MickyFine Attends the Assembly Rooms in 2021, Fourth Cotillion

I love Billie Piper but I just cannot buy her as the shrinking violet that is Fanny Price. So not a Mansfield Park adaptation I can give a ringing endorsement.

I'm Micky, 34 years old, librarian, and generally bookish nerd. I usually have a good mix of reads going on every year with strong doses of romance, sff, historicals, and a dash of non-fiction. My only reading project this year is a re-read of Jane Austen's six major novels - the ultimate comfort reads for me. I'm trying to be a bit more chatty on my own thread and others and in addition to my reading, I'll also discuss what I'm watching, and general life goings on often featuring my husband, Mr. Fine, and our two cats, Ash and Smee. Posters and lurkers alike are welcome.

January
1. Paper and Fire - Rachel Caine
2. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
3. Fangs - Sarah Andersen
4. I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are - Rachel Bloom
5. Not Quite the Classics - Colin Mochrie
6. Giant Days Volume 11 - John Allison & Max Sarin
7. Ash and Quill - Rachel Caine
8. Emma - Jane Austen (re-read)
9. Giant Days Volume 12 - John Allison & Max Sarin
10. Read It and Weep - Jenn McKinlay
Favourite(s):


February
11. How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse - K. Eason (re-read)
12. Giant Days Volume 13 - John Allison & Max Sarin
13. Death by Shakespeare - Kathryn Harkup
14. Lumberjanes Vol. 16 - Shannon Watters & Kat Leyh
15. How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge - K. Eason
16. Little Moments of Love - Catana Chetwynd
17. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline (re-read)
18. Clean: The New Science of Skin - Jame Hamblin
19. Giant Days Vol. 14 - John Allison & Max Sarin
20. Ready Player Two - Ernest Cline
Favourite(s):


March
21. More Than Words Can Say - Karen Witemeyer
22. Snug: A Collection of Comics about Dating Your Best Friend - Catana Chetwynd
23. The Noel Coward BBC Radio Drama Collection - Noel Coward
24. Mansfield Park - Jane Austen (re-read)
25. You Can Only Yell at Me for One Thing at a Time: Rules for Couples - Patricia Maxwell & Roz Chast
26. Redshirts - John Scalzi
27. Savor the Moment - Nora Roberts
28. Once & Future: The King Is Undead - Kieron Gillen & Dan Mora
29. It's in His Kiss - Julia Quinn
30. True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop - Annie Darling
31. Once & Future: Old English - Kieron Gillen & Dan Mora
32. Wishful Drinking - Carrie Fisher
33. An Infamous Army - Georgette Heyer
34. Black Widow: The Finely Woven Thread - Nathan Edmonson & Phil Noto
35. All Systems Red - Martha Wells (re-read)
36. Artificial Condition - Martha Wells (re-read)
37. On the Way to the Wedding - Julia Quinn
Favourite(s):

April
38. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Power - Ryan North & Erica Henderson
39. Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells (re-read)
40. Exit Strategy - Martha Wells (re-read)
41. The Jane Austen Society - Natalie Jenner
42. Valkyrie: The Sacred and the Profane - Jason Aaron, Al Ewing, & CAFU
43. The Martian - Andy Weir
44. Valkyrie: At the End of All Things - Jason Aaron, Al Ewing, Torun Grønbekk, Pere Pérez, CAFU, Ramon Rosanas
45. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (re-read)
46. Ours by Every Law of Right and Justice: Women and the Vote in the Prairie Provinces - Sarah Carter
47. Lumberjanes Vol. 17 - Shannon Watters, Kat Leyh, Kanesha C. Bryant
48. Shit, Actually - Lindy West
49. The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill - Julie Klassen
50. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel You Know It's True - Ryan North & Erica Henderson
51. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel, You Really Got Me Now - Ryan North & Erica Henderson
52. Network Effect - Martha Wells (re-read)
53. Siri, Who Am I? - Sam Tschida
54. Fugitive Telemetry - Martha Wells
55. A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare
56. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: I Kissed a Squirrel and I Liked It - Ryan North, Erica Henderson, & Jacob Chabot
57. Hamlet - William Shakespeare
58. Much Ado About Nothing - William Shakespeare
Favourite(s):


May
Favourite(s):

June
Favourite(s):

My rating system:

/ = Ran screaming in the other direction (aka did not finish)
* = Suffered through it for reasons I'm still not sure of
** = Had far more flaws than virtues
*** = A read I don't regret but could use some improvement
**** = A good, solid read that I might revisit
***** = Loved it beyond reason and will probably re-read in short order

All right we're up and running here. With the long weekend approaching, why not kick it off by discussing our favourite Easter treats? I'm partial to the Cadbury creme eggs or the Caramilk eggs, although I prefer them in the mini size as the big ones are a bit intense. This year though, I've decided to attempt making cheesecake for the Easter weekend. Wish me luck!

Here.

Yours.

Happy new one, Micky!

>4 MickyFine: I can pass on Cadbury creme eggs, but am totally addicted to Cadbury mini eggs. I just managed to restrain myself from buying a Costco pack earlier this week. I'm already almost through the two normal bags I bought myself two weeks ago (ETA: That I have been hiding from Tim because he will destroy anything that has chocolate in it, but he doesn't actually like the mini eggs that much and complains that I bought them and not better chocolate, but he still devours them because they're chocolate. So I hide them because he doesn't appreciate them. Am I a bad person? Maybe.).

>4 MickyFine: - Oops, I missed the question, as I was distracted by RD's gorgeous flowers...

Like Natalie, I love Cadbury mini eggs. Can't stand the creme eggs, either. I am also a sucker for jelly beans, but am picky about the flavors - no purple or black, red is tolerated, but I really just want yellow, orange, and green (as long as the green is lime and not apple or some other abomination).

Happy new thread! New threads all around!

I love Cadbury Creme Eggs. (The mini eggs are okay, but I don't love the caramel eggs.) I also like Reese's Eggs. Beyond that, I just want good, high-quality chocolate, and not that cheap, waxy stuff that I remember getting in my basket as a kid sometimes. Jelly beans I can take or leave (the black ones I definitely leave).

Good luck with the cheesecake!

>5 richardderus: Oh those are lovely, Richard. Thank you. I do love to get myself some flowers for the Easter long weekend as I've got 4 whole days at home to appreciate them.

>6 katiekrug: >8 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Oh I do like mini eggs too. For a while they made a version with pop rocks under the shell and I adored those because they made me feel like a little kid. I like jelly beans in all colours - when you grow up in a family with Dutch heritage and licorice double-salts make regular appearances black licorice jelly beans are a delight. :P

>7 curioussquared: Snort. Thankfully Mr. Fine is more of a salty treats person so I don't have to hide my chocolate stash.

>9 foggidawn: Agreed on the good quality chocolate, Foggi. I may be popping into the mall tomorrow to pick up some books I ordered and there's a Purdy's in there (Canadian chocolatier chain). Might have to nab an Easter treat for myself while I'm there. And thanks on the cheesecake front!

>4 MickyFine: Easter treats ~ I used to love the Belgian chocolates from our local chocolatier and I still buy them for the hubs at his birthday and Christmas. And to send family at the same times, too. But somehow, chocolate doesn't seem to agree with me anymore.
However I'm in luck here!
I love liquorice, so all those black jelly beans are ✽ MINE ✽
I buy my own Easter treats, Waterbridge Belly Buttons. All natural colouring and no sulfite preservatives. They're imported from England (at London Drugs, in case there's another purist aficiando lurking).

I like looking through your book title round-up, Micky. I often find books I remember you reviewing and that I wanted to read.
I'm really hit & miss about keeping track of potential books unless I add the link to my BB list right away. I think I feel some sort of a naggy-ness from my inner librarian if I don't get on with actually reading the books on that list, so I slide away from adding them at the time.

>11 SandyAMcPherson: Sad to hear you and chocolate are no longer pals, Sandy, but happy to hear you've found other treats to enjoy.

Glad you enjoy my book round-up. I love stats myself so it's really just there for me but I'm happy if someone else gets use out of it. I keep The List (my want to reads) in GoodReads and find it works well for me.

What's (been) on the agenda: It's been one heck of a Friday feeling Thursday with all of the weird things that always seem to crop up before a long weekend. Got in my walk before work and played some games on my phone while listening to my audiobook. I had a couple email questions that were irritating and needed to be dealt with. Customer suggestions are dusted for another week and now just doing ordering for the last chunk of my day. Also been figuring out the whole payment thing for our contractor who finished replacing shingles on our roof today, which I'm happy to say is now all done. My nerves were a bit raw yesterday after all the banging and thudding. Thankfully they just had to finish our attached garage today so the banging was a little more distant (although the engine for the air compressor was right outside the windows of my work space so there was still plenty of noise). Now to get in touch with our insurance broker to make sure our home insurance policy is updated. Once work is done I'm doing a big fat nothing and I cannot wait. Coconut chicken curry over rice with naan for dinner tonight and probably some veggies on the side.

What I'm reading: Finished On the Way to the Wedding yesterday (reviewed on the previous thread) and started the first volume of Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, which I loved. Rogue Protocol is still on the go on audio.

What we're watching: We did grocery shopping after dinner so by the time we got home, unloaded, and put it all away it was pretty close to our bedtime for Mr. Fine's early shift weeks so no viewing last night.

Happy New thread, Micky! Happy April! Come on Springtime!

Happy new thread, Micky.

Any dark chocolate is fine to me, as easter eggs, bars, whatever.
And good luck with the cheesecake!

>14 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Our April is off to a rather balmy start at 15C so I'm hopeful we might see some greenery in the next couple weeks. Holding out hope my tulip bulbs I planted in the fall took root.

>15 FAMeulstee: I don't mind dark chocolate every once in a while, Anita, but I prefer milk chocolate. And thanks for the cheesecake well wishes. :)

Happy new thread! I'm a little ashamed to admit it, but I love those candy-coated marshmallow things. Pretty sure I'm the only one who does. I haven't seen them in years.

Book 38



The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Power - Ryan North & Erica Anderson

Doreen Green is Squirrel Girl and along with her squirrel pal, Tippy-Toe, is here to eat nuts and kick butts. In this volume she heads out for her first year at university, meets her roommate, Nancy (and Nancy's secret pet kitten, Mew), and also has showdowns with Kraven the Hunter, Whiplash, and Galactus.

I love this comic. It's silly and sweet and Squirrel Girl is an adorable super hero who's pretty rubbish at keeping her secret identity under wraps. In particular I love the "footnotes" at the bottom of almost every page, which adds extra jokes to this already very funny comic. Highly recommended.

Rating: *****

>18 MickyFine: I don't think I've ever seen those on this side of the border, Anne. We've got Peeps though.

Happy new one, Micky.

Happy new thread!

>4 MickyFine: I may like other candies better, but every Easter I search out Russel Stover's Maple cream eggs. Once, on a drive in IL we saw a sign for a Russel Stover factory store and had to turn around and go miles back to it. I bought boxes of the eggs at a steep discount and a few other things which I don't remember at all.

>20 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.

>21 quondame: Thanks, Susan. I don't think we've got those here but I do love a good maple cream chocolate so I can imagine those are delicious.

What's on the agenda: Holiday here for Good Friday and after a week of getting up at 5, I managed to sleep in... until 6. Dang body clock. Big fat nothing on the agenda today and I am here for it. Although I should do some bill stuff as I haven't rolled things over from March to April. After that the nothing will probably include some reading, some TV, some crochet, a walk, and possibly some board games. Probably make the cheesecake today too. Mr. Fine's planning turkey soup for dinner tonight so we'll finally get the carcass from Christmas out of the freezer.

What I'm reading: Started The Jane Austen Society yesterday and so far it's decent. Not sure if I'll get audiobook time today or not.

What we're watching: A few episodes of Supernatural and a couple of As Time Goes By last night.

Happy long weekend, Micky!

Thank you, Richard. It's been going swimmingly so far.

What's on the agenda: Currently lounging in bed and loving it. Eventually there will be breakfast, probably eggs and toast and I have raisin bread for toast so I'm pretty excited. Virtual church this morning and likely we'll go for our usual walk afterward. Mr. Fine's daughter is supposed to stop by for a visit at some point today. Other than that just the usual leisure activities. Can't remember what's on the meal plan tonight but there will definitely be cheesecake as I made it yesterday and it's been chilling overnight. Movie night tonight will be Mr. Fine's pick.

What I'm reading: Halfway through The Jane Austen Society, which remains a fine read.

What we're watching: Yesterday's viewing included the new episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Easter Parade (my pick, which Mr. Fine tolerated although he did enjoy the waiter at the hotel), and an episode of As Time Goes By.

>12 MickyFine: Are you 'MickyFine' over there? I will go and peek.

>27 SandyAMcPherson: Nope, real name over there as it's tied to my FB account.

Happy new thread, Micky!

You'd think Easter would be a good excuse for me to go chocaholic crazy but it's not a huge thing over here (even in normal years). I used to quite like Cadbury's mint eggs, but I'm not really a fondant fan. I prefer the big shells with small chocs inside. >15 FAMeulstee: Or just a bar of dark chocolate. Or with nuts in. Unfortunately the Cadbury's on sale here isn't made in England so it's a bit grainier which spoils the taste for me.

>29 humouress: Weirdly, inside a Cadbury egg is the only place I like fondant.

>30 foggidawn: Yes, quite so.

>29 humouress: Oh yes gritty chocolate is no good at all. Better to hold out for the good stuff.

>30 foggidawn: It's a pretty good place for fondant, I agree. :)

Fondant isn't my favorite thing, either the creamy sort that they make into egg-yolky-looking goo or the marshmallowy coating sort molded into stuff and plopped onto cakes. *shudder* I'm pretty ready for the peanut-butter chocolate eggs, though! I'll have one tomorrow as a treat.

Update: cheesecake was delicious and went great with our dinner of lamb chops, oven roasted dill potatoes, and Greek salad. Pictures when I post from a real computer.

>34 MickyFine: Yum!

>34 MickyFine: Thumb!

What's on the agenda: Once Mr. Fine wakes up and has his coffee we'll decide on which room(s) we're spring cleaning today. It'll either be the kitchen or our three bathrooms. There will also be our regular weekly cleaning today. Beyond that I'm not sure what we'll get up to or even if we'll have time for more than collapsing in exhaustion at the end of the day. The meal plan for tonight says chili but all the containers we'd use for leftovers from that are full of leftover turkey soup so I think we'll just be having leftovers tonight.

What I'm reading: Ended up with only audiobook time yesterday as I went on an impromptu visit to my brother's farm (about an hour drive one way) to drop off his birthday present and have a short outdoor visit with him, his wife, and my nieces and nephew. So I finished Rogue Protocol on my way there and started Exit Strategy on the way back.

What we're watching: Mr. Fine is a big DC comics fan and collects all the films so we watched his newly acquired copy of Wonder Woman 1984. Maybe it was because my expectations were so low after hearing so many reviews of how terrible it is but I didn't think it was that bad. Definitely not as great as the first but nowhere near the worst of the DC films Mr. Fine has had me watch.

What's on the agenda: Mr. Fine and I both get Easter Monday off so we're having a (mostly) lazy day after being cleaning machines yesterday. After breakfast I tackled bill stuff I didn't get to on Sunday and we're about to head out for a walk. Not sure what we'll get up to for the rest of the day but none of it will be very productive. Woohoo! Fish and chips for dinner tonight.

What I'm reading: Finished Exit Strategy and started The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on audio while cleaning yesterday. Also managed about 50 pages in The Jane Austen Society before bed and I'm hoping to wrap that up today.

What we're watching: After cleaning we were total couch potatoes and watched Home on the Range and Chicken Little for the Disney project, a couple episodes of Castle, and a couple episodes of As Time Goes By.

And as promised, some pictures of my cheesecake making adventure this weekend.



Very tasty.

Lovely cheesecake! I watched the S11 GBBO pâtisserie episode and drooled all over the screen as the bakers made teeny little cheesecakes in every imaginable flavor.

This is a rare occurrence these days...a double post!

Dave's lemon cheesecakes, with passion fruit-orange jelly on top. Aren't they delicious looking?And he got told off for making them too big!

Book 39



Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells (re-read)

Murderbot goes to a terraforming platform to find evidence against GrayCris to help Dr. Mensah. As usual, all hell breaks loose. Continuing to enjoy these audiobooks.

Rating: *****

Book 40



Exit Strategy - Martha Wells (re-read)

When Murderbot discovers that its investigations into GrayCris have had unintended ramifications for Dr. Mensah, it heads back to get its humans out of trouble. Again.

Continues to be a delight. Have to wait for my hold on the audiobook for the fifth book for a few more weeks and I'm sad to not have Murderbot's sarcastic voice in my ears for a little while.

Rating: *****

>40 richardderus: I'm highly suggestible when it comes to food so I haven't dived into the dangerous territory that is GBBO but those cakes in your second post look divine.

>44 MickyFine: Oh my heck! Never watched! At all?! Wow...how?

One word of advice: Be absolutely sure, before watching, that you possess more than 5lb each of flour and sugar. (And, for the super-suggestible, make sure there's a self-raising flour element as well as a regular flour element.)

Is this your first time reading The Guernsey Literary Society? Gosh, I loved that book.

And your cheesecake looks wonderful!!

Happy new thread, Micky!

I'm partial to peanut butter eggs myself, but I should probably try a Cadbury one to compare.

I've started a re-read/listen to Murderbot and will be enjoying myself this week going through them again in preparation for the latest.

Your cheesecake looks fabulous!

>45 richardderus: We've got so much scripted TV on the go I haven't found time to tackle it. Maybe one day. But I'll make sure to stock the pantry before I try it. :)

>46 scaifea: It's a re-read, Amber, but my first time trying it as an audiobook. They've got a cast of readers for the edition I'm listening to which makes it easier to differentiate between all the characters' letters. Really lovely to revisit it this way. And thanks on the cheesecake front!

>47 bell7: Thanks, Mary. I was sad as I couldn't find any of the eggs I liked best this year. But I had cheesecake so it balanced out. ;) Enjoy your revisit with Murderbot!

What's on the agenda: Mr. Fine's on later shift this week so not as much time to fill before I start work. Lots of catch up today from regular tasks I do on Fridays and Mondays but no meetings so the day is all mine to do what I need. Soft tacos for supper tonight. Plus I have a massage this evening, which I'm hoping will get my shoulder tension back into the bearable zone.

What I'm reading: Finished The Jane Austen Society yesterday afternoon as well as Valkyrie: The Sacred and the Profane and started The Martian at bedtime.

What we're watching: Blitzed through a chunk of Fringe yesterday. Nearing the end of season 1.

Yum, tacos!

Now I want tacos, too. A local place does $1 tacos every Tuesday, and I'm tempted for tonight... We have a HelloFresh meal planned, but tacos would be better! (Tacos are always better.)

ooooooooo
tacos! I'm gonna make refritos-and-egg tacos tonight!

Book 41



The Jane Austen Society - Natalie Jenner

In the small village of Chawton just after WWII has ended a small group of individuals, connected by their mutual love of Jane Austen, form the Jane Austen Society with the goal of purchasing her former cottage in Chawton to convert into a museum. Along the way they'll grow, learn, and find love.

I'm always a sucker for anything involving Jane Austen and I'm also pretty fond of historical novels set in WWII or post-WWII England so it was a no-brainer putting this novel on my want to read list. It's a solid read with a cast of broken people who slowly put themselves back together with the help of Austen's novels and each other. It's more a character study than about the plot and I can see this being a novel that people love but for me it was a little too predictable. That said the writing is beautiful and the insights on Austen's works the characters share with each other is pretty spot on. If it sounds like it might be your thing, I'd recommend it.

Rating: ****

>50 foggidawn: Agreed, I'm definitely looking forward to them.

>51 katiekrug: Do it!



>52 richardderus: Sounds tasty, Richard!

Book 42



Valkyrie: The Sacred and the Profane - Jason Aaron, Al Ewing, & CAFU

In the wake of a massive war between the gods, Thor is now the All-Father, the Valkyries are all dead, and Jane Foster has an unbreakable bond with the All-Weapon. Now Jane is torn between her normal life as a doctor and her role as the only Valkyrie ferrying the souls of heroes to the afterlife. Now if only she can figure out how to keep a flying horse in her apartment...

A couple years ago I ran across this comic in a list of titles to peruse in advance of the upcoming Thor film with Jane Foster as Thor. I'm delighted I finally picked this up. Jane's a fascinating hero, the playing with Norse mythology and the broader Marvel canon is delightful, and the artwork is gorgeous. Recommended.

Rating: ****

>53 MickyFine: - Already on my list, but more firmly now!

>54 MickyFine: - Great taco graphic!

>56 katiekrug: I hope you like the book, Katie.

What's on the agenda: Being kind to my back today as it's pretty tender after my massage last night. It was so tight the therapist did cupping to loosen things up so I've got a string of reddish purple ovals on my back - it definitely helped though. Note to self, don't go five months without a massage in one of the more stressful seasons of your life. Work will mostly be ordering although I've got our weekly work group meeting. Big topic of conversation for that will be the province's move back to Step 1 to try and curb our third wave. It means closures of all public libraries for in-person services but we're continuing to offer curbside so my department should be unaffected. Take out for dinner tonight and I've got absolutely no clue what to pick.

What I'm reading: I'm a little over 100 pages into The Martian and enjoying it. Have to admit I was relieved that there are chapters from NASA's perspective. Mark is a great narrator but spending 400 pages doing just a survivor narrative wasn't filling me with anticipation. Continuing TGL&PPS on audio and resisting the urge to pick up the paper copy off my shelf and blitz through it faster that way. Love that book so much!

What we're watching: Got in a couple episodes of Flash before my massage last night.

What's on the agenda today: It's a short week for me but I'm still wishing today was Friday. Work will be customer suggestions, finishing my check for new editions of travel guides that I purchase in OverDrive, and then on to the backlog of vendor and publisher lists in my inbox. After work I'll be popping by my local library to pick up holds using their curbside service. Dinner tonight will either be pizza or quiche, we haven't quite decided.

What I'm reading: Reached the halfway point of The Martian last night and, of course, after all the good planning everything has gone to hell. Survival stories are so stressful! I'm also halfway through the audio of Guernsey Literary... and loving it just as much as the first time I read it.

What we're watching: Last night we got in a few episodes of Outlander season 2. Black Jack Randall has shown up so there's some devastating heartbreak ahead. Mr. Fine's trying to figure out what's going on with the timelines and Claire's pregnancy and while I mentioned a while back that she has a miscarriage this season apparently he's forgotten and I'm not going to re-spoil him. Also watched a bit of As Time Goes By to end the evening on a lighter note.

What's on the agenda: Pretty same old, same old around here. Work will be customer requests in OverDrive and then back to my usual selection - thinking I'll spend some time with the new issue of AudioFile today. Nothing really exciting planned for after work. Mr. Fine's making chicken on the barbecue tonight and we'll have oven roasted sweet potatoes and I'm thinking broccoli for sides tonight.

What I'm reading: Hoping to wrap up The Martian today as I've got just a little over 100 pages left. Guernsey Literary... is still on the go on audio and giving me fantasies of living on a small British isle.

What we're watching: Supernatural last night including "The French Exit" episode which I'd watched before out of context because I love me some metafiction. Also watched a bit of As Time Goes By before bed.

>60 MickyFine: *Such* a good episode!!

"MISHA?!"

>61 scaifea: Agreed. I laughed very hard at their "acting" scenes. Love it when good actors get to act badly because they're SO good at it.

>62 MickyFine: YAS!! Oh, poor Willow.

What's on the agenda: Working up the motivation to get out of bed. Mr. Fine is up and making breakfast so that'll probably do it. Virtual church this morning but our usual post-church walk may or may not happen. It's supposed to get increasingly cloudy and windy today with rain eventually turning to snow in the evening. Spring in Canada, eh? So we might board game and reading and crochet time are very likely. Chili is going into the slow cooker for supper tonight and I'll whip up some cornmeal muffins to go with it.

What I'm reading: Finished The Martian and Valkyrie: At the End of All Things yesterday. Going to start Ours by Every Law of Right and Justice: Women and the Vote in the Prairie Provinces today.

What we're watching: New episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier last night.

What's on the agenda: It's once again cleaning day at Chez Fine. The usual stuff plus spring cleaning our bedroom so there's likely to be a lot of clothes sorting. Also we may have to shovel as the storm that blew through yesterday included thunder, a bit of rain, and a couple centimeters of wet snow and I'm not sure it'll be warm enough today to melt it all. Supper is up in the air.

What I'm reading: Made a good dent in Ours by Every Law of Right and Justice yesterday. It's not very long but it's at the more academic end of the spectrum so it's a denser read.

What we're watching: I picked A League of Their Own for our movie last night and it was just as wonderful as I remembered.

I liked that movie - Geena Davis was marvellous, hey? Only ever watched the DVD on our Friday-night-Pizza-and-a-Movie Slot.

>66 SandyAMcPherson: I have fond memories of it being on TV when I was a kid. I'd watch it and then want to play baseball. Of course, I have terrible hand eye coordination, particularly when it involves a bat or racket, so that didn't last long. ;)

What's on the agenda: Early shift for Mr. Fine this week so I got in a walk and folded laundry that I did yesterday before work this morning. Work will be customer suggestions and then regular selection. Probably with a focus on audiobooks and English language learning today. Perogies and turkey sausage for dinner. Virtual craft circle tonight where I will continue to weave in ends on my blanket. Sigh. One day I'll get to do something different.

What I'm reading: Finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society on audio this morning. Continuing Ours by Every Law of Right and Justice in print.

What we're watching: Meet the Robinsons for the Disney project and then an episode each of Castle and As Time Goes By.

Book 43



The Martian - Andy Weir

Six days into a planned month-long mission to Mars, a massive sandstorm forced the NASA team to abort mission. In the midst of evacuating back to their vehicle, Mark Watney was knocked over by a communication satellite and based on signals from his suit was assumed dead and left behind by his team. The only problem is, Mark survived. Alone on Mars with no easy way to communicate with NASA, Mark has to figure out how to stay alive.

I don't think I've read a survival story since junior high and while this is an enjoyable and well-paced read, I did find the book a little stressful as Mark struggles to keep himself alive. Mark has a great sense of humour, which helps keep the novel from feeling too grim and thankfully plot events arise that allowed for different narrative perspectives, which broke up the book a bit too. Recommended for fans of survival narratives and/or realistic science fiction.

Rating: ****

Book 44



Valkyrie: At the End of All Things - Jason Aaron et. al.

This second volume collects two story arcs. The first sees Jane teaming up with Doctor Strange and several other superheroes whose day jobs include medicine to go on a mission to save Death from... death. The second sees Jane's Valkyrie facing down Thor and Loki's eldest brother who has unleashed a power that will destroy all life everywhere. Not a bad set of story arcs but I didn't love it as much as the first volume. However, the hints that we'll see more Loki in the third volume has me ready to read more.

Rating: ***

Book 45



The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows (re-read)

I read this book a few years ago and fell in love with it so much that I added a copy to my personal collection (the highest compliment I can give a book). While hunting around for audiobooks to listen to while I walk, this one showed up in my library browsing and it was a perfect way to revisit this charming story. There are a cast of six readers who give voice to all the different letter writers so perfectly, with Juliet in particular giving an excellence performance. My only quibble was that the actor reading Mark's letters and notes was a little flat but that may have been the result of a British actor doing an American accent. Otherwise, not a false note to be found here. Highly recommended.

Rating: *****

>69 MickyFine: - I enjoyed reading that one. The movie was a bit disappointing.

>71 MickyFine: - Also really liked this one but was MASSIVELY disappointed in the film...

>72 katiekrug: I will be trying the movie of The Martian as Mr. Fine likes it. Although Matt Damon doesn't really match my mental voice for Mark so we'll see what I end up thinking of it.

As for the film of Guernsey Literary... I agree that it is decidedly underwhelming, which is sad because I loved the casting choices they made.

If you’re interested in the movie of The Martian, you might want to get the extended version. It’s not much longer, but has several scenes in it that when taken out of the theatrical release left some holes. Definitely the better version, I think.

>72 katiekrug:, >73 MickyFine: I kept wanting to defibrillate Lily James as she continually gasped and held her breath throughout the film. The romantic lead was charismaless to my eyes. I have no idea what his name was or if he's been seen in public since the film was released. Just so sad.

What >74 drneutron: said re: The Martian.

A glitteringly exciting and rapturously pleasurable week ahead.

>74 drneutron: - Ooh, I didn't know about this option! I might look for it.

Catching up quickly. Is the Jane Foster-as-Thor film a reality, then? I've been binge-watching WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (although I hadn't realised that the last 2 episodes hadn't been released yet; I assumed the whole series came out in one go). I'm also re-watching the 2020 GBBO season, especially since I missed the final episode.

>74 drneutron: Good to know. Thanks, Jim!

>75 richardderus: I like Michiel Huisman, which is largely influenced by my enjoyment of The Age of Adaline. But his IMDb profile indicates he's been working pretty solidly in TV land.

>77 humouress: Yup. Thor: Love and Thunder is due out next summer and I am excited for it.

What's on the agenda: After dropping off Mr. Fine at the bus this morning and going for my walk I was very lazy and just played games on my phone while listening to my current audiobook before I started work. I've got a couple meetings today, I need to do my biweekly update of our digital hits to go collection, and then back into general selection. Take out for supper tonight and it's Mr. Fine's pick. He's got D&D tonight after his group took a month-long hiatus so I'll have a little solo time this evening.

What I'm reading: Finished the chapter on Manitoba's suffrage movement in Ours by Every Law of Right and Justice yesterday. Today I'll start on the Saskatchewan chapter. I also started Shit, Actually on audio yesterday, which has made me laugh out loud several times. It also motivated me to put a hold on The Fugitive as I've never seen it.

What we're watching: Finished season 1 of Fringe last night. Psyched for all the parallel world stuff I know is coming.

So glad you're enjoying Shit, Actually! I have seen The Fugitive but it was ages ago, so it immediately went on The Watch List for movie night...

>78 MickyFine: ...I wonder why you do...

>80 katiekrug: After recommendations from you and the cohost of one of my favourite podcasts, it was a no-brainer to put it on The List. Currently enjoying her rants about Harry Potter.

>81 richardderus: *widens eyes innocently* I don't know what you might be referring to, Richard... :D

Morning, Micky!

I am *so* excited about Love and Thunder! The cast looks amazing.

fell in love with it so much that I added a copy to my personal collection (the highest compliment I can give a book)

Ooooh, yes, I relate to this completely. And also did the same for Guernsey. Glad you enjoyed the audio version as well.

>83 scaifea: Agreed. Plus it's being directed by Taika Waititi who did such a great job with Thor: Ragnorak.



>84 bell7: I feel like this is particularly true for library folk. When you work all day with books you can access for free, buying something for your own collection is a sign of true favour. ;)

>85 MickyFine: Agreed.

What's on the agenda: Same old, same old. Walk and some phone game playing before work this morning. I've got a couple meetings today and around those I'll be doing my usual selection tasks. After work will be grocery shopping. Montreal smoked meat sandwiches with veggies on the side for supper tonight.

What I'm reading: Finished the Saskatchewan chapter and am into the Alberta chapter of Ours by Every Law of Right and Justice. Lots more familiar names either from studying local history or just building and street names. Shit, Actually continues to be a delight on audio. It's a good think I walk so early, no strangers to look at me in confusion when I laugh out loud while going down the sidewalk.

What we're watching: A few episodes of Flash last night. Things are ramping up as we're not too far from from the season 4 finale. Mr. Fine and I are definitely ready to be done with this season's Big Bad. I honestly the villain's wife is a more interesting character. Although they almost never say her name and I cannot figure out what about the lair causes her hair to be gelled back when it's gorgeous and curly when they're not there.

>85 MickyFine: Ooh, I'm hit or miss on all things superhero, but I loved Thor: Ragnorak and will watch anything Taika Waititi is remotely connected to. The What We Do in the Shadows TV show is probably my favorite thing we've watched during the pandemic.

>71 MickyFine: Not seen it (or read it - BAD me, it's on the list), but one aspect of the film is that you get to seem some of my Island too :) Not much of it was actually filmed on Jersey/Guernsey, but the bits I've seen are pretty passable for this neck of the woods.

>87 MickyFine: I had to look up Montreal smoked meat but it sounds delicious!

Oh, gah - uninteresting bad guys are so annoying.

>88 curioussquared: Good choice.

>89 BekkaJo: Well that would make the desire to move to a small British island that the book seems to create much easier for you, Bekka. ;)

>90 scaifea: Montreal smoked meat is very tasty but it got postponed to today because I forgot to take buns out of the freezer to put it on. Happily we'd picked up the chicken taco kit from Costco for tonight so we just flipped things around.

What's on the agenda: Walk, phone games, and reading a comic before work today. One of my meetings from yesterday got rescheduled to today, I'll be doing my regular checking of customer suggestions, and then on to all the regular ordering which today will feature sending in pre-orders for July titles and my usual monthly order of physical audiobooks and DVDs. After work I'll be popping by the library for my curbside pickup appointment. Montreal smoked meat sandwiches with veggies got moved to supper for tonight, as I noted to Amber above.

What I'm reading: I finished Ours by Every Law of Right and Justice last night and read all of volume 17 of Lumberjanes this morning. I'll be starting The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill at lunch today, which I believe was a BB from Foggi.

What we're watching: Two episodes of Outlander last night and I cried (again) over Claire's miscarriage. Followed that with an episode of As Time Goes By so that our final viewing before bed wasn't so sad.

Book 46



Ours by Every Law of Right and Justice: Women and the Vote in the Prairie Provinces - Sarah Carter

A history of the women's suffrage movements in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, which were the first provinces in Canada to extend the right to vote to women in 1916. Carter outlines the long campaigns in each province, exploring the various issues that were rolled up in women's suffrage and noting some of the major personalities who were involved in each province's movement. Carter doesn't shy away from the harsh realities that the suffrage movement was primarily focused on the interests of white, British-Canadian women, particularly those of the middle and upper classes. Suffrage was entangled with the colonialist agenda and included many members who held the predominant racist views of the time, particularly in regards to First Nations and Metis individuals. In Alberta in particular, many prominent members of the suffrage movement would later become major advocates for eugenics and forced sterilization in the 1920s. These women are complicated and while they did good work, it was flawed and incomplete. A comprehensive history of the major events of the suffrage movement on the prairies, which doesn't shy away from the fact that we still have a long ways to go.

Rating: ****

Book 47



Lumberjanes Vol. 17 - Shannon Watters, Kat Leyh, Kanesha C. Bryant

When the whole camp goes on a hike to a lookout to watch the Perseids meteor shower, a small group of Lumberjanes head off on a quest to find extraterrestrials. Meanwhile the rest of the campers are nearly obliterated by what they think is initially a meteor but turns out to be another goddess out of mythology. Of course, their resident goddess, Diane, is less than thrilled.

So. Much. Fun. Always.

Rating: ****

Had a lovely surprise today. My brother and his wife go to an acupuncturist in a town not too far from the one I live in and so while my brother was waiting for my SiL's appointment to end I got to have a distanced backyard picnic with him, my 3 nieces, and my nephew. Wonderful to see them and it's gorgeously sunny and warm today too which made it extra great. Feeling full of warm fuzzies this afternoon. :)

>95 MickyFine: Aw, that's awesome!!

>95 MickyFine: - That *is* a nice surprise!

>93 MickyFine: Sounds very, very interesting to me, but not readily available.

>95 MickyFine: Oh, the best kind of surprise! Good fun.

>96 scaifea: >97 katiekrug: >98 richardderus: Agreed. Being around for impromptu picnics is an excellent part of the work from home life.

>98 richardderus: Yeah, being not in Canada or on the Prairies, I'm not surprised you can't find a copy easily. It's part of a series on women's suffrage in Canada and you might have a slightly better shot of getting the volume that looks at Canada as a whole, One Hundred Years of Struggle. But even that one might be only available via ILL.

Sweet Thursday, Mickey! I also loved both The Martian & The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society. I never did see the film adaptation of the latter.

>100 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I don't think it's a movie you'd have to seek out. It's not the worst but as an adaptation it's not that great either.

What's on the agenda: Huzzah for Friday! Did my usual walk, shower, and phone games routine before work this morning. I'll be doing customer suggestions in OverDrive this morning and this afternoon I need to go in to the office to pick up the new massive edition of the core collection guide. Timing that trip so that I can pick up Mr. Fine when he's done work and he can skip the bus. It's supposed to reach a gorgeous 19C today and Mr. Fine's planning to grill hamburgers on the barbecue. Might even eat outside, we'll see. I'm thinking I'll make a strawberry milkshake to go with the burger because that is a perfect meal to me.

What I'm reading: The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill is shaping up nicely. I've got about an hour left in Shit, Actually and I might wrap it up today.

What we're watching: A couple episodes of Supernatural around an evening walk because it was so gorgeous yesterday - I went out in a t-shirt with neither jacket nor sweater! :O Two pretty fun episodes last night though: the one with the Titanic and the one with time travel to meet Samuel Colt.

Hi, Micky!

We're having hamburgers this weekend, and I am loving the idea of milkshakes to go with 'em...

And here, just because:

Jealous of your weather - it's snowing here, and while a flurry is not unseasonal, the 6 plus inches and still coming down is...

*snort* at the gif in >102 MickyFine: I'd forgotten about that.

>95 MickyFine: That was a nice surprise.

>102 MickyFine: Brr! It has to get to around 24°C for me to contemplate reducing layers. And that would still be a bit nippy for eating outdoors. :0)

>103 scaifea: Aww, you know how to treat a girl on a Friday with that gif. Also, burgers and shakes is just *chef's kiss*. 5/5 stars, would recommend.

>104 bell7: Oof, 6 inches is a bit much. If it makes you feel better, our lows are still near the freezing mark every night and come Monday we're supposed to get yet more flurries. It's that wonderful time of year when the weather yo-yos like crazy and you need 3 different coats over the course of a day.

>105 humouress: You delicate tropical flower. ;)

What's on the agenda: Quiet morning hopefully. After breakfast we'll do a walk and then watch virtual church. Mr. Fine's daughter is supposed to visit for a while this afternoon. She started a new job a little over a week ago and with her schedule it's unlikely she'll stay for a full weekend for the next while. I'm pretty sure it's meatloaf on the meal plan tonight but we might shift things around as it's supposed to be pretty warm again today and then drop to much cooler temperatures tomorrow.

What I'm reading: Finished Shit, Actually on audio yesterday and managed a couple chapters in The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill.

What we're watching: The newest episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which is finally what I wanted this show to be. And a couple episodes of As Time Goes By, which is as sweet and lovely as ever.

>107 MickyFine: Falcon & Winter Soldier: Ooooh, details, please! I loved it, too, but I'd love to know what you liked about it (beyond melting into a puddle at that "Hi, I'm Bucky" and the big smile scene, I mean honestly).

>108 scaifea: It just had so much of Sam and Bucky hanging out and not just doing superhero stuff. Bickering but not full out fighting and just being good friends to each other (even if they wouldn't label themselves as friends). Plus I love me a good montage and this episode had two. Now I'm looking forward to all hell breaking loose in the final episode next week.

>109 MickyFine: I agree with *all* of that. The boat-fixing scene was so great. And YES to the next episode!

>107 MickyFine: I binged watched the first four episodes of 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier' and then I thought I'd better get on with stuff I'd been neglecting and save the last two episodes - but when I came back to it, I realised they hadn't been released yet. The fifth episode appeared this weekend but I'm going to (try to) save it to watch with the last one.

>111 humouress: I have to say it's kind of fun to watch new episodes every week as they come out. It's like keeping up with traditional TV. Plus much easier to avoid spoilers that way.

What's on the agenda: Mr. Fine is helping move my grandmother from one apartment to another for the next few days and when I started making a list of all the things I'd do while he's gone today I got told to be lazy and do only fun things I wanted to do. So after breakfast with him, I went back to bed and finished a book. Haven't stayed in bed with a book on a Sunday morning in yonks and it is just as lovely as I remembered. I'll probably still do my regular chores today - clean bathrooms and clean sheets are nice things. Then I'm not sure what I'll do. Maybe a movie or some video gaming. And I'll be doing regular coats with aloe vera gel - sunburns are possible in April and I'm pretty red in a few spots today. I'll plan to make dinner as I'm not sure what time Mr. Fine will be back. We swapped dinner last night to lamb chops so it'll be meatloaf tonight.

What I'm reading: Finished The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill this morning. I'll start Network Effect on audio while cleaning and then I've got volume 2 of Unbeatable Squirrel Girl and The Book Jumper lined up as my next print reads.

What we're watching: Mr. Fine's pick for movie night last night was Ocean's 12. I thought I'd seen bits of it before but none of it was familiar so I think I'd missed it altogether before now. It was fun but nowhere near as good as the first one.

Book 48



Shit, Actually - Lindy West

A collection of essays/reviews on films. Lindy West brings her excellent sense of humour to the movies and it is a delight from start to finish. From her opening essay, which takes the stance that The Fugitive is the best film ever made (and rates all subsequent films reviewed in the collection on a scale of 10 DVDs of The Fugitive) the collection starts off strong and even when I didn't agree with her about a film, I still laughed at her comments. An excellent audiobook that's likely to make you pull out a film or two for a (re)watch.

Rating: ****

Book 49



The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill - Julie Klassen

Jane Bell has been struggling to find meaning in her life after the sudden death of her husband a year ago. She's also grappling with what to do with the coaching inn that's been in her husband's family for generations and that he left to her entirely in his will. When the bank informs her that her husband took out a tremendous loan and that she has three months to prove the inn's profitability or the bank will foreclose, Jane must decide if running the inn is what she truly wants or if she can bear leaving the village of Ivy Hill. With the arrival of her mother-in-law, Thora Bell, she'll have antagonistic support along with help from surprising places in the community.

A quiet, charming tale that has several narrative strands weaving in and around Jane's central struggle with the inn and every character is wonderful. The village is full of women who are working hard to make their way in the world and it's lovely to watch each of them grow, while the book acknowledges the massive hurdles facing women in business in the 1830s. I also have to cheer for any book that has a romantic plotline for a woman in her 50s. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I'll be picking up the other books in the series to see what becomes of all the Ivy Hill residents.

Rating: ****

Thanks to Foggi, who I believe was the initial source of the BB for this one. :)

>114 MickyFine: I gotta say, The Fugitive *is* a really good film.

>114 MickyFine:, >116 swynn: ...but THE film, the one true film whose story-DNA is to be found in the merely mundane, quite quotidian weapons of mass distraction deployed against us daily?

I do not necessarily believe this to be fully factually supported. An interesting hypothesis, I grant, but fairly grandiose.

>114 MickyFine: Hmmm, with you and Katie both recently reading and liking that one, I may have to add it to the TBR list. I don't watch a lot of movies, though, so I'm wondering how many I've actually watched (though I have seen the one she based her title off of).

Morning, Micky!

>115 MickyFine: Adding that one to the list.

>114 MickyFine: - Yay!

>118 bell7: - Mary, there were several films I hadn't seen and I still really enjoyed her commentary on them. Some I now want to see and some I now know to avoid... :)

>116 swynn: I've never seen it. But I'll be picking up a copy from the library this week to see what all the fuss is about.

>117 richardderus: I'm not sure I buy it and I'm pretty sure West's tongue is at least partially in her cheek when she makes the argument. The essay reviewing it is a lot of fun at the very least.

>118 bell7: I don't think you need to have seen the movies for it to be a fun collection, Mary. There were definitely some I'd never seen (and some I'm never watching *looks pointedly at American Pie*) but still enjoyed the essays about them all tremendously.

>119 scaifea: Oh nice! I hope you enjoy it, Amber.

What's on the agenda: No trip to the bus this morning! Mr. Fine has a couple vacation days as he helps my parents move my grandmother so I got to have a slower paced morning and it was lovely. Work today involves a couple meetings that I forgot I had. Guess I'll be wearing a scarf over my "Don't Grow Up, It's a Trap!" t-shirt. :P Around the meetings I'll be doing customer suggestions and then usual ordering stuff. Not sure when Mr. Fine will be home so I'm in charge in the kitchen. He was home early yesterday but didn't feel like cooking so we ordered pizza so yesterday's meatloaf plan will be shifted to today. Virtual craft circle for me tonight.

What I'm reading: Started Network Effect on audio yesterday and got in a couple hours while cleaning. Read all of the second volume of The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl before bed last night. Starting The Book Jumper today.

What we're watching: Double feature yesterday of Bolt for the Disney project, which I enjoyed once I stopped questioning the logic of a show where the dog doesn't know it's on a show and they only shoot every scene once. Followed it up with Ocean's Thirteen and then a couple episodes of As Time Goes By.

>115 MickyFine: Glad that book worked for you!

Book 50



The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel You Know It's True - Ryan North & Erica Henderson

Squirrel Girl goes up against some dinosaurs while her roommate is held hostage at the top of the Statue of Liberty and then teams up with a couple new super-powered friends who team up with her along with Jane Foster's Thor to fight a super squirrel who seems bent on wreaking havoc. Quips of epic proportions ensue.

I LOVE this comic series. The jokes are all so good, Doreen/Squirrel Girl is so wholesome and lovely, and the action is delightful. Even if you're not big on superhero comics, give these ones a whirl.

*looks pointedly at Amber*

Rating: ****

Bolt has never been a favorite for me. It just didn't hit right, somehow. *shrug*

>124 MickyFine: *SNORK!* I was reading through your review and thinking, "Well well well, what have we here?" and ope, clearly I do, in fact, need to read it! Consider it library-requested (here's hoping my library has it...).

>125 scaifea: Apparently Mr. Fine's daughter loved Bolt as a kid and there was a phase where they watched it every weekend she was with him. So he's got a sentimental attachment. As a first viewing for me, it was fine but it's not going on my list of all-time faves.

And yay for Squirrel Girl. I just did a quick check and they are in Hoopla if your library doesn't have them in print. Pro tip: search "squirrel girl" not "unbeatable squirrel girl". *grumbles to self about Hoopla's terrible search algorithms*

What's on the agenda: Mr. Fine is on his last day of helping move my grandmother so no drive to the bus again today. I only have a half day of work so I'll fit in what selection work I can. Off to the dentist this afternoon for a check-up and cleaning. Coconut curry chicken for dinner tonight.

What I'm reading: The Book Jumper is going ok so far although once I hit my 30s, my patience for teenage protagonists making stupid decisions has decreased significantly. Also, it's got a slightly similar vibe to the Thursday Next series but without the humour so it really just makes me want to re-read The Eyre Affair. Also still enjoying Network Effect on audio. My copy of Fugitive Telemetry shipped yesterday but isn't supposed to arrive until May for some reason. *mutters grumpily*

What we're watching: Got the first two episodes of season two of Fringe under our belts last night. Had completely forgotten that Meghan Markle had guest starred on the show, although the last time I watched it she wasn't the major figure she is now.

>126 MickyFine: No worries - my library has a hard copy of at least vol 1!

>128 scaifea: Woohoo! I loved this one from Volume 1 so it should be a good test for you.

>129 MickyFine: Yay! It's already in at the library (I suspect they have a copy right in my branch but I was too lazy to look and just requested it), so I'll pick it up tomorrow, probably.

Also, so this happened last night during our OUAT watching:



T minus, oh, let's say 3-4 more episodes before they're officially a Thing #shecanhavehim #TeamGoldenMuffin

>130 scaifea: Nice! Library day here tomorrow too.

That gif is the reason my friend got me to give OUAT a second chance (I'd watched the first episode when it first aired and wasn't blown away). Captain Swan is one of my OTPs and his flirting in all of season 2 is just *chef's kiss*. Fun fact, Jane Espenson (who wrote for both Buffy and OUAT) fully admits that there's a bit of Spike in Hook. So you keep that Golden Muffin. ;)

What's on the agenda: Not the best night's sleep last night (why does my brain kick into high gear when I wake up in the middle of the night?). So other than feeding, bathing, and dressing myself and taking Mr. Fine to the bus, I didn't do anything productive before work this morning. Around my weekly work group meeting I'll be doing my usual ordering. The hammock with stand I ordered last week arrived this morning and the high today is supposed to be 19C so odds are good I'm assembling that and hanging out there sometime this afternoon. Take out tonight and it'll be either Press'd or Chopped Leaf.

What I'm reading: Abandoned The Book Jumper yesterday but still loving Network Effect as my audio re-read. I've got another volume of Squirrel Girl lined up and then I'll start Siri, Who Am I?

What we're watching: Finished season 4 of Flash. Did the plot get pretty ridiculous in the last chunk there? Yes. Did I enjoy the heck out of it anyway? Also yes. Afterwards, I watched a few episodes of Golden Girls. Apparently I laughed so hard that Mr. Fine's D&D group could hear me through a closed door on his laptop mic. Oops?

>131 MickyFine: Oh HOW DARE. Hook is no Spike. He's not trickstery enough, for starters. And honestly, I'll take Rumple over Spike, even, and Spike is one of my first true loves.

ETA: So other than feeding, bathing, dressing, and taking Mr. Fine to the bus... does that man do anything for himself, then?

>133 scaifea: *gives the smug look of someone who has watched the whole show*



ETA: Damn. Bad sentence structure there. They're going to take my English degree away.

>134 MickyFine: *snork!* Okay, I will bend enough to admit that there is a possibility I will like Hook more as we go along. I mean, he does have pretty good guyliner game. But he will not supplant Rumple. No way.

Now, if Loki were to roll into Storybrooke, I'd probably break limbs climbing over Mr. Gold so fast to get to him... (Loki = King of the Fictional Boyfriend Couch)

>135 scaifea: Snort. I saw a post on FB today of a guy wearing the following shirt:

"HABB: Husbands Against Book Boyfriends"

I had a giggle and thought of you.

>136 MickyFine: *SNORK!!* I love it.

What's on the agenda: It's grey, cold, and blustery today and the urge to go back to bed was strong this morning. Instead I'll be doing customer suggestions and ordering material as usual for work today. After work I'll be picking up a couple holds from the library. Bow Ties of Texas from Looneyspoons for dinner tonight. We had sauce leftover from the last time we made it so just have to reheat that and cook some pasta, which is nice and easy.

What I'm reading: Not much paper book reading yesterday and only managed to get through half of volume 3 of Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. Spent a chunk of my lunch break yesterday assembling our new hammock stand and enjoying it while listening to an audiobook, so I'm now halfway through Network Effect.

What we're watching: A few episodes of Outlander last night. Culloden is looming and everything is about to get very fight-y.

>138 MickyFine: Your hammock sounds dreamy and now you've got me wondering if any of our big trees in the backyard are appropriately spaced to hang one up. Hmmm...

>139 curioussquared: We got a freestanding one that comes with a stand so no trees required. Also means I can indulge my cat-like tendencies and move it around the yard so it's always in the sun. :P

Of course after the gorgeous weather yesterday, it's now near freezing temperatures today and snowing (although at least the flurries aren't sticking) so no hammock-ing for me today. Welcome to spring in Canada!

>140 MickyFine: Love it! We are a bit short of flat space in our yard so a stand would probably take up too much space, but all the trees are on our big hill and would maybe mean we could actually take advantage of that area, too.

We've had a literally record-breaking streak of nice weather for the past week; 7 consecutive days with highs over 70 degrees F which has never happened here in April before! I'm calling it False Summer, because it's supposed to cool down starting today and be cold and raining again this weekend. I don't envy your snow, though!

>141 curioussquared: Ooh, that stretch of warm weather sounds lovely. Around here we know we're not truly free of a chance of snow until after the May long weekend (the third weekend in May) so random flurries aren't so bad. I have several memories of big spring snowstorms in May when I was kid - it's hardest on the trees especially if they've got leaves as snow that time of year is usually very wet and heavy. Killed one of our trees one year as it broke under the weight.

>142 MickyFine: Oof, May snowstorms do not sound fun. The (often true) joke in the PNW is that it's not really summer until July 4th; June is notoriously unreliable and will often revert back to Spring with lots of gray rainy days.

>143 curioussquared: Snort. Sounds about right. Mr. Fine and I watch a bunch of shows that all film in Vancouver and we have a running joke when we watch them of stating "Oh look, it's raining in Vancouver." It happens almost every episode. :P

>136 MickyFine: I may need to get my hubby one of those...

Just checking in :) Remembering that I accidentally ordered myself a copy of Lumberjanes 2 the other day. I say accidentally - because I didn't realise the postage cost nearly as much as the book until I'd ordered. D'oh! Didn't make me cancel it though, did it. Nope, it did not.

>145 BekkaJo: Nice to see you, Bekka. I hope you love Lumberjanes. So much fun that series.

What's on the agenda: TGIF! It's not quite 9 a.m. and I'm so ready to be done with work right now. Alas, no such luck so I'll dive into customer suggestions in OverDrive and then spend some time doing general selection. Still on the cold side here - I've worn my winter coat yesterday and today but I'll continue to be good and go for my walks. At least it's sunny. Chicken stir fry for supper tonight.

What I'm reading: Finished Squirrel Girl last night so I'll start Siri, Who Am I? today and continue Network Effect on audio.

What we're watching: Finished season 6 of Supernatural last night. There were some good episodes this season but overall I was kind of meh about it. 9 more seasons to go...

Book 51



The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: Squirrel, You Really Got Me Now - Ryan North & Erica Henderson

Doreen's Mom comes to visit and while meeting Doreen's roommate, Nancy, all three of them are attacked by brain drain. There's also a time travel plotline with Doctor Doom. And a crossover arc with Howard the Duck. All silly and quip-tastic as usual.

Rating: ****

TGIF! It's not quite 9 a.m. and I'm so ready to be done with work right now.

I feel this in my bones today. So. tired. Hope you have a restful weekend and lots of good books! I have to catch up with you in my Murderbot reread. I expect I'm the only one who's put a hold on the new one, and we've already got the book in ready to go for Tuesday...

>149 bell7: Thanks, Mary. Crossing my fingers that you get the new Murderbot book soon. :)

What's on the agenda: Busier day here than usual. We're headed out to my brother's farm for a distanced outdoor celebration of my oldest niece's birthday. She turned six yesterday and I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We'll be bundled up as it'll probably be hovering around the freezing mark and sitting outside doesn't do much to keep you warm but I'm excited to see the family. Supper tonight will be some version of a charcuterie plate.

What I'm reading: Siri, Who Am I? is a frothy, fast read and I'm already nearing the halfway mark, which is great news because my pre-order of Fugitive Telemetry arrived yesterday. Yay! It obviously jumped straight to the top of my nightstand stack and will be my next read.

What we're watching: Finished The Falcon and the Winter Soldier last night I already love Sam as Cap. Followed it with a couple episodes of Golden Girls and a couple of As Time Goes By - apparently I'm on a sit-coms featuring seniors kick.

>115 MickyFine: You're stalwart in being able to enjoy this story. It sounds so full of angst and difficulties. I might put it on my new TBR list, the one I've labelled "post-Covid-reading". At times I wonder if there will even *be* a post Covid era.

I guess I'm being a wet blanket! That's why I'm mostly reading the threads since I don't intend to be a 'negative-nancy' as the saying goes.

>151 MickyFine: Aw! So sweet, the six-year-old days.

I did the math: My oldest nephew's 53. He's got a six-year-old grandkid, though.

>151 MickyFine: re: spoiler: YES!

>151 MickyFine: Murderbot jealousy engaged!! My copy is due to ship from my favorite indie bookstore on Tuesday, but since I'm fully vaccinated as of today I might call them and go pick it up instead.

>151 MickyFine: >155 curioussquared: I expect mine to show up on my Kindle on the crack of Tuesday. I expect it to jump the reading queue.

>152 SandyAMcPherson: Honestly, Sandy it's pretty cozy and feel-good. There's tragedy and conflict as there is in real life but it never feels insurmountable. But obviously you know what you can handle best right now. :)

>153 richardderus: Since I got married technically my oldest niece is in her late 20s and just had her second baby. But the six year old we were celebrating today was my first ever niece and the oldest of the ones I see regularly. All the ones I married into are on the other end of the country. On an island. :P

>154 scaifea: Right?!

>155 curioussquared: That sounds like a good plan, Natalie. Although in-store browsing might be dangerous after your pandemic-induced hiatus.

>156 quondame: Excellent plan, Susan.

>157 MickyFine: The good news is that I have a gift card to the store that's been burning a hole in my pocket for a year because you can't use them for online orders :)

>124 MickyFine: Hmm ... maybe.

>158 curioussquared: Yay!

>159 humouress: It's pretty fun, Nina.

What's on the agenda: It's cleaning day here. Again. And in addition to the usual cleaning, we're spring cleaning the bathrooms. Sigh. Plus depending on how long that takes and our energy levels, we might rake the lawn and clean up the rest of last year's leaves. Mr. Fine's going to grill chicken on the barbecue for supper and we usually have sweet potatoes and broccoli with that.

What I'm reading: With our outing yesterday I only managed a chapter in Siri, Who Am I? and about a half hour of Network Effect while taking a bath to warm up.

What we're watching: Just a couple episodes of As Time Goes By since we were both pretty wiped last night.

>160 MickyFine: Alrighty; borrowed.

>162 humouress: Yay!

Book 52



Network Effect - Martha Wells (re-read)

Murderbot has just finished rescuing its humans (again) when its crew is attacked and Murderbot and one of its humans is kidnapped by another ship. The ship is ART's but ART isn't there and Murderbot has to figure out what the hell is going on. Watching media is so much easier...

An excellent re-read as I expected and timed perfectly as I've got book 6 waiting on my nightstand for me. I appreciate some of the subtleties of Kevin R. Free's performance in the audiobook, particularly giving Amina a similar cadence to Dr. Mensah to reflect their family connection, but I have to admit after re-reading the whole series us to this book on audio that I prefer the Murderbot and ART my own brain conjures. Regardless, Murderbot is great and I will never stop loving these books, whatever the format.

Rating: *****

In other news, our hot water tank threw a fit and long story short, we're replacing it. So thankful my brother decided to be a plumber and can do the work on such short notice (i.e. after I call him in a panic because there's water and steam and WHICH VALVE TURNS IT OFF?). Hope everyone's Sunday is much less eventful. I'll be on my fainting couch for the rest of the day. ;)

Oooh, congrats on Fugitive Telemetry. Looking forward to your thoughts.

>165 MickyFine: Nooooo. Just love random house problems...

>165 MickyFine: Oh dear, that's a hassle but perhaps less so with a plumber-brother. I hope your time on the fainting couch has aided your recovery.

Oh no to the water heater problems, but yay for a plumber in the family! I have a mechanic dad and a carpenter brother, and they've come in handy on several occasions.

>166 swynn: Thanks, Steve. I'll be starting it today so should have comments up within the next day or two. :D

>167 curioussquared: Right? And in the same month that we had our shingles replaced. I've pointedly told the house it needs to behave itself for a while now. :P

>168 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. Very grateful for my plumber brother who had a tank ready to install and we had hot water again within a few hours of the failure.

>169 scaifea: I'm very blessed: my brother is a plumber and my Dad works in maintenance in a long-term care facility and knows his way around most any house problem too.

What's on the agenda: Early shift for Mr. Fine this week so after dropping him off at the bus I had time for a shower and finished a book before I had to come down to the basement for work. Starting the day off with customer suggestions and then digging into other selection work. Turkey burgers for dinner tonight. Virtual craft circle for me this evening.

What I'm reading: Finished Siri, Who Am I? this morning so I'll be diving into Fugitive Telemetry today. I'll also be starting an LATW audio production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. David Krumholtz plays Puck so it should be pretty enjoyable.

What we're watching: The Princess and the Frog was up for our Disney project last night and then one episode of As Time Goes By before retiring for the evening.

Book 53



Siri, Who Am I? - Sam Tschida

Mia wakes up in a hospital with staples in the back of her head and absolutely no memory of who she is and what happened to land her there, although she can name every one of the Kardashians. The only reason she knows her first name is because of Siri. Once the doctors cut her loose letting her know that her memory is likely to take its time to come back after her head trauma she's armed only with her Prada dress, Chanel lipstick, and her Instagram feed to help her figure out her life. Tracking down the house she thinks is hers leads her to Max, the house-sitter for Mia's well-known boyfriend, and he teams up with Mia to help her figure out who she is and who might have been behind her head wound. But as they dig into her online profiles, they discover that nothing is as it seems on Instagram.

A light read that I could see myself hating if I'd been in the wrong mood but thankfully I was in the right one. Mia is a challenging protagonist who makes mistakes, is far too interested in surface appearances for a chunk of the novel, and is often frustratingly obtuse. But she's also charming as she grapples to figure out who she was before her head wound and her growth as a person is rewarding. Max is also a wonderful character to get to know along the way. Is the novel always believable? Definitely not. Is it enjoyable if you don't think about it too hard? Absolutely.

Rating: ***

>172 MickyFine: After your whole-house steam facial, I can see this being the perfect antidote!

Blessings on your brother for being there in this nasty crunch.

>173 richardderus: He's a good brother for sure. :)

What's on the agenda: After dropping off Mr. Fine this morning I fixed the taps in one of our bathrooms (after the work on the weekend the filter got clogged with a couple bits of stuff) and then finished a book. Work will include updating our Lucky Day collection, having my bi-weekly check-in with my manager, and the usual selection. Mr. Fine is picking our take out for tonight and he's craving fried chicken so it's looking like we'll be getting Mary Brown's.

What I'm reading: I finished Fugitive Telemetry this morning and I've got about a half hour left in my audio of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Next up in print is another volume of Squirrel Girl.

What we're watching: I had Golden Girls on in the background while folding laundry yesterday after work and we watched a couple episodes of Fringe together. Season 2 They finally discovered Charlie was a shapeshifter and killed it.

Book 54



Fugitive Telemetry - Martha Wells

When a dead human is found on Preservation Station as the obvious victim of murder, Dr. Mensah asks Murderbot to help Station Security with the investigation. Neither Murderbot nor Senior Indah, the head of Station Security, are thrilled at the prospect but as murder basically never happens on Preservation Station and the threat of GrayCris is still looming, they agree.

Set in the timeline before the events of Network Effect, this murder mystery has hints of a criminal procedural mixed with Murderbot's usual sass and plenty of action as always. I was a bit sad that this book didn't fall after Network Effect as I always love getting to watch Murderbot and ART interact but any time with Murderbot is a good time. Recommended, obviously.

Rating:*****

>54 MickyFine: Ooh, thanks for the heads-up; I was also hoping for a follow-up to Network Effect, but as you say, any time with Murderbot is a good time. I'm not sure when I will squeeze this book in, but I'm going to give it my best shot when my copy arrives!

>176 MickyFine: I knew about the timeline, and the good news is that it was just announced that Martha Wells signed a new, huge deal with Tor for six new books, including THREE new Murderbots. I really, really want some Murderbot and ART adventures next.

>177 foggidawn: It's a novella so it's much easier to squeeze in. ;)

>178 curioussquared: That's some excellent news, Natalie. Thanks for sharing! And agreed on Murderbot and ART. I've added one of Martha Wells' other series to The List in the meantime as I'm curious to see what her non-Murderbot books are like.

>178 curioussquared: That is good news! I've liked Martha Wells since The Cloud Roads caught my eye on the library's (Yay for libraries!) new book shelf. It is devastating to think she was so discouraged before those books.

>180 quondame: Oh nice to hear you liked The Cloud Roads, Susan, as that's the Martha Wells book I stuck on The List to try now that I'm out of new Murderbots. *pout*

>179 MickyFine: >180 quondame: I recently acquired a copy of The Cloud Roads and want to get to it soon!

I *still* need to get round to those murderbot books...

(*psst* Meet me over on Laura's thread. We've got work to do.)

>183 scaifea: You really do. I'm sure you and Murderbot will be instant besties.

Cross-posted with you! Bahaha.

>181 MickyFine: I ended up liking some of her earlier books better than some of the Raksura books, but I didn't dislike any of them. And the Raksura books also have an individual with a different point of view and deals with themes of compulsion.

>185 quondame: Good to know. Thanks, Susan!

>176 MickyFine: Yay that more Murderbot is still good Murderbot, though I too will miss ART.

Book 55



A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare

Well this audio production of one of my favourite Shakespearean comedies is a mixed bag. The cast is great but some of the direction/sound choices are not so good. Any time a production writes music for one of Shakespeare's songs it has the potential to get weird and this version does for sure. And while I've listened to audio productions of plays that have significant physical comedy elements and do it well, this one missed more than a hit. It took me longer than it should have to realize that Bottom's transformation into an ass had occurred. I also think they cut down Puck's speeches, which I will never forgive as he's my favourite. Ultimately, a good play but not served well by this production.

Rating: ***

>187 swynn: I feel like the Venn diagram of Murderbot fans and ART fans is a circle. :)

>176 MickyFine: Oh, well done indeed. Mine is up now, as well.

>190 richardderus: I shall head over to yours post-haste.

>176 MickyFine: Oh I'm so glad I saw that about the timeline. Now I can plan on rereading the next two novellas this week and sinking in with Fugitive Telemetry over the weekend without worrying about fitting in Network Effect first.

>188 MickyFine: I know it's weird, especially considering how much fantasy I read, but this has never been one of my favorite Shakespeare plays.

>192 bell7: Happy to help you with your re-reading plans, Mary. :)

As for Midsummer Night's Dream, I totally get why it might not be your favourite. Nick Bottom is pretty similar to Falstaff and I am not a Falstaff fan at all, so he can grate on my nerves sometimes. But now I'm curious as to what is your favourite Shakespeare play(s)?

What's on the agenda: Apparently I've been married long enough now that falling asleep when Mr. Fine isn't also in bed is much more difficult. So I'm running tired today as he had virtual D&D until 10 p.m. and the alarm went off at 5 a.m. Despite that I did manage to shower, empty the dishwasher, and hand wash the dishes that needed it before work this morning. I've got two meetings today (one of which I really don't want to go to) so around them I'll squeeze in what ordering I can. Grocery shopping after work today. We'll be having chili and cornmeal muffins for dinner tonight - leftovers that were frozen after the last time we made them so it'll be easy prep after dealing with groceries.

What I'm reading: Started a BBC Radio production of Hamlet with Michael Sheen in the title role for my newest audiobook. I finished another Squirrel Girl comic last night so today I'll be starting The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Apparently my library ended up with an American edition so it's missing the 1/2. :P

What we're watching: A few episodes of Legends of Tomorrow last night, including one with a time loop, which as I've mentioned before is one my fave time travel tropes.

Frozen leftover chili sounds *so* amazing! (Chili just gets better with age, really.)

Also, Michael Sheen as Hamlet = Ginormous YES!! Gosh, I love him.

>193 MickyFine: Ooh, discussions of favorite Shakespeare plays are always fun! I actually do love Midsummer Night's Dream; it's been my favorite since I was a teen. I have a sentimental fondness for King Lear, which was my senior directing project in college (I didn't choose it, my advisor did, but directing it was an amazing experience). I also love The Tempest and The Winter's Tale. My favorite of the tragedies is probably Othello, though I also love Hamlet (I always assume that everyone loves Hamlet). In the comedies, I love Twelfth Night (I also assume everyone loves Twelfth Night) and As You Like It. And I have some fondness for Falstaff in the Henry plays (not so much in The Merry Wives of Windsor) -- in grad school I did scenes from Henry IV parts I and II contrasting the tavern scene where Falstaff and Prince Hal are being rowdy buddies, vs. the street scene at the very end of Part II where Hal, now King Henry, gives Falstaff a cruel set-down.

>196 foggidawn: The Hal plays are my favorite because I fell *so* hard for him in high school, and every time I reread them, I find some other dimension of his character to wonder at and be amazed by. Then Hamlet, because, well, yeah.

(I know I've told this story before so just eye roll and skip if it's too familiar): When I was, I think, 6? my best friend's mom took us to a local college production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. That was my first introduction to both Shakespeare and live theater and I was Blown. Away. It was so enchanting and hecking magical. One of my very best childhood memories, really (and that's saying something because I had a charmed life, honestly). So AMND is way up there in my favorites, too. Oh, and Titus Andronicus. For Occupational Hazard reasons, I suppose.

>195 scaifea: I'm looking forward to it for sure. It's been on the cooler side here for the last couple days so it's a good day for chili.

And Michael Sheen is doing a solid job with Hamlet so far, which isn't so easy when you're working just in the audio medium

>196 foggidawn: Interesting mix of favourites, Foggi, with some of the lesser-known plays in there. So cool that you got to direct King Lear.

>197 scaifea: All good choices, Amber. And it's wonderful that you had such a great first experience seeing a Shakespeare play. I think the first one I saw live was when I was in junior high and we got to go see the high school's production of Romeo & Juliet for English class. Of course at that age R&J is SO romantic and I loved it.

For the record, since we're discussing favourite Shakespeare plays mine are as follows.

Favourite comedy: Much Ado About Nothing because I LOVE me some Beatrice and Benedick banter. This may be heavily influenced by the film with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson.

Favourite history: Henry V because Hal is definitely one of my book boyfriends.

Favourite tragedy: Hamlet. So much angst. So many great speeches. So many directions to go with interpretations of the character. And on that front, I will never not link to this To Be or Not to Be sketch from Shakespeare's 400th birthday celebration.

I haven't read a ton of Shakespeare, but here is my ill-educated opinion:

Love: Othello, Macbeth, King Lear
Okay: Merchant of Venice, Henry V, Julius Caesar
No: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet (I can't do that much angst)

And I think that covers the only ones I've read. I would put Much Ado on the Love list based solely on the Thompson/Branagh film :)

Book 56



The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl: I Kissed a Squirrel and I Liked It - Ryan North, Erica Henderson, & Jacob Chabot

In this fourth volume we get a choose your own adventure comic, an arc in which Doreen tries online dating, and a showdown with several villains where computer science knowledge is helpful in defeating them.

I love Squirrel Girl comics. Not only are they fun and funny they tackle issues so well. Doreen's plot with Mole Man during the online dating arc and exploring that just because someone likes you does not in any way oblige you to like them back or engage in activities with them is amazing content for the target audience (and really, any audience). Also, one of the summary pages was done in Victorian style and now Victorian Squirrel Girl is on my list of cosplays I'd love to do. You know, if I could actually sew.



Rating: *****

>199 MickyFine: The Thompson and Branagh one is so good, but I also love Joss Whedon's version...

>193 MickyFine: >196 foggidawn: I also love The Tempest; just by happenstance I think I studied it three times, once in high school and twice in college, and that only made it better for me. Also a fan of Macbeth and Twelfth Night -- on a related note, I LOVE She's the Man.

>194 MickyFine: I thought the American edition is the one that had the 1/2 added -- at least the one I own which I presume is American has a 1/2.

>200 katiekrug: Good choices, Katie!

>202 scaifea: It does have a lot of Whedon alumni, which is fun. I think it's how lush Italy looks in the Branagh version that puts it over the top for me.

>203 curioussquared: Nice Shakespeare choices, Natalie. Huh, maybe it is a Canadian edition of Evelyn Hardcastle then. I always find variant titles fascinating.

Somehow I think I've read a great deal more Shakespeare fan-fiction by professional writers like L. Jagi Lamplighter (who could forget Coriolanus, The Chariot! no matter how hard they tried) than the actual plays, which I must have read, right? I mean the biggies, Othello, Hamlet, Midsummer's Night Dream, the Henrys. We did read aloud at home before I went to high school mostly, and I've seen movies, but I have almost no memories of my eyes on pages reading the actual plays.

>193 MickyFine:, >196 foggidawn:, >197 scaifea: etc.

I read Macbeth in high school, and I can't remember if it was really my first play, but it was definitely the first for school (I read a few others in high school because I wanted to), and it's still my favorite tragedy, maybe my entire favorite.

The Tempest, Hamlet and The Merchant of Venice (I know it's problematic, but I do love the wordplay in that one) all got 5 stars, with Much Ado About Nothing just a hair behind at 4.5. I saw the Branagh/Thompson version before reading it, so it's definitely influenced by that.

I gave four stars to Richard the Third, As You Like It (saw that at the Globe Theatre, which was fun), Measure for Measure, Othello and Taming of the Shrew. Personally I think 10 Things I Hate About You is superior to the source material.

Midsummer Night's Dream was a three-star read for me and Romeo and Juliet three-and-a-half. Several movie versions of both couldn't convince me to like them better, either. I never found R&J all that romantic, I was the pragmatic teen who was complaining that they barely knew each other, what do they think they're doing getting married already?

I remember reading Henry IV Part 1 for school, but I didn't put a rating here and don't really remember what I thought of it. Same with Antony and Cleopatra and A winter's tale.

My biggest gaps in not-reading (or viewing) is definitely the history plays, but I have some other famous ones like King Lear and Julius Caesar still ahead of me. And in case you're wondering, I was a nerdy teen who read Shakespeare, as did one of my friends, and we would compare notes. Then I became an English major and Shakespeare was a requirement, where I read a dozen plays and only some of them were ones I'd encountered before. Midsummer Night's Dream I managed to read 3 times in total (one for myself in high school, twice for college), but reading Wyrd Sisters and getting ALL of the references made it totally worth it.

By the bye, one of my most favorite adaptations based on Shakespeare is the Reduced Shakespeare Company's "Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)".

>194 MickyFine: Oooh, hope you enjoy Evelyn Hardcastle as much as I did!

>205 quondame: I mean, as plays they're meant to be performed/watched so it's not the end of the world if you haven't read them all, Susan. And I say that as someone who has read them all. #nerd

>206 bell7: An interesting mix of Shakespeare faves, Mary. :)

What's on the agenda: So tired and it's still not Friday. Sigh. After dropping off Mr. Fine this morning, I made a trip to the library to return some items (yay for an external return chute). After that I just played games on my phone and listened to my audiobook before work. Customer suggestions is top of my work list today before I get into more general ordering. After work I get to drive Mr. Fine across town (during rush hour) for a suit fitting. He's a groomsman in a friend's wedding at the beginning of June, which has gone from a 300-person affair it was planned to be to a live-streamed ceremony with just the wedding party (current provincial guidelines allow for only 10 people at a wedding, including officiant). Plan is to grab a take-out dinner afterwards since we're not sure how long the fitting will take.

What I'm reading: Finished Hamlet on audio this morning. Next up is another BBC Radio Shakespeare production, Much Ado About Nothing with David Tennant playing Benedick. *swoon* I'm about 80 pages into The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and I don't know if I like it. The concept is one that should appeal to me but the prose has been a bit purple in spots, which I found a bit off-putting. However, I'm about to start the Day Two section so we'll see if I like it more once there's body-swapping and time loops actually in evidence.

What we're watching: A couple episodes of Outlander last night although we didn't make it to the season 2 finale. So Mr. Fine will meet Roger and Bree next week. :)

Hi Micky! Nothing interesting to contribute, so here's David Tennant in Casanova.

>209 richardderus: It's a good miniseries! I watched it back in the early days of my love for DT. :)

>210 MickyFine: I agree! It was a terrific dramatization. He is a wonderful character-generating machine, isn't he...vanishes into whatever role he plays and doesn't do The Expected Thing. Fun!

Book 57



Hamlet - William Shakespeare

An excellent audio production with Michael Sheen in the title role. Full of all the angst, gorgeous speeches, and tragedy that I love about this play. Honourable mention to Ellie Beaven's choices for Ophelia when she goes mad - she opts for a lot of childlike delight intermixed with sudden moments of grief as opposed to other versions I've seen where Ophelia is just devastatingly sad throughout. If you like the play, this is a decent way to experience it.

Rating: ****

>211 richardderus: Definitely. I also highly recommend his podcast "David Tennant Does a Podcast with." He's a really solid interviewer and asks some really thoughtful questions. The episode with Dame Judi in particular would probably be a good one for you. :)

>213 MickyFine: Oh dear, she used the "P-word"...*flees screaming*

If libraries were run like used car dealerships. It made me laugh pretty hard.

What's on the agenda: So glad it's Friday. It's been a loooooong week, friends. Shower, phone games, and audiobook time this morning. I also got to sign up Mr. Fine for his first vaccination shot bright and early as the newest phase started today and includes law enforcement. I'm so relieved especially since he's just had a bunch of co-workers test positive this week (although thankfully no close contacts). As for actual work, I've got customer suggestions in OverDrive to deal with, I'll probably be responding to comments from my manager and director on the revisions of a section of our collections manual for our local history collection, and there will be regular ordering too. Chicken penne with alfredo sauce and garlic toast on the meal plan tonight plus it's my pick for movie night.

What I'm reading: Should finish Much Ado About Nothing today on audio, which has been lovely. David Tennant actually keeps his Scottish accent in this one. Still not sure if I actually like The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle but the plot is compelling enough that I'll probably finish it.

What we're watching: With our trip out to the opposite end of town for Mr. Fine's suit fitting yesterday, we only managed to watch the first episode of season 7 of Supernatural before bedtime.

>216 MickyFine: Hooray for Mr. Fine's first shot getting scheduled!! And ooh, I'm a sucker for anything where David Tennant keeps his Scottish accent :)

>217 curioussquared: He's such a delight to listen to always.

Book 58



Much Ado About Nothing - William Shakespeare

An excellent audio production of my favourite of Shakespeare's comedies. The cast was perfection and there's excellent audio gags in place of the physical gags that often happen when Beatrice and Benedick are eavesdropping. Also, David Tennant keeps his Scottish accent. Recommended.

Rating: *****

April Summary








Numbers in parentheses are for year to date. Note pages read/hours listened for abandoned books are included in totals.

Books read: 21 (58)
Books abandoned: 1 (4)

Fiction: 19 (49)
Non-fiction: 2 (9)

Adult: 14 (43)
YA: 7 (15)
Children's: 0 (0)

Library: 19 (45)
Mine: 2 (13)
Borrowed elsewhere: 0 (0)

Re-reads: 4 (9)

Female authors: 15 (38)
Male authors: 10 (24)
Non-binary authors: 0 (0)

Pages: 3,013 (12,350)
Hours: 1 day, 19 hours, 25 minutes (2 days, 19 hours, 30 minutes)

Average rating: 4.08

Average time to read book: 3.38 days

Favourite book(s): Fugitive Telemetry, obvs.

And that's it for April! Let's move on to May with that link below.