For the 249th US Independence Day, a quote from Mark Twain's essay, “The Czar's Soliloquy,“ published in The North American Review, March 1905:

“The modern patriotism, the true patriotism, the only rational patriotism is loyalty to the Nation all the time, loyalty to the Government when it deserves it.“

For the full essay, which says a lot more: https://archive.org/details/jstor-25105366/page/n1/mode/2up

Taking some liberties with the syllable pattern today.

Today's compliment:
"I'm not embarrassed by
anything you wear, Mom."

High praise from my almost-16-year-old.

#haikuaday #haikuhive

Photo: Yellow Warbler at Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan, 2025.

Mourning Dove Update:

We were wrong...she actually has TWO babies!

I set up a Ring camera to be a nest cam because I wanted to see how Mom is eating, but so far she's not left and no one has visited (or at least no non-human has triggered the motion sensor).

We do not care that our compression shorts sausage our thighs and that the sweat pattern on them looks like we've been having continence issues. You prevent chafing your way, we'll prevent chafing ours.

#wdncw #wedonotcarewednesday @dabbe

Audiobook audition recording day can be interesting, especially when it's for a horror novel.

Kids hear Mom yelling.
Check the door. Yep, it's okay:
She's just recording.

#haikuhive #haikuaday

@dabbe @TheBookHippie @DebInHawaii @lil1inblue @Kristy_K @julieclair @BooksandCoffee4Me @bellabella @AnnCrystal @Reggie @jdiehr @vivastory @CBee @Mimi28 @Jari-chan @Itchyfeetreader @Susanita @kelly7990 @JenLovesJT47

The blurb describes this as “mystery horror,“ and I don't think it's a spoiler to say that it struck me as more one than the other. The writing often feels stilted and overly simplistic, but it's difficult to know if that's how the author writes or how the translator translates. I do really enjoy the premise, and it's a quick read with some fun puzzle-solving elements, although it reads to me more like a sketch of an idea than a novel. #BuddyRead

Spotify set me up with an "Angry Running List," which taught me that I still enjoy Rage Against the Machine as much or more than I did in my feisty 20s, but now I cry at the lyrics.

It also taught me that, despite my conviction to the contrary, I apparently don't hate ALL Foo Fighters songs.

#tuesdaytunes @TieDyeDude

And that's a wrap for June's #bookspinbingo! I flirted with that one bingo but didn‘t quite get it. Nor did I read my #bookspin or #doublespin titles. Luckily the stakes are pretty low.

Thanks as always for hosting, @TheAromaofBooks !

Jumping into the #haikuaday #haikuhive for July.

I was really moved by an article from Alta Journal I got in my email today by the author of the tagged book. It brought a lot of things together for me. It's a weird combination of banal and cryptic in haiku form, but I hope to blog about it once it percolates a little more.

Not book related, but I was excited to post an update about the nesting mourning dove I mentioned last Friday in my #5JoysFriday: Mama dove has a baby!

We greet her quietly whenever we use the gate, and she seems comfortable enough with us, so hopefully, she will remain safe and happy there until baby can grow up strong and healthy!

(And doesn't she have gorgeous eyeliner?)

Okay, I'm ready(ish) for July! Although I'm already eyeing off-list books to read. But that's what free spaces are for, right?

@TheAromaofBooks #bookspin

I meant to read this one next month, but I picked it up and it just pulled me in. There are two things I dislike about this one. First, there's a big in-world inconsistency that I can't get past, and then there's the somewhat saccharin message, although I like how it ends, plot-wise. Those things aside, though, I quite enjoyed reading this fun and creative novel. #tob25longlist

Playing around with mocktails to enjoy while reading. Today I'm reading about a magical, husband-producing attic while drinking the "Apero Spritz" by AF out of Laguna Beach (and maybe originally New Zealand). A little too orangey (reminds me a little of Orange Crush), but the bitterness is nice, and it otherwise replicates an aperol spritz well.

Thanks for the tag, @Sace !

1) The exclamation point after "DETROIT" on this shop in the airport.
2) Watching my city as our plane lands.
3) Ocean hike with a close friend visiting from across the country.
4) Urban hike (featuring ducks) with that same friend.
5) The silly mourning dove who built a nest on top of the bird spikes at the gate to our yard.

#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

Immersive, as all of the Southern Reach books have been, and confusing, but perhaps less so than the third book, this fourth book of the trilogy doesn't really do it for me. Maybe I should have re-read the first three before reading this one. Or maybe a trilogy by definition doesn't need a fourth book. That said, Bronson Pinchot does a fantastic job on the narration, especially with the f-bomb-laden last section. #tob25longlist

In an effort to get myself more enthused for the ToB Summer Bracket (reading Absolution isn't helping), I have created a challenge on The Storygraph. Search “Tournament of Books Summer Bracket 2025“ if you'd like to join.

The Opening Round starts 7 July, but I've left the dates on the challenge blank so you can read the books at any time and have them count.

#tobsummerbracket2025 #toblonglist

We do not care that we didn't use the lint roller before leaving the house so we went grocery shopping with cat fur all over our shirt.

We also do not care if our parents and/or in-laws are irritated that we didn't do the thing they implied we should do but refused to give us a direct answer about whether they actually wanted us to do.

#WDNCW #WeDoNotCareWednesday
@dabbe

This novel is a bit of a mood. My teen, leaning over my shoulder, noted the similarity in format to James Joyce's Ulysses, and with the number of literary references in it, I lean towards the opinion that this is intentional. And if so, that suggests there may be another literary/mythological parallel to the novel as a whole that I'm just not catching. All this to say, I might not have read this as closely as it deserves, but I still enjoyed it.

Made excellent progress on the tagged during the flight home yesterday, although I'm 90% done and am still not sure where it's headed.

I'm feeling so many conflicting things today: happy to be home, that a friend is coming to visit for a few days, and that the weather is so beautiful, but also concern and consternation about world events and relationships with aging parents and extended family. And preemptive exhaustion from post-trip chores.

I listened to this bit by bit on a series of drives across Ohio and Michigan with my family. On a road trip is a great way to listen to Kevin Wilson (this is our third), and the premise of this one in particular fits road trip listening well. Wilson's characters are so immediately engrossing, all of us were engaged, alternately moved and laughing as Wilson led us through the complicated nature of "family," via Marin Ireland's narration.

#5JoysFriday, Michigan edition.

From top middle, clockwise:
1) Butterflies!
2) Biking and hiking around an island.
3) Hiking up and down many dunes.
4) Hiking through wetlands.
5) Hiking up to views of glacier-carved lakes.
@DebinHawaii

Day 12 of a 14-day trip, and I am finally getting some substantial reading time in!

The Tournament of Books summer bracket has been announced for #CampToB25 : https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/welcome-to-the-summer-bracket

As expected, I've read most of these, so hopefully I remember them well enough to enjoy the match-ups.

Bookstore 3 of 3 for this trip: Brilliant Books in Traverse City, Michigan. Small but mighty! I overheard excellent book-related consultations with the friendly staff, and there was an old gumball machine repurposed to dispense D&D dice. Super cute!

Bookstore 2 of 3 for this trip: Horizon Books in Traverse City. Two floors of books, games, puzzles, cards, and a little café area.

One of the many awesome stickers at this fabulous bookshop in Petoskey, Michigan. My firstborn bought two books and a sticker, and I was tempted by their t-shirts, but the colors weren't great on me, so I refrained. Not enough room in my luggage for more books just yet. Hopefully in a few days!

This specific cookbook in our rental (Better Homes and Gardens Meals in Minutes, circa 1973) isn't in the database, but it was too good not to share. The format---quick meal plans to impress at short notice---is one that has always appealed to me, but I have difficulty imagining making most of these recipes unironically.

We're having some good times this trip, but I'm looking forward to the next phase of the journey, which will be away from the older generation for a bit. I'm grateful to be able to visit with them, but every time I open my book, they want to talk about something else. I am accustomed to more quiet time than this.

Photo: Red squirrel having a snack in Summit County, Ohio.

We're traveling and visiting family, so I've not been reading as much as usual (except for an hour of an audiobook in the car the other day), but we've been listening to a lot of music, including this Brahms waltz that showed up in my dream the other night. The first time I remembered a song from a dream and could identify it after I woke up. https://open.spotify.com/track/3ElNBOxaakZ4wEbCvZLei5?si=noxwspu3SISAG9da4Iqvag
#TuesdayTunes @TieDyeDude

1) I think it was the tagged, which I ordered as soon as I learned Meta was trying to suppress it.

2) I would have thought series, but I think I have ordered more stand-alones. I don't read a lot of series, and when I do, I tend to read them when all the books are out so I can binge them.

@TheSpineView ##Two4Tuesday

The overarching joy this week is that both of my big kiddos are home for the summer! Other joys are of a suburban/urban scenery and fauna nature (although I suppose my kids are suburban fauna, too):

1) Bee snuggling in a rose.
2) Dewy spiderweb.
3) Cat sleeping in packing material.
4) Mom and babies in a bird nest on an electrical box.
5) Sky.
@DebinHawaii #5JoysFriday

I enjoyed this one more than I have many of Christie's later mysteries. The story is silly, of course, but it's lively and kept me guessing with its many red herrings. I love having Mrs. Oliver and Poirot team up again, and it's also pleasant to see Poirot's vulnerable side (and his matchmaker side). I admire Christie's ability to just stop a book at the end, much as I admire people who can end a phone call without a long goodbye.

This novel is relatable in some ways, while also sappy and a bit tedious, as beach vacations often are. What's not relatable is why someone would go back to the exact same sub-par place for vacations for twenty years. I couldn't handle the sameness, although I guess it's comforting to know you won't have privacy or reliable plumbing year after year? And swimming in a pond is gross. I think I see why living in New England wasn't a good fit for me.

1) I like Mary Oliver's advice:

Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

2) See comments

3) Playing the tagged game with my family last night. It's a hoot!

@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

This one ended up feeling a little less substantial (a little less oomph-filled) than it seemed like it would be, but I enjoyed the story, the character development, the coincidences. It's also interesting to see how authoritarianism manifests basically the same regardless of the stated politics behind it, possibly because it's about power and the ideology is just the vehicle for getting one man (or a few of them) as much power as he can wrangle.

I'm having one of those days that just feels tough for no really good reason. The kind of day where I was looking forward to repotting houseplants and am unreasonably undone that the delayed delivery of two pots has pushed the task until tomorrow, where I know I'm being bratty and ungrateful, but I can't seem to be anything different. So to heck with it; I'm reading.

June #bookspinbingo. As my teenager would say, let's go! Time to lock in!

@TheAromaofBooks

The Storygraph has this AI-powered book preview (basically a prediction about whether a user will like a book or not) that I like to look at after I finish a book. This is from its prediction for how I'd feel about The Guncle Abroad. It seems like it's figured me out pretty well. It makes me wonder: How much can you tell about a person based only on their reading history? I feel like the answer is, "A lot," but I'm not sure about that.

This one is relatively fun, and it's kind of nice to have Patrick called out on some of his silliness, but I'm not sure I'm super interested in general in people for whom flying first class is the default and purchasing real estate in SoCal or NYC is no big deal. The characters spend their time displaying a lack of awareness about their own wealth, being wowed at others even richer than them, and delivering one liners and schmaltz. Fun but light.

This lady has no respect for my to-do list. Or the fact that my coffee mug is empty. At least my book is within reach (just out of frame).

Two bingos in May! I completed my #bookspin (although not my #doublespin). And I seem to be avoiding my #Roll100 titles...
#bookspinbingo
@TheAromaofBooks

As I was putting this together, I realized that May 11-17 was a really good reading week...I listed my favorite, but there were a few other contenders, which is a lovely problem to have.

Farewell, May 2025! You were a good reading month.

#WeeklyFavorites @Read4life

Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView ! My first time playing this one...

Today is grocery shopping, running a mock 5k to see how my new training plan is working (aside from me gaining 5 pounds, which makes no sense but always happens when I add miles), and hopefully applying to a couple of interesting jobs. Oh, and getting my June library holds set up for our travels.

No idea whom to tag, so jump in if you want to play!

@AllDebooks #chatterday2025

Everett has a way of writing characters that just draws me in, even if the plot confuses me. I wish I could identify what it is he does because it's really effective. I really enjoyed this one, although when I got to the third story, I wondered if I'd been reading the whole thing wrong. In the first and third stories, Ogden had been in the army, and in the second, he'd been in the Marines; I assumed this was an oversight, but now I'm not sure.

1) Camille, my reading buddy.
2) The penultimate concert of the academic year (Carmina Burana with choir!).
3) Rose Garden walk.
4) Silo getting his claws stuck in my son's shirt and then forgetting how to use his legs.
5) This pipe on our regular walking route that looks like a tiny robot guy from one angle, which I find delightful.
@DebinHawaii #5JoysFriday

I am not happy that it's already June (I'm excited about things we're doing in June and that both kids will be home, but it's crazy that May is already over), but I'm always happy to put together my #bookspin list. I've got my #roll100, my #authoramonth, and my #camplitsy25 included here. (We'll see if I can get all of my hashtags right.)
@TheAromaofBooks

After a long day helping set up the high school gym for the Grad Night party, having an awesome time subbing a prealgebra class, and playing tennis with my spouse, I have a precious few minutes to read the tagged under a lovely sky before my kid is done with orchestra rehearsal.

Nate isn't quite as annoying as George (of The Book of George), but his story also isn't as interesting. After an enjoyable beginning, it moves into Nate's reiterative internal justification for inconsiderate behavior that provokes, at best, a kind of tired irritation, much like the emotional arc of his love affairs. His hopelessness and oblivious privilege are mundane (albeit realistic and well-written).

1) I'm pretty happy with my name now (after trying to go by my middle name for a couple of years), but if I had to choose a new one, I'd choose one that sounds strong and stately to me, like Millicent or Birgitta.
2) Sam-I-Am, Maurice, Owen, Conrad Birdie.
3) Schuyler (actor who played Diana Barry in the Colleen Dewhurst Anne of Green Gables miniseries), Angharad from Welsh mythology (on my parents' long list for my name).
@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

I picked up this book today in the hopes that it will satisfy my desire for fancy drinks while not destroying my sleep like even one of the "real" versions does. There are kind of a lot of ingredients in a lot of these, but they look tasty.