Book Report - October, November, December 2025

Hello all! I hope if you are in the throes of the winter blast, you're managing to keep warm. I just came in from a walk, and since I was truly bundled up, I enjoyed the walk instead of thinking I was cold the whole time. 

Before January gets away from us, I wanted to let you know what I read at the end of 2025 and how I felt about it. So here you go, in no particular order.

Meredith, Alone, by Claire Alexander. Meredith Maggs is a young woman living in Glasgow,  Scotland.  She has not left her house in over 1200 days. She has a cat, a bedt friend, and is estranged from her older sister Fiona and her mother.  Her best friend Sadie does a lot for her, and she x a n do most other things online.

But at the beginning of the book, a man named Tom McDermott stops by. He is a volunteer for an organization that tries to make sure that people with problems have someone to rank to. Meredith doesn't really feel the visit is needed, but she invites Tom into the house for cake and some tea. 

Eventually they become real friends, and Meredith enjoys seeing him. She's also learning to deal with her situation,  and kinda sorta reconnects with her sister.

This book is about family and the forms it can take. It's about accepting others' quirks and feelings, but still being helpful. Does Meredith change by the end of the book? Actually she becomes the best version of herself because she learns who she is.

Play Nice, by Rachel Harrison. The description of this book sounded kind of interesting.  But it just wasn't interesting to me. The characters were annoying and the whole story was too. 

Life is too short to finish this book.

In Five Years, by Rebecca Serle. At a job interview for her dream job, Dannie Kohan knows exactly what she will say when they ask, "Where do you want to be in five years?" She nails her answer, and feels pretty sure she'll get the job. She and her fiance go out to celebrate, and later in the evening, she falls into a deep sleep. During that time, she is in another apartment, engaged to a different man, and shenotices the date - December 15, 2025, which is five years in the future. 

Though Dannie is a plan-it-out, sensible person, she is shsjen by the dream.  But she tries brushing it aside, sharing it with her therapist only - not even her fiance or her best friend Bella, who would love knowing that Dannie had a "vision."

Just when you think you know how things will go, this story takes you sideways. It's difficult to read in places, and you do wonder why you are on the journey, but the ending is beautifully done.

Pretty Girls, by Karin Slaughter. This book is: interesting, disturbing, sad, weird,  unbelievable,  kind of insane. The subject matter in and of itself is disturbing enough, but the twists and turns take it to another level. 

Claire Scott witnesses the murder of her husband Paul in an alley behind a restaurant where she met him for drinks after work. Paul, a well-respected architect, was the kind of person in charge of everything in their lives, including the design of their suburban Atlanta house, which has their most up to date everything.  

Claire faced tragedy before - her older sister Julia disappeared years ago and her fate was never resolved.  Her middle sister Lydia turned to drugs, and their parents eventually divorced. Claire always thought of Paul asher rescuer.

But when there is a break-in at their house on they day of Paul's funeral, Claire's life is thrown into complete chaos.  She ends up learning things about so many people around her that seem outlandish, but put her and her remaining family in danger.

The book is the story of secrets that run deep, through generations, and seem too terrible to be true. How well do you really know the people you see every day?

Murder Wears Mittens, by Sally Goldenbaum. I was in the mood for one of these books, and ended up very confused. So let me tell you so you'll know. All of the books in this series previously were called "Seaside Knitters" and numbered 1, 2, 3, etc. This book is called "Seaside Knitters Society" and is called #1. Some research showed that it is the next book in the Seaside Knitters series, BUT, the series title changed and the numbering started over because the books have a new publisher. So now you know. And this is the kind of thing that makes catalog librarians stabby, FYI.

Anyway, in this installment, a local woman is found murdered in her home. Many people in town knew her to see, but didn't know her well. A woman who is new in town with her two young children who happened yo be friendly with the deceased womsn becomes a suspect,  particularly seen she inherits a lot of money when the will is read.  

With their usual combo of curiosity,  conversation,  and poking around, the Seaside Knitters investigate and eventually discover what happened.  Though I often have a suspicion about who the culprit is in these books, this one was out of left field for me. But as usual, I enjoyed the company of the people in this book.

The Librarians, by Sherry Thomas. When the book begins, Hazel, a young Asian woman, is starting a job as a library clerk in a branch of the public library in Austin, Texas. She gets to know her co-workers: Astrid, a librarian; Jonathan, the deputy chief librarian; and, Sophie, the chief librarian for that branch.  Everyone is friendly,  but they aren't really friends.

That is until shortly after Hazel's first day, when two different library patrons are killed, one in a scuffle in the building. The police of course are questioning everyone, but it turns out that the people who work in the library have some pretty serious secrets that they would prefer not to become public knowledge.  As they band together to figure out what happened, chance meetings with former acquaintances for two of them *might* just solve the murders  - that is, if any of them survive.

This was an entertaining book, a bit wordy and full of superfluous scenes on occasion, but the characters are interesting people. The solution is extremely convoluted, but so are a lot of the circumstances. 

Having worked in libraries the bulk of my adult life - first as a library assistant, and then as a professional librarian - a lot rings true here as far as the atmosphere goes. As far as I know, none of my co-workers had elaborate secrets. But then again, we were never involved in a murder investigation,  so who knows?

Guilty by Definition, by Susie Dent. I really enjoyed this book, and if you are a word, language, or literature nerd, you probably will too.

One day, three people who are lexicologists at the Clarendon English Dictionary (CED - clearly standing in for the (xford English Dictionary) receive a very puzzling letter from someone who signed it "Chorus." The letter is a bit disturbing,  but thr kore they all puzzle over it, the more they determine it's a clue to a missing young girl who worked part-time in the office about ten years ago.  That girl also happened to be the sister of someone  in the office.

And so the search begins. The book is a mystery, while also being about literary history, words and language.  Each chapter has a title that is a word and definition related to what is happening in the story. And the story is such a good one!

The four main characters - Martha, the boss and sister to the missing Charlie; Alex, a divorcee who worked there when Charlie was around, as did Simon, also divorced and who thought he deserved Martha's job; and Safi, the youngest in the office - are all interesting and the portrayal if them as coworkers but not necessarily friends is spot on. Their interactions were very believable. 

I enjoyed this book because I cared about each of the main characters, and how they worked together to solve the puzzle.

The Mad Wife, by Meagan Church. This is a very frustrating, very sad book.

Lulu Mayfield is a young housewife in the1950s in a newly opened development in suburbia. She has a young son, and at the beginning of the book, we learn she is expecting her second child. She has been doing everything a housewife should fo, though she feels like an outlier among the other women in her group of friends, because she just doesn't feel satisfied. 

Her mother and brother still live on the farm where she grew up, far enough away that she doesn't see them often. So though she appears to have a perfect life, she just isn't content. When new neighbors move in across the street, she fees something is off. Then she learns a shocking truth that may end up affecting her.

We have all heard of, read about, and seen depictions of the perfect housewife of the 50s and 60s and what lies beneath the surface,  but this book takes things further. It shows how men not only controlled the world, but their wives' health - the doctors told the husbands what was wrong, and what to do. In the case of Lulu, the diagnosis ignored something major.

Lulu is a tragic figure, and most of the time, it's out of her control. I read this book the week of Halloween, and it was scarier an I could have imagined.

Beautiful Ugly, by Alice Feeney. I usually find Alice Feeney books very enthralling. But this one just seemed off to me. 

A writer is talking to his wife on the phone while she is driving home, when she stops, saying she nearly hit someone. And then ... she disappears. Or did she? And who is telling the truth here about what happened?

I'm just glad the dog survived  - he was the only one I ended up caring about.

Welcome to Murder Week, by Karen Dukess. This was a really entertaining book. 

Cath, an optician, lives in Buffalo,  New York. She enjoys the quiet predictability of her life. Her mother, who flitted in and out of her life for all of the thirty-four years she's been alive, has recently died, and one day Cath decides to go through dome boxes sent up from Florida.

Most things are tossable, but she comes across tickets and an itinerary for a "Murder Week" trip for the two of them in a small village in England. She calls to ask about it, and learns that it was fully paid for snd that her mother had been corresponding with the coordinator, excited for a trip with her daughter.

Everyone she knows encourages her to go, so she sets out somewhat reluctantly for a week solving a fake murder. Fortunately when she gets there, her housemates are people she likes and they immediately bond.

As the week goes on, they work to solve the mystery. But when certain things in the village remind Cath of very specific stories her mother told her as a child, another mystery begins.

I enjoyed this. The villagers acting in the fake murder were funny, and at a certain point, the reader needed to find out why so many things seemed familiar to Cath.

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop, by Emmeline Duncan. This is a really enjoyable, pleasant book.

Bailey Briggs is now in charge of the Lazy Bones Bookshop, started by her grandparents.  And she is running around like crazy these days, because she has organized the first literary festival for horror writers that will take place in the lead up to Halloween. She is also dealing with an extensive amount of damage to the store after a ghost hunting show films there.

This is an interesting story, with a lot going on, but nothing feels rushed about it. The story unfolds as it would if someone was telling you. 

And it also reveals some secrets that changes the way Bailey looks at things.

Proof of Murder, by Lauren Elliott.  gave this book four stars because it's a step up from the previous books in both the plot and the whole story. it's still an enjoyable  cozy mystery, but a step above in the series.

Addie Greybourne is anxious to go to the auction at a local estate, hoping to find some rare or at least interesting old books for her bookstores's shelves. She runs into her cousin who she hasn't seen in ten years, and they end up helping to complete an inventory of some recently discovered books before the sale begins, under the direction of a miserably rude appraiser.

However, when the body of the appraiser is discovered in the locked library where they were working the next morning, things get problematic. Addie's cousin has also disappeared, and Addie herself becomes the main suspect. 

With some additional aspects of possible paranormal activity, personal relationships of the romantic and friendship kind, there's a lot happening besides just Addie's efforts to clear her name. There's one part of the ending that I feel wasn't addressed, but maybe it will be in the next book, so I'm reserving judgment for now.

Wreck, by Catherine Newman.  likes this book, though I'm a bit surprised to say so. Because sometimes it's seemed rambly for no reason.

Rachel ("Rocky") is living in western Massachusetts with her husband, her adult daughter Wiila, and her recently widowed father. Her adult son Jamie works in New York City for a financial consulting firm.

Her life is pretty average until a local young man who went to school with her children dies in a train/car accident. She ecomes weirdly obsessed with it. Then she also starts having physical symptoms of an uncertain medical condition that causes a rash all over her body.

Rocky is kind of everyone.  Afraid of what might or could happen, but also just wanting to live her life and make sure her family us OK.  She is terribly imperfect,  and very relatable. 

And I think the book ends on a perfect note.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, by Sitoshi Yagasawa. This book is quiet and lovely. 

When 25-year-old Takako finds out that her boyfriend is getting married(!), she is crushed and her world falls apart. Through her mother, she receives a call from an uncle who owns a used bookstore, who she last saw when she was in high school. He tells her she should come and stay with him. Somewhat reluctantly,  with no other options, she accepts.

She has never really been too interested in reading, but while at the bookstore, she starts to understand his it's a way of being part of a community. And her uncle, though often kind of an awkward character, does care about her. She comes to care for him as well, and together they both learn that it's not a crime to not have it all figured out. She learns a kind of grace and understanding from him that she never even considered.

The Doctor Makes a Dollhouse Call, by Robin Hathaway. Dr Andrew Fenimore has been the family physician for Judith and Emily Pancoast for years, even though he is in Philadelphia and the two elderly sisters live on the Jersey coast. The Pancoasts are a wealthy family and the two sisters are the matriarchs.

In the family home, the sisters have installed a dollhouse that is  a duplicate of the family home, complete with dolls representing each family member. The story begins on Thanksgiving, when someone notices that the doll depicting Pamela, a niece of the sisters, is slumped over the dining room table, and the room is in disarray.  Shortly afterwards, the actual Pamela is discovered in the same pose and location, having been murdered. 

Dr Fenimore begins searching for answers. He and his nurse Mrs Doyle have had small successes in the past with their investigations. But this one is particularly puzzling,  with the addition of the dollhouse setup.

When Christmas and other holidays arrive with variations on the theme and more family members killed, Dr Fenimore feels he s racing against time.

This was an interesting take on a sort of closed room mystery, and had me wondering until the end.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, by Ally Carter. This is what I get for reading a holiday book before its even Thanksgiving. But my hold came up at the library,  so there you go.

Maggie Chase is a popular mystery writer trying hard to get over her husband and best friend having an affair. At her publisher's holiday party, she finds that she has been invited for an all-expenses-paid Christmas trip to a manor in England. But when she gets on the private plane, the only other passenger is another mystery writer Maggie can't stand.

Upon arrival, Maggie is amazed to learn that they will be staying at the home ofber favorite mystery writer.  She begins to think it might be OK after all ... until the writer disappears!

Possibly interesting,  no? No, not really. A story that could have been good just dragged too much for me. And by the end, I didn't like Maggie or the other writer. And the story's final scene just made me roll my eyes. 

Your mileage may vary,  of course.

The Christmas Murder Game, by Alexandra Benedict. When Lily receives an invitation to Endgame Manor for Christmas, she has no intention of going. The last time she was there was 21 years ago, when she discovered her dead mother in the property's maze. 

But she is told that if she attends, she'll be able to learn the identity of her mother's killer - she didn't kill herself,  as Lily always believed.

On arrival, Lily learns that her cousins will all be there as well. Her late aunt had devised 12 clues for the 12 Days of Christmas,  with extremely strict elaborate rules. Whoever wins the game inherits the estate.

And so a puzzle that proves to have deadly consequences for some works towards a solution. With a severe snowstorm  and no way to communicate with the outside world, everyone is forced to stay.

I found this book interesting and suspenseful. The puzzle clues were well beyond me, but the characters figured them out. There were also a puzzle or two for the readers explained at the start of the book, but I honestly wasn't interested. 

Overall, worth the time to read.

An Eggnog to Die For, by Amy Pershing. Samantha Barnes is looking forward to a nice pleasant holiday season, and having the chance to get to know her boyfriend better. instead, she is investigating the murder of a town selectman who was pretty unpopular.  Especially when it could affect the livelihood of the owners of a new restaurant. 

Then she finds out her parents are coming from Florida to Cape Cod to spend the holidays. There goes alone time with the boyfriend. 

But things end up being a lot more interesting than she expects. This is a fun book, with some intriguing characters. I enjoyed it more than I expected to.

In A Holidaze, by Christina Lauren. This was an enjoyable book, mainly because it written in a way that made the characters seem real. Mae Jones and her family have always spent Christmas in Park City, Utah, with a group of families headed by college friends of her parents. Mae has secretly always harbored a crush for Andrew, the oldest son of one of the families. 

But before we ever find out if they will or won't get together, Mae and the reader have to figure out why and how she seems to be in a time loop. It's like the movie "Groundhog Day," but at Christmastime. 

The book manages to be sweet and romantic, but not too much, which makes it very pleasant reading. And there are a few really laugh-out-loud moments amid all of the Christmas festivities.

It Came Upon a Midnight Shear, by Allie Pleiter. Somewhat recently divorced Libby Beckett has finally achieved her dream - opening a yarn shop in her hometown.  Y.A.R.N. is a cozy spot that has built a wonderful community. She gas also recently been elected head of the Chamber of Commerce,  and is excited for the upcoming Christmastime celebrations. 

But when the book starts, she is excited to welcome an acquaintance who has become known for assisting in the conservation of the Peruvian vicuna. He will be at her shop with some vicuna, and do shearing demonstrations.

Everything is going well until Libby's ex-husband shows up. And things really go downhill fast when he's found stabbed to death on the shearing stand with bloody shears found in the yard.

This is an interesting story, in that some of the people who are obvious suspects endure being fairly benign as far as the murder goes, but full of interesting secrets otherwise. There was enough interest to keep me reading, and it was interesting to learn about vicuna.

Rest You Merry, by Charlotte MacLeod. Peter Shandy is a middle-aged professor at a New England agricultural college. It's the holiday season,  and other faculty and college employees living in "the Crescent" (college on campus houses) are all decorated to the max for the Annual Illumination, a celebration of lights and decorations that draws people from all over the area. Shandy finds it ridiculous and tiresome, but after being hounded by neighbors, he hires professionals to provide over the top decorations for his house, then leaves for a cruise vacation. 

When the cruise has to be canceled, he returns early to grind that everyone is scandalized at what he has done, and one of the neighbors told the others she w as going to his house to take them down.

The problem is, Shandy finds the woman's body behind his couch, with a decoration on top of her. The college Dr is quick to determine that it was an accident, but Shandy doesn't think so.

This is pretty entertaining - especially if you have ever experienced small-town college life.  The characters, the rivalries, the gossip - all of it is here. When other incidents occur, Shandy figures out what is going on - while also finding himself in love.

I enjoyed this slice of small town holiday events.

Flight, by Lynn Steger Strong. This is the story of three siblings - Martin, Henry, and Kate - who are navigating the first Christmas holiday after the death of their mother. They and their families used to head to Florida every year to the family home to celebrate. This year, they are all in upstate New York at Henry and Alice's for the holiday. 

The book does a good job of covering the individuals, and especially how the in-laws are feeling and how they are each perceived by the siblings. On the one hand, everyone is trying hard to be considerate of each other; but a request by one of them to the others begins to create awkwardness and even conflict. 

I liked this book, and the way it showed the viewpoint of each adult child and the others' relationship to their dead mother. Without the parent present, adult siblings relationships can be tricky.

Last Rituals, by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. This was interesting and in some ways very grisly.

When the body of a German student who is studying in Reykjavik is found at the university, officials are not only looking at finding the killer, but trying to figure out what kind of killing it was. The body has odd symbols on it, and the eyes have been gouged out.

The student's family employs their own representative from Germany, who hires Thora, a young attorney who speaks German, Icelandic, and English, to do their own investigation.Thora has two young children of her own, and is not certain that she wants this case. But she does find it interesting, and the fee offered by the student's family would help her financial situation.

The more they look into the background of the student, the more disturbing information they find out about him and his friends. His dissertation subject was witch burnings in Iceland and how they differed from European practices. But it seems the further studied, the more disturbing and macabre side studies he took.

The book is interesting because of the weird subjects discussed, but also because it takes place in Iceland, with its own history that I am not as familiar with. It sounds like a place that could lure you into thinking it's somewhat similar in many ways to life in the U.S. ( well, maybe more how life used to be), and then surprising you with how much it is completely different. And the overall subject matter and how it existed in Iceland is also truly amazing and made me want to know more about Icelandic history.

it took me longer than usual to read this book, not just because of the holiday season happening around me, but because there was a lot to keep straight in the story. This is not an easy, casual read, but it is a good one.

***

There you go, some winners and some losers as usual. I'm already several books into the new year, with a hold list at the library that should keep me busy for a while. 

Someone I follow on Instagram posted at the end of the 2025 that she read 12 books in 2025, and was going to try her best to read 15 in 2026. And I was shocked, but then I also reminded myself that not everyone reads as much as I do, or even wants to read as much as I do, even if they are readers. I have always been someone who reads every day, even if it's only a chapter. When I was working full-time, I used to have a book at home that I would be reading and one in my desk drawer at work to read a lunchtime. I am even more likely to be sure I have something to read than I am something to knit!

Anyway, let me know if you've read anything lately to add to my list, or to avoid at all costs. And happy reading to all of you, whether you read one book a year or one hundred. ❤

The Ugh of Summertime

The way things are going in the country right now, we don't even need a weather report like this, but it's not far off the truth. You know, the kind of weather where you get out of the shower and towel off, only to find that you need to start over. Ugh.

The other day, The Tim said, "Fall will be coming, right?" - and that's when you know it's bad. He's not a fan of summer, but mostly suffers in silence. 

I've been trying to decide what I can work on that won't make me want to pass out or throw up. For once, I'm in the mood to do some of the projects I have around the house that have been on my list for a while, but since we don't have great air-conditioning, it's not really worth even starting. And forget doing stuff outside - I've been forcing myself to go out for my morning walks, but other than that, I stay put inside because it's the kind of weather that actually makes me physically ill.

So there has been more reading than usual, as well as knitting. But I've also been really conscientious about balancing the checkbook (which if you know me, says how desperate I am), and organizing the linen closet. I think I'm wearing out the towels and sheets I've been fooling with them so much!

Anyway, I'm a bit uninspired with my knitting. I have the puppy project, which I showed you recently, that I'm enjoying. But I don't feel like working on that every day. I am on the body part of a Relax Tee, by Aimee Sher, and if I could make myself work on it regularly, it could be finished. But contrary to the name, I do not find the pattern relaxing. 

I have been wanting to make this pattern, and even have yarn chosen. But regardless of the size needle I use, I keep ending up with too many stitches to the inch in the gauge, which I find suspicious, especially since no matter what size needle I try, I get the same numbers! - but there you go. There's a part of me that is tempted to start it anyway, and see how it goes. But I don't want to do that because even if I've done only 10 rows, it will be too disheartening to rip it out.

I guess I'll pull out some sock yarn and wind it because then at least I'll have a project that I can pick up and put down without causing problems. 

Sometimes, it just seems like everything is too much work. For me, that almost always happens in the summer. And really, it's never too much work in reality. So I'm gonna look for a skein of "extra special" sock yarn to use, because that will inspire me.

What about you? Any exciting projects going? Let me know, I'm happy to live (knit?) vicariously!

Weekend Trips and Changes

Hello all - I hope if you live in the U.S., you had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend - and if you don't live here, I hope you had a great weekend that was not a holiday. 

We had a lovely trip to West Virginia. We didn't run into any real traffic on our way, and it was a lovely, sunny, cool day to travel. We lucked out with that same weather on Saturday and Sunday as well, which made it perfect for porch-sitting (our fave thing when we are there) as well as our various outings with my sister, brother-in-law, niece Amanda, and her husband Patrick. There were lots of laughs, good eats, lots to drink, and it felt like we were there for a nice long time.

Coming home on Monday, we really didn't run into much traffic either, and fortunately, even though we drove through some rain showers, the serious rain didn't happen until we were on our very last leg of the trip, on roads we know. Still not a lot of traffic there, just fortunately everyone slowing down since it was raining hard enough to make it difficult to see very well. But we made it home safe and sound, much to the pleasure of the kitties, who made friends with the cat sitter but were glad to see us.

As a matter of fact, even Esme made friends with the cat sitter! The service we use has them send us photos from each visit. In one of the photos, Esme was sitting on the arm of a chair in the living room, right nexts to Brian the cat-sitter! It drove The Tim nuts, since she is still scared of him. But Brian is very soft-spoken, so I think that was the difference. The Tim said he was glad we didn't stay longer, because the next picture probably would have shown Esme tap-dancing on Brian's lap! 😂

The changes referenced above relate to my employment status. I am currently unemployed, as of Tuesday. I mentioned a while back that things were getting a bit difficult at the yarn store. On top of that, there are several medical things I have to take care of this summer (nothing life-threatening or overly serious), and it has become impossible to find someone to cover/switch shifts with me if my appointments are on days I'm supposed to work. I have no control over medical scheduling, and even when I've asked them not to schedule me on certain days, when those are the only days available or when certain things are done, I have no choice. So there was that. Also, as of April, my hours were cut by a whole day. I was no longer working on Sundays, which to be honest, was my favorite day to be there. 

And frankly, if the medical things didn't get in the way, I'm not sure how much longer I would have lasted. A new person was hired to be an intermediate level supervisor, and I worked with her every day I was there. She is nice enough, but one of those people who gets super-hyper-focused on something and drives it into the ground. It was making me NUTS, and there were a few times I didn't appreciate things she said about me or my work ethic. 

So here I am at 68 years old, hoping to find another part-time job. Ugh. I've been applying for a while - the yarn shop pay was very low - but nothing has been happening. I get it to some degree, but for a part-time job, I would think you might want an older person who is less likely to jump ship quickly. Of course, that is my own, very self-serving opinion ... 

I did have a really good interview a couple of weeks ago, and thought I had a good shot at the job, but then .... they hired someone else. Oh well. I'm giving myself a couple of weeks to try and decompress and get organized (unless someone wants to hire me tomorrow, LOL), and then I'll look into volunteering, so that I have a requirement to leave the house from time to time.

And that's the latest from here. I have been knitting, and have a good start on all of my projects. Last week, I did in fact get to start my Emotional Support Chicken (good timing!). 

Here is the first part of the back - I have actually finished both parts of the back and they are currently blocking so that I can seam them together before moving on to the rest of it. It was fun to do, and I'm hoping that the rest of it will be as much fun. I have started my Anker Tee and a pair of socks as well, so even though I have no photos, I'm enjoying those projects. 

And of course I've been reading a lot. I have loaded up on some "summer" reads and also am waiting for some books I have on hold at the library to make their way to my name on the list.

And oh - remember the portable leaf blower that The Tim ordered and I mentioned couple of posts back - well, it's supposed to be delivered today. So we'll see a) how portable it really is, and b) how quiet it is. Supposedly it is both of those, but often my definition and their definitions are not the same, you know? 

Book Report: October, November, December 2021

Before we get any more into 2022, I thought I'd share my reading for the last three months of 2021.  I have to say my brain spent a lot of time asking for non-complicated titles, but every once in a while I was in the mood to really dig in to a good story.  Here are my thoughts on the things I picked up at the end of the year.  (Note: most towards the end are holiday-themed books, as usual for me.)

The Jane Austen Society, by Natalie Jenner.  This a very enjoyable story about a small group of people from the village of Chawton - plus one Hollywood star near the end of her career - who come together to try and save the cottage where Jane Austen lived and wrote.  It's after the end of World War II, and each is dealing with loss and uncertainty in their own way.

It's not a true story, but as the author mentions in notes after the end of the book, it's based on real events and of course a real place.  The story is very readable, and though it is somewhat predictable, the characters are appealing and it is the kind of book that feels satisfying when you are finished reading.

All Shall Be Well, by Deborah Crombie.  This book kept me guessing - not as far as what happened, but who killed the victim.

Duncan Kincaid has a neighbor named Jasmine who is dying.  She has a visiting nurse come every day, as well as a former co-worker and current friend Meg - who checks on her a couple of times a day, and visits.  Jasmine has asked Meg to agree to give her a fatal dose of her medication when things get close to the end and there is no hope.  So when Meg arrives one day to learn that Jasmine has changed her mind, she is relieved.  Until it turns out that the next day, Jasmine is found dead in her apartment.  And then it turns out that Meg inherits her estate, as opposed to Jasmine's brother, who receives a legacy but not the entire estate.  Kincaid becomes suspicious that Jasmine had not changed her mind and committed suicide - he feels that someone administered a deadly dose.

Kincaid and his partner Gemma are given permission to investigate, and though Jasmine had a very few friends and her only living relative was her brother, they interview everyone, and are led to the small town where Jasmine and her brother lived with an aunt when they moved back to England after their father's death in India.

This book was interesting, not just because of the mystery involved, and the unexpected (well, to me) reveal of the killer, but because it was about a woman who was somewhat solitary to start with, and how in the end, she was able to interact with, and rely on such a small circle around her.

The Last Detective, by Peter Lovesey.  I don't quite remember where I'd heard about this series, but it sounded interesting and worth a read.  So I started at the very beginning.  

When a naked body is found floating in a lake, it is identified as a former actress from a very popular British soap opera type of series, who was recently more or less pushed out of the series due to being"too old."  In another part of Bath, England, a young boy falls into some water and is rescued by a middle-aged man.

It turns out that the drowned woman and the rescuer of the boy are married to one another - though they have a rather unconventional marriage.  Detective Inspector Peter Diamond is assigned to the case, and becomes certain that first, it was the husband who killed the woman, and later, that it was the mother of the rescued boy who did it, based on some interactions they had after the rescue.  

The book goes back and forth mainly between the two suspects, but through Diamond's aggressive interrogations.  It's interesting to find out everyone's background, version of things, and possible motivations.  I changed my mind at least 3 times about who was or was not guilty.  I considered the eventual person at one point, but it didn't seem like the logistics made sense.

So we meet the main characters, as well as quite a few minor ones, and mostly of course, Peter Diamond, who was once called "The Last Detective" by one of his bosses, because of his way of approaching a case.  Not one to rely 0n - or even understand - modern technology, Diamond sees himself as a cut above others, and is always thinking he is in the right.  In this case, it spells the end of his career.

But in an interesting twist, he ends up helping the defense's case in the eventual murder trial, and realizes that just because he was officially off the case, it doesn't mean he can't contribute.

It was an interesting book, and Peter Diamond is an interesting character.  At least in this book, he is not very likable, and often is really annoying.  But he is also a character that makes me want to read at least another in the series so that I can see how much I do or do not want to continue.

The Nature of Fragile Things, by Susan Meissner.  About a year prior to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Sophie Whalen, an Irish immigrant, answers a newspaper ad for a wife and mother for a widower in San Francisco.  Sophie has been waiting to escape the tenements of New York City, and her horrifying work conditions, and figures this is just the sort of opportunity she hoped to find.

Her new husband is ... fine.  They have a lovely house, the husband's 7-year-old daughter is a wonderful little girl, though she hasn't spoken a word since her mother's death.  Sophie's new husband, Martin, is a decent provider, but doesn't really interact with any of the household that much, and is often traveling for his work for an insurance company.  Though Sophie is somewhat disappointed when she realizes that Martin really has no interest in developing a relationship with her, she adores Kat - her stepdaughter - and makes progress getting the girl to speak.

The day prior to the earthquake, a visitor shows up at the house, and turns Sophie's world upside down.  As Sophie, Kat, and the visitor - Belinda - prepare to leave the next morning, escaping from Martin's clutches and exposing who and what he really is, the earthquake hits.  Martin returned home just as it began, and was threatening the three of them.  They escape the house, and Sophie suspects that Martin is dead, because he was in bad shape the last time she saw him - but she doesn't know that for sure.

This book has so many twists, turns, whiplash moments, and mysteries, that you have to keep reading. It also has a really well-done description of what the earthquake and afterwards must have been like for those involved, as well as how the rebuilding efforts of the city started.  

In the end, I think the main takeaway from this book is that everyone has something to hide, or that they regret having done; everyone has a secret, big or small; but how you live your life because of/in spite of that is completely up to you.

A really good read.

The Redeemed, by Tim Pears.  This is the final book in this series, and I was sorry to see it end.

Leo Sercombe, who we have seen grow up throughout the series, survives his stint in the Royal Navy and makes his way back to where he started, hoping to reconnect with his friend Lottie, whom he promised he would come back to.  A lot has changed for both of them - Leo is of course more mature, and has had some extraordinary experiences as part of his naval service.  Lottie's father remarried, had sons, and then was killed in a horse-riding accident.  Her stepmother and the sons returned to London, visiting the estate only in the summer.  As Lottie has a younger stepbrother, she is no longer the one to inherit the estate, but stays on as a kind of caretaker.  She has taken her interest in animal anatomy and physiology and become a veterinarian.  

As you would expect, it's a long and circuitous path until these two come back together, but if finally happens, and the whole story is very satisfying.  There's very little sentimental type feeling in these books, but a lot of true emotions and deep feelings.  I found the stories interesting, and particularly during Leo's stint as a sailor, learned a lot about ships and the work done on them during that time period.

Consent, by Annabel Lyon.  There is so much that happens in this book, it's hard to describe.  But the story is very readable, and at least in my case, the ending was a bit surprising.

Jenny and Saskia are twins.  Jenny is adventurous, Saskia is a grad student.  When Jenny is in what turns out to be a fatal accident, Saskia is determined to make sense of it.

Sara and Mattie are sisters.  Sara is the eldest, and has always been interested in fashion, scents, and learning what makes people attracted to them.  Mattie is younger, and learning disabled.  When their mother dies, it becomes Sara's responsibility to take care of Mattie - something she more or less resents a  lot of the time.  When Mattie married a man that Sara thinks is unbalanced, she has the marriage annulled.

What intertwines these women  is a man named Robert Dwyer, who dated Jenny, and was the person briefly married to Mattie.  Saskia and Sara eventually meet, and Robert Dwyer re-enters their lives.  Both of them have wanted some kind of revenge on him, for being the cause of their sisters' deaths and the trauma to their families.  But they have very different approaches.

I think the main thing I got from the story is that families are different, but in the end when they love each other, familial duty and the desire to protect those we love can be exhibited in extremely different ways.

This was a good read, if sometimes puzzling and other times frustrating.

The Dead Cat Bounce, by Sarah Graves.  Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree has moved to an island in Maine with her teenage son Sam, after divorcing her neurosurgeon husband and giving up her career on Wall Street.  She has purchased a true "fixer-upper" old house, and has made some friends in the community. When a body is found in her storeroom with an ice pick lodge in its skull, the problems begin.

It turns out that the victim, though a resident of the town, was a well-known, ridiculously rich finance guy.  When Jake's best friend Ellie confesses to the murder, Jake knows that first of all, Ellie is innocent, and second of all, that it's up to her to find the true killer.  Which leads to a number of increasingly terrible situations for Jake and her son.

I received this book as a freebie (and cannot remember where at the moment) and it was an enjoyable enough read.  I may read another in the series because it takes place at holiday time, but I'm not certain I will go out of my way to read many of the others.

Death by Chocolate Lab, by Bethany Blake.  This was my lunch hour reading at work for the past week, and it served me well - interesting enough to keep reading, but not requiring so much concentration that picking it up and putting it down was an issue.

Daphne Templeton owns a pet-sitting service in a small Pennsylvania town.  Her sister Piper is a veterinarian in the same town, and Daphne lives with her in her farmhouse while Daphne is figuring out where to live and what she can afford.  When Piper's ex-boyfriend is found dead on the grounds while setting up for a dog agility event, Piper is the main suspect.  So Daphne decides that she is going to find out who the guilty party actually is.

A new detective in town appeals to Daphne, but she doesn't think he is investigating the case properly, mostly because he doesn't answer a lot of her questions, or seem to appreciate her "help."

It's an enjoyable book, good for a quick read and palate cleanser.

Publishable by Death, by A.C.F. Brookens.  This series is new to me, and takes place in a small tourist town on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Harvey Beckett has returned to the area where she grew up, after spending many years in San Francisco.  She has purchased an old gas station and turned it into a bookstore, which has been her dream for as long as she can remember.  Everything is falling into place on opening day, until the body of an unpopular reporter from the small local paper is found in the bookstore's storeroom.  

After taking so long, and working so hard to get her dream into existence, Harvey decides she needs to find out what happened and why.  And when the local sheriff's deputy is murdered shortly afterwards, things get even more upsetting and dangerous.  She is able to continue to become part of the community, even arranging a spring fair for all of the merchants along the street, but she doesn't want her business to be famous only for murders.

During the spring fair, she overhears a conversation that is the catalyst for solving the crime.  But will that be something she has the chance to do?

This was an enjoyable book, though I have to warn you there is a lot of talk about food, so it you are like me and get hungry just reading about it, you can't say you didn't know.

Who Is Maud Dixon?, by Alexandra Andrews.  Florence Darrow is a young woman who dreams of being a writer, and has left her hometown in Florida and her mother, who still lives there.  At the start of the book, she has a job as an editorial assistant in a publishing house in Manhattan, and is trying to learn how to find success.  She is extremely jealous of other young women in the office who have had privileged upbringings, and wants to try and find a way to get that kind of better life for herself.

But when she has a one-night stand with one of the higher-ups, and then more or less stalks his family, she is eventually fired from her job.  She decides it's time to make her mark, and sends off a manuscript of her own.  When she gets a call from an agent, she is thrilled ... except the call is not for her book.  Rather, the agent wflorking with the author whose current best seller is taking the world by storm contacts Florence to see if she might be interested in becoming the author's assistant.  As Florence is currently unemployed with no good prospects, she accepts the position, knowing that it means she will have to move to a secluded location and sign a non-disclosure agreement.  The author, Maud Dixon, is actually a woman named Helen Wilcox, and she is extremely secretive, not wanting anyone to find out who Maud actually is.  

Soon after her arrival, she decides that she and Florence will travel to Morocco, as part of research for her next book.  Shortly after their arrival, Florence wakes up in a hospital, with the staff there calling her "Miss Wilcox."  They explain that her car went off the road into the ocean, and a night fisherman was able to rescue her.  Florence realizes that the real Helen must be dead.  And then starts to consider that maybe it wouldn't be a terrible thing for her to go ahead and become Helen Wilcox ...

And that's just the beginning of the story.  This book goes everywhere by the time you've gotten to the end of it.  There are so many twists and turns and surprises and events that you didn't see coming, it's a wild trip in Florence's world.  I finished the book quickly because I just *had* to see how it all turned out.  Maybe it's not realistic or possible, but it's certainly readable!

Eight Hundred Grapes, by Laura Dave.  This book was OK, but didn't really do much for me.

When Georgia Ford learns something about her almost-husband that throws her life into chaos, she retreats from her current life in L.A. back home to her family's home in northern California, close to the time of the last grape harvest of the family winery.  As the story continues, she and her brothers also learn that their father has sold the winery to a large, mass-market company.

The book is kinda like a bad Hallmark movie.  You know what will probably happen, and who she will end up with, etc.  But whereas, sometimes in a Hallmark movie you can at least enjoy the unlikeliness of it all, this book had none of that for me.

The House at Sea's End, by Elly Griffiths.  Good story, about finding the bodies of Nazi soldiers near a house on the coast of England owned by a prominent family.  Griffiths is really good at evoking time and place, so that you feel engulfed by the fog, or wet from the damp snow, etc.

I really liked parts of this book, but the Ruth/Nelson relationship, especially now that she has given birth to his child is seeming a bit cliche for me.  I'll see if I change my mind by reading another in the series, but with a nice long break in between this one and that one.

Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty.  This one kind of surprised me, because I have generally found Moriarty's books to be very readable. This one slogged along and I only finished it because I was hoping for something other than the ending I felt was inevitable.

Nine people arrive at a health spa in Australia for a ten-day program which promises to transform them.  Each person has their own reasons for being there, and their own hopes/expectations of what transforming themselves can mean.  The woman who runs the place had a severe heart attack years back when she worked in the corporate world, and as she took back her life and became healthier, she became more and more convinced that she should share her experience with others.

The problem is that things are not what they seem, and the woman in charge is not really what she claims to be.  The practices she uses turn out to be of very questionable legality, and the fact that the participants have no knowledge of it causes real problems once they find out.  

I had read about 70% of this book and was ready to quit, but I really wanted to find out how it ended.  The ending was somewhat of a let down.  Overall, I cannot recommend this to anyone I know.

Angora Alibi, by Sally Goldenbaum.  Not my favorite book in this series, but fine really.

The Seaside Knitters are busy making things for Izzy Chambers' soon to be born baby.  But their happy plans are interrupted when a young man is found murdered.  No one can quite figure out what happened, because though he was not the most upstanding citizen, he was pleasant, and always friendly to most people.

When Izzy finds an empty baby car seat that appears to be discarded in the parking lot near where she does her daily run, she wonders what might have happened.  After seeing it there for a few days, she realizes that the worn blanket in the seat is knit from yarn purchased at her shop.  She puts it in her car trunk to try and figure it out.

It turns out that the car seat and the murder are related, not necessarily as you might expect.  

By the end of the book, things have been resolved, and Izzy has had her baby.

As I said, this is not my favorite in the series, but I do enjoy the main characters, and love hearing what knitting project they work on, as well as the wonderful food and drink throughout the book.  But mostly, I love that it all takes place on Cape Ann in Massachusetts, which is one of my most favorite places in the world.

Good Company, by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney.  Flora and Julian are busy preparing for their daughter Ruby's high school graduation. Flora is looking for one particular photo, that includes them as well as their dear friends, Margot and David.  She finds the photo, but also finds an envelope containing Julian's original wedding ring, which he claimed to have lost years ago.

While Flora is digesting all of this, we learn the story of Flora and Julian ("Florian") and how they met in New York City as young, struggling actors.  Margot - Flora's best friend, also an actor - and David, a pediatric cardiac surgeon are of course woven through the story.  We learn the history of all them, learn about Ruby's childhood surrounded by these wonderful people, and the person she has become.

I'm not going to say much more, because I think this book is worth a read. If you enjoy books about families, friendships, relationships, and how a long history of shared experiences can be the best but also the worst, you'll enjoy this book.

The Mistletoe Cake Murder, by Lena Gregory.  This was a decent mystery.  

Gia Morelli accompanies her friend Savannah to a cake-tasting one week before Savannah's wedding which is on Christmas Eve.  As they are parking their car, they see a woman and a young man come out of the venue, arguing loudly and then going back inside.  Once inside, as they are waiting for their turn, they hear voices raised in the next room, followed by a scream.  It turns out that the woman they saw arguing is on the floor, and in spite of Gia's CPR efforts, she eventually dies.  

She was also there for a cake-tasting, and they learn the young man she was arguing with was her son, who was trying to convince her that her fiance was only marrying her for her money.  Then the caterers become the main suspects, and Gia and Savannah decide to see if they can find out what really happened, so that Savannah's wedding reception can proceed as planned.

There are a lot of people in this book who are shady, and at different times seem to clearly be the killer.  It was fun to try and figure it out.

Wreck the Halls, by Sarah Graves.  Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree is still working on her magnificent but neglected large home on an island in Maine.  With every step forward, something else breaks down, or needs fixed, etc.  As she is busy making plans for Christmas, her friend Ellie asks her to help find out what happened to one of her (Ellie's) friends - a woman who has suffered domestic violence for years, and whose husband's dismembered body was found wrapped in pieces in his butcher's shop.  The woman was found in their home, covered in blood, and not remembering what happened.

As Jake and Ellie start poking around, they deal with possible suspects, severe winter storms, Christmas plans, and unwelcome visitors of the human and other varieties.  Just when they feel they have found the perfect suspect, something happens or someone else shows up who is a better choice.  There is a lot of winding road - literally and figuratively - to get to the final discovery of who and why.

There are also some really amusing parts of this book, particularly when/how they find out how one woman who never wears a coat in winter in Maine manages it - that discovery is highly amusing!

Death of a Christmas Caterer, by Lee Hollis.  It's Christmastime, and Hayley Powell's boss suddenly tells her that she will have to cancel the caterer she found for the office party and do it herself.  Fortunately, it turns out to be a hit.  When the original caterer asks Hayley to lend him a hand for a local event, she is thrilled - until she shows up at his warehouse office to find his body.

This was fine in a lot of ways, but it's not a book that you can really read on its own, since so many of the characters are obviously fleshed out in earlier installments in the series.

Mistletoe, Merriment, and Murder, by Sara Rosett.  This was a fun Christmas mystery.  Ellie Avery lives with her husband and two young children in North Carolina, where her husband is in the military.  She is a professional organizer, and as Christmas approaches, she suddenly has to deal with how to help a hoarder, as well as a new woman in town who is stealing her clients.  Then, another of the military wives is murdered, and Ellie is the prime suspect.

I enjoyed this.  It was interesting enough to keep me wondering, and I liked Ellie well enough.

Christmas by the Book, by Anne Marie Ryan.  Nora and Simon run the bookshop that she inherited from her mother that is located in a small town in the Cotswolds in England.  Their college-age daughter is taking a gap year, and Simon is recovering from a heart attack that took them all by complete surprise.  To keep him from being too stressed, Nora has been dealing with the shop's finances, and things don't look good.  So many people are buying online that business is down, even though people come into to look for books.  They see them, take a good look, and then buy them online.  Nora is hoping against hope that the Christmas season will help them survive.

When an older man comes into the shop to buy a book for his grandson, he and Nora talk for a bit, and she is able to choose exactly the book he has been trying to find.  This inspires Nora and Simon to ask their customers to nominate someone who deserves a free book, for whatever reason.  They will give away six different books to the individuals they choose.  This turns out to be a much more popular event than they could have imagined, and so the books are wrapped up and randomly chosen to be delivered.

As each person receives their mysterious gift, we learn how it changes their life, their outlook, the meaning of the holiday season for them.  And one person in particular is able to not just appreciate receiving a book, but lets others know and has enough of  a degree of influence to really make a huge difference in how the story ends.

In some ways, this book was very predictable, but it is so warmly written that you really don't mind as you are reading it.  It's a lovely evocation of small towns that count on small businesses, and how just the closing of one place has a huge ripple effect on the entire population.  There is nothing new or earth-shattering revealed about any of the main characters, it's just a lovely holiday visit that you are happy turns out well.

To Brew Or Not To Brew, by Joyce Tremel.  Max (actually Maxine) O'Hara is finally realizing her dream of opening an brew pub in a newly revitalized area of her hometown, Pittsburgh.  She has been able to purchase an old brewery, remodel it, and is preparing for the grand opening, along with her associate and the brewpub's chef, Kurt who she worked with while training in Germany.  They have both noticed little things happening in recent days, just small acts of vandalism that are annoying with everything else they have to do.  When Kurt calls Max one evening to ask her to come to the brewpub, because he has figured out who the culprit is, she arrives only to find Kurt dead.  

As she tries her best to try and figure out what has happened, she learns through her father - a Pittsburgh cop - that the medical examiner has ruled her friend's death to be an accident.  Max is certain that it was homicide and sets out to prove while also moving forward with her plans for the brewpub.

This was a fun book if you are from, or have ever lived near Pittsburgh.  The expressions and terms used by the characters throughout the story are pure Pittsburgh-ese, and it made me laugh more than once.  It's also a good mystery from the standpoint that just when you think you have figured out who the murderer is, that person is suddenly taken out of consideration.  I got a charge out of reading this.

Comfort & Joy, by Kristin Hannah.  Joy Candallero needs a change.  She is divorced from her husband Thom, because she found him in bed with her sister Stacey.  Now Stacey has told her that she is 4pecting a baby and getting married to Thom.  As Joy is driving home she takes the exit to the airport on a whim.  She sees the sign for a chartered plane heading to so a place called Hope in Canada and buys a ticket. It's a group of trophy hunters, but there's a seat left so she takes it.

When the plane crashes, and Joy walks away from the crash site, it's the perfect place and time to start fresh.  She happens across a B & B that is being fixed up by a man with a young son. She stays there happily, until she sees a news report about the plane crash and an interview with her grieving sister - she realizes it's time to go back and face things.  So she tells the man and young boy she can only stay until Christmas Eve.

Things don't go quite as planned, and things are not quite shat they seem.  Suddenly everything she thought was true is called into question, and she decides to return to the B & B and pursue her own happiness.  Is that really possible though?

This was a good read, but the ending was a bit too fantastical for my taste.

Murder at the Mistletoe Ball, by J.D. Griffo.  This book was a surprise to me.  It was a freebie I had, and I figured what the heck, it was a holiday book and it was during the holidays, so I'd give it a try.  I was pleasantly surprised.

Alberta Scaglione's estranged daughter Lisa Marie sends her a message, asking for help, but with no other details.  Eventually, we learn Lisa Marie and her husband are in Alberta's town in New Jersey, and they need her help because their son has been missing for a month.  They have very little information to go on, but Alberta and her friends - who apparently in previous books have formed an informal investigating group - take on the search.

Happening at the same time, plans for the revival of the Mistletoe Ball, a fundraising event that had fallen by the wayside in recent years.  Except it turns out that during the festivities, Alberta's grandson is found next to the dead body of his girlfriend, and he is holding a bloody knife.  So now the grandson is located, but the family has to prove his innocence.

This book was deceptively well-written.  When you start it, you wonder if it's going to be worth reading, and then about two chapters in, you realize that both the plot and the characters are more interesting and slightly more complex than expected.  On the one hand, some people might think there is a lot of stereotyping of people with Italian backgrounds in the book, and though I agree, I also have to admit to knowing a lot of people with that background who fit the stereotype ...

An interesting read.

*****

And that's a wrap for the year.  I've already finished my first of 2022, so I'm on my way once again to a year of making new friends, discovering new ones, and deciding others are just not my cup of tea. 

Happy reading!

For Once, I Wish It Was Not Friday

You can probably guess why - it's my last day of vacation.  I shouldn't complain, because I had a really lovely week (well, interspersed with whatever dr appts I'd managed to fit in, so as not to have to use time in a work day), but in some ways the fact that it was a lovely week makes it worse, you know?

Anyway, I did have - and am still having - a really great vacation week.  The weather was not at all cooperative, it was in the high 90s temperature-wise, with thick, ick, humidity every single day and then not that much cooler at night.  So except for necessary things, I pretty much stayed inside.  I tell myself that when I take some time in the fall, I'll be able to go out for long walks, etc. then.

Staying inside though, did mean that I was able to do some things on my own schedule that I usually just have to fit in among everything else, so that was a real bonus.  

For instance, I sewed four hanging kitchen towels:

I didn't have a pattern to work with (no kidding, look at the wonkiness!), but I am happy with the results nonetheless.  These are for us, and they are usable and cheery, so I'm pleased with them.  We really like the hanging kitchen towels, and they are not that easy to find.  So a couple of months back, when I was at a Joann's Fabrics, I bought some terrycloth and some cotton to make these.  I still have enough for a few more, but my plan was to get at least four made this week, so there you go.

I also did lots of reading - I mean for a few hours at a go, which is just THE BEST!  To sit and read and not have to worry about when your lunch hour is over, or if you are supposed to be doing something else or be somewhere else, is such a nice luxury.

I also worked on some knitting - my summer top got some attention, and I started a birthday gift for one of my nieces:

This is the beginning of the Lightweight Hipster Shawl.  The niece I'm making it for as a birthday gift is truly a hipster, so I thought it was a good fit.  As you can see, I have only the first part done; I stopped at the next part, where it starts dropping stitches, etc., because it was later in the evening, and I didn't want to challenge my brain OR mess it up and have to start over again at that time.

I do have a funny story from one of my dr appts. I see a cardiologist yearly, and I really love this guy.  He is so personable, and such a good communicator.  Anyway, he was saying that he didn't quite agree with something about some test results that my internist had told me.  But, as he said, "It's not that big of a deal, it's not like I'll fight her on it.  Besides, I think she might be able to take me."  

So I told him that periodically, The Tim and I will discuss that if we ever got into a physical fight, who would win.  He thinks he would win, because he is bigger and stronger, but I always say I would win because I'm meaner.  The cardiologist laughed, and then he said, "Wow. Sounds like when Kierkegaard and Nietzsche would get together to discuss the meaning of life."  That just cracked me up!

And that, friends, is the story of What I Did Over My Summer Vacation.  As I said, it's still happening, at least until Monday, so there is some comfort in that.  But I'm really happy that I had such a good week because I wanted it to be that, and for once nothing put a wrench into it.

I hope all of you have a good weekend, and are able to just enjoy some time the way you would like.  Don't forget that Sunday at noon is the last chance for you to comment on the latest giveaway post here.  

Take care, and I'll announce a winner on Monday.  In the meantime, I thought you might get a chuckle out of the cartoon below.  Take care, everyone!

So Many Things

There is just too much going on in my brain and in my life these days.  Sadly, it's not really wonderful, fun stuff - rather it's related to work and finances, mostly.  I feel like I'm keeping my head above water, but I can see a LOT of big waves headed my way, and can only hope I'll resurface once those hit.  Ugh.

The good news is that I do have things that can help distract me.  The bad news is that even when I am completely distracted by those things, the others are always just sitting there waiting, full of self-satisfied knowledge that I have no choice but to know they are there.  It's exhausting.

Over the weekend, I was able to spend time on those distracting things - I finished a book I've been reading, worked on a sock, and worked on my summer top.  Though I have to tink back two rows on the summer top - which now has lots of stitches - because I am at a knit 1, purl 1 rib section and last night I noticed that two rows back, I did two knit stitches in a row.  And especially since it's on the front of the piece, I know it will bug me if I don't fix it.  At least it's only k1, p1, and not something more involved or complicated.  I fear at this point, that would just cause me to put it away indefinitely, or even just tear it all out and start over someday.  

Have I mentioned that I'm not a big fan of 1 x 1 rib?  I feel like I can never get into a rhythm with it, and so it ends up taking more brain space than I think it should.

Anyway.  I did treat myself to something fun recently:

Apparently, on a recent Fox News broadcast, Tucker Carlson (ick) made some comment about Kamala Harris visiting a yarn store or something related to that (I don't watch it, so I don't know the exact story), and referred to our Madame Vice-President as the "Crochet Czar."  Well, Neighborhood Fiber Co. and Nerd Bird Makery decided to do something about that, while also helping people.  So they created this enamel pin, and the proceeds went to help support Covid relief efforts in India.  I love it when people can take something that was said that was supposed to be mocking, and turn it into something positive and completely against what the original intent was!

Not much else to report right now.  Our weekend was pretty quiet, the kind where you get a little bit of stuff done, and make some progress, but none of it is on major projects or is something anyone else can see.  But it felt good to accomplish something anyway, and WE know what was done!

Our little family of mourning doves moved out about a week ago, on to their bird lives outside of their nest in our window.  I can only hope they all go one to live long lives, though life is tough for mourning doves.  We miss them so much!  I just loved opening the blinds every morning and having Deirdre and the babies there, and occasionally Dad - who The Tim named Jacques Derrida.  They were all so sweet to see, and so curious to look in the window.  I pointed out to The Tim that we were truly experiencing Empty Nest Syndrome ...

We are currently "in the market" so to speak for a new kitty family member.  Dee and I have discussed this, because we think *any* homeless kitty is one who needs us.  But The Tim has decreed long ago that we can only adopt animals who truly NEED us, and by that he means they have something going on that would make it less likely they would be adopted otherwise.  Balancing with that the fact that a lot of special needs kitties are not ones we could really help - i.e., if they need medication or treatment regularly, we are not always home and cannot likely afford it right now - or our house is not perfect for them, it's been a challenge.  But I have faith that one way or another the right kitty will show up, and often rules made by The Tim are also thrown out the window by him.

Case in point:  After Dug the Doodle Dog died a few years back, when we decided it was time to think about getting another dog, The Tim said he would prefer if we got a smaller dog, and one that might not shed as much.  And as you know, we ended up with Hamlet, an 80-pound Golden Retriever who sheds as his primary hobby!  😍

Anyway, that's it for now.  I hope your week goes well, and that wherever you happen to be, the weather is not causing massive problems for you and/or for you community.  Take care.

Reunion Weekend

This past weekend was a big one in our house.  First of all, The Tim was able to get his first vaccine shot on Saturday morning, which was a big deal for all of us!  Vaccine eligibility opens up today to everyone in the city 18 years older and above, but he got a notice at the end of last week from the Dept. of Public Health site that his turn had come up.  So he made an appt for early on Saturday, and now in two weeks he'll get his second, and by the end of May we will both be safe for public consumption! (Well, vaccine-wise at least.)

Also, on Saturday, Hamlet and I walked over to Washington Square here in the city so that the woman who raised Hammy as a puppy could see him.  Her name is Robin, and we have been friends on Facebook for a while, but had never met in person.  She was going to be in the city for a tour of Independence Hall with a group of other puppy raisers (and puppies!), and wondered if we could meet during the lunch break, since it has been years since she has seen our boy.

As it turns out, Hammy's dad, Spike, was her dog.  He sired A LOT of puppies for the Seeing Eye Foundation, and Robin has been a puppy raiser for a long time, and she happened to get Hamlet as her 7th puppy to raise for them.  The way it works is that the puppies are given to preapproved raisers, who bring them up until they are about 18 months old; then they go the Seeing Eye headquarters in Morristown, NJ, to see if they can make the cut as service dogs before being matched with someone.  Those who don't make the cut are returned and or adopted out as pets, so everyone has a happy ending.

Well, as we entered the park, I heard someone say "Hi Hammy," and he went NUTS with excitement!  I really think he remembered her voice.  He was so thrilled and so excited.  We sat and talked and visited for almost the entire hour, Hamlet got treats (I'm sure the highlight for him!), and I got to hear lots of puppy stories and stories about Spike.

This is a photo that Robin took when we first sat down and Hamlet was with her.

I have to say, that face gets me every time.

And here is one I took of them having a conversation.

Robin is really wonderful, and a whole lot of fun, as I had suspected from many of her Facebook posts, and I'm so happy that she and her puppy - or as she called him her "granddog" - had a chance to reunite.  

Once she had to rejoin the group to go home, we headed back to our house as well.  I took a few more photos since it was such a lovely day.

Here is Hamlet right before we left the Square:

Then we headed down to Pine Street, so we could walk past Pennsylvania Hospital and I could get a photo of him there.

That is the original building of the hospital, the first one in America, founded by - say it with me - Benjamin Franklin.  The building is beautiful, and of course behind the main building are the add-ons making it a huge, modern, city hospital.  Sometime I'll have to tell you about the inside, and the original parts of things.

Then we headed around the corner, to one of my favorite things in the city.  This is a water trough next to the original hospital, where people used to be able to water their horses; it's now a planter, but otherwise looks the same as when it was first constructed.  I couldn't get Hamlet to face me, but nonetheless:

The landscapers were actually nice enough to wait until we finished before getting started with their planting (I'm sure they are used to variations on this theme).  I also took a closeup so you could see the quote engraved on the trough, which is one of the most wonderful things of all, in my opinion.

******

Sunday was spent by Hamlet resting (he was zonked out!), and The Tim just taking it easy (his arm was sore, but nothing else).  So the kitties and I decided to follow their example.  I finished a book I was reading, and did some knitting, and Hamlet and I had a lovely walk in the neighborhood, along a street where all of the flowering trees were starting to bud, and the flowers had started to bloom everywhere.  

Probably one of the best weekends we've had - I know it was for Hamlet, at least!

Here's hoping this week will be kind to all of us.  Have a good one!

Cinnamon Rolls, a Sock, a Book, and a Nor'easter

Hello from very snowy Philadelphia!  Phase 1 of the nor'easter snowstorm we are supposed to get is winding down right now, so that Phase 2 - which is supposed to be the "real" one - can move in this afternoon.  When Hamlet and I went out for our very early morning walk today, there was about 2 inches on the ground, and we were more or less the first ones to walk in it on our street.  It was nice, soft, dry snow, so we enjoyed it while we could, because right now, the infamous "Wintry Mix" is occurring, to be followed by heavy snow, which probably means that tomorrow morning will be like ice skates.  Ugh. Why does Wintry Mix even ever have to happen???

Anyway, it was nice this a.m., and Hamlet was so joyous!  He ate some of the new snow, he ran around, and when we got back to our street, I took his leash off and said, "OK, Hammy - home for breakfast!" and he seriously gamboled down the street until he got to our stoop.  I love seeing him that happy.

So - have you ever heard/seen a friend do something, and it just sticks with you until you give it a try yourself?  Well, a couple of weeks ago, a friend posted on Facebook some photos of some cinnamon rolls she had made.  We both love cinnamon rolls, and I just thought to myself that I had to try and make some - even though I'm not much of a bread/roll/pastry baker.  But it was in my brain, and I decided that I would make them this past Friday.  With all of the various steps and letting the dough rise, etc., it took the better part of the day, but oh was it worth it!  They are truly delicious, and I will definitely make them again!  I completely forgot to take any photos, but I used this recipe, if you want to try some yourself.  Highly recommended.

On Saturday, I finished my first sock of 2021 - not a pair, just a single sock, a HO if you will:

I call these Happy Socks, both for the colors, but also because I started them on Inauguration Day.  It's just a 2x2 twisted rib cuff, a pattern of k2, slip 1 for a round and then just knit on the next round for the leg, and then a plain foot.  I like the way it looks, and I will probaby start Sock #2 today or tomorrow.  I probably won't be keeping these for myself, though that could change.  But I want to try and knit things that I just want to make this year, and if I am not immediately wanting it with all of my heart, I'll put them in a box for gifts or to donate.

Also on Saturday, I started reading this book:

It takes place primarily in Philadelphia during the 1918 flu epidemic, and is really a good read, while also being terribly sad.  There are also so many similarities to the current pandemic that it was interesting for that reason too.  I finished it yesterday!  

The other thing that struck me was the cover, which is a winter scene of Philadelphia as seen from Logan Square.  The Logan Square Fountain is in the forefront, and to the left in the image is the tower of City Hall; then to the right is the Pennsylvania Railroad building.  If you stood where the woman in the image is standing today, you would see the exact same thing!  I just love that.

So it was a very cold but very lovely weekend.  When Hamlet and I went out yesterday afternoon, the nor'easter was just getting underway; when he and The Tim went out last night, there was probably about an inch on the ground.  So really overnight we didn't get that much more, but it was so nice to wake up this morning and go out for a walk in it, before everyone else was up and whining about it.  

Today's plan is to start the sleeves on the sweater I'm knitting, start a new book, and see how the day unfolds.  It's the first day of February, so a new month has started with all of the new possibilities to be revealed.  

I hope you are well, and if you are getting snow, I hope it won't be in any way harmful to you and yours, and that you don't lose power or anything.  Otherwise, enjoy a wintry day and stay cozy!

Wrapping It All Up for Unraveled Wednesday

I am joining Kat and others today for Unraveled Wednesday, but doing something a bit different.  Instead of telling you what I am knitting and reading right now, I'm going to use this post to wrap up my knitting and reading for 2020.

Here's everything that I knit during 2020:

I will say first and foremost, that I have the Covid-19 lockdown for having so much knitting to show for one year.  I have never ever had 24 total projects for one year before, and on top of that, I not only filled my Box-o-Socks, but instead of 12 pairs, I knit 13 pairs of socks - a record for me, that's for sure!

I have to say that for the most part, these were all fun, enjoyable, and rewarding knits - I learned new techniques, tried new challenges, and sometimes just enjoyed knitting with fun yarn.  My Social Distancing Sweater (bottom right) is probably the one thing I least enjoyed knitting.  I have to say the short rows really ruined it for me, and though I will wear it, it may not stay in my wardrobe for long.  Even though I finished it in the spring and put it away until cooler weather, the couple of times I've worn it, I have not really enjoying wearing it.  I'll give it a few more chances.  But everything else I knit for myself makes me very happy, and I'm pleased that I also was able to make so many gifts (though except for the ones I gave to The Tim, the others are still sitting in Florida somewhere waiting to be delivered).

Reading-wise, I read 81 books in 2020.  If you want to see the details, here is the link to the page on Goodreads where you can dig into them.  I don't know about you, but I always enjoy seeing this, and also being reminded of books I read and enjoyed, but forgot that I'd read earlier in the year.  Again, the pandemic helped with these numbers too - let's just say that a lot of my time this past year was spent knitting and reading.  I regret nothing.  😏

I can recommend a book I just finished, which is this one:

The story of two families - a family of immigrants from Cameroon and a wealthy New York family - that takes place during the 2008 financial meltdown on Wall Street.  It is interesting, heartbreaking, and frustrating, but readable the whole time.  You can read what I wrote about it on Goodreads here.

And with this post, I have been able to wrap up my activities for 2020 - a terrible year for the world, if a good year for some things.  I would prefer that Covid-19 never happened, or at a minimum, that our leadership would have done more for all of us so it would not be still rampaging worse than ever, but writing this post, I realized that this was the way I did my best to make lemonade out of the lemons that were last year.