MickyFine Seeks Out Joy in 2023, Part 8

Views as the leaves change are my absolute favourite. I'm particularly fond of catching glimpses of the river valley when I leave downtown on my in office days. (not my photo)

I'm Micky, 36 years old, librarian, and generally bookish nerd. I usually have a good mix of reads going on every year with strong doses of romance, sff, historicals, and a dash of non-fiction. This year my goal is to only read books that bring me joy, which means I'm likely to read a bunch of genre fiction. As part of that goal, I'm also striving to re-read more books from my own collection and will be using a D20 to select a shelf and then choose a book from there at least once a month.

I do my best to be chatty on my own thread and in addition to my reading, I'll also discuss highlights of my craft projects (check out my NeedleArts thread if you like more details), board games, what we're watching, and general life goings on often featuring my husband, Mr. Fine, and our two cats, Ash and Smee. Posters and lurkers alike are welcome.

January
1. Captain Carter: Woman Out of Time - Jamie McKelvie et. al.
2. Pies and Prejudice - Ellery Adams
3. Giant-Size Gwen Stacy - Christos Gage et. al.
4. Cranford - Elizabeth Gaskell
5. She-Hulk #7 - Rainbow Rowell et. al.
6. She-Hulk #8 - Rainbow Rowell et. al.
7. She-Hulk #9 - Rainbow Rowell et. al.
8. Paris Is Always a Good Idea - Jenn McKinlay
9. Scattered Showers - Rainbow Rowell
10. Mad and Bad: Real Heroines of the Regency - Bea Koch
11. All the Feels - Olivia Dade
12. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend (re-read)
13. Have I Told You This Already? Stories I Don't Want to Forget to Remember - Lauren Graham
14. Love on the Brain - Ali Hazelwood
Favourite(s):


February
15. Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell (re-read)
16. The Dark Archive - Genevieve Cogman
17. Pardonable Lies - Jacqueline Winspear
18. Hollow - Shannon Watters, Branden Boyer-White, and Berenice Nelle
19. Ship Wrecked - Olivia Dade
20. Death in the Stacks - Jenn McKinlay
21. Codex Born - Jim C. Hines
22. Take a Hint, Dani Brown - Talia Hibbert
23. Q-Squared - Peter David (re-read)
Favourite(s):


March
24. The Song of the Quarkbeast - Jasper Fforde
25. The Accidental Beauty Queen - Teri Wilson
26. The Bookshop on the Shore - Jenny Colgan
27. She-Hulk #10 - Rainbow Rowell, et. al.
28. The Spare Man - Mary Robinette Kowal
29. Well Met - Jen DeLuca
30. The Murder on the Links - Agatha Christie
31. Adler - Lavie Tidhar
32. Undercover Bromance - Lyssa Kay Adams
33. All Systems Red - Martha Wells (re-read)
Favourite(s):

April
34. A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness (re-read)
35. Oddball - Sarah Andersen
36. She Hulk #11 - Rainbow Rowell et. al.
37. Shadow of Night - Deborah Harkness
38. All Creatures Great and Small - James Herriot
39. Well Played - Jen DeLuca
40. The Book of Life - Deborah Harkness
41. Say Yes to the Marquess - Tessa Dare
Favourite(s):


May
42. Wundersmith: The Calling of Morrigan Crow - Jessica Townsend (re-read)
43. Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte (re-read)
44. The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman
45. Act Your Age, Eve Brown - Talia Hibbert
46. She-Hulk #12 - Rainbow Rowell et. al.
47. She-Hulk #13 - Rainbow Rowell et. al.
48. The Mighty Thor: Thunder in Her Veins - Jason Aaron et. al.
49. Loathe to Love You - Ali Hazelwood
50. Artificial Condition - Martha Wells (re-read)
51. Messenger of Truth - Jacqueline Winspear
52. The Mighty Thor: Lords of Midgard - Jason Aaron et. al.
Favourite(s):


June
53. The Eyre Affair - Jasper Fforde (re-read)
54. The Mighty Thor: The Asgard/Shi'ar War - Jason Aaron et. al.
55. Georgie, All Along - Kate Clayborn
56. The Mighty Thor: The War Thor - Jason Aaron et. al.
57. Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year - Rochelle Bilow
58. The Mighty Thor: The Death of Mighty Thor - Jason Aaron et. al.
59. Killers of a Certain Age - Deanna Raybourn
60. Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells (re-read)
61. Well Matched - Jen DeLuca
Favourite(s):

July
62. Happy Place - Emily Henry
63. Persuasion - Jane Austen (re-read)
64. She-Hulk #14 - Rainbow Rowell et. al.
65. The Queens of Animation - Nathalia Holt
66. Eligible - Curtis Sittenfeld (re-read)
67. Crazy Stupid Bromance - Lyssa Kay Adams
68. The Scottish Prisoner - Diana Gabaldon
69. Record of a Spaceborn Few - Becky Chambers
70. The Corinthian - Georgette Heyer
Favourite(s):


August
71. The Heart Principle - Helen Hoang
72. What If...? Dark: Spider-Gwen - Gerry Conway & Jody Hauser
73. Penguin Problems - Jory John & Lane Smith
74. A Lady Compromised - Darcie Wilde
75. She-Hulk #15 - Rainbow Rowell et. al.
76. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
77. Midnight Sun - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
78. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
79. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
80. Breaking Dawn - Stephenie Meyer (re-read)
81. Love, Theoretically - Ali Hazelwood
82. Exit Strategy - Martha Wells (re-read)
Favourite(s):


September
83. Poirot Investigates - Agatha Christie
84. Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree
85. Hitting the Books - Jenn McKinlay
86. Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman - Lucy Worsley
87. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher
88. The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband - Julia Quinn
89. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers - Jesse Q. Sutanto
90. Fugitive Telemetry - Martha Wells (re-read)
Favourite(s):

My rating system:

/ = Ran screaming in the other direction (aka did not finish)
* = Suffered through it for reasons I'm still not sure of
** = Had far more flaws than virtues
*** = A read I don't regret but could use some improvement
**** = A good, solid read that I might revisit
***** = Loved it beyond reason and will probably re-read in short order

What's (been) on the agenda: Dropped off Mr. Fine at the bus this morning. In the two hours between then and when I went on the clock, I tried a new way of putting my hair up, emptied and reloaded the dishwasher, put away a few non-perishables we didn't get to yesterday, and did some crocheting. Major work tasks are ordering new content in Overdrive/ Libby, going through the new issue of Booklist, and vendor lists. We're doing chicken souvlaki skewers, rice, and Greek salad for supper. This evening I've got practice at church as I've been asked to sing with the team that's leading out tomorrow.

What I'm reading: Just two stories into Poirot Investigates and Hastings is already annoying the heck out of me.

What I'm crafting: Finished the second sleeve on the sweater this morning. I just have some ends to weave in and the collar left to do.

What we're watching: Mr. Fine opted for Mission: Impossible II last night. I'd forgotten how TERRIBLE it is. Cleansed our palates with a couple episodes of Bluey afterwards.

Happy new one, Micky!

Happy new thread, Mickey!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Micky!

Happy new thread, Micky!

Happy new one!

>1 MickyFine: I love it when the leaves change color. I have a lot of maple trees on my property and enjoy that scenery. Lots of leaves to rake up though!

Happy new thread, Micky! Your topper pic is absolutely gorgeous! What a lovely view.

Happy new thread Micky!

Thank you, Katie, Jim, Foggi, Natalie, Anita, Figs, Irene, and Susan for the new thread well wishes.

>11 figsfromthistle: I envy you your maple trees. Red leaves are pretty rare in Alberta. We mostly just get yellows and browns.

>12 atozgrl: I can't take credit for the photo but I agree it's a lovely view of the city.

What's on the agenda: I woke up two hours before the alarm (le sigh). So probably phone games for a while before I have to actually get up. Just tea and toast for breakfast for me today as I have to be at church for 9:30 for sound check. I'll do that then swing home for a bit (the joys of being a 5 minute drive from church) to chill and pick up Mr. Fine. Main service starts at 11 and there's potluck this week, so we'll stay for that. A walk, reading, and crafting this afternoon are all likely. Can't remember what's on the meal plan for tonight. This evening, our neighbourhood is having a concert in the park with a couple local artists so we'll go and check that out. Maybe a movie tonight if I'm not too wiped after all the socializing.

What I'm reading: Almost halfway through Poirot Investigates. Hastings has been in every story so far. *grumble*

What I'm crafting: Didn't pick up anything in the evening.

What we're watching: A couple episodes of Sports Night before I went to practice and I occasionally looked up and watched Mr. Fine play Spider-Man on the PS5 while catching up on LT after practice.

New 🧵 orisons, Micky. Hoping your September is a reading bonanza.

>16 richardderus: Thanks so much, RDear.

What's been on the agenda today: It was a stressful day at Chez Fine. I slept until 7, which was lovely and had some lazing in bed time. Around 8:30 Smee started behaving really strangely and scared us enough we called a vet that was open today. Luckily they were able to bring him in right away. Most of his tests were normal but his temperature and heart rate were low so they kept him for most of the day. They gave him subcutaneous fluids, an antibiotics shot, and some painkillers and he's doing much better. They sent us home with an appetite stimulant but as with most pills he refused to take it. Happily he's eating up a storm so he probably won't need it.

While Smee was at the vet, we tried to keep busy to distract ourselves (with middling success). Mr. Fine made omelets for brunch and then we tackled the usual cleaning. Gave H's cat, Frankie, some time out as H is camping for the long weekend. He decided to compound the stress by jumping from the half wall in the hallway upstairs down the stairwell (we have a split level so almost a storey). He's favouring one paw now but seems all right otherwise so we're going to wait to see if rest improves it. We did book a slot with the vet for him on Tuesday if he needs it. Or if he seems worse tomorrow H will come home early and take him to the emergency clinic.

After picking up Smee from the vet, I did some crochet while Mr. Fine made chicken pesto pasta. Doing a movie night this evening.

What I'm reading: Haven't cracked a book yet this weekend.

What I'm crafting: Nearly done the collar on my sweater. Then just a couple ends to weave in and it'll be done. Yay!

What we're watching: Last night we watched the neighbourhood concert, which wrapped up around 8:30. Then we came home and watched Eclipse.

Ack, sorry to hear about the stressful day, Micky. I'm glad Smee is doing better and hope Frankie improves.

>18 MickyFine: Oh my, that is a stressful kind of weekend day indeed. The problems of being a pet parent are neverending, aren't they?

*smooch* for an easier week-ahead's events plus good reads.

>19 lauralkeet: Thank you on both counts, Laura.

>20 richardderus: Yes, it's definitely one of the hardest parts about having a pet.

So sorry about the stressful day. I hope the felines are back to normal soon!

What's on the agenda: Happy Labour Day! I was awake around 6, which is OK as it'll make going back to routine tomorrow a little easier. Smee seems to be back to his usual snuggly self. We had good cuddles last night and this morning and I've heard him eat and use the litterbox since I woke up. When we're properly up, I'll probably take him out of the cone I put him in to keep him from licking the bandage/needle site on his paw yesterday and overnight.

Mr. Fine loves a big weekend breakfast so we'll probably have another one today. I have bill stuff still to sort out as the stress yesterday rendered my brain useless. I've also got sheets and towels to fold. We've got wildfire smoke hanging around again today (we're currently a 10 for air quality, which is the top end of the very bad scale) so indoor activities all day. Reading, crafting, and maybe a board game are all possibilities. I'll plan to do some yoga since my usual walk is out. We'll also check on Frankie and see how he's doing with his paw today. I think we're supposed to have burgers for dinner but with the air quality, Mr. Fine is likely to swap it around for something else (but I'm not sure what).

What I'm reading: Going to try and finish Poirot Investigates today.

What I'm crafting: I finished my sweater! Photos will have to wait until the weather is better though. While I had planned to just focus on my tree skirt now, I may have immediately done a gauge swatch for another sweater. Oops.

What we're watching: We watched a handful of Bluey episodes yesterday afternoon before we picked up Smee. I watched about half of a Firefly Lane while crocheting after said pick up. In the evening we watched Mission: Impossible III, an episode of DS9, and Jumanji: The Next Level.

>22 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. Smee seems to be his usual self and we'll check on Frankie in a bit to see how he's doing today. Ash is getting lots of pets and praises for being the drama-free boy this weekend. 😆

Happy new thread, Micky, and glad Smee is better!

Great news about Smee! And the sweater too! Hope today's return to work isn't too bad.

>25 PlatinumWarlock: Thank you, Lavinia.

>26 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura. I'm crossing my fingers it's a decent work day.

Sorry for your kitty drama! I hope everyone is doing well today.

Decent-work-day *whammy*

Also *smooch*

Congrats on finishing the sweater! Sorry to hear about the kitties making for a stressful weekend, but glad to see they both seem to be doing okay now. Hope your work day sails by!

Sorry about the cat drama! Why do animals love to have emergencies on weekends when the normal vet is closed? Glad Smee is feeling better.

>28 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora. All the felines are doing much better.

>29 richardderus: Thanks for both, RDear. *smooch*

>30 bell7: Thanks on all fronts, Mary. It's been smoky so no chance to take sweater photos but I'm hoping I'll get a chance soon.

>31 curioussquared: We were lucky, Mr. Fine found a regular vet who are open on weekends (shocking, I know) so we didn't have wait at the emergency vet.

Cats update: I'm pleased to say Smee seems completely back to normal (although we're still keeping a close eye on him when we're home). He came to greet me and give me a lecture as usual when I got home last night, which pleased me greatly. Frankie's vet visit was uneventful. He did not break anything thankfully. H gets to give him anti-inflammatory and pain meds for a few days though. Ash continues to be low drama as usual.

Yesterday's adventures: I worked in the office yesterday and it was a largely uneventful day. Big excitement was that we started submitting orders with our new vendor. So far everything has been pretty smooth, which is lovely. As mentioned above, when I got home I was delighted to find Smee back to his normal behaviours (Monday he was better but still a little off). Supper was stir fry and then the usual TV viewing in the evening.

What's (been) on the agenda today: In the office again but I had to drive today so that was a change in the routine. It was foggy this morning, which added some fun to the mix. Work tasks today included filling out paperwork so that I can be reimbursed for parking and mileage as I'm driving for "library business", prepping for the presentation I'm giving at another branch's staff meeting this afternoon (thus the driving), checking for new editions of travel guides I purchase in Overdrive, and some regular ordering. After work, I'll be hanging out and killing time at the office as we're doing family dinner out for my grandmother's 84th birthday and the restaurant is just a couple blocks from my work library. Depending on when we get home, might get chill time in front of the TV but probably not.

What I'm reading: Starting Legends & Lattes today.

What I'm crafting: Did one row on a crochet dishcloth. Mostly focusing on the tree skirt.

What we're watching: Monday night was Alias and some Sports Night. Last night was some Supernatural and Bluey plus the new episode of Ahsoka.

>33 MickyFine: Legends and Lattes is on my September TBR shortlist so looking forward to seeing how you like it!

>34 curioussquared: I'll keep you posted. :)

Book 83



Poirot Investigates - Agatha Christie

A collection of Poirot short stories.

There are a few good mysteries in this one but the short story format doesn't always work as well for Poirot as every mystery feels a bit rushed. In addition, the characters beyond Poirot and Hastings are often brief sketches rather than the usual well-formed cast I expect from Christie so there's less virtues and foibles to appreciate. Also, did I mention how annoying I find Hastings? Much to my dismay, he's in Every Damn Story (although I will admit he's largely scarce in the final one, thankfully). Add in some slurs and casual racism in two stories including Chinese people, and this is not a collection I'd recommend to anyone but a completist.

Rating: ***

>36 MickyFine: Commiserations on the aftertaste from Poirot Investigates, Micky. Christie mysteries don't fit the short story genre very well. She needs more length to really get things going.

>36 MickyFine: what ^^^ Meg said. I'm almost always a bit...hollow...at the end of mystery short stories in general. I like the plots to be more roomy, more capable of getting me fully into them than that format allows for.

Enjoy your Thursday.

>37 Familyhistorian: >38 richardderus: Heartily agree with you both.

What's (been) on the agenda: It's a sweet WFH Thursday. Mr. Fine skived off work so no trip to the bus station this morning. Got myself ready for the day and got some cross-stitching in before going on the clock. Work tasks include customer suggestions, sorting out carts, and going through journals and vendor lists. After work we'll do our weekly library trip. Hot dogs for supper tonight.

What I'm reading: No bus time yesterday meant I only got a couple chapters into Legends & Lattes.

What I'm crafting: Focusing on the tree skirt.

What we're watching: Nothing yesterday as we didn't get home from dinner until 9.

Yesterday's adventures: Dropped off Mr. Fine at the bus, then came home and got in some stitching time before going on the clock. Work was a pretty average WFH Friday with Overdrive/ Libby selection and general ordering. I also attended the monthly virtual meeting of Canadian collections management librarians, which was interesting. After work my mom stopped by and dropped off some stuff and we chatted for a bit. Then I went and picked up Mr. Fine and we went to the store so he could pick up some things he needs for the weekend. Supper was frozen pizza and we watched a movie in the evening.

What's on today's agenda: I don't have to rush out of bed now that church starts at 11, which is nice. I'll have a leisurely breakfast and shower (not necessarily in that order) before heading to church. Afterwards I'll drop Mr. Fine at the gym and have some chill solo time at home this afternoon. We have our monthly game night with our friends, M&A, this evening. Mr. Fine is making mac n cheese from scratch and A has made "bougie Rice Krispie squares." A is also making some sort of vegetable side. Should be a tasty and fun evening as usual.

What I'm reading: Should finish Legends & Lattes today.

What I'm crafting: Did some cross-stitching in the morning before work on both Thursday and Friday. Last night I finished another crochet dishcloth (although I still need to weave in ends).

What we're watching: Thursday night we watched the first few episodes of The Rookie with Nathan Fillion, which we're really enjoying so far. Last night was my pick for movie night, so we watched Breaking Dawn Part 1.

>41 MickyFine: I'm curious as to what might be in "bougie Rice Krispie squares." Please report back.

>42 foggidawn: She used this reel as guidance. I'll definitely report on how they taste.

Howdy do, Micky. Spend a splendid Saturday. *smooch*

Belated happy new thread, and even more belated congrats on reaching 75.

Sounds like a fun game night ahead! I am hoping to move on to Legends and Lattes once I finish my current read 😊

Happy weekend, Micky! Looking forward to your thoughts on Legends and Lattes.

>44 richardderus: It was a very excellent day.

>45 ArlieS: Thanks so much, Arlie.

>46 curioussquared: I think you'll have a great time with it, Natalie.

>47 bell7: I should have a review up at some point today.

What's on the agenda: I was awake earlier than I'd like but it will make tomorrow's 5 a.m. alarm easier so I'm not complaining too much. I'll quietly play on my phone until Mr. Fine wakes up before I tackle today's to do list. The usual Sunday cleaning, laundry, and bill sorting are all on the docket. Mr. Fine has a group of friends coming over for brunch and a board game (he now has two groups that he's running where they play the same board game - Heroquest for anyone curious). I'll join them for brunch but likely keep out of the way while the game is happening. Crafting with a show on my laptop is likely while they're playing. Supper tonight is supposed to be burgers, I think. Not sure if Mr. Fine will do beef or bison (we've got both in the freezer).

What I'm reading: I'll start Hitting the Books today.

What I'm crafting: Wove in a few ends on the dish cloth (joys of using scrap yarn is that I have more ends) but didn't touch anything else.

What we're playing: Before M&A's kiddo went to bed, we all played a game that involves getting sea turtles to the beach before the sun comes out. It was very cute. After bedtime, the grown-ups played two rounds of My Lil Everdell (yes, it's intended for kids but it's still fun for grown-ups). I won the first game and Mr. Fine won the other.

As mentioned last weekend, I finished my first crochet sweater and the weather was finally nice enough yesterday I could take pictures.



Pattern: Sacred Woods
Designer: Janine Myska
Hook: 6 mm
Yarn: Red Heart Babyhugs in Ladybug

>50 MickyFine: What a beautiful color! The design looks huggable, as does the model.

*smooch*

>50 MickyFine: Great sweater!!

>50 MickyFine: Beautiful color and workmanship on the sweater!

Karen O

>51 richardderus: Aww, thanks. Sending hugs and smooches your way!

>52 norabelle414: Thank you, Nora!

>53 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen!

Book 84



Legends & Lattes - Travis Baldree

Viv knows that if she doesn't give up adventuring it's going to kill her one day. And so, after one final quest in which she gains an item in payment that has interesting myths surrounding it, she heads to the town of Thune to establish a coffee shop. Not an easy proposition when no one has heard of coffee. But as Viv begins building her cafe, she'll also start building a circle of friends who will turn her business venture into so much more.

I was new to cozy fantasy but this introduction is absolute perfection. All I knew going in was that it was about an orc who gives up questing to start a coffee shop, which as a pitch worked well for me, and the execution did not disappoint. Baldree crafts a charming tale and world, full of lovely characters who develop and grow in really rewarding ways over the course of the novel. While much of the novel is focused on Viv establishing her coffee shop, there are some mild larger conflicts that add some drama to the plot. Plus there's a sweet romance subplot that adds extra delight. If this sounds like something you might enjoy, I highly recommend it.

Rating: ****

>50 MickyFine: Lovely sweater in a great color!

>50 MickyFine: Beautiful sweater! It looks so cozy and cheery.

>55 MickyFine: Glad you liked L&L! I did, too.

>50 MickyFine: Stylish as well as comfortable. Well done as I imagine that takes patience and nimble fingers!

>50 MickyFine: Gorgeous!!

>55 MickyFine: I ended up reading Legends and Lattes in one sitting yesterday and loved it :) Cozy was just what I needed after a decidedly not cozy book before it.

>50 MickyFine: Looking good, Micky, both you and the sweater.

>56 quondame: Thanks, Susan.

>57 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi. If you hadn't read it already, I'd definitely be recommending it to you.

>58 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I find crochet largely relaxing so it's fun to have a wearable object at the end of the process.

>59 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie. Oh yay! I'm glad it was the right book at the right time for you!

>60 FAMeulstee: Thank you kindly, Anita.

What's (been) on the agenda: It's an early week for Mr. Fine, so I dropped him off at the bus and then I had time for a walk and a shower before going on the clock. WFH day today as meetings this week have thrown my usual in office and WFH schedule completely out the window. Customer suggestions, watching a live feed of a talk at TPL with Tracie D. Hall (executive director of ALA) on intellectual freedom, and general selection all on the docket today. After work I have my monthly massage. Mr. Fine should have tonight's supper of butter chicken ready when I get home. Virtual craft circle this evening.

What I'm reading: Put a decent dent in Hitting the Books last night.

What I'm crafting: Lots of cross-stitch time yesterday.

What we're watching: I made it through several episodes of Firefly Lane while crafting. Together, we watched a couple episodes of DS9 in the evening.

What's on the agenda: It's an in office day for me so I've dropped off Mr. Fine at the bus and am about to head back there to go downtown myself. Work tasks will include updating Lucky Day content, a department staff meeting, and the usual ordering. Supper tonight will be burrito bowls. This evening I have a worship committee meeting for church and I'm crossing my fingers it's only an hour but it's a long agenda. Bright side is the meeting is over Zoom so at least I can go straight to bed after.

What I'm reading: I should finish Hitting the Books and have Lucy Worsley's biography of Agatha Christie in my backpack as well.

What I'm crafting: Finished weaving in ends on the latest dish cloth and did lots of cross-stitch.

What we're watching: I finished Firefly Lane and we watched one episode of Alias before I went to craft circle.

What's (been) on the agenda: Woke up pretty tired this morning as my meeting didn't end until 8:45ish last night, which made it hard for my brain to wind down at our 9 pm bedtime. Bright side is that it's a WFH day for me. After dropping off Mr. Fine, I went for a walk while smoke levels were low and took a shower. Work has and will include a bunch of small tasks that crop up regularly, prepping a bunch of carts to submit tomorrow, going through vendor lists, a meeting with my manager, and a meeting of all the librarians in my department. After work I'll swing by the library to pick up and drop off things. Chicken fajitas for supper tonight.

What I'm reading: The Agatha Christie biography is off to a solid start.

What I'm crafting: I got a bunch of cross-stitching done during my meeting.

What we're watching: Managed to get in a couple episodes of The Rookie and Bluey in before my meeting.

*smooch* just cuz

>50 MickyFine: Oh, I love that!

>55 MickyFine: I just added that one due to Natalie's recommendation. I am definitely going to have to check it out from my local library.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Micky!

I enjoy Lucy Worsley’s take on historical subjects. I didn’t know she’d written a bio of Agatha Christie. Hope it’s a good one.

>65 richardderus: Just 'cause are my favourite kind. *smooch*

>66 alcottacre: Thank you for the sweater love, Stasia.

>67 Familyhistorian: I'm really enjoying her writing style and she's doing a great job of fleshing out who Christie was as a person.

Thursday's adventures: I had an in office day where the major tasks were attending a couple meetings, reviewing customer suggestions, and submitting a bunch of orders before I started vacation. I was successful on all fronts and the afternoon meeting was a lot of fun. It was the first in-person meeting for the team in a while and the chair brought treats (I had an excellent carrot cake cupcake). Supper was chicken and broccoli over pasta. Chill evening in front of the TV.

Yesterday's adventures: First day of vacation! Yay! Met up with our friends M&A for breakfast (French toast with an apple pie-esque topping for me) then the four of us wandered through Spirit of Halloween to find part of a costume for their kiddo. We all came back to our place afterwards for some board gaming before they headed out to the Fan Expo (they had passes that gave them early access, which Mr. Fine and I did not opt for this year). Mr. Fine and I chilled at home for a bit doing video gaming and cross-stitching respectively before we headed into town for the Expo. We mostly went through the vendor halls and Artists' Alley but we also had a photo op with Gates McFadden (beautiful and very nice). From what I've heard, the celebrity panels are pretty weird this year due to the SAG-AFTRA strike and the limitations on what they're allowed to talk about. Apparently James Marsters spent some time talking about a soup recipe. Stopped for Taco Bell for supper on our way home. Did nothing exciting when we got home.

What's on the agenda today: It's my fifth wedding anniversary with Mr. Fine. We've had a big leisurely breakfast and done presents. We always theme our gifts around the traditional anniversary gifts and this year is wood. I got him a watch from Treehut and he got me a beautiful yarn swift (IYKYK) plus a Princess Leia pop doll and a t-shirt. Went for a walk on a new to us trail with some lovely views of the river valley. Board games and maybe Lego assembly this afternoon. Lasagna for supper tonight with cheesecake for dessert. Planning to wrap the evening with a viewing of The Princess Bride (an anniversary evening favourite).

What I'm reading: About halfway through the Agatha Christie bio and really enjoying it. Not sure how much time I'll get with it this weekend though.

What I'm crafting: More stitching on the tree skirt.

What we're watching: Wednesday evening we finished the Flux arc of Doctor Who. Thursday we watched a bunch of The Rookie (really enjoying it so far). Yesterday I had The Nanny on in the background while crafting.

Happy anniversary!

And happy vacation! How long are you off for?

Happy anniversary!

Lovely anni day planned, and I hope vacay is as wonderful as it is interesting.

happy anniversary!

>70 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! We don't have to go back to work until September 26. Huzzah!

>71 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>72 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. It's been a good vacation so far.

>73 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora!

>69 MickyFine: Happy anniversary! It sounds like you had a wonderful day.

And a nice long vacation too! Enjoy it!

Happy anniversary, Micky! A new yarn swift is a nice gift too.

>75 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene. I'm looking forward to the break.

>76 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I'm so delighted with how easy the swift makes dealing with yarn. The cats are more suspicious, however.

What's on the agenda: We'll be getting out of bed shortly to start on what promises to be a very full day. We'll have a simple breakfast and then we're headed back to the Fan Expo this morning. I'm on the fence about attending a panel of Star Trek actors (Gates McFadden, Michelle Hurd, and Todd Stashwick for any curious Trekkies) given the restrictions on conversation topics. Mr. Fine has a couple photos ops today with Carl Weathers and Morena Baccarin and he wants to cruise through Artist Alley again. I want to get some mini donuts, lol. We'll probably leave the Expo early in the afternoon so we can tackle the weekly cleaning at home and pack for our trip this week. Leftover lasagna for supper tonight.

What I'm reading: Didn't crack a book yesterday.

What I'm crafting: Does winding skeins of yarn into balls count?

What we're playing: Casting Shadows, which is cute and really fun.

What we're watching: The Princess Bride followed by a few episodes of Bluey.

Where are you headed on vacation?

>78 MickyFine: Yesterday I forgot to respond to your Fan Expo report. It's cool that you got to talk to Gates McFadden, and it's also good to hear that she was very nice. I hope you did decide to attend the panel today. Even with the limits on being able to talk about current/future projects, they should be able to talk about past projects, which I personally would find interesting. If it were me, I would go. In any case, it sounds like a fun event!

Have a wonderful vacation week!

>79 katiekrug: We're heading to my old stomping grounds in Lethbridge and using it as a base for some road tripping around Southern Alberta.

>80 atozgrl: From what I heard, past projects were also off-limits. James Marsters couldn't talk about Buffy at all (a family member of a friend went to his panel). I had a grand time anyway without attending any panels this time. The cosplay is always fun to see. My favourite was a mom and dad dressed as Peter Pan and Wendy and their baby was Captain Hook. So cute!

Sounds like an excellent weekend! And yes, I say winding skeins completely counts :) Have a great vacation.

Winding skeins counts as crafting AND tidying AND a workout, congrats on your efficiency.

Have a great trip!

>82 bell7: Thanks, Mary!

>83 norabelle414: You're not wrong about the workout, Nora. I was definitely feeling a few muscles after winding two balls.

What's on the agenda: Should be getting up for breakfast shortly and then we'll do the last of the packing. The plan is to hit the road around 10 for the 5-hour drive. We'll stop for lunch around the midpoint, probably in Three Hills. We were planning to stop in Vulcan to visit the Star Trek museum but I just checked their website and they closed for the season yesterday *sad trombone*. So we'll get into Lethbridge a bit earlier than I thought but still after check in time. Might take Mr. Fine for a walk in the coulees after all the time in the car since we'll have some extra time. Planning to go to an Italian restaurant for dinner tonight.

What I'm reading: Managed a few chapters in the Agatha Christie bio.

What I'm crafting: Started crocheting an infinity scarf last night so I'd have a more mobile project to bring on the trip (the tree skirt is not optimal to bring along). I'm using fingering weight yarn so still working on the foundation row.

What we're watching: I put on some episodes of The Nanny while cleaning. In the evening we watched Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and a few episodes of Bluey.

Enjoy your trip! Sounds like a fun time :)

>85 MickyFine: Have a wonderful trip, Fines both. *smooch*

Have fun road tripping!

>81 MickyFine: Really, they couldn't talk about past projects either?!? I'm very surprised. They held some sort of fan fest in Raleigh earlier this summer, and I heard that the stars were limited in what they could talk about, but no one said they couldn't even discuss previous projects. I wonder what the objection is to that? I am glad you had fun even without the panels.

>85 MickyFine: Oh, how frustrating that the Star Trek museum closed for the season the day before you were planning to go! What a bummer. But I'm sure the rest of your trip will be fun and relaxing. Enjoy!

>86 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>87 richardderus: Many thanks, RDear.

>88 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi!

>89 atozgrl: It's been a fun trip even without the Star Trek Museum (although Mr. Fine did grumble at it as we drove by, lol).

What's on the agenda: The plan is to get up soonish, get dressed for the day, and head to IHOP for breakfast. Sadly, while there's lots of cafes around here, there's no independent restaurants that serve a big breakfast and we'll need substantial fuel for today. After breakfast, we're heading to Waterton Lakes National Park (about 1.5 hours drive away). The plan is to do a bit of hiking and poke around the town a bit. The park is open year-round but the town largely shuts down after Labour Day, so we'll see what we can see. That will be most of the day. Then we'll probably relax in our hotel for a bit before meeting one of my friends and her partner for dinner. We're going for Indian food *drool* but due to their work schedules we're going quite late for Mr. Fine and I (7:15 as opposed to our usual 5ish).

What I'm reading: Finished the WWII section of the Agatha Christie bio.

What I'm crafting: Finished the foundation row of the scarf and did the first few stitches of the second row.

What we're watching: A few episodes of The Nanny and Bluey.

Yumm, indian food. Your day sounds lovely!

>92 curioussquared: It was a lovely day and the food was fantastic.

A few photos from yesterday:


Bertha Falls, the destination of our hike.


One of my favourite shots of the views from our hike. There were forest fires in the area about 6 years ago and you can still see many of the burnt trees but the landscape is recovering.


Cameron Falls which is right on one of the main streets in the town of Waterton.


A view of Cameron Bay, which is just down the street from Cameron Falls.

Beautiful photos!

Finished this over a week ago and forgot to post a review.

Book 85



Hitting the Books - Jenn McKinlay

When a member of the community is the victim of a hit and run in front of the library, library director Lindsey Norris has no intention of getting involved in the investigation. But when another attempt is made on the victim's life, Lindsey just can't help herself from doing a little sleuthing.

Not the strongest mystery in this cozy series but not a terrible time either. Fans of the series will want to pick it up for the important relationship developments woven in here.

Rating: ***

>95 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

What's on the agenda: The plan is to have a slow and lazy start to the day. Mr. Fine's doing a better job of that than me though as he's still asleep and I was awake before six. Eventually we'll make our way out for breakfast. Our road trip destination today is Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump World Heritage Site, which is just under an hour away. I was there with my family when I was about 14 and Mr. Fine has never been, so it should be a good time. Depending on how much walking around we do at the site (and how the blister I acquired on my heel yesterday is doing), we might go for a walk in Lethbridge later today. Dinner tonight is in the restaurant in the old water tower in Lethbridge, which should offer some lovely views.

What I'm reading: Didn't crack a paper book but we did listen to a couple hours of Fool Moon in the car (forgot to mention we started it on our drive on Monday).

What I'm crafting: Nearly finished the second row of my scarf.

What we're watching: A few episodes of The Rookie and a few Bluey.

>94 MickyFine: Beautiful photos!

>98 MickyFine: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump sounds a little ominous. Have . . . fun?

>94 MickyFine: Lovely photos! I love the shape of Cameron Falls.

>98 MickyFine: Is this your first time reading the Dresden books? I really liked the first several, but his chivalrous need to save all women got to feel a bit chauvinist after a while.

Hope your vacation is going well and you start to sleep in a bit, Micky. I remember visiting Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo Jump. Not well, mind you because it was 30 years ago but the name stuck with me.

>99 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi. The name comes from a story that a young First Nations man was observing the hunt from a little too close and was caught up in the stampeding herd. When the hunting party were going through the bodies of the buffalo at the base of the cliff, the young man was found with his head smashed in.

>100 curioussquared: I love any waterfall and this one was particularly lovely.

>101 The_Hibernator: Sort of? Mr. Fine listens to the series pretty regularly so I've heard snippets of the books for years.

>102 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I managed 8 hours of sleep last night, so I'll take it as a win.

What's on the agenda: It's our laid-back day in town. At some point we'll get up and go out for breakfast. Mr. Fine has a list of comic book and book stores he wants to visit and we'll also swing by both library branches. Both locations have had renovations since I worked here so I'm curious to see those, plus there are still some staff I knew when I worked here that I might see. Depending on how long that takes, we might also visit the Japanese garden in town, although the forecast is drizzly so we'll see. We're planning to do dinner tonight at the local pub where I used to co-host trivia. It is trivia night but depending on energy levels, we may or may not stick around for it.

What I'm reading: Going to try and wrap up the Agatha Christie bio today.

What I'm crafting: Finished a row on the scarf and then had to frog it all as I hadn't done the stitches loosely enough so that working the next row would be possible. Sigh.

What we're watching: An episode of Queen Charlotte and a bunch of The Nanny.

>94 MickyFine: How gorgeous are those!

*smooch*

>104 MickyFine: I didn't know you used to host trivia! Fun :)

>94 MickyFine: What gorgeous scenery! Thanks for sharing the photos. I love waterfalls too.

Sounds like you're having a great trip!

>105 richardderus: It's one of the less visited national parks in my province but it's definitely just as gorgeous as Banff or Jasper.

>106 curioussquared: Yup, back when I lived in Lethbridge it was a library program done in partnership with one of the local pubs. It was one of my favourite programs to run. Alas, we didn't have the stamina to stick around to attend while we were there (8 p.m. is late for this woman now) so I didn't get a chance to compete now that I'm no longer an employee.

>107 atozgrl: It was a really lovely trip, Irene. Glad you enjoyed the photos.

Yesterday's adventures: It was a travel day back home. We had a light breakfast at Tim's after we checked out of our hotel and then stopped for lunch in Strathmore as our major pit stop on the drive back north. The food at the restaurant was great, the service was the pits and we were there a bit longer than planned. Other than that and a bit of highway construction, no major delays on our drive and we rolled back into town in the late afternoon. We made a quick stop at home to drop off luggage and then went out again to go to the car wash (Trillian was in desperate need of a bath after all that driving) and to do a small grocery shop. Supper was perogies and sausage with salad. Mr. Fine went out for a walk with a friend in the evening and I took a luxurious soak in the tub before heading to bed.

What's been on the agenda today: After going to sleep around 10:30 last night, I slept until a glorious (nearly) 8 a.m. this morning. Huzzah. We got up and had a tasty pan scramble breakfast, which we shared with H. She's off on a day trip to the Calgary Zoo with friends. We went to church and then I dropped off Mr. Fine at the gym afterwards. I came home and curled up on the couch in the sunshine with a book and the windows open. Basically a perfect early fall afternoon. When Mr. Fine got home, we played a board game and now he's prepping mac n cheese from scratch for dinner. Plans for the evening are to go for a walk after dinner and watch a movie tonight.

What I'm reading: Finished a book this afternoon so next up on the docket is Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

What I'm crafting: Haven't picked up a project since Thursday evening when it was still the crochet scarf. Now that I'm back home, it'll be back to the cross-stitch tree skirt (being finished by Christmas is getting more unlikely by the day, but we'll see).

What we're watching: Thursday night we watched a few episodes of The Rookie. Last night we watched the newest episode of Ahsoka and I watched one of The Nanny before heading to the tub.

Book 86



Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman - Lucy Worsley

Lucy Worsley's biography of Agatha Christie is a fantastic read. Worsley delves into the life of this very private author with respect but without rose-coloured glasses. She provides great context for the life of a woman who was born into privilege in the late Victorian-era and lived through two marriages, two wars, and significant social upheaval. Worsley is a sympathetic biographer, particularly in the section about Agatha Christie's infamous disappearance in 1926, but never glosses over some of the more problematic aspects of Agatha Christie and her writing (particularly her anti-Semitism). I particularly enjoyed that Worsley is a presence in the biography and occasionally her first person perspective on events is included (I laughed aloud at one particular comment about a photograph of Agatha Christie's first husband), a vivid reminder that biographies are not impartial but are shaped by their authors' own views and prejudices. Highly recommended both for Agatha Christie fans and for readers who enjoy a good biography.

Rating: ****

Book 87



Fool Moon - Jim Butcher

When several bodies turn up savagely murdered near the full moon, free-lance wizard Harry Dresden is called in by the Chicago police to help investigate. However, there's plenty of politics at play as the FBI are involved, Dresden's usual contact at the Chicago PD is under investigation by internal affairs, and crime boss Gentleman John Marcone is also mixed up in the mix. As Harry delves into all things werewolf, it will take all of his cunning and magic to make it through to the end of the week.

This second Dresden Files book is a rollicking good time and made for excellent road trip listening. James Marsters' narration is a delight and he brings Harry's dry humour to life brilliantly. Fun, action-heavy urban fantasy that should appeal to fans of the genre (if they haven't discovered it already).

Rating: ****

Book 88



The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband - Julia Quinn

Cecilia Harcourt traveled to the colonies when she received word that her brother was injured in the course of his duties serving in the war in the colonies. However, when she arrived in New York, no one seems to know where her brother is. Instead all she can learn is that her brother's friend and comrade in arms, Captain Edward Rokesby, second son of an Earl, is injured and unconscious in the hospital. In order to provide her aid to Edward, and hopefully learn when he awakes what happened to her brother, she pretends to be his wife. Things get more complicated though, when Edward awakes with no memory of the last three months. As Cecilia helps Edward recuperate, she's left with the question of when to tell him that the wedding he doesn't remember never actually happened.

A fun riff on the plot of While You Were Sleeping, this historical romance is everything one would expect of a Julia Quinn romance. Sweet, swoon-worthy, a healthy dash of humour. Recommended to fans of the genre and Julia Quinn's writing in particular.

Rating: ****

>109 MickyFine: Welcome back! I'm sure tomorrow will be restful, too, even if it's all the same routine stuff. Just being home is wonderful after the excitement of a trip, no?

It does seem that you got good memories at every turn. This is wonderful. Happy Sunday *smooch*

>113 richardderus: I do love going away and coming back after a trip almost equally. *smooch*

What's on the agenda: Mr. Fine's alarm will be going off shortly as he wanted to be up a bit early this morning. We're going to have bagels for breakfast and then do a light version of the weekly cleaning (with us being away for most of the week, there's less to do than usual). Mr. Fine has his monthly gaming day with friends today and they're supposed to arrive around 10. While they're here, my plans include sorting out bill things, going for a walk, and crafting. At 5:30, Mr. Fine and I are meeting up with a photographer to do some couple photos. The photographer did our wedding and she's an old friend (she went to high school with my younger brother), so it should be fun. For supper, we're hauling out one of the containers of frozen soup from last spring.

What I'm reading: Still have yet to start Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

What I'm crafting: Made excellent progress on the tree skirt.

What we're watching: Breaking Dawn Part 2, an episode of The Rookie, and one of Bluey.

What's on the agenda: It's our last vacation day. We'll get up soon and do breakfast. The big plans for today are to go to IKEA to get picture frames, visit Canadian Tire for various house things we need, and swing by my grandfather's to pick up some wood (he had a branch fall off a tree). Otherwise, the day is free so we might board game together or take some solo time of Mr. Fine playing video games and me crafting. Supper will be another container of soup/stew from the freezer.

What I'm reading: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is off to a solid start.

What I'm crafting: Made lots of progress on the tree skirt yesterday.

What we're watching: I blasted through a bunch of episodes of Sweet Magnolias while crafting yesterday. In the evening we watched a couple of DS9 and a couple of Bluey.

Happy Monday, Micky. Your tree skirt might make it under the tree, it sound like. I hope today's events set y'all up for a smooth return to The Habits. Enjoy getting the wood from your grandfather, as a visit should be fun.

Boo to the end of vacation! Enjoy this last day.

Hope your last day of vacation was lovely and your homecoming relaxing.

>94 MickyFine: Sounds like a lovely trip. I love the way Cameron Falls criss-cross.

>110 MickyFine: Adding that one to the BlackHole as I am an Agatha Christie fan - and a Lucy Worsley fan too. Thanks for the recommendation, Micky!

>116 MickyFine: I am rooting for the board games to win :) Safe travels, Micky!

I haven't been reading many threads on LT this year, but I've now caught up on your reads and have dropped a star (10 months late!) I was surprised by how many of the same novels we've read - even posting reviews on the same day - out of coincidence. Of course, I took a few screenshots of books I've added to my own wish list. How is your goal going of only reading what gives you joy and knocking books off your TBR?

*smoochiesmoochsmooch*

>117 richardderus: The stitching might be done by Christmas, but even if it is, I'm not confident all the cutting and sewing to turn the large piece of fabric into a tree skirt will be done. But I might surprise myself.

>118 katiekrug: Vacation was lovely from start to finish.

>119 bell7: Thanks, Mary. It definitely was.

>120 humouress: It's a beautiful waterfall for sure.

>121 alcottacre: Happy to put the bio on your radar, Stasia.

>122 alsvidur: Lovely to have you here, Emilie! So funny that we've been book twins. The goal is going really well. As predicted, there's been a lot of genre fiction happening and a fair number of re-reads. I might keep reading this way next year.

>123 richardderus: Goodness. After all that, you get a big *mwah smooch*.

Tuesday's adventures: My first day back to work was a WFH day. I returned to 262 emails and 218 customer suggestions. Made it through all the email and 100 of the suggestions, which isn't too shabby. Supper was spaghetti and meatballs. Chill evening in front of the TV until Mr. Fine went to play D&D. Then I read and designed a digital invite in Canva for the party we're having for Mr. Fine's birthday in November.

Yesterday's adventures: Went into the office yesterday. Finished catching up on customer suggestions and updated our Lucky Day content. Also dealt with a giant box of additional kits we received from a partner organization and talked with the cataloguing manager about logistics for labeling them and relabeling the 50+ kits we already have. Chicken fajitas for supper. Afterwards I met up at the movie theatre with my mom. We were supposed to go see My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 but when we arrived they let us know that the projector had broken an hour ago and they gave us courtesy passes since we'd pre-bought tickets. So I had my mom come to my house, I used a free rental code I had, and we watched Love Again.

What's (been) on today's agenda: After dropping off Mr. Fine, I went and waited for Costco Gas to open. After filling up, I came home for a shower before starting my WFH day. Tasks have and will include customer suggestions, teaching my coworkers how to set up a report, reviewing vendor lists, and poking at reports available from our new vendor. After work, I'll meet up with Mr. Fine for our biweekly grocery shop. We'll see if turkeys are available yet (Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is October 7-9) or if we'll have to make another trip next week. Frozen pizza for supper.

What I'm reading: Starting a reread of Fugitive Telemetry today.

What I'm crafting: Nothing but tree skirt.

What we're watching: Monday night was a bunch of The Nanny before craft circle, Tuesday we wrapped up the first season of The Rookie and watched the newest Ahsoka, and last night was one episode of The Nanny before the unsuccessful movie theatre outing and then Love Again as mentioned above.

>125 MickyFine: I returned to 262 emails and 218 customer suggestions. Made it through all the email and 100 of the suggestions, which isn't too shabby. I think that is pretty dadgum good!

I just re-read Fugitive Telemetry not too long ago. I am very much looking forward to System Collapse!

>125 MickyFine: What kind of D&D campaign does Mr Fine play? I have two, both on Discord. One is live, over a voice channel, and one is asynchronous Play-by-post. That one is new, and not homebrew. I actually started this campaign twice, so I know exactly what's going on for a little while. But I won't tell anybody.

>126 alcottacre: I'm excited for the new Murderbot as well.

>127 The_Hibernator: They do it live. I believe they use Discord for audio and roll20 for the game play.

Yesterday's adventures: The first Friday I've worked in office since working from home became a thing. The reason I had to be there was that I had my mid-year performance appraisal meeting with my manager. They always make me nervous (more now after the bad manager I had before this one) but my manager only had good things to say. Other work tasks included ordering in Overdrive and going through the new issue of Booklist. After work, Mr. Fine and I did a couple errands at the mall before coming home. We had Chuckerout for supper and then I was a bit of a lump and mostly scrolled through Instagram and played phone games until bedtime.

What's on the agenda: I woke up a bit earlier than I wanted but not terribly so. We're having a quiet morning at home with a big breakfast and watching church online. The Canadian president of my denomination is speaking at our local church. I expect it will be packed so I'm avoiding the crowd. It's not warming up a ton today (9°C is the forecasted high) so we'll have to layer up for the walk I'd like to squeeze in. Late this afternoon and in the evening we have a wedding reception to attend in a suburb on the other side of the city (45- minute drive). The couple got married on Wednesday in the mountains but National Park rules are pretty strict on the number of people you can have attend, thus the reception today. The groom is one of Mr. Fine's friends who we see a couple times a year at most. We're probably not going to know a ton of people at the reception outside the groom's family so the odds of leaving pretty early are high. Here's hoping the food is good.

What I'm reading: I got a couple chapters into Something Wilder yesterday. Not sure there will be much reading time today.

What I'm crafting: Haven't picked up a project in a couple days.

What we're watching: More episodes of The Rookie and a smattering of Bluey.

*smooch* for a good weekend-ahead's reads, watches, and stitches.

Hope things have been good with you the last few days, Micky.

>130 richardderus: Much thanks. *smooch*

>131 bell7: All is well. It was a full weekend/week and now I'm behind on reviews and updates and avoiding it, thus getting more behind. :P

>132 MickyFine: now I'm behind on reviews and updates and avoiding it, thus getting more behind. :P
Hmm that's definitely not a familiar feeling at all .....

Happy Thanksgiving, Canadian friends.

>132 MickyFine: I hereby offer you a clean slate and no need to update us on every day you've missed ;) (I am a weirdo and don't feel right skipping reviews myself, so I say nothing about that and leave it completely up to you)

>125 MickyFine: Ouch! the first day back from vacation at work is always awful. Glad you made it through.

I hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving weekend!

>133 norabelle414: I figured it might ring a bell for a few people around here.

>134 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. *turkey-infused smooches*

>135 bell7: Thanks for that, Mary. :) I'm going to do some sort of catch-up now.

>136 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita. My manager highly suggests blocking off your first day back after vacation with an all-day "meeting" to give yourself space to catch up. I tried it this time and it was really lovely. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

Padding my post numbers so I can create a new thread for October so prepare for a couple book reviews from books finished in September, the month-end wrap-up, and then probably some nonsense. :)

Book 89



Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers - Jesse Q. Sutanto

Vera Wong's life isn't as full as it used to be. Her husband has passed away, her adult son doesn't visit as much as she'd like, and she only has one regular customer who visits her teahouse in San Francisco's Chinatown. So when Vera comes down into the shop one day to find a body, it's the most excitement she's had in years. Vera has read many mystery novels and watched all the CSIs, so she's positive there's been a murder but the police are less certain. Vera knows that the murderer is likely to revisit the crime scene so as four different people wander into her shop in the wake of the death, Vera is certain that one of them must have committed the crime. However, as Vera investigates she'll unearth more than just a mystery.

This was a lovely book with a solid mystery at its core. Vera is a blunt and no-nonsense older woman and her investigation efforts make for excellent reading. The four suspects also have chapters from their perspectives, which makes for an excellent narrative as the reader attempts to deduce who may have committed the crime. While I put together the whodunnit in advance of the characters, the true delight here is getting to know Vera and the found family she assembles in the strangest of circumstances. Reviews that described this as Knives Out meets Kim's Convenience aren't wrong and it may also appeal to fans of the Thursday Murder Club. Recommended.

Rating: ****

Book 90



Fugitive Telemetry - Martha Wells (re-read)

When a murdered body is found on Preservation Station, Murderbot is asked to assist station security in the investigation by Dr. Mensah. Sarcasm and a solid mystery ensues.

I'm doing my Murderbot re-read in timeline rather than publication order and I think I prefer it this way. It's fun to see Murderbot and Dr. Mensah and Dr. Mensah's home turf. A fun time as always.

Rating: *****

September Summary




Numbers in parentheses are for year to date.

Books read: 8 (90)
Books abandoned: 0 (5)

Fiction: 7 (84)
Non-fiction: 1 (6)

Adult: 8 (78)
YA: 0 (9)
Children's: 0 (3)

Library: 7 (56)
Mine: 1 (33)
Borrowed elsewhere: 0 (1)

Re-reads: 1 (19)

Female authors: 6 (75)
Male authors: 2 (27)
Non-binary authors: 0 (0)

Pages: 2,128 (26,766)
Hours: 10 hours 6 minutes (1 day 1 hours 47 minutes)

Average rating: 4.04

Average time to read book: 3.67 days

Favourite book(s): Not as many books knocked out this month but solid reads all the same. The favourite prize goes to Legends and Lattes, which was a lovely introduction to cozy fantasy and made me crave many baked goods.

I asked Google for some fall-themed jokes, prepare yourselves.

What is the best book to read in autumn?

Gourd of the Rings.

Who reads in an apple?

A bookworm.

>143 MickyFine: Yay, Murderbot! My latest reread was also in published order.

>147 MickyFine: *groan*

How do you fix a broken pumpkin?

A pumpkin patch.

All right, enough groaners. October thread coming up soon.

>142 MickyFine: Ooh, you got me with a book bullet for “Vera Wong”! Looks like just the thing for me. I just finished the most recent “Thursday Murder Club,” and want a read-alike. Thanks!

Karen O

>154 klobrien2: I hope it fits the bill for you, Karen.