“‘This is our life now,‘ said Dimitri. ‘Welcome.‘”

This will probably be the last book I finish this year, and it‘s a good way to end it. This was a lot of fun and would honestly be an easy one for me to recommend to a lot of people. Complex characters? ✔️ Propulsive plot? ✔️ Interesting world building? ✔️ Vivid writing? ✔️ There‘s magic/fantasy but it‘s mainly a heist story. And there‘s romance but it‘s not the main plot. Found family, an anti-hero you can root for, diverse cast. Easily 4.5 stars

Left work a little early today for an appointment. Won‘t be back until January 5th! Woohoo! 🎉 After my appointment I had a late lunch and some time to read. The next few days will be busy with holiday travel and family gatherings, but by Saturday, I will have NOTHING(!) on my calendar!

Library holds for #AuldLangSpine have come in! Well, most of them (I‘m number 47 in line for Wild Dark Shore - looking forward to when I randomly get that notification next year!). Probably going to start with Tom Lake, since it is one I was already interested in and seems like just the right mood for starting off the year.

Thanks for the awesome list @willaful and for organizing @monalyisha 🥰

Diving back into Six of Crows while enjoying some oatmeal with bananas and maple syrup.

“The rate of profit, i.e. the relative growth in capital, is particularly important for all new off-shoots of capital that organize themselves independently. And if capital formation were to fall exclusively into the hands of a few existing big capitals, for whom the mass of profit outweighs the rate, the animating fire of production would be totally extinguished. It would die out.”

A bite to eat and then running errands before more snow comes through.

From lunch earlier today - getting very close to finishing this book!

Loving the #AuldLangSpine list from @willaful
I had already started the tagged, but haven‘t read any of the others! But I‘ve enjoyed the other Poirot mysteries I‘ve read and have wanted to read more Pratchett since reading a novella in a collection earlier this year. And I think Tom Lake looks good. Going to see what my library has available and then plan from there!

Thanks again to @monalyisha for her matchmaking skills!

A dark fairy tale but a hopeful one, too. The cast of characters were delightful! Mara, the protagonist, is perhaps the least interesting character, but in a way, that also makes her relatable and easy to cheer for.

I told myself I could go get a latte if I shoveled the snow that was pushed in front of my garage by the plow ❄️

I‘m still invested in this series and finding out what happens, but this wasn‘t the strongest in the series. It‘s getting to be just one traumatic episode after the next! Like, I joked with my mom (we‘ve been listening to these together when we drive to visit my sister) that I should‘ve mentioned reading these when my new therapist asked if I‘ve had any traumatic experiences 😆 But I thought the last few chapters were a solid set up the next book.

My favorite egg and cheese on a cheddar chive biscuit and a frothy cappuccino with some reading before running errands. It‘s busy outside, but wonderfully peaceful in this cafe.

“‘No problem. I‘ll just bring up Helvar.‘ Jesper glanced back at the wheel as they set off down the opposite side of the deck. Kaz hadn‘t moved. He was still watching them, his eyes hard, his face as unreadable as ever.”

A fast-paced, insightful read on how to be relevant to your service communities aimed at those in the cultural section (museums mainly, but also arts organizations, libraries, historical sites, etc). But there is a lot here that could be of interest beyond that - a theory for why people like and do what they do and how to build connections outside our normal spheres of influence. I wanted more theory, but I‘m a theory nerd so that‘s relevant to me

Again, between a so-so and a pick. I enjoy how Kingfisher writes. She melds the bizarre and creepy narrative with personable and often humorous thoughts of the protagonist. I thought the story was overall enjoyable, but did drag a bit in the middle. And for a horror novel, I didn‘t find it unsettling enough.

“When I see a church with a sign outside that says ‘Sunday‘s Message: Jesus said, Bring me that ass‘ or ‘God‘s favorite word is Come,‘ I smile. But I also know they are wasting their time. Sex may be attractive. It may be arresting. But unless it will help people make meaning at church, it‘s irrelevant.”

Between a pick and a so-so. I think there were a lot of good case studies of both ways participatory ideas can work or not work in museum contexts and that the ideas are definitely relevant to other contexts (like libraries, community centers, online, etc.), though I think the examples sometimes overshadowed the theory and the message of *why* participation matters in these spaces. It‘s an older title so it would be interesting to see it updated.

Lunch and a latte before work. Nearly finished with this book!

“Think about what a strange feat Nike pulled off with this product. Nike took a non-screen-based, often anti-social, occasionally loathed or feared activity-running-and turned it into a screen-supported social game. It transformed the motivation to run from being about exercise to being about social competition. Nike+ took an uncontrolled venue . . . and created a compelling experience around it.”

It‘s a cold, rainy day, but I have errands to run. Enough time to enjoy my lunch and some reading, though, while I am out and about.

Lunch (gourmet grilled cheese and a latte) before running errands

Lunch and coffee and some reading in between running errands

I feel like Yoder accomplished what she set out to do, but it just didn‘t work for me. It‘s not that, as a childless woman, I couldn‘t connect to the mother, but that the visceral horror of motherhood has been done better elsewhere (Wonderland by Zoje Stage or the film The Babadook). Or that it was too weird (honestly, it wasn‘t weird enough! It needed to be more Moshfeghian). It was too long and the end was too literal, maybe.

Forgive me for a #TuesdayTunes post on a Friday, but I‘m pretty psyched because the video of Car Headrest‘s set on KEXP dropped on YouTube today! KEXP‘s entire channel is worth checking out if you enjoy live music (best discovery of the summer for me), but CSH is one of my favorite bands, so this is extra cool.

Linking to the video of “Gethsemane”: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XHqsD_iGoJw&pp=0gcJCR4Bo7VqN5tD
@TieDyeDude

Starting the weekend early with lunch before a doctor‘s appointment. Enjoying some reading with Earl Grey tea, pancake with griddled bananas, and scrambled eggs for lunch.

“Red slipped off the table. ‘I wish things could be different, too.‘”

Apple cobbler latte, a grilled cheese, and a little reading before going into work

I‘ve finally finished this book! Partially because it took a bit to get into and partially because I kept having to return it to the library because others would put holds on it! The slow start was necessary to deepen the world introduced in Scythe. And so much of what it develops - the almost all-knowing AI of the Thunderhead, the corrupt and power hungry new order scythes, and the increasing schisms in global scythedom - feels too relevant today

It was a nice fall day, so I took a drive to a coffee shop a little farther away (that also stays open later than the ones near me!). Pecan sandy flat white and breakfast sandwich with egg, cheddar, and a hash brown on an English muffin.

Quite possibly the best of either of the Spirit Animals series so far. Convinced me that I should probably read something else by Victoria Schwab because her writing really brought this world to life! The scenes in the underground world were especially thrilling and the cliffhanger was a dozy 😰🫣

Lunch with a seasonally appropriate book, then errands. Happy weekend!

“‘Okay,‘ Ronnie said, all of them breathing heavy. ‘Can we please agree to keep it closed for now?‘”

“As Quinn was pulled along, she spotted Janet marching out the back of the barn, throwing a look over her shoulder. Matt found a freshman to beat at flip cup. Ronnie stood at the edge of the throng, phone out, filming it all, the eye of the camera always seeming to settle back on Quinn and Cole.”

Books picked up at the Friends of the Library sale today

Back to my usual Saturday - farmers‘ market, lunch with a book, and errands

“Instead, she spoke a quick prayer in the language of her Saints and began the steep climb down the outer wall. Inej pitied the boy who might die alone with no one to comfort him in his last hours or who might live and spend his life as an exile. But the night‘s work wasn‘t yet over, and the Wraith didn‘t have time for traitors.”

My mom and I went to a vintage and craft market today. One of the vendors was a mobile bookstore! I picked up a couple fun looking romances and my mom got a couple thrillers 📚

“It is. We‘re simulating the interval, to see if everyone can get changed in time. If Woof is under the weather, you‘re excused from the committee meeting tomorrow night. I‘ll take minutes and send them through. Yes, you know the hoaxer. We all do. I don‘t understand why they did such a thing, but I should let them explain themselves first - after the play.”

Still waiting for my car to be repaired (waiting for parts to come, but it‘s supposed to be ready by mid-week), but at least the Scooters is within walking distance! It is finally under 80 degrees, so I have succumbed to the call of autumn beverages (a pumpkin carmeliscious).

Well, my day took a turn after lunch. My car died while driving home, so I had to get a tow. Now waiting at Culver‘s until my mom is done with work, so she can pick me up. At least I have frozen custard, my current library book, and the two I picked up at the library book sale today to keep me occupied for the next couple of hours 🫠

After a hot walk around the farmers‘ market and library book sale, enjoying some lunch and an iced chai and reading in air conditioning!

Official start of the sequel series to the Spirit Animals series. I thought it was pretty good to start with. I liked some of the more fantastical elements (the underground city) and new characters. And it sets up the series well for the next book. And Nicola Barber is always an excellent audiobook narrator!

What I purchased at today‘s library book sale. Gut has been on my TBR for awhile.

Latte and some more reading after a morning visit to the farmers‘ market/library book sale

Day off. Slept in, then went for my fasting blood tests. Then picked up some brunch and had myself a little picnic in the park (only in the mid 70s today!). Time to run some errands and then just chill at home.

A quibble - this is listed as 0.6 in the Spirit Animals series, but it‘s really more of a prequel to the sequel series (Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts). It does its job setting up the new series/bridging the original and sequel series by introducing the new characters, but each of the short stories basically follows the same arc.

Pancakes with griddled bananas and a spooky read before heading to my Inflectra infusion. Happy Friday!

“‘So,‘ Morrison said. ‘You want in, Desmondo?‘”

Well so far, this is delightful 🐈

I thought this book was well written, bringing the witch hunts and plague era in Germany to life. Thought provoking, poignant, and unfortunately very relevant still.