I need to cook from EAT DELICIOUS more often. Dennis The Prescott has tons of great recipes. Tonight I made a modified version of his cheesy shakshuka. I shrunk it, took out the onions (yuck), added spinach, didn‘t puree the sauce, and cooked the whole thing on the stovetop instead of mucking around with the oven. It was delicious, and a LOT of food. I won‘t need to eat again until tomorrow morning.

I‘ve got most of my to-do list done, so it‘s time for a book & Casey break! I started GO LUCK YOURSELF last night and almost abandoned it because I wasn‘t really feeling it. I‘m enjoying it a bit more now, past the 100-page mark, but I still don‘t feel as strongly as I want to. A lot of my issues with THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE KISSMAS are still very much present, and there‘s just not enough of a spark to overcome them.

I finished reading through another ten volumes of my 25-year daily journal, so I got to have a little fire tonight. I‘ve reached 2004, in which I hit a LOT of weird little personal touchstones.

Gonna see if I can clear volumes 61-70 before I lose the privacy I need for this process. That‘ll take me past halfway through my 130-volume archive.

My library ordered THE WINTER SPIRITS last year but cancelled it, so I was glad to see it in a recent ebook sale. The first story in this ghostly winter anthology was very good indeed. Casey snuggled with me for most of it, then hopped out of the chair and made faces at me. Little dude wants to walk in the snow, not read.

I decided to go straight from THE SHADOW QUEEN to SHALADOR‘S LADY so I didn‘t lose momentum like I did the last time, when I had to wait for the second book‘s release. Alas, I had trouble sitting down with it while I was sick, but I‘m hard into it now. Hopefully I can finish it tonight, by treelight, with some assistance from this bright little decoration.

I‘m still not eating a whole lot, but I was well enough to hit the grocery stores and the library today! I‘m especially happy to see Sadiqa De Meijer‘s new book, since I loved her last one. It‘ll be good to see what Travis Baldeee‘s crew is up to, too, and even though I had big issues with THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE KISSMAS, I still had enough curiosity about the characters to request the follow-up.

I had a big to-do list for today, but a stomach bug took over my life. I didn‘t even get a whole lot of reading done because I tried to sleep in between pukey sessions.

I did manage to read a play, some African history, and a few comics, though, including about half of the tagged book. I keep going back and forth on this series. I don‘t like it as much as Arakawa‘s other work, but every time I‘m about to tap out it pulls me back in.

A few years ago, I started rereading the daily journal I kept for twenty-five years so I could make note of important stuff and then burn each volume. I had a longer-than-anticipated gap in the process, but the conditions are right this week so I‘m back at it. Ten more volumes met their end tonight.

If you‘re all 😱, be assured I don‘t do this lightly. This journal is my mandala: something I had to make but don‘t have to keep forever.

Last night I gave in to my Anne Bishop cravings and started rereading THE SHADOW QUEEN. I read it right after it came out in 2009 and basically all I remembered was that I went in with no expectations and loved the hell out of it. I dunno if it‘ll be quite so hell-free after this time, but I don‘t wanna put it down. I‘ll take a night off from African political history so I can properly wallow in this slice of life dark fantasy.

Put some decorations out last night, then read two more stories from LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN, a shared world YA anthology that gives an Indigenous twist to the inn-between-worlds concept. As of 50%, the majority of the stories are strong, with solid emotional cores.

I finished the tagged book while I rigged my bookshelf with colour-changing lights. (This blue‘s my fave, so it‘ll be the default.) As others have pointed out, Coward‘s scholarship ain‘t exactly rigorous. He tackles a few subjects I know inside and out in such a way it‘s obvious he doesn‘t, so I must assume he‘s the same on most of his other topics—BUT, so much joy went into this book, even in its darker moments, that I had an awesome time with it

Somebody got GRUMPY at bedtime last night. I had to sit up with him until he calmed down, which wasn‘t too much of an issue because I wanted to finish rereading THE WAR OF THE WORLDS anyways. I enjoyed it a lot, both for itself and for all the familiar imagery it brought into the canon. I mean, pretty well every disaster narrative has That Scene with the crowded freeway or whatever, and boom. Here it is, along with a bunch of others.

Here we are, reading African history on a Sunday night. Akpan frames things around twelve non-male rulers, but the book is less about royal profiles than the political setup of each region during the era in question. It‘s interesting, with personal touches from Akpan‘s research trips in aid of each chapter, but there‘s something about her syntax that slows me right down. It takes me way longer than Kobo‘s usually accurate reading time estimates.

It still needs a thumb and a good blocking, but the right-hand mitten is mostly done!

I‘m 75% through IN THE RUINS, too. This series is so stressful, due in large part to the characters who use their religion as an excuse to treat people abominably, but so good! I‘m excited to finally finish it after years of searching for this penultimate volume, which nobody gives away and the publisher only sells as an overpriced ebook. #audioknitting

It‘s always a bit of a question whether the fruit will actually stay put with Nigella‘s cranberry upside down cake, but this time most of it ended up in the right place! Hurray! I whipped the cake up special this afternoon to use up the last of the cranberries I got in the post-Thanksgiving sale. Only people recovering from Covid were allowed to eat some.

I‘ve coughed a lot these past few days, which means my voice is pretty hoarse, but my Covid shot did its job and kept me from getting super sick. Thanks, science!

I still ain‘t about to go out and infect the public, so I‘ll keep on cuddling Casey and reading stuff for a bit longer. Today we‘ve got the rest of COFFEE SHOP IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE, which is just delightful. Maybe the pace is a little slow, but I can‘t mind when it‘s so fun.

Shashi Bhat makes the ordinary feel extraordinary. These stories examine a variety of women in familiar circumstances that crackle with depth and meaning. Everything is so well-observed; so layered; so rife with feeling. I‘ll definitely seek out more of her work.

So, it turns out my dad‘s death cold is COVID, and I‘ve finally caught it after almost six years COVID-free. (I wondered if maybe I was doing the tests wrong because I never had it, ever, no matter how snivelly I was. Guess not.)

I drowned my sorrows in avocado ice cream. Now I shall tuck up in bed and see how I get on with the enigmatic Uketsu.

The mitten has reached a photographable point. I got past the thumb break while I listened to the tagged book, which is basically a silly Christmas movie. I thought I was in the mood for that vibe, but maybe I‘m not—or maybe I get hung up on the theological implications of all these royal families who represent commercialized holidays with religious roots. Which is maybe silly of ME, but here we are. #audioknitting

I had to go out first thing to help my dad transfer the Grey Cup tickets he won but can‘t use because he has a death cold. 😔 (Luckily, my uncle‘s gonna go with his neighbour, who‘s a hardcore Roughriders fan.) Now I‘m home with serious plans to read space opera and snuggle Geo, who‘s fluffed right out since I last saw him a month ago. Is he a small dog or a mop? It‘s tough to say but either way he‘s mighty cute.

Throwback to earlier in the week, when I found NISHGA impossible to put down. Jordan Abel‘s research-creation is personal, academic, poetic, and intense. Absolutely going on my must-read nonfiction recs list.

Ahhh, friends, I get so happy when I see Rachel Reid out in the wild! (Actually, I get happy when I see Anybody Reid, because I think, “Rachel!” but it‘s usually just Ava and then I‘m a bit sad.) I‘m glad to see her front and centre at my local Chapters. Also, I had no idea there was a TV adaptation in the works. (Possibly it‘s already out?) I love this book to the moon and back so I dunno how I feel about that.

I baked Biscuits With the Boss, among other things, while I started the tagged book. It‘s interesting, but Snorton does NOT care about clarity. Brace yourself for the very most academical academic language that ever academed.

To be honest, I ain‘t wild about reading on my iPad. It‘s too awkward to hold with one hand, which is how I almost always read. (I was surprised, years ago, when I learned the term “one-handed reads” usually CONNOTES something.) Still, I‘ll put up with it when it helps me get stuff off my wishlist via Hoopla. Today I‘m glad I get to read the second in this series of fantasy mysteries set in a pseudo-Dutch city.

I got the first book in this retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon as a Hoopla bonus borrow and liked it so much I figured I‘d finish out the duology right away. It was a really enjoyable way to revisit a story I loved as a kid but have never been able to properly remember.

I knit while I listened, but the mittens aren‘t too impressive yet so please enjoy last night‘s northern lights as a placeholder. #audioknitting

Throwback to Monday, when I devoured ROUGH PAGES in just a couple sittings. Rosen delivers not only a tense mystery but also a deep look at how books foster community—and what those who support book bans seek to steal from society. Loved it.

Now for a Robin Hood remix! Robin Hood was my childhood hero because he stuck it to the man, he could fire an arrow through the shaft of another arrow, and he was literally a fox. I‘m having a great time with this gender-flipped version set in the Holy Land during the Crusades, from the locals‘ perspective instead of the crusaders‘.

ALSO, I just learned Robin Hood was one of the first books Americans tried to ban, because of the man-sticking.

Throwback to yesterday, when I tried halloumi for the first time & attempted to sink into an Egypt-centred Victorian romance. A day and a half later and I‘m still just halfway through, even though it‘s a small book. I‘m not disinterested in it, but I find the emotional side lacking. I feel like Helmy wanted to write a deeper story about colonial exploitation but was obligated to hit particular category romance beats that don‘t mesh with the rest.

I read THE BELL IN THE FOG at such a good clip I never had a chance to make any cute animals pose with it. While I loved LAVENDER HOUSE a smidge more, I still adored it and I‘m glad I‘ve got the third book on hand. I‘ll dive in soon as I finish something that‘s due a bit earlier.

I meant to return four library books and borrow three, but I found the tagged memoir on the New Stuff display, and a short fiction collection, and then a couple plays jumped out at me (one of which, DRAGONFLY by Laura Rae, I accidentally put behind the other for this pic), and here I am with a STACK.

Well, it‘s SNOWING, which seems like a mighty good excuse to tuck up in bed with my kittycorn lamp and a Courtney Milan novel. I got off to a slow start with THE EARL WHO ISN‘T thanks to a couple of busy days, but I‘m past the 50% mark and I hope I‘ve got enough momentum to finish it tomorrow. It‘s often very funny, despite some fraught circumstances on both leads‘ sides. I especially love how Andrew‘s little bro is extremely fifteen years old.

I started a railway puzzle while I finished the Malazan Book of the Fallen. I didn‘t intend to tackle the whole series this year, but I had to at least try the first one as part of my goal to finish everything on my Kobo, and my library had them all on audio, and here we are. I probably would‘ve loved it when I was 14-15. At 42, it felt less than fresh in some ways, but I enjoyed it more often than not & I‘m glad I finally read it. #audiopuzzling

I‘ve started buying holiday books! Today the thrift store coughed up a Boy‘s Own Annual from 1914/15, which I‘ll wrap up for my dad mostly on account of the cricket cover (a LOT of cricket happens near his house) and the battleship frontispieces. Since it‘s from a hundred and ten years ago, I assume most of the stories are all, “Manly manness forever! Glory to the empire! What ho! Such larks!”

EXCUSE ME, but this book is FUCKING MAGNIFICENT and you should read it right now if you love things packed with intense emotions where the characters read lots of books and think deeply about them and challenge one another on their reactions and ACTUALLY LISTEN instead of getting defensive.

There‘s also an excellent dog. And, like, seven million other amazing bits. I loved it so much I don‘t even care if there‘s anything wrong with it. 6 stars.

I somehow finished A DROP OF CORRUPTION before bed last night, then started THE SECOND CHANCE BOOK CLUB just for something to do before I got sleepy. Sixty pages later, I admitted I really did need to turn in. It‘s hit me right in the emotions and even now, post-breakfast and another fifty pages on, I don‘t want to put it down.

I‘ve spent forever with A DROP OF CORRUPTION, partly because I haven‘t had enough time to sit down with it these past few days and partly because it‘s about 100 pages longer than I thought it was. Gonna try to read enough tonight that I can finish it tomorrow morning before I go install some accessibility equipment for my convalescing uncle.

As I brewed this tea, I remembered a character was MURDERED with tea during my last reading session. Oops.

Working my way through my first book by Yiyun Li. It‘s not bad, but I want memoir to invite me inside the author‘s emotional truth, and I don‘t think this one has done that. While I can understand why Li maintains a somewhat academic distance, given the subject matter, I still wish it felt a little less like one of those documentaries where the narrator speaks blandly while unobtrusive piano music plays over a montage of archival footage.

I loved Lev AC Rosen‘s LAVENDER HOUSE so much I immediately requested the rest of the series. The fourth one‘s still in processing, but I was able to pick up the second & third books today, along with another Remixed Classic and Stephanie Butland‘s latest book. Then I grabbed some Zadie Smith off the shelf, because I need more nonfiction in my life, and left a couple of puzzles in exchange for this one.

I recently invested in a 1.2kg jar of kimchi so I can make the kimchi noodles from DELICIOUS TONIGHT for a bit cheaper. They and the spicy peanut noodles are my most-made recipes from the book and also one of the few things that come out basically the same colour as Nagi‘s example photo.

I usually add mustard tubers in place of bean sprouts, but I keep forgetting to buy more so last night‘s noodles were a LITTLE less substantial. Still delish.

I finished my Hallowe‘en puzzle! Yesterday‘s session took me through to the end of THE GRIMMER, which was a really good YA horror/dark fantasy novel set in ‘90s British Columbia, while today‘s brought me further into the Malazan finale. #audiopuzzling

Time for another remixed classic! I read WUTHERING HEIGHTS over fifteen years ago, and the main thing I remember about it is that it was a lot more intense and enjoyable than I expected. This version‘s off to a good start too.

Friends, this low-heat new adult fantasy romance was just what I needed. It‘s got that perfect blend of silly and serious, with great characters and fun times. The jokes land! It captures how huge life changes are scary and exciting and awkward and uplifting, all at once! Its characters work to understand each other instead of writing their friends off after they make mistakes!

Basically, it worked for me on every level. You want it.

Tonight I made tteokbokki for the first time in ages and read as much of PSYLOCKE as Marvel Unlimited has. I‘m scared to check and see if this series made it past ten issues. I love it very much and want lots, lots more of Kwannon moving through the world, reckoning with her past and loving people.

I figured it was a good time to do my big, complicated Hallowe‘en puzzle, and to finish the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It seems like all of us who‘re listening to the series this year did the penultimate book said, “Yeah, I need a break.” It‘s remained available to borrow for the last month, and no one‘s requested it in the couple days since I got it. Since there‘s no run on the grand finale, I‘ll probably intersperse other books every 25% or so.

I made a small start on STAR NOMAD yesterday, before post-vaccine wooziness set in, and I‘m pleased so far! While the series‘ prequel novella didn‘t grab me, this official first book has a good hook and some intriguing characters. I‘m eager to read on.

Also of note: I refreshed my Kobo case with a fruit bat sticker from a brand new local makers‘ shop I discovered today. I proved powerless against this 3D printed dragon, too.

I‘m having a great time with RELATIVE TO WIND, in which Phoebe Wang explores the many facets of her sailing life and how the things she‘s learned on the water also help steer her life on dry land. Casey agrees it was an excellent random shelf pick.

I‘m having so much fun with MY ROOMMATE FROM HELL, Cale Dietrich‘s forthcoming new adult romance. Saki‘s provided some excellent reading buddy services along the way. He‘s a great roommate, too, if you don‘t mind the occasional puke puddle and/or possessed baby sounds at two in the morning. (He‘s got this one noise that sounds like either “Hello!” or “Helen!” It‘s creepy, but also very cute.)

There are a lot of powerful thoughts in this tiny book. Rilke‘s ideas often reminded me of Buddhist texts for how deeply he considers concepts like emotion and solitude.

Rainy day reading with Jade, who‘s sad she can‘t play fetch outside. (Basement fetch just isn‘t the same.) I‘m flying through A CLASH OF STEEL, despite occasional purple prose and some unnecessary uses of the past perfect. (Y‘all know how much I hate that.) The setting‘s great, I‘m intrigued by the characters, and I can‘t wait to see the plot kick into gear.

I paused my Readathonning one final time to have supper with a friend, then dove right back in. A spot of audio-driven packing for my time at Jade & Saki‘s place with THE VELA, the last third of FLOAT, and a glorious rush to the end of THE LOVE THAT DARES took me to six hours, twenty-seven minutes of reading.

Now I‘m gonna tuck up in bed and devour comics until I pass out. #deweyoct #readathon