. I would REALLY miss several of the others, however. I love sweet potato fries, but I agree that they do not belong on this list, so I will just assume that's an error, and they would not disappear along with the rest.

>128 katiekrug: ow / good.

>129 laytonwoman3rd: - This whole conversation is making me spend too much time thinking about what I'm going to eat at pub trivia tonight! There will be fried potatoes of some sort....

>130 Helenliz: - That about sums it up!

>131 katiekrug: I am a devotee of the spud, I have to confess. There's almost nothing you can do to one that won't appeal to me.

>132 laytonwoman3rd: - I am the same, Linda.

>134 katiekrug: Noooooooooooooo!

Well, she does talk sense. My own attitude is nuts, I admit. Not rational, but it is my indulgence to me.

>127 katiekrug: LOL. I do this with Mr. Fine every time we watch a new season of Outlander. I will still watch every single episode.

Also, have you seen that Roxane Gay is co-writing a romance novel with Channing Tatum???

>135 weird_O: - I'm trying to figure out how you saw what I posted and then deleted, Bill! I took it down because I decided it was too judgmental and snotty.

>136 MickyFine: - I did see that about RG! I love just the idea of it :)

>137 katiekrug: Too quick for my own good, Katie. I opened your thread and followed the link in a new tab. So I had your thread open long enough to read the opinion, then to find my wallet and sign up to contribute to the Guardian (which has been in my mind to do for quite some time, don't you know), and only then post my remark, closing your thread. See?

I'm Editing This To note that your poll of potato delectables neglected Potato Pancakes, which Judi loved and would make from time to time. Perhaps because some processing is involved the dish doesn't qualify. Fair enough.

Just so happens that I had a sack of crinkle-cut sweet potato fries in the freezer, but had not tried yet. So I baked some for lunch. Mmmm. Good enough that I have seconds baking right now.

>138 weird_O: - I guess nothing gets past you, Bill!

I think that list is missing mexi fries. In high school it was the thing we all stood in line for once a week. It was soo good that when our class graduated we made sure to visit favourite teachers on the day it was served in the cafeteria.

>140 figsfromthistle: - Oooh, so like nachos but with fries instead of tortilla chips? Sign me up!

Hello, friends. Another grey morning here. It's supposed to rain this afternoon, but it might be a wintry mix when it first starts. Just about an hour from us, in the NW part of the state, they will get snow. I am jealous. I'll be taking it easy today - my cold is getting better but my energy ebbs and flows, and I figure a rainy day is a good excuse to not do very much at all. I might even watch some TV in the daytime! Has anyone watched 'From Scratch' on Netflix? It's based on a memoir by the sister of author Attica Locke, and they wrote the screenplay together. I've watched the first episode - lots of food and shots of Florence, so that was lovely. I know the story takes a sad turn, but right now I'm enjoying it. Anyway, I watched the first episode a week or two ago and mean to watch more, so maybe today...

We sucked at trivia last night - 10th place out of 19. And my grilled cheese was disappointing. Luckily, the tater tots were on point :)

Books:
I will probably finish up my current audio (The Graveyard Book) and Kindle romance (Prejudice Meets PRide) today. I'm also making good progress with I Came All This Way to Meet You, which is excellent so far.

Viewing:
Nothing yesterday.

We were supposed to have early morning snow flurries but they didn't materialize. Sending them your way, I guess. We're expecting rain later. Hope you enjoy your rainy day curled up in a comfy chair with a book or sumpin'.

Morning, Katie. Grey here, too. I'm hoping you get the wintry mix. I miss winter. I completely agree that a rainy day is a good excuse to veg.

I have not watched From Scratch - had not even heard of it, but I will check it out.

Sorry pub night was not better.

Hi Katie! Yipes. Happy new thread. I’ve gotten way behind.

>77 katiekrug: No to anything with mayonnaise, cheese, garlic, or chili. Not really a fan of tater tots. All the others with ketchup, except sweet potato fries, which are eating plain with a bit of salt. Picky, I know.

>142 katiekrug: ‘Morning! We’re getting rain today, too, but alas, No Snow. Harrumph. Sorry about your cold. Indoors with a bunch of nothing planned sounds excellent to me.

>143 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura! My back is a little sore from when I tweaked it at the gym, so I might be stretched out on the recliner rather than curled up, but there will definitely be a book with me.

>144 Crazymamie: - It's a limited series - 8 episodes I think? Let me know what you think when you get to it!

Thanks for the sympathy re: last night. It was disappointing on a few levels.

>145 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen! Not picky at all - we all have our preferences :)

I hope you can enjoy the rainy day and give yourself permission to do not much of anything!

We've gone from bright, cold and very frosty to above freezing (but not exactly warm) and dreary. I prefer the bright and properly cold. Not that I want snow. But I do prefer the sun.
Sunday morning we'd had freezing fog over night and the world looked like it was made of sun glass. Bloody cold, but beautiful.

I'm with you, Helen. The dreary is so... dreary. That freezing fog sounds beautiful.

I missed an entire thread and almost missed this one. I'm so far behind and we're not even out of January! Yoicks.

Potatoes: All. The. Potatoes.

Did you see the FB post about the 12yo who wants a Potato Party for her birthday? Potatoes made 6 different ways and all her friends bring books and they just eat potatoes and read. That sounds freaking amazing to me.

>149 scaifea: - I did see that! I felt like an idiot for not thinking of it myself :)

It's snowing! The ground is too warm for it to stick, but it looks pretty coming down...

Yay for some much awaited snow for you!

I haven't watched From Scratch yet but I look forward to your opinion as I have it in my queue.

The Graveyard Book is my favorite Gaiman and the audio was a delight. I hope you are feeling the same.

>152 MickyFine: - I'll report back (when I eventually finish it!) :)

>153 msf59: - I just finished it, Mark, and it was great. I had read it in 2011 in print - it was my first Gaiman - and I really enjoyed revisiting it on audio.

>113 katiekrug: The only fries I really like are the really thin really crisp ones -- garlic is nice but not needed. I love hash browns but they weren't a choice. Also love baked potatoes and good mashed potatoes are OK. Also, good potato pancakes work for me. Sorry, about the rest of the fries though. I don't like dips or toppings or whatever on any of them. The ONLY thing I would ever accept ketchup on is a hot dog (sorry Chicago).

>155 RebaRelishesReading: - No need to apologize, Reba!

We had a lot of rain yesterday and overnight, so now we have a little lake in our backyard. Nuala finds it quite fun! Today looks like it will be clear, and it's supposed to be near 50F, which is just Wrong. It will be nice for Nuala, who is going to day care and means she'll have lots of time to run around outside. Maribel is coming at 9:00 for the bi-weekly cleaning, which means I'll have a lot of quiet time in my office this morning. I have a few tasks to do, but I also plan to spend some time reading on the bed (my office is also our guest room...).

Yesterday was also pretty chill - I did a lot of reading and started a new jigsaw puzzle, plus tidied up for today's cleaning. We had Thai takeaway for dinner (curry puffs and Singapore noodles for me).

Books:
I finished both The Graveyard Book and Prejudice Meets Pride and read two chapters in I Came All This Way to Meet You. In the evening, I started Georgie, All Along, which I am pretty sure I am going to love. Kate Clayborn is my go-to for smart and funny contemporary romance.

Viewing:
An episode each of 'From Scratch' and 'The Big Brunch.'

‘Morning, Katie!

>146 katiekrug: That’s the issue, isn’t it, for so many of us? Giving ourselves permission to do not much of anything because there’s always something to do. But yesterday was a winner – I read most of the day since it was rainy and cold out.

>157 katiekrug: Our high will be 53F, also ridiculous, but tonight will get to 28F.

I just bought What Is Left the Daughter, which I took as a BB from you in October of 2021. Then, without realizing that I already took the BB, I took it again from Richard in October of last year. I added it to my wish list again yesterday from weird_o, realized that it was actually a triplicate, and figured that I really needed to buy the darned thing.

>158 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen!

I also had a pretty lazy day yesterday. Sometimes I find it *too* easy to give myself permission to do nothing...

I hope you love What Is LEft the Daughter as much as I did. And Richard did. And Bill did :)

Good morning Katie!
Your yesterday sounds pretty nice. I love Singapore Noodles but our local doesn't have 'em. Darn it, now I have a hankering.

>158 karenmarie:, >159 katiekrug: I've been seeing that book a lot this week too, and thought Bill started it. I didn't realize it had such a long history of acclaim around here. My library doesn't have it so I'll have to look elsewhere.

>160 lauralkeet: - Morning, Laura! If you have a local Chinese place, sometimes they have Singapore mei fun, which is the same thing.

I think you'd like WILTD, so I hope you can locate a copy!

Morning, Katie! A swimming pool without the maintenance - I can imagine Nuala's delight. I am jealous of your Thai, but Craig and Rae did bring us home Mexican takeaway last night, so that was lovely.

>158 karenmarie: Your comments about What is Left the Daughter cracked me up - I had to read it out loud to The Girls (I decided I am going to capitalize this from now on since they are grown women, but they will also always be my girls).

>159 katiekrug: Howard Norman was featured in the AAC in 2021. What is Left the Daughter was a 5 star read for me that year. It's great to see it getting more love here.

>163 laytonwoman3rd: - Yup, I read it for the AAC that month. I had previously read The Bird Artist and loved it, so I was already well-favored toward his work :)

Prejudice Meets Pride by Rachael Anderson

This was a very average contemporary romance of the "opposites attract" variety. Despite the title, it's not a re-working of the Austen classic. The writing was okay, the chemistry pretty tame, and the conflict overblown. Still, there was some nice interaction between the main characters and the main characters and the two little nieces of one of them.

I won't be seeking out any more books by this author, as there are way too many excellent options in the genre (like my current read!).

3 stars

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I first read The Graveyard Book in print in 2011 and gave it 5 stars. This full-cast production was a wonderful way to re-visit the story of found families, courage, growing up, and letting go. I'm only lowering my rating from the 5 stars because it was just slightly less magical to me the second time through. My inital 2011 reading of it was also my first encounter with Gaiman, so it was something special.

4.5 stars

NB: This production has a nice note from Gaiman at the end (read by him) about how he came to write the book, and it is well worth listening to.

Tip o' the hat to you, Katie. Thanks for your positive influence on recent reading. For positive influence on my meager culinary art. scribbling. More seasoning! :-)

>161 katiekrug: yeah, I've seen it as mei fun in other restaurants. It was readily available in the northeast. I don't know why our local doesn't have it. Waaahhhh.

>167 weird_O: - LOL, happy to help, Bill!

>168 lauralkeet: - I didn't know what mei fun was for the longest time. Then I saw a picture, and I was like YES!

Yay for Gaiman! As you know, I love him to bits.

Oh so you must be the reason I have What is Left the Daughter sitting on my shelf, Katie. I have no idea when I'll get to it but I'll remember why I bought it😊

>170 scaifea: - I totally understand, Amber!

>171 brenzi: - Happy to take the credit, Bonnie!

Good morning! Not much going on here, as usual. Gym this morning, and then... who knows? We'll see how the day unfolds. Last night, I made a new recipe (https://www.nigella.com/recipes/sausages-with-beans-and-peppers), and it was fantastic! Didn't even need extra seasoning :) It was really easy to make, and hearty and comforting, and it'll be going in the regular rotation.

Books:
I am enjoying Georgie, All Along, but no surprise there. I might wrap up I Came All This Way to Meet You today, but more likely tomorrow. And my current audio, Murder in an Irish Village, is good company while I puzzle.

Viewing:
A college basketball game and an episode of 'Trivia.'

Morning, Katie! I *love* a good sausage/beans/peppers soup.

>174 scaifea: - Try this recipe, Amber! It's not a soup. And not even really a stew. There's not much liquid at all, just enough that it would be great with a crusty roll to sop up the juices.

>175 katiekrug: Sold!!

>176 scaifea: - Please report back :)

>173 katiekrug: Did you use the red vermouth, Katie, or substitute stock? I'm not sure I want to buy a whole bottle of vermouth just for a few tablespoons.

>178 rosalita: BUY it....other uses will suggest themselves.

>179 laytonwoman3rd: You vastly over-estimate the frequency of my cooking, Linda!

>180 rosalita: It's not only for cooking you know!!!
That said, I've never used the red stuff. I might substitute a splash of wine or sherry instead.

>181 lauralkeet: I know white vermouth is used in cocktails -- is red vermouth also?

>178 rosalita: - I used the red vermouth, Julia. I am confident you will like the recipe so much that you will use up a bottle of it just making this often :) I am having the tiny bowl of leftovers right now, and it remains delicious!

>179 laytonwoman3rd: - Agreed.

>180 rosalita: - LOL.

>181 lauralkeet: - Red wine might work, but I loved it so much with the vermouth, I ain't changing it!

>182 rosalita: - Good question.

Also, I used cannelini beans instead of butter beans. Just FYI.

Also, Nigella's my new best friend.



The screen shot cut off the text of my tweet, but I basically just said it was so easy and delicious and would be making it again.

>185 katiekrug: Awww, that's so lovely!

>186 MickyFine: - She's one of my favorite "celebrity" chefs. Also, The Wayne has a crush on her, and I don't even mind because she seems so nice :)

>185 katiekrug: cool!
It looks like a good hearty meal option.

>184 katiekrug: I was already planning to do that, just because I prefer cannellini beans and Nigella said it was OK. :)

>185 katiekrug: Very cool!

>188 Helenliz: - Perfect for a cold night!

>189 rosalita: - Butter beans are lima beans, right? I couldn't wrap my head around this with lima beans....

>190 katiekrug: Yep, and lima beans are the devil's work. I remember in school, which was *cough* years ago, one of the most frequent vegetable offerings was succotash, which if I'm remembering correctly was corn, carrots and lima beans. I would carefully pick all the lima beans out and line them up on a napkin so I could eat the corn and carrots without danger of accidental ingestion. :-)

>191 rosalita: - I actually don't mind lima beans - I don't seek them out, but I'll eat them if they're served to me. My father loved them, so we had them often when I was growing up.

>173 katiekrug: I will definitely try this recipe - thanks, Katie.

>185 katiekrug: How lovely!

Hoping Friday has been kind to you, my friend!

You and Nigella are BFFs now, how cool is that?!

----

>182 rosalita: Just discovered that red vermouth is the same as sweet vermouth. It is used in Negronis, among other cocktails.

ETA: and it appears ours is in quite low supply. Must remedy that!!

Hi Katie, I'm a little late with my potato choices but I'd go with Belgian Fries, Garlic Fries and Waffle Fries. I hate Sweet Potato Fries - Blech!!

>193 Crazymamie: - Hope you like the recipe, Mamie!

Friday was indeed kind to me.

>194 lauralkeet: - I thought it was pretty cool, Laura :)

Fun coincidence - TW had a negroni at dinner last night!

>195 DeltaQueen50: - It's never too late to discuss (or eat) potatoes, Judy! I like your choices.

Happy Saturday, all! Yesterday was very chill, as expected. We went out for a nice dinner, where I got a steak with Calabrian chili oil, celery puree, and the most amazing onion rings (perfectly crisp, even the last one, and ones you could bite without pulling out the entire piece of onion - just perfect and so hard to get these days; I'm a bit of an onion ring connoisseur...). I had a smoked paloma before dinner and then a nice glass of cab. Delicious meal. When we got home, we made snickerdoodles and watched some TV.

I have nothing much planned for today except to putter and read and puzzle. No complaints!

Books:
I have 20 pages left in the Attenberg memoir, so I'll finish that up this morning. Then all my focus will be on Georgie, All Along, which is great so far. Still listening to Murder at an Irish Wedding and enjoying it.

Viewing:
TW's movie pick was The Lost Battalion, a WWI movie that I think was made-for-TV. It was not as terrible as I expected, but it was not great. After that, we watched the penultimate episode of 'The Big Brunch' where I continued to rant about Danielle, the most annoying person on TV EVER.

Happy Saturday, Katie. Hooray for your reread of The Graveyard Book. I would like to do a reread, at some point. When is Gaiman going to bless us with another book? When was his last book- 10 years ago?

>198 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I hope you do that re-read of TGB. Yes, I think The Ocean at the End of the Lane was published about 10 years ago. Have you read Norse Mythology? I think that's a little more recent. I listened to that on audio, too, and it was great. He reads it himself.

I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home by Jami Attenberg

I've read three of Jami Attenberg's novels and have the others on my shelf, just waiting for the right time. I love her writing, and she seems like a cool person to boot (if her Twitter is any indication - ha!). This work of nonfiction is sort-of a memoir and sort-of a primer on writing as a craft and a calling. It's beautifully and painfully honest and sharply insightful - I marked *a lot* of passages. In each essay, Attenberg connects a personal story or part of her life to her writing and how she approaches it. It's a fascinating look "behind the curtain" of a talented, and reasonably - though not overwhelmingly - successful writer. My only quibble - and really, it's minor and more an issue with me, probably - is that I occasionally got confused by the (lack of) coherent timeline, so that sometimes I couldn't figure out if what I was reading about happened before or after something previously read. At times, I feel like this would have made a difference in understanding her perspective and thoughts on what I was reading in the moment.

4.25 stars

"Now I could close my eyes, hold a thought in my head, the sun above me, while far away my family was being noisy, talking, eating. Do you know this continuous tension of needing and not needing people? Knowing they're nearby, happy they're there, but wishing them away, too." (p. 79)

"But forgiveness is another thing to learn, forgiving ourselves for not always being our best, for not always accomplishing everything. Add forgiveness to the arsenal of skills we need to acquire in order to survive everyday life. Forgive ourselves for being human." (p. 189)

"This doesn't mean I am perfect now. I will never be perfect. This doesn't mean I won't still get things wrong. I have acquired too many scars to be fully healed. I have broken so many habits but not all of them. Even the experience of writing a book is just making one mistake after another until you're not anymore. Every day we sit down to work we swim in a sea of our own fuck-ups. On the shore is one good sentence." (p. 256)

I’m late to the potato pole, Katie, but question why yam fries aren’t included if sweet potato ones are. I like tradition fries with ketchup and yam fries with aliola sauce.

Afternoon, Katie!

>200 katiekrug: This sounds like one for your DD. Excellent review - happy to add my thumb if you feel like posting it. I have not read anything by her - which of her novels is your favorite?

*I meant to comment on the onion rings - I LOVE onion rings! What kind of onion was used, do you know?

>201 Familyhistorian: - Maybe it's an American thing? I've never heard of yam fries, but sweet potato fries are pretty common around here.

I'm not familiar with aliola sauce, but I love a good dip!

>202 Crazymamie: - Afternoon, Mamie! I did post the review, only because the other ones there annoyed me :)

The first Attenberg I read was The Middlesteins, and then Saint Mazie and then All Grown Up, so any of those would work. I can't pick a favorite, but since I started with The Middlesteins, I guess I'd say start there. I just bought her older books, and I've had her most recent novel, All This Could Be Yours since it came out. I think I'm hoarding it :)

Not sure what kind of onions they were - definitely not red, though. I would have noticed that.

I need to read some Attenberg, Katie. I'll add it to the 2023 pile!

Well, I managed to get 160+ posts behind again and am not even going to try and catch up. I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Katie!

>200 katiekrug: Adding that one to the BlackHole! Thanks for the recommendation.

>185 katiekrug: Oh cool! Looks yummy.

>200 katiekrug: Never read anything by Attenberg. BB for me. Anyhow happy weekend reads!

>41 katiekrug: I love the sound of this, and something about it being a novella also appeals. I am fan of shorter fiction these days. (And I dream of the day I will again be a fan of longer fiction.)

>185 katiekrug: That is so cool!

>204 BLBera: - I look forward to your thoughts on Attenberg, Beth!

>205 alcottacre: - Nice to see you, Stasia.

>206 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita! Hope you have a good Sunday.

>207 LovingLit: - I'm also a fan of shorter fiction, Megan. I am trying to stop myself from balking at long books, but....

Welcome to the end of the week! It'll be the usual Sunday stuff here - grocery shopping, laundry, football... Yesterday was good - I worked a couple of hours on my jigsaw puzzle, cleaned up my office, and we went out to dinner (lobster bisque and a spinach flatbread for me). Then we enjoyed a double feature at home, and TW kindly let me have both picks :)

Books:
I'm halfway through Georgie, All Along, which is a freaking delight! And I have just a couple of hours left of my audio, Murder at an Irish Wedding. I might finish it today.

Viewing:
Up in the Air which neither of us had seen, and which we both really enjoyed. And then I wanted more Anna Kendrick, so we watched Pitch Perfect which remains silly fun. TW actually really liked it, too.

>209 katiekrug: We loved Up in the Air! I'm glad it was a hit for you.

Enjoy your Sunday Katie! I don't care about football but if I did, I'd care today (hometown team: Who Dey!)

Hi Katie!

I hope your usual Sunday stuff makes for a good day. Yesterday sounds productive and yummy.

>210 lauralkeet: It was so much better than I expected, Laura!

I am agnostic on the Bengals-Chiefs game - I just want a good, exciting one. I am not agnostic on the 49ers-Eagles, as I don't like the Eagles :)

>211 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen! My morning has been good so far, so here's hoping the rest of the day follows suit.

Grocery shopping is done and the laundry is started. I'm treating myself to a toasted Black Russian bagel with a little butter, and a glass of OJ. Football doesn't start until 3pm, I think, so I have lots of empty time to fill with a whole lot of nothing. *happy dance*

Morning, Katie! We have not seen Up in the Air, but we love Pitch Perfect.

We will be rooting for the Chiefs and the Eagles today. Rae's secondary team is the Chiefs and Daniel loved the Eagles, so...Honestly, I would be fine with any of them winning the whole thing.

I had to goggle Black Russian bagel - YES, please.

>214 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie! I highly recommend Up in the Air - it's really well done.

I forgive you for rooting for the Eagles ;-)

The bagel was DELISH.

Hi Katie!

I read your comments about I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home (on Facebook?) and it sounds really interesting. I've not read any Attenberg but I'm adding her to my 2023 list of authors to try.

I'm rooting for the 49ers today. Like you, agnostic on the other game. I'm for the Niners because they are in the same division as my Seahawks and my beloved Tennessee cousin is a HUGE Niners fan (always has been, go figure). That said, although I'd love for my Hawks to be in the mix, it's kind of refreshing and relaxing to care only somewhat about the outcome. I enjoy watching the games much more from a relatively uninvested space.

>216 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen! There is definitely something to be said for just being able to watch the game(s) and hope for good ones, without the stress of really caring. It's nice that you'll root for a division rival - we don't do that in the NFC East, LOL!

Our house is about a 10 minute walk from a synagogue, and I just found out someone threw a Molotov cocktail at it last night. It apparently caused no damage, thankfully.

What the fuck is wrong with people? See also recent mass shooting, Tyre Nichols murder, etc, etc, etc. I kind of hate the world right now.

>218 katiekrug: Sadly, so very true Katie

Hi Katie,
I've been avoiding the news rather assiduously. It's a self-protective mode ~ I'm trying to not get cranked about stuff I can't influenced, but still!
I was way behind on your thread, so I won't be able to comment thoughtfully on anything except the last few posts. I am amazed that you keep on top of it all ✨ (gold stars but they're not bright).

'Morning, Katie!

I'm sad that the 49ers lost because they're my aunt and uncle's team, and happy that the Chiefs won because they're my backup team after the Panthers.

Thank goodness the Molotov cocktail went out on impact. I hope they get him and put him in jail for a long time.

>185 katiekrug: Oh, that's really cool! I love it when folks take the time out to do that.

>218 katiekrug: Ugh, glad there was no damage but yeah, I don't blame you for feeling mad at the world right now.

>219 RebaRelishesReading: - It shouldn't hit harder when something happens close by, but it does.

>220 SandyAMcPherson: - Hi Sandy. I get avoiding the news - I know lots of people do as a means of self-protection and that's okay. For myself, I prefer to know what's going on and to call it out and to stay at a low simmer of outrage so I don't get complacent. But I totally get other approaches are valid, depending on our own head spaces and needs for self-care.

>221 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen. I felt so bad for the 49ers. What a sad way to have to end the season. The BEngals-Chiefs game was fun to watch, which is all I was hoping for. I'll be rooting for KC in the Super Bowl.

Thesynagogue secruity camera got pretty good shots of the guy, so hopefully he will be identified and arrested. There is a big police presence down the street there, plus a bunch of news vans...

>222 bell7: - Morning, Mary. I follow Nigella on Twitter and she is always very warm and encouraging, so I was pleased but not shocked that she actually responded :)

I am slightly less mad at the world after a good night's sleep, and also, the Facebook community pages for our town are full of people organizing ways to show support for the synagogue and its congregation, and that's nice to see.

Welcome to Monday, friends. I got skunked on Wordle and it's gloomy outside, so yeah. Monday.

Football yesterday was like A Tale of Two Games. One terrible and one really close and fun to watch. I really don't like the Eagles so at least I'll have a definite team to root for during the Super Bowl :) The Wayne made mojo pork for dinner, which was delicious. Lots of leftovers, too! I got all the laundry done, finished my jigsaw puzzle (and my audio book!), and read a good chunk. So a decent day.

Our trainer, Julian, is taking a class on Monday mornings now, so we have switched to Tuesdays (Fridays still on), so no gym this morning. I am planning to do some writing - it's been a while but I'm finally feeling the impulse again. We'll see how it goes. New recipe for dinner tonight - white bean scampi with linguini. I'll report back!

Books:
I finished Murder at an Irish Wedding on audio and plan to start something short to listen to in the last 2 days of the month. I have less than 100 pages left in Georgie, All Along so I should finish that today.

Viewing:
Just the football.

Morning, Katie! That is so sad and so awful about the synagogue.

I did listen to the audio of Norse Mythology in 2019. It was a good read but I want some more of his fiction.

"What the fuck is wrong with people?" I ask myself that all the time.

I hope your week is off to a good start.

>226 Crazymamie: - Thanks, Mamie.

>227 msf59: - Hiya, Mark. I agree - some more fiction from Gaiman would be welcome! Of course, I still have some of his back catalogue to read...

Happy Monday! Enjoy your day!

>218 katiekrug: The world kind of sucks lately.

We posted at the same time, so your earlier posts weren't there when I composed mine. Hooray for mojo pork! I bet you will like moving your gym day to Tuesday, and really, nothing should be done on a Monday because Mondays are yucky.

Hoping the writing goes well today!

>229 ChelleBearss: - Sadly, so true, Chelle.

>230 Crazymamie: - I'm already liking not having the gym on a Monday morning! And that pork was so, so good. Very happy to have some leftovers...

>225 katiekrug: Yes definitely a Monday. I got skunked on Wordle too, Katie. The sauce with yam fries is actually spelled aioli sauce (I was typing on my phone which objects to so many spellings I just went with how I say it). Aioli sauce is a creamy sauce made from garlic and olive oil with a pinch of salt.

Good to see local outrage about the Molotov Cocktail thrown at the synagogue and that it didn't do much damage.

>232 Familyhistorian: - Glad I'm not alone on the Wordle front, Meg!

Ah, I should have realized it was aioli. My bad. I love the stuff.

Sadly, I expect the people who most need to read/understand this won't.....

https://lithub.com/unguilty-pleasures-my-year-of-reading-romance-novels/

Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor

Like many cozy mysteries, this one requires you to not ask too many questions about how the amateur sleuth operates. It's helpful that Siobhan's boyfriend is a police officer, but still...

This second entry in the series was a perfectly pleasant companion while I worked on a jigsaw puzzle. The gentle Irish- accented narration was soothing, and there are some flashes of humor that I appreiate. The mystery itself wasn't all that strong, but it was made up for by a good cast of characters.

3 stars

Raining this morning - gross. Yesterday, it was so warm (somewhere in the 50s) that TW was prancing around in a t-shirt and shorts while he did work in and outside the house. Just so wrong....

Gym this morning, and then I have a couple of admin-y things to do, plus I might go to Trader Joe's - haven't been in a few months. Trivia tonight.

Books:
I finished Georgie, All Along (oh, my heart!) and started The Essex Serpent. On audio, I started Beezus and Ramona which I plan to finish up today, as my final book of the month.

Viewing:
'University Challenge,' during which I impressed TW by shouting "Savonarola" very excitedly at one point (and noted that neither of the Oxbridge teams got it *smug smile*). Go me. We also watched the finale of 'The Big Brunch' - my preferred chef won, so yay for that. I hope there will be a season 2. And then we watched 2 episodes of 'Jack Ryan.' That's a lot for us in one night!

After getting skunked yesterday, I was pleased to do better than my usual 4...

Wordle 591 3/6

⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟩⬜🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

TRADE, BRICK, CROSS

>236 katiekrug: Morning Katie! Loved your University Challenge "recap". Chris tends to get more answers than I do and he lords it over me constantly.

>237 katiekrug: What prompted changing your starter word? Just out of curiosity.

Hope your Tuesday is pleasant from the gym to trivia.

>238 lauralkeet: - TW and I are pretty evenly matched, though I did get some of "his" (science/math) questions last night :) I try to be humble about it, ha!

>239 bell7: - I still often use my usual but decided to mix it up occasionally.

Thanks for the good Tuesday wishes! Back at ya :)

Morning, Katie! I have never been to a Trader Joe's, but I love their taco seasoning - it's got a nice kick to it.

I can't wait to hear about Georgie, All Along. And Beezus and Ramona! That takes me back. Love those Beverly Cleary books, especially The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

>241 Crazymamie: - Morning, Mamie! I haven't had TJ's taco seasoning - we make our own. That sounds snotty and I don't mean it to!

I'll try to review Georgie today. It was fabulous and gave me a new book boyfriend :)

I loved the Ramona books as a kid - no doubt because I was a pesky little sister! I don't think I ever read The Mouse and the Motorcycle...

How snotty! Just kidding. Making your own is better because you can control the salt - I am just lazy.

"...gave me a new book boyfriend" Does Captain Wentworth know?



I also loved Ramona. The Mouse and the Motorcycle was Birdy's favorites and we read it many times. I might revisit it on audio just for fun if there is a good narrator.

>243 Crazymamie: - Captain Wentworth is my historical book boyfriend!

Mmhmm.

>236 katiekrug: We have a neighbour that shovels snow in shorts and slip on loafers (with no socks) no matter what the temperature is. He was out there again this morning in -15c (5f). Boggles my mind

>236 katiekrug: I also pranced around in a t-shirt and shorts yesterday (56 here), high-five to The Wayne

>245 Crazymamie: - You wound me, Mamie ;-)

>246 ChelleBearss: - That's insane!

>247 norabelle414: - Ha! Love it.

>236 katiekrug: LOL. I get your meaning but find it hard to imagine you actually found TW "prancing around in a t-shirt and shorts" to be "wrong"...

>237 katiekrug: good job

>249 RebaRelishesReading: - Ha! I meant the weather is so wrong, of course :)

New thread!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/348170