Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals:

• Artful Memories by Jane Chipp and Jack Ravi
• The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
• Round the Bend by Nevil Shute

All three of these were purchased and now I'm back on my book-buying ban, pinkie swear. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes
• Birds by Miranda Krestovnikoff and Angela Harding
• The Eighteen-Carat Kid and Other Stories by P. G. Wodehouse
• Fault Lines by Emily Itami
• The Maid by Nita Prose
• Three Things I Know Are True by Betty Culley

Currently reading:

• Sisters of Night and Fog by Erika Robuck

I suspect the reason I've been picking this book up and putting it aside for weeks is because I feel like it started too far back in time, although it might just have been my mood. We're getting a ton of backstory about two women who apparently end up in concentration camps. There's the war timeline in WWII and a second timeline in 1995 in which two women are returning to the concentration camp. I'm about 1/3 of the way into the book and while there have been some exciting/tense scenes, I keep thinking, "When are we going to get to whatever they did to lead to their imprisonment? Where's the meat of the story?"

Having said all that, Erika Robuck's writing is stellar. I'm presuming the backstory for both women will all become relevant, at some point and after a couple weeks of it not being the right read for the moment, I'm finally really getting into it. 

The other books in which there are bookmarks have not been touched, this past 2 weeks, and some for much longer, so I'm thinking about clearing my Goodreads "Currently Reading" shelf and putting those other books back in the Currently Reading file when I get back to them, rather than having them linger and glare at me. 

Posts since last Malarkey:

• Everything I read in January (List with links to blog posts)
• Everything I read in February (In brief, with a few links to finished reviews)

Clearly, I still am not in the mood to review. Because Sisters of Night and Fog is a book I received from the publisher, I will review it when I finish it but I will likely just do a round-up post with the rest of the titles I've read in March. 

In other news:

I finished watching Being Erica and absolutely loved the way it was wrapped up (there are 4 seasons). If you're unfamiliar with it, Being Erica is a Canadian series about a 30-something gal whose life is a mess. She goes into therapy and her therapist has the ability to send her back in time to relive her regrets. So much fun.

I'm still watching Chicago Fire. I'm close to the end of Season 3. I don't know if there are still quite so many episodes per season but I'm on episode 21 of Season 3. Wow, that's a lot of episodes. I think the current season is something like the 14th, so I have a long way to go. 

We also watched Weekend at Bernie's, this weekend, after the whole Clarence Thomas thing ("Is he really alive or are they going to do a Weekend at Bernie's to keep the judicial slot?") and subsequent memes reminded us of what a fun movie it is. 

And, that's it. I confess to otherwise spending a bit too much time doomscrolling the news about Ukraine. They're using white phosphorous, now? OMG. I wish I could understand why we can't do more to help (you know, apart from trying to prevent WWIII or a nuclear attack). I just read President Biden's Warsaw speech, a few hours ago, and was mightily impressed but I felt like, "OK, now do the unity thing back home." By all accounts I've read (I read many news sites, not only American), Biden has been the unifying force the world needs, at this moment. Nice to know. 

©2022 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals (clockwise from left):

• The London County Council Bomb Damage Maps: 1939-1945 by Lawrence Ward - purchased
• Sisters of Night and Fog by Erika Robuck - from Berkley Books for review
• Slightly Foxed #73: Spring 2022 - from subscription
• Strongmen by Ruth Ben-Ghiat - purchased after friend talked about it
• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - purchased for F2F book group discussion

OK, yes, I broke my book-buying ban, again. But, I'm back on the proverbial horse. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Joan is Okay by Weike Wang
• Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen
• The Poppy Factory by Liz Trenow
• The Giant's Necklace by Michael Morpurgo
• The Summer of Broken Things by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

At least I've been reading (if not posting about books). And, all of these were enjoyable, although I don't think any got 5 stars, except maybe The Poppy Factory. 

Currently reading:

• Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

I have some other bookmarks in books but this is the only one I'm currently reading. I started Sisters of Night and Fog and realized I needed to set it aside briefly but plan to read it next. I can't recall why; it's already shaping up to be an excellent read but perhaps it was too heavy for a day in which I was sobbing harder than usual over the bombings. I'll start over from the beginning when I read it, probably tomorrow. 

Black Brother, Black Brother is going to be a quick read. The main character is a 7th grader so I'm not exactly sure how to classify it. 7th grade is a bit too old for middle grade, but it doesn't quite feel like a YA, either. Maybe YA Lite. Regardless, I'm enjoying it for the way the main character has chosen to stand up for himself by challenging himself physically rather than lashing out at anyone. 

Posts since last Malarkey:

• The Runaways by Holly Webb and Knight's Castle by Edward Eager (book reviews)
• The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (book review)
• Fiona Friday (cat photo) 

In other news (aka, "Where ya been?"):

Last week was one of those weeks that I tried to write a review and stared at the screen for hours. That was Monday. On Tuesday, I sat down to try again and found myself still unable to write. So, I walked away from the computer for a week. I've periodically checked email but just realized that I haven't even done that for at least 3 days. So, that's why there were no blog posts, last week, not even a Fiona Friday. In fact, I might have put up a Fiona Friday photo if I hadn't been hauling a cat to the vet. Isabel is still on antibiotics after a month, still twitching, but we haven't done follow-up blood work, yet, or further testing. Two more weeks till her next visit (approximately — since going to the vet means I have to catch her and she is too clever for her own good). 

I'm on Season 3 of Chicago Fire. I don't know why that show is able to serve as my escapist bolt hole, but it is. When the news is unbearable, I turn on another episode of Chicago Fire. My husband can't bear to watch it. "It's so stupid," he says. To that, I have to say . . . well, yeah. Maybe that's why it's so great for escapism. I've noticed something interesting about the show that I never noticed when watching it every week or so (I'm not good at tuning in at the right time for anything, unfortunately, so I've never seen it regularly for an entire season). They have a tendency to run a storyline for a few episodes and then just drop it with no mention ever again. For example, Shay decided she wanted to have a baby, talked her dad into paying for in-vitro treatment, and went through with it. That took several episodes. Then, she found it out didn't take, was envious of the pregnant girlfriend of her best buddy for a short time and . . . nothing. It was never again mentioned. That happens a lot and once you've noticed, it's hard not to keep a running list of all the abandoned storylines, but I don't care. It's a bit of a soap opera, typically, and while it'll never quite be the joyful viewing that Emergency! was, I still love it. 

I'm also on the third season of Being Erica and it's taken an unusual turn, this season. Otherwise, it's all been news of Ukraine and I confess that there have been only a couple of news reports that didn't have me in tears. I've read comments to that effect from other people on social media, along with the fact that people feel similarly helpless watching an entire country being heartlessly bombed. At the same time, my admiration for Ukrainians is unbounded. What an amazingly strong, resilient, hopeful people. I want to be as tough as a Ukrainian. But, mostly, I want Putin defeated so they can go home in peace and rebuild their country. 

©2022 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals (top to bottom):

• Anthem by Noah Hawley
• Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen
• Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff Vandermeer
• Fuzz by Mary Roach
• The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
• The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Delilah Harris
• The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton
• My Monticello by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson
• Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson 
• Becoming Abolitionists by Derecka Purnell
• Heard it in a Love Song by Tracy Garvis Graves
• Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
• Maid by Nita Prose

Not pictured: 

• Joan is Okay by Weike Wang

This shockingly large and unexpected pile brought to you by the "Free ARC" cart at my old library. I dropped by to look for any old book that was either falling apart or had no particular value in the library sale corner (like outdated reference books) for the sake of tearing out pages to use in collaging and came across the cart. Oh, and I did find a terribly outdated reference book that has about 1500 pages, so lots of nice page ripping is in my future. I can't bear to just tear apart any old book. They have to be useless or in poor condition. 

At any rate, I was not expecting to get a pile of free books. There were 4 shelves full but I stuck mostly to books that were already on my radar, either ones that I'd seen reviewed and put on my wish list or by authors I love (Tracy Garvis Graves, Noah Hawley) and I think I ended up with some pretty exciting books. I'm especially thrilled that there are plenty by Black authors because I've decided that Black History Month should just go on all year, especially when it comes to books that have been banned or challenged. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Spy x Family #2 by Tatsuya Endo
• The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo
• The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis
• Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
• Blame by Simon Mayo

Currently reading:

• Joan is Okay by Weike Wang

I have the Beatles Book still going but didn't touch it, last week. The same is true of Paint Mojo (which I've also had a bookmark in for several weeks) because I have all sorts of art projects going and it's not actually a good time for that one, although I'll keep reading a chapter, now and then, when I think of it and then return to it when I'm ready to use it for inspiration. 

Joan is Okay was not pictured because I didn't pick it up from the cart, for some reason, although I kept looking at it. It was obviously calling me but I think I just decided I had more than enough and I needed to stop. Fortunately, it was still there when I went back the next day. I had to return to Vicksburg to take Isabel to the vet and since it was 40° out, she was safe and comfy in the car while I ran in and snatched it off the cart (I would not have left her for a second if it had been warm out and the sun shining). I started Joan is Okay last night, and I am loving it. Always listen when books holler at you. 

I'll be adding a new nonfiction read tonight, now that I've finished Caste. 

Posts since last Malarkey:

• A Boy Named Isamu by James Yang and Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper  (mini reviews)
• Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea (book review)
• Fiona Friday (cat photo)
• The Founding Myth by Andrew L. Seidel (book review)
• Slightly Foxed #71, Letters of Note: War by Shaun Usher, and The Arrow Book of Funny Poems, compiled by Eleanor Clymer (mini reviews) 
• The Defiant Middle by Kaya Oakes (book review)
• Fiona Friday (cat photo)

In other news:

I was actually expecting to share the children's books from my recent non-buying break purchase in my "recent arrivals" today. Both piles (the ARCs from the library and the children's books from Book Outlet) have already been dipped into. Adolphus Tips by Michael Morpurgo is one I bought from Book Outlet primarily because of the combination of WWII story and a cat on the cover. Haha, figures. It's a good story and I hope to review it very soon. I had never heard of Michael Morpurgo but apparently he's one of England's most admired writers of middle grade books. I bought two more of his and I'm excited about both. 

I'm reading a little too fast to keep up with myself, review-wise, this year. Such a relief after two years of not reading at my normal pace. It's the old problem boomeranging on me but when you're reading almost exclusively off your own shelves, it's a lesser one. There are no required reviewing dates, hence no pressure. That's the reason I'm doing more combined mini reviews — while I know people do drop by to read my reviews, I started this blog as a place to spill about the books I've read and it's become a nice reference to look back upon. But, I don't necessarily need to write separate reviews for everything.

I do have a single book that I accepted for book tour (because it was on my wish list). It has not arrived and the review date is just 10 days from now, so if it doesn't get here, no biggie. I'll eventually check it out from the library. But, every other request for review has gone in the circular file. 

TV-wise, I've been bingeing (sp?) on Chicago Fire but I'm still only on Season 2. Wow, there were a lot of episodes in those early seasons! Over 20 in Season 1. The only other thing I watched, this week, was the news. I have no personal connection to Ukraine, other than the head of my husband's dissertation committee and his family, second generation Ukrainian-Americans, whom we haven't seen or spoken to in probably at least a decade but I am well aware of just how dangerous this is. If Putin succeeds in keeping Ukraine from staying a democracy, he is going to continue saying, "I can't have a democratic country to the West" and invading the next country. Not to mention the horrible toll on human lives.

So, I am rooting for Ukraine, of course, and much bemused by the Americans who are traitorously siding with an authoritarian who has journalists, protestors, politicians who disagree with him, etc., murdered  regularly. My prayers are with the people of Ukraine, who have shown uncommon courage in the face of horror. To their strength, to victory for Ukraine, to democracy. 

©2022 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals (above):

• The Swimmers by Chloe Lane - from Meryl Zegarek Public Relations for review (unsolicited)
• The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman - purchased 

And, one pile from my break from the book-buying ban (above, top to bottom):

• Blame by Simon Mayo
• Nora by Nuala O'Connor
• The Nesting by C. J. Cooke
• The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell
• Brat: An '80s Story by Andrew McCarthy
• The Passenger by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz
• We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
• The Quiet Boy by Ben H. Winters
• Falling by T. J. Newman

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• The Runaways by Holly Webb
• A Boy Named Isamu by James Yang
• Knight's Castle by Edward Eager
• Letters of Note: War by Shaun Usher
• The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman
• Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
• Store of the Worlds by Robert Sheckley

My momentum from January continued into the first week of February but then this week I kept trying to drag myself through a book that wasn't working for me and finally DNF'd it at 128 pages. I still would like to finish it but I don't know if I will. Fortunately, the book I picked up to replace it is excellent. 

Currently reading:

• Island: The Complete Stories by Alistair MacLeod
• The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
• The Complete Beatles Songs by Steve Turner
• Paint Mojo by Tracy Verdugo

Since I finished Store of the Worlds, I needed another collection of short stories to read and Island just happened to be sitting in front of my computer when I was thinking about what to read next. The Water Dancer is the book I referred to that replaced my DNF, A Chorus Rises by Bethany C. Morrow. I absolutely loved A Song Below Water and so wanted to love this sequel (or second in a series . . . I don't know if it will continue) but the heroine in A Chorus Rises is the mean girl Eloko (basically, the higher-class in a magical world, who is used to everyone admiring and adoring her and can't figure out what to do when she becomes a pariah). She's annoying. And, not much seems to be happening. I even tried skimming but I found the language confusing enough that I needed to slow down to digest it and . . . OK, sometimes a book just drags you down and you have to decide when enough is enough. But, I like the symbolism, like the Elokos standing in for, I presume, upper class whites who have everything handed to them on a platter. I might just read a chapter a day to try to finish it up. We'll see. 

Posts since last Malarkey:

• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (book review)
• Spy School: Secret Service by Stuart Gibbs and Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce (book reviews)
• Fiona Friday (cat photo)
• Fiona Friday (cat photo) 

Last week was obviously one of those weeks that I didn't feel like writing blog posts. Hopefully, this week will be a better one because I am way the heck behind on reviewing. Whatever, I'll catch up. 

In other news:

I don't know if this image can be clicked on to enlarge, but here's everything we've watched lately, or are in the process of watching (for the most part -- I just realized I missed one). Movies we've watched are The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, which I may have already mentioned, Charade, and My Man Godfrey. All were great. We were recently in a mood for older, classic movies, hence Charade and My Man Godfrey. I only occasionally watch an episode of Blake's 7 but I'm enjoying it. And, I've just started watching Station Eleven. I have not read the book but do have an electronic copy of it. I've also been watching Chicago Fire, Season 1. It's been a favorite for years but I am so not a TV person that I keep forgetting to tune in, so I decided to see if it would be possible to stream the entire series from the beginning. Thank you, Peacock! The one show I'm watching almost daily that I forgot to add to my collage is Being Erica, which I usually watch while eating lunch. 

It took a while but finally, after a couple of months during which had to dismantle my art space and then clear a space because it had become buried in clutter, I'm back to doing some artwork. Currently, I'm working on a tutorial of "happy houses" and I got the cover of a cat art journal finished, so now I need to start on the interior. I've never done art journaling and I fear I'm a bit too precious about it so I'll be working on trying to loosen up and just use it as a practice space. 

©2022 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals (top to bottom):

• Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman 
• The Defiant Middle by Kaya Oakes
• Mid-Century Modern Graphic Design by Theo Inglis
• Project Collage by Bev Speight
• Zentangle Art Therapy by Anya Lothrop

All of these were purchased and all are nonfiction. Call Us What We Carry is, of course, poetry. The Defiant Middle is . . . well, I'm not sure how to describe it but if's about the push and pull of being a woman, trying to find your place in a world in which even religion is patriarchal (but hasn't always been), and the fallout of living with the expectations of others. I read it yesterday and loved it but feel a little at a loss to describe it well. Mid-Century Modern Graphic Design is something I bought after doing a little research into the design of the era in order to make my friend Michelle (one of my early blog friends) a Christmas card geared to her taste and then not wanting to leave that design world behind. Project Collage is my second book about collaging because I am absolutely loving collage, right now. And, the zentangle book was just for fun. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
• The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is Un-American by Andrew L. Seidel
• Slightly Foxed #71 - August, 2021 
• Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
• Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper
• The Defiant Middle by Kaya Oakes

I'd only read 3 books in nearly two weeks and then this weekend I just buried my nose in reading material between the weekend chores. Ah. I feel better about my last two weeks, now. 

Currently reading:

• The Complete Beatles Songs by Steve Turner
• Paint Mojo, a Mixed-Media Workshop by Tracy Verdugo
• Store of the Worlds by Robert Sheckley
• The Runaways by Holly Webb

Posts since last Malarkey:

• 2021 Reading Year in Review (All about my reading year, including favorites)
• Fiona Friday - Cute face-washing photography fail (cat photos)
• Wordy Birdy and Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants by Sauer and Mottram (book review)
• Oona Out of Order by Margarita Montimore (book review)
• Spy x Family #1 by Tatsuya Endo (manga book review)
• A History of Pictures for Children by Hockney and Gayford and The Collage Ideas Book by Alanna Moore (book reviews)
• Fiona Friday (cat photo)

In other news: 

Meh, not much news. My art space had to be cleared so I haven't done any art. I'm watching a bunch of random stuff but I don't know if any of it will stick. And, we haven't seen any movies. I haven't even left the driveway in days. But, the weather has been amazing. Yesterday, we sat outside on the bottom level of our patio and just enjoyed the sun beating down on us. It was cool enough not to get overheated, in the 60s. This week is supposed to be warm and I think we're ready for a solid break from the cold. We don't have much in the way of cold-weather clothing. 

©2022 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Happy New Year! I hope the holiday season was refreshing for you!

Recent arrivals:

• Dune by Frank Herbert and 
• Lonely Planet's Best of Ireland - both Christmas gifts
• Erebus: The Story of a Ship by Michael Palin - A gift to Husband but I'm intrigued and might sneak off with it.
• Fortune Favors the Duke by Kristin Vayden - from Sourcebooks for review

Didn't I say I was done receiving books for the year in 2021? Again? I think I did. Well, wrong again. Of the three books I received, the travel guide was the only surprise. I knew the romance was coming and I'm the one who put Dune in the cart and said, "You're buying me this for Christmas." Husband said, "OK," but he made me wrap it. Ireland was where we were planning to go on vacation in 2020. At the time, friends had recently been there and we borrowed their guide books but they just sat on the entry table. And sat. And sat. Our friends literally moved away because everyone was teleworking, anyway, although Husband still sees the friend he works with when he's in town and we eventually returned their books. So, now we have our own travel guide to read while we await the end of the pandemic. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
• The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar, ed. by Alberto Manguel
• The True Believer by Eric Hoffer
• Dune by Frank Herbert

I may just do a single wrap-up post for my final books of 2021. We shall see. I've had the computer unplugged for the better part of the last week and before that I was locked out of my email account for about 10 days, so I have a bit of catching up to do on other computerish things, in addition to blog posts. At any rate, all of the above were great. I had a bookmark in The True Believer for literally months and decided I absolutely had to finish it up before the year's end. Dune was my first read in 2022.

Currently reading:

• Fortune Favors the Duke by Kirstin Vayden

I just started this one. It's my last requested ARC and I have some that are unsolicited that I'd like to get to, soon, but otherwise . . . well, I'll save my goals for later.

Posts since last Malarkey: 

• The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan (book review)
• Merry Christmas to all! (cat photo and good wishes)

In other news:

Oh, hmm, let me think. I know we watched some movies but I can't remember them all. I needed the help getting revved up for Christmas, although I finished shopping early in anticipation of the supply chain problems that never actually materialized — at least, not with anything we were buying. 

One movie we watched was The Bishop's Wife, an old Cary Grant movie I've never seen. We enjoyed that. We also watched A Muppet Christmas Carol. I really wanted to watch Scrooged but couldn't find anywhere that it was streaming for free. We own it on DVD and have since located our copy but couldn't find it at the time, so it's going into the family favorites file to make it easier to locate (a little drawer of favorite movies). We also watched a few Hallmark movies but I always have trouble recalling the titles. And, then we had an Aussie movie weekend that went splat. We only managed to watch two movies: Rikky and Pete and Sirens. We watched the first episode of Around the World in 80 Days on PBS, yesterday, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I've always loved the David Niven version — in fact, it was a childhood favorite. But, it's been a very long time since I read the book so I can't tell you how close or far from the storyline it's strayed. 

I also both reread A Christmas Carol by Dickens and attended a local performance with former blogger Brittanie. A link to her blog, A Book Lover, is still in my sidebar but the blog has been inactive for a few years. It was a fantastic production and so good to see Brittanie in person after 2 years of pandemic!

Most of our movie time was recovery time because we spent a good portion of our Christmas break madly cleaning, decorating half-heartedly, and then madly cleaning, again. In between cleaning binges, we would occasionally sit down to watch TV and then go right back to work. 

We had literally no guests for Christmas and were a bit glum about that, so when I realized even the son who lives 30 miles away was going to hang out with his in-laws on Christmas Day, I came up with a plan. Why bother having a delayed Christmas dinner? Instead, we dropped off the family's gifts, ditched the plan to get together, and spent Christmas Day outdoors. We had a picnic on our porch and then went to the Cypress Swamp and a bird sanctuary. It was a gorgeous day — shorts weather but it didn't get as hot as predicted — and we were happy getting out. It was surprisingly crowded on the Natchez Trace for a holiday. Maybe because the Omicron variant had a few people cancelling their get-togethers? Humorously, I didn't even realize son and daughter-in-law had gifts for us; they eventually showed up with those.

At any rate, Christmas turned out to be much more fun when we decided to just make it an escape day, so . . . warning to my kids . . . we may just skip Christmas in the future and spend our day picnicking on the porch or visiting local sights, again. 

Next up . . . goals for 2022. 

©2022 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey - Merry Christmas edition

There were no book arrivals at all, this past two weeks, so you get a Festive Fiona Christmas pic to admire instead of a book photo. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
• A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
• The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
• Jane and the Year Without a Summer by Stephanie Barron
• The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

I read four old favorite Christmas books because I was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit. The decorating wasn't getting done and I just wasn't feeling it, although I put out some cute little gnomes and bought some flickering curtain lights that drop about halfway down the windows (I figured full-length would be a cat hazard) and they're very cheering. The books helped! Our Christmas tree never did get fully decorated but when we plug it in at night you can't see that it's not as full of ornaments as it normally is. And after reading all those Christmas books, I finally got the mantle dusted and decorated, painted a few little wooden animals white and put red and white ribbons around their necks then set them marching across a shelf, wrapped gifts, decorated the entry table, and called it done. 

Currently reading:

• The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar by Hingston and Olsen (publisher)
• In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren 

It's Sunday afternoon as I type and I haven't yet started to read In a Holidaze; it's what I plan to read next. I don't know if it'll take but if it does it should be my last Christmas book. I started an anthology of Christmas stories and poems a couple days ago but found it dull, so there was one DNF, this week. I don't know if I'll hang onto the anthology to try again in 2022 or just donate it. I'm leaning toward donating. 

Posts since last Malarkey: 

• Dragon Legend (Dragon Realm #2) by Katie and Kevin Tsang (book review)
• Red is My Heart by Antoine Laurain and Le Sonneur (book review)
• Fiona Friday - We like autumn (cat photo)
• The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa (book review)
• Jane and the Year Without a Summer by Stephanie Barron (book review)
• Fiona Friday (cat photo) 

In other news:

I think I mentioned that we stopped midway through the second episode of Get Back. After a couple weeks of waiting to see if husband was willing to watch more of it, he admitted that he wasn't interested. So, I finished watching Get Back while he was in Denver on business, this week. I enjoyed it! Yeah, parts of it are either chaotic or a bit of a snooze but in general I found it fascinating and enlightening. I have a book of Beatles songs that I got from HarperCollins and never managed to review because the friend I was going to discuss it with passed away shortly after I received it but I think I'm finally at a point that I can pull it off the shelf without weeping over the loss of my friend so I hope to start on that, soon. 

A Dickens of a Holiday is a Hallmark movie that I watched, this week. We'd turned it on in the middle the week before and I thought it was intolerable without context, but starting from the beginning worked. It's about a couple of actors. The female has returned to her hometown and is in charge of directing the annual production of A Christmas Carol but when her Scrooge loses his voice and is told that he has to rest his vocal chords for a month, she calls on a local guy who has become famous to play the role. He's . . . pretty awful. Actually, I didn't even think he was a great Scrooge at the point that we were supposed to think she'd given him some great advice and he'd improved, but I thought the interaction between the two characters was fun and sweet. 

I know I watched another Hallmark movie and, in fact, loved that one. But, I can't remember what it was even about. This was definitely a movie week. 

Finding You is a movie I found on Prime. It's about a New York violinist who goes on a semester abroad in Ireland after her audition for music school is a failure. On the way to Ireland, she's seated beside a famous star and takes an instant disliking to him. But, when they end up in the same Bed and Breakfast and her host family is too overwhelmed with the new business to show her the sights, he offers to take her. She also gets some lessons from a local fiddler and has to do community service, acting as a companion to a senior citizen. I loved this movie for the hilarious scenes in which the actor is fighting dragons and the Irish setting but I also found it touching and sweet. I had tears absolutely streaming down my face near the end. It was a little triggering for me but worth it. 

Another Prime movie I happened across one day when I was in the mood for TV was Mistletoe Mixup. It's about a woman who has two men interested in her. One leaves his phone number but never texts back and the other follows up. She likes the guy who doesn't text back better. But, when the other fellow asks if she'd like to join his family for Christmas (she has no family), she's surprised when she shows up and the guy who didn't text back opens the door. They are, it turns out, brothers. Bit of a mess. I liked that. It's obvious from the beginning which guy she really clicks with and how it will end up, but that's the joy of romance, isn't it? You get what you expect and desire out of the story. I enjoyed it.

And, there's one more movie that I plan to watch, tonight: 

'Tis the Season to be Merry is a movie that I saw advertised while watching A Dickens of a Holiday. I don't know what it's about or whether or not I'll like it but I'll be in front of the TV at 7pm Central time, watching. 

Oh, and last week I went to see the local production of A Christmas Carol with blogger friend Brittanie of A Book Lover (not currently an active blog). It was fabulous! I was so impressed. We've talked about getting tickets to the New Stage Theater but just never gotten around to it so I was excited when Brittanie asked if I wanted to go. Husband was unfortunately on his flight to Denver but that's OK. Brittanie and I hadn't seen each other since before the pandemic and it was nice to catch up in person. 

I have one more review to do, maybe two if I do a post about all the short Christmas books, then I may be done posting till after Christmas. I don't know if I'll get around to posting another cat photo. We'll see. They're so cute, I probably will. 

Hope you're enjoying the Christmas season!

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals (above):

• The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa - Goodreads win from HarperCollins for review

I almost never win anything from Goodreads but I suspect that's because I don't try too hard. I'm excited about The Cat Who Saved Books because a) cat, b) books, c) Japanese author. Also, a couple friends have reviewed it and enthused about it, so that's always positive. And, yes, those are blooming roses behind the book, in case you were wondering. But, it does finally look like fall, here, and some of our trees are even entirely bare. 

From the library sale (top to bottom):

• L'Assommoir by Emile Zola
• Museum of Thieves by Lian Tanner
• Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
• Dimensions of Sheckley: Selected Novels of Robert Sheckley 
• The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde, ed. by Merlin Holland and Rupert Hart-Davis

I actually went to the library sale in search of old books with illustrations I could cut out for collaging but as I said on Instagram, I am Bookfool and must live up to my name. I have Beneath a Scarlet Sky in e-book and it's possible I already have a print copy but in my memory I see a slightly dirty copy. If I'm right that I already have it, I'll re-donate the other copy when I find it. This one is nearly pristine, as I prefer my books to be. 

There was one person at the library sale who was clearly there to find books to resell. It's funny how you can spot them. They're always in a hurry and all business, avoid eye contact, and frequently pull out the phone to look up value. 

You may recall that in my last Monday Malarkey post I said I thought I was probably done receiving books for the year. Um . . . I think that's true now? I guess we'll see. I am not buying, although I did make an exception for library sales so the books above don't violate my book-buying ban. At any rate, if I receive anything, it will be a surprise. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• The Way We Weren't by Phoebe Fox
• Dragon Mountain by Katie and Kevin Tsang
• Dragon Legend by Katie and Kevin Tsang

Wow, only 3 books in two weeks. That's not great. But, there were a couple days that I remember not feeling like reading and The Way We Weren't had a bookmark in it for over a week (not the book's fault). Plus, holiday cleaning and entertainment was done. OK, it seems reasonable, now that I've thought about it. And, I enjoyed all 3 books, so I can't complain. 

Currently reading:

• Jane and the Year Without a Summer by Stephanie Barron
• The 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar by Hingston and Olsen (publisher)
• The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

This is my second year with a Short Story Advent Calendar and it turns out my post about last year's Short Story Advent Calendar influenced two friends to purchase their own. This has been so much fun, already. Brittanie (former blogger at A Book Lover) and I have been texting each other about some of the stories. It's twice the fun having someone to discuss them with, even if it's only to say, "I thought it was funny, did you?" This year's advent calendar has a "'round the world" theme, so most are translations, which I love. Translations often give you an excellent peek into other cultures. 

Posts since last Malarkey:

• Two Girls, a Clock, and a Crooked House by Michael Poore (book review)
• What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (short stories) by Raymond Carver (book review)
• Fiona Friday on the Wrong Day - Reading glasses are not edible (cat photo)
• Lost Love's Return by Alfred Nicols (book review)
• The Way We Weren't by Phoebe Fox (book review)
• Spy School, Evil Spy School, and Spy Ski School by Stuart Gibbs (mini reviews)
• Fiona Friday - Stargazing (cat photo) 

In other news:

We've only watched one movie in the past 2 weeks, the 1984 version of Dune that has been criticized since its release. Honestly, I avoided it all these years because of the criticism but I wanted to compare it to the newer release. Wow, what a huge difference. The new Dune is a work of art, visually appealing but clearly missing some of the nuance that the book should reveal. 

The 1984 Dune is the opposite. It's not very enjoyable to look at and the Baron was so gross that I often found myself looking away during his scenes. But, the missing bits of characterization seemed to be spelled out a lot better. I felt like I got the storyline in a way I didn't with the newer version. It's not perfect, obviously. The storyline is clearly expansive and was far too compressed in the 1984 version. And, yet, I enjoyed getting to see the entire story play out and I cannot freaking wait to read the book. I think Dune is going to be my first chunkster read in 2022. 

Also, wow, what an all-star cast. 

Otherwise, we've watched bits and pieces of movies but not turned on the TV, much. The only other thing we've watched a substantial chunk of is the Beatles documentary, Get Back. And, what an interesting experience that is, seeing them work through the creative process, interact with the people in the studio and each other, joke and bicker. 

Like everyone else who has commented, I think the most fascinating part of the first episode was watching Paul start with a rhythm and a single chord, add a tune, and then start adding lyrics to "Get Back" and seeing how his bandmates then joined in. 

I was also intrigued by Paul's comment that in 50 years people were going to blame Yoko Ono for breaking up the band because she "sat on an amp". Of course, she was immediately blamed; it didn't take 50 years. It was fascinating to see her sit quietly and I appreciated the fact that she wasn't the only girlfriend/wife to show up at the studio. 

In general, it makes so much more sense why the band broke up, now. They needed to go their separate ways. They were clearly itching to try new things but still very good friends. They laughed a lot but there was occasional tension. No woman was to blame for their need to move on. Anyway, that's all my thoughts, so far. I think we stopped halfway through the second episode because it was late, so we have 1 1/2 episodes to go. I didn't have too much trouble with the Liverpudlian/Scouse accents but I noticed someone commented that he couldn't understand them and gave up (beneath a friend's Facebook post). Subtitles are available. I chose to use them in the second episode because there were definitely times I missed a joke or couldn't understand what was said. 

Also, it's been fun watching what everyone else seems to be viewing, for once! 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch-style home, we had workers building a sidewalk that goes from the driveway to the terraced patio at the back of our house. The sidewalk is finished and I love it. It has the same cobblestones as the patio and ties in nicely, plus it's very subtle and pretty; you don't see the sidewalk from the street unless you're looking for it and I like that. They had to build a couple more steps from the upper patio level to the sidewalk because they redid the earthwork and we're waiting for them to return to cap those off, then we'll probably get the earth that was ripped up sodded. At any rate, it's an exciting addition to our house. The side yard was soggy and slippery; we really needed something to make walking around the side of our house less hazardous and it's so pretty that it really adds a nice feature to the looks of our yard. Now, if my knees would stop hurting, another goal of adding the sidewalk was to create an extra stretch to walk on without straying from the house, in case one of the arthritic knees goes out. Gah, I feel old. How are you feeling, today? :)

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals (left to right):

• Scarlett by Alexandra Ripley - Sent by friend
• Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner - from St. Martin's Press via Austenprose
• The Way We Weren't by Pheobe Fox - from Berkley for review
• Dragon Legend (The Dragon Realm Series #2) by Katie & Kevin Tsang - from Sterling Children's Books for review
• The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan - from HarperCollins for review

My childhood best friend surprised me with the copy of Scarlett and I can't wait to read it. I'll have to put it on my list of chunksters that I want to try to tackle in 2022. We've been having fun discussing books, lately. 

Bloomsbury Girls is by the author of The Jane Austen Society and the release date isn't till May of 2022 but I can sneak it in earlier if I want to, just because, right? The Way We Weren't has a weird story behind it. I had it scheduled for tour and then realized it hadn't arrived so I contacted the publicist to tell her it wasn't here and I couldn't possibly make the tour date. She replied that they weren't sending out paper ARCs. And, then it showed up in the mail so maybe I asked specifically for a paper copy and it wasn't noted? I know some publishers are doing mostly e-galleys, now, and will maybe or maybe not consider sending you a paper copy if they feel like it (or have one at all). At any rate, I did well and truly miss the tour date but I'm hoping to start it next. We'll see if it takes. 

Dragon Legend by Katie and Kevin Tsang is the second in a middle grade series. I absolutely loved the first book, Dragon Mountain, and I'm so excited to read on! And, The Christmas Bookshop is my one and only Christmas book, apart from a set of Christmas short stories that I've been eyeing (on my own shelves). I love Jenny Colgan's writing and, wow, I'm saying this about everything but I'm really excited about all of these arrivals. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy
• Spy Ski School (Spy School #4) by Stuart Gibbs
• What We Talk About When We Talk About Love (short stories) by Raymond Carver 
• Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday
• Red is My Heart by Antoine Laurain and Le Sonneur 
• Two Girls, a Clock, and a Crooked House by Michael Moore

This has been a great month, so far. It took me 8 days to finish one of the books I read (not sure which one; I just remember the 8 days) but since then things have gone well. And, whatever that book was, it was good; I must have had trouble finding time to read because they've all been great. 

Currently reading:

I'm between books but the two at the top of my list are The Way We Weren't and Dragon Legend (Dragon Realm #2). However, I started Dragon Legend and couldn't remember some key details from the first book, Dragon Mountain (although I remember the general storyline and how the book ended) so I'm going to reread Dragon Mountain, first, to refresh my memory. Since I gave the first in the series 5 stars, this will not be a hardship. 

Posts since last Malarkey:

• The London House by Katherine Reay (book review)
• Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy (book review)
• Fiona Friday on the Wrong Day (cat photo)
• How to Astronaut by Terry Virts (book review)
• Walrus Song by Janet Lawler and Timothy Basil Ering (book review)
• Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday (book review)
• Fiona Friday - Perky (cat photo) 

In other news: 

I watched a couple movies and I was sure it was going to be a Buried in TV week because the spouse was traveling, but nope. I've even been forgetting to watch Chicago Fire. I think I've managed two episodes, this season. 

Open by Christmas is about a successful woman who was her class valedictorian. During her graduation speech, she broke out in song and was traumatized by the laughter of her fellow grads. Now, years later, she has found a sweet note tucked into one of her textbooks from her senior year. Who wrote a romantic note to her but didn't sign it, all those years ago? She's determined to figure it out while she's home for the holidays. 

I liked this one but it would not go onto my favorites list. It was cute, though, and I'm always so there for the happily ever after kiss. Oddly, it was Huzzybuns who turned this one on. 

Next up on the channel was My Christmas Family Tree but Huz can only take one Hallmark movie per night (possibly, per week) so he turned to hockey or football and I drifted away, then watched My Family Christmas Tree when he left town. 

Vanessa Hall has had her DNA checked and is surprised to find that she has a paternal match. She never knew who her father was and her mother died when she was 9 years old, so all she's ever had as family since then was a nice old couple who fostered her. Encouraged by her best friend, Vanessa calls her birth father and meets up with him. He invites her to join his family for the holidays. 

This is totally my favorite kind of story, the trope in which someone gets a new family, whether by connecting up with a birth parent or simply meeting a group of people with whom she creates a makeshift family unit. And, I knew it was going to be sweet and that I was going to love it so much I started crying during the set-up and pretty much snuffled all the way through it. I loved it; it was perfect. And, I noticed that Norwegians were tweeting about their appreciation for the references to Norwegian food and tradition, the night it premiered (when Huz was watching whatever sport . . . I think, actually, it was our mutual alma mater playing football). This is definitely one I'll watch again, during future Christmas seasons. 

I attempted to watch a third Hallmark movie but it was terrible, just a bad, bad script. And, then I got sucked into housework and art and reading and spent way too much time on social media (so I'm challenging myself to avoid it, this week). And, on the weekend, we spent a few hours each day kitty sitting this little guy, who is about 3 months old and the most lovable, smoochy, head-butting purr machine I've ever encountered:

He's the kitten of a friend of my son and daughter-in-law, so only staying with them temporarily. Boy, was he fun to play and snuggle with! Their two grown cats hid from us but this little guy, Binx, is a people kitty. 

As to this week . . . Thanksgiving is a bummer for us. We only have our son and daughter-in-law nearby. The rest of the family is far flung so it's usually just the two or four of us. I loved the big family gatherings of my childhood and will never stop missing them. If you're an American, I hope you're surrounded by loving family, this week. 

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals (above, left to right):

• Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy - from Bethany House for tour
• Duke Actually by Jenny Holiday - from Avon for review
• Red is My Heart by Antoine Laurain + Le Sonneur - from Meryl Zegarek Public Relations, Inc. (unsolicited and much appreciated)
• Jane and the Year Without A Summer by Stephanie Barron - from SOHO Crime for tour

I may have squealed a bit when Red is My Heart showed up because I've read two Antoine Laurain books and loved them both. OK, yes, I did squeal just a little. Jane and the Year Without a Summer came with swag!!! I almost never get swag. Actually, I almost never get books, anymore (by comparison with a few years ago; my choice, I'm not complaining) so opening a box with more than just a book was especially fun. 

Swag shot (click on image to enlarge):

Contents - Jane and the Year Without a Summer book and tote bag, Jane Austen cookie cutter, tea and tea strainer with a cute little Jane Austen charm on the chain, and Jane Austen 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Cool, or what?

And, there's more (below):

My 2021 Short Story Advent Calendar arrived! Also, Projections (which I totally forgot I ordered) is a boxed set of sci-fi stories that I'll probably save for the New Year to keep that short story fun going a little longer. Last year, breaking open the seal on my daily short story was the highlight of Christmas season. It was just so much fun! Also, I have to put in a word for Hingston & Olsen Publishing. I had a question and the prompt and courteous response was a joy. 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Throwback #2: The Chaos Loop by Peter Lerangis
• Unaccustomed Earth (short stories) by Jhumpa Lahiri
• Throwback #3: Out of Time by Peter Lerangis
• How to Astronaut by Terry Virts
• The London House by Katherine Reay

Currently reading:

• Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy
• Spy Ski School (Spy School #4) by Stuart Gibbs

 

Posts since last Malarkey:

• Fiona Friday - Nighthawk (cat photo)
• Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri (book review)
• Throwback #2 and 3: The Chaos Loop and Out of Time by Peter Lerangis (book reviews)
• Fiona Friday - Everything is a toy (cat photo)

In other news:

OK, this is surprising. I've been watching movies. Maybe not on the level most people do, but there were a few days that I felt like movie-watching so there you go.

The first movie was a family event. I've never seen the Dune movie that everyone says was such a flop (in the 70s?) and I haven't yet read the book, but I've wanted to read it for as long as I can remember and it's probably going to be one of the books I challenge myself to read in 2022. So, naturally I wanted to see the new movie. Husband tolerated it but spent a lot of time playing on his phone. 

My thoughts: I loved the beauty and expansiveness of the film but I kept thinking of the line from Stripes: "Lighten up, Francis." Some of those characters could have used a little sense of humor. But, maybe the book is equally serious. I also felt like there were clearly some subtleties of characterization that were missing and since then, I've read a lot of Dune readers' thoughts about how much of the story is told internally and why that must be so hard to portray on screen. That's one reason I feel like I really want to read the book even more than before. I want to understand the things that felt skimmed across and read the details that were clearly missing. And, then I'll watch the movie, again (if I can -- hope it continues to stream for a while). 

Hubby was away on business, last week. So, I took advantage of his absence to watch San Andreas. Disaster movies are not his thing. He would never watch this with me. It was good therapy. For one thing, it was so over-the-top that it was a bit laughable. For another, the young romance was sweet. I didn't care so much about the storyline about The Rock and his ex, although I did get a bit of satisfaction from watching Ioan Gruffudd's character get smushed by a cargo container. If you've been following the news about his upcoming divorce and the new, younger woman in his life (such a cliché), you know why. 

Most of the rest of the movies I watched were not complete. I just tuned in to The Hallmark Channel and watched whatever happened to be playing, which is always relaxing. I will always probably shout at the TV when a Hallmark movie is on. "Dead parents!" and "Ooooh, someone's got to decorate for the gala/festival! Surprise!" Also, there's always, "Snowball fight!" and "Kiss her! Just kiss her and then the credits can roll!" It's a little Rocky Horror, the way I get revved up watching The Hallmark Channel. But, at the same time, I feel soothed by sappy romance.

I did manage to watch one Hallmark movie in its entirety, Next Stop, Christmas. Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd in a time travel movie! Oh, go ahead and try to stop me. There was no way I was missing that one. I even thwarted the spouse's efforts to watch his alma mater (football, yuck, not my thing), although those games go on forever and it was still on when the movie ended. I loved this cute time travel story and found it very satisfying the way the main character changed her current life by going back in time. Also, I'm all for anything with an old-fashioned train in it. 

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Monday Malarkey

Recent arrivals:

• Walrus Song by Janet Lawler and Timothy Basil Ering (illustrator) - from Candlewick Press for review

Just one arrival and, of course, I sat right down to read it because I adore children's books. It's a good one. I'll be reviewing it when it releases in November. I remember only one childhood story with walruses in it and I cannot manage to summon the title but I think I love this book partly because I can't think of a single other book specifically about walruses that I've read and reviewed. Walruses Need Love, Too! 

Books finished since last Malarkey:

• Lost Love's Return by Alfred Nicols
• Evil Spy School by Stuart Gibbs
• The Sundial by Shirley Jackson
• Walrus Song by Janet Lawler and Timothy Basil Ering

The following is Isabel's contribution to today's Malarkey (she walked across my keyboard):

lo

\\\\\\\

Currently reading:

• Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
• Throwback: The Chaos Loop (Throwback #2) by Peter Lerangis

Posts since last Malarkey:

• Throwback (Throwback #1) by Peter Lerangis (book review)
• The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier (book review)
• Fiona Friday - Getting in the Spirit (cat photo) 
• The Apothecary (Apothecary #1) by Maile Meloy (book review)
• The Sundial by Shirley Jackson (book review)
• Fiona Friday - Conked out (cat photo)

In other news:

I'm already thinking about challenges for next year. This year's challenges . . . well, some went pretty well (Gone With the Wind — check! Book-buying and library ban —very good! Native American books — totally dropped the ball). I like choosing a very large challenge book, like GWTW; that's gone well in recent years. I'm waffling between Dune and the full version of The Count of Monte Cristo, at the moment, but that may change. The version of The Count that I've been reading all my life is condensed. I didn't even realize that till a few years ago so now I want to read the longer version. But, Dune is one I've wanted to read for as long as I can remember, so . . . 

Waffle, waffle. 

Since I finished The Sundial, I haven't felt much like reading. I pick up a book and drift off, thinking about things that need to be done or just daydreaming. Ugh, I hate that. Walrus Song was a welcome arrival because it allowed me to read a book from start to finish without my mind wandering. After a few days of reading one short story or only a handful of pages, I picked up the wrong Throwback book and was enjoying it. Then, I realized there was a reason the author talked about some important time travel activities that took place without going into detail. He did go into detail elsewhere. There's an entire other book. 

So, I set aside #3 and picked up The Chaos Loop, which is Throwback #2. It's so much fun that I read half of it and then I started thinking about the astronaut book that I've been reading only on my bike and how last week I never did get around to biking and how I'm almost out of books to review and missed the readathon, this weekend, and blah, blah. Net result: I've decided to take a few days off from blogging to try to finish some books so I'll have something to review — and hopefully manage to get back on that bike. A lot of my reading time has been replaced by art time, so I need to also work at figuring out how to squeeze both into a day. Sometimes, it just might not happen, but we shall see. 

My next post will be Fiona Friday and then I'll be back to normal blogging, next week. 

Happy reading!

©2021 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery or its RSS feed, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.