OK It Does Get a Bit Warm Here

We had a quiet 4th of July. A little too quiet, as I was hoping some illegal fireworks would convince Susiecat that the outdoors was a terrible place. Oh well, she’s wearing her new collar with an AirTag so if she sneaks out again we’ll track her down. Or at least track her collar down. Otherwise just a regular simmer week of farmer's markets, libraries, and heat.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 67 books. But I know I finished a bunch of them. The library thinks I have 62 physical books checked out, so I should work harder on reducing that.

Books Completed  July 4 - July 11

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Hugo finalist. This had some cool ideas; the dictatorship whose ideology dictated scientific results, the biology of the alien planet, the relationship among the people trapped on the planet with their different statuses. But the characterization was the weakest part, as I found it hard to care about the narrator and through him the other people as they didn’t seem real enough to worry about. 

Hell Followed With Us, Andrew Joseph White. The apocalypse book for our Torches and Pitchforks book club was very interesting although it worked better as trans magic realism than as an apocalypse. Benji’s experiences as a trans boy who is literally turning into a monster brings the feelings to a new level, so that the reader mostly ignores the pseudo-science and even the unbelievable character arc of the boyfriend. But as an emotional foil for Benji he worked well. The club found a lot to talk about.

Navigational Entanglements, Aliette de Bodard. Hugo Novella finalist. The worldbuilding and aliens were really cool, and I liked the different novices dispatched to fail to deal with a situation. The love story dragged things down for me but I am old and curmudgeonly and hard to please.

Claudia and the New Friend, Ann M Martin. I’m comparing this to the graphic novel, and while there’s more nuance, the babysitters don’t come out looking good. They are very cliquish and unwelcoming to Claudia’s new friends and keep demanding that she choose between them. Of course, the new girl out does them in drama, so Claudia has an excuse to go back to her friends, but at the end of it she basically just picks the bullies she knows.

The Brides of High Hill, Nghi Vho. Hugo finalist novella. This was spooky and creepy, but I don’t th8nk it works without the previous ones. Also, the foxes aren’t as cool as mammoths or tiger.

Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler. This was a Cybils nominee from last year that didn’t make it onto the short list so I didn’t read it fully. I’ve now read the whole thing and I agree that it’s not great but it’s interesting. The worldbuilding is shallow but has good imagery and the language is a bit old fashioned (“naughty” is not a very common word used on kids this age) but the writing is strong and Poppy does some real emotional growing.

Emma Jean Lazarus Fell In Love, Lauren Tarshis. Tarshis writes some fun books! I’ve been reading her “I Survived” series but I was interested 8n what she did before and I found the kids engaging and fun to read about.

Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter, Ann M Martin. It’s fun to see Martin playing with her structure. Here the pet job kicks off the drama subplot of Kristy being too bossy, but although Jessi spends most of her time with the dogs, cats, birds, rodents and snakes for this job, the other kids bring their charges over to say high so we still get to see the usual stuff.

Soul Taken, Patricia Briggs. Mercy and her friendship group can beat anything!

Books Started

I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005, Lauren Tarshis.

Emma Jean Lazarus Fell In Love, Lauren Tarshis. I wanted to see her pre-survival books.

Navigational Entanglements, Aliette de Bodard. Hugo Novella finalist.

Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter, Ann M Martin. Another babysitter book! Number 22.

Tribute, Sherwood Smith. For Scintillation book club.

The Brides of High Hill, Nghi Vho. Hugo finalist novella.

Wooing the Witch Queen, Stephanie Burgis. I’ve liked her kidlit so I grabbed this adult romance. 

The Honey Witch, Sydney J. Shields. Cloudy pick.

Karen’s Grandmothers Graphic Novel, DK Yingst & Ann M Martin. Babysitter spin-offs about Kristy’s stepsister, which are recommended to me by the Talbot Hill Bookclub.

Heavenly Tyrants, Xiran Jay Zhao. Not-a-Hugo Lodestar YA finalist. 

Bookmarks Moved

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Endling: The First, Katherine Applegate

The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Robinson Jeffers

Lyorn, Steven Brust

Wow No Thank You, Samantha Irby

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulou

The Wild Girls, Pat Murphy. Old Cybils finalist.

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                                                

                                                                   Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                                 Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                            Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                                     True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                              South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

                        Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

       The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell  

      I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

   A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delaney. The A novel is the Foolscap pick.

Picture Books and Short Stories

I’ve been requesting the books the bigots got the Supreme Court to protect their kids from, and it’s clear that now any parent can object to any book for pretty much any reason, so have fun with that, teachers!

Love, Violet, Charlotte Sullivan Wild. Violet is a socially awkward child who wants to be friends with another kid, but is so shy about that she misses all the other girl’s signals, which are on the level of “Want to be friends?” They end up being friends after Violet’s latest dumb scheme goes awry. This apparently is objectionable because Violet has a cool haircut. Or maybe because girl-on-girl friendships are bad? But I’m pretty sure it’s the haircut, and the idea that maybe Violet’s liking is sorta a crush? If you are the kind of person who pushes that kind of thing on your kids.

What Are Your Words?, Katherine Locke. This is an earnestly tedious book about a kid who wakes up each morning and picks out what pronouns to use that day, with the kind of decisiveness you’d see in a toddler running late to preschool. The story is the kid walking to a park or something and saying hello to people who use different pronouns. It’s dull writing, the pictures are fine, the kid is vague, and I have no idea of what age it’s aimed at since the story is very basic but the concept of gender fluidity seems at least elementary aged.

Jacob’s Room To Choose, Jodie Patterson. This book strikes right at a topic crucial to young elementary school kids: what do you do if you can’t go to the bathroom? Jacob likes to wear dresses but this makes the other boys try to shoo him to the other bathroom. Very implausibly, his friend has the same problem in the girls’ room because of her pants and shirt (????!!??). Their teacher, clearly not wanting to deal with kids this age refusing to go potty, leads the class in starting a school culture of just letting people pee where they want, complete with cute slogans and posters.

The first pages had me thinking it was going to be an expose of why “gender at birth” rules are dumb if your aim is to keep beards out of the ladies’ and skirts out of the gents’, but then the girl wearing jeans also had a bathroom rejection and the teacher needed a solution.

Oops, I didn’t mean to read these next two yet, they are for next month’s book club where we judge the Cybils finalists. So I read them but I’ll report on them after the book club.

My Daddy Is A Cowboy, Stephanie Seales.

The Little Red Chair, Cathy Stefanec Algren. 

“Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy,” by Martha Wells. Ooooooh, Peri has a crush!

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. I am learning about kitchen cleaning.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Friendship is the best magic.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Walt Whitman rolls on.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. Examples of how to go from reading a fun book like On Market Street to being a smart kid.

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Wolf Hall
• Library Book: Prince and Assassin
• Hugo Finalist: Heavenly Tyrant
• Ebook I own: When the Moon Met the Sun
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress (completed)
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Liar’s Text
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Poverty, By America 
• River Runs Under It Book Club: This Tender Land
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: Dune
• Romance Book Club: Jane Austin!

Susie Came Home

My cat disappeared! But one week after her disappearance a vet called and said she was found and her microchip led to our phone number. So whew! Thank goodness. She’s lost a lot of weight, especially after I got all the burrs out, but we are hoping to feed her up.

In other news, the Pride March was a lot of fun.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 66 books. But I know I finished about five of them. The library thinks I have 64 physical books checked out, so I should work on that reducing that.

Books Completed  June 28 - July 3

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison. Ok, now I want to go reread the whole series, because a lot of things I thought were just background details pushed to the front and things went in unexpected directions. I’m still deeply invested in the viewpoint character and he’s made great emotional leaps, but he’s moving away from some other people and I’m not any happier about that than he is. And he once again fell through some giant political collisions and I need to reread to see that in perspective.

I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79, Lauren Tarshis. We got Roman science, Roman marketplaces, Roman slavers and gladiators, and then Vesuvius happens. I liked the tight timeline and the sense of history that is older than me.

Dawn on the Coast Ann M. Martin. The excerpts from the babysitting diary are fun structurally because we know Dawn isn’t reading them in real time. Divorce is hard on kids because the things they lose are still in sight; they just can’t have them.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Ernest J. Gaines. This is probably a reread but it’s been decades. I like the voice and the reminder that history happens to people. And that people can think themselves good when doing things I find objectively deplorable.

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Chen (editor). Most of these short stories and essays were enjoyable, and I’m sorry that I clearly cannot add another book club to my rotation. I would have enjoyed discussing these with other people and getting a better sense of their context.

Books Started

Dawn on the Coast Ann M. Martin. On my Babysitter’s roll. 

The Selected Poetry of Robinson Jeffers, Robinson Jeffers. Next book on library poetry shelf.

The Wild Girls, Pat Murphy. Old Cybils finalist.

Endling: The First, Katherine Applegate. Book from Renton Highlands’ next shelf, for my Quest.

Claudia and the New Friend, Ann M Martin. Babysitting away.

Bookmarks Moved

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky

Soul Taken, Patricia Briggs 

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler

Lyorn, Steven Brust

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

Hell Followed With Us, Andrew Joseph White

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                                                

                                                                Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                              Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                         Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                                  True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                           South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

                     Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

    The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

   One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

   I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delaney. The A novel is the Foolscap pick.

Picture Books and Short Stories

None.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. I am learning about food safety.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Friendship is the best magic.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Walt Whitman rolls on.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. 

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Wolf Hall
• Library Book: Wooing the Witch King
• Hugo Finalist: Heavenly Tyrant
• Ebook I own: When the Moon Met the Sun
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Liar’s Text
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Poverty, By America 
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: Dune
• Romance Book Club: A month off

Susie Please Come Home

So this is a case where it’s a good thing I’m a few weeks behind. The big news of the week was my Susie-cat disappeared. We don’t know how she got out, but somehow she did. As an indoor cat, her experience of the world full of cars, dogs, coyotes, and burrs is very limited, so we feared the worst.

But one week after her disappearance a vet called and said she was found and her microchip led to our phone number. So whew! Thank goodness.

Also my phone died so now I have a replacement and spend all my time making silly emojis.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 61 books. I think that is a few books high so I’m not worried. The library thinks I have 61 physical books checked out, so I should work on that.

Books Completed  June 20-27

I Survived the Battle of D-Day 1944 Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball, Brian Churilla. I forgot to add this as finished last week. I’ve enjoyed WWII stuff since I was a kid, but I thought this was a bit diffuse for the series. The kid almost dies a few too many times, and the reunion with his pal seems unearned. But still, WWII France is always a good read for me. 

Her Aussie Holiday, Stephanie London. This was a fun book that worked harder on the human stuff than the sex, although it was quite spicy, especially as the couple decided to acknowledge their attraction by having a wild fling, knowing that she’d be returning to New York. Meanwhile she was dealing with her confidence and need for outside approval, and he was dealing with his fear of rejection and any commitment that would leave an opening for that. And it wasn’t until that work was done that they could do the romance. It was definitely a good book to understand that vacation romance is a full sub genre and now I’ll go looking for it.

Watership Down:the Graphic Novel, James Sturm. I think this was a good adaptation although I wish I had either finished in time for book club or given myself a longer break. I think the rabbits were well deliniated although of course I could barely tell anyone apart. I especially liked how small Pippen and Fiver were, and the storm scenes as they escaped with the does.

Alibi, Sharon Shinn. A cute novella in the shape of a romance but really about a friendship group that helps its members be open to new interests and people. There’s a tiny mystery that doesn’t make much sense but shows how well the groups are working. And the teleport stuff is interesting.

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe. I’ve started the Juvenile Fiction section of my Renton Highlands Library Quest, where I read a book from each shelf.  This is the sequel to a book I read a few years ago, so I grabbed it to see what my old friends were up to. As an adult I’m entertained by the worldbuilding, which borrows Pokémon rules by sending the young witches out and an amazing young age. In this one Eva borrows way too much responsibility so she can angst over guilt, but she also uses her friendships, her courage, and her determination to get jobs done. Her relationship with her more magically powered rival is interesting; his emotional weakness and damaged family leave him vulnerable where Eva is strong. I do wish the magic spells scanned better though. 

System Collapse, Martha Wells. I finished just in time for our final meeting before we start watching the Murderbot TV series. Then I missed the meeting so I could go out to eat with my sister and her family. But it felt like the culmination of an emotional plot seeded in the first novellas. The plot itself was a bit muddled though.

The Wild Iris, Louise Glück. Poetry. This is the kind of book I was hoping for when I started reading poetry before bed. Short poems, one or two pages, that drop a perfect image into my mind complete with emotional resonance, 

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell. Hugo novel finalist. This moved along and I really liked the voice, but I’m a troubled by the monster aspect. Like, I get people being interested in the monsters in fairy tales, especially people who feel different from all others, but I always assumed that they imagined the monsters to be actual sympathetic but misunderstood people. In this case, the monster has actually been merrily devouring people (but they were all bad, I assure myself with a quote from True Lies). But it turns out that this is OK because the monster hunters are worse. and every time the reader might balk at the protagonist’s innocent murderous ways the author has the baddies kick some puppies so we know we can sympathize with their opponent. I’m dubious.

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, Lauren Tarshis. This worked by spending most of the book on one very bad wonderful day involving several sets of Nazis, unexpected friends, and a reunion. Then the rest of the horrid war is hurriedly passed over. Jewish kids, partisans of all flavors, even some moments of recognizing that Germans can be humans - all the hallmarks of good WWII kidlit.

Downeast Genius, Earl Smith. Fast biographies of various inventors with some connection to Maine serve as a swift overview of changing times since before statehood to almost modern days. What is needed and who can have patents are the main beats, with some fun household names spotted along the way (I had no idea L.L. Bean got it’s reputation by making terrible boots as their first offering.)

Kristy and the Walking Disaster (Graphic Novel), Ellen T Crenshaw from Ann Martin. Baby-sitter book. My favorite books are the ones with zillions of kids, so this one pleased me. I like the idea of allowing toddlers on your pee-wee team.

Books Started

Kristy and the Walking Disaster (Graphic Novel), Ellen T Crenshaw from Ann Martin. Baby-sitter book.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell. Hugo novel finalist.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Ernest J. Gaines. Next shelf pick on my library quest.

A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delaney. The A novel is the Foolscap pick.

Downeast Genius, Earl Smith. A present from friends when I visited them.

Hell Followed With Us, Andrew Joseph White. Torches and Pitchforks pick.

I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79, Lauren Tarshis. I’m gonna get them all!

Bookmarks Moved

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Lyorn, Steven Brust

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

Soul Taken, Patricia Briggs (I’m moving to audio to finish this reread)

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                                                

                                                          Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                        Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                   Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                            True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                     South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

               Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

 

Picture Books and Short Stories

The Prince and the Knight, Daniel Haack. A Prince is being dragged through the marriage mart by his parents but can’t find anyone compatible. Then he rushes home to fight a dragon and finds a knight there to help. There’s his true love! It’s a big gay romance, but I’m even more modern and read it as a guy who is only attracted to fighters. It was the sword, not the beard, that hooked him.

I must say the rhyme scansion was not great. I’ve apparently already read the sequel, and my comment was about the wonky scansion, so I guess it’s a choice?

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. I am learning about The Pantry.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Here comes the Sun.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Walt Whitman rolls on.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. 

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Poppy and Marigold
• Library Book: Emma-Jane Lazarus Fell in Love
• Ebook I own: Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Tribute, Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Liar’s Text
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: 
• Romance Book Club: A month off

National Holidays: Flag, Fathers, Freedom

This was a very pleasant week. Not the past week, the one before that. I’m behind again.  

I went walking in the Bellevue Botanical gardens with my friend, and the flowers and the company were both enriching. I had a nice drive with my son that included a raid of the chocolate store’s clearance section. I took myself to see the new Karate Kid movie, the one with the previous guy coming back to help train, and it hit all the right notes and had bonus pizza training. 

I enjoyed two book clubs plus my standing Tuesday night Murderbot reread. Romance book club had fun looking at the Vacation Romance genre, which I had not realized was a thing but of course can work perfectly, and my library club had our “classics” month and discussed The Sun Also Rises. Few people liked it, so we also talked about whether we wanted to keep an annual classic (yes) and how to find more pleasing ones. Also whether it’s important to like the people in the books we read.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 59 books. I’m going to try to get it below 50 but I’m pleased to keep it at three pages on GR. I did succeed this week in finishing more books than I started! Wait, that was only because I finished one last week and forgot to record it.

Books Completed  June 13 - 19

The Butcher of the Forest, Premee Mohamed. Hugo novella finalist. Great imagery, and the way it worked with the internal grief and guilt as well as the external power dynamics was really interesting. I’m not satisfied with the ending; somehow the costs and rewards don’t balance with the rest of the text for me.

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne. It’s been so long since I read this that all the plot was new and the French accent was the main nostalgic pleasure. It’s a fun historical romance with great plot and fun characters. It’s more pleasure fantasy than emotional realism but the tone supports that entirely.

The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway. This was not popular with the book club. The characters are all unsympathetic, the drinking stunned us, and the promiscuity and antisemitism made most people uncomfortable. But there was also a consensus about the power of the setting and how evocative scenes such as the bullfight and the fishing trip were. We agreed it was a good length. I remember reading this as a kid and being confused about Jake’s war wound and this time I was also confused but from the opposite direction. Like, the rest of his body seemed to work so why was his relationship with Brett so doomed? 

The Lives of Tao, Wesley Chu. Sword and Laser pick. This was a fun adventure with a rather hapless protagonist and the alien who infests him. It was a smooth read but not enough to make me go on. For one thing, the final battle scene really damseled the girlfriend in a way that left a bad taste in my mouth, so I wasn’t given that urge to grab the next book. But this one was fine.

I Escaped the Salem Witch Trials, Juliet Fry. Short and did what it said on the tin. This really leaned into the idea that the Salem girls were just petty kids having fun accusing people and the authorities were idiots and kinda evil, and I’m under the impression that things were more complicated than that, but this gave us a nice orphaned protagonist who is plucky and courageous and does the right thing.

Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams. I enjoyed these stories which fill in some more areas of rabbit life. It was a good audio to clean the kitchen with.

The Baby-sitter’s Winter Vacation, Ann M. Martin. Another fun super special! The week at the fabulous lodge with unlimited winter sports sounded awesome, and I liked how the girls stepped up to help with the elementary kids. Mary Anne seems to have gone off the deep end with her crush but Kristy’s crazy competitive streak was amusing. Very much a blast from the past even though I skipped these in my youth.

Tusks of Extinction, Ray Naylor. Hey I finished this ages ago. I liked the parallels between mammoth adolescents and the boy with the hunters and the complicated romantic relationship and the unexpected but coherent decisions off the elephant loving lady.

Books Started

I Escaped the Salem Witch Trials, Juliet Fry. I got this book by accident (I meant to get an I Survived book) but I read it anyway. 

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Hugo novel finalist. 

The Lives of Tao, Wesley Chu. Sword and Laser pick. 

The Wild Iris, Louise Glück. Poetry. This is great. 

Her Aussie Holiday, Stephanie London. For the romance club: Vacations

The Wood at Midwinter, Susanna Clark. This book is really a short story. 

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, Lauren Tarshis. Still reading these. 

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Lyorn, Steven Brust

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

System Collapse, Martha Wells

Watership Down:the Graphic Novel, James Sturm

I Survived the Battle of D-Day 1944 Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball, Brian Churilla

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

                                                                                            

                                                          Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                        Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                   Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                            True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                     South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

               Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

      Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

   Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

   One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

Picture Books and Short Stories

The Wood at Midwinter, Susanna Clark. It’s evocative and sorta seasonal for the dead of winter, but I think it’s borrowing the atmosphere of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell to work so I’m not sure it would read as well to someone who hasn’t read that. It interacted in an interesting way with the book about the autistic political movement and the social definition of disability, because the protagonist is pursuing their life and fulfillment in a way that society (even the members that love her) think is incorrect but that makes sense to her.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. Except currently I’m reading in the Bookworm book instead. Priorities.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip meets another hero, and again it doesn’t go to plan.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe. Robert Browning is great. And Walt Whitman is a good one to follow with.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. We are into actual books!

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

So long ago! I dunno. 

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Poppy and Marigold
• Library Book: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
• Ebook I own: Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Tribute, Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Honey Witch
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Hell Followed With Us
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book. I need to start on the recommendations though. 
• Friday Book Club: A Sorceress Comes to Call (I've read it)
• Romance Book Club: A month off

International Traveling

Yay! Scintillation! A gathering of people deeply invested in books and thinking about story and what it means and why it matters. I’ve been going since the pandemic and it’s wonderful. It’s in Montreal and the food is amazing. So my soul and my stomach get fed to their hearts’ content.

And then I came home and had the end-of-the-year book club party for my elementary kids, and it was crazily well attended and everyone got cookies and books and had a good time. 

Goodreads thinks I am reading 58 books. I think that is accurate but I’m going to try to get it below 50. I guess that means finishing more books than I start. 

Books Completed  June 6 - 12

Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, M.C. Dingman. A fun concept and it moves along well, but there are a lot of times the tone shifts unexpectedly or the author pushes in to tell a joke. I think with a little experience and a good editor this author will be one to enjoy.

The City, Christian McKay Heidicker. Very scary and very foxy. I have some problems with the science and some of the young foxes were hard to like but I see why kids like it. And, it counts as my first Talbot Hill Recommendation item, although I finished it the week before we made the list.

The Road to Roswell, Connie Willis. Light but funny. I’m glad I read it in spurts because Willis really likes the rom com gimmick of interrupting someone right before they can reveal the important clue, and that is better in different episodes. Book club enjoyed it.

The Final Reflection, John M. Ford. Okay, this is Klingon society for me now. The world building was great and I enjoyed the Klingon diplomacy bits a lot.

Books Started

The Final Reflection, John M. Ford. Because Scintillation is the perfect place to read a Ford book.

The Butcher of the Forest, Premee Mohamed. Hugo novella finalist.

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Lyorn, Steven Brust

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Baby-sitter’s Winter Vacation, Ann M. Martin

I Survived the Battle of D-Day 1944 Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball, Brian Churilla

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

Watership Down:the Graphic Novel, James Sturm

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne

System Collapse, Martha Wells. 

Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                        Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler.  

                                                                Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby.                                   

                                                       Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                     Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                         True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                  South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

            Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

   Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

The Sun Also Rises, Earnest Hemingway

Tusks of Extinction, Ray Naylor

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Picture Books and Short Stories

None.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. Except when I’m reading a Bookworm novel.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip having an adventure. Into the sea. Beautifully.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe.

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

Library:

I forget 

Bought:

The Spear Cuts Through Water

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen

Wrath Becomes Her

Tooth and Claw 

The Emilie Adventures 

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Downeast Genius
• Library Book: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
• Ebook I own: Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Tribute, Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Honey Witch
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Hell Followed With Us
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: 
• Romance Book Club: A month off

Is June Spring or Summer?

This was a nice week. I finished some library books that were due, checked out the farmers market, made some fresh bread, and generally enjoyed myself before flying off to Montreal for Scintillation, a small SF literary convention filled with good topics, good conversations, good people, and surrounded by good food. 

Goodreads thinks I am reading 63 books. There are a few more I haven’t marked as complete, so I should dip under 60 soon. Maybe I can hit 50 by the end of the year!.

Books Completed May 30 - June 5

Little Miss Stoneybrook… and Dawn, Ann M. Martin. This was was very silly and utterly charming. It starts with an out of character spat about who is the best baby-sitter, which is an excuse for everyone to enter random kids in a beauty contest. Luckily we spend the most time with the ones whose idea of a talent is peeling a banana with your foot.

Mickey7, Edward Ashton. Sword and Laser pick. This was an odd reading experience because I saw the movie first. Usually I’m firmly in the “read the book first” camp but I wasn’t hreally planning on reading it so I watched the movie on my trip to Texas last April, and then S&L picked it to read. I thought the movie had more interesting questions about capitalism and aliens and personhood, and the book had more interesting aliens and tried harder to grapple with the whole identity thing. The in person book club thought the movie was obviously playing up to Trump, but I thought it was more playing to a rather stock evil rich dude but since Trump also leans hard into that trope there are a lot of similarities. And the book club did wish they had gotten the Ship of Theseus stuff right.

A Dark and Drowning Tide, Allison Saft. For Cloudy book club. I liked the grumpiness of the protagonist and the setting in a magical not-1800s-German-unification country, but I thought the romance would have worked more as a friendship thing; as it was the romance dragged down the book first because I didn’t believe in it and second because there were so many problems, which the characters even discussed in their third act “we can never be together” speech but then at the end they remembered they were in a romance so they got together anyway and I have no idea how they will deal with the problems. I liked the roll the fake Jewish fantasy religion played in the protagonist’s life, even if that was one of the ignores issues at the end.

Hello, Mallory, Ann M. Martin. It was nice seeing the club be idiots from an outside point of view, with the dumb test. Jessi and Mallory’s friendship seemed real and the reconciliation with the club proceeded on track. The race stuff was handled in a very matter of fact way; people are racist, Jessi’s family is disappointed but not really surprised, and good guys like our club members reach out without thinking about it and we know they are good guys.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett. Hugo finalist. This was a fun mystery with a master detective who rarely leaves her room and her Watson who gathers the clues and is not an idiot but has his own limitations. They have biological science that is pretty much magic and the world is under attack so maybe the empire is needed. This should be an entertaining series.

Cracker!, Cynthia Kadohata. 2007 Cybils finalist. An old fashioned kind of book bu tin a good way. We get a dog-eyes view of the Vietnam War, along with the perspective of the boy who loses the dog and the older boy who inherits her when he joins the army. The boys are not much more sophisticated than the dog, so it’s a very sensory based history but that makes for a great reading experience.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, T.S. Eliot. Poetry book. I haven’t read this for some decades so I grabbed it off the library shelf, it’s got the fun stuff I remember, and also the racist bits and the occasional dip into twee. I’m still croggled by the musical.

Exadelic, Jon Evans. This will be my present to my brother on his birthday. He occasionally reads this blog, so don’t tell him!

Books Started

Hello, Mallory, Ann M. Martin. It will be a long time before I run out of Baby-sitters Club books.

I Survived the Battle of D-Day 1944 Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball, Brian Churilla. Brian is a new name to me but I guess the art does look a bit different. 

The Road to Roswell, Connie Willis. For my friends book club. The one that is my friends.

The Sun Also Rises, Earnest Hemingway. For the library’s The River Runs Under It Bookclub.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, T.S. Eliot. Poetry book.

Baby-sitter’s Winter Vacation, Ann M. Martin. One of the supers-specials, which apparently means alternating narrators.

Tusks of Extinction, Ray Naylor. Hugo finalist novella.

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki. 

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

System Collapse, Martha Wells. 

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne

Watership Down:the Graphic Novek, James Sturm. 

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

The City, Christian McKay Heidicker

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

Lyorn, Steven Brust

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Yu Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                     Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler.  

                                                             Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby.                                   

                                                        Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, M.C. Dingman. 

                                                   Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                  Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                             Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                      True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                              South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

         Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. River Runs Under It pick

Picture Books and Short Stories

“The Green Glass Paperweight,” by Sarah Monette. Great depiction of internal anger.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. Except when I’m reading a Bookworm novel.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip having an adventure in a castle at the top of the ocean..

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe. Robert Browning slaps hard.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

I’m too far behind to do this.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Downeast Genius
• Library Book: I Escaped the Salem Witch Trials
• Ebook I own: Alibi
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Jewels of Aptor
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  (finished)
• Scintillation Book Club: Camp Concentration (I won’t get this in time), Wolf Hall 
• Cloudy Book Club:  Honey Witch
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Hell Followed With Us
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book Summer Reading! Baby-sitter Little Sister
• Friday Book Club: Sorceress Comes to Call (finished!)
• Romance Book Club: A vacation romance

Final Happy Birthday!

Well, for now. Nobody's dying or anything, it's just that the monthly birthday rounds are taking a pause. We'll get a few more in the fall, but nothing like the monthly cake the spring delivers. To celebrate my niece we went out to a fancy restaurant and toasted here and then came home for ice cream cake. 

I had some nice book clubs; the one covering Watership Down was probably my favorite.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 67 books. But I’ve been very slack an out marking things done while keeping up with books I’ve started so it’s probably not much over 60. I’d like to get below 60 though.

Books Completed May 23 - May 29

Death From the Skies!, Philip Plait. For Torches and Pitforks, a nice apocalypse book. Fun tone, interesting facts, I’ll forget them all in a week.

I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster 1937, Lauren Tarshis. This spent more time on the spies when I was rocking the voyage with bonus Kenyan farm life, but still entertained me.

Watership Down, Richard Adams. Definitely held up in the reread. The foolscap club also enjoyed it and we talked about the parallel tracks of animal stories and fantasy, and the spectrum of anthromorphic vs naturalist creatures, the Chekhov’s mice and dreams and boats, and other favorite bits.

Mallory and the Trouble With Twins Graphic Novel, Arlen Nopla. This shines as a graphic novel because the visuals of identical twins are fun and the subplot of wanting parents to acknowledge maturity is fairly straightforward. Mallory is a lot of fun.

Playlist For the Apocalypse, Rita Dove. These were a great way to end the day. Concentredated bits of experience or emotion ready to chew over,

I Survived the American Revolution 1776, Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball. I like the ones that are more concentrated, but the illustrations carried me along.

Books Started

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki. My beloved author continues her most precious series!

I Survived the American Revolution 1776, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball. I’m still grabbing these from libraries.

Watership Down:the Graphic Novek, James Sturm. I had hoped to read this before the book club, but oh well.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett. Hugo finalist.

A Dark and Drowning Tide, Allison Saft. Cloudy book pick

Lyorn, Steven Brust. Borrowed from my brother.

Mickey7, Edward Ashton. Sword and Laser pick.

Little Miss Stoneybrook… and Dawn, Ann M. Martin.

The City, Christian McKay Heidicker. Sequel to a book club book.

System Collapse, Martha Wells

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Yu Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne

Exadelic, Jon Evans

Cracker!, Cynthia Kadohata. 2007 Cybils finalist.

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                     Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler.  

                                                             Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby.                                   

                                                       Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, M.C. Dingman. 

                                                   Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                   Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                          Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                      True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                              South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

         Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. River Runs Under It pick

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulos

Picture Books and Short Stories

None.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. Except when I’m reading a Bookworm novel.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip having an adventure. Into himself. Beautifully.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Still in November.

Books Acquired

Library:

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell

Float Plan, Trish Doller

Her Aussie Holiday,  Stephanie London

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, T.S. Eliot

Bought:

None

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: The Final Reflection
• Library Book: I Escaped the Salem Witch Trials
• Ebook I own: Alibi
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Jewels of Aptor
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Lives of Tao
• Scintillation Book Club: on hiatus
• Cloudy Book Club:  Honey Witch
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Hell Followed With Us
• River Runs Under It Book Club: The Sun Also Rises (finish Demon Copperhead)
• Talbot Hill Book: Party Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: The Road to Roswell
• Romance Book Club: A vacation romance