ŷ������

Happy Thursday!   Happy Holy Thursday to the observant (does one say "Happy" Holy Thursday?  It seems a somber occasion) and Passover and Ramadan and any other observances currently happening.

Spring has been springing very slowly in my neck of the woods. I still have snowdrops and the earliest crocuses blooming, and just yesterday my earliest daffodils ("Tête-à-tête" - we just planted more last fall!) popped up in the weird 70 degree F day.

This week FLEW by for me because we've been so busy with my daughter home.  Monday was her birthday, so on Sunday I made a cake, PLUS we went to the Everson art museum in Syracuse as part of our calendar project for the year (I'm taking photos of them at various museums and I'll select twelve of the photos to make our 2024 calendar). 

My kids are getting a bit of an architecture lesson, too, because in June I plan to go to the Johnson art museum, and both the Everson and the Johnson buildings were designed by I.M. Pei (the same guy who designed L'Enfant Plaza & the East wing of the National Gallery in DC and, later, the Louvre pyramids).  I don't actually know much about architecture, Pei is one of the few architects I could name off the top of my head.

The Everson was disappointing, most of their permanent collection was in storage, and I wasn't impressed with the special exhibits.  But the birthday cake was spectacular!  I used King Arthur's Classic Birthday Cake recipe (and the chocolate frosting recipe), and I recommend it!  Lily thought the frosting was too chocolatey, though, so next time we will cut back on the cocoa.  



Admin stuff
It's April, and our April group read of Legends & Lattes is happening here:
/topic/show/...

Our June group read has been chosen, and it will be: Red, White & Royal Blue

And, of course, May's group read will be:  Bunny. Let me or Lynn know if you are interested in leading a discussion on any of our group reads.




This week I finished 3 books, they all counted for this Challenge, so I am now 20/50

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lại - I LOVE this author, but I did not know this book was one of those "novels in verse" which is a style I don't care for.   I used this for "two languages."

Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women's Fight for Their Rights written by Mikki Kendall - I love the IDEA of this book, and the art is great, but the execution is lacking.  Instead of offering any sort of narrative flow, or any kind of deep dive (or even a shallow dive, or even a quick dip!) into some of these women's lives, it's just a few sentences - at MOST - for each woman.  This book could serve as a great jumping-off point for a high school project, but as a text on its own, it was a fail.  I used it for "alliteration," but even that annoyed me, because now I don't know where I can fit the other book that I had been planning to read for alliteration!

Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke - I loved the first mystery in this series, so I was expecting to love this one, but I did not.  I feel like the main character completely changed between one book and the next, he lost his moral compass, with no particular reason given for why.   I used this for "song lyric title," and it's got the big Texas Ranger star on the cover so I used it for "sun moon or stars on the cover" in AtY (even though I know that's not the intent of the category).




Pop: 20/50   
Winter: 3/10   
AtY: 15/52   
2023 must-reads: 2/12






Question of the Week
If you were going about your normal day, how many owls would you have to see before you thought something was wrong?


This question has been making the rounds on social media, maybe you've come across it too.  I wanted to make it our QotW, because it really made me laugh, because ... I don't know the answer!  

I assume the owls are not all in a group together, but individual owls in different places.
I never normally see ANY owls.  One owl is cause for excitement.  Two owls would be spectacular!  Three owls would be WOW!!  Probably somewhere between seven and ten owls is where I would start wondering if something is going on.  But I think it would take more than ten (maybe even more than one hundred) for me to actually think something is wrong.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

Well, apparently I don't need any more classes from the school I was at. It wasn't all bad though because it helped to bring up my GPA which was the whole point of me taking random classes to begin with.

Weather-wise it's been strange. We've had hot days, then cold ones, but mostly high winds. Where I live we usually get weather like this, but it's still weird.



I haven't read any books this past week, but I have ordered a few.

- The Attack On Critical Race Theory: The Reverse-Racism Attempts By Parts Of White America To Subdue Black Anti-Racism And Block Recounts Of America’s Racist History From Slavery To Date : I'm not one for political topics, however CRT is something you hear about everywhere so I was curious about this perspective.

- Back to Our Future: How the 1980s Explain the World We Live in Now—Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Everything : I'll be using this for the PS prompt of 'decade you were born'.

- The Alpha Female Wolf: The Fierce Legacy of Yellowstone's 06 : I love books on Yellowstone National Park and since I've met the author it only made sense.

-Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us : I will be starting this one today. When I first heard about it, I was stoked. I love art. I'm not creative that much, but what I am good at is writing. From what I understand about this book is that it talks about how effective art can be in general and how it affects the brain no matter what art form and how we need to get back to that.

So many times when it comes to schools I hear about them getting rid of art programs or electives whether it's painting/drawing, dance, music, creative writing, etc. This is something that saddens me. Kids are so much told to focus on academics to the point of burnout. I believe that art, no matter the form, allows a kid the chance to relax, to use their mind in other ways, to focus on other dimensions, as well as give them something that they are passionate about. That's lacking these days especially with schools and students.



QOTW

Yeah, I don't know how to answer that question. LOL! My guess is one because I never see owls where I live.

Happy Thursday, everyone!

I spent most of this week continuing to work on household projects, but also managed to make it back to the gym. My ankle has been a little sore over the past couple of days, but it has been so nice to get back into exercising on a regular basis!

I also did a tremendous amount of reading this week! Now that March Mystery Madness is over, I’ve started focusing exclusively on reading the books that I’ve purchased since the beginning of the year.

There are quite a few titles left on my “New Books�� list for me to read, but I’m feeling really good about the progress I’ve been able to make this week.

Here are my current challenge and TBR totals��

ŷ������ Challenge: 213/400
Mount TBR Challenge: 150/150 (Challenge Complete!)

📚Physical TBR: 139/634
📱Ebook TBR: 6/236
��Audiobook TBR: 11/13
TBR Checklist Total: 156/883 (17.6% complete)

I did not purchase any new books this week!

“New�� Books Bought in 2023: 65
“New�� Books Read in 2023: 52/65 (80.0% complete)

Here are the books I finished this week��

Finished Reading (Fiction):
~Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective �� I really enjoyed this collection of short mysteries, especially since Parker Pyne is not a typical detective. Rather than solving murders, he focuses on helping people find happiness. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~UnWholly�� I really enjoyed the second book in the Unwind Dystology. The new characters that were introduced really increased the drama. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Just Like Heaven �� This is the first book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet. I absolutely adored this book! It was a very fast and fun read, and I loved how it connected with Julia Quinn’s other series. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~A Night Like This �� I really enjoyed the second book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet! There was so much drama and excitement in this one! I do recommend checking the trigger warnings for this book though, because it does include situations that might cause emotional distress for some readers. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Sum of All Kisses �� The third book in the Smythe-Smith Quartet was such a fun read, and one that I thoroughly enjoyed! I do recommend checking the trigger warnings for this book as well. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~UnSouled �� This is the third book in the Unwind Dystology. I really enjoyed this book, and I like how the intensity of the plot increases with each subsequent book. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy �� This is the fourth (and final) book in the Symthe-Smith Quartet. While I did really enjoy this book, which was absolutely full of family drama, it did end up being my least favorite of the series. I really liked Iris, who loves to read (and is a fan of Pride and Prejudice), but I did not care for Sir Richard. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~UnDivided �� The fourth book of the Unwind Dystology was a really good, fast-paced read. While there are technically five books in this series, book four concludes the main story. I enjoyed the series as a whole, and thought this book brought it to a satisfying ending. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Splendid �� This is the first book in the Blydon Family trilogy. While I did enjoy the vast majority of the story, I have to confess that I wasn’t impressed with the progression of the relationship between the two main characters. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
~UnBound �� The fifth book in the Unwind Dystology is a collection of short stories that take place before, during, and after the conclusion of the series. I enjoyed the majority of the stories, and I’m glad it was included in the box set I purchased. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~Dancing At Midnight �� This is the second book in the Blydon Family trilogy. I enjoyed this book, but I do recommend checking trigger warnings before reading. There are quite a few scenes in this book that could cause emotional distress for readers. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Nonfiction):
~The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - Chronicles II: Creatures & Characters �� This behind-the-scenes book was really interesting! I really enjoyed learning more about the production of the first movie in The Hobbit trilogy. I also liked the fact that the book included commentary from both the production team members and the actors, because you got to see how they worked together to develop the characters for the film. 📚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Finished Reading (Manga, Comic Books, & Graphic Novels):
None

Finished Reading (Poetry and Drama):
None

DNFed:
None

Currently Reading:
~SPIDER-GWEN OMNIBUS �� I am currently about 45% of the way through this comic book collection, and I’ve been enjoying it so far. The art is really good, and I like this incarnation of Gwen Stacy. 📚
~Final Fantasy VII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts �� This is a recently-released novel that focuses on the characters of Tifa and Aerith from Final Fantasy VII. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read so far, and I’m looking forward to continuing this book later today. 📚
~Minx �� This is the final book in the Blydon Family trilogy. I’m still on the first chapter, so I haven’t formed any opinions yet. 📚

QOTW:
What an interesting question! I’d definitely be intrigued if I caught a glimpse of more than one owl during a normal day, since I’m more accustomed to seeing crows where I live. For me to think something is wrong, I’d need to see at least ten owls, and I’d most likely be checking to see if one of them is holding my Hogwarts letter.

I am very excited for a 4 day weekend. I'm hopefully going to get a lot of reading done while I complete the many, many chores I plan to work on.

This week I didn't finish anything for the challenge, but I did finish four books. Normally, I fly through the challenge and then read what I want for the rest of the year, but I am enjoying reading more of what I want and worrying less about filling prompts now. I only have 11 prompts to go and I know I will finish, so there doesn't seem to be any reason to hurry.

One thing I will note is that I read some really horrific, grisly books, but I do NOT want to read something where a dog is injured or dies. It seems like 70% of the books I choose do this. I want author's to stop using the dog being a hero and getting hurt or murdered as a plot point. STOP IT! It has gotten so frequent that any time I pick up a book that has a dog as a character, I feel like I should just put the book down and back away. 2 of the 4 books I finished this week have a dog die or get injured. STOP IT! Dogs should add sweetness and fun to a book. I would note in one of the two books, the dog was basically my favorite thing, so stop hurting the dogs! Rant over.

I finished:
One to Watch: There were problems with this book, but overall, I was surprised at how well the concept of a reality dating show was executed in book form. It was a bit rushed, but I thought it was very entertaining.

A Long Stretch of Bad Days: I am a huge Mindy McGinnis fan, and this was very good. Not her best, but definitely very readable.

Your Dad Stole My Rake: And Other Family Dilemmas: I think Tom Papa is very funny and this was light hearted and enjoyable during a long drive this week.

Dark Roads: I am also a huge Chevy Stevens fan. I have never rated any of her books less than 4 stars. This was convoluted in the best way and I did not predict the twist AT ALL, which is very rare for me.

Currently reading:
The Host: Making very little progress.

Please See Us: Making very little progress

The Second Chance Club: Hardship and Hope After Prison: The President Judge (my boss's boss) gifted me this book after I was named Employee of the Month in January and I am finally reading it. It is better than I expected and I'm surprised at how many similarities I find to what I do. This PO works in New Orleans with adults, and I work in small town PA with juveniles, but the emotions and the desire to help seems a lot alike so far.

Liar, Dreamer, Thief: I'm not sure about this one, but I'm going to keep going for now.

QOTW:

I find owls to be kind of creepy, so I think I would probably be hyper aware as soon as I see one owl, but after 3 or 4, I would definitely lock myself in my house and close the curtains.

Mary wrote: "One thing I will note is that I read some really horrific, grisly books, but I do NOT want to read something where a dog is injured or dies. It seems like 70% of the books I choose do this. I want author's to stop using the dog being a hero and getting hurt or murdered as a plot point. STOP IT! ."

I find this is exceptionally common -- people don't mind when someone dies horribly in a book or movie, but get upset when the dog dies. And I'm not judging -- I'm the exact same way! Hurt the people all you want but don't hurt the dog who didn't ask to be in this situation!

It's such a phenomenon that there's an entire website called Does the Dog Die, though this site has since expanded to cover other trigger warnings such as harm to children, sexual assault, various kinds of deaths, etc. It covers books, movies, TV shows, and other media, and can be found here --

Happy Thursday! We had our season announcement for my home theatre on Sunday afternoon (a good lineup! check out Ohio Shakespeare Festival's YouTube page if you wanna see), and a good DND session on Monday.

Aside from last Friday, it's been a rather slow reading week! I'm still waiting on another book to come in from the interlibrary system so I can do a bookstagram post for April.

Finished:
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder - 5 stars. Highly recommend, this is an excellent deconstruction of the beloved Little House mythos. A book you bought secondhand

Sworn to the Night - 4.5 stars. Fantastic start to this trilogy.

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret - 4 stars. A spur-of-the-moment reread because the movie drops later this month! I finished this in two hours and holy nostalgia, Batman. It holds up!

PS 20/50
ATY 19/52
Mount TBR 17/60

Currently:
Red Sister - This took me a day or so to get invested in but I'm halfway through and already thinking of buying the trilogy in paperback.
C is for Corpse - Back to Kinsey!

QOTW: If you were going about your normal day, how many owls would you have to see before you thought something was wrong?
For being Chronically Online, I haven't seen this one at all which amuses me. But yeah, 7-10 seems a good number. We often get random murders of crows around our house, which is cause for excitement as far as my husband is concerned. I think we'd both flip out if a handful of owls showed up.

Happy Thursday!

I'm dog-sitting this week for my stepsister who's out of town. Little Brother is a good pup, and we've spent pretty much every evening cuddling on the couch while I read or surf the Internet.

Books read this week:

The Martian -- for the PopSugar prompt “book you wish you could read for the first time�� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “a reread.�� Just as good the second time around! This is one of my favorite books of all time -- it’s a sci-fi book that does its homework when it comes to the science but is still funny, relatable, and readable.

A House with Good Bones -- for the PopSugar prompt “book published in the spring of 2023�� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “book published this year.�� Yet another T. Kingfisher book, though this one’s a horror book rather than a fantasy book -- and it's good! And boy, between this and Bryony and Roses I’m going to be freaked out by roses for awhile��

The Wide-Awake Princess -- for the PopSugar prompt “book with a map.�� Aimed at kids and a bit simplistic in its writing, but still a fun adventure that plays with several different fairy tales and their tropes and characters.

Gokushufudo: The Way of House Husband 1 -- manga, not for the challenge. A former yakuza member has found another line of work�� as a stay-at-home “house husband�� while his wife works! Mostly goofy and light-hearted, though with a few intense moments.

DNF:

A Tale of Two Castles -- intended this one for “book with a map.�� How could the author of Ella Enchanted manage to churn out something so dull?

Currently Reading:

The Bachman Books -- for “book with just text on the cover��
How the Penguins Saved Veronica -- for “book with the main character’s name in the title��
Where the Forest Meets the Stars -- for “a BookTok Recommendation��
We Need to Talk About Kevin

QOTW:

Well, given that the area where I live has the highest concentration of birds of prey in the world (not even exaggerating), I would have to see a LOT of owls before I get worried. Granted, I don't see a ton of owls normally -- I'm not out and about at night so mainly see hawks and kestrels instead of owls -- but I'd still have to see a dozen or so before I start wondering if someone is going to die or if my Hogwarts letter came way late...

Mary wrote: "2 of the 4 books I finished this week have a dog die or get injured. ..."



Which two books???

The cover for the Chevy Stevens book is gorgeous and makes me want it! but I'm guessing it's one of the two? I'm not touching any book where the dog is injured or dies.

I think it's been a month since I've done a check-in. I don't think I've checked off any prompts lately. Work has been crazy so I've been going through my comfort genre (romance).

no prompts: in order from best to worst

The Rest of the Story by Tal Bauer. Contemporary romance. Slow burn. 2 of the side characters have a novella on his website that needs to be a full book.

Read Me by Lauren Connelly. Contemporary romance. A pleasant booktok surprise. I'm side-eyeing a lot of their romance recs. This was thoroughly enjoyable. The 3rd act breakup didn't even annoy me as much as it usually does.

The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe. Historical romance. Really enjoyable. Love her heroines.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson. YA. A book about grief and the aftermath of loss.

Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey. Contemporary romance. Really cute. Zero spice.

Merry and Sprite by Dani Lakely. Contemporary romance. One of the mains thinks he is cursed and the other helps him break it. Super cute.

Love and Monsters by Max Walker. Contemporary romance. Friends to lovers. Enjoyable.

The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings. Contemporary romance. I actually read the 2nd in this series first and DNF'd it. This was a good read.

Namesake by Adrienne Young. YA historical about the daughter of a pirate. 2nd in the series. Enjoyable.

Infamy by Mohamed Omar. YA fantasy. Enjoyable.

The Hammerhead Heist by Max Walker. 2nd in series. Romantic suspense. Ridiculous and over the top but enjoyable.

The Girl and the Goddess: Stories and Poems of Divine Wisdom by Nikita Gill. Coming of age story told through prose and poetry.

How the Wallflower was Won by Eva Leigh. Historical Romance. I would've given this a 3.5 if goodreads did half stars (one of the many reasons Storygraph is superior).

Love is a Revolution by Renee Watson. YA romance. The main kind of annoyed me with all of her lies but still a decent read.

The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth. Decent thriller. Woman falls off the edge of a cliff by another's house and it raises questions from the past.

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai. This was a weird mix of thriller and lit fic that didn't always work for me.

The Politics of Black Women's Hair by Althea Price. A series of like essays about black women's hair. Short and informative.

Play Dirty by Onely James and Neve Wilder. Contemporary suspense/romance. I enjoyed this one more than the first. Hitmen on the run.

Estranged by Jason Collins. Contemporary romance. Slightly better than meh.

Unrequited by Julia Wolf. Contemporary romance. Second chance. Meh.

Her Greatest Mistake by Hannah Cowen. Contemporary romance. Second chance. This was almost a dnf. Honestly, I flipped right past all the flashback chapters. I didn't care about their teenage romance at all. Spice is okay but the emotions were seriously missing.

QOTW:
I live and work in a rural area and there is one owl near me and one near the school that I see a lot. I feel like if I saw 4 owls, I'd be like this is portentous of something.

I finished The Pillars of the Earth as my longest book.

I'm about halfway through The House at Riverton as my book by an author with my initials. Loving it.

QOtW: 2. Owls are nocturnal. I might brush the first one off as an anomaly or insomniac, but two would be cause for alarm.

Haven't read as many book as I might have done since my last check-in, mainly because I spent about 10 days in March having Covid, and although you might expect reading to be the ideal activity for when one is laid up with that kind of lurgy, I didn't feel like reading at all the whole time! Plus now I seem to be in a not very reading-y frame of mind generally, so I'm getting through books slower than usual...

But anyway, I have finished:

Under the Whispering Door for A book with a pet character
One Enchanted Evening for A book you think your best friend would like
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding - not for the challenge
Every Heart a Doorway for The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
The Cruelest Month for A book about a holiday that's not Christmas
Dear Emmie Blue for A book where the main character's name is in the title

Currently reading:

Lessons in Chemistry for A book your friend recommended

QOTW:

I think maybe 5-10 owls? Up to 5, I would probably thinking 'This is a bit weird'. Over 5, I'd start wondering what on earth was going on!

Kenya wrote: "A House with Good Bones -- for the PopSugar prompt “book published in the spring of 2023�� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “book published this year.�� Yet another T. Kingfisher book, though this one’s a horror book rather than a fantasy book -- and it's good! And boy, between this and Bryony and Roses I’m going to be freaked out by roses for awhile��..."


What's this now? Horror with roses? Oh I NEED to read this! When I was young, I wrote a short story about a rose garden that eats people and it won a prize in the local newspaper.



Well, given that the area where I live has the highest concentration of birds of prey in the world (not even exaggerating)

Wow!!! You must not have any troubles with mice or voles, with all those predators winging around looking for something to eat! I WISH a few more raptors would come calling and take out the vole population in my yard. I get the occasional small hawk in my yard, but they always go for the songbirds. No, no! EAT THE VOLES!!
I really like Kingfisher's writing and I don't understand why I don't read her stuff more often. I'm always telling myself I should.

Blessed Holy Thursday to my Western friends who observe Holy Week. We will be observing next week, so today is just a random day off school for our home. But it's nice to have a break. Spring is in full force, as are my allergies, and I am most displeased. Winter this year was disappointing!

Finished 10 /50

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology for "book about/set in Hollywood". Crazy read. Wow, what this poor woman has endured. I'm super proud of her for having the courage to write about this and get it out there. Very eye-opening read.

Currently Reading

Deification in Christ: Orthodox Perspectives on the Nature of the Human Person for "book published in the year you were born". It's really good but really heady. Makes for slow going.

First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew for "book with alliteration in the title". I should finish this tomorrow. I have really enjoyed it so far!

QotW

Wow, what a question! I love owls! If it was the middle of the day, it would probably have to be between 5-10 owls that I could definitely tell were not the same owl, lol. But I tend to be oblivious so I might need like a whole parliament on my roof before I notice anything.

Happy Thursday! I've barely been checking in. I usually go into the office on Thursdays, but knew hardly anyone would be in this week due to the holidays, so I stayed home. And therefore, I can check in.
It's been warm the last few days. I love this time of year with all the flowers coming out and birds singing. I just am still in mourning over not having had a winter.

Finished:
Exiles Really weird to have a mystery series finish at just 3 books. Maybe because the series never really lived up to the promise of The Dry. My favorite Jane Harper book is still The Lost Man. Hope she starts another series.
Death Comes for the Archbishop I have never read Willa Cather before. Somehow got through school without it. I really liked this book.
Blackmail and Bibingka for book with two languages. There is even a Tagalog to English glossary. These books are always fun.
Really Good, Actually for book about divorce. This was a quick easy read, if anyone needs a book for that category. I was really dreading it, but I enjoyed this book.

Currently reading:
The Knife of Never Letting Go for a real life book club that has just picked back up
The Tale of Genji I am at 32%. I will still be reading this on New Year's Eve.
Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole on audio

QOTW:
Alex makes a good point. Unless it was a bunch of owls together, how would you know you weren't seeing the same owl over and over? My husband asks me the same thing when I come back from evening dog walks with a bunny count.

Milena wrote: "QOTW:
Alex makes a good point. Unless it was a bunch of owls together, how would you know you weren't seeing the same owl over and over? My husband asks me the same thing when I come back from evening dog walks with a bunny count..."

One was a barn owl, one was a snowy owl, one was a screech owl. Those are the only owls I know off the top of my head,

Hi all,

Took my cat's stitches out this week, he's pleased to be living the cone-free life! Let's hope it stays that way a while.

This week I have finished:

The Genesis of Misery - I was SO EXCITED for this book, but it ended up being kind of disappointing. I loved their Tensorate series so I fully expected to love this. Joan of Arc in space! Giant space robots! Pacific rim meets Evangellion! It started out pretty strong but then it just became such a slog. Way too much time was spent in Misery's head and dealing with her "am I void mad or am I a prophet? If I'm a prophet then I can do no wrong and I don't have to question any of my choices!" I wanted more action, more interplay between the characters, more world building. However the ending coda and epilogue were intriguing and implied there might be a second book. I'd consider reading another, but not buying this time, getting from the library. (This was a The Strand purchase where I just was letting myself buy shiny things because I was in The Strand). Using for my independent book store prompt.

The Girl from the Sea - this was adorable and charming and had beautiful art. This was another indie bookstore impulse purchase (different one) but much more satisfying! About a closeted teen lesbian whose plans get derailed when she's saved by a mysterious selkie girl. So cute! The obvious prompt for this is the girl one, but i think I'm actually using it for the divorce prompt. The main girl's parents are divorced and that features a lot in her struggles and her relationship with her brother and her friends.

Currently reading:

How to Be Eaten - this is another Strand purchase, this one is going much better thankfully. Really enjoying! I am interpreting the "Modern retelling" as it should be in a modern setting, so this fits perfectly for that. It's a support group setting for women who survived the media fallout from their fairytale stories. The various fairy tales are tweaked and updated for a modern setting. Like Bluebeard being a tech billionaire with a cyan beard and a penchant for everything blue.

Paradise Lost - doing the audio book for this because i thought it'd make it more approachable. I usually do better with poetry when it's read. But I don't like the narrator, he reads it too fast and his voice is kind of dry stuffy British professor so it just turns into a drone of background noise. Oh well. I'm using this as my started as fanfiction prompt. It's based on the Bible and there's been mentions of Titans and Furies and I think the Kraken and various other Greek figures. Sounds like a fic mashup to me.

QOTW:

Huh. I don't know how often i SEE owls in general, outside a zoo or wildlife center. I hear them sometimes, but I'm not out at night that often and not enough of a birder to recognize readily that "oh that flying shape is definitely an owl". I've seen other birds of prey but I still can't readily identify which ones are which. So even seeing one would be kind of remarkable. Seeing even two or three in a day I'd start to get a little "uh...is there an owl convention?"

Good Morning All, I'm actually checking in on a Thursday. I read 3 books for the week.
1. Legends & Lattes. 4 stars. PS # 41 A book written during NaNoWri Mo. I also read it also for the monthly group read. Some good points are being made in the discussion so if you read it & want to make a point about "High fantasy & low stakes" head on over.
2. Nothing to See Here. 5 stars. Nadine's Mini-Challenge #6 A book with flames on the cover.
3. A Short History of the World According to Sheep. Nadine's Mini-Challenge #5 A book about sheep or shepherds.
QOTW: Question of the Week
If you were going about your normal day, how many owls would you have to see before you thought something was wrong?
This question is new to me. My first thought was the question related to Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The scene where all the owls are outside the Dursley's home. Seems like a random question. We had a screech owl in our neighborhood & I never saw it. I think if I saw three owls hanging around I would wonder about it.

Milena wrote: "Exiles Really weird to have a mystery series finish at just 3 books. Maybe because the series never really lived up to the promise of The Dry. My favorite Jane Harper book is still The Lost Man. Hope she starts another series...."


I feel exactly the same way on both counts. The Lost Man is my favorite of her books.


I wondered if maybe Harper never intended to make Aaron Falk a series to begin with, and that's why she put it to bed so quickly?

Re: the people being more upset by animal deaths than people deaths sometimes. I can't remember where I read it, but I think I read that subconsciously we realize it's due to the lack of agency in the situation. We tend to assume that the people in the scenario can at least do SOMETHING about being in it, while the animals don't have the capacity to understand what is going on. So it's not so much that we're OK with people dying, but we understand that the animals had less understanding or agency in being in the situation in the first place, so it hits harder when they die. I don't have a source for that though! but it at least makes sense to me

I want to start reading right now, but I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of one of my books. Gah, I wish it would get here already!



Kenya wrote: The Martian -- for the PopSugar prompt “book you wish you could read for the first time�� and the Extreme Book Nerd prompt “a reread.�� Just as good the second time around! This is one of my favorite books of all time -- it’s a sci-fi book that does its homework when it comes to the science but is still funny, relatable, and readable.

Wow, it's been ages since I read that one. It's one of those books I want to get back to at some point, I just would not know when.

There's a Mars series that I remember reading back in 2008, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was called. I just remember loving it so much that over time I got rid of those books. Wish I could remember.

I wrote: There's a Mars series that I remember reading back in 2008, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was called. I just remember loving it so much that over time I got rid of those books. Wish I could remember

Gah, I don't believe it, I found it!

I just googled "Mars Books 2008" and it came up. I remember the cover!

Okay these are definitely going on my wish list so I can get them again:

Mars
Return to Mars
Mars Life

Greetings from NYC where the parks are blooming. This is the only time of year that being caught in rush hour traffic on the lower end of the West Side Highway doesn't bother - because you can admire the incredible blooming Riverside Park as you sit.

PS - 26/50. ATY - 33/52

Finished:
The Bells of Old Tokyo: Meditations on Time and a City - PS prompt recommended by a friend and ATY debut prompt.
Our Wives Under the Sea PS prompt queer lead, ATY body of water in title. This is a modern gothic horror.
And Only to Deceive - ATY - art as subject
The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

Currently reading:
Kafka on the Shore
Harrow the Ninth
Crucible of War: The Seven Years' War and the Fate of Empire in British North America, 1754 - 1766

QOTW: Such an odd question, the phrasing that is, use of 'something is wrong.' Owls are really shy and nocturnal birds, and though I grew up on a farm and have camped etc., I have never seen an owl 'in the wild'. So seeing one would have me think something wasn't right immediately, which also means something is wrong. But I would think it was something with just that bird. I think if I saw 2 in proximity ... I would start worrying. I was badly scarred in my tweenie years by seeing Hitchcock's The Birds. Scariest creepiest movie ever and I have never been able to watch it again. Seeing more than one bird like an owl appear somewhere they shouldn't? Cue the creepy music!

An aside - just a couple weeks ago an owl escaped from the Central Park Zoo into Central Park. Having been born in captivity, all feared its survival and efforts were being organized to rescue it. The owl had settled into trees in an area of the Park so theycould monitor ... and this being NYC, became a minor celebrity. After about a week, all efforts to rescue ended because the owl was seen hunting successfully. Now Central Park has a resident celebrity owl.

I finally gave in and bought myself a new phone since my battery barely lasts a day now and sometimes I have to leave the house. 🤣 So checking in while it copies all my stuff across.

It's the kind of spring weather that's lovely in the sunshine but as soon as it goes in, it's freezing. I cleared up the front garden a bit at the weekend, though left plenty of bits for the birds to use in their nests. They are particularly fond of the dog hair, one day I will find a luxurious nest lined with Labrador floof! We have tulips and daffodils out, and the aconites are flowering in the woods now. Won't be long before bluebell time!

Only one book finished this week:

Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey for ATY (set in the tropics, because in each multiverse a city sprung up where Lagos is in our universe) and SFF Titles (gate). This had interesting things to say about the evolution of intelligence across differing realities. I liked it a lot, but there was a big chunk of military sci-fi which prevented me loving it. There's only so much war I want to read about.

Currently reading You and Me on Vacation and listening to Lone Women.

QOTW:
I hear tawny owls at night sometimes but rarely see them…but I also live somewhere semi-rural where there are plenty of birds of prey about. So I guess it depends on context? If there were like two sat outside my house watching me, that would be weird! But if I saw four while walking the dog, that would be cool but less ominous. If there were a mix of species I'd think there had been an escape at the local raptor centre��

I decided at the last minute to go see Reba McEntire last Thursday. I have seen her lots of times and know she is a great performer, but she has not put out anything new since I saw her in Vegas with Brooks & Dunn. I was persuaded to go anyway on the strength of her set list. She still sounds amazing, and she has kept up with the latest tricks in lighting, effects, and video elements for her concerts.

Her opening act, The Isaacs, was completely unknown to me, but they were fantastic musicians, and I would love to see them again.

On to reading!

Finished:

Millennium: Fall of Terok Nor/War of the Prophets/Inferno by Judith Reeves-Stevens and Garfield Reeves-Stevens (5/5, reread, a book I have read more than 10 years ago, a book I wish I could read for the first time again)

This trilogy is a love letter to the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine series (with a little appreciation for Kirk, Picard, and Janeway also included). There is a lot going on, and there is the potential for it all to become overwhelming. However, taking it more slowly this time around, it was easier to take it all in. Even with all of the wacky science fiction elements going on, the authors never lose sight of the characters we care about and their motivations.

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Vol. 5: Like I'm the Only Squirrel in the World by Ryan North and Erica Henderson (3/5, not for a prompt)

There is still some good stuff here, especially the anniversary issue. I just didn't like the splitting apart villain. It felt like Multiple Man but much less interesting.

Take It Off: KISS Truly Unmasked by Greg Prato (4/5, not for a prompt)

This book dives deeply into the non-makeup era of KISS (basically, the 80's and most of the 90's). You get some interesting perspectives all in one place from almost everyone connected with the band not named Paul or Gene.

PS 2023 Progress: 32/50 (using double dips)

Question of the Week:

I have never seen an owl outside of a zoo where I live (suburban central Arizona), so if I saw even one, I would be concerned.

Busy week, headache and one day of work to go. So this is a quick check-in.

PS: 15/50
Total 2023: 17

Finished
Nothing

Currently reading
The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
De eigenzinnige erfdochter van Middachten: Ursula Philippota van Raesfelt by Hermine Manschot-Tijdink. This lady lived on the estate in the village where I grew up. So lots of local history!

QOTW
I never see an owl. So one would be exceptional, two I would think ‘hey, a couple�� and starting from three I would think ‘owl invasion!��

Greetings! We have gotten the most snow pack ever since beginning recording it in our mountains and now are in some for some substantial flooding. So, that's fun.

Personal Challenge: 26/50
Nadine's mini-challenge: 6/10
Marriott Library Challenge: 7/30

Finished: Making Meetings Work: Achieving High Quality Group Decisions Offered very little helpful information, would not recommend it. Used for alliteration in the title.

Taran Wanderer This was our least favorite book in the series, but we enjoyed making it fun of it.

DNF: Social Justice and Library Work: A Guide to Theory and Practice This turned out to be more of a reference book than a book you just read through, thus the DNF. It was all right, but it felt like it quickly got outdated (was published in 2018) and maybe would have served better as an online reference.

Started: Students Teaching, Teachers Learning I'm really excited about this one!

The High King Taran is so much more mature now. I'm looking forward to this one!

Qotw: Owls being bad because they portend death? To me, an owl is more a totem of magic and wisdom, so I probably wouldn't think it was a bad thing at all! I would be surprised if I saw three or more owls at the same time, however.

Ellie wrote: "I cleared up the front garden a bit at the weekend, though left plenty of bits for the birds to use in their nests. They are particularly fond of the dog hair, one day I will find a luxurious nest lined with Labrador floof!..."


I always think the local birds will appreciate dog hair for their nests, but when I brush the dogs outside and leave the clumps of hair lying around, they are never picked up.

Doni wrote: "Owls being bad because they portend death?.."



Oh I didn't think of that. I took it to be something like in Harry Potter when all the owls are trying to get a message to someone because there is something "wrong" that needs that person's attention.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Doni wrote: "Owls being bad because they portend death?.."



Oh I didn't think of that. I took it to be something like in Harry Potter when all the owls are trying to get a message to someone beca..."

But didn't they look forward to receiving the Owl Post in Harry Potter? Like someone mentioned, that's how they got the invite to go Hogwarts!

Doni wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Doni wrote: "Owls being bad because they portend death?.."



Oh I didn't think of that. I took it to be something like in Harry Potter when all the owls are trying to get a me..."


The people "in the know" looked forward to it. But Muggles like us had no idea to pay attention to owls.

Hi all! We had some real spring thunderstorms yesterday afternoon and into the night. Nothing scary, just enough to let you know they were around. I got a double rainbow out of it, too.
Next week is spring break for the kiddo. It's also her 5th birthday on Monday! How has it been 5 years?? We're going to take her to the Mario movie on Monday with a friend. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous next week, so I'm planning on taking her to parks and running her around outside as much as possible!

Last night I finished Coming Clean, a memoir of a women whose father has severe hoarding problems. I thought it was very well done and would recommend it if you're interested. Not sure if it fits any PS prompts, but I read it for repeating image for ATY.

Currently reading When Christ and His Saints Slept and Les Miserables (OMG, I'm at Waterloo, why is battle so boring?? and why do I need to know any of this??)

I am STILL waiting for Waco: David Koresh, the Branch Davidians, and A Legacy of Rage to be returned to the library. I'm actually starting to suspect that the person who took it out did so with the intent to keep it so no one else can read it (people do that as a form of book banning). Either that, or the person got seriously ill after borrowing it.

QOTW: I had to read that a couple of times, first I thought Nadine had lost her marbles, then I thought it had some sort of Harry Potter reference that I wasn't getting... Lol, but it does make me laugh. I live in the boonies. We definitely have owls here. I don't usually see them (that I know of), but I hear them, especially in winter I hear Screech owls. We also have tiny (adorable!) Barn owls. We even have Snowy owls visit in winter months, and I think I have seen them out in the daytime. All that said, owls are very good at being quiet and camouflage, so I think by about owl number 5, I'd start getting concerned something weird was going on in the wild.

In other too-many-what-the-heck-is-going-on-here bird-y news, I can't remember if I mentioned this on here, but a few weeks ago, we had a *massive* flock of birds in our yard and the fields around us. Cowbirds, redwing blackbirds and maybe some starlings. I don't think it's an overestimation to say there may have been 1000 of them out there! It really did look like Hitchcock.

EDITED TO ADD:
There is an AtY team readathon April 8-16!
Information HERE! Sign-up HERE!

I have now successfully survived 67 years in this lifetime! Wow. It always amazes me to think how long a human body can remain functional! Due to helping friends and neighbors and various celebratory lunches, my reading time was extremely limited this past week. I am hoping to make up for that over the next two weeks!

I have two IRL book club meetings on the 11th and 18th and then the Indy Book & Author event on the 21st. Fortunately, the book club reads are rather short, so that helps! I still have another 4 books I would like to read before the April 21 event. As usual, probably too many books planned, but that’s okay! (Plus I inevitably pick up a different book or books to read on impulse!)

ADMIN STUFF
Drum roll, please!!! Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston has been selected for the June Monthly Group Read! Yay! I’m anxious to read this! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #22 A book with a queer lead. Since June is “Pride Month�� as declared by US Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. (Also acknowledged in a 2019 tweet by Donald Trump.) Per Wikipedia this originated to commemorate the Stonewall Riots which occurred at the end of June in 1969. June is increasingly recognized as “Pride Month�� (for all LGBTQ+/non-cisgender folks) outside the US.

THANK YOU to Sherri for volunteering as our “reading wrangler�� to facilitate April’s Monthly Group Read discussion of Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes #1) by Travis Baldree! This book can be used to fulfill prompt #27 A #BookTok recommendation. In honor of April Fools! You might have thought this was still the 2022 Popsugar Challenge, but it is actually a prompt repeated from 2022 for the 2023 Challenge!! You can also find the two April postings in the Current Monthly Group Read folder HERE! I’ll probably pick this up and quickly reread it this week or next�� Sherri has posted some initial questions, so head on over!

A nomination poll for the July Monthly Group Read will be posted next week for your consideration! That book could be used to fulfill prompt #47 A book with a holiday that’s not Christmas. You may have heard of “Christmas in July��! But this is ��not Christmas in July��! :) You can be thinking of books you may wish to nominate! As usual, please double-check the listing of books NOT eligible HERE! We want to avoid nominating ineligible books!

The March Monthly Group Read discussions have been moved to the 2023 Monthly Group Read folder HERE.

We are currently on the lookout for two more monthly group read discussion leader:
A "literary luminar" to lead the discussion of the May Monthly Group Read! Hmmmm...would this happen to be YOU?!? ;) Bunny by Mona Awad that can be used to fulfill prompt #24 A book with a rabbit on the cover, in honor of springtime in the Northern Hemisphere when rabbits are aplenty!
A “savvy superstar�� to lead the discussion of the June Monthly Group Read! YOU could do that!! �� Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston can be used to fulfill prompt #22 A book with a queer lead. In honor of “Pride Month�� as declared by US Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. (Also acknowledged in a 2019 tweet by Donald Trump.) Per Wikipedia this originated to commemorate the Stonewall Riots which occurred at the end of June in 1969. June is increasingly recognized as “Pride Month�� (for all LGBTQ+/non-cisgender folks) outside the US.
Please message either Nadine or myself to volunteer! :)

Just a reminder that the comprehensive listing of 2023 Monthly Group Reads can be found HERE

Question of the Week
If you were going about your normal day, how many owls would you have to see before you thought something was wrong?
Like you, Nadine, I laughed! Then I laughed at your response of not knowing “the answer��! ;)

Having lived and driven through “countryside�� most of my life, I have seen up to two owls in one day. Only once, however! I usually see them perched on electric lines along the roadside. I have HEARD owls during the night quite often. I lived in a location for about 2 years that had a quite vocal owl that was boisterous throughout the night!

I guess if I saw 3 owls in one day I would certainly note that as a peculiarity. Any more than 3 would get my attention immediately! This question makes me think of the Hitchcock film The Birds! And I didn’t realize this 1963 film was loosely based upon a 1952 short story with the same title, authored by Daphne du Maurier, which totally makes sense. She definitely knew how to create a somber, disturbing, and somewhat horrific setting and atmosphere! Now I’m imagining as many owls as there were birds in that movie! YIKES!! If I have nightmares tonight, I’m blaming you, Nadine! LOL

Popsugar: 38/50
Nadine’s Q1 Mini-Challenge: 7/10
I wanted to have this one finished by the end of March, but obviously, that did not happen. I imagine it will be May before I read those last three books! I have planning to launch a mini-challenge of my own for the last half of 2023 at the beginning of June. It will most likely include only 3-5 prompts.
AtY: 46/52
RHC: 12/24

FINISHED:
NONE! :) SHOCKING!!

CONTINUING:
*Emma by Jane Austen
I am reading this from a compilation of 7 complete and unabridged Austen novels and this book is one huge brick! That automatically limits my reading time in it since I can’t hold it up, etc.! I plan to finally finish it this week! I also admit I do not find Austen’s writing to be compelling and rather a book that I can easily put down and return to later!
*All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
This is one of the authors who will be at the Indy Book & Author event on April 21. I really wanted to read one of her mysteries before the event since I have always assumed her books would be a bit too scary for me. But at halfway through this one, I think it will be okay for me��
*The Way Men Act by Elinor Lipman
This is another of the Indy Book & Author event authors! This is the 4th book of hers I will have read. I loved two of hers and really enjoyed the third. Pretty sure whatever Lipman writes I will enjoy!
*Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
I’ve been wanting to read this book for what seems to be a long time, though it was only released at the end of 2021! As far as I know, Johnson is only the second darker-skinned author to participate in the Indy Book & Author event. The first was Kiley Reid in 2020 with Such a Fun Age. (And unfortunately, that event was canceled due to the pandemic.) It seems especially pertinent since the purpose of this event is to raise funds for scholarships offered to residents in the lower SES area of Christamore House. The over-whelming majority of these students are non-white, so I’m thrilled to see the selection committee diversifying the authors beyond just including a white male every once in awhile. I can only hope this becomes a yearly tradition and eventually expands beyond just ONE non-white author per event! Only 25 pages in and this is indeed a compelling read!
*Like Family: Growing Up in Other People's Houses by Paula McLain
*The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones
*The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family by Annette Gordon-Reed
*Festival Days by Jo Ann Beard
*Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York (Mrs. ‘Arris #2) by Paul Gallico
*Beloved by Toni Morrison

PLANNED:
March-April Buddy Read:
*Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace (March and April)
*Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Café (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #2) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
*Before Your Memory Fades (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #3) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Nadine in NY wrote: "Mary wrote: "2 of the 4 books I finished this week have a dog die or get injured. ..."



Which two books???

The cover for the Chevy Stevens book is gorgeous and makes me want it! but I'm guessing..."

Yes. That's one of them. Super sweet dog that gets hurt twice in the book. The dog is an awesome character though and the book was good. Also A Long Stretch of Bad Days has an entire kennel full of dogs die in a flash flood.

Jennifer W wrote: "QOTW: I had to read that a couple of times, first I thought Nadine had lost her marbles, ..."



LOL!!! NEVER discount the possibility that I have lost my marbles!!!


I really have no idea if this was meant as a Harry Potter reference, but that's the first thing I thought of when I first read it on FB.

Kenya wrote: "It's such a phenomenon that there's an entire website called Does the Dog Die, though this site has since expanded to cover other trigger warnings such as harm to children, sexual assault, various kinds of deaths, etc. It covers books, movies, TV shows, and other media, and can be found here -- ."

I have used the website before multiple times if a book is giving me bad vibes. I should use it more, but I love both of the authors that wrote the two books that included it this week and so I still wanted to invest in the story. I'm glad I read both books, but I wish they had left that part out.

HOW IS IT THURSDAY ALREADY

We finally made it to April! And boy am I glad for it. March felt neverending. I still blame recovery for that. Which I’m still doing rip. Next week Friday we have a comedy show, and then the Sunday night after that sis and I are leaving for Disney with our carers! I’m honestly so excited.

I also told mom about going with her being exhausting. It was terrifying, but eventually so freeing! We are now going end of May: traveling together, sharing a hotelroom, having dinner together on day 2, but other than that? SEPARATE WAYS. That way she is forced to do things herself instead of just relying on me, but if things truly go completely to hell knowing there is someone closeby who can jump in. Let’s see how she copes with realizing just how much I was doing AND with regular queues. I also got to tell my carer and psychiatrist today and seeing my psychiatrist's face lit up in pure pride was the highlight of my week!

Speaking of Disney trips, sis and I are going in June for their Pride event (hoping to buy tickets onsite with our discount on the 17th) and I looked trains. Seriously guys. Traveling with a wheelchair is unnecessarily stressful and made difficult and it shouldn’t be like this. I hope it will all go well.

Weather-wise we had two wonderful sunny days, but now we’re back to cloudy and rain in the forecast. Night temps are still near freezing. Come back, sun! It made me feel more productive!

Bunnies: All well! Lucy wasn’t feeling her dinner so much last night even with all her enthusiasm, so I checked on her later that evening but then all was well again, and she was fine this morning too so phew! Dad worked on the garden and had the middle gate open, so Mia and Mickey got to explore and. So. Many. Mia. Binkies!!

Puzzle: No progress. Been too exhausted and I’m at the hardest parts now and I know I’d just end up in frustrated tears, haha! So I started the next Professor Layton game (i’m doing them in chronological order, some I’ve played before, others are new) and I’m at The Azran Legacy. But I can tell I’m super exhausted cuz I am overthinking *everything* and therefore not seeing the answers, haha! ON TOP OF THAT the new Dreamlight Valley update launched yesterday so I’m working on that as well. I feel that when I finish the update I can look to the puzzle again, fingers crossed!

BUT BUT BUT I have also been reading before bed! Balancing several hobbies mean all those hobbies go slower and that’s tough for me to handle at times but I’m trying. SO.

Read
Six of Crows
Technically at time of writing I still have 1 part/60 pages to go, but I plan to finish those before sleeps tonight so it counts! Thinking of putting this for ‘think best friend would like��. A bit of a cheat, she’s the one who recced it to me years ago and this is a reread but eh.
(at time of posting I am getting ready to play some for DDLV and then finish the book!)

Currently Reading
Moby-Dick
I hit 75% and 100 chapters read out of 136! I will be glad when this is over. The story bits are fun. Everything else, not so much. Also everyone talks the same. It’s exhausting. But no regrets so far! I am doing better than my English teacher back then and that’s a huge win. I live out of spite xD

(Any news on a Q2 challenge, Nadine?)

QOTW
Ohdear. That would require me going outside ahjsdf I think if I saw three in quick succession I would lock up my bunnies just to be safe.

(I don't think I have the energy/mental capacity to catch up on all messages til now. I played my game, went to my appointment, and watched TETRIS with my parents after I recced it to them. It is now 11pm, I am wiped, and 36 messages sounds insurmountable *sobs* Sorry!)

K.L. wrote: "Happy Thursday, everyone!

I spent most of this week continuing to work on household projects, but also managed to make it back to the gym. My ankle has been a little sore over the past couple of d..."

Have you seen the other FF books. There are at least 5 that I can mentally see the covers of.

Mary wrote: "I am very excited for a 4 day weekend. I'm hopefully going to get a lot of reading done while I complete the many, many chores I plan to work on.

This week I didn't finish anything for the challen..."

I agree about the dogs! Injure/Kill the dang humans and not the dogs!

Hi, everyone! Happy Thursday!

Finished:
The Echo Wife - 4 stars - for a book about a divorce, and a book involving genetics for Nadine's challenge. I really enjoyed the sci-fi take on the domestic thriller. It's about cloning and ethics, but also about cycles of abuse and breaking them.

The Witch's Heart - 4 stars - for a book with a love triangle, and a book about Norse mythology for Nadine's challenge. I found this really compelling, even though I already knew the mythology. It made me want to read more Norse-inspired works.

Comics & manga:
Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 17
Magus of the Library, Vol. 6

I am currently at 18/50 for Popsugar (12/40 and 6/10). I also just finished off Nadine's Mini-Challenge #1. :)

Currently reading:
I am just about to start Blood Debts for a book about a family.

Upcoming/Planned:
Some Desperate Glory
On Top of Glass: My Stories as a Queer Girl in Figure Skating
And a bunch of physical manga that needs to go back to the library soon

QOTW:
I rarely see owls around here, although I hear them sometimes at night. I would take notice of one, just because I like birds, but I don't think I'd worry that something unusual was going on until I saw 4 or 5 in one day or in one place.

Okay, officially going to start this one:

Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us

Nadine in NY wrote: "Wow!!! You must not have any troubles with mice or voles, with all those predators winging around looking for something to eat! I WISH a few more raptors would come calling and take out the vole population in my yard. I get the occasional small hawk in my yard, but they always go for the songbirds. No, no! EAT THE VOLES!!."

Oh, we still get a lot of rodents -- that's part of the reason why we have such a big population of raptors, because of the high quantity of prey and the good nesting sites. The headquarters for the World Center for Birds of Prey are even in our capitol city, Boise -- they're currently running a breeding program for California Condors here. I got to visit the center a month ago and it was a lot of fun.

Happy check-in! So Spring played the ultimate April Fools Day joke on us. It was warm and above zero so I chipped ice out of the eaves troughs only for a dump of snow the next couple of days to refill them. Now we're sitting at -20 again. That being said I'm happy to have cold and power unlike many down east.
Anyone have good April Fools jokes/pranks from this year?
@Lynn I'm looking forward to this read-a-thon.

Finished Reading:

The Girl from the Sea ⭐⭐�� (PS queer lead)
I loved the colouring of the artwork. I enjoyed the environmentalism and fashion. I wanted more magic and less instalove.

Other Words for Home ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� (PS Bestie would like)
In verse poetry collection. Follows a young girl as she and her mother flee/immigrate to Cincinnati from Syria.

Mr. Wrong Number ⭐⭐�� (ATY Century: Present)
A rom-com that's kinda epistolary.

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� (ATY full name)
Brilliant! I loved the Daevabad trilogy and this surpassed it. It's funnier and there is no awful character pov aka Dara. This would fit lots of the Popsugar and ATY prompts, including a funnier book about divorce.

PS 26/50
ATY 26/52
Nadine's 10/10
ŷ������ 81/200

Currently Reading:

Fated Throne

QOTW:
What a weird random questions. Thanks Nadine.
So seeing a owl would be wrong and not just because I'm not a bird person. I honestly think the squirrels around here are too predatory for owls to be around. They will hiss at me in my dining room when they are outside on the fence.

It's been a weird week of sickness on one hand, and me selling a bunch of stories on the other

I read nothing for the challenge but I finished off some graphic novels and a book for a local library challenge

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher, this was a wonderful story. Loved it

A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman & Rafael Albuquerque A mash up mystery in a Sherlockian and Cthulu universe

Critical Role: Vox Machina Origins II #2 Volume II by Matthew Mercer

Enjoyed both graphic novels

QOTW I used to be in the wilderness a lot so seeing more than one owl would be enough to make me curious.

Happy Thursday! Yesterday I took the day off work for my birthday and had a really nice lazy day. I wish I could have the middle of the week off all the time, it was pretty great!

Finished:
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness- I really enjoyed this. Sy Montgomery is so enthusiastic about the world, it's a really pleasant experience to read
-no prompt

Why We Did It: A Travelogue from the Republican Road to Hell- this was an interesting look at what made certain republicans go from saying "never trump" to working for him. Written by a guy who was deep in the republican party, and has a lot to say about his former coworkers.
-no prompt

Currently reading:
Under the Whispering Door- I'm reading this for another goodreads book club. I'm enjoying it, I think it's sweet. But the rest of the book club is not enjoying it, so that's been interesting. I'm going to stay in my corner having a good time

QotW:
Ok I think by 3-4 owls I would be texting my friends say "isn't this so weird? Crazy!" But I think it would take like 7 before I really started to get freaked out. At that point I would probably thinking I was hallucinating or something and hide in my room.

So it's been about a month since I last checked in. So, sorry, but it's going to be a long post.

Books I finished:

3 stars
Heartless Prince
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands
Friendsgiving: The Official Guide to Hosting, Roasting, and Celebrating with Friends
Bloodlust & Bonnets
Wash Day Diaries
Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders
Legends & Lattes
iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World

4 stars
Backpacking Through Bedlam
The Travelling Cat Chronicles
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy
Your Momma Thinks Square Roots Are Vegetables: A FoxTrot Collection
Norse Mythology, Vol. 3
Final Diagnosis
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing
The Queen’s Price

5 stars
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
Magic Tides

Rereads
Mind Changer
A Deadly Education
The Last Graduate
Be the Serpent
Orlando Bloom Has Ruined Everything: A FoxTrot Collection
The Golden Enclaves

DNF

They Call Me George: The Untold Story of The Black Train Porters - I just wasn't feeling it. I might give it another try sometime later.

Give Me Some Truth - I loved Eric Gansworth other book, but this was just not my cup of tea at all. I really wanted it for a couple of prompts, but I just couldn't force myself to read it.

Made Progress:

The Library of the Unwritten
Tatouine

QotW

My first thought was 1. Given Owls are nocturnal and not really city birds, if I saw one during the day I'd assume it was sick or something.

Wow! How did I miss Thursday? Well, I do know the answer. It was due to this massive cold that I have been fighting for the past couple of days. So Thursday, I alternated taking cold meds and sleeping.

I attended the horse show last weekend and lasted a few hours only. It was nice, and I will go another year; but I tired quickly and was cold, so I left after a few classes were completed.

This week I had no big things planned, as it is the week before I leave on a long camping trip. [On Sunday I will go to the Smoky Mountains in TN for a trailer rally. The following weekend will find me camping in VA (my childhood home county) with the end of the trip at my brother’s house for 5 days.] So…I have been making sure that my car and trailer are in good shape for the trip…until I caught this cold. Yuch!

Finished:
All the Birds in the Sky �� ATY Q2, old challenges. This book was a little strange for me. The interaction between the two protagonists never really clicked. Still the story was interesting. 3*.
Old Wounds �� old challenge. Book #3 in An Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mystery series. I am really enjoying the interplay of relationships as well as the setting. I would label this a cozy mystery as these are people I would like to meet, the mystery is more on the order of solving a puzzle, and it is like real life. I am enjoying this series a lot. 4*.
The Siege Winter - old challenge, ATY Q1. This is the last of the Ariana Franklin medieval books. Ms. Franklin died before finishing this book, so her daughter stepped in to complete it and did a really nice job. 4*.

Currently Reading:
An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew �� Old challenge, PS #36 (friend would like). Kindle. 35%.
The Son �� ALCM, PAS, ATY, old challenges. 28%.
The Roman Hat Mystery - ALCM. 79%.
A Pho Love Story - old challenge, PS #6 (forbidden romance). 34%.
Heist Society �� ATY, old challenges. 25%.

The first three in this list are books I own or can access via my computer, and so they sat on the backburner this week while I tried to finish library books prior to my trip. (I plan to take them with me.)


On deck:
The Keeper of Lost Things
Legends & Lattes


PS 12/50 and 6/10 for Nadine’s Challenge
ATY 14/52 and 11/12 for Q1 Challenge, 2/12 for Q2 Challenge
GR 75/200
RwS 4/30 (new seasonal challenge)


QotW: If you were going about your normal day, how many owls would you have to see before you thought something was wrong?

Wrong? In the natural world, yes. Owls are nocturnal. I do hear an owl occasionally, which is delightful; but, I seldom see them.

In the magical, spiritual world? No. I would view that as a message, but not necessarily of something bad.

I'm barely on ch. 1 of Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us , but already I am hyped and I know I'm going to like it.

At the beginning, there is a survey that helps you determine your aesthetic mindset. I scored above average and high on my results which I thought was awesome.

If I'm already liking the book from the survey alone, I get the feeling that I'm going to continue to love it as I go on.

Mandy wrote: "Have you seen the other FF books. There are at least 5 that I can mentally see the covers of."

I have seen some books about Final Fantasy's art and lore, but this is the first novel I've been able to find. I didn't even know it was out until I came across it at my local comic book store. It's been really good so far.

One of my challenges for PS is that so many of the prompts are geared toward fiction. I'm having to dig deep for the nonfiction books.

I want to place Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us , but there doesn't seem to be a place for one. I can't add it to the past challenge prompt because I've already read a book for it.

I have a long way to go on my challenge, but that's because there are so many that I'm trying to fill with nonfiction books.