Short story collections are a mixed bag. I liked most of these, but some fell short. The stories are set in the same magical world as Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell, but only one (the title story — my favorite) features characters from that novel.

I started this yesterday after finishing Desolation Mountain in the middle of my #audiowalk. It feels very much like William Kent Krueger‘s stand-alone novels — especially This Tender Land. I like it so far.

This book was more interesting for character growth and a hint at a possible major change than for the plot, which involves a possible conspiracy. I enjoyed it. #audiowalk

This was a very quick, enjoyable read — I started last night, couldn‘t sleep, and finished it around 3:00am. I love Montell‘s blend of nonfiction concepts and personal history. In this one, she tackles cognitive biases such as the halo effect, sunk cost fallacy, and survivorship bias, making each concept clear with examples from her life. Montell narrates the audiobook and is engaging and relaxed.

Still enjoying this book, and it‘s interesting watching Steven‘s journey to manhood. I hate that white flower in the picture above the book cover. It‘s the only thing I can smell blooming before I see it, and it makes my eyes water and itch and my nose start running. 😣 #audiowalk

My favorite National Library Week quote because it‘s so true.

It was up in the 80s today, but it was still breezy, so I had a nice #audiowalk. Poor Steven! He‘s going through the young adult thing of wondering what kind of man he is, comparing himself to Cork and to his brother-in-law, Daniel. He‘s finding himself wanting; I‘m sure he‘ll eventually realize he‘s not wanting — he‘s just a different kind of man from them.

This evening‘s reading. I love this explanation of why one character is generally disliked: “ … never smiled unless there was some thing to smile at.” Makes sense to me! I‘ve spent most of my life being told I should smile more. Now that I‘m older, it doesn‘t happen that much — thank goodness.

This Cork O‘Connor mystery revolves around a vision Steven has. Steven is 20 and in college; he was 5 or 6 when we first met him! Bo Thorsen, from The Devil‘s Bed, also shows up. It was extremely windy outside today. That tree in the bay was not there the day before yesterday; I guess yesterday‘s storm was strong enough to bring it there. #audiowalk

I mostly enjoyed this, but, if the sheriff of Tracy‘s hometown had just told her what was going on, nothing would‘ve played out the way it did. But then we‘d have no story, so I guess his secrecy was a necessary plot point. #audiowalk

I really dislike Tracy‘s captain. They had a bad relationship from when Tracy went to the police academy. He was an instructor and groped her; she broke his nose. Completely appropriate reaction on her part, in my opinion. I think I know where the plot is headed; we‘ll see. #audiowalk

Low end of the pick scale. The stories from White House residence staff were interesting, but Brower was all over the place. My two favorite sections had themes — children in the WH and how residence staff dealt with traumatic events like 9/11 and Kennedy‘s assassination. In many ways, Brower turns the staff members into saints. No staff member ever talks out of turn. All staff members respect and care for the families they serve. Really?

I‘d started this book when I was on Dauphin Island one day. Since I finished Sense and Sensibility, I decided to continue it on my #audiowalk. It‘s getting a little warm down here; I guess spring is leaving us soon. 😞

I loved this book, but dang! The bar is low here for men to be forgiven for their awful behavior! When those bad actions involve women, the women are blamed much more harshly. I liked Eleanor, but she forgave much too easily. I don‘t understand the point of the third Dashwood daughter, Margaret. I kept forgetting about her. #audiowalk

I disliked Mrs. Jennings when I first met her. She talks too much, and she‘s an awful gossip. Now I think she‘s pretty funny and has a good heart. I don‘t understand Eleanor‘s attitude toward Edward at all. He‘s not an innocent in the way he treated her. Marianne is growing on me; she‘s got a lot of faults, but she says what she thinks. I almost needed a sweater today. #audiowalk

Yesterday was grey, warm, and rainy; today was sunny, breezy, and cooler. There are a lot of secret engagements and presumed engagements in this book. I‘m liking it. #audiowalk

This book was just okay. It got better near the end, but I don‘t know if I‘ll read any of the rest of the series. I just never really warmed up to either Veronica or Stoker. Since I finished this in the middle of my walk, I picked up with Sense and Sensibility, which had been my night time book. Not loving Marianne & Willoughby — they are the “mean girls” of the town so far, even though Willoughby is a man. #audiowalk

My! John and Fanny Dashwood are pieces of work!

I feel as if I‘m never going to finish this book! I missed a couple of days because I didn‘t walk. I‘m in Houston with my son and his family. Pictures are from the hotel. I didn‘t track my walk, so no map. A car caught on fire in the garage next to us! Huge fire and a lot of fire trucks and police. #audiowalk

Finally something happened that actually interests me and makes it so I can finish the book! My walk was just around my former university today. #audiowalk

For some reason, Hoopla never works on Dauphin Island, so I listened to My Sister‘s Grave, which was already downloaded in Audible. I‘ve only read one Robert Dugoni book before, a novella about the main character in this book. I liked it, and this one is starting out interesting. #audiowalk

I loved Killers of a Certain Age and was invested in it almost immediately. I figured I‘d have a similar experience with this Raybourn book, but that‘s not been the case. I‘m about halfway through and still don‘t know if I like it. #audiowalk

A library setting and a librarian sleuth. What‘s not to like? A lot, sadly. The author can‘t decide what he wants to do with the book — cozy mystery, hardboiled detective novel, police procedural interspersed with soft porn. Ambler, our hero, is not that memorable; his police friend, Cosgrove, is not bright; and the women are stereotypes. The narrator of the audio would be perfect if this were a Sam Spade novel, but it‘s not, so he‘s awkward.

This is the lower end of the pick scale for me. I picked it up because I love Lumberjanes, and Stevenson is a cocreator of that comic. Some parts of the book are great — the art, the poetry, some observations— while others just seem shallow. Many of the end of the year wrap-ups just feel like resumes. Stevenson often mentions working on secret projects, but we often don‘t find out what they are.

This is a well-researched, well-written book about the USA‘s previous flirtations with fascism. Maddow narrates the book in an engaging way, occasionally throwing in a touch of her trademark snark. The only thing I‘d have done differently is I‘d have laid out the two eras side-by-side so that the parallels couldn‘t be missed. But Maddow trusts her audience, so she concentrates on the Hitler era. Continued with Veronica Speedwell on my #audiowalk

This book makes you realize that there‘s very little new under the sun. The US has had large groups of fascist supporters before, the most significant of which was right before WWII with America First and the Christian Front. More Veronica Speedwell on my #audiowalk. I haven‘t decided how I feel about her yet.

We learned a lot about book programs designed to provide reading material for soldiers during WWII. You wouldn‘t think it could possibly be a political issue but it was. One of the programs even got entangled in a voting bill. After we finished that, we started Rachel Maddow‘s Prequel, and I listened to Deanna Raybourn‘s A Curious Beginning on my #audiowalk. The Blue Angels were practicing above us.

This book is original and fun. It plays with the format and rules for golden age detective fiction. The plot is a bit convoluted, and there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but it doesn‘t detract from the story. I was often distracted by the narrator‘s pronunciation of “assume.” He uses an “sh” sound like in “shoe.” You never realize how often an author uses a word until it‘s said oddly! #audiowalk

It‘s raining hard here, so instead of going for a walk, I‘m settling in to start Holly after finishing up Murder Road.

Well, Broken Girls is still my favorite Simone St. James book, but Murder Road gave it a good, solid run for its money. April and Eddie are sympathetic characters, and the story is interesting with just the right touch of the supernatural.

“”Librarians know everything.” My husband will say this periodically, and I always tell him that I appreciate it, but it‘s not true. What many of us are good at, though, is knowing where to find answers.

I‘m liking this book, but I find I really do need to pay attention! I took my husband out for his birthday, and the views out the windows were what we saw as we ate our lovely meals. I kept waiting for the rain, but it never happened. #audiowalk

Took a quick trip to the beach today. The tagged book was my #audiowalk book. I read some of Murder Road sitting on the beach, and When Books Went to War is our current road trip book. It‘s really interesting. We started 4 different fiction titles — all by authors we both like — and couldn‘t get into any of them! I guess we were both in the mood for nonfiction.

Is the plot ridiculous? Yes. Does it depend way too much on coincidence? Of course. But I don‘t read Finlay Donovan books for realistic plots. I read them for the chaos and fun, and this one delivers. In fact, I liked it better than the last one. I loved the very end. #audiowalk

These books are the exception to hating characters doing dumb stuff all the time as they are so chaotic and fun. Finlay, Vero, and, eventually, the whole gang including Nick and Stephen, are in Atlantic City with Finlay & Vero trying to hide their activities from everyone else. #audiowalk It was so pretty outside that I sat by the bay and read The Splendid and the Vile for a bit.

Ok, I like a cozy mystery with a plucky heroine, but what I absolutely cannot stand is when that heroine is deeply stupid, confronting suspected murderers alone in isolated places. That‘s not plucky and brave — that‘s just dumb. This was my nighttime book, but I only had an hour left so I finished it up on my walk. #audiowalk

This was a light, fun, fluffy, short listen. Exactly what I needed. I liked the characters and the setting in Key West. Not so sure I care for what might be a love triangle, but that‘s a small thing. #audiowalk The picture on the top left wasn‘t on my walk; it‘s a view of Mobile out of a downtown restaurant window. I met some friends there for happy hour, and I liked the view.

I am always astounded by King‘s ability to write shorter works. He admits to having “diarrhea of the mouth,” but his short stories and novellas usually prove him capable of reigning himself in. He does so admirably here. I especially liked the first story - Mr. Harrigan‘s Phone and the title story, featuring Holly. I‘m not so sure he quite knew what to do with the second story. Murder Mystery Book Club was my #audiowalk book. #LosersClub👇

Murder Road came today! I love Simone St. James, but I forgot I‘d pre-ordered this. 😊

Too many uninteresting sections and too many cliches for this to be a pick. I really did want to like it because I have liked McDermid‘s writing in the past, but this just didn‘t do it for me. #audiowalk

Well, about 80% in, something happened that made me care about what‘s going on in this book, so I will finish it. I‘ve only got an hour and a half left, so I‘ll probably be done tomorrow. I may start Make Trouble early for #SheSaid. #audiowalk

I‘m reading If It Bleeds for #LosersClub. It‘s another Stephen King book that I‘ve had since it was first released but never read. I‘m taking this opportunity to finally read it.

Oh, yippee. Now we have my other least favorite thing to read about in fiction — terrorism. I also haven‘t made up my mind if I like our heroine, Allie. I‘m not even sure she is our heroine, even though the series is named after her, because I feel as if we get a whole lot more of Danny. Maybe the series should be his. #audiowalk

The writing in this book is just beautiful. The interconnected stories range from pre-Revolutionary USA history to (possibly) far in the future and all revolve around a house in Massachusetts. I found the stories of the apple farmer and his daughters to be a bit too long. I almost quit here, but I‘m glad I didn‘t. The real power was in the later stories.

I needed a Christie palate cleanser after Murder at Mallowan Hall, so I turned to Christie herself. This is a lesser known novel with a much older Poirot who doesn‘t appear nearly as much as he should. However, I still enjoyed it. Any number of the characters could‘ve have plausibly been the murderer, but I never suspected the actual one even though they also made sense. Hugh Fraser is, as always, a delightful narrator.

Agent to the Stars is a ridiculous book, and it was tons of fun. Apparently, Scalzi wrote it to see if he could actually write a novel. Wil Wheaton does a great job narrating it. 1979 is my #audiowalk book. I‘m not invested so far. I like McDermid, the time period interests me, but so far it seems to be about financial crime and tax evasion, and that bores me. I hope I‘m wrong.

This was just okay. Phyllida Bright works for Agatha Christie and is also her friend. She loves Poirot, and when a murder happens at Mallowan Hall, she takes it upon herself to try to solve it Poirot style. Unfortunately, this book is pretty boring. There‘s far too much detail about the everyday tasks and clothing of the staff. Bright‘s Poirot-like villain and motive reveal speech at the end is far too long, pretentious, and boring.

Just started this for my new #audiowalk book. I didn‘t get that far into it because my walk was short, but I‘ve liked other Val McDermid books, so we‘ll see.

The tagged book is really my nighttime book, but I hadn‘t yet picked a new walking book, so I listened to it on my #audiowalk today. I started reading North Woods while we were at the beach; its structure is really interesting. Agent to the Stars is our road trip book — it‘s about an agent who discovers his new job is to introduce a friendly, but ugly and stinky, alien race to humans. We are loving it.

While I ended up liking this better than I thought I would, it‘s my least favorite Krueger book. The plot is disjointed, and most of the plot twists are too predictable. There‘s this shadowy group out to assassinate the First Lady of the US, and I never really understood the motivation for it. I do like our hero, Bo Thorson, though, and Krueger gives him a good backstory. #audiowalk