libraryperilous turns the pages of her own books in 2021

Happy 2021, pub-goers!

My name's Diana. I read mostly science fiction, historical fantasy, and middle grade fantasy or adventure novels. I also like historical mysteries and dabble in nonfiction. Last year's weekly reading wrap-up worked well for me. I'll continue that format in 2021.

My 2021 reading goals are modest:

• Read more of my own books


• Pay less attention to my TBR list

Happy reading in 2021!

Edited: HTML formatting correction

Also, you can find my film review thread here.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, and happy Own Books reading!

Happy New Year!

>1 libraryperilous: Happy New Year, Diana. I have spotted your film review thread and will be lurking there too.

>1 libraryperilous: Happy new year.

Happy new year! Eager to see what you read this year 😊 Following up from your previous thread, I'm happy to see you're loving Robin McKinley so far!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year

Happy new year Diana! I'm sure you will hit with more than a few Book Bullets!

Happy New Year, Diana!

Happy New Year and happy new thread, Diana! I hope the year itself is full of great books and brings you much joy.

Thank you, everyone, and welcome. Happy new year to one and all!

>8 curioussquared: I received Sunshine for SantaThing. I can't wait to start it. It sounds delicious.

>11 Sakerfalcon: I shall try to aim true.

I started 2021 off right by returning almost all my borrowed e-books. I hope I can maintain some borrowing discipline throughout the year.

Happy New Year!

>15 reading_fox: Thank you, same to you, and welcome!

As punishment for my 2020 library transgression, I am now at the point where I have to delete all of the Paperwhite's loan ended letters. I suppose it's what I deserve for my blatant criming.

Happy New Year!

>16 libraryperilous: Lol, a fitting punishment. I hate deleting those suckers.

>16 libraryperilous: & >18 curioussquared: What is the point of those? I hate them!

>18 curioussquared: >19 clamairy: Glad to hear I'm not the only one. I believe they are sent from the Department of Redundancy Department.

>18 curioussquared:, >19 clamairy:, >20 ScoLgo: Annual Winner of the Department of Redundancy Department's Helpfully Earnest Departmental Award.

>17 NorthernStar: Thank you!

Book(s) read January 1st through January 7th

A House of Tailors: It's 1871, and Dina, a headstrong and rash German girl, loathes the careful, back-bending work of being a village tailor. She dreams of a Brooklyn where everyone is wealthy and no one has to work at jobs they dislike. Once in Brooklyn, she discovers her uncle's family is poorer than her mother's. She still must sew for a living. The squalor of tenement life—cramped quarters, 100-degree rooms in summer, fire hazards, epidemics—is matched by quietly joyful depictions of working class life, close-knit families, the finding of ways to call Brooklyn 'home,' and the fierce dreams of so many immigrants to own their own shops. Beautifully done. Five stars.

"And it was true. I was proud of my work, and maybe that was just as important as loving it."

Edited: touchstone error

Book(s) read January 8th through January 14th

No books finished. I DNFed two. I'll try Uhura's Song again at some point. The Hallowed Hunt is the second World of the Five Gods titles I've DNFed. I like the Penric and Desdemona novellas, but the novels aren't to my taste.

I haven't watched any films yet, either, but I'm planning a film and book marathon weekend.

Whoops. I actually did read a book. How can you expect me to remember that a full year week later?

Wishtree is a sweet middle grade story narrated by an elderly red oak tree. The tree has seen its neighborhood accept many immigrants over many years, so Red is sad and worried when people begin bullying a Muslim girl. Red breaks Nature's number one rule and meddles. Four stars.

Edited: spacing correction

Book(s) read January 15th through January 21st

Zima the wolf and Baba Yaga switch bodies for a few days in order to foil an evil tsar's plot to burn down their forest home. Baba Yaga, in wolf form, seeks Ivan Tsarevich. Zima, in Baba Yaga form, meets an orphan who needs help freeing a friend from the tsar. Plot threads abound and eventually combine. A Wolf for a Spell draws lightly on Russian folklore. I wanted more of Zima's storyline, especially more details of the way she inhabits her human body. The forest is magical but dangerous, but it never seriously factors in the plot. This is a sweet middle grade adventure story. My expectations for it were high, so I'm a bit disappointed in the somewhat awkward delivery. Four stars.

I'm behind on threads, but apparently several Dragoneers had recent birthdays. Happy birthday(s)!

Book(s) read January 22nd through January 31st

None

I hope you are all right and that the lack of reading just means that you are busy with other things.

>27 Sakerfalcon: Thank you! I am well and have kicked my job/city search in higher gear. I hope to finish a book later this week.

>28 libraryperilous: I am glad to hear that; I was starting to worry a little too.

Hope your job/city search goes well for you!

>29 -pilgrim-: Thank you. I think it will be easier to strike a good balance in February. I'm going to catch up on your reviews in our cinema thread soon.

>30 LibraryLover23: Thank you! I'm excited about all five cities, but I have two on which I'm focusing most of the energy.

>28 libraryperilous: I'm glad to hear that. Good luck with the search!

Today has been a dispiriting day. I am about to fire off a letter to a public official about said dispiriting events. I am having trouble with the brevity. I have always been taught that three paragraphs are the sweet spot. I am at eight. Oh dear.

Update: I ended up changing the structure and excising some sentences, but I still ended up with a wall o' text. lol, they deserved every word I sent them.

>33 libraryperilous: Sorry you are dispirited! I'm sure they deserved it.

>33 libraryperilous: Oh no! Three pages is never long enough. Perhaps if you want to get something done, but if you just need to get something off your chest and onto theirs, eight pages at least. In fact, I would go for ten.

If you want to make sure they read the whole lot write, "Without prejudice", at the top. It means that nothing in the letter can be used in any legal proceedings, but it gets them thinking you have involved a legal eagle and that the letter might contain information that they either have to defend themselves against or that they may need to know for any action they may want to take. Either way it guarantees that at least two people will have to read the whole letter before handing it over to their legal advisors to see if there is anything hidden in the text that they need to worry about. :-)

>33 libraryperilous: Did you feel better after you sent it?

How many paragraphs did you end up writing? And good for you for actually writing an actual letter rather than emailing, calling, texting or filling in a contact form on their website, which is what I usually end up doing. A letter is worth a thousand of those other things, or so I'm told.

>34 curioussquared: Thank you!

>35 pgmcc: Haha, an excellent scam idea!

>36 clamairy: I did, although I'm frustrated and sad again today.

>37 Storeetllr: I think it was 7, including, I am sheepish to admit, a rather flouncy PS. Also, I must 'fess up: I sent an email through the contact form on their website. I called it a letter because I guess I viewed it as such. It was much longer than the emails I normally send to electeds!

I've read that snail mail is the most impactful method of contacting public officials. I've also read that phone calls are the going preference. I think it's better to use the medium that works best with one's personality. I love sending real letters, and I probably will do that for a couple of policies I hope to see supported. I find email a convenient way to address current bills and debates. I get too nervous to make phone calls.

Well, good for you for doing anything to address what you see as a problem. Too many people (me included) just grouse about things and don't let our elected officials know. (I'm more of a phone caller tbh, when I do get off my duff and say something. And a petition signer, tho I'm skeptical petitions are worth much.)

>38 libraryperilous: Phone calls achieve nothing. You have no record that the call has taken place.
Even when the automatic voice says "your call is being recorded for training and monitoring purposes" your will find that, if you try to refer to it, they will claim that no call ever took place. Do they can claim whatever they like in terms of apology or recompense, because they will not carry out anything promised. And you have no record to prove that they ever said otherwise...

So do not feel uncomfortable that you do not phone. Letters are better - preferably by recorded delivery, so they cannot deny receipt.

>39 Storeetllr: For petitions, I typically sign if I'm in a hurry and/or it's a cause of which I approve but I don't feel qualified to write my own message. Other times, if it's something about which I feel strongly and know a bit more, I'll take the topic and craft my own message. I've seen comments from Hill staffers that petition emails are repetitious, but the whole point is for reps to be able to count how many constituents are in favor of something! That's also why phone calls are super helpful, especially for legislation that's unfolding in real time.

>40 -pilgrim-: Yes, this definitely applies when you're dealing with a thorny issue. I consolidated my student loans to lock in a lower interest rate under an Obama-era act. One of the private companies who took over the loans competed for borrowers by offering to lower interest rates by an additional 0.5% after a year of on-time payments. I took notes on the call, including writing down the name of the rep & a reference number, and then consolidated with that company. A year later: no further interest rate reduction. When I called, I was told that I had no proof, would have to submit a request for the loan agreement in writing, go through their legal department for a hearing, and, "Yes, we can see that we have a record of that phone call, but we can't tell you anything about it, per our legal team, or even read it. It's been archived." It was both frustrating and demoralizing—which is, of course, exactly how administrative burdens are designed to work.

Book(s) read February 1st through February 7th

Outside In is an interesting children's picture book about the ways in which nature visits us when we're inside our homes: sunbeam patches; spiders in the corner; the food we eat and the clothes we wear. Underwood encourages children to view themselves as part of nature by visiting it outside and noticing it inside. The illustrations are rather muted and matte and feel a little bit too coffee table book-style. Four stars.

I'm in a protracted reading slump. I ordered a middle grade novel about bunnies with my Barnes and Noble gift card, but it won't be arriving until next week.

I still seem to be on a fairy tale retelling kick. Does anyone have suggestions for Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, or Wild Hunt retellings? Open to YA, even. I would like to bust my slump.

Thank you!

ETA: Open to other recs, too. :)

I finished my first book of 2021 last night.* It was a psi-romantic-thriller and only so-so, but it was good enough to keep me reading and I wanted to give it a 5-star rating just for that. I hope it means I'm out of my reading slump. I hope you manage to get out of your slump soon.

*I usually read 125-150 books a year. By this time last year, I already finished at least 10 books. I don't remember ever being in such a slump before.

>43 libraryperilous: For Twelve Dancing Princesses, have you read Wildwood Dancing? Robin McKinley's Door in the Hedge also has a retelling along with three other fairy tale retellings. It's not my favorite of hers, but I still strongly believe there's no bad McKinley.

I don't know any Steadfast Tin Soldier retellings, unfortunately.

For wild hunt, two of my favorites that involve it are Tamsin and Dogsbody. Tam Lin and Fire and Hemlock both involve it in the Tam Lin tradition. An Enchantment of Ravens is a little more YA romancey than I would typically recommend for you, but I love the story concept and the writing and the interpretation of the wild hunt in this one. I'm also assuming you have read Susan Cooper's Dark Is Rising books but if not, the wild hunt appears in those.

Other general fairy tale retelling recs -- have you read Gail Carson Levine or Shannon Hale? Both have some fun retellings on what I would describe as the more middle grade side of YA. I can't remember if any of Patricia McKillip's books are actually retellings, but they all feel like fairy tales. And again on the Robin McKinley because I won't shut up about her, but I highly recommend picking up Beauty -- I love all of her books, but this is I think the one that feels most accessible and for the youngest audience.

And out of left field, but have you read the Nevermoor books yet? They are fun, creative, and unexpected, and feel like a breath of middle grade fresh air.

I hope one of these hits the spot!

Edited to correct a touchstone :)

One of Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters books was steadfast tin soldier related. It's called Steadfast :) In fact, I think most of the Elemental Masters series have a fairy-tale root.

>46 tardis: Oops, I have in fact read that and totally forgot it existed!

I think >45 curioussquared: got everything that I would recommend! There do seem to be a lot of Twelve dancing princesses-based books at the moment - I enjoyed The girls at the Kingfisher Club which transports the story to 1920s NYC. Catherynne Valente's Speak easy does the same, although I haven't yet read it so can't compare the two.

>44 Storeetllr: Yay! Fingers crossed this has done the trick for you. Slumps during stressful times are particularly sad, I think, because we all know how much being able to read a book would soothe us.

Thanks, everyone, lots of great titles and authors I've read and loved, especially Steadfast and Gail Carson Levine. I have Tamsin on my shelf and one of Cooper's books. Natalie's comments about the Wild Hunt element in Tam Lin stories reminded me that I should just reread The Perilous Gard for the millionth time. That one is a guaranteed slump-buster! I also discovered that a few of Robin McKinley's books are available through Kindle Unlimited, and I have a free trial atm. Lots of great choices! Now to steel my brain to avoid doomscrolling on Twitter or guilt over not job hunting for a few hours ...

I didn't like Kingfisher as much as I thought I would. It might have been that it didn't utilize NYC well enough? Speak Easy sounds v. interesting! The dancing girls indeed are having a bit of a revival, especially in YA. House of Salt and Sorrows is a recent entry that felt fresh and was a creepy, creeping seaside Gothic with gods behaving badly. Also, gorgeous gowns!

When I did a Google search for Steadfast Tin Soldier retellings, nothing came up except picture books. :( The Wild Hunt also is difficult as a search term. One gets a lot of shapeshifter romances.

re: An Enchantment of Ravens, I want to try it again someday, because I could tell the Wild Hunt parts of it were going to be fascinating. It's more of a romance set in a fantasy land than a fantasy adventure. I'll know that when I try it again, so I think I'll enjoy it.

Should note here that the reason I love the Wild Hunt so much is that The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of my favorite novels. It's not too much of a leap to go from a hellhound on one's trail to a posse of hellhounds led by a psychopomp. I assume the fascination with the Steadfast Tin Soldier and the Twelve Dancing Princesses comes from my love of ballet.

Edited: spelling

>43 libraryperilous: I don't have much to add to >45 curioussquared:'s great suggestions, but I noted that in Sakerfalcon's thread you mentioned being interested in trying out Sharon Shinn. My favorite stuff by her is actually her YA-aimed stuff, especially the series starting with the The Safe-Keeper's Secret. They don't have any fantasy politics like her other books, instead being focused on individual characters coming of age. They feel like fairy-tale retellings, even though they aren't based on any fairy tales I know. The books in that series are essentially stand-alones, so any one of them would be good to start with, and they might fit your current mood. There's some romance, but family relationships are given more attention than romantic ones.

Hooray, I hope one of these hits the spot for you! And agreed that a favorite reread is a great way to kick a slump to the curb.

>50 Kanarthi: Aargh, The Safe-Keeper's Secret sounds right up my alley, but it's a bit too much money on Kindle. I've added it to my TBR to read when libraries are back. Thank you!

>51 curioussquared: Enjoying Beauty so far. I definitely read it in high school or college, and it's interesting how some of the story's extraneous details feel familiar as I read along. Thanks again to you and Kanarthi for steering me toward McKinley.

I think you might enjoy The Pendragon Protocol. Like most of the books I really enjoy, it works on more than one level. And one of them is how do chivalrous ideals work nowadays. (The cover does it a disservice; together with the start, it gives the impression that it is gung-ho macho heroics. That is not where it is actually going...)

I recently read an early reviewer book, Blackthorn Winter by Liz Williams, that had some links to the wild hunt. It is the second in a series, following Comet Weather, which I haven't read. One of my favourite fairytale retellings is Jack the Giant Killer by Charles De Lint, but I also like Robin McKinley's and Mercedes Lackey's contributions to the genre.

>53 -pilgrim-: Thanks for reminding me of this series. I'm going to try to get to the first one next week.

>54 NorthernStar: Thank you! I've downloaded Comet Weather. I'm interested in trying De Lint, and I think someone read Jack the Giant Killer recently and liked it. curioussquared, maybe?

>55 libraryperilous: I did -- one of my first books of 2021 :) It's a little grittier than most fairy tale retellings, but I think I liked it for that reason.

>50 Kanarthi: I had not heard of The Safe-Keeper's Secret. Looking at the synopsis, it sounds like it has a lot in common with The Binding. Would you say that is fair?

>53 -pilgrim-: Thanks for the reminder. I had been meaning to look for The Pendragon Protocol after your previous mention of it. Having recently acquired a few Amazon Kindle credits, I snagged it today. Next challenge: how to fit it into my reading rotation? ;)

>57 -pilgrim-: I haven't read The Binding, but looking at the reviews, it seems fairly different? In The Safe-Keeper's Secret, the safe-keepers are almost more like therapists. There is an element of magic, but it operates more like fairy-tale logic than like an explicit magic system. Secret-keepers are unable to share secrets shared with them, but it's presented almost as a personality type or personal creed. There are times when secrets are revealed or truths are told, but the people telling them the secrets don't forget anything. The story unfolds slowly and inevitably as elements slot into place, whereas The Binding seems to be going for more of a melodramatic tone.

Edited to fix touchstones.

>59 Kanarthi: That is how Binders are supposed to work: when you tell your story to a Binder, it is drawn out of you, and bound into the pages of a book, whilst you do not remember it. It is intended as a healing process for traumatic experiences. However the world setting presupposes a level of corruption so that there is, for example, a black market in books containing memories that a lecher would find salacious, or he might pay a corrupt Binder to take away his maid's memories after he had forced himself on her, so he can enjoy the shock of her reaction when he does it for "the first time" again. From what you are saying, The Safe-Keeper's Secret deals with a nicer world.

BTW, I didn't enjoy The Binding. I DNF'd, which is why I was interested in something that sounds s is it might handle similar ideas rather better.

>55 libraryperilous: I haven't got Comet Weather yet myself, so I am interested to hear how you like it. It looks like it is only available from kindle, and as my ereader is a kobo, I have to convert any kindle books I buy. I'm tempted to buy it anyway.

>60 -pilgrim-: I've heard people raving about The Binding since it was published, and I was on the fence about trying it. Definitely skipping it.

>61 NorthernStar: I'm looking forward to it. Alas, three Overdrive holds have come in, so I seem to have overloaded my Kindle once again.

Edited: Feeling better after a chocolate-banana milkshake!

>62 libraryperilous: Yes, I was tempted by the enthusiastic comments I had heard about The Binding, and was extremely disappointed. The central idea is interesting, but the execution is botched in that the author frequently does not think the consequences through properly. And there is a distinct shortage of likeable people in it.

>63 -pilgrim-: Oh, ugh. As you know, I am less than enthusiastic about unlikable characters. I do remain intrigued by Collins' new novel, The Betrayals, but I'm not in a hurry to read it.

Book(s) read February 8th through February 14th

Well, I managed one novel before the slump returned.

Beauty is less fairy tale and more domestic cottage tale. Beauty moves from a city mansion to a country cottage to a forest castle, but the domesticity and pleasures of hearth and home remain. I read this in high school or college and didn't love it. The age gap romance bothered me. I enjoyed it more as an adult, in large part because the enchanted castle has books that have not yet been written and spice cakes that "burst into being like a small exploding star." The ending is a bit rushed. Four stars.

I've since bounced off a number of books, but Deerskin has held my attention so far. I DNFed The Hero and the Crown a few weeks ago, but many of McKinley's other titles are of interest. I'm going to focus on other hobbies and activities and ramp up my job search. Trying to force myself out of the reading slump backfired on me.

>65 libraryperilous: Deerskin is my favourite McKinley, though it is very dark. Her second take on Beauty and the beast, Rose daughter is an interesting companion to Beauty.

>65 libraryperilous: >66 Sakerfalcon: I recently discovered that my copy of Deerskin was missing, and I had a feeling I might have lent it to my aunt a few years ago, who had to get rid of all her books after a small house fire left them smoke-damaged. So I bought a new copy a few months ago, and it might be time for a reread...

>66 Sakerfalcon: I have both Beauty and Rose Daughter on my Kindle, I believe. I keep forgetting about them. :o(

>68 clamairy: I would recommend reading Beauty first. Rose daughter is like "the remix"!

>66 Sakerfalcon:, >67 curioussquared: It's lovely and thoughtful, but I felt a bit bogged down by it. I've put it aside to finish in a few days.

>67 curioussquared: Aww, your poor aunt. :(

>68 clamairy: Beauty definitely reads as middle grade to me, especially the ending. The other McKinley books I've read have been solidly YA or even edging into adult fiction.

Books read February 15th through February 21st

I managed two books and am reading two others, although I still feel restless when reading.

"Everyone: Sabotage the enemy every chance you get on the way!"

London, 1944: WWII rages on, but spoiled and brash Pip Hanway, The Umbrella Mouse, lives comfortably in the top of an umbrella in an umbrella shop. When tragedy strikes and the shop takes a direct hit from a Nazi bomb, Pip is orphaned and left with only the umbrella. She's determined to take the umbrella to a museum in Italy, but how will she get there? She falls in with some animal members of Churchill's Secret Army and lands in Normandy with her umbrella and on a mission for Noah's Ark, the French animal Resistance. Pip finds her brashness giving way to courage and boldness. While on a routine sabotage mission, Noah's Ark is betrayed by one of their members. Capture, escape, and the loss of true friends follow. To be a member of the Resistance is to strive to live to fight another day.

Normandy, August 1944: Noah's Ark is recovering from the traitor in their midst and the loss of some of their bravest members. When word comes that the Allies are closing in on liberating Paris, the Ark heads there to meet up with the Parisian cell. Along the way, Pip and her new friends meet some Maquis and engage in some exciting acts of sabotage. ("Being surrounded by so many adventurers was the best thing to have happened for ages.") Still, there's a war on, and the enemy is evil, so many more losses are endured. Once in Paris, it's Umbrella Mouse to the Rescue when Pip and her friends foil a plot to blow up the Eiffel Tower. But all creatures may make a difference, from firefly nurses and a doctor spider, to seagull spies and wolf guards. It's freedom or it's tyranny, and everyone has a vital role to play.

I was surprised at how moving I found these books. They very much are children's animal adventures, but they don't shy away from the losses and horrors of war. I especially liked the emphasis on acts of resistance both large and small. Five stars to each.

>71 libraryperilous: Are you familiar with DangerMouse (and his loyal assistant, Penfold)?

>71 libraryperilous: I might have to look for these... I am a sucker for mouse fiction. Did you ever read Time Stops for No Mouse? It's been years since I read it but it used to be one of my favorites.

>71 libraryperilous: Not sure why, it's not my usual thing, but the way you described these makes them sound quite appealing.

>69 Sakerfalcon: Thank you. I wondered about that. They are relatively short, aren't they?

>70 libraryperilous: Ah, I didn't realize it was middle grade. Should be prefect when I'm tired, then.

>75 clamairy: Yes, by modern fantasy standards! About 300 pages, though Rose Daughter is a slower read due to the prose style.

>72 -pilgrim-: I've heard of the show, but I've not watched it.

>73 curioussquared: I adore mouse fiction. Time Stops for No Mouse sounds super fun!

>74 Jim53: I love both animal adventures and reading about WWII Resistance movements. The warmth of the storyline and the characters' camaraderie made for comforting reads. I'm glad I conveyed some of their appeal in my review.

Saw this and thought of you, of course! https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeM2qxDK/

>78 curioussquared: Perfect! :)

I scored a copy of The Secret Starling from Early Reviewers this month. I remembered you liked this one, so I'm excited to get it!

Hope things are going well with you!

>80 curioussquared: Oh, excellent! I'll watch your thread for your review. I especially loved the setting (working class England of the 1970s), so I hope the US edition retains those details.

Trying this again. We'll see how long I last!

Books Read July 2021, five stars to all three:

Love and Luck: sweet YA road trip romance. Soccer player Addie travels around Ireland with her brother, Ian, and Rowan, a cute Irish boy. She and her brother used to be close, but they've spent the whole summer fighting. And why hasn't Ian ever mentioned Rowan? Addie finds a guidebook at their hotel, Ireland for the Heartbroken, and she's sure if she just visits all the sites, she'll feel better about everything. The guidebook is delightful, and I wish it were real: "What about you, buttercup? What do you see in yourself?" This is more a road trip story than a typical teen romance. Kind of Mary Stewart for teens vibes, and the scenery is fab. If I ever go to Ireland, I'm going to copy the fake guidebook's pages and follow that itinerary.

The Valley of Lost Secrets: well-written middle grade historical fiction set during 1939 and featuring child evacuees. This time, a Welsh mining town is the evacuation setting, and, refreshingly, the siblings stay with a kind and loving couple. Despite this, twelve-year-old Jimmy is surly and homesick. His younger brother, Ronnie, adjusts right away. When Jimmy finds a skull in a tree, he enlists another evacuee and his brother to solve what they're certain is a crime. The mystery is secondary to Jimmy's growing understanding that home is where you make it. For readers of A Place to Hang the Moon or The War That Saved My Life.

Nightfall in New York: grand finale to my favorite middle grade series, Taylor and Rose. Sophie and Lil travel to New York on a glittering ocean liner, find the answer to a cliffhanger mystery on Coney Island, and generally learn that growing up doesn't have to mean growing apart—even when you go your own way. "It was just like Lil had imagined it—and yet it wasn't a bit like that at all. It was early morning instead of afternoon. There was no rain against the window, and instead of tea and buns there was coffee and bagels from the bakery down the street. They certainly couldn't have been much further from the office of Taylor and Rose Detectives. Yet, just as she had imagined, they were together at last."

I wanted to give a personal update, since I ghosted everyone for a few months: I stepped away from all but Natalie's thread as part of a general re-evaluation of my internet habits. I was overwhelmed by the number of threads. I also became competitive with myself about my own reading log. I.e., I rushed books and also expended energy on 'thoughtful' reviews. I'm still not sure what form continuing my log will take, but I'm enjoying my return to Talk so far.

July was a difficult month. My dad was hospitalized with an infection that was traced to Lyme disease. He's better now, but it was difficult to watch him struggle. I also had to cancel my visit to my mom's. Now that the case count in Florida is rising, I don't know when I'll see her.

I also struck up a casual friendship with a woman. I had lunch with her a couple of days ago, and she tried to bully me into moving to a certain state, working in a certain industry, and letting her go along for the ride for moral support. She even grabbed my face while she was giving me a 'pep' talk. Apparently, she saw 'enthusiasm in your eyes' and has decided I should give up my career and life goals to do this thing because it's 'only 16 months and everything else will be waiting for you.' I just ... what? I know people have a stretched definition of friendship these days, but that's not something I would say (or do) to anyone! I think I might ghost her. I suppose the mature response would be setting a firm boundary and giving her a second chance, but, honestly, I've only known her for a month.

Happy summer/winter!

I posted this on clam's thread, but I finished my Mary Stewart adventures. Does anyone know of another author who describes locales and the spirit of travel as well? Readalikes are welcome!

>83 libraryperilous: Holy shitballs! I'd ghost her and change my locks! Sorry you've had so much stress.

When keeping up with the threads becomes an issue it's definitely time to take a break. I've done it more times than I can count. Everyone here understands. Hang in there!

Welcome back!! It's good to see you. All three of the books in >82 libraryperilous: are intriguing to me :)

Sorry your dad has been ill, and that you had to cancel your visit to your mom's.

That woman does not sound worth the effort. I agree with >84 clamairy: -- I'd ghost her. Mature responses are great, but she doesn't seem like the kind of person who would respect any boundaries you establish.

>84 clamairy:, >85 curioussquared: LOL, glad I'm not the only one who thought it was super weird. Thanks for making me feel less mean about it all!

I've sent a polite but obvious brush-off email. If this were a long-term friendship, I might—might—try to set a boundary. But this is new and a casual string of lunches. I have had a headache just thinking about it since Friday. Nope, nope, nope.

>85 curioussquared: I think you would like the Love & ... series. The books can be read as standalones, and I rated both Love and Gelato and Love and Luck five stars. Gelato is first.

First, welcome back and I hope you don't stress over the threads anymore. I really understand and empathize - I took an entire year off LT because I got so stressed with keeping up with the 75-er group. Even here, where things are less hectic, I have felt pressured (self-induced, I assure you) to keep up but have been successful in just making the rounds once in awhile and only commenting when I feel I have something to add.

Second, that lady - I think you've made a narrow escape. Even in a close friend of many years, that would be weird.

Third but definitely not last, I'm sorry to hear about your dad's brush with Lyme's disease and not being able to go see your mom. I hope your dad recovers completely and quickly and that we get this latest wave of Covid under control soon.

>87 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary!

making the rounds once in awhile and only commenting when I feel I have something to add

This is a great perspective, and I'll try to remember to view Talk this way. Thanks for sharing!

>83 libraryperilous: Really weird. I think keeping away from that person might be a good move. Her behaviour is totally off side.

I used to get a bit stressed in the latter half of the year when I noticed how few books I had read so far. About four years ago I developed a "so what?" attitude, and have been a lot more relaxed so far. I am here for fun and a bit of social interaction with friendly people. If it starts straying away from those then I back off and avoid stress.

Update on the woman: She replied with an apology email that 1) reiterated her reasons and 2) explained that one of the reasons is she doesn't think I would be able to focus well if I move somewhere I want for a job and then also volunteer on social issues. She also admitted she feels stuck in her life and is jealous of me for planning to move.

Why would going somewhere I want and working + volunteering require more focus than moving somewhere I would hate for a stressful job that does not match my skills or interests? And with her in tow?

I hope that I'm a kind person, and I think that I'm good at accepting differences of personality. But I just do not understand why you'd behave like this, let alone double down after a clear brush-off. Perhaps I am too old-fashioned in this one area. :)

>89 pgmcc: Yes, I think it's time to pull out a red card. Too many red flags for me!

About four years ago I developed a "so what?" attitude, and have been a lot more relaxed so far.

I've been successful at developing this attitude re: DNFing books. I need to work on developing it about TBR titles. It's been helpful to know others have found Talk overwhelming. I felt I had overreacted, so I appreciate that everyone has shared their experiences and tips and tricks. Thank you!

Edited: grammar

Yes, I will join the others saying that talk can be overwhelming. There are so many thoughtful, interesting readers with threads in the Green Dragon, but if there's more than ten or so posts a week in a thread, I find it way too overwhelming to keep up with. I realize I'm missing out a lot, but I like to imagine that not stressing and spending less time online means that I have more time to, well, read. Or spend outdoors, or with my family, etc.

>90 libraryperilous: & >91 Kanarthi: When posting is slow I can keep up. Otherwise I no longer try. So it goes. I know my limits. Same with dumping books I'm not enjoying.

I read GD every day over breakfast and again in the evening, although I comment rather spasmodically. Same with the other groups I’m a member of, although most of those are pretty quiet. But who on earth could possibly keep up with Club Read or the current ROOT Challenge?

>82 libraryperilous:, >83 libraryperilous: It's great to see you back here though I'm sorry you've had a stressful time recently. The new "friend" is definitely odd - I wouldn't even expect an interaction like that from someone I've known for years, let alone a new acquaintance. I hope you can get her out of your life and focus on what you want to do, not think about what someone else thinks you should do.

I will look forward to hearing about your reading whenever you feel moved to post. But reading takes priority over posting IMO!

>83 libraryperilous: Welcome back! Post when you like, comment when you want, this is a very low pressure group. I think most everyone has said something along the lines of this in the past - I read a lot more than I comment.

>83 libraryperilous:, >86 libraryperilous:

I too fluctuate in how much I write, depending on circumstances. Don't worry about it.

I am sorry your family has been through a rough patch, but it is good to hear of a full recovery.

I concur with the other voices here: getting manhandled by non-family members is not normal (unless you are disabled, which seems to make you public property!) and not acceptable.

I do not think the apology is "doubling-down" exactly; she meant you no harm and is understandable that she feels the need to make that clear. But someone who wants to control your life to the extent of trying to make your decisions for you does not sound a bealthy connection.

I hope you can make your own choices, unaffected by this.

>93 haydninvienna: Oh, argh. I did 75ers a couple of years and Club Read once or twice. So many threads and posts. So many.

Thanks, >91 Kanarthi: through >96 -pilgrim-:: It's comforting to know that everyone feels a little overwhelmed by Talk and takes occasional breaks.

Unfortunately, I've had to email the former friend to tell her to stop contacting me. I asked my dad, who is one of the most even-keeled people I know, what he thought. His face got progressively angrier as I told him the story. (I left out some details on this thread, including another uncomfortable thing she had tried to do on my 'behalf.') Direct and kind are best, usually. It was unfair of me to try the brush-off first. But, as Frodo says, "It's done!"

On a side note, it's a relief to see my dad back to almost full strength! He's been using his riding mower. He has not resumed push mowing his ditches or taking daily five-mile hikes, but he is feeling much stronger.

Happy Friday!

Book read week of August 1st through August 7th

A Psalm for the Wild-Built: interesting start to a Tor novella series, but I wanted a bit less philosophizing and a bit more road trip adventuring. The story also suffers from Tor novella-itis: lots of stuff crammed into a shorter story, but not all of the world building is necessary.

The monk Dex leaves their order to become a traveling tea monk, but they remain restless. They leave the path for a monastery in the wilds, only to meet a robot, Mosscap, who's been tasked with returning to the human world and finding out what humans want. This has the potential to be an interesting series. Dex recites a list of villages and the possible trouble Mosscap might find when it visits them. So, I think future books in the series will have a bit more to the story. Also, they'll be back on the road in Dex's tea wagon, which is an interesting facet. Four stars, and I'll continue with this series.

Someone (tardis?) in the Green Dragon mentioned the historical fantasy romances of Celia Lake, so I currently am reading Outcrossing. I like it so far, although one can tell it's a self-published novel and the author's first. Thank you to whomever mentioned her books!

Ouch! You got me good with that book bullet! Just reserved an audio copy of Psalm for the Wild Built from the library.

>99 Storeetllr: I hope your hold comes in soon so you can stanch the wound. :)

It's a gentle story, so I imagine the audio version will be soothing!

Outcrossing didn't work for me, and I bounced off a contemporary romance as well. I need to accept that the genre is not for me, I think. I currently have Gaudy Night on my Kindle, but I'm not sold on the idea of a mystery that is close to 500 pages.

I loved Gaudy Night when I read it a million years ago, but I don't know that I would enjoy it as much on reread. I've moved on in my reading taste from three decades ago. If you do decide to read it, I will look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.

>101 Storeetllr: It seems to be a well-loved novel. I read the first Wimsey mystery and didn't like it or his character, so we shall see how I feel.

While I was browsing in my poetry binder this morning, I stumbled on my copy of this jewel of a noir story, by Miriam Van hee and translated by Ria Loohuizen:

she wished she could recover something,
a deserted courtyard, stolen money
a glove still warm, so she might recognize
something: the odor on the stairs
the faded colors of the gables

she would rather not have it alone
on the train, on the escalator, in the streets,
leaning forward in the snow

she would rather have a storm at sea
and not get lost

>102 libraryperilous: I am not fond of Harriet Vane, although it is necessary to take into account the extreme experiences that she has been the through.

I am surprised that you dislike Lord Peter as a character though. I find him a very sensitive portrayal of a young man, traumatised by his wartime experiences, and emotionally disengaging through an affected mask.

I look forward to your impressions of Gaudy Night, given that your reaction to Wimsey was so different to my own.

>103 -pilgrim-: My mom and I will read it in September for our book club. I'll report back.

Books read week of August 8th through August 14th:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: My mom liked this well enough to read the rest of the series, so we're continuing. Excluding Aslan, I found the non-human characters far more interesting than the Pevensies, who are, quite frankly, a collection of drips. The only one who shows an inkling of real personality is Edmund. Four stars, predominately for the setting, the description of Cair Paravel, and the animals. And the delightful Mr. Tumnus.

Journey Beyond the Burrow: marvelous forest friends adventure. Tobin, a mouseling weather scout, always follows the Rules of Rodentia. For example, Rule #2: Never become blinded by a singular worry; there are plenty of ways to die. When his baby brother is kidnapped by a colony of aggressive spiders, Tobin must break a number of the rules to save him. An overview of ecosystems forms the backdrop, but this is a straight middle grade animal adventure at its core. Tobin and his merry band expand their boundaries, learn to be brave, and make some new friends. For fans of Redwall and Alice's Farm. Five stars, although I do wish spiders hadn't been the villains. They're already misunderstood!

We've reached the point in my job search where I've sent just enough applications that I'm starting to receive rejections. So far, the only interview callback has been for a job in my previous field, which I am trying to leave. It also is in Seattle, and I prefer the East Coast.

I'm not egotistical. I know rejections are part of the search, but it would be nice to get an interview request for a job I actually find interesting, lol. Anyway, I know the solution is to send out even more applications, but it's hard not to get a bit frustrated.

ETA: Also, this is the longest job search I've ever had. With one previous exception, I either had jobs through contacts, or I sent an application or two and got a quick offer. Not bragging, I was just lucky the other times!

>106 libraryperilous: Also, this is NOT a normal job market. Even with a supposedly booming economy almost all of the job openings I see are in the service industry. Hang in there, and the very best of luck to you!

>107 clamairy: Thank you! I probably would have better luck if I were sending more applications. I did have a second interview this week. I liked the people with whom I would be working. It's just that the job is in my former industry, and I'd like to try something new. I probably should send some more applications.

>105 libraryperilous: ...the Pevensies, who are, quite frankly, a collection of drips. Thank you for articulating the issue I've always had with Narnia!

Sorry the job search is taking its toll. Hopefully you find something soon!

Also, thank you so much for all the love poem suggestions -- so helpful. I ended up loving and choosing Reprise by Ogden Nash.

>109 curioussquared: I'm glad to know it's not just me. They really are insufferable.

>110 curioussquared: You're welcome, and I'm glad one of them suited! Nash wrote mostly humorous poems, so when I first read "Reprise" I was surprised at how tender it is.

>111 libraryperilous: Yeah, I had read some of his shorter, sillier entries, so this one was a nice surprise 😊

I've just stumbled on this description of Becky Chambers' The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet: "It’s about aliens and spaceships, true. But it’s also about empathy, and the kindness that follows from it. Empathy is everywhere in the book."

I really love the idea of kindness following from empathy, and I think she hit her peak with this concept in the last book in the Wayfarers series, The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. I highly recommend it if any of you need a respite right now.

>112 curioussquared: My favorite Nash poems are "Polterguest, My Polterguest" and "Dr. Fell and Points West."

>109 curioussquared:, >111 libraryperilous: May I answer why you disliked the Pevensies so?

I admit to feeling a little u comfortable here; in my childhood reading, they were the only child protagonists that I could really identify with. The others that I can remember were either self-important and entitled, the embarrassing "what a middle class author thinks the working classes are like", or magically gifted and therefore unrelatable.

Books read August 22nd through August 31st:

Three Bird Summer: summer lakeside story of friendship, treasure, and an appreciation for nature

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor: fast-paced adventure set in a seaside mansion

Genevieve's War: lovely Resistance fiction set in the Alsace and featuring a feisty American girl

The Summer We Found the Baby: nominally historical fiction, but mostly just a gentle domestic tale

Five stars to Genevieve's War. Four stars to the rest.

Job searching is a full time job in itself. I've helped my OtherHalf endure it a few times. If you're getting 1 interview call out of 10 applications you're doing very well. If you get an offer out of 6 interviews you're also doing very well. So generally even in good times you're going to need 100 applications, each one tailored to that specific post. It's hard work. Wish you best of luck!

>113 libraryperilous: Very apt of Becky, it's heart-warming writing I love it. I thought Psalm was going to be a full novel, disappointed it's novella :-(

>116 reading_fox: Thank you for the encouragement! And for the reminder of the numbers. When I started the search, I calculated I should send around 300-500 applications before I got super worried. I'm sitting at less than fifty, lol.

I think Psalm has a great set-up, and I can see it turning into a popular series like Murderbot. I hope the next novella has more adventure in it, because I did think it was too short.

Shakespeare editions as biscuits, baked and decorated by Ella Hawkins

>119 libraryperilous: Gorgeous!

>120 curioussquared: She has another thread with some William Morris inspired biscuits that are gorgeous.

I can't imagine being this talented with any art form! I can barely make my handwriting legible.

Books read September 8th through September 14th

The Accidental Apprentice: competent found family fantasy adventure. When someone else's spell goes awry, orphan Barclay accidentally bonds with Root. Lore Keepers are forbidden in Barclay's town, so he's expelled into the Woods. There, he discovers a community of Lore Keepers and must decide whether or not he wants to stay with Root, a large wolf- and boar-like creature who can run faster than the wind and behaves like a golden retriever puppy. I wanted more of Root. Four stars.

"His tea had gone cold and he wanted his cat." Hollow Chest is my book of the year so far. It's a beautifully and sensitively written story about the costs of war: to soldiers on the frontlines, to families on the homefront, to the friends and neighbors whose relationships must change. Eleven-year-old Charlie has two best friends: his cat, Biscuits, and his big brother, Theo. Charlie has PTSD from the Blitz that killed his father. He's had to leave school during the war to take care of Grandpa Fitz, who has the beginnings of dementia, while Mum worries that her phone company job will be taken from her now that the war has ended. When Theo returns from the front injured, cold-hearted, and angry, all Charlie wants is for things to go back to the way they were, with Theo taking care of him and happy again. Charlie begins to see heart-eating war wolves around the returned soldiers. Charlie is determined to bargain with the wolves for the return of Theo's heart, but what's eaten can't be returned. Charlie must decide how big his love for his brother really is and how much of the wolves' price he wants to pay. How can Charlie give the wolves his whole heart to save Theo when he loves Biscuits, and Mum, and Grandpa Fitz? There are so many lovely threads in this story, especially the love of a cat for her boy. There's also a sensitive exploration of what we'd now call emotional support animals, and I appreciated that the author didn't make Charlie get over needing Biscuits or Mellie her pigeons.

Sometimes a book comes along that reminds you what a bold and brave act reading is. You never know when a book will tear your heart to pieces and stitch it back into something stronger. Five stars. NB: I don't usually complain about editing, but there were a couple of continuity errors, including about Charlie's age, that threw me out of the story a couple of times. I hope they fix these for the paperback edition.

Elvis and the World as It Stands: sweet story of a kitten taken from the shelter to a new home. All Elvis wants is to get back to the shelter and his sister, Etta, who wasn't adopted with him. He'd promised her they'd always be together. But Elvis' new home is warm and inviting, with a girl who loves animals and architecture. As Elvis and the hamster, Mo, help her heal from her parents' divorce, Elvis learns that home might be where he already is. But how can he find out if Etta is okay? Five stars.

We're on day four of someone named Britain who is trying to work for Door Dash getting text messages on my cell phone. I keep replying 'Stop' and Door Dash keeps right on texting, presumably because the person keeps resetting their account. (I've even received password reset texts.)

I opened a chat with Door Dash to explain and asked them to email the person and obtain a better phone number. I'm skeptical it will make a difference, but at least I tried to help Britain. I have unlimited text messaging on my plan, but it's kind of annoying to get Door Dash messages even more frequently than I get fundraising texts from my political party.

>123 libraryperilous: Can you not block the number?

>124 pgmcc: I'm on a prepay plan, not a contract. Unfortunately, this carrier doesn't allow prepay folk that feature.

Just checked out Hollow Chest from the library -- thanks for the rec!

Annoying about the texts!

>126 curioussquared: Ooh, I will watch for your review. I hope you like it! Even if you don't, I'm curious about your thoughts, because there are a couple of specific things that jumped out at me. I'll ask you for your opinion about them after you've read the book.

I recommended it to my mom—I badgered her about reading it for days!—and she didn't like it. I feel bad that I built it up so much.

Books read September 22nd through September 30th

An Irish Hostage: This is the second Bess Crawford mystery I've read. I dislike her character. She's obtuse and an imperialist. I found the location fascinating—Ireland, shortly after WWI and with leftover tensions from the Easter Rising simmering. I'd read another mystery set in Ireland during this period, one that focuses more on the politics and political machinations. In this book, we get Bess' rather dismissive thoughts on the situation, and the plot's overall link to the Rising is thin. Four stars for the locale.

The Beatryce Prophecy: DiCamillo's The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is one of my favorite books. This one, set in a medieval quasi-England, is closer to Desperaux and a bit too woo for me. I prefer Edward and his more grounded story. Four stars.

Brandon Sanderson fans: Can I read Mistborn without reading Elantris first?

>128 libraryperilous: I've read a bunch of DiCamillo but never actually got to Edward Tulane. I'll have to pick it up at some point!

I'm wasting time on the internet today and found this book-themed AITA: AITA for Reading YA books?

I'm pleased to see that the comments overwhelmingly are in support of the OP's reading tastes!

>130 curioussquared: It feels different than her other books, and it's a pretty serious look at the way society mistreats poor people. I hope you enjoy it!

>131 libraryperilous: Guess who has two thumbs and found a remaindered copy of Edward Tulane at Powell's on Saturday? This girl :)

And WTF, that person is definitely NTA and they should probably reconsider that friendship.

>132 curioussquared: Oooohhhhh! It's such a beautiful story.

Right? Someone should blow that fake friend's mind by telling her most children's books are written by adults.

>129 libraryperilous: Absolutely!

>132 curioussquared: Enjoy. It's the only thing of hers I've ever read.

>134 clamairy: Thank you I'll start it this weekend.

Books read October 1st through October 7th

Pony: part True Grit, part Some Kind of Courage, a bit of the only good M. Night Shyamalan film. After his father is kidnapped by outlaws and Pony appears at their cabin, twelve-year-old Silas Bird sets off with his ghost best friend, Mittenwool, through the Woods to find his father. Along the way, he meets a crusty marshal, a young sheriff, and some painful truths about his father. I really loved this surprisingly tender look at growing up and moving on. Five stars.

Dear Mrs Bird: interesting historical fiction set during the Blitz, which is describes quite realistically in places. Emmy longs to be a War Correspondent (always capitalized, in her mind), but she ends up working as a secretary for an awful woman who poses as the Agony Aunt at a fading women's magazine. Emmy finds herself answering letters and giving better advice than Mrs. Bird. When the Blitz inserts itself and personally into Emmy's group of friends, she finds that picking up the pieces is quite hard. I liked this, but the subplot was awful: Emmy correctly calls out her fireman friend's reckless behavior and everyone gets mad at her. He literally almost got his entire crew killed!. I also wish the letters had featured more prominently. Four stars.

The Women of Troy: worthy sequel to a favorite of mine, The Silence of the Girls. Troy has fallen. The winds are howling and the Greeks are trapped outside the walls of Troy, unable to sail for home. Tempers are flaring and the enslaved women of Troy, closed off from each other, begin plotting various revenges. Briseis, who has more freedom of movement, begins to weave the threads together, but what can women with no future except drudgery do? As the winds pick up and the whispers about divine wrath swirl, the claustrophobic encampment takes on a menace all its own. Absolutely brilliant, although I could have used more paragraphs about the wind howling and the seas crashing. There's room for a third story. I hope Barker makes this a trilogy. Five stars.

Vespertine: fascinating YA historical fantasy. If more YA fantasy were like this, I'd read it regularly. Also: no romance, hooray! The setting, a quasi-medieval France, is full of catacombs, cathedrals, and the creeping hand of the Clerisy. Pieces on the chessboard move into place as our heroine, Artemisia, finds herself sharing headspace with a sarcastic revenant and facing off against a wily and elegant priest. The setting was extremely vivid, and Artemisia's personality never felt too angsty. The story is self-contained but a duology is planned. Five stars.

A good reading week!

Edited: missing punctuation

>136 libraryperilous: Yay Vespertine! I've been looking forward to that one and might pick up a copy tomorrow.

>136 libraryperilous: Vespertine and The women of Troy were already on my wishlist but your praise has moved them up!

>137 curioussquared:, >138 Sakerfalcon: I thought of both of you when reading Vespertine.

>138 Sakerfalcon: I'd overlooked that Barker wrote a sequel, so it was a nice surprise when I saw it in Overdrive.

Books read October 8th through October 15th

A Fatal Lie: the latest in the Rutledge mysteries set in post-WWI England. This is a better series than the Bess Crawford novels. Rutledge, a dogged detective, finds himself on the Welsh border tracking a murderer and a missing toddler. The mystery is a bit convoluted and the strands don't tie in well. I was interested in the setting and the drudgery and persistence that solving the crime entailed. Four stars.

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder is billed as a historical mystery, but it's more a light urban fantasy with slight elements of detecting. In fact, the time period is irrelevant to the story. Marion Lane goes to work for a mysterious detective agency that occupies some tunnels hidden below London. From there, it gets even more ridiculous. The agency is run by someone of questionable ethics, and I'm not invested enough to see if the author explores that in a later novel. Also, a love triangle has been set up. Sigh. Three stars.

The Dressmakers of Auschwitz recounts the horrors of the Holocaust and the Nazis' plundering and destruction of the European fashion and textile industries, trades which provided large numbers of Jews with livelihood. The author shows that the destruction of the fashion world was not incidental. It was part of the Nazis' plan to destroy all traces of Jewish life from Europe. And, of course, they could plunder and enrich their own coffers along the way.

While in captivity in Auschwitz, around 25 seamstresses found themselves working in the Upper Tailoring Studio, sewing haute couture for the Nazi commandant's wife and her Nazi friends. This studio afforded the women a bit of protection (but only a bit, and fraught) in a camp that featured murder and torture daily. We don't know much about what was sewn, except that the fashions were unique and high-end. Orders came all the way from Berlin, with a six-month wait, but the order book was lost, presumably destroyed when the Nazis set fire to as much evidence as they could find when they abandoned Auschwitz. As with so much of life during an atrocity, the archival record is thin. Most of the book is a general history of the Nazis' destruction, with a focus on the fashion trade and the death camp's impact on these seamstresses.

Clarice the Brave: "It only takes one mouse to believe in you, and that one mouse is me." Look, if you like maritime animal adventure stories that feature a mouse and a cat becoming friends and then finding their way to a lush hidden island, this book is for you. Five stars, because I love those kinds of stories, and this one has a special cat named Special Lady. "I had one of those moments where I felt like everything was a bit too real and seemed wrong. Like, here I was, living in a tree, lost in paradise, with my best friend, a cat."

Edited: added some details

Clarice the Brave looks delightful!

>141 curioussquared: It definitely was a nice title for mouse fiction fans. The writing style was a bit irritating, as a number of themes were explored in the dreaded question form. "Is my brother thinking of me? Can he survive alone?" etc. But the story itself was charming, and I loved both Clarice and Special Lady.

After having reading success for the last two weeks, I've DNFed four three titles in varied genres in a row. The common theme is that they all were Kindle downloads, a sure sign that my brain wants a tree-based book.

No, you DNFed a book because the author made a spider cry.

>142 libraryperilous: Sorry about the DNFs, but it does seem like you've been on a roll.

>144 clamairy: Yes, still rolling, thankfully. The DNFs have a bit of value. They make the pleasure of sinking into a book I do enjoy a little bit stronger.

Books read October 15th through October 21st

Kenny and the Dragon: retelling of "The Reluctant Dragon." Kenneth the rabbit loves to read and is a bit of a nerd. When the dragon, Grahame, decides to come out of centuries-long hibernation to see the sunsets, read books, and eat crème brûlée, Kenny realizes he's found his new best friend. Unfortunately, the townsanimals are quick to judge a dragon for being a dragon. Kenny must use his wits to save his new bff. This was cute. Four stars.

Murder on Cold Street: Holmes pastiche that posits Sherlock as an imaginary cover the real Holmes, Charlotte, uses so that her gender doesn't constrain her in solving crimes. Charlotte's vices are cake and gaudy dresses. It's twee in places, which makes for an odd contrast to the grim social commentary and sordid motive of the crime. I'm going to read the next one in the series, because it features Moriarty's daughter, but I don't think this series is one I'll follow. Four stars.

A Spindle Splintered: clever multiverse fractured fairy tale, in which the young folklorist Zinnia pricks her finger on a spindle and finds herself in a quasi-medieval version of Sleeping Beauty. She and Primrose discover that breaking a curse is just the start to the real happily ever after—deciding your own fate. "We ride on—we dying girls, we sorry girls, gallows-bound": I really liked this and was reminded of the Wayward Children series. Four stars, and I'll read the next one (focusing on Snow White's evil queen) when it's published.

The Enchanted Sonata: Frothy confection, a sort of happily-ever-after counterpoint to The Kingdom of Back. I loved the way the author made music itself the source of the enchantment, and I liked the added element of the Pied Piper. A clever, suitably wintry Nutcracker retelling. I love historical fantasies about music and Nutcracker variations, so this was a five-star read for me. Really, I need more historical fantasies about ballet in my life.

I haven't heard of The enchanted sonata before, but it does sound good. This one is being given a push in the UK - Midnight in Everwood. I'm very tempted!

>147 Sakerfalcon: Ooh, the cover is gorgeous! It's very tempting. I have one of Kuzniar's middle grade novels on my shelf, waiting to be read. The author of The Enchanted Sonata had published two previous YA novels with a mainstream publisher, so the book was more polished than some self-published stories.

ETA: I caved. I also ordered Wishyouwas, as I am in the mood for festive stories right now.

>146 libraryperilous: I will keep an eye out for A Spindle Splintered, as the quote you shared reminded me just how much I loved her prose in The Once and Future Witches.

>149 clamairy: Thanks for mentioning the prose. I peeked inside it and agreed with you, so I've borrowed Witches.

Books read October 22nd through October 31st:

Dewdrop: K. O'Neill's first picture book, and featuring their trademark emphasis on kindness and acceptance. Dewdrop the axolotl is the best cheerleader, so he sets out to help his friends feel confident in their entries in the local fair. It's not about winning. It's about doing your level best! Four stars.

The Tea Dragon Tapestry: final entry in O'Neill's Tea Dragon Society series. The tea dragon, Ginseng, is recovering from her previous caretaker's death. Greta wants Ginseng to be happy again, but it takes time to heal from grief. Meanwhile, Minette is homesick, but she also loves her new life in the village. Can these parts form a whole? Lovely, as one would expect, and an appropriate conclusion to the series. Five stars.

The Book Rescuer: picture book biography of Aaron Lansky, founder of the Yiddish Book Center. Macy uses direct quotes from Lansky to tell some of the story, an unusual but effective device in a picture book. The illustrator drew inspiration from Chagall. A glossary of the Yiddish terms used in the picture book added extra depth, even to words that are quite common in American English (bagel, mensch). I did not know that maven comes from the Yiddish word meyvn. Four stars.

Spark: middle grade standalone fantasy with a dragon-like lightning storm beast, Pixit, and his bonded rider, Mina heading to boarding school to learn how to control their powers. The storm beasts and their riders control their isolationist country's weather, but Mina and Pixit discover that comes at a terrible price. Most lightning beat guardians are bold and brash. Mina is quiet and shy. She and Pixit work together to find a way to stand up to the injustice they've uncovered. I especially liked that Mina is allowed to stay quiet and shy. This is a story about using the strengths you already possess, not becoming someone different. Also, Pixit is adorable. Five stars.

The Lion of Mars: this is billed as sci-fi, but it's more a slice of life tale that happens to take place on Mars. Bell has grown up in the US' underground Mars colony. Their commander cut off contact with the other countries several years ago, and on Earth everyone is fighting over Antarctica. When a mouse-borne virus infects the adults in the American colony, Bell ventures on the underground train to ask rival France for help. However, it's about 2/3 into the book before the virus strikes. Most of the story revolves around how what essentially is a small, close-knit farming community might behave if they happened to live underground on Mars. That part was far more interesting than the virus itself. Four stars.

The Gilded Page: fascinating account of manuscripts and the tantalizingly few clues we have to their creators and the hidden symbolism in their pages. My favorite example: the birds overlaid in the margins of the Sherborne Missal, and no one knows why or what they might mean. Maybe the owner just liked birds. The work of creating manuscripts was collaborative and usually anonymous (although a few scribes left notes in the margins). Often, patrons would instruct a manuscripts' creators, especially in the type of image the powerful wanted projected in the manuscript. Later, when scribing became a commercial occupation, scribes functioned as editors and critics, choosing which parts to copy and even rewriting texts to suit their own purposes. The texts themselves have come to us as palimpsests (quite often literally), and the chief certainty is that we're missing lots of pieces.

Wellesley cites the copying of Marie de France's fables, which originally had proto-feminist undertones. Later editions have whole passages rewritten to center men or to make the female characters fickle or untrustworthy. Wellesley speculates that women had more of a role in creating manuscripts than the historical record shows, in part because women's voices were not valued in the Middle Ages. But, also, value was assigned to manuscripts at later dates (collecting became the rage after the Dissolution), and those collectors did not value women's voices, either.

Many manuscripts were destroyed or lost. In the case of the Exeter Book, "the opening pages are missing from the manuscript, and the current first page has been used as a chopping board and as a resting place for a cup" (78). However, Wellesley also cites the lovely example of a female scribe who wrote a text on monastic life that evidently was used by nuns for their daily dinner readings. Not only did the scribe sign the manuscript as a female ("Salva et incolomis maneat per secula scriptrix"), but the manuscript has drips of wax on it. A number of leaves have been replaced and punctuation has been added to the sermons to help with reading the text aloud. It is the most 'lived-in' of the manuscripts Wellesley discusses, and it has a kind of haunting beauty. I could picture both the female scribe bent over her task and the nuns at dinner reading aloud from it with loving care.

While I enjoyed reading about the adventures and misadventures of these manuscripts, I did think Wellesley's overall thesis was a bit neglected. I agreed with it, but I wanted a bit more tying together. Instead, the book is more a series of anecdotes. What might a future reader find, perusing my copy? Well, on page 95, I spilled some water on the book as I was reading it. And hidden amongst my thoughtful marginalia, one finds, on page 99, "I knew this chapter would have this asshole," with an arrow pointing to Henry VIII's name. The chapter, of course, was on patrons. Four stars.

The Circus at the End of the Sea: middle grade circus fantasy. I'm not a fan of circus stories. Authors usually give in to their carnival barker impulses and throw everything plus the kitchen sink into their circus stories. This story is no exception, with some added New Age-y bromides thrown in. The overall effect is one of a series of impressions of a visit to a circus. The heart of the story is interesting, and I did race through the book. One has to wade through a lot of candy floss to get there. Four stars.

Across the Desert: Jolene's friend Addie livestreams her ultralight flights to an audience of one: Jolene. The two girls, who've never met offline, both are lonely, and Jolene's mom is addicted to opiates. Jolene is bullied for being poor. When Addie's plane crashes in the Arizona desert, Jolene can't find any adults who believe her. No one else saw the crash, and Addie takes the plane out when her mom is at work. Jolene's the only one who can save Addie, but no one will listen to her—until she gets to the bus station and meets teenager Marty, a snarky girl who believes in Jolene. The two girls trek into the Arizona desert. Jolene must tackle the adventure at hand, her frustration with her mom, and her fear that being poor will condemn her to a life of no choices. The author handles some of these topics better than others, but the actual adventure part of the story is fast-paced and interesting. Four stars.

Willodeen: middle grade conservation fiction, in which the title character, who loves to observe nature, puts these skills to use to discover how the humans in her village have made the local ecosystem unbalanced. Five stars.

A Season for Second Chances: fresh and interesting novel in which 44-year-old Annie, who's finally had enough of her cheating husband, leaps at the chance to house-sit a beach house on the North Sea during the winter months. Annie immediately loves the house, the village, and the now-closed cafe attached to the house. She takes a bit longer to warm up to the owner's grumpy nephew. Refreshingly, they don't have too much conflict for too long. This is billed as a rom-com, but it's more a slice of seaside life. I loved it. If more romance novels were like this one, I'd read them more often. Five stars.

I really want to read the Tea Dragon series. They look delightful.

>152 Sakerfalcon: The Tea Dragons are so cute! I recommend reading the print editions if you can find them. I read the last book on my Kindle Fire, and I missed some of the panels' smaller details.

You got me with A Season for Second Chances -- just put it on hold :)

>153 libraryperilous: I definitely want the print books! The kindle screen is way too small to properly appreciate the details of picture books or graphic novels.

>154 curioussquared: I thought of you when I was reading it. I know you are a connoisseur of the rom-com genre. :)

>155 Sakerfalcon: They are pretty books! There also is a delightful and pretty card game that I bought for my mom a couple of years ago. She is a big fan of both tea and the tea dragon books.

There are so many great jobs available in coastal cities, and I am excited about a ton of them. But! I cannot seem to motivate to actually prepare the applications and submit them. :(

Edited: missing word

The Tea Dragon books are lovely, and definitely need to be read in print to be best appreciated.

>156 libraryperilous: It's funny, because I've never really thought of myself as a romance novel reader. But I think the genre itself is having something of a renaissance, and I'm happy to be swept along with it -- moving away from cheesy bodice ripper covers to cute, colorful designs, and I think targeting the audience that has always been up for watching a chick flick but didn't really think of perusing the romance aisle. Anyway, I only started reading non-YA romance in the past few years, but it's honestly been my favorite genre for Covid times. Easy to escape!

>158 curioussquared: Yeah, to me the rom-com genre feels distinct from contemporary romance novels. At least, the handful that I've read do. I'm not quite sure what it is, because I haven't read that many. But they definitely have been more interesting to me than the contemporary romances I've tried. It seems like the rom-coms have more details about life and friendships? But they definitely have been great escapes, whatever they're labeled!

Books read November 1st through November 7th

Dead Voices: not nearly as creepy as Small Spaces, in part because it's a more conventional supernatural mystery. Ollie and her friends are snowed in at a ski lodge, and there are ghosts who go boo in the night. A mysterious stranger arrives, there's a ouija board, etc. It's a cool series, and I'm looking forward to the next one, which features a lake monster. Four stars.

The Flatshare: eh, it was fine. But my newfound fascination with rom-coms already has burned out. I should just appreciate the handful I do love. I finished this one, but I found both of the main characters silly. I don't have a problem with authors covering heavier, sad topics in rom-coms. If I'm honest, though, I just want to read a cute story about two people going on dates, bantering on them, and deciding they like each other. Low angst and low conflict, please. Does that even exist, lol? Four stars.

Wishyouwas: I kicked off the TBR challenge I'm doing with my mom with a new favorite. This is such a sweet, fast-paced holiday story. In smog-addled, postwar London, Penny is stuck at her grumpy postmaster uncle's home for Christmas. When she sneaks into the post office at night, she meets Wishyouwas, a Sorter who lives underground and helps lost letters find their way home. The Sorters find their Bureau and their secret existence endangered when the Royal Mail's rat-catcher starts snooping. Can Penny and Wishyouwas save the day and get the Christmas mail sorted in time? Little touches about the Sorters' lives are so cute. They call Penny 'Dear Penny' because all of their own names are salutations. Five stars.

In a Blue Velvet Dress: a luggage mix-up finds bookworm Jane Reid stranded on holiday with no books. She's certain she'll be miserable, but a book appears on her nightstand. Each night, a new book appears. Who's leaving her the old-fashioned stories? I loved the twist ending to this book, the seaside Irish town, and the nearby crumbling ruins Jane and a new friend explore. The book's message is gently conveyed: Bookworms can find real-life adventures if they just look for them. Sefton is the pen name of Martin Waddell. Five stars.

The Nutcracker Mice: charming middle grade story of mice who live in the Mariinsky Theatre and stage their own ballets. The Russian Mouse Ballet Company is in danger of folding, and also there are traps being set around the theater. Esmeralda hatches a plan to save the company from fading into obscurity, but she may need the help of a human girl, Irina, to succeed. I loved the innovations Esmeralda makes to the Nutcracker story and also to her dancing technique. Five stars.

The nutcracker mice sounds adorable!

>161 Sakerfalcon: It's geared toward lower middle grades, so it only takes a couple of hours. The scenes where Esmeralda dances in the Balalaika Club on Nevsky Prospect are a delight!

Sorry you didn't love The Flatshare, but glad you didn't hate it, either :) In a Blue Velvet Dress and The Nutcracker mice are intriguing to me!

>163 curioussquared: I liked it well enough to try The Switch at some point. :)

Books read November 8th through November 14th

Kitten and the Night Watchman: picture book about the way nature 'intrudes' upon a construction site. Four stars.

A Christmas Legacy: Anne Perry's annual holiday novella, a light belowstairs mystery in which a former lady's maid goes undercover to find out why a wealthy couple's actions are scaring all their servants. The last few offerings in Perry's series have been bland. She seems to have recovered her holiday spirit with this one. Four stars.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate: This is Chambers' "If you're reading this, I'm probably dead" story, and it's beautiful. It seems influenced by Janet Kagan, with a nod to Mirabile in the planet Mirabilis. Chambers explores the pursuit of knowledge and the splendor and serendipity that coexist alongside the harm and frustration. "We should have known better, as students of the universe. There's no escaping entropy." She looks at hope and why it's an important part of the scientific method. "We have found nothing you can sell. We have found nothing you can put to practical use. We have found no worlds that could be easily or ethically settled, were that end desired. We have satisfied nothing but curiosity, gained nothing but knowledge." As Chambers notes in the extras: "hope isn't about predicting the future; it's about how you approach it." Five stars.

Dark Waters: Arden continues her middle grade exploration of horror tropes. This one is the lake monster story, with the three friends stranded on an island on Lake Champlain with a sea monster, clueless adults, a possibly unfriendly ghost, and only their own skills to save them. While I don't think the sequels are creepy in the way Small Spaces was, they are entertaining adventure stories, with Arden also gently exploring trauma and resilience. Four stars.

Twelve Rabbits and a Turtle: sweet self-published chapter book that explores sustainable farming and the importance of having a variety of plants and animals in an ecosystem. I loved this. Five stars.

Miss Moriarty, I Presume?: Charlotte Holmes' twee quirks and her silly romance with Ash remain drags on this series. However, the introduction of Moriarty's daughter, and the plot twist I wanted, made me race through this. I'm looking forward to the next couple of books. I do love a good Moriarty twist. Five stars.

Certain Poor Shepherds: somber and weird. Three stars.

This Side of Murder: book bullet from tardis' thread. Verity Kent's husband was killed in WWI. When she's invited to an island engagement party at which all of the male guests are former officers who knew her husband, she's suspicious. And who has sent her a cipher to solve and a warning not to trust anyone? I liked this well enough to read the next entry. The unnecessary quasi-love interest detracted, especially given the predictable plot twist. But I think the exploration of post-war grief and PTSD are well-written and the potential for some more atmospheric mysteries is there. Four stars.

Hey, I got an email from a potential employer who want to interview me but needs my salary expectations first. Does anyone have tips on how to respond? I know it's pretty common for employers to do this, so I'm curious what other people have done. Thank you!

>166 libraryperilous: I usually respond by asking if they have a salary range in mind for the position. They generally will give the range they're targeting then and I tell them if it will work for me.

>167 curioussquared: Thank you! This also is what AskaManager advises, so I've sent off the email. She hasn't failed me yet!

Edited: spelling

>166 libraryperilous: Oh, good luck!

>165 libraryperilous: I have To Be Taught, If Fortunate waiting for me, but I'm still bogged down in A Spaceborn Few. It's not bad... there are just too many unconnected characters for my taste.

>169 clamairy: Thank you! It was one of the better applications I sent, so I'm glad they noticed me. Unfortunately, their fixed salary for the job is about 20K lower than my starting range for that city. :(

To Be Taught is less whimsical than anything else by Chambers. It's quite sad, in places, and it also takes a bit to unspool. I look forward to your thoughts, because it's different from her Wayfarers books. Spaceborn wasn't a hit with me either. I'm rereading the series now, so it will be interesting to see how I react to the reread.

I've done my annual SantaThing entry, and this year I've gone in a different direction. I'm asking for Mary Stewart readalikes—the plucky adventure abroad aspect. I've also included some specific SFF authors that Green Dragoners seem to like, as well as the option to pick some mid-century women's fiction from the Furrowed Middlebrow imprint.

If anyone would like to leave suggestions—or comments warning my Santa off certain titles—you can see my entry here: https://www.librarything.com/santathing_thing.php?id=258.

Thank you!

Books read November 15th through November 21st

Gilded: Cursed by the god of fortune and storytelling at birth, Serilda runs afoul of the Erlking during a Wild Hunt and spins a story that lands her even further in His Grim's clutches. And who is the mysterious boy, Gild, who haunts the Erlking's castle and can spin straw into gold? This is a fascinating Rumpelstiltskin story that blends Germanic folklore with a bit of Cassandra. The Wild Hunt is fantastically imagined—genuinely creepy yet beguiling. This was on its way to a five-star rating from me, until I got to the unplanned pregnancytrope. Four stars. Recommended to fans of YA fantasy.

The Haunting of Tram Car 015: In a steampunk Cairo that has thrown off the yoke of occupation, two inspectors from the supernatural are called to investigate a haunted tram car. I used to live in Egypt, so I have a fondness for stories that capture Cairo's unique history. While I ended up liking this, I was not convinced by the alternate history that Clark created in this novella. I felt as if Clark's own sexism and slightly colonialist gaze were on display. I'm intrigued enough to read the novel, A Master of Djinn, to see if a longer work gives the author more time to clean up some things. Four stars.

The Longest Letsgoboy: a dog says goodbye to Little and the natural world (trees = bigsticks) on the last best walk ever. "We stop at smoothstump, then sit, stay, be." When sleep comes, bigsky is waiting. Five stars.

Inside Cat: Inside Cat looks out all its windows and learns all there is to know about the world, but what is this thing called a door and where does it lead? Four stars.

Cat Problems: honestly, junk like this is why people treat their cats poorly. Two stars.

Fluffy McWhiskers Cuteness Explosion: Poor Fluffy. She is kind and fun and wants a friend. Unfortunately, she is so cute that other animals explode when they look at her. Desperate not to kill anyone else, she travels to a deserted island, where she makes the best of her lonely circumstances and perhaps finally finds a friend. Five stars.

Bright Star: A fawn is born in the Sonoran Desert, near the border wall. Life is harsh but beautiful, and it's okay to be angry and yell "No!" at the wall. The last two pages see the fawn transformed into a girl, illustrating the connections between human and the rest of nature. Author's notes detail the wall's impact on wildlife corridors and the Tohono O'odham Nation. One of the most hopeful picture books I've read in a long time. Five stars.

Negative Cat: Max is a negative cat. He misbehaves constantly, and only the boy who adopted him loves him. The boy, a reluctant reader with dyslexia, tries everything with Max except books. When the boy's parents contact the shelter to return the cat, the desperate boy begins to read to Max. It turns out that Max loves to be read to, so the shelter starts a reading program. The author was inspired by the Book Buddies program. Five stars.

Tea and Sympathetic Magic, The Frost Fair Affair, and Spellcracker's Honeymoon: Miss Mnemosyne Seabourne, twenty-two and bored with being Out in Society, would rather stay home with a book and a cup of tea. Unfortunately, the social conventions of the Teacup Islands dictate rather more garden and house parties. When she meets Thornbury, a spellcracker, she discovers adventures and mysteries—and romance. I liked these novellas, and I hope the author writes more. They often descend into farce, and the courtly politics and rigid society rules are infuriating enough to offset the slapstick. Four stars each. The collection is available free on Kindle Unlimited in the US right now, under the name Teacup Magic: The First Collection.

Edited: stray grammar

Just touching base to say hi and good luck with the booster!

>173 Storeetllr: Hi! *waves*

I once again procrastinated on a job app until the last day and then rushed through the cover letter instead of writing a good one, lol. So hard to motivate to send applications!

"Nothing that is questionable will be on my chart!"

—my mom, informing me that she will not be using the relaxed 'rules' I offered during our TBR challenge.

Books read November 22nd through November 30th

The Magpie Lord: a historical fantasy with a mystery to solve, but there's very little worldbuilding and the mystery is unsatisfying. "Look, bird magic!" then "Warlocks are coming! For no reason but draining power!" I also didn't like the romance. There was very little reason for the protagonists to like each other. I also don't like dom/sub sex scenes. These were well-written, but that's a trope I don't enjoy in the slightest. Three stars.

The Fire Bay Adventure: a fun and short lower middle grade adventure. The cousins bust a counterfeit ring while solving a centuries-old smuggling mystery. The seaside village locale makes these stories fun for me. Four stars.

A Rush of Wings: a new all-time favorite! Gorgeous standalone YA fantasy, a retelling of "The Wild Swans" set in Scotland, first by the sea and then in Inverness. Rowenna has wind powers, but she was born on a stormy night by the sea. Her mother, Mairead, refuses to teach Enna to control her magic, mistaking Enna's temper for lack of compassion. Mairead is taken by a fuath and returns to the seaside village a monster only Enna can see. Mairead curses Enna, her brothers, and Gawen, a mysterious, shipwrecked boy who has come to Enna for help. Enna finds that her brothers' freedom from the curse is tied to helping rebel Gawen defeat the cruel Torr Pendragon. I loved the wind, moaning through the story like a Greek chorus. And I loved the fiercely feminist message of the story, which does something so many 'girl power!' stories fail to do: It shows girls how they can be themselves while still contributing to a broader justice movement. Five stars. Highly recommended to fans of YA fantasy or fairy tale retellings.

Slippery Creatures: a better offering from Charles than The Magpie Lord. There's more of a plot, and it's an interesting story of post-WWI double- and triple-crosses. Working class bookshop owner Will Darling teams with upper class gadabout Kim Secretan to find out who wants to steal a formula for a dangerous weapon. But is Kim really the helpful new lover he seems? I didn't like this well enough to finish the trilogy, but it was an enjoyable romp. Four stars.

Lena, the Sea, and Me: the adventures of Trille and his best friend, Lena, who live in a Norwegian fishing village and go caroling in a hurricane. It's that kind of slice of life story, taking place over four seasons in the village, with zany adventures and friendship intrigues mixing with the quotidian. Four stars.

The Speckled Beauty: "'What a good boy,' they said, one after another, and I just nodded, because who has time to set the whole town straight?" Speckled Beauty—Speck, for short—is part Australian Shepard, perhaps some heeler and with plenty of grit and heart but no brains. He's the goodest bad dog to ever roam the Alabama hills, and Rick Bragg can barely keep up. Speck herds the mule and donkeys, fights snakes and cats, hurtles himself at red-colored vehicles, and is in and out of the vet for injuries minor, medium, and major. "A boy should have had this dog, a tireless, terrible, indestructible boy. Every bang of the screen door would have been the start of a great race. Think of the mud puddles, alone. Think of the adventures. The days would flash by, time would catch fire."

Instead, Speck stumbles onto Bragg's land one day, injured and starving, and somehow finds his forever home. Bragg, recovering from cancer and heart failure, and diagnosed with depression and anxiety, finds that perhaps he needs Speck even more than Speck needs him. As the dog learns to trust Bragg's family, Speck displays some startling empathy toward family illnesses and grief. But Speck also stays wild and bad in a lovable way. Four stars, a highly enjoyable dog story.

My Brigadista Year: In 1961, Lora joins Castro's Brigadista initiative to teach poor Cubans how to read. She travels to a farm in the mountains where she lives with a kind and studious family. Written as a diary, the narrative at times is dry—but I actually like fiction that does this. A brilliant examination of a successful literacy initiative, and 13-year-old Lora is a welcome protagonist: idealistic but not really naive. Five stars. The book's overall message is that regular people working together for a good cause can change their world: a welcome reminder right now.

ETA missing title

>176 libraryperilous: I own A treason of thorns which is also by Laure Weymouth. I will move it up Mount TBR after your great review of her other book. And The speckled beauty sounds adorable!

Hey, everyone: I was orphaned this year. If you want to try your hand at picking books for any of the SantaThing orphans, they should be releasing the fosters soon: https://www.librarything.com/santathing.php

>177 Sakerfalcon: Ooh, that one sounds good! I liked Speck, especially because it was a shorter book, less than 200 pages. I think shorter, sweeter animal stories are fun to read.

Soooo, I peeked at my SantaThing entry, and I feel like a jerk. I left a comment requesting a couple of changes to the books that were picked. I've never done that before. I suppose that's what I get for peeking. :(

One of the suggestions left was Susanna Kearsley, who'd been on my radar because clam likes her novels. I'm reading The Rose Garden right now. I already like it so much I'm planning on spending the weekend curled up with one of her other novels. I can't decide which one! They all sound fascinating.

Book read December 1st through December 7th:

Not even worth mentioning, really. I've had a stressful week.

The Secret Diary of Thomas Snoop, Tudor Boy Spy: Forgettable early middle grade novel of a boy spy who is sent to a manor house to spy on rich people. I don't typically enjoy humorous middle grade novels, plus the mystery is dull. Three stars.

Books read December 8th through December 14th:

Winter's Orbit: a mix of romance, murder mystery, and palace intrigue set on a wintry planet, but the story's a bit of a mixed bag. Fun characters, entertaining intrigues, and the plot ticks along—but there are chunks that just don't feel that relevant. The novel originally was published on AO3 as origfic inspired by Ann Leckie's Imperial Radch trilogy. Tor picked it up and gave it a mild edit, but it remains fanfic-y in execution. Leckie's trilogy interrogates empire and its consequences. Winter's Orbit just uses empire to tell a fun story. That's fine. I enjoy space adventures. But the 'happy' political ending is dependent on empire, and the few sentences that provide a critique feel thrown in. Overall, I enjoyed the book and raced through it, but I don't think it's as thoughtful as Leckie's novels. Four stars.

Curses: amusing gender-swapped YA retelling of Beauty and the Beast. I liked Merit and her bookish, yet bold, personality. The Beauty, a con artist named Tevin who makes a living seducing rich young women, also has a great personality. They strike a bargain to help Merit find an appropriate husband, enlist a merry band of assistants, and all sorts of hijinks and entertainments result. The magic system is interesting, but it takes a back seat to the blend of screwball banter and slapstick humor. Highly enjoyable. Four stars.

Clara's Soldier: started okay, with an interesting look at early post-WWII life and PTSD. It spiralled into a weird, metaphysical Nutcracker retelling that barely contains Nutcracker elements. The gender roles are comically reactionary and Clara's obsessive pining for a man the army considers dead is presented as romantic. Oh, and the comatose soldier only gets a second chance at life because Clara's godfather dies to imbue some magic into the soldier. The soldier's PTSD is presented (correctly) as something to be managed with support. Clara's grief is not worth therapy because magic makes everything okay. It's too close to One True Love purity for me. Two stars because I finished it. One star is more appropriate.

Discount Armageddon: fun start to an urban fantasy series featuring the Price family, a group of cryptozoologists (and cryptids) who went into hiding after they defied The Covenant, a creepy group of zealots who think it's their religious mission to wipe cryptids off the face of the earth. Verity Price, on a gap year in New York to try her hand at ballroom dancing, discovers that the city's cryptids are disappearing. Oh, and a sexy Covenant agent, Dominic De Luca, is in New York scouting a potential purge. Amazingly, he's not behind the disappearances, and Verity soon discovers that something even creepier than the Covenant is behind the mystery. Fun, and the Aeslin mice are adorable. I'll definitely continue this series. Four stars.

Winds of Marque: action-packed Age of Space Sail adventure in which His Majesty's navy operates four-masted spaceships, complete with sails, cannons, and drawn-sword fighting. XO Liam Blackwood and quartermaster Amelia Virtue embark on a mission to uncover a pirates' hideout. Their mysterious captain, former diplomat Sophia Riverton, may also have a secondary mission. Disguised as a trader, the HMSS Daring sails through space collecting goods and gathering intelligence. I liked this, but it's very "Hail, Empire!" and contains the casual racism and sexism you'd expect. In particular, the romance between Blackwood and Virtue is unnecessary and he's a jealous jerk. Four stars because sailing ships in space.

A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking: I bumped this up my TBR after curioussquared reviewed it here. 14-year-old Mona, a baker, can magic dough. Hers is a tiny magic that she employs to amuse customers by making gingerbread men dance. She finds a dead body in the bakery, then finds herself hauled before the Duchess by a creepy inquisitor, then finds out there's a plot afoot to rid the city of magic. She and her young sneak thief friend, Spindle, use their skills to save the city from the adults' cowardice. Fun, clever, and unique. Mona is angry she has to be a hero because all the adults failed at it. So refreshing in children's fiction. I see it's been tagged YA, but I'd label it middle grade. We need more middle grade books that feature older characters. Five stars.

Edited: spelling

>182 libraryperilous: I didn't realised that Winter's orbit was inspired by Leckie's Imperial Radch books. I agree that it is a lot lighter and less thoughtful, although I did enjoy it quite a bit. I think I gave it 4 stars whereas Leckie's trilogy were 4.5 and 5 stars.

The Cryptid series is a lot of fun, and the Aeslin mice are brilliant!

I must read A wizard's guide to defensive baking. It sounds so good!

>180 libraryperilous: Yes, I've read two by Susanna Kearsley and enjoyed them both. She's not heavy handed with the romances and the ghostly aspects are well done. Plus she's a trained archeologist, so those parts are the best, IMHO.

>184 clamairy: Oh, that's why the details are so interesting.

>183 Sakerfalcon: I think you would like Kingfisher's book. The baking magic is so cute and fun.

I don't think Winter's Orbit really attempted to be as thoughtful as Leckie's books, but I found it hard to avoid the comparison. It mostly was just a good adventure story, and I definitely would read a sequel.

>182 libraryperilous: Yay, glad you liked the Kingfisher! Winter's Orbit is on my list to get to soon; I haven't read the Leckie books so I won't have the comparison to make :)

>186 curioussquared: I'm definitely going to read Minor Mage and Bryony and Roses soon. I think you might like Curses. The Leckie trilogy was my gateway into sci-fi, so I might be overly fond of it. :)

Some of these later posts have been extraordinarily dangerous in terms of book bullets. I suppose one might consider it friendly fire, but I've taken several hits. :)

>188 Marissa_Doyle: Oh dear. :) A small consolation: I was grazed a few minutes ago in your thread.

>189 libraryperilous:
Revenge is sweet!

Friendly fire. Hah! I was hit with a few BBs too, so thanks for that. I can always do with more sailing ships in space and lighter-hearted Imperial Radsch stories. Which reminds me how much I enjoyed that trilogy. I'm sure I missed a whole lot first time through, so a reread is definitely in order.

>190 pgmcc: A fine shootout at the LT corral!

>191 Storeetllr: There was swashbuckling in space! I completely agree, more sailing ships in space, please.

I loved Leckie's trilogy, and I'd like to reread it. There's lots of food for thought in it.

Ugh. Just got a rejection email for a library job I really wanted. Partly because it was one of the few that pays well enough to work in the library. Also, books—shelves of books.

It'd be one thing if I flunked interviews, but, so far, I can't even get to that part of the process. :(

Onward to the next application!

>193 libraryperilous: Oh, no! I'm sorry. I hope your next application fares better & the job you get is even better. (Although, shelves of books....)

>194 Storeetllr: The Ancillary books were mind bending for me. Somehow, they were the first I'd read that were set in a culture with a non-gendered norm and the first with an self-aware ship since Anne McCaffrey's The Ship Who Sang (though that ship had a human brain while Leckie's was AI). Now, of course, with the Murderbot Diaries, I'm quite comfortable with the concept of non-gendered non-human self-aware intelligences, but back when I first read Ancillary Justice, it was brand new, and I loved it.

>193 libraryperilous: Hang in there! Sorry it's been such a challenge.

>193 libraryperilous: Sorry to hear that. Job hunting is always depressing; hang in there.

>194 Storeetllr:, >195 clamairy:, >196 -pilgrim-: Thank you all! This is my first job search after a lengthy unemployment, and it's also the first one I've conducted during the era of algorithmic screenings (ATS systems). I'm still adjusting. I also am trying to find a job before I move, so I can't just rock up to a local employment agent and work with a headhunter.

>196 -pilgrim-: Good to hear from you!

>194 Storeetllr: I didn't read a lot of sci-fi until I was in my early 30s, and Leckie's trilogy was the first one I read that made me see how the genre could be both thought-provoking and adventure-filled. The Murderbot series definitely has that blend, too.

Books read December 15th through December 21st:

The Dark Is Rising: similar to Alan Garner's Alderley tales, with an older, wilder magic and a child caught between the magical and mundane worlds. There's a hint of Elidor here, too, although the magical intrusions into the mundane world don't feel as menacing in Cooper's hands. The Dark Is Rising is a quiet book, the story of a good and kind boy accepting the new burden of being an Old One and learning as he goes. Four stars.

Once Upon a Camel: 1910, the Texas desert, and Zada is the last camel in Texas. When a dust storm threatens her kestrel friends' nestlings, she transports the baby birds to safety, telling them stories of her past to distract them. This is told in Appelt's usual folksy, tall tale style. As always, her focus is on the power of stories to guide us and comfort us in difficult times. And, as always, she shows us what it takes to make a family and find a place of your own. While I think The Underneath is Appelt's best book, this one is my favorite. Five stars.

Meh. Deleted.

>198 libraryperilous: The dark is rising and sequels are still some of my favourite books. I'm glad it worked its magic on you.

>198 libraryperilous: & >200 Sakerfalcon: I still need to finish that series. I just put Greenwitch on my Kindle a few days ago.

>200 Sakerfalcon:, >201 clamairy: It was quietly charming, and very Christmas-y! Although, like Marissa, I did not like Merriman.

Books read December 22nd through December 31st

I don't think I'm going to finish You Sexy Thing before tomorrow. I'm in Florida at my mom's, and she has to move out of her apartment on Sunday for a three-week renovation. We are finishing the sorting and packing tonight and tomorrow.

I'm double-vaccinated + boosted, and I've been wearing masks in all stores and at the airport. It feels good to travel, and I feel comfortable doing so, especially now that I've been through an airport during the pandemic. I also think it's okay for people to still be nervous and/or worried about it.

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow: cute YA romance. Lila loves Miami, but she's stuck in Winchester, England, for the summer. Can she find a way to hold both cities in her heart? Four stars.

Once Upon a Camel: Zada is the last camel in Texas. During a dust storm, she transports two kestrel chicks to a rendezvous with their parents. She tells them stories of her life to distract them. This is told in Appelt's signature tall tale style, with her focus on the power of stories to comfort and guide us—and the ways we find family in unexpected places. Five stars.

The Verdigris Pawn: somewhat pedestrian middle grade fantasy, in which an heir discovers poverty and oppression in his kingdom. There's Fist, a chess-like game, but it doesn't really feature in the plot. In fact, my biggest complaint is that things are sketched in, so the story doesn't have a lot of depth to it. Four stars.

The Adventure Is Now: Milt has had a bad year. His parents ship him to his naturalist uncle's Lone Island. There, Milt lives out his video game fancies as an explorer. He and his new friends discover a deceased scientist's field guide to the magical creatures of the island, and they set off for the interior in the hopes of evidence that will conserve the island's status as a nature preserve. Five stars for the island and its creatures.

A Walk in Wolf Wood: one of Mary Stewart's juvenile offerings. I enjoyed it, but it lacks her signature landscape descriptions and perilous escapes through them. Four stars.

I also read a number of picture books, the standout of which was This Way, Charlie.