Mary's (bell7's) Reading Log in 2024 - Thread #8

Welcome to my eighth thread of 2024!

Should you have missed any of my previous intros, my name is Mary and I'm a librarian in western Massachusetts. I'm part of a large family (oldest of five), single, and live in my own home.

I like to read fantasy and science fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, a smattering of mystery and romance, nonfiction about books and history and... basically, pretty widely and eclectically. I usually have some form of reading goals for the year, and I've decided that this year I want to intentionally read more globally. I'm going to focus on France and aim to read 12 books by authors from that country, plus 12 more books from other countries that are not the US, UK, or Canada. I'm currently on pace for that, and in the second half of the year, I'd like to focus more intentionally on finding books in translation.

Outside of reading, I enjoy watching sports (football, hockey and tennis in particular), I dogsit as a side hustle, I knit for fun (usually gifts for friends and family), and research genealogy (as very much an amateur, but I'm learning).

Hope you'll make yourself comfortable and chat with me about books and life.

2024 Book Club Reads

One of my work responsibilities is facilitating one of our book discussions. Here's what we're reading in 2024 (we take a break for the summer):

JANUARY - Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher - COMPLETED
FEBRUARY - The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin - COMPLETED
MARCH - Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny - COMPLETED
APRIL - The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende - COMPLETED
MAY - Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder - COMPLETED
SEPTEMBER - The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson - COMPLETED
OCTOBER - The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel - READING
NOVEMBER - The Soloist by Steve Lopez
DECEMBER - The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Top Reads of 2024 (in order read)

5 stars
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard (reread)
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

4.5 stars
The Tower at the Edge of the World by Victoria Goddard
The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
The Postcard by Anne Berest
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
Derring-Do For Beginners by Victoria Goddard
Making It So by Patrick Stewart
Foster by Claire Keegan
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Above Ground by Clint Smith
The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard (reread)
Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary (reread)
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
Red Paint by Sasha LaPointe
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
The Game of Courts by Victoria Goddard
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Inciting Joy by Ross Gay
A Bookshop in Berlin by Francoise Frenkel
Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Sterritt
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
James by Percival Everett
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Random things I'm tracking

Bookish articles:
1. Oulipo: Freeing Literature by Tightening Its Rules
2. Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words
3. 2024 Pacific Northwest Book Awards
4. 75 Books by Women of Color to Read in 2024
5. Romantasy Books (BookRiot)
6. An interview with Moniquill Blackgoose
7. The Scandalous Legacy of Isabella Stewart Gardner
8. Nonfiction books for SFF fans
9. Tournament of Books 2024 Championship Round
10. Top 10 Most Challenged Books in 2023
11. Thoughts on "Beach Reads" (CNN)
12. The Problem with Comp Titles
13. LibraryJournal's 2024 Stars so Far
14. 15 Books to Read Instead of Hillbilly Elegy (BookRiot)

How to make pretty block quotes (directions from Richard):
{blockquote}TYPE OR PASTE QUOTED TEXT HERE{/blockquote} and replace the curly braces with pointy brackets.

Number of books read since keeping count on LT:
July - Dec 2008 - 65
2009 - 156 (plus over 70 graphic novels and manga volumes)
2010 - 135 (Note: in June, I started working a second part-time job for full-time hours)
2011 - 150
2012 - 108 (Note: accepted a full-time job in February)
2013 - 107
2014 - 126 (plus 8 graphic novels)
2015 - 120 (plus 6 graphic novels)
2016 - 141 (I stopped counting graphic novels separately)
2017 - 114
2018 - 105 (Note: my first full year as Assistant Director)
2019 - 116
2020 - 153
2021 - 138
2022 - 131
2023 - 180
2024 - ???

Global reads in 2024 (author's country of origin):
Australia - Sophie Gonzales
Canada - Victoria Goddard, Premee Mohamed, Nalo Hopkinson, Heather Fawcett
Chile - Isabel Allende
France - Herve Le Tellier, Elisa Shua Dusapin, Annie Ernaux, Anne Berest, Christelle Dabos
Hungary - Magda Szabo
India - Salman Rushdie
Ireland - Claire Foster
Malaysia - Tan Twan Eng, Yangsze Choo
New Zealand - Chloe Gong, Tayi Tibble
South Africa - Trevor Noah
Spain - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
UK - W. Somerset Maugham, Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Worth, Sangu Mandanna, Richard Osman

All time (since 2022):


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, China, France, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Currently reading
The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
Exit West by Mohson Hamid
A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Bible/Devotional Reading
Praying the Names of God by Ann Spangler

DNFs in 2024
1. Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. Jacobs
2. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
3. Leaving Lucy Pear by Anna Solomon
4. How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
5. Fourteen Days edited by Margaret Atwood
6. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum

October
101. Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon
100. Erasure by Percival Everett

September
99. Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
98. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
97. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
96. Traveller's Joy by Victoria Goddard
95. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
94. Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
93. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
92. Where the Language Lives by Janet Yoder

August
91. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark
90. The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
89. James by Percival Everett
88. The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
87. Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
86. A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
85. The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
84. Seeing the Body: Poems by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
83. A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel
82. Funny Story by Emily Henry
81. The Door by Magda Szabo
80. Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Steritt
79. The Barbizon by Paulina Bren

July
78. Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr
77. A Bookshop in Berlin by Francoise Frenkel
76. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
75. Inciting Joy by Ross Gay
74. The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
73. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
72. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
71. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
70. The Game of Courts by Victoria Goddard
69. Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
68. Knowing God by Name by Mary Kassian

June
67. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
66. Red Paint by Sasha taqwš��blu LaPointe
65. Poūkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
64. Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
63. The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
62. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
61. Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim
60. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
59. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
58. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
57. Amber & Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz
56. Those Who Hold the Fire by Victoria Goddard
55. The Years by Annie Ernaux
54. A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

May
53. The Best Man by Richard Peck
52. The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson
51. Thunder Song: Essays by Sasha taqwšəblu Lapointe
50. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
49. Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
48. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
47. Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder
46. The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard
45. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
44. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

April
43. Above Ground by Clint Smith
42. The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monae
41. The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist by Sophie Gonzales
40. How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
39. The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
38. Sharks in the Rivers by Ada Limon
37. The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende
36. At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard
35. Dominicana by Angie Cruz
34. With Us in the Wilderness by Lauren Chandler

March
33. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
32. Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
31. And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohamed
30. The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard
29. The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
28. The Bible
27. Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny
26. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
25. Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
24. House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
23. Foster by Claire Keegan
22. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
21. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

February
20. Making It So by Patrick Stewart
19. Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
18. The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin
17. The Casuarina Tree by W. Somerset Maugham
16. Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers
15. The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
14. Derring-Do for Beginners by Victoria Goddard
13. The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

January
12. To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
11. The Postcard by Anne Berest
10. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
9. Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher
8. A Girl's Story by Annie Ernaux
7. Big Tree by Brian Selznick
6. The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling
5. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
4. The Pachinko Parlor by Elisa Shua Dusapin
3. In the Company of Gentlemen by Victoria Goddard
2. The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
1. The Tower at the Edge of the World by Victoria Goddard

Rough guide to my rating system:
I'm fairly generous with my star ratings - generally a four is a "like" or "would recommend" for me, while a 4.5 stars is a book I would reread. I break it down roughly like this:

1 star - Forced myself to finish it
2 stars - Dislike
2.5 stars - I really don't know if I liked it or not
3 stars - Sort of liked it; or didn't, but admired something about it despite not liking it
3.5 stars - The splitting hairs rating of less than my last 4 star book or better than my last 3
4 stars - I liked it and recommend it, but probably won't reread it except under special circumstances (ie., a book club or series reread)
4.5 stars - Excellent, ultimately a satisfying read, a title I would consider rereading
5 stars - A book that I absolutely loved, would absolutely reread, and just all-around floored me

I see it more in terms of my like or dislike of a book, rather than how good a book is. My hope is that as a reader I convey what I like or what I don't in such a way that you can still tell if you'll like a book, even if I don't. And I hope for my patrons that I can give them good recommendations for books they will like, even if it's not one I would personally choose.

*dusts hands* And now, officially welcome! I don't have time this morning to wait for the touchstones to load, so I'll try to remember to go back through later today and finish setting up.

My last post from the previous thread, in case you missed it:

Happy Tuesday! I'm on the desk this morning and have interviews for one of our part-time positions in the afternoon. After that, I'm leaving early to go babysit my niece before my SIL gets out of work.

I did all the errands yesterday and felt really accomplished, but didn't get a lot of reading in. I'm hoping to make up for that tonight. I very deliberately did a grocery shopping of mostly prepared foods so that I'd just have enough for the next couple of days, so I just have to pop some stuffed mushrooms in the toaster oven for dinner tonight and should have time to finish The Warmth of Other Suns, which I accidentally left at work yesterday.

I also woke up today to discover I'd managed to win my first fantasy football game of the year. I had miscounted, and Saquon Barkley just had to have 13 more points than the Eagles defense - in the weird counting that is fantasy football, he had 17.6 to the defense's 2.7 and I won by about 2.5 points. AND the Eagles lost, so bonus.

Reading: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Listening: "Wild Honey" by the Beach Boys

Watching/Crafting: nothing to report

Happy new one, Mary!

Lookee here, I'm first! New-thread orisons, Mary.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mary.

I hope there's good candidates at the interviews you're running today.

Happy new thread Mary!

>12 bell7: The open position for a part-time librarian reminded me of a couple of romances where the woman has moved to and is stuck in a new place when her initial romance goes sour and now needs a job quickly! I don't guess disappointed fiance is any sort of a job qualification though.

Happy new thread, Mary xx

Happy new thread, Mary!!

Checking in on the new thread, Mary. I also wanted to let you know that I am hoping to finish The Warmth of Other Suns tomorrow.

Happy new thread!

>13 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>14 richardderus: You and Katie made it in the same minute! Good to see you, Richard *smooch*

>15 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi!

>16 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! We had good candidates and a clear favorite we all three agreed on so *fingers crossed*

>17 quondame: Thanks, Susan! Hahaha, no, I'm afraid disappointed fiance is not a job qualification :)

>18 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

>19 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>20 alcottacre: Nice to see you, Stasia. I just finished it tonight, I'm hoping to write up a review and will look forward to your final thoughts.

>21 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy Wednesday, Mary. Happy New Thread. I am sure you are enjoying Warmth. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

>23 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene!

>24 msf59: Happy Wednesday, Mark! Just two more days - looking forward to seeing you & Wrigley.

Happy Wednesday, all! Soon I'll have to get started on my to-do list - most importantly, packing! - but for now, I'm finishing up my coffee and breakfast, and I will review The Warmth of Other Suns. I'm working 12-8 and have book discussion tonight. Since there are only two of us working, I'll move the discussion into the library proper rather than our meeting room so I'll be available for backup if needed.

Tomorrow I'm headed out to a, well, not a conference exactly. There's basically an exhibit hall of businesses who have a contract with libraries in the state and we can purchase things from them without going through the bidding process we usually have to do as a town department. My boss asked me if I'd like to go to look specifically for library signage information, so I'll be doing that, leaving after lunch, and then going to the library for the rest of the day.

I'll be dropping off my car at the mechanic's to get a bunch of brake work done over the weekend (fun, fun!), and then I'm staying over my parents' that night because my dad, brother and I have an early morning flight out to Chicago on Friday morning. The plan will be Wrigley for the Cubs on Friday (and meeting up with Mark and Joe, as well as one of my dad's cousins), going to Indiana on Saturday and watching Notre Dame, heading out to Cleveland on Sunday and watching the Giants (if you've been following, this is the first Giants game this season I'll actually be able to watch), and then to the Football Hall of Fame on Monday before flying back. Phew! I also took Tuesday off to recover. I'm not sure how much Internet access (or time) I'll have, so probably won't be checking in 'til we return.

Reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Zami: A new spelling of my name by Audre Lorde, and Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon

Listening: "Wild Honey" by The Beach Boys and "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" by Aretha Franklin

Watching/crafting: nothing to report

95. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Why now? For my book discussion - though a book I've been interested in reading for awhile in learning more about race relations in the U.S.

The Great Migration was the movement of Black Americans from southern states to the north and west of the country. It occurred over several decades from World War 1 through the 1960s when the Civil Rights movement demanded change to the Jim Crow laws in the south. Isabel Wilkerson documents this history through the stories of three people - Ida Mae Gladney, Robert Pershing Foster, and George Starling - to illuminate the reasons people left and their experiences in their new, chosen homes.

The three people we follow were very deliberately chosen. They each left in a different decade and settled in a different place. Their stories are compelling and help a large movement become personal. Wilkerson doesn't focus on the chronology, but on the emotion and individual experiences, interspersed with narrative that zooms out and gives context with census information, laws, or sociological writings about the Great Migration as a whole. The everyday racism encountered by Ida Mae, Robert, and George was appalling, not just in the south - where Robert couldn't practice medicine in a white hospital in the 1950s, and lynching for the smallest infraction was a real possibility - but once they reached their new location. Because in the north, there may not have been separate water fountains, but there were still unwritten expectations of where Black families could live and work.

Through her narrative, Wilkerson challenges the common narratives of the Great Migration, that there was one simple reason people left or that they brought broken families and crime to the north. In fact, as illustrated by Ida Mae, Robert, and George and shown be recently-released census data, the southern Black families were more likely to be two-parent homes, be better educated, and have a job than their northern counterparts. The children of immigrants and their descendents brought arts, music, and sports achievements we may not have seen without that movement. While it's impossible to say if the Great Migration made life better or worse for the families that moved - or stayed - it profoundly affected the country and their lives in ways that we still see today. 4.5 stars.

Well... this was a book I'd originally thought I'd give 4 stars to, as one I'd recommend but not necessarily reread from beginning to end, but I've revised it a bit as I was reviewing it and realized how much I really respect what Wilkerson does here. I still think Caste is just a nudge better, but they're both well worth reading, and we'll have a ton to discuss tonight.

>27 bell7: Lots and lots to discuss, for sure. I'm glad it made your grade go up to write the review...I need to open it up and start from where COVID caused me to leave off.

Have a wonderful time on your Chicago trip!

>28 richardderus: I hope you do get a chance to complete it, Richard. The one criticism I'd give her is that she repeats phrases, almost verbatim, like describing someone as a man who made women forget about their husbands. But it's also a technique that can be useful in reminding me who someone was if I were reading the book over a really prolonged period of time, so I can't fault her too much for it.

>29 bell7: It does feel a bit tiresome to modern ears, but the Homeric phrase is ancient and came to be for the purpose you describe. People really do not change....

>27 bell7: I'm going to start this book as my next nonfiction. I'll finish Turing's biography next week, and start then. Glad you liked it.

>30 richardderus: True!

>31 The_Hibernator: Oh good, Rachel, I'll look forward to your thoughts.

I was a big fan of The Warmth of Other Suns. Haven't read Caste yet.

Have a great time on your trip! I'll look for you on TV on SUnday ;-)

Happy newish thread, Mary, and safe travels. Sounds like fun! I have had The Warmth of Other Suns on a wishlist forever, and your review makes me want to get to it sooner rather than later.

>27 bell7: I just now finished the book and am so glad that I read it. My thoughts echo yours and I too am giving it 4.5 stars. I look forward to reading Caste in the future given how highly I thought of this book by Wilkerson.

It looks like I will be finishing The Shadow of the Wind tomorrow. I hope you enjoy your re-read of it!

>26 bell7: Wow, that sounds like a busy and fun trip! Wishing you all good weather and safe travels.

>27 bell7: Having recently finished Caste (which I highly recommend), I'm looking forward to reading Warmth of Other Suns. But it won't be soon.

Hi Mary my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend.

Happy New Thread, Mary! Looking forward to our Meet Up and the Cubs game. Safe travels, my friend. Go Cubs!

Happy new thread, Mary!

What a great time, Mary! Have fun with Greg and Ryan at the Notre Dame game, and the Cleveland - Giants game. What a trip!

^Great time hanging out with everyone yesterday, Mary. I really enjoyed meeting your Dad and brother too. Have a good time at the game today and tomorrow. Safe travels.

Hello everyone, just checking in to let you all know we're doing well and enjoying our travels. We met up with Joe and Mark, as well as my dad's cousin Mark and two of my cousins. Yesterday we went to Notre Dame and saw another win. Can we go three for three at the Giants game today?

I'll be home on Tuesday and respond to everyone's posts individually. It's a little harder to do on my phone and I didn't bring the laptop with me 🙂

>42 bell7: Crossing my digital extremeties that you'll get a hat trick of wins! *smooch*

Hoping the last leg of your travels go well and you have a restful recovery day tomorrow.

>33 katiekrug: Any luck finding us, Katie? We were in the end zone where Devin Singletary scored his rushing touchdown :D

>34 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! We had a really great time, and I hope you do get to The Warmth of Other Suns soon.

>35 alcottacre: Glad we were able to read it together, Stasia. I'm still working on The Shadow of the Wind, as I didn't have much time for reading on our trip, but I *think* I'll be finishing it today or tomorrow.

>36 atozgrl: Busy and fun for sure, Irene! I second you in highly recommending Caste.

>37 johnsimpson: Thank you so much, John! Hope you're having a good day.

>38 msf59: Thanks, Mark! It was great to meet up with you and Joe.

>39 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>40 jnwelch: Yes indeed, quite a trip all around.

>41 msf59: Thank you for posting the pic in my absence, Mark! We had an absolute blast at the Cubs game and getting dinner afterwards, as well as the rest of the weekend.

>43 richardderus: We did, we did! The Giants were 6.5 point underdogs and when the first kickoff was a turnover and the Browns scored the next play, we thought we were in for a long one. But it turned out to be a very exciting game, and a win to boot!

>44 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

Happy Tuesday, all!

We got back late last night from a busy but very satisfying trip. We started on Friday, as you know, meeting up with Joe (and a brief hello to Debbi) and Mark, and then going to the Cubs game. My dad also has a cousin in Chicago, and he and his daughter met up with us for the game. Then we went out to dinner (my "The Fig Is In" burger was phenomenal) and breweries, where we continued to socialize for a couple more hours. We left a little before dark to head out to Indiana, where we stayed about an hour away, in between Chicago and South Bend.

Saturday we were able to sleep in a little, but we lost an hour between our hotel and Notre Dame. We got to the campus early enough to look around, take photos by the "touchdown Jesus" mural on the library, and walk around the stadium concourse. There was no score after a quarter, but Notre Dame ended up winning fairly comfortably. My brother is the big fan, so he was happy, though Dad and I went for them too. Then we headed to the next stopover in Ohio.

This hotel was probably the most disappointing of the three. After a suite where I had my own room the first night, this was an old-school motel with the entrances to each room to the outdoors. We'd requested adjoining rooms, but I was several doors down from my dad and brother. But, it was also the place we stayed for the least amount of time, getting there in time to go to bed and leaving after breakfast.

Cleveland was, for us, the most important game of the three, though the Giants were 6.5 point underdogs and already lost the first two games of the season. The opening kickoff was to to the Giants, and the player fumbled to give the Browns the ball right off the bat. They promptly scored on the next play, and we were ready to be in for a long game. However, that turned out to be the only lead the Browns had all game. The Giants' defense looked excellent with 8 sacks altogether, and the offense - especially in the first half - looked pretty solid, with a nice drive downfield right towards us in the first quarter to tie up the game. Being the away fans can always be tricky, but we cheered quietly among ourselves, and the folks around us were fine. If anything, they were tougher on their own team, cursing out the quarterback (I'm sure as much for his personal life as his playing) and booing at times. But they'd also get really into it at exciting moments, to the point where I'd say that was one of the louder crowds I've ever been among. And then the Giants won!

We went to our last hotel about an hour south so we were closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and it was the nicest of the three. It was another suite, and this one had a full living space with a couch, TV, and galley kitchen. We ordered pizza delivery and enjoyed watching more football (going against division rivals, natch) until my dad and brother fell asleep on the couch. I went to my room and watched a little bit more before calling it a night as well.

Our final day was going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which was a first time for me. It was really fun to see all the memorabilia, and they'd even done some special things for the Giants' 100 season. Each of the displays with something from the Giants had the "100" logo put next to it. And the busts for all the players who are HOF members was moved to a separate location of just the Giants guys. So that was really fun.

I took a ton of pictures over the course of the trip, so after I get some loaded I'll share more visuals.

I slept in today and got up around 9:45 which is ridiculously late for me, but probably the closest I'll get to catching up on sleep. I had to stop at the bank and then get my car from the work I had done, and visited with my parents all morning. I left a little after noon, went to Xfinity to talk to them about my bill (I got it lowered some, but ugh I hate how expensive it is), and then went home.

I had the foresight to buy a frozen pizza and a frozen meal to have food when I got home, so while I unpacked I cooked the pizza and am now sitting down for a late lunch. The rest of the plan today is to do some meal planning and grocery shopping and get to the gym. That'll give me a pretty light day to ease into the rest of the week, and I'm hoping to read quite a bit in the evening.

Reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon and Zami by Audre Lorde

Listening: I'll probably download a couple more albums off Hoopla today and pick up with "Wild Honey" by the Beach Boys again

Watching: well, all the sports this weekend, of course.
I was just listening to a podcast that mentioned Sarah Polley's new book, Run Towards the Danger, and mentioned that she played Ramona on a TV series that I remember from when I was a kid. A few minutes later, I had the jaw-dropping realization that she was Ramona AND the main character on "Road to Avonlea" and I had NO idea... so I may be getting some DVD series to go down memory lane a bit. I put a hold on the first series of "Road to Avonlea".

What a fun trip! It sounds like a great time (except for the sports stuff, yuck 😂)

>48 bell7: What a trip! You had an amazing piece of luck getting to watch the Giants/Browns game.

Lovely shortened work week to you, smoochling.

>50 norabelle414: Hahaha, well, you know that was right up my alley. We had a great time for sure :)

>51 richardderus: We really did have amazing luck with that game. Malik Nabers is looking fantastic (and doesn't hurt that he's on my fantasy team). *smooch* back

I'm not counting it in my book totals, because it's only 43 pages, but I read Traveller's Joy by Victoria Goddard (book #96) on Friday & Saturday (I meant to read it on the plane and forgot).

In this novelette, Hal and Marcan decide that they need to propose a walking tour with Jemis, who is recovering after being stoned (they use pebbles, but still) by his fellow university students and breaking up with Lark.

Though the events happen before, it makes most sense if you've already been introduced to the characters in at least Stargazy Pie and Bee Sting Cake if not the whole series (I forget where Marcan turns up, book 5 maybe?), and you see these three young men's friendship deepen in satisfying ways. I would love another short story of the rest of Jemis's adventures on the walk, as there are hints that this only covers the beginning. And as always, there's the delightful nod to Hal's interest in plants in the titles that center on his - "traveller's joy" is Clematis vitalba, also known as "old man's beard."

Retroactively adding the book number after all, as I went through what I've read this year and realized I'd counted a slightly shorter novelette as well, so I'll count it for consistently. After all, I read a couple of 500-page books this month, too!

I loved Shadow of the Wind, Mary. Very atmospheric.

>53 bell7: I don't think I would be so scrupulous!

>54 PaulCranswick: yeah, I've really been enjoying the reread of The Shadow of the Wind.

I'm not usually super scrupulous about book counting, but it took me only about an hour to read and I've been counting some other short books already 😂

Edited to get touchstone to load

Happy Wednesday, Mary. Glad you got to see 3 wins, especially with the Giants. How awesome is that? Good luck getting back into your usual routine.

>56 msf59: Hiya, Mark! Thanks for the well wishes in getting back to routine. I woke up to some work texts to sort out before I go in, so I'm jumping right in. Thankfully just a three-and-a-half day week (I have to go in for a couple of hours on Saturday) to start with.

Happy Wednesday! Since I went grocery shopping and to the gym yesterday, I don't have to leave the house for errands today before work. I have some chores to catch up on like laundry, washing the dishes, and watering my plants. Nothing too onerous. I'm working 12-8 and in charge 'cause my boss is off today, and already fielded some texts this morning from folks who are out. I expect it'll be a busy afternoon on the desk covering. Wednesday used to be a very quiet night but lately we've been getting more families in and it's passed quickly, so we'll see what happens tonight.

Reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories and Zami by Audre Lorde (a little less than hour in this one, I should finish it soon)

Listening: Going back to "Wild Honey" by the Beach Boys

Watching/Crafting: nothing to report

>58 bell7: The Lorde should be interesting to hear about when you're done. I'm pretty sure Continuum: French Science Fiction will be one we agree on....

Enjoy your busy day, Mary. *smooch*

>53 bell7: I finished that one over the weekend too. I am very happy to have done so, but as usual, I wanted it to be longer!

I am so glad to hear that your trip was a great one for the most part. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

It sounds like you had an absolutely fabulous trip! Hurray for time to get settled back in at home, and I hope your short work week goes smoothly.

...smoochling...? is all well?

>59 richardderus: I should have a review of the Lorde one up soon. Continuum has been fine, but I've been voting with my eyes. I'm only two stories in and never pick it up. I do want to read at least one other story because I think it was the second story in particular that was a hold up for me.

>60 alcottacre: I think she does well with telling the story she wants to in the length it needs to be, but at the same time, I do want more about all of the characters! I'll look forward to her next full length novel. And I will get back to you about October reads, I just haven't had a moment to look through the books left. I'm open to your ideas! I think the few we have left I need to buy anyways.

>61 atozgrl: thanks, Irene, I am making progress settling back in at home and work

>62 richardderus: all is well, just a busy day of work and Bible study starting up again tonight. And I finished Zami before work instead of posting 😂 I appreciate your checking in *smooch*

A truncated post as I'm on my phone...

I worked 9-5 today and had a fair amount of work to both catch up on and prepare for a volunteer training tomorrow. My Bible study starts up again tonight, so I'm getting dinner and reading in between. And when I get home tonight, the Giants are playing Thursday night football. I succumbed to a free month of Prime because I needed to buy a book yesterday and it saved me paying shipping and gave me access to the game.

Tomorrow I have an appointment in the morning and will probably post in the evening again as a result. Busy busy, as always 🙂

>64 bell7: Yay for getting the Giants game! Stay well and happy, dear Mary. *smooch*

>65 richardderus: Well, it ended in late night disappointment but could've been worse! *smooch*

Happy Friday! I had an annual doctor's appointment this morning, so had to leave about forty minutes before I normally would and took some sick time for it before working the rest of the day. The appointment was smooth and quick, and I was back to work by 10:30. I trained nine new volunteers at orientation today, which is the largest group I've ever had, and it looks like we'll be at around 30 volunteers come next week. Yikes!

Tonight cooking was in order. I made a baked herbed catfish that came out delicious with roasted broccoli, and potato salad to bring to the family dinner tomorrow night. I now have some time to relax a bit, and plan on finishing The Shadow of the Wind.

Reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon and Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary (I needed a new e-book last night and was too tired to get creative, so decided to continue my reread of the series)

Listening: radio today, I finished up with "Wild Honey" and need to start "Reach Out" by Four Tops.

Watching: last night was the Giants-Cowboys game. Watching on Prime was painful, it kept reloading and the sound would cut out, though eventually I figured out that hitting the up or down key would put it back on. And then the Giants lost and Malik Nabers is in concussion protocol. Ugh. It's going to be a long season, isn't it?

Crafting: I finally got out the knitted top I'm making again. I finished one shoulder and started on the other.

97. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
Why now? It was shared read for TIOLI and an author I'd tried once and meant to read more of, so I was happy to see that I could get it as a library e-book when I was ready for that format.

In this "biomythography" Lorde explores the various women who impacted her life, starting with her mother in her childhood, her friend Gennie, and as she grows into young adulthood, the various lovers she had over the years.

This seems to be one of those books that straddle fiction and nonfiction, though it reads like a memoir and includes the emotional truths Lorde experiences as a Black lesbian woman, starting with growing up in Harlem and moving through her young adulthood. The first half of the book dealing with her childhood, her mother, and her school friends connected most with me. She kind of lost me when she started talking about her relationships, but I could appreciate the way they each helped her become more herself. It was sometimes harrowing to read - she has an unsafe abortion, and the FBI just casually show up at her door. Lorde explains how, despite being lesbian, she still experienced racism in the gay community and had to deal with not fitting into the molds that even the "gay girls" as she calls them had for relationship roles. Being a Black gay woman in the 1940s and 50s was no easy thing, yet Lorde also experiences joy and love. A powerful read that will stick with me for a long time. 4 stars.

You may also enjoy the Lesbrary review by Danika Ellis.

98. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Why now? Stasia and I decided to reread it jointly this month - I was a little behind when I hoped to finish it, but my excuse is that I read a couple of very long books in September

Here's what I wrote in 2008 when I originally read the book:

As a young boy, Daniel Sempere reads a book by a mysterious author, Julian Carax, whose works were barely bought when published but now collector's items due to their rarity. The book literally changes Daniel's life: because of it he is introduced to his first crush, he embarks on a quest to find out more about its author, and an odd character appears to be dogging Daniel's steps.

The writing is lyrical, making you want to sink into the story. Its Gothic elements and lovely writing style often reminded me of The Thirteenth Tale, though the pace picks up faster in this story. The Shadow of the Wind has elements of mystery, historical fiction, and a classic coming-of-age story. Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2008.

This is one of the books that I read after seeing all the chatter here on LT, and y'all didn't steer me wrong. I went on to read the whole quartet, and though I liked some more than others, it was fun reading these Gothic tales steeped in the history of the Spanish Civil War. This latest read was prompted by reading George Orwell's memoir of his service in the Spanish Civil War. I'd forgotten about all the horny men in it, and would probably retroactively make it 4.5 stars rather than 5 (I've gotten pickier in many ways since 2008), but it was still an enjoyable read and one I'm glad I own to revisit whenever I like.

Retroactively deciding to count Traveller's Joy, as I updated my reading spreadsheet today and realized I'd counted a 42 page novelette earlier this year. For consistency, then, I will count it. And after all, I have read some long books this year, too!

>70 bell7: Good :-)

>71 norabelle414: Hahaha thanks for the enabling ;)

99. Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
Why now? Needed an e-book and was too tired to be searching for a book that appealed so decided to continue my reread of the series

When Mr. Quimby loses his job, Ramona and her family need to adjust to tighter finances and stress. The family gets grouchy and Ramona, now in second grade, wishes she could do something to help. But through it all, there is trademark humor and a lot of love.

I'm continuing to have a lot of fun rereading this series with adult eyes. I'd forgotten that Mr. Quimby smokes and that Ramona and Beezus go on a campaign to make him quit. I can relate more to the adult stress but still remember the kid stress of tough times like the Quimbys experience here, which adds to the richness of the books. 4.5 stars.

Happy Saturday! It's one of those days that's busy but in a relaxed way. I'm working for a couple of hours, coming home for lunch, and then going out to go apple picking with my youngest sister who's up visiting for the weekend. From there, we're going to my brother and SIL's and having dinner with them and my brothers and parents. Should get some baby time in, though I'll let my sister as the not-local visitor have the bulk of it.

In case I don't have time over the next few days to post, here's the rundown of plans:

Tomorrow we're going to the Big E, sort of a state fair but for all the New England states. It's the last day of it so I expect it to be pretty crowded. My mom has some photographs in it, so I want to track those down, as well as see other crafts and things, and buy delicious food at the state buildings. After that, I'm coming back to go to my first small group meeting at church. It'll be the first one I've joined where I don't know anyone else from my previous church (some of you may remember I changed churches last year) and run by the lead pastor so... wish me luck? It'll be a bit of a stretching experience. My Bible study on Thursdays continues to be people I know (and isn't affiliated with any church in particular), though it's a smaller group than last year.

Monday I'm working 9-2 and have my appointment for my COVID and flu shots afterwards. I found out that my sister will still be here Monday, so I'll probably drive back to my parents' after that to hang out before she leaves.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon (which means I'll be choosing a new paper book AND e-book today)

Listening: I'll try to remember to start "Reach Out" by Four Tops today

Watching/Crafting: nothing last night

>69 bell7: I am so glad to see that you enjoyed the re-read as much as I did!

>70 bell7: Good on you. Angela (back in 2009 or so, I think) once told me that if it is between covers, it counts, so I have used that maxim ever since. I normally read at least 1 long book in a year, after all :)

Have a super Saturday!

>75 alcottacre: That's a good maxim! Mine is - if I can catalog it and write a coherent review of it, it counts.

>75 alcottacre: I mean, The Warmth of Other Suns and The Shadow of the Wind kinda make up for it just this month, no? I like Angela's maxim :)

>76 norabelle414: That's a good one, too. I'm not always coherent writing reviews of poetry books, but I do count those.

I'm still here, it's just been a busy few days, as expected. Work went by fast today. I was on the desk three out of five hours, our calendar was completely out, and I needed to run CORI checks for some of our new volunteers. My shots went fine. Then I went out to hit a tennis ball (I won't say we played, 'cause we didn't even attempt to keep score) with my dad, sister, and her boyfriend. I figured it was good for my arm, though I am still a bit sore from the shots and may take some Ibuprofen before I go to bed tonight.

My parents got us all pizza for dinner, then I brought my sister and her boyfriend to the airport. And now I am home. I have Monday night football on at the moment, but pretty soon I'm going to head to bed. Tomorrow I'm working 9-5 and making a new recipe for dinner.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon, Erasure by Percival Everett, and A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sophie Cathrall

Listening: radio

Watching: A little football tonight

Crafting: nope

Happy Tuesday! I worked 9-5 today and made a new recipe - a phyllo pie with beets and chard and feta & brie. It was a lot of work, but quite yummy. I've been listening to podcasts while I fit my library stack into TIOLI challenges, and I'm about to read for a bit and call it a night.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon, Erasure by Percival Everett, and A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sophie Cathrall

Listening: "Reach Out" by The Four Tops tonight, though it's still be radio in the car

Watching/Crafting: nothing today

September in review
99. Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
98. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
97. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
96. Traveller's Joy by Victoria Goddard
95. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
94. Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
93. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
92. Where the Language Lives by Janet Yoder

Books read: 8
Did not finish: 0
Rereads: 2
Children's/Teen/Adult: 1/1/6
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 6/2/0/0

Because I want to awards:
Proud I read the whole thing, with a deadline - The Warmth of Other Suns
Sequel as fun as the first - Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands
New author discovery - Sorcery of Thorns

YTD stats -
Pages read: 30,983
Avg pages a day: 112.6
Books by POC authors: 36 (36.73%)
In translation: 11 (11.22%)
DNF: 6

Thoughts: September tied February for fewest books read, but part of that was tackling two long books in the same month. The Warmth of Other Suns was for book group and The Shadow of the Wind was to reread for fun, and I read both as joint reads with Stasia. We also read the much shorter Traveller's Joy, continuing our read through Victoria Goddard's books. I didn't complete any books from France, though The Shadow of the Wind is a translation from Spanish. Other books were pretty much in my comfort reading zone of fantasy, a memoir, and continuing the Ramona series reread. Hopefully I'll have a little more time for reading in October!

>79 bell7: Happy Wednesday-to-come, Mary!

>81 richardderus: Wednesday *smooch*

Happy Wednesday! I've been pondering what to do with my morning. I was contemplating the gym, but it's starting to get too late for that to be feasible before work, so I'll probably putter around the house tidying up, fill the bird feeders, and pick tomatoes before moseying on to work. I work 12-8 and the big things on the to-do list are finishing the desk schedule for the week of Oct. 14 and setting up for the Cookbook Club meeting tonight.

Reading/Listening/Watching/Crafting: all the same as >79 bell7: reports

>83 bell7: Hoping your later shift and cookbook club are just busy enough, Mary. *smooch*

>76 norabelle414: That works too, Nora!

>77 bell7: Oh, yeah, they do.

>80 bell7: Hopefully I'll have a little more time for reading in October! I hope you do too!

>84 richardderus: It's been a hectic week all around, but the day went by quickly and the weekend's nearly here :)

>85 alcottacre: We'll see, work's been busy and weekends are full. All good things, but not as much down time as I'd like!

Happy Thursday! I work 9-5 today, and have Bible study this evening. I've got a little time to kill between. In past years, I've got to my parents' for dinner, but they have a small group that meets tonight and does dinner together. So I have my gym clothes packed, though it'll probably just be 40 minutes on the treadmill rather than going through the circuit machines.

I finished Erasure today and will attempt to write up my thoughts about it sometime soon.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon and A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Listening: mostly radio the other day, though I do want to get back to the Rolling Stones project

Watching/Crafting: nada

Sweet Thursday, Mary. Were you still up for The Count of Monte Cristo in January? It looks like we will have a few others join us too. 😀

Sounds like you had a fun trip -- sorry it didn't work for us to meet up this time.

>88 msf59: oh good, Mark, that'll keep me honest. And with a good New Year's Resolution to boot 😁

>89 foggidawn: I'll definitely keep you posted if we head your way again, foggi!

Happy Friday! I didn't get a chance to check in before work today, but here I am briefly. I'm working 9-5 today, planning on using my lunch break to do my meal planning (and eat lunch, of course), then go to the gym and the grocery store before heading home for the night. Tomorrow I've got plans with my parents, brother R and his girlfriend, to go to a game at the Yale Bowl.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories by Annabelle Dolidon, A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvia Cathrall, and Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Listening: radio

Watching/Crafting: not really, though I did turn Thursday Night Football on last night (watching it on my Kindle in my bedroom was much easier than my laptop in the living room)

Oooh, I loved Exit West!

Have a great weekend, Mary.

>91 bell7: Merry Friday, and a happy weekend to come, Mary! *smooch*

Hope you had a lovely day with the fam, Mary.

If you do end up watching Road to Avonlea, I'll be fascinated to hear how it holds up for an adult viewer. It was a Sunday night staple on CBC when I was growing up but I haven't watched it since I was probably 10.

>92 katiekrug: I'm liking Exit West so far, Katie, though I feel like I'm maybe not reading it as carefully as I should as an e-book and may want to revisit it at some point to fully get what he's doing with the story. There's almost a dreamlike (turning nightmare) quality to the narration, and it's interesting that the place is never defined.

>93 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>94 MickyFine: We had a good time, Micky. I watched the first couple of episodes of Road to Avonlea last night, so it's not looking likely that I'll finish the first season before it's due back to the library haha. It's... fine? I think we must've recorded the first episode when I was a kid, because I've watched that one multiple times and it was very familiar, but as soon as I started watching the others, I did not know what was going to happen. Some of the Anne characters that reappear like Marilla and Rachel Lynde are a lot of fun, but the kids in particular can overact a bit and it's a little sickly sweet at times. I enjoyed the episode on Quarantine quite a bit. I want to at least get to "Malcolm's Baby," which is the only other episode I remember seeing besides the pilot.

Happy Sunday! I made bread dough this morning, went to church where I helped out in toddler nursery, and stayed for a bit of the fall festival that the church put on for families and the community. It was fun to play with my friends' kids and visit a bit. I'm home now, but will head out shortly to my brother's girlfriend's house to watch the Giants.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories by Annabelle Dolidon (just a couple more stories left!), A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall, and Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Listening: radio

Watching: last night I put on Road to Avonlea and watched a few episodes

Crafting: knit top for myself continues. I've officially finished the neck, and have moved to the front of the top (it's knit from back to front all of one piece and then sewed together on the sides).

>95 bell7: That sounds about right. Glad it's sort of enjoyable. 😊

>97 MickyFine: I'll probably try to watch a few more, but won't go out of my way to finish the series, I think. And I did enjoy having the time to work on my knitting haha.

It's Monday - I worked 9-2 and came home to bake bread and did a little bit of prep work cutting things for what will be dinner (eggplant rice pilaf). I'm heading out again shortly for the first in a six-week series of yoga classes I signed up for through work. And I want to get started on some laundry too...

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Listening: radio

Watching: Giants, baby! I went to CT with my brother and his girlfriend and watched them beat Seattle in an absolutely wild game

Crafting: not yesterday, but might pick it up tonight

>99 bell7: Happy Monday, Mary! *smooch*

>100 richardderus: Tuesday *smooch* back!

Happy Tuesday! Things have been kinda hectic between work and trying to prioritize getting to the gym regularly. I enjoyed the yoga class last night, but I was back at 7 p.m. and still had to cook dinner. Today I worked 9-5, went to the gym, and decided the pizza I had in the freezer was enough. I have some laundry in and will shortly watch some TV on DVD and read a bit before calling it a night. I might try to wedge in a couple of reviews that I still owe, too.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid and The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel

Listening: radio

Watching: a couple more episodes of Avonlea

Crafting: continuing on a knit top for myself

Happy hump day! I have a dentist appointment this morning, so I'll be leaving for that shortly and I'm hoping to get a short walk in between that and work. You'll be proud of me not trying to crowd too much in this morning - after breakfast, I filled the bird feeders and folded some of the laundry from last night, but that was about it.

Reading/Listening/Watching/Crafting: same as >102 bell7:

>103 bell7: Not chore-cramming...making an effort to be mindful of energy budgets...going to the gym regularly....
...
...
...
...who are you and what have you done with our Mary?!

I enjoyed Exit West, Mary, so I hope you do too.

>104 richardderus: Indeed, I'm making a real effort to prioritize certain things and simplify where I can in a sustainable way. Wish me luck!

>105 vancouverdeb: I finished it early this morning, Deborah and really did enjoy it.

Happy Thursday! Today is my whirlwind day, working 9-5, then stopping briefly by someone's house to meet the dog about a potential new dogsitting gig (I know, I know, I'm trying to wind that down - I'll tell her I'm only available through July), picking up snack for Bible study and going to Bible study. I'll probably be home about 9 and be ready for bed.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall (taking a back seat to my book club book) and The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel (said book club book)

Listening: radio lately, though I re-downloaded "Reach Out" by the Four Tops from Hoopla. I'd like to try to listen to it twice more through and then move on in the Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums list - after this album, I will have reached 1968

Watching: About an episode and a half of "The Road to Avonlea" got me 9 episodes into Season 1. It's due back at the library today and I'm not planning on continuing at this point. I would have greatly enjoyed it as a child, but my adult brain can't take the plot holes, wide variety of acting ability, and overall saccharine nonsense that runs throughout.

Crafting: the positive of watching "The Road to Avonlea" is that I've made good progress on the top I'm knitting for myself (I probably watched more than I would have otherwise because I was enjoying knitting)

I didn't know you were trying to wind down the pet-sitting gig, Mary. Good luck!

Hi, Mary! I've been off of LibraryThing for nearly a month, so I didn't see your review of The Warmth of Other Suns until just now. The maternal side of my family was part of The Great Migration, and benefited from it. My maternal grandparents lived in Troy, a medium sized town in southeastern Alabama close to the Florida border; it also happened to be the hometown of John Lewis, who was my U.S. congressman for most of the years I spent in Atlanta. Both grandparents only went to school until they were old enough to work in the fields during harvest season, although each was able to read, and my love of reading the Sunday newspapers comes directly from Dan Daddy, the name we gave to my grandfather before we could say "Granddaddy." Back in the 1930s the Deep South was strictly segregated and Blacks who didn't stay in their places were subject to beatings, burning of their homes, or worse. IIRC my maternal grandfather, who was a skilled and sought after carpenter, ran afoul of a White man who wouldn't pay him what he had promised after completing a piece of furniture, which put him, his wife and three daughters at great mortal risk, which occurred at the onset of World War II. My grandfather enlisted in the United States Navy, and shortly afterward "Nana" traveled by train from Troy to NYC with her eldest daughter, both to escape the Jim Crow South and to ensure that all three daughters could get good educations that were all but impossible to obtain there. After Nana had saved up enough money, by cleaning houses and offices, to rent an apartment in Manhattan she sent for her two youngest girls, who had to travel at quite young ages to NYC, which was quite a harrowing trip! My grandfather joined them after the war, and he ultimately rented a space in the North Bronx where he made furniture and cut glass for home use. Thanks to Nana's years of frugality and backbreaking work she was able to purchase a house on E 222nd St in the North Bronx, with the help of a kindly Italian man, and my grandparents' goal of ensuring that all three girls earned college degrees and worked in professional settings was realized, at a time when it was unusual for working class young women of any racial background to make that claim.

One book I purchased for my mother but haven't read yet is The Ditchdigger's Daughters: A Black Family's Astonishing Success Story by Yvonne S. Thornton, as it closely paralleled her family's life. IIRC the family had five daughters, all of whom graduated from college, and four became physicians, including the author of this book.