All of M.C.A. Hogarth‘s books are on Kobo Plus, but Hoopla has a couple of gaps near the end of the series. I‘m trying to shore those up before my KP subscription ends so I can continue on Hoopla, when I‘m ready.

Tonight‘s finale of IN THE COURT OF DRAGONS will happen alongside a bowl of sundubu-jjigae with egg and cheese.

I‘m working my way through a really lovely anthology of queer SFF stories, all of which feature plants in one way or another. Take particular note if you‘re doing an alphabet challenge and you still need an X title!

It‘s another book & skull evening! FATHERS‘ HONOR covers a lot of interesting ground as everyone in the Peltedverse adjusts to their new reality and grapples with the ethical implications of their presence on Escutcheon. I desperately wanted to binge read it this afternoon, but I‘ve got a strict people-over-books policy and I spent the whole afternoon and evening in company. Now I‘ll see how much I can get through before I‘m too tired to carry on.

I still have to sew all the ends in and block the thing, but here‘s a preview of the hexagonal spirals blanket I made for my cousin‘s baby.

I get to do this tedious work while I listen to MADENSKY SQUARE, my last unread adult Eva Ibbotson novel! I‘m so, so glad my library finally subscribed to the bookish bits of Hoopla so I can experience it at long last. It‘s amazing so far. Ibbotson had such love for people, and for Vienna. #audioknitting

Rainy day reading with Ivy, who is NOT happy with all these scary noises.

I‘m about halfway through THE HAUNTING OF HEATHERHURST HALL and I‘m enjoying it a lot. It‘s got great gothic atmosphere, though I‘m pretty sure the haunting is a DARK SECRET rather than an actual ghost.

I devoured the first 25% of HEARTSKEIN last night, but this is the first real chance I‘ve had to sit down with it since then. Jade has generously offered her services as reading buddy. She also notes the slight resemblance between herself and Vasiht‘h (whose name I suddenly forgot how to spell, even though I‘ve now read MANY BOOKS about him). They‘re both black and white, but Jade isn‘t a centaur and she doesn‘t have wings.

This week‘s library haul, plus a cool book on Gaudí from the thrift store. I went in to pick up my holds, but of course I also had to grab some stuff from the Pride and Indigenous Heritage displays.

Doing the beer & comics thing tonight, with a cameo from my living lettuce. Little Brown Jug‘s Queer Beer is a cherry lime lager this year, and it lives up to its can‘s promise—it IS fruitier and more fabulous than ever before.

The comic‘s a bit choppy (a common problem with adaptations, and one of the reasons I usually avoid them), but the story‘s got potential other than the hero‘s, “oh, I just can‘t control myself around you” schtick.

Now for some Korean fantasy with my sun-loving little buddy. THE RAINFALL MARKET isn‘t bad, but it‘s the kind of story I prefer on the screen. If this were a drama, I‘m sure I‘d be chuckling away at the big personalities and delighting in all the quirky Dokkaebi shops. As it is, I‘m reading straight-faced.

I finished FARMER‘S CROWN on a slight delay because I had to eat an enormous bowl of poke, but I did finish it! Hurray! It was probably my favourite M.C.A. Hogarth novel yet; the culmination of a bunch of things and the start of a whole bunch more, with tons of great moments between the characters. I teared up quite a lot.

Supperwise, I added braised pork belly on a whim and it was delicious on its own but didn‘t go with the rest. Sadness.

Saki‘s taken to sitting by the coffee table so he can stare at me while I read. It‘s a little bit cute and a little bit creepy.

He also sat on my lap for about forty-five seconds.

When I‘m not in a staring contest with the cat, I‘m making enjoyable but slow progress through FARMER‘S CROWN. I always enjoy M.C.A. Hogarth‘s books, but for some reason I also always feel like they take me way longer than books of comparable length. Sigh.

Today‘s #audiobaking on my mother‘s behalf involved banana cupcakes and the ganache to fill ‘em with. I did them gluten free this time because my aunt‘s coming to visit and she was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. Hopefully they turned out well. I‘ll find out when they cool off.

This is me feeling all, “OMG MUST READ MORE!!!!” about SOMETHING HUMAN.

And this is Casey being sad on my behalf because this is my last unread A.J. Demas novel and I‘m gonna be bereft when I finish it.

Throwback to last night, when I fried up some leftovers to go with another chunk of WINTER. I loathe winter, fully and completely, but these essays are fascinating. Adam Gopnik delves into how and why people engage positively with winter, with a hefty emphasis on how many of those who romanticize it are winter tourists who have the option to leave it when it gets a bit rough, or people who equate suffering with virtue.

This week‘s little library haul features two Korean books, a cozy mystery from the Asian Heritage display, and a sticker from the Pride display. UNDER THE OAK TREE caught my eye in a recent Kobo sale, but I should‘ve thought about my tastes a little more and requested the original novel instead. Comics adaptations of prose works rarely land for me. Let‘s hope this one is an exception.

Onward through the Peltedverse! I read the first third of HEALER‘S WEDDING last night and it‘s both nice to see everyone again and rather stressful because there‘re schemes afoot.

Last week‘s taro bun was so tasty I bought another for today‘s breakfast. I also invested in 60 sachets of Kopiko, so I should probably get a cup the right size for them.

I went from being unsure about Sebastian Nothwell‘s OAK KING HOLLY KING to enjoying it so much I downloaded the epilogue short story collection the moment I finished it. The stories herein are mostly longer novelettes, and the first two were great. It‘s always nice to get just a little more time with characters you like and want good things for.

Here I am, snickering my merry way through another fabulous, community-focused Jenny Colgan novel with a misleading blurb and a cover that screams, “I‘m about a needlecraft store!” when all the knitting happens in people‘s homes.

Gertie wouldn‘t approve of the wee blanket I‘m making for my cousin‘s new baby, since she‘s into boring colours (sorry, Gertie), but it brings ME joy. I can‘t wait to block it and bring the spirals into their full glory.

THE KNOWING is intense; both an in-depth history of the harm perpetuated against Indigenous people on Turtle Island and a personal look at the impact on Tanya Talaga‘s own family.

It‘s also one of many, many, MANY books I‘ve read about the evil done by various Christian churches over the last 500 years, and I realize I‘ve never read anything in which a Christian writer reckons with this horrific legacy. Can any of you recommend one to me?

Outdoor supper with manga and makgeolli. My salad was sooooo good! I tore up all the salami I had left, chopped up a bit of Brie, and dressed it with dumpling sauce in place of a vinaigrette.

Unfortunately, the book‘s not as good. Tatsuya Endo is one of those mangaka whose short works feel more like prologues than stories. They aren‘t bad, but they‘re nowhere near as fun as his longform stuff.

Today I visited the localish bookstore, all afire to give her some money, but I didn‘t find ANYTHING. I was so sad I went all the way back to my favourite bookstore and bought two things I passed on the other day. It‘s important to grab Melissa Scott and Fumi Yoshinaga when you see them (though this Scott/Barnett series IS still in print, digitally, with much nicer covers).

Daisy and I got to sit on the porch this morning! I got back into Rebekah Weatherspoon while we were out there. It‘s been ages since I read her (in fact, I think my last dip was her YA novel, consumed on this very porch, with this very dog nearby) and it‘s so nice to be back in her kinky, bisexual California. I can‘t wait to see how things play out between Meegan and Olin.

Bedtime reading with sleepy Daisy. A DARKER WILDERNESS caught my eye in one of Book Riot‘s deals emails. The sale price was US-only, alas, but the book‘s in Kobo Plus so I get to read it anyways. A lot of nature writing skews too florid for me, but the first three pieces in this anthology avoided that. Hopefully the rest will be just as good!

I found myself in a Jackie Lau mood last night, so here I am with coffee, a taro bun, and the second Cider Bar Sisters romance. It feels like it‘ll be quick and fun, with lots of entertaining grumpiness and possibly some heartwrenching family stuff.

Did the baguette sandwich & audiobook thing tonight. Alas, every Canadian baguette I‘ve tried since I got back is a slap in the face to France. This one had an okay crust but tasted like DUST. 😭

My reread of THE SECRET HISTORY is going great, though! It‘s got me thinking about the interesting/admirable divide, the Apollonian vs the Dionysian, and the ways we shape ourselves through performative behaviour, especially at university age.

Yesterday I found evidence someone tried to break into this house, which was scary for me personally and also would‘ve backfired big time for the thief because the awful couch? Ain‘t even the start of it.

Also, Daisy would‘ve mauled them and peed on their foot while she husky-shrieked.

But hey, I got to visit my favourite used bookstore today! I bought stuff by Fumi Yoshinaga and Melissa Scott. The Massey Lecture was a Little Free Library find.

And for our Victoria Day reading we have ALL OUR ORDINARY STORIES, Teresa Wong‘s deeply affecting comic about her life with her parents, and their lives before she knew them. It‘s yet another Canada Reads Longlist title that‘d be a great shortlist contender in a year or two. I really feel like the 2025 panelists chose the weakest books to defend when they had such bounty.

Sunday theatre with Daisy-May, who‘s decided she‘s tired of being upright and would like to sprawl on her awful couch for a few hours, thanks.

(The STORIES I could tell you about this couch! It‘s an atrocity. Those leather couches people leave by the curb as freebies and nobody ever actually picks up because they‘re AWFUL are nicer than this late Victorian piece to which my aunt is hopelessly attached.)

I‘m enjoying MAJOR PIECES so much I‘ve decided to make it my (mostly) primary read. It‘s great, AND I feel like I should know all these stories before I tackle the next Peltedverse novel.

I‘m also totally hooked on Kopiko instant coffee. I tried their black 3-in-1 as my travel backup coffee since it uses nondairy creamer and you can‘t bring milk into France. It was so good I‘ve also committed to their brown and white varieties since I got home.

I saw a stuffed one of these on a childhood trip to Wall Drug. I‘m scared of dead pheasants (yes, really. It‘s the weirdest fear ever), so I found it TERRIFYING. Ditto the many, many full pheasants in the place.

Wall Drug really wasn‘t my favourite road trip spot.

I‘ve stuck with this book, obviously, and I‘m really enjoying it now. Even though it feels very long for its story, it‘s got good vibes. I‘ll put up with a lot when the vibes are good.

This week‘s library haul, straight from the bench under the overhang while I wait for the unscheduled rain to pass so I can cycle home. I got one more from the Canada Reads Longlist, an Alexis Hall romance, Tatsuya Endo‘s early short comics, and the latest volume of YONA OF THE DAWN, which was a lucky shelf find. Just last night, I thought I should check to see if they‘d ordered it yet and put in my request. Now I don‘t have to.

I get to hang out with Casey on this rainy morning! He‘s gonna help me see if I can click with OAK KING HOLLY KING. I read the first 12% last night and didn‘t find myself engaged with either character or curious as to how they fit together, but I‘ll give it a couple more chapters this morning.

Tonight I made dandan (with bok choy, so it‘s basically healthy) and started the latest Dublin Driver mystery. I‘m looking forward to really getting stuck into it before bed!

Today‘s Mother‘s Day #audiobaking. My mum loves her homemade sandwich cookies.

I‘m only a little ways into CITY OF BRASS, but it seems promising. I have high hopes for it given how much I loved Chakraborty‘s more recent novel, THE ADVENTURES OF AMINA AL-SERAFI.

Casey‘s ailment is a pancreatitis resurgence. The vet‘s office gave him excellent care and he‘s already doing much better, but he‘ll have to make some changes that‘ll be tough for my parents. They want to feed him all the bacon and peanut butter, and they CANNOT.

Little dude‘s promised to serve as reading buddy while I finish HONEY AND PEPPER today. I saw myself devouring it in one sitting, but I just didn‘t have enough reading time yesterday.

My mum wants soft ginger sandwich cookies for Mother‘s Day, so I did some #audiobaking this morning. It took me through a pretty big chunk of MIDNIGHT TIDES, which is probably my favourite volume yet of the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It‘s half extremely fun, half extremely dark.

Read another M.C.A. Hogarth story this morning alongside Casey, who‘s not feeling well at all. His regular doctor‘s in surgery all day, so he‘s going to spend some time at another vet‘s place this morning and hopefully they‘ll be able to pinpoint what it is. He‘s had a history of gut ailments ever since his pancreatitis a couple years back, and as you can see in the picture his nose also looks a little off right now. 😔

Ooh, I have so much love for A.J. Demas‘s work! THE HOUSE OF THE RED BALCONIES was just marvellous. It‘s about a friendship between an engineer and a host (in the Japanese sense), on a quirky island, with lots of great side characters and gardens and public water utilities.

I think I‘m gonna dive right into another of her books. Only two left. I‘ll be so sad when I‘ve caught up.

This week‘s little library haul features another play by Tomson Highway (love his stuff), a couple volumes of poetry, and a crime comic.

Alexandra Rowland reliably delivers books that blend melancholy, hope, and delight in just the right measure. This was a wonderful novella about two people who encounter their gods in a dark wood and come away more fully themselves. I loved it.

My eggplant was also great. I dug out a new recipe on the quick when I realized I didn‘t have enough miso glaze left, and I‘ll definitely make it again. The sauce is Chinkiang vinegar-based.

This morning I took my mom to an appointment near the doughnut store, where I had a credit for a free doughnut and coffee. Good times.

I finished the monster fantasy in and around all that, and I‘m divided. I stuck with it because in theory, it‘s MY THING right down to its core, but I never connected with the characters and I felt no chemistry between them. I mostly finished it because I very much wanted Homily‘s family to get eaten.

And now, a monster fantasy. It‘s too early for me to say how I feel about this one, but I‘m getting a strong “it could go either way” vibe that the Litsy reviews seem to back up. Here‘s hoping I fall into the OMG SO AWESOME camp.

I‘m loving GIRL ON FIRE! Hogarth describes it as reminiscent of Mercedes Lackey, and the vibes totally match. It‘s full of the thrill of discovering a new place with different customs, different social mores, and increased opportunities. I can‘t wait to devour the back half today.

In other news, Casey turned seven yesterday! What a mature little fellow he is.

It‘s finally warm! I sat outside and read this creepy novella from K.J. Charles. It‘s set in an alternate Victorian England where King Victor II‘s rule has the country crumbling apart, and I‘m sorry she‘s never returned to the setting. It feels like she intended to, but I guess her non-alternate historicals have taken precedence in recent years. It‘s been ages since she published any fantasy, too.

Ah, friends, my tiny skull and I are loving SORCERY AND SMALL MAGICS! One of the blurbs calls it Ghibliesque and this is entirely accurate. I‘m excited to wolf down the last 60 pages tonight.

In other news, I‘ve gone a week without infecting the household with my eye cold, so I figure my hand sanitization regimen is strong enough for the Real World (combined with a mask). I ventured out today and bought a TOOTHBRUSH and some FROZEN FRUIT! Whee!

Still in isolation with my books. It‘ll be nice out this afternoon, so at least I‘ll get to sit outside for a little while.

In the meantime, I‘ll hunker down with ELYSIUM, Nora Sakavic‘s very dark urban fantasy. It‘s gripping so far and it does some really interesting stuff with the Basic Buffy Plot that usually pushes me away from UF, but I lost momentum when I fell asleep for five hours yesterday afternoon. Oops. Gonna avoid that today.

For you ACOTAR fans: my favourite indie ordered a huuuuuuuge copy of the book for Indie Bookstore Day! This isn‘t my favourite Sarah J Maas series, but I‘m still disappointed I missed the chance to see it in person. Hopefully they‘ll keep it on display long enough for me to make it down there once I‘m no longer contagious.

I only managed to read 20% of this novella before I very much needed to sleep for twelve hours, but now I‘m back on the case with my mood light to comfort me in my infectious solitude. It‘s great so far! I‘m such a sucker for anything about the theatre.

Well, my 34th consecutive Readathon is very far from my most distinguished one. Between attending to my horrifically gross eye cold and the exhaustion I‘m dealing with from six straight nights of frequently-interrupted sleep, I only finished my first book at the start of Hour 6. Now I‘m finally starting my second. I hope I can squeeze at least one more in, but I‘ll probably have to sleep again, so. 🤷‍♀️ #readathon #deweyapril

And my 34th consecutive Readathon kicks off with this second book about food detectives in Kyoto. I wish I could be happier about it, but my cold is still going strong AND it‘s spread to my eyes, which I didn‘t know could happen. I won‘t inflict the physical details on you, but it‘s basically my personal nightmare and it‘s left me depressed. Gonna try to distract myself with books today. #deweyapril #readathon