ŷ������

Another thrilling Thursday! Happy Thursday to all you ŷ������ Popsugar fans!

I love book/author lists and this posting of 13 Authors to Watch by BookPage includes some soon-to-be-released books that sound incredible!

Although I posted last week that spring weather finally seemed to have come to stay in my part of the world, I awoke to a temperature of just 14 degrees Fahrenheit one morning soon after! Though now we finally seem to have sustained warmer temperatures, in the 60s and even 70s this week!

ADMIN STUFF:
Per our most recent poll, Beloved by Toni Morrison is our June monthly group read selected to fulfill prompt #10 An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner in honor of Juneteenth! Are YOU the “vivacious volunteer�� needed to facilitate discussion this month? I have read this one rather recently, so will stick to The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family for this prompt. However, I will note that I first read this book about 25 years ago and seriously felt that I had “missed something�� since it just didn’t make sense to me. So I reread it in 2019 and came away with a completely different understanding. I "got it�� the second time. I think those extra 25 years of life experience helped�� It is a tough read, as I find Morrison's books to be, but, in my opinion, well depicts the anger, frustration, and hopelessness of female slaves...

In celebration of Women’s History Month in Australia, the UK, and the US, our monthly group read for March is The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See. That discussion is here and I will be posting some questions for consideration this evening. (I plan to read it this weekend!) This book can be used to fulfill prompt #3 A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society. You can post other books you’ve read to fulfill that prompt here.

We desperately need a monthly group read discussion leader for April! April’s book is A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson for prompt #26 A book with a misleading title, in honor of April Fools�� Day! Are YOU the “guru guide�� needed for this discussion?

The comprehensive listing of Monthly Group Reads for 2022 is here.

Question of the Week:
Since this is St. Patrick’s Day, do you have any favorite books about Ireland or written by authors from Ireland?
According to history.com, St. Patrick’s Day is especially celebrated throughout the United States, Canada, and Australia. Although these are the largest productions, it is celebrated around the world in locations far from Ireland, including Japan, Singapore, and Russia. (Though I doubt there’s much of anything being celebrated in Russia right now��)

I asked one of my friends who is a reader and VERY Irish for a list of author suggestions...and here is that list!
1) Emma Donoghue She was born and raised in Ireland, educated in England, and lives in Canada now�� I truly enjoyed Room and The Wonder was quite a unique story, IMO! I own a copy of Frog Music and plan to read it yet this year. I would also like to read Slammerkin, Akin, and The Sealed Letter. I purchased a copy of The Pull of the Stars for a good friend last year but she has been too busy to read it yet. She and I typically enjoy the same books so I'm anxious to see what she thinks of it.
2) Tana French One of my absolute favorite authors of all time! I own, have read, and adored all 6 of the Dublin Murder Squad books, as well as one of her two stand-alone novels, The Witch Elm. I also own The Searcher but have yet to read it.
3) Maeve Binchy I have read quite a few of her books and am preparing to read a biography of her, Maeve Binchy: The Biography by Piers Dudgeon. I label her work as “slice of life�� novels where she describes the characters and their interactions, etc. There is typically not much action and since I basically read for characterization, I really enjoy her books! I own about 4 more that I will be reading in the future. Here are some I read and loved: Tara Road, Quentins, The Lilac Bus, Heart and Soul. (Note: all but one of these is not listed on my “read�� shelf because they were before I joined ŷ������ and I really want to reread them!) In addition I own and want to read: Nights of Rain and Stars, Firefly Summer, Whitethorn Woods, Full House, and Minding Frankie.
4) Bram Stoker Yep! Anne said they studied his best known novel, Dracula, in school. Of course they did in Dublin, Ireland! 😊
5) Oscar (Fingal O’Flahertie Wills) Wilde (Oscar Wilde I shamefacedly admit to having never read anything written by Wilde…yet! I did add The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest onto my TBR listing! He was actually imprisoned for two years for “gross indecency�� with other men. How awful! I guess society has come a long way toward integration and acceptance from those times at least!
6) Seamus Heaney POETRY! Lots and lots of poetry!
7) And speaking of poetry�� W.B. Yates !
8) Roddy Doyle I don’t recall ever having heard of this author before�� Several of his books have been adapted into movies, beginning with The Commitments. My friend did mention that his writing is chock full of slang as used in Dublin, where his books are set and she was born and raised!
9) Marian Keyes Wow. This woman has endured, dealt with, and overcome many challenges! Wikipedia:
I already had Watermelon, her debut novel and the first installment in the Walsh Family series, on my TBR listing!
10) Samuel Beckett

Popsugar: 26/50
ATY: 40/52
RHC: 12/24
A bit more progress made!

FINISHED:
The Truth (Lionboy #3) by Zizou Corder ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was an amazingly “happily ever after�� unrealistic ending to this trilogy. Still lots of action and moral decisions made, but overall just simply enjoyable, happy, and positive endings for all!
POPSUGAR: #9, #25, #40-2015 #29 Set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit—a Caribbean Island, #42-More than two, but mainly English and “cat��!
ATY: #1-Aneba-Charlie’s father, #4-A book related to the year you or someone in your family turned 22-Sean, #7-The Corporacy controlled every human’s mind on the island, #14-4,766 ratings, #29, #31-2006, #33, #36, #40-Strength, Justice, Judgment, The World, #41, #43, #46-the chameleon, #49
RHC: #13

*Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was, IMO, a case of real life being stranger than fiction! This definitely read much like fiction and was engrossing and enjoyable! These are some of the most eccentric and unique characters ever! And they’re real people! 😉
POPSUGAR: NEW #13, #25, #36, #38-Jim’s annual party, #40-2015: #3 A book that became a movie
ATY: #3, #7-Jim believed he could influence things by thinking about them, #15, #31, #40-The Lovers, Strength, Justice, Death, Judgment, The World, #41, #44, #49, #52
RHC: #22, #24-2018: prompt #2 A book of true crime


The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth, illustrated by Raoul Vitale ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ is an illustrated version of a Japanese fable and was an absolutely delightful read! I wish I had had a copy to read to my children when they were young! (Of course, I was 99.9% certain I would enjoy this, given that I share a house with four felines and another two who are outside kitties. LOL)
POPSUGAR: #9, #24, #36, #40-2015: #9 A female author
ATY: #11, #15, #25-96 pages, #26/#27-CAT, NEW #30 (A Buddhist folk tale), #31-initially published 1930, #36-Good Fortune, #40-Strength, Justice, Judgment, The World, #41-the lack thereof, #46-Good Fortune!, #50
RHC: #24-2019: prompt #15 A book of mythology or folklore

Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus (Life Events #2) by Dusti Bowling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ was an absolutely amazing read! This is an ARC that I got free for making a purchase at my favorite used bookstore and now I can’t wait to read the first book in the series! Poignant, humorous, and true to life!
POPSUGAR: #9, NEW #21-Kids from Alcatraz, #24, #25-The “Great Humiliation,�� #26, #36, #38, #40-2016: prompt #32 The first book you see in a bookstore
ATY: #1-Aven, #3, #4-Stand in the desert. . . ./The lone and level sands stretch far away.-Aven’s family relocated to Arizona, they live smack dab in the desert!, #7-Bullying is very much a “mind game��!, #14-4,678 ratings, #15, #34-the football coach, #36-Spaghetti and Lasagna!, #37, #40-Strength, Justice, The Sun, Judgment, The World, #41-Smoothies��, #50-Henry
RHC: #24-2018: prompt #21 A book with a main character or protagonist with a disability

CONTINUING:
The Son of the Black Stallion (Black Stallion #3) by Walter Farley is so good! I should finish it tonight!
*Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey Cep I am not especially a fan of “true crime�� books, though I am definitely finding this interesting so far.
*Yes, Chef by Marcus Samuelsson I read 5-10 pages every once in a while and find this to be enthralling, though I like spreading it out a bit at a time.
*Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.
*Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
*Paradise by Toni Morrison

PLANNED:
*The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See this weekend!
2 more for March Buddy Reads:
*Daddy-Long-Legs (Daddy-Long-Legs #1) by Jean Webster
*London Bridges (Alex Cross #10) by James Patterson
To complete some 2021 year-long challenges:
1) *Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
2) *The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
To complete the 2021 Read Harder Challenge:
*Ordinary Girls by Jaquira Díaz
*Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
*Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

Lynn wrote: "I also own The Searcher but have yet to read it.."

See if you can get The Searcher in audiobook. It's pretty good

Good morning, everyone!

This week has been considerably less productive than last week, with respect to both reading and household projects. The reason for that is because I restarted Pokémon Shield…and ended up spending almost the entire weekend (and most of the week) obsessively playing it. The only times I did any significant amount reading over the weekend were right before bed each night, and while waiting for my Switch to charge.

I am continuing to participate in March Mystery Madness, however, which is currently in its third week. I’ve really been enjoying Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series.

In other news, now that my book buying ban is over, I’ve acquired some new books! I’m going to continue including my TBR checklist numbers in each week’s update, since it’s really been helping me keep track of the books I own and need to read (both old and new). Hopefully I will end the year having read more books than I purchased��

ŷ������: 189/200
TBR checklist: 155/988

Finished Reading:
~Dumb Witness
~That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Vol. 5
~Death on the Nile

DNFed:
~Shadows of Swanford Abbey �� I may try this book again in the future, but I just couldn’t get fully invested in the story this time around.

Currently Reading:
~Appointment with Death

QOTW:
I can’t think of any off the top of my head.

I finished Kindred as my own voices SFF. I hate time travel and thought the premise was stupid, but other than that it was good. Which sounds sarcastic, but I did mostly enjoy reading it when I just ignored the ridiculousness of time travel and that without her saving her great great grandfather she wouldn't be born. How does that even work?

Then I read The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival as my book with tiger in the title. This book was great. It's non-fiction and combines info about tigers, the environment/ecology as a whole, as well as Russian history and culture.

And I started The Midnight Library as my parallel universe book. I'm only on page 30, so nothing has really happened yet.

QOTW: I love books that take place in Ireland. I don't really pay attention to where authors are from, but books that I really like are Morgan Llewelly's series that are named by years, Ireland by Frank Delaney (this book is really good, it's a story about the last storyteller and he tells a bunch of different stories and myths throughout Ireland's history), The Rebels of Ireland and The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherford. The Lion of Ireland by Morgan Llewellyn. I'm sure I have a ton more, but can't think of any off the top of my head.

It was in the 90s when I left work yesterday, so per usual, we're jumping from winter into summer here in Texas! (It's actually been BEAUTIFUL the past two days, so I'm not really complaining). My mom's predicting that we'll have another cold spell (something about the live oaks not budding?). We shall see!

Finished:
Nothing lol

Currently Reading:
Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People - my department is reading this as a group and we're doing our first discussion this morning. I'm already enjoying it because they're using cognitive science as a backdrop for discussing unconscious bias, which I find fascinating.

Everything Bad is Good for You - I'm starting this for work too, but as part of our yearly goals we have to set for ourselves.

QOTW:
How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe 
Thicker Than Water: Coming-of-Age Stories by Irish & Irish American Writers
The Grave
The Táin: From the Irish Epic Táin Bó Cúailnge
The Princes of Ireland

I've gone through phases where I was fascinated by Ireland (and I'm going there this summer--I can't express how excited I am for that! It's the only place on my bucket list lol) so I'm sure there are more I've read and loved, but these are the first that came to mind.

Good Morning from the PNW!

I have not been super successful in my reading this week. I started going back to the office, only 2 out of 4 days. It is nice getting to see coworkers but waking up at 5:30 AM does not agree with me. In all honesty, sleeping is probably my favorite hobby (besides reading). The other night one of the smoke detectors in my house decided the battery was dying at 4AM so the chirping started. Why does this never happen during the day? It's always at the most inconvenient time. And then of course I couldn't sleep after so it was a long day. I cut off a ton of hair yesterday and it feels magical. If I could easily insert a picture I would but that's just way too hard.

Anyways, on to books!

ŷ������: 13/70 << According to them I'm behind but only by a little
PopSugar: 10/50 << On track!

Currently Reading: The Flight Girls Only about 40 pages in so far.

Finished: Magic Lessons I liked it a lot! I definitely want to read her other books. Prompt: A book about witches

QOTW: I LOVE Ireland. It was my first international trip so I definitely have a soft spot for it. I can't think of any favorite books from authors that are Irish but I'm sure I've read some or have them on my TBR list. I just don't tend to pay attention to those things. If the book looks good.. I read it. Really nothing much to it.

Lynn wrote: "5) Oscar (Fingal O’Flahertie Wills) Wilde (Oscar Wilde I shamefacedly admit to having never read anything written by Wilde…yet!..."


I have never read anything by Oscar Wilde either! BUT he was a character in a book I just finished: A Rogue of One's Own The protagonist runs into him in a bar in Oxford. He doesn't play a role in the plot, it was just a quick cameo.

Hi everyone. Haven't had a chance to check in in a while, but I had to today because I love the question of the week.

Finished:
The Christie Affair for book about a secret. There were a few.
Chess Story for book with the name of a board game in the title.
How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question for book with a misleading title. It's tongue in cheek, but works for me. I love The Good Place, and I enjoyed every minute of this book. Now I need to go rewatch The Good Place yet again.

Currently reading:
Such a Pretty Smile
The Life of Charlotte Brontë
The Language of Secrets on audio

QOTW:
I have always been drawn to Ireland and books set there. I knew I would love it there even before I visited. A few years ago my daughter and I went together. I loved it just as much if not more than I expected to.
My favorite books set in Ireland are the Dublin Murder Squad books by Tana French. My favorite stand alone by her is The Witch Elm.
Also enjoyed this one recently: When All Is Said
Any and all recommendations welcome.

Happy Thursday and Happy St Patrick's Day! 

It's been a busy week here - last weekend, I drove down to college to get my older daughter for Spring Break, then we spent Saturday at a robotics competition for my younger daughter, then went to see The Batman on Sunday (it was excellent).  Then, of course, we celebrated Pi Day on 3/14 with a chocolate cream pie, we neglected to observe the Ides of March (which was also 315 Day - I'm in the 315 area code) and now here we are on St Patrick's Day!!   And, finally, this weekend my younger daughter turns 16!   She can't decide what kind of cake she wants, but it's getting down to the wire, I need to make something!! 


 This week I finished 4 books, 3 for this Challenge, so I am now 21/50.

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest - This book was a lot of fun!  It was a spontaneous choice for me.  I had completely forgotten about this book (although it was on my TBR), but then I read about a sequel coming out this November, so I decided to get caught up and read the first book, and when I got it from the library I realized the cover art shows a reflection in her sunglasses, so I checked off "reflected image on the cover." I think I have liked or loved every single book I've read by Priest (out of 10 books), so it's high time that I stop doubting her and I should just go read everything she's written.

Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James - This was fantastic, even better than the first book in the series.  Wow, it took me a full month to listen to this audiobook, and that's even with the narration sped up to 1.25 and sometimes I quickly read a chapter in the ebook to move things along.   (This is long, dense, and confusing, so I really needed the ebook to refer to as I listened.  The book includes a glossary, also.)  I really felt for Sogolon, which was amazing because she was kind of awful in Black Leopard, Red Wolf;  James gave her a big backstory which explains so much about her attitude and motivations.   TBH, even after reading two books in the series, I'm still kinda confused about who "the boy" is and why this ragtag group was put together to find him.  That's okay, I enjoyed the ride, I don't need to understand it. It was really funny, too (but maybe that's just my sense of humor). James is a MASTER at creating fascinating and believable characters. This book wasn't exactly "own voices" since the author is a Jamaican man living in Minnesota, and the protagonist is a near-immortal Black woman in an African-inspired fantasy world, but ... it was really long so I wanted it to count for a category, therefore I checked off "ownvoices SFF."

Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems by Warsan Shire - I had been completely blown away by the power of Shire's first collection (Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth), but this one didn't do much for me.  It was okay, but it was disappointing.

A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore - I loved the first book in this series, but there were a lot of things in this book that really annoyed me.  Another disappointment.  This was a historical romance set in the Victorian era, so I checked off "set in Victorian times."



QotW
Yes!  My great grandparents were from Ireland, which felt a lot more immediate when my grandparents were still alive. My other set of great grandparents were from Hungary, but for some reason I feel more connected to Irish culture than Hungarian culture, maybe because there's a shared language, or maybe because it's my mother's side of the family, or maybe because I have cousins on the Irish side only.   (Or maybe because I've read so many picture books set in Ireland, but I've never found a picture book set in Hungary!)

When my kids were little, I would read a bunch of picture books in March that were either set in Ireland and/or based on Irish myth.  Our favorite was Fiona's Luck by Teresa Bateman.  Clever, plucky Fiona was able to trick even the Fairie king, using nothing but her own wits. We also loved The Cow on the Roof by Eric Maddern, in which the husband and wife switch jobs for the day, and things do not go well. (I THOUGHT this was Irish, but the description just says "European." Maybe it's not Irish? I thought Sian was an Irish name, but I just looked it up and it's Welsh.)

For grown up books,  I love Tana French, especially Faithful Place.  I've read everything from French except for her last Dublin Murders book, The Trespasser, which I will read this year.  I've only read one book by Liz Nugent so far, but I really liked Lying in Wait and I plan to read more from her.  And I also loved Last Ones Left Alive, an Irish zombie novel by Sarah Davis-Goff, and I can't wait to see what she writes next!  And just this year I finally read a Sally Rooney book (Beautiful World, Where Are You) and I liked it a lot - I'll definitely make time to read her previous books, too.

After the Saharan dust cloud turned everything gloomy and orange yesterday, we now have beautiful spring weather which looks set to last. I even ate my lunch outside! The magnolia trees around town are also flowering this week. I always think it's such a travesty that their name has become associated with such a drab paint colour.

Just one book finished again this week, but it was a good one. A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee for ATY (academic setting). I recommend this if you're into dark academia, it embraces the whole aesthetic.

QOTW:
I read a lot of Marian Keyes when I was younger but I haven't read any in ages. I am tempted by her new one since I did read Rachel's Holiday way back in the distant past. More recently, I loved Other Words for Smoke by Sarah Maria Griffin and Emma Dabiri's Don't Touch My Hair was enlightening.

Another happy Thursday to everyone! I had a very successful reading week and finished 2 books!

Finished:

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (A book about or set in a non-patriarchal society). This was a really good book and I am glad I read it. Lisa See is a great author and so far I have liked every book of hers I have read.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. I read this book in 2 days mostly because it is a fast-paced, short-ish book. There were some plot-holes but overall a good book.

Currently Reading:

Homicide and Halo-Halo (A book with a recipe) The second book in the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series. I never thought I would like cozy mysteries but this series changed my mind.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo (A book with a tiger on the cover or in the title). I haven't formed an opinion on this yet. I don't love it but I like it enough to keep going.

QOTW:

My two favorite:

Angela's Ashes
The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero

I forgot to mention that I am making corned beef and cabbage in my slow cooker. Anyone else cooking anything to celebrate the day?

Milena wrote: "I forgot to mention that I am making corned beef and cabbage in my slow cooker. Anyone else cooking anything to celebrate the day?"

ham, cabbage, mashed potatoes, every year! but now I add in something vegetarian too (this year it's tofu-sausage)

Oh, my allergies! I wish I could find something that helps that doesn't either put me to sleep or make my eyeballs buzz.

Usually I do something to celebrate St. Pat's, but I don't have anything planned today. There might be some Irish beer in the fridge. None of us are Irish, but my husband went to the University of Missouri - Rolla (now known as the Missouri University of Science and Technology), and St. Pat's is a whole thing there. Something about St. Pat "engineering" the removal of snakes from Ireland...

Challenge Progress: 21/50 I made progress this week!

Completed:

The Spanish Love Deception: I mean, I guess it was okay, but wouldn't you rather read The Hating Game? This book was long, repetitive, and I'm not sure combining the enemies-to-lovers trope with fake dating really worked. And Aaron? Stop calling Lina "baby." She's a grown woman. I'm worried about you, dude. (P42: a book that features two languages) ★★��

Sharks in the Time of Saviors: "But that’s the problem with the present, it’s never the thing you’re holding, only the thing you’re watching, later, from a distance so great the memory might as well be a spill of stars outside a window at twilight." Gorgeous prose, magical (but brutal) realism, and raw, complicated characters. (P15: a book by an Pacific Islander author) ★★★★

Black Cake: This is an intricately plotted multi-generational saga told from multiple points of view that pulls together beautifully at the end. So, so good! What a great debut. (P1: a book published in 2022) ★★★★��

The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family: Thoroughly enjoyable memoir by Ron and Clint Howard. Probably best as an audiobook as the brothers do their own narration. ★★★★

Murder at Teal's Pond: Hazel Drew and the Mystery That Inspired Twin Peaks: Eh. Very repetitive and speculative. Little was done to draw parallels between Hazel Drew and Twin Peaks. ★★

The Violence: Okay, so trigger warnings EVERYWHERE! In fact, the author includes a note about violence before the novel even begins. If you need a content warning, don't read this book. But OMG if you do, buckle up! This is a wild, violent adventure in a post-covid Florida that is now enmeshed in a new pandemic that manifests as murderous, uncontrollable outbursts and only the wealthy can afford the cure. Crazy, crazy, crazy. (P14: a book with cutlery on the cover or in the title) ★★★★��

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History: A classic graphic novel, but I couldn't give it 5 stars without reading Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began. This volume ends quite abruptly. Waiting my turn at the library for the second volume... (P44: a duology - Book 1) ★★★★



Currently Reading:

The Overstory
Vladimir
This Might Hurt
Forward: Notes on the Future of Our Democracy
Malice
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story (I'm not going to get this finished before it has to go back to the library. sigh)
The Girl in the Yellow Scarf (ŷ������ Giveaway)
No Exit

QOTW: Don't forget about John Boyne! The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and The Heart's Invisible Furies are both terrific books.

Hi everyone. It was my nephew's birthday on Saturday and we celebrated at the trampoline park...and I am only just recovering lol. Turns out I can't quite keep up with a bunch of eight year olds these days.

This week I finished Thorn which started slowly but then I couldn't put it down. It's a re-telling of The Goose Girl which I'm not very familiar with but I loved it.

Currently reading: Romancing Mister Bridgerton. I want to fit it in before the new season starts next week. With this and the recent return of Killing Eve and Peaky Blinders, I'm suddenly watching way more TV than usual.

QOTW: I can only think of two definitely Irish books I've read, and I didn't like either so I'll be keeping my eyes peeled at everyone's recommendations

I took March break off of work. My favourite thing to do on vacation (or Saturday) is to read in bed in the morning.

Finished:

The Woman in the Window
ATY prompt: A book related to glass
Popsugar prompt: A book with a quote from your favorite author on the cover or Amazon page (Ruth Ware)

ATY - 12/52
PS- 10/35
Series - 4/13
Clearing my TBR list: 9/40

Currently reading:

The Girl Who Played with Fire - about 3/4 done

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires - just started last night

QOTW: Since this is St. Patrick’s Day, do you have any favorite books about Ireland or written by authors from Ireland?

Oscar Wilde is one of my favourite authors. I used to have an Oscar Wilde Tshirt until someone stole it from the laundry room.

Dracula is a classic. All our current vampire books owe Bram Stoker a debt.

Lynn mentioned Seamus Heaney. In addition to winning a Nobel prize for his poetry, he also did the translation of Beowulf that I read.

We also can't forget the poetry of William Butler Yeats.

C.S. Lewis mostly lived in England, but he was born in Ireland.

I haven't personally read any James Joyce.

I find Samuel Beckett depressing. (Fun fact - I share a birthday with Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney.)

Derek Landy who writes the Skulduggery Pleasant books is Irish. They are kids books, but I'm enjoying the series. They are set in Dublin. (So if you want to read a Irish book about a crime fighting skeleton instead of just poverty and misery.)

Bard: The Odyssey of the Irish was great, but it was written by an American.

Mostly, what I read are Irish myths and legends. I do medieval recreation and I'm an Irish bard. From the Tuatha Dé Danann to all the great Fionn mac Cumhaill, the first Irish stories were action packed, racy, and exciting.

Blessed St. Patrick's Day! I'm not doing much today but wearing green. Ha!

Finished 11/50

Unquenchable Fire: The Traditional Christian Teaching about Hell for "book about the afterlife". You know, this book was a lot better than I thought it would be. A bit scholarly, but I learned a lot and walked away encouraged. Good read for Lent.

Currently Reading

The Queen of the Damned for "book set in the 1980s". Also, a most ironic thing to pick up after the book I just finished. XD I LOVED this book in middle school, so time to see if it's still as good as I remember.

QotW

I'll be honest...I almost never pay attention to an author's nationality. I just pay attention to the book, lol. So, I have no idea. I'm part Irish, so I guess my books count then! XD

Happy Thursday! Thursday is my favorite day of the week. I look forward to answering the Qotw. Thanks, Nadine and Lynn for moderating.

Finished:Kiki Kallira Breaks a Kingdom touches on OCD, Indian mythology, and girl empowerment, a nice blend. For prompt SFF Own Voices.

The Phantom Tollbooth A re-read. This is a very strange book. Whenever I share it with children, I feel like it's more geared toward adults. I enjoyed it, though not as much as when I read it as a child! (So there goes my evaluation.)

Started: The American Evasion of Philosophy: A Genealogy of Pragmatism I appreciate West's project, but after finishing the chapter on Dewey, my interest has kind of petered out. I'm not sure if I'll finish it.

Qotw: James Joyce's Ulysses! I had to take a class to get through this, but I found it very interesting how much he planned out the structure of the story in advance. I just finished a retelling of the Odyssey, which I had never read before, which gave me more appreciation for Ulysses. I think it would be fun to go to Ireland and take a tour of all the places that are featured in his book.

Laura wrote: "Oh, my allergies! I wish I could find something that helps that doesn't either put me to sleep or make my eyeballs buzz.

Usually I do something to celebrate St. Pat's, but I don't have anything pl..."

I have not read any John Boyne yet. Thanks for the reminder.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Milena wrote: "I forgot to mention that I am making corned beef and cabbage in my slow cooker. Anyone else cooking anything to celebrate the day?"

ham, cabbage, mashed potatoes, every year! but no..."

Would love to know how you make the cabbage. Love to eat cabbage anytime.

Happy St. Patrick's Day. I finished 2 books for the week.
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. #23 A book with a recipe in it.
The Tenth Muse by Catherine Chung. Not for this challenge but I enjoyed this book.
QOTW: I don't have a favorite Irish author or book about Ireland. I read Say Nothing : A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe. I gave it 5 stars.

Happy Thursday! Don't forget that today is, in addition to St. Patrick's Day, also Absolutely Incredible Kid Day! To honor this holiday, the task is to write a letter to an incredible kid in your life telling them just what makes them incredible (specific, not just you are great) and how much they mean to you. It's widely celebrated by Camp Fire, a nonprofit youth development organization, and they have more about it on their website.

I am at least temporarily on track with my 2022 reading goal, according to the GR home page. Yay!

Finished this week:
The Cider House Rules by John Irving, used as a book about a found family

Abolition and the Underground Railroad in Vermont, interesting brief history of this time period in Vermont

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson - middle school novel that addresses so many heavy topics in a very relatable way, loved it (set in NYC so worked for several other challenges)

Fireflies by P.S. Bartlett, good story but execution felt awkward, used as a book about the afterlife

In Two Voices by Linda E. Clarke and Dr. Michael Cusimano, would fulfill the prompt for two POVs if I hadn't already filled that, the story of one woman's brain tumor diagnosis and treatment told by both the patient and the surgeon. Fascinating case study with a very human touch on both sides.

QOTW: I don't necessarily know how many Irish authors I read/love, but here are a few books set in Ireland that I've enjoyed:
The Whipping Club by Deborah Henry
A Sword from Galway by Drayton Mayrant
Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley

Dubhease wrote: "I find Samuel Beckett depressing."

That's completely fair but I'm now very disappointed in myself for not listing his works because I LOVE him. He's definitely hella depressing, though.

Allie wrote: "Lynn wrote: "I also own The Searcher but have yet to read it.."

See if you can get The Searcher in audiobook. It's pretty good"
Thanks for the recommendation though I typically don't do audiobooks, this might help others who do! 😊

Laura wrote: "my husband went to the University of Missouri - Rolla (now known as the Missouri University of Science and Technology), and St. Pat's is a whole thing there. Something about St. Pat "engineering" the removal of snakes from Ireland......"


Cornell has a parade for St Pat's too!! I think now Spring Break conflicts with St Patrick's Day, it didn't used to. They call the parade day Dragon Day now. The architecture students build a big dragon and parade it across the campus, and in the Arts & Sciences quad it is met by its rival, a phoenix built by the engineering students (because architects & engineers are traditional rivals), but the dragon is the real star of the show. Used to be that the dragon was then set on fire and it was awesome. I think they aren't allowed to do that any more.

May the Blarney be strong in you this fine St. Patrick's Day!

Raining all day here in NYC -- meaning a soggy parade that was marching for the first time since pandemic. I'm half Irish so to some degree I celebrate the Irish every day.

I am ahead of schedule in my PS challenge reading, which is good because it means as I get bogged down in other reading and oh, yeah, work, I have a cushion to prevent an end of year scramble.

Finished:

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - read for prompt parrallel reality -- it was a toss-up to use this one or the final in series for this prompt, but that opening scene where the 2 ministers meet tipped it to this one -- one of my favorite scenes! Once again, I'm reading the British edition with this gorgeous cover:

- excellent medieval mystery

- wonderful and unusual story of bohemian artists in London during the Great Depression.

Currently reading:

- completing my re-read of the series started last year.



QOTW: I'll go from literary to popular -

Samuel Beckett - start with his plays since though they are highly experimental and unusual, they are more accessible than his novels. The novel that's probably easiest is The Unnameable. Anyone else here own a complete hardcover special edition set of his complete works? I have actually read just about all too -- I did take a seminar on Beckett in college - a long time ago. Oh, and since some of his plays were written in French first then in English, I've read a couple in French.

James Joyce - Ignore if intimdated. Go straight for his letters, first published by Norton Publishing back in the 1970s. There are such juicy naughty ones to his wife! I also recommend the short stories and novellas, especially .

Eugene O'Neill - yes, he's American - but as the son of Irish immigrants, his soul and writing is Irish. Read some of his earlier plays.

= or any play by Synge.

Tana French - I'm only familiar wtih Dublin Murder Squad series, but oh so good!

Felicity Hayes-McCoy - light contemporary fiction set in an isolated village on the west coast of Ireland. Delightful.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I don't have any special meal planned, but I am wearing my once-a-year St. Patrick's Day t-shirt. :D

Finished:
One Last Stop - 3 stars - for the book set on a plane, train, or cruise ship prompt. I mostly liked it, but it wasn't my favorite romance. Some of the quirkiness started to wear thin after a while.

Manga (not for prompts): Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 10, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 11, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun, Vol. 12

Currently reading:
Gilded, for a book about a secret. I'm about 50% through and really enjoying it so far. It's another fairy tale retelling by Marissa Meyer, but this one set in a fantasy world, rather than the sci-fi Cinder universe.

QOTW:
I'm not sure of all the Irish authors I've read. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is one of my favorite plays, and one of the few "school reads" I loved and read again after the assignments. I also loved Morgan Llywelyn's books about Ireland as a teenager.

I have absolutely nothing to report readingwise, beyond A Lot of Marvey fics, oops. I did still want to leave a message here to keep up with the check ins before I vanish again for a whole year xD

Shanti is back home, and she is not happy with the meds she's getting twice a day, but there is at least still hope as of yet! I'm so proud of her, my strong old girl.

Disney was once again amazing, though we *still* didn't go on the train. One day. Dad already said that for our upcoming trip (just the two of us, to hopefully meet Bert haha!) we'll make the train a priority. Stay tuned to find out if we made it or not xD

Not only was Disney amazing, the hugging the characters again??? Indescribable. The distanced meets were great and I loved them, but the hugs truly can't be beat. Hugging Stitch had me in near tears, and Olaf was absolutely adorable. Face characters are still distanced but Captain Jack and I had a lovely chat- glad we waited for him! We also tried Autopia for the first time and had an absolute blast (I even fit in the car!!!). Can't wait for next week, when I'll be back for the Pass Annuel Soiree. I am prepared to be disappointed and overwhelmed by the chaos, but hopefully I can catch some of the shows!

So yeah. No reading progress, sadly. Hopefully I can drag my brain away from fics soon for some books, but right now I just really don't want to *shrugs*.

QOTW
Soooo this is the point where I admit I hardly remember ever where books take place, and even rarely do I know where an author is from. I'm pretty sure The Storm Keeper's Island counts, and if not, I remembered it because the audio had an Irish narrator haha! Really enjoyed it and can't believe I still haven't read the sequel!

Survived the week-of-madness at work! To top it off both my parents are waiting for the hospital to call them in for surgery. Not serious, but still needed. So, no books finished.

PS:4/40
Read 2022: 9

Finished
Nothing

Currrently reading
To Hell and Back: Europe, 1914-1949
Los pacientes del doctor García

QOTW
I also loved Angela's Ashes and I can recommend TransAtlantic by Colum McCann as well. Completely different, but both beautiful.

Dubhease wrote: "I took March break off of work. My favourite thing to do on vacation (or Saturday) is to read in bed in the morning.

..."


I did that two weeks ago on a Sunday, and it was absolutely wonderful! and I vowed to do it ever Sunday ... but of course the following week I was busy. That's okay, I'll get back to it.

Milena wrote: "Would love to know how you make the cabbage. Love to eat cabbage anytime...."


I love cabbage too!! My kids just sort of tolerate it. On St Patrick's Day, I used to put the ham, potatoes, and quartered cabbage all in one big pot and sort of do a New England style boiled dinner. I'd take out the cabbage and ham, mash the potatoes, and everything had a wonderful flavor from cooking together. But with a vegetarian in the mix, that's not possible, so I steam or boil the quartered cabbage on its own, and have it with malt vinegar. (I'm the only one who likes it with vinegar.) This is the only time I boil cabbage! I usually stir fry it or slow cook it. It's also really good sautéed in a super hot cast iron pan, it sort of gets caramelized, I like to do that and serve it with some soy sauce with steamed pot stickers & rice.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Milena wrote: "Would love to know how you make the cabbage. Love to eat cabbage anytime...."


I love cabbage too!! My kids just sort of tolerate it. On St Patrick's Day, I used to put the ham, pot..."

Thanks for all the suggestions. My daughter is vegetarian too. Slow cooker option would not have worked if she was still living with us.
Also, my mother makes the most amazing stuffed cabbage. She makes it on special occasions because she knows how much I love it.

Finished:

Navigators of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (3/5)

A few things wrap up at the end of this trilogy, but nothing about it was too surprising or satisfying. Also, I am not sure how one of the characters survives to make their future appearance in the series when they seem to bite the dust in this novel.

Currently reading:

Queen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track by Benoît Clerc

I am using this for my book about a band for the 2022 PS challenge. I'm still liking it after four albums (just started the section on A Day at the Races). Those who love the technicalities of musical instruments and the recording studio process will find more to love here than most.

Hi! Happy Thursday.

I've been busy at work again this week. More things bought for SRP and processing the endless pile of manga and light novels. (Worldcat, you're my friend!)

With the warming weather, I've also spent a lot of my time weeding the massive amounts of pepper weed from both my front and back yards. Thankfully the nights are still really cold, which has retarded their growth.

As for reading, I've been a bit slacking.

I finished two books and have three or four ongoing.

For Popsugar I finished Luck of the Titanic for prompt 31. manmade disaster. It's about a Chinese British girl wanting to go to America with her brother. Her brother works on the Titanic and she stows away on board. I good book. It shows a lot of the mind set and prejudices of the time. I read the author's note and learned she based the book on factual Chinese survivors.

For because I can, I finished Blood and Moonlight. I got this from NetGalley. It takes place in a Medieval Italianesque place. She works for an architect that is building upon the Sanctum. Magic, mystery, and murder abound as Cat and Simon investigate.

The continuing reading list. (it's growing larger and larger!)

For the third week in the row: As Good As Dead
Started: Maus
Read 2 pages: Remote Control
A smutty freebie from Amazon. No idea what the name is.
Annnnd something else I cannot remember the name of -- oh! yes! I just remembered it! Ima Koi: Now I'm in Love, Vol. 1

Plus, KL has been reading a bunch of Agatha Christie, which I see on my goodreads feed. Also, Death on the Nile has been staring at me at my local grocery store for 3 weeks. I broke down and bought it. and started as I waited for my lunch today.

That's about it for me this week.

Milena wrote: "Also, my mother makes the most amazing stuffed cabbage. She makes it on special occasions because she knows how much I love it.

..."


My mother's mother made the best stuffed cabbage!!! I'm generally too lazy to make it. I do have some recipes for casseroles that are supposed to have the same flavor blend, but I've never tried any. Once I made vegetarian stuffed cabbage (the recipe was probably from one of the first Moosewood cookbooks), it had reconstituted dried mushrooms in it instead of ground beef, and the flavor was really close to my Nana's.


Oh! and speaking of the Moosewood and cabbage, that reminds me of two of my favorite cabbage recipes that I've gotten from their cookbooks over the years! The first one is loved by everyone in this house: cabbage and noodles. It's very simple, you slow cook thin sliced onions and cabbage with some salt and paprika for as long as you can stand it (at least 45 minutes) and then stir in cooked noodles; served with sour cream of course. The second one is Indonesian cabbage & sweet potato soup, which only I love. I don't know what my kids' problems are with that soup, it is amazing. It's got peanut butter & soy sauce in it, and they can't handle peanut butter in savory dishes I guess.

Howdy all. I am exhausted! We were a person short at work this morning, and then instead of coming right home I made a detour to the bookshop to pick up a copy of Dan Santat's new graphic novel The Aquanaut. Woohoo! Too bad I am too tired to read it.

I haven't looked at my challenge numbers this week but I have read some stuff for Women's History Month, although I am mixing with a hearty helping of comfort reads.

Two book this week are from my physical TBR.


Finished:
Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World - Hedy and George invent frequency hopping but are ignored.

Three Bags Full - Not a bad little murder mystery where a flock of sheep (led by Miss Maple) try to solve the murder of their shepherd. Didn't love everything but it was fun.

The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 7 - Not as fun as the others but still gives me a smile

Instructions Not Included: How a Team of Women Coded the Future - picture book - Could have been better, some things were unclear. I like that the illustration style is a bit from the era.

Tillie the Terrible Swede: How One Woman, a Sewing Needle, and a Bicycle Changed History -picture book - Nice

Interstellar Cinderella -picture book - This book is relevant to my interests.

Extraordinary Jane -picture book - Lovely illustrations. From the cover I thought Jane was the elephant, but she is a dog. Cute.

Under Lock & Skeleton Key - New Gigi Pandian! I had fun reading her Jaya Jones books, so it was really fun to follow character who knows her friend Sanjay. This book is also relevant to my interests. Magicians, architecture and locked room mysteries!

The Library of the Dead - I didn't love this, but I'm not sure if it was just the narrator. You know how some people perform and some people just read? Yeah she just kinda read it. I really wanted to love this because the edition I have physically is GORGEOUS.





Currently Reading:
Come Hell or Highball
Women Warriors: An Unexpected History
Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am


QOTW:
Oliver Jeffers is my favorite Irish author right now. I highly recommend his completely lovely picture book Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth but I also got a kick out of Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for all the Letters.

I have also enjoyed books by Eoin Colfer and Graham Norton.

Mandy wrote: "Plus, KL has been reading a bunch of Agatha Christie, which I see on my goodreads feed. Also, Death on the Nile has been staring at me at my local grocery store for 3 weeks. I broke down and bought it. and started as I waited for my lunch today."

I'm so excited that you're reading Death on the Nile! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I just want to say all the cabbage recipes have me salivating! I adore cabbage! I blame being Irish/German and therefore can't escape!

I don't have any fresh cabbage...but I do have sauerkraut and sausage and pork chops. I can jazz up that sauerkraut 1, 2, 3!

Carmen wrote: "I have absolutely nothing to report readingwise, beyond A Lot of Marvey fics, oops. I did still want to leave a message here to keep up with the check ins before I vanish again for a whole year xD ..."



well that's mostly good news! Glad to hear Shanti is home.

What is the train?

I didn't think I'd really like meeting characters, but to my surprise I also came close to tears the day I hugged Piglet.

Just want to suggest that if you are into the Seamus Heaney Beowulf, see if there is an audio with him reading it. Years ago I saw him do a solo performance reading of sections as part of a Lincoln Center summer festival. It was fantastic! He was so dynamic, bringing it to life.

And this is probably a good day to mention a compilation of folk tales that I stumbled upon as a teen browsing in book stores (probably a used book store): W.B. Yeats put together Irish Fairy and Folk Tales also listed as Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry & (according to my library): Fairy and Folk Tales of Ireland. I was kind of hoping it would be all super poetic and whatnot, so I remember being a bit disappointed at the time, but I'd like to re-read it. I have no idea where my old copy is! I'm sure the library has a copy ...

Theresa wrote: "I just want to say all the cabbage recipes have me salivating! I adore cabbage! I blame being Irish/German and therefore can't escape!

I don't have any fresh cabbage...but I do have sauerkraut an..."


LOL yes both my Irish side and my Hungarian side make good use of cabbage!!!

Nadine in NY wrote: "What is the train?

I didn't think I'd really like meeting characters, but to my surprise I also came close to tears the day I hugged Piglet."

The train is nothing more than a steamtrain that rides around the park, but I've never done it. It's a nice way to give my poor feet a rest, and to see some things you can't see otherwise, but for some reason we never manage to actually get on the damn thing, haha! My dad loves trains though, so April must be the trip. Mary and Bert's spot is right in front of the Main Street station so surely we'll manage?? xD

Ohh Piglet! I'm still sad we missed him last weekend as he was amazing in February, but it was still distanced then. I had to choose between White Rabbit (and the Queen of Hearts) who I'd never seen before, and Piglet, who tends to be out every day, so the choice was easy, but it did mean no Piglet hugs which is very sad. If only I'd walked a little further before lunch. Ohwell. Next time!

It's amazing how Disney can conjure up emotions in us that we never would have expected. I'm just really glad the characters (usually) don't treat adults differently from kids, because I know for certain that Stitch means a whole lot more to me than to most of those kids, hahah! (Luckily for me Stitch always spots me and gives me the best interactions, even if my phone failed to record the last (and best!) one on Sunday. He is my best friend *nods decisively*)

Good morning everyone from the farm. It's been a busy week with most of it taken up with running around after a nearly 14 month old. Yesterday was the first full day in nearly a week I've had to myself. It's been exhausting. Wednesday was 9-5 babysitting duties at my daughters. The Shingles are in their non contagious stage now but still annoying and sometimes painful. And just to add insult to injury I have a nasty (non Covid) cold.

Absolutely no reading has been done this week even though I did transfer a few new books on to my iPad. The intention was there but not the execution. I have done some Harry Potter Lego models this week though in between visitors and babysitting. There was Hagrid's Hut (Buckbeaks rescue from Prisoner of Azkaban), the Hospital Wing (depicting Ron in the hospital and Hermione and Harry with the time turner from Prisoner of Azkaban) and the dark forest scene with Centaurs, Grawp (Hagrids half brother), Dolores Umbridge and Harry and Hermione. I also did the Fluffy encounter one the other day. It has Fluffy, the devil's snare and the potions challenge from Philosophers Stone and also the Defence Against the Dark Arts book thingo. So sort of book related I suppose. Can't help being a Lego loving Potterhead. Waiting for the Ravenclaw/Charms class set I ordered online to come. There are also Lego flowers, a small Disney castle and a Donald Duck Brickhead in that order. I still have a quite a few here that I can do while I'm waiting and they're not all HP (even though some of them are including Hogsmeade and the Chamber of Secrets and the Polyjuice Potion Mistake). I also have some Star Wars models, 123 Sesame Street, the International Space Station, the Tardis and a few others. Fun.

Anyhoo off to get ready to go into town because if I leave it too long I'll be too tired to drive. Yesterday I was going in to buy food and by the time I got around to it I couldn't keep my eyes open.

Talk to you again next week and hopefully I've gotten back on track and actually read something by then. Stay safe and well xo

For some years growing up we lived three miles down the street from Disneyland, so in my late teens/early twenties I had a pass and went all the time. My character hug of choice is Eeyore. For someone with hefty depression most of my life, how can you not want to hug Eeyore? The thing is, I was there all the time, especially in the off season. I hugged him often. One day, I was hanging out with some people in front of the train station when he was out and unoccupied. He saw me across the square and put his arms out to the sides. I waved at him but didn't go over, because at some point you wonder if you are just being creepy.

Eeyore... EEYORE, dropped his arms, slouched, dropped his head to his chest and started to slowly turn away.

I ran right over and gave him a huge hug.

I am 48/50.

This week, I finished:

I've Been Thinking About You, Sister: A book by a Pacific Islander author: A short, bittersweet story.

Silver Sparrow: A book with a reflected image on the cover or "mirror" in the title: A character driven novel and a well-executed one. I'm very much on board for this author's writing style.

These Silent Woods: A book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read: Woah! I spent two weeks on this book, most it feeling discouraged that it wasn't as engaging as I expected it to be. I couldn't figure out what the problem was either. Great setting. Excellent characters. It was the plot that wasn't hitting the mark for me, but that all changed suddenly. I got hooked and then couldn't put it down. The ending was beautifully executed and I'm going to remember this one for a while.

Currently reading:

At First Light: The nerd in me is enjoying this, but I will say that at times it feels a little more nonfictiony than fictiony, which is making it more interesting than entertaining.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper: Okay, I've been stuck on this one for a bit, but it finally hooked me and I am REALLY appreciating it, and am trying to force myself to take my time and give it my undivided attention.

QOTW:
I have no idea. I don't pay much attention to author characteristics in general. I know I read a really sweet romance set in Ireland, but I can't seem to remember the name.

Theresa wrote: "Just want to suggest that if you are in the Seamus Heaney Beowulf, see if there is an audio with him reading it. Years ago I saw him do a solo performance reading of sections as part of a Lincoln C..."

I don't know what it says about me, but I would rather have seen Seamus Heaney do readings than see a lot of musicians in concert.

K.L. wrote: "Mandy wrote: "Plus, KL has been reading a bunch of Agatha Christie, which I see on my goodreads feed. Also, Death on the Nile has been staring at me at my local grocery store for 3 weeks. I broke d..."

One of these years, instead of concentrating on PS or ATY prompts, I'm good to read an Agatha Christie book a month - maybe I'll read her in order of publication date.

K.L. wrote: "Good morning, everyone!

This week has been considerably less productive than last week, with respect to both reading and household projects. The reason for that is because I restarted Pokémon Shie..."

Yaaay, another Pokemon player! I'm playing my way through Pokemon Sword for the first time. Do you enjoy the camping portions at all?

Katy wrote: "I finished Kindred as my own voices SFF. I hate time travel and thought the premise was stupid, but other than that it was good. Which sounds sarcastic, but I did mostly enjoy reading ..."

I own a copy of "The Tiger" and didn't even think about using it for that prompt, haha... I'm glad to hear it's interesting reading though!