Catzteach reads and runs in 2021

Starting my thread for the new year. I read 90 books in 2020. I think that’s a record for me. Thank you, Covid. *eye roll*

I finished the Harry Potter series yesterday. I knew how it would end, with a few differences, due to having seen the movies. However, I still want some answers. I want to know what happened afterwards. Who became headmaster? Who raised Teddy? Did Hermione’s parents get their memories back? So many questions!

And today I finished The Wild Robot. This is a children’s book. It has been highly recommended as a read aloud, and I like to read those first just so I know if I need to edit while reading aloud and to get a sense for the character’s voices. It was pretty good. Very simple writing but a good example of how a character can change throughout a book. It ended sadly and makes me want to read the sequel. I will be reading it to my kids after the break.

I think I will now I will venture into a different Harry’s world and read some Dresden Files.

I hope you all have a very happy new year!

Just looked through my paper reading journal. I added up the money I saved by using the library: $1248! That’s not including the audio books and some of the paper books I forgot to record their price. Maybe this year I should put the $$ in the bank.

>1 catzteach: I hope you have a wonderful 2021! And congrats on all your savings by using the library!

Happy new year to you! I hope it is a better one in every way. Looking forward to following your reading and other activities.

Happy new year!

>1 catzteach: I like to think of Harry Dresden as the noir American version of Harry Potter. ;)

How did your running go last year? I can't remember if you hit your goal or not or even if it matters because you had fun. Anyway, just dropping in to say Happy New Year!

>6 MrsLee: totally! I’m reading Changes. I hope he succeeds in his quest in this one.

>7 Bookmarque: I just looked at my stats. I ran 703 miles last year! 117 runs. Not bad. I did quite a bit of trail running during the summer. I had to do all the events virtually. One was a 26 mile ride on Friday and a half marathon on Saturday. Not only did I make that goal, but it was my fastest half marathon to date! So this year was a success!

Oh that's very cool! Congrats.

Wishing you well for 2021.

Happy New Thread! Here's to a healthy happy book-filled 2021!

>2 catzteach: That's a great idea! I plan to limit my book buying in 2021, but maybe I also should earmark the money saved as an extra incentive.

Happy New Year!

2. Changes: The Dresden Files a very good Harry adventure! It might just be me, but I felt like there were a lot more pop culture references in this one. The return of some characters was nice, too. The ending, well, I now know why I was advised to have the next story ready to read. I do, and I will!

I haven't posted in a while.
Reading is slow going right now. I'm getting ready to have kids back in the building and I've been super tired and busy.

I am about 1/2 way through a Harry Dresden. I'm hoping to sit outside this afternoon and read as the weather is amazing!

I am also listening to Stamped From the Beginning on my runs. I'm about 1/2 way through that one, too. It's been an informative read. It's quite sad how some of the ideas and beliefs are still around.

And I'm taking a class on teaching kids who have experienced trauma. Timely and sad that it's needed. I've actually been doing much learning on this for a few years. The book we are using is called Classroom 180.

With all of that, I'm spending today getting ready to teach in person in the Covid era. I have bought a water bottle that has a covered straw so I don't have to take my mask off when I get a drink. I will be eating in the car as the kids will be eating their lunch in the classroom. I have plenty of masks. And the kid desks are as spaced as far apart as I can get them. I bought my own air purifier and will have my windows open, no matter the weather. Covid numbers are not low, in fact, our county is in the red (which means they are super high). The governor decided to let the schools decide whether they wanted to follow the metrics, which means superintendents can go ahead and bring kids back to classrooms even though numbers are ridiculous. Grrr. I am excited to see the kids and have a bit more control over what assignments they complete. But ...

Wishing you the best of luck as you go back into the classroom. It's such a frightening time, but hopefully for the children being back in school will help give them a little feeling of normality. But I do hope that your precautions will keep you safe.

I hope you were able to make the most of the sunshine. Reading outdoors sounds like a perfect way to spend time.

>14 catzteach: - to be able to go back and experience changes for the first time would be wonderful and wrenching all at once. ghost story is very different.

>16 Sakerfalcon: Thanks. Today went well. I only had 7 of my 15 kiddos. It was planned this way so I could teach them protocols better. We were all exhausted by the end of the day!

>17 reading_fox: I have maybe 1/4 of Ghost Story left to read. VERY different than Changes! It's so serious. But I'm liking it.

Best of luck with being back in the classroom! My grandkids have been able to do their work online, but they really miss interacting with people (kids and grownups) other than their parents.

>19 Jim53: thanks!

I survived the first week with kids. I didn’t have all of them, only a few each day. This was to teach them the new routines that The Age of Covid has created. They were all so excited to be back! Today was rough because we got 6 to 8 inches of snow. The kids weren’t prepared so we had indoor recess all day. I was with kids from 7:30 to 2:10 with one 30 minute break. I’ll sleep well tonight. Next week I’ll have my entire class. Luckily I get my first vaccine shot tomorrow!

In the meantime, I finished Ghost Story: Harry Dresden Files. Interesting ending. I’m liking Molly more and more. I’m looking forward to reading Harry’s next adventure.

>20 catzteach: I believe you've tagged the wrong 'Ghost Story!'

>21 clamairy: ha! I did. Thanks for catching that. I tried to fix it and the touchstones weren’t bringing it up. I’ll try again later.

Finally finished another book! I’ve been busy and tired and haven’t been reading much.

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing the Carls just appear all over the world. April May is walking the streets of New York early in the morning when she notices one of the sculptures. She calls her best friend, Andy, and they make a video and post it. It goes viral and April May’s life changes overnight: interviews, agents, and money. She recruits a group of people and her followers to help solve the mystery of the Carls.

I did enjoy the book and liked the premise. It was a bit hard not being able to read for longer chunks, but that wasn’t the book’s fault.

In other news: finished my first week of having all the kids back. Sent two home on the second day with fevers. I got my first dose of vaccine on Sunday. I’m sick today. I’m hoping it’s a delayed reaction but I’m not hopeful of that. A reaction five days late? Ugh.

>23 catzteach: Uh oh! Hopefully it's just a regular seasonal bug. Please let us know what's going on. Hang in there.

So turns out I was/am having anxiety issues. I've always had slight anxiety and have been able to handle it well without meds. In fact, I haven't had any issues in quite a while. Boy, did this weekend make up for it! I had a doctor's appointment today and she prescribed a fast acting, yet addictive, medicine. I just took it. I hope it works. I've been a mess all weekend. I was literally crying while making my dinner last night. I guess it's been building for a while (probably ten months or so, ha!) and just peaked Friday night/Saturday morning. I did nothing but sit in the recliner and watch movies all weekend. I took today off since I wasn't in any shape to teach or go into school. I'll go in tomorrow. In fact, the doctor wants me to to see how I do. I think I'll be ok now. It's funny, just knowing I have meds to help helped me relax some. This school year can't get done fast enough!

>25 catzteach: Hugs. In my experience, the medication really does help. I had a period of severe job stress a few years ago, and I a basket case. My doctor put me on something and it made all the difference. In fact, I'm still on it, albeit at a lower dose than I started with. I hope you find the same.

>27 Jim53: Seconding the hugs.

>25 catzteach: Thirding the hugs. Your support team includes the whole worldwide GD community.

>25 catzteach: Still more hugs.

>25 catzteach: What >28 hfglen: said.

>25 catzteach: More hugs from me too. Goodness knows you have more than enough to be anxious about at the moment. I hope the meds work and you can hang in there until the school year is done. And then take the summer to do things you love.

>25 catzteach: What they all said! Glad you got the issue identified and have some help.

Piling on with the hugs as well. I hope the meds work wonders for you.

Take care and hang in there! More hugs.

Thanks everyone!

I am so grateful there are meds out there! I took half a pill and what a difference! I felt normal again! I got through the day ok and even went for a run after work. I don’t feel like I need the meds tonight, but I guess that’s the point. :)

And I’m grateful for this group! I appreciate all the support!

Finished Red Rising the other day. I believe it was Clam who first mentioned this book on here. I was going through my anxiety issues when I read the first half so I had a hard time concentrating on it. But once that was under control, I really got into the second half! I will definitely be checking out the other two from the library soon.

>36 catzteach: There's a 2nd trilogy already underway with 2 books released so far (though I haven't got around to them yet). I think the new ones are less geared towards the YA market.

Am still catching up on various threads. Glad to hear that you are feeling back to your usual self.

>37 AHS-Wolfy: my library has this series in the adult stacks. I did feel like they were YA. I’ll keep an eye out for the series you mentioned.

>38 -pilgrim-: thanks. I know I’ll feel even better after I get my second shot. And being at school has gotten a little easier just because it’s feeling more normal.

We have a high school that had to go into quarantine on the third day of the kids being in a hybrid model. The seniors decided to have a party. Over 100 kids there. No masks. No distancing. 30 Covid cases from it so far. And the district wondered why teachers wanted to be vaccinated before kids came back to buildings.

>36 catzteach: Yes, I read this one in 2016, and then worked my way through the rest of the trilogy as it was released. Pretty sure I heard about it because readafew (who used to post prolifically in here and then disappeared because of RL) got it from the LT Early Reviewers giveaway and was raving about it. I haven't read any of the second series yet, though I did snag the first one when it was on sale a while back.

Glad you're feeling better. :o)

Virgin River read this one because I watched the Netflix show and was curious. Different than the show and a bit more romance-y than I usually read. Because of the show, I’m curious to see where the books go. I’ll probably read more of them. Plus, it was brain candy so I’ll read them when I need that.

Cold Days another adventure in the world of Harry Dresden. The one thing about these books I’ve noticed is that Harry always thinks he has it figured out, but then near the end he realizes he doesn’t. This may bug some, but I like it because it makes Harry more real. How many of us think we have things figured out and then realize we don’t? This does often complicate things more for Harry and his friends, though.

My next read is for book club.

>41 catzteach: I've read most of the Virgin River series, definitely brain candy. I read the first one when our library was doing a "blind date with a book" (they wrapped up the books in brown paper, and put an intriguing description on the outside) a number of years ago, and have since worked my way through more of them. One of my guilty pleasures. I didn't know it was on Netflix.

>42 NorthernStar: There are two seasons.

Behind the Scenes at the Museum A book club read. None of us liked it. The characters weren't especially likable and there really wasn't much going on.

Spliced this one I liked! This is set in the not too distant future. Jimi's best friend Del is starting to make poor choices. One of which is getting "spliced." You see, in this future, humans have figured out how to splice animal DNA into humans. The result is a chimera: a human with some animal characteristics. After Del's splice goes wrong, he disappears. Jimi goes on the search for him. Oh, there's a catch: a new law has passed declaring chimera's "non persons." There is much discrimination against chimeras. Good, fast, fun read. I have checked the other two out of the library, and they are patiently waiting for me to get through my other library books.

I have been participating in a March Madness with pictures books at school. We started with 16 books and are narrowing them down to one winner. So far they have all been excellent reads. Here they are in order of competing:

All the Way to the Top vs Bo the Brave : All the Way to the Top won.
Lift vs How to Solve a Problem : How to Solve a Problem won.
The Oldest Student vs The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver : The Garden won
Hands Up vs Your Place in the Universe : Universe won
Double Bass Blues vs I Am Every Good Thing : Every Good Thing won
Pacho Nacho vs Evelyn Del Rey is Moving Away : Pacho Nacho won
You Matter vs Soaked : Soaked won
We are Water Protectors vs The Camping Trip : we have not yet read these.

Then the winners will be read again, and we will eventually get to a final winner. It's been super fun and all the books have been amazing! If you have kids in your life, or just enjoy picture books, I highly recommend them!

The Circle the first in a trilogy, YA. 7 high schoolers are The Chosen One. They find out they have powers. While they are figuring out how to use their powers, they are being hunted down and killed. They are part of something bigger, but they aren’t quite sure what that something is. They have two mentors: the school principal (who isn’t super helpful) and the school janitor. This was a pretty good book. I’ll read the others when I come across them.

Godsgrave this is a sequel to Nevernight. Both take place in a world where there are three suns. So it’s rarely true dark. Mia, the main character, is a trained assassin. She is bent on getting revenge for the murder of her family (which we learn about in the first book). She gets herself taken as a slave gladiatii. If she wins the games, she can be in a position to murder two very influential, and evil, leaders. This is a very bloody book. But I’m invested in Mia and how she has grown and changed so I’ll seek out the third book.

I haven’t been posting much, but I’ve been reading threads. I’ve always been a quiet corner sitter that takes in the action but may not participate in it. :)

Read The Wolf in the Whale. Picked this one up because be read Jordanna’s books before and liked them and this one was intriguing. An Inuit living near Greenland comes in contact with, and gets taken by, Vikings. There were some really interesting aspects. The first is that the main character is the spirit of her father and the body of her mother. So she lives between the worlds of being a man and being a woman. The story was a bit slow. I’ll give this book a 3 out of 5 stars.

In other parts of life, I’m building my running miles back up. I was able to get 8 miles in today. I’m staying busy making a couple of quilts for friends who are having babies, and I’m crocheting Bernie Sanders dolls for people. And I’m surviving the school year. My kids have been back in the building since January. The numbers of Covid cases are rising dramatically in my county. Again. :( I’m vaccinated, but I’m worried about my students. The Husband is getting his second shot next Friday. We’ve booked our summer vacation. So life is good.

>46 catzteach: No summer vacation here, I fear. Mrs H and I have both had the first shot and have appointments for the second, but even local travel is heavily restricted and international travel is prohibited. We would like to go almost anywhere it’s warm—the English spring seems to be more English than usual this year.

>47 haydninvienna: Spring, what spring? It snowed a couple of nights ago...

>48 -pilgrim-: I know what you mean. We actually had a few flakes the day before yesterday.

>49 haydninvienna: We had a bit of snow on Easter Monday, but otherwise it's been white blossoms blowing in the wind from my neighbour's tree (don't think it's a prunus spp., but I could be wrong). A massive difference from last week when I had washing on the line most days and did some gardening too.

>47 haydninvienna: We are going back to Yellowstone National Park. We went there a few years ago. Last summer we were supposed to go to Iceland, and, although Iceland is open, we've decided to wait till next summer.

>48 -pilgrim-: Luckily we have not had snow in a few weeks. But the wind has been soooo cold! I'm ready for the lovely weather that is predicted for this weekend.

>51 catzteach: Yellowstone is a place I would love to see, especially before it erupts. :-)

I have seen so many pictures and TV documentaries about it I have grown enamoured with it, its wildlife, and its geology. Of course, as a child I was very familiar with its near-namesake, Jellystone National Park, where Yogi and Boo Boo lived under the watchful eye of Ranger Smith.

>52 pgmcc: But are you "smarter than the average bear"?

>53 -pilgrim-: I would never make such an outrageous claim.

>51 catzteach: If you go to Iceland, you have to try brennivín, the so-called Icelandic Black Death. Forget about the fermented shark and sheeps' testicles, brennivín is what makes it possible to tolerate the weather (translation: I went hoping to see the aurora and it was cloudy every night).

>52 pgmcc: Yellowstone was on my bucket list. It was such a joy to go the first time. And we missed so much! We’ll explore those parts this time. Hopefully it doesn’t erupt anytime soon.

>55 haydninvienna: I’m actually a bit worried about the food. I cannot eat fish or anything that smells fishy. I got sick off the smell of fish when I was younger and haven’t been able to eat (or smell) it since. Is this Black Death a fishy thing?

And I don’t think we will be able to see the aurora as we will be going in August. I’ve seen them, though, in 1989 when I worked at Glacier National Park in Montana. So pretty!

>52 pgmcc: forgot to add: there is a quilt shop in the town where we are staying. Last time it had Yogi Bear fabric. I did not buy any. I will not make that mistake this visit. :)

>57 catzteach:
We will need pictures of what you make with the Yogi Bear fabric. Perhaps you could decorate a nice pick-a-nick basket.

>56 catzteach: Brennivín may also make it possible to tolerate the fish! It’s a spirit—think vodka with caraway flavouring.

Which reminds me that we got taken to a place where they make a kind of bread cooked in volcanic hot springs: https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/hverabrauo-volcano-bread-iceland. It’s quite tasty.

And of course you have to go and see the valley where Europe and America are coming apart: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/midlina-bridge-between-continents.

>55 haydninvienna: I would really like to visit Iceland. It features prominently in the beginning of the book I'm reading right now.

>57 catzteach: I am not even a quilter and I would be tempted by that fabric.

Going to Iceland would be breaking new ground for me.

>61 pgmcc: ... you and Iceland would have something in common then, Peter.

>59 haydninvienna: ooh, the bridge looks cool!

I don’t know what all we will get to see. When I tried to plan the trip on my own I got overwhelmed. We ended up booking a tour. We will go where they take us.

>62 haydninvienna: :-)

>63 catzteach: Iceland is one of the places I have always dreamed of visiting. The geology would be my primary interest. Iceland's position on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is just amazing. We can see the site where new crust is being created.

I have heard of the Blue Lagoon baths, but that does not appeal to me as a key destination. It feels too touristy for me. I think your decision to book a tour is probably the best.

Of course, if you are interested in Gothic literature you might keep your eyes open for a first edition of the Icelandic language Dracula. It was the first non-English edition of the book. I hear some comments that when people translated it back to English they discovered that the story was not a very faithful translation from the English in the first place. :-)

>65 pgmcc: Iceland is high on my list of places to visit too. My mum got to lead a field trip there when she taught geography in the lates 1960s/early 1970s. It sounded like quite an adventure! I want to go for the geology but also the birdlife.

>65 pgmcc: I’m hoping we get to see and learn about the geology. The Husband is a geology buff and I minored in it in college.

Finished The Girl in the Tower last night. So good! I liked it better than the first one. I’m looking forward to reading the third one.

>67 catzteach: I'm glad you're enjoying the series. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Finished Why Do Pandas Do Handstands and other curious truths about animals a few days ago. I picked this one up at the library. It was a “staff pick” and looked interesting. It’s really just a bunch of odd and unusual facts about different animals. I enjoyed it but probably won’t remember much.

Last night I’d decided to DNF Magic Lessons. I was a bit over halfway, but I just couldn’t anymore. It was rather boring and I just really don’t care what happens to Maria. So I’m moving on.

I chose a fluff read for my next book, Shelter Mountain. Maybe returning to Virgin River will help me de-stress.

I had quite the week: started on Friday when one of my cats peed on his bed and an antique radio. I made a vet appointment for him for Sunday. Saturday: my phone ran out of storage. I took it in. Corrupted. Had to get a new phone. Sunday: The Husband collapses. He was lightheaded and dizzy. Took him to the clinic. While there, he collapses again. They transport him to the ER. We spend the rest of the day there with him getting fluids. He was severely dehydrated. We got home around dinner time. He put the truck in the garage, but he couldn’t get the key out of the ignition. It was stuck in the setting where all the dashboard lights are on, draining the battery. We did eventually get it out that night. We both took Monday off. He needed to rest, I needed to make sure he did. I got the cat to the vet on Monday. UTI. He’ll be on meds for a few more days. We also dropped the truck at the dealer’s. They had it all week. We had to get up early so I could take him to work all week. My harder student had a rough couple of days because his dad let him stay up till 1 playing video games. Three classes at my school are quarantined and quite a few kids from the after school daycare are also quarantined.

I need a relaxing weekend.

>69 catzteach: *Hug*

Oh man I’m sorry- virtual hugs from me too.

>69 catzteach: That's a lot all at once. Sending virtual hugs.

>69 catzteach: Oh no, that's a lot to deal with all at once. I hope you got some time to relax at the weekend.

>69 catzteach: Goodness, what a commotion. More hugs,

>69 catzteach: Good lord! :o( I hope your husband, your cat and your truck are all better.

That dehydration thing is scary. I know several people who have had an issue lately.

Thanks, all! The Husband is doing much better. We went and got him a thermos that is 64 ounces. He’s making sure he drinks a full one while at work. The cat seems to be healing. He doesn’t like the meds, but who does? Truck is all better and most of it was covered by warranty. Good thing because I’m not looking forward to the ambulance ride bill.

I had a very uneventful weekend of running and reading. Finished Shelter Mountain last night. It was totally what I needed: likable characters and people looking out for each other. I would love to find a place like Virgin River someday.

So a much better week. :)

Last Saturday I finished Chain of Iron. I like the world of the Shadowhunters. It was nice to return there.

Today I finished Project Hail Mary. Oh, my! So good!! My only regret was that I could not sit down and read it all in one day! It was much better than his second book, Artemis. Better than The Martian? On par, I think. It's been a while since I've read it, but seems like this one didn't have quite as much detailed science as The Martian.

>77 catzteach: Oh, I took that bullet right between the eyes! I didn't even finish Artemis as I was so disappointed in it.

>78 clamairy: I finished Artemis, but it was not enjoyable.

>78 clamairy: >79 catzteach: I liked Artemis but not as well as The Martian. Looking forward to Project Hail Mary, which is on my holds list at the library.

Next Year in Havana a book club book. It was ok. Nothing special. It did make me a bit curious about Cuba’s history. There are 2 main characters: Elisa and Marisol. Elisa is Marisol’s grandmother. She lived in Cuba until her family fled when Fidel became leader. Marisol has been given the task of going to Cuba to spread her grandmother’s ashes. The book jumps from Elisa’s story to Marisol’s story.

Fortune and Glory the latest in the Stephanie Plum installment. I think she may have finally chosen her man, although it's still not super final at the end of the book. These are such fun, fluffy reads, but I do feel like the last few have lost a bit of their flavor. I'm sure I'll read the next one, though.

I'm now reading a Tana French book and very much enjoying it. I'm looking forward to Friday when I can sit and do nothing but read.

>82 catzteach: Which Tana French book?

>82 catzteach: What >83 clamairy: said.

>83 clamairy: and >84 pgmcc: The Searcher

I finished it a couple days ago. Plot: Cal, a retired American detective, has moved to a sleepy Irish village. He’s living a quiet life until asked to look for a missing teenager. He ruffles a few feathers during his investigation.

This wasn’t a fast moving read. It kept my attention and I liked it. It reminded me of a BBC tv show. Entertaining characters and a good mystery.

>85 catzteach: I mostly enjoy her stuff, and I'm happy to see this is a stand alone. Glad you enjoyed it.

>85 catzteach: I have only read The Wych Elm but look forward to reading more of her books on the strength it. I have a couple of other of her books on my shelves in preparation.

I vastly prefer her Dublin Murder Squad books to either of the stand alones, but of those I liked The Wych Elm better. I wondered why she bothered with The Searcher. Contractual maybe.

>88 Bookmarque: I want to read her Dublin Murder Squad books. My library never has the first one available when I’m there.

The Winter of the Witch finally finished this trilogy. I didn’t like the third book as much. My mind kept wandering. Not sure if it was me or the book. It was a satisfying ending.

The first two Dublin Murder Squad books are incredible. I did not like the third one as much*, and have only tried to start the fourth once, and got distracted by something else.

*The writing is still awesome, but the topic was much more painful to read.

>89 catzteach: Can't you try putting a hold on the physical copy so they won't let anyone else check it out before you get there?

>90 clamairy: "The first two Dublin Murder Squad books are incredible. I did not like the third one as much*, and have only tried to start the fourth once, and got distracted by something else."

I've read them all and liked most of them very much. The Secret Place was a trial because every single kid in it was an asshole. The one after that featured the woman detective from Secret and she was an asshole, too, so it was painful. Would have liked it better if it had featured Stephen, but alas. And she seems to have run out of steam with it so who knows if we'll get another.

>90 clamairy: I had a different reaction. I liked the first book well enough to pick up the 2nd, but The Likeness didn't really work for me as I couldn't buy into the central conceit. It struck me as another version of The Scapegoat, only not as convincing. I mean, that central conceit is the same in both books but du Maurier somehow got me to go along for the ride while French didn't pull me into her story nearly as well. By contrast, I found Faithful Place to be the most compelling. I haven't read past the third book yet but I definitely intend to return to the series at some point.

One of the things I like about the Dublin Murder Squad books is how French writes each novel around a protagonist that was a side character in earlier books. I think that's what got me more involved in the third book; that we get to know Frank Mackie's back story and that he comes across as much more human than the unlikable hardass he was portrayed as in The Likeness. I expect French will do something similar with the Scorcher Kennedy character in Broken Harbor. I really should get to that next book soon...

>92 ScoLgo: I just found all of Faithful Place painful. Terrible family dynamics, multiple ruined lives, asshole drunken father, etc. But seriously, you bought into The Scapegoat but not The Likeness? At least Cassie had a ton of social media and video to study in order to perfect her walk, accent, style of dress, and mode of interaction with the household. While John only had a couple of mostly drunken hours to base his entire persona on. How long ago was it that you read The Scapegoat for the first time?

>93 clamairy: I read The Scapegoat in September of 2014 and The Likeness in January of 2016.

I didn't say that I bought into it. I said that du Maurier somehow got me to go along for the ride, (meaning despite the ridiculous premise). I attribute that to her style of writing. And I do like French's writing style well enough - but I always seem to find something special when reading du Maurier.

>94 ScoLgo: I hear ya. I had a slightly harder time getting sucked into the du Maurier, but once I did... Sweet baby cheeses. What a ride. I couldn't put it down, or stop thinking about it.

>95 clamairy: Which one did you read first? I wonder if our somewhat opposite reactions might have something to do with reading order?

>96 ScoLgo: Yes, that might have something to do with it. I read The Likeness first, and quite soon after reading In the Woods. By the way did you watch any of the TV series they made out of these two books? They made some truly terrible choices, and though I watched the whole thing I was not thrilled with it.

>96 ScoLgo: & >97 clamairy:
I have read The Scapegoat but not The Likeness. When I do I will ket you know my view on the reading sequence effect.

Du Maurier had me from the get go as I am very familiar with the route the main character is taking on his journey home, and I know the area he had visited very well. Towards the end of the story she brought in the unmentionable topic of war time collaboration with the occupying forces. This is a subject that comes to mind when I am in that region.

>90 clamairy: I can put it on hold, but I just figured I’d look when I go. I visit the library a lot during the summer. :)

And it was there! I picked it up yesterday.

>99 catzteach: WOOHOO!!! Sorry about spamming your thread. :o)

>98 pgmcc: Yes, I found that bit fascinating.

ScoLgo, you staying cool enough?

>97 clamairy: There's a Dublin Murder Squad TV series?!? Hadn't heard that, let alone watched it. I'll have to look it up, thanks.

I have watched both film adaptations of The Scapegoat and neither of them got the ending right. Other than that, I liked them. Of the two, I'd say the earlier B&W version was most true to the book. Plus, it starred Alec Guinness, (mmm... Guinness...)



Sorry! Where was I? Oh yes...

>98 pgmcc: I often find a book or movie set in a place I am familiar with enhances my enjoyment. Case in point, we visited NYC about 10 years ago and spent one evening in our hotel room watching The Adjustment Bureau, a film based on a story by PKD. The next day we visited Rockefeller Center. When we reached the top observation deck, we were pleasantly surprised to see it was the same place where the end of the film had been shot. The timing could not have been better.

>100 clamairy: Yes thanks, we are managing. Our area hit 109°F (nearly 43°C) on Monday but we have AC so as long as the power stays on, we remain relatively comfortable. Potty time in the yard just about kills the doggo tho... Summertime sure is ruff when you have a permanent fur coat!

>101 ScoLgo: I just looked at your profile; I didn’t know you were in WA! I’m down in Oregon. This heat wave has been something. Thank goodness we have AC, too.

The Last House Guest finished this one today. Avery lives in Littleport, Maine. The summer before, her best friend, Sadie, died by drowning. Sadie was a summer resident. Avery works for the family. She manages their rental properties. She’s still dealing with her grief. Then she finds Sadie’s phone and starts to realize Sadie’s accident wasn’t an accident. She investigates.

This is a book club choice. I really liked it. It kept my interest and I didn’t guess the killer till the very end.

>101 ScoLgo: I often find a book or movie set in a place I am familiar with enhances my enjoyment.

I love your The Adjustment Bureau experience. I remember the scene and wondered where it had been filmed.

We had a similar experience with a bridge in Paris and the film, Inception. It was the Pont de Bir-Hakeim, a two tier bridge with a pathway and road on the lower deck and the metro (I know, the underground) on the upper deck. There is a walkway along the middle of the lower deck with the traffic on either side. Along the walkway there are supports for the metro line above. We visited that bridge during a long weekend in Paris some years ago. (It was at a time when a volcanic eruption in Iceland was affecting flights in Europe and our visit was extended by a day because of an airport closure in Dublin.) The following weekend we watched Inception and found ourselves on the same bridge with an interesting effect being used with the arches on the bridge. If you have seen the film you will probably be aware of the scene.

By the way, there are steps from the Pont de Bir-Heim to an island in The Seine. It is quite a long and narrow island and if you walk along to the other end of the island you will find a miniature Statue of Liberty. I use the word "miniature" in the sense of comparison with the New York statue.

>102 catzteach: Yep, we are about an hour's drive north of downtown Seattle. Strangely enough, during this unprecedented heatwave I have been forced to wear a fleece-lined hoodie while working. I telecommute for an out-of-state company and have found that AC is required in my home office to help keep the computers cool during warm weather. The other day I was working with the AC turned off and one of them shut itself down due to overheating! After the disastrous 2020 fire season, I'm worried what all this dry weather portends for this summer. We are west of the Cascades so the danger here is not as great, but still worrisome. Last year, we were under a severe cloud of smoke - some of which was from fires all the way over in Oregon!

>103 pgmcc: Thanks for that, Peter. I have watched Inception more than once but didn't know the real-world location of that beautiful bridge.

It’s fun to watch a movie or read a book set somewhere I know. I do hate it, though when they get something completely wrong. I read a book once that was supposed to take place in a small town here in Oregon. I was attending the university there for my masters. The book had nothing about the town correct. Clearly the author had never visited there.

One of the reasons I like Animal House so much is because it was filmed in my home town and I went to college there. We had a campus toga party every fall and showed the film in one of the large lecture halls. :) But there are some scenes that are rather impossible in real life due to the actual locations of the buildings.

>105 catzteach: I do hate it, though when they get something completely wrong.

I used to enjoy "Jag", the series about a Naval attorney. They had an episode with part of the story in Belfast in which they visited the US Consulate. It was obviously shot in an old part of New York. There was nothing about the "Belfast scenes" that looked anything like any part of Belfast. Belfast is my home town so I was very familiar with Belfast and knew the building housing the US consulate. I could not bring myself to watch "Jag" again.

>106 pgmcc: I loved Jag! I totally understand, though. Criminal Minds did something similar with where I live. The case was taking place in Bend, Oregon. There was a scene that was in a parking garage. At the time, Bend did not have a parking garage. (We have one now) And the scenes and geography for the woods/forests were all wrong, too. I know these shows can’t go all over the world to film, but it would be nice if they did their research a little more thoroughly and got things at least semi-right.

Finished In the Woods this morning. Oh my gosh! You guys were so right! It was very good. I almost want to read it again because of the twists, turns and foreshadowing. I’ll be thinking about this one all day and it might make it a bit difficult to start a new read. This is the first of a series, yes?

I’ve also read Mirror’s Edge. Third in a series. Builds on the world Westerfeld created in Uglies. It is not the end, though, as it had a cliff hanger ending.

I finished Court of Silver Flames as well. This book goes back to the world and characters of Court of Thorns and Roses. This is Nesta’s story of how she’s dealing with being High Fae. The previous books are YA. I’m not sure if this one is labeled as such, but it was very heavy with sex scenes. And they were rather graphic for YA. The story itself was good. The book didn’t need all the sex. I hope she takes it out of the others as there will surely be more books about Nesta.

>107 catzteach: I have to mention a film that totally changed things in Dublin but did not take away from my enjoyment at all. It is a Bollywood movie entitled, Ek Tha Tiger which has about 50% of the film set in Dublin. The reason I heard about it was that they used a lot of Irish dancers and my daughter, who was working in the theatre industry at the time, knew a lot of them. We went to see it in the cinema because my daughter suggested we all go to see her friends dancing.

Well, it is a brilliant film. It is a spoof 007 type movie. An Indian agent is sent to Dublin to investigate how information in the possession of an Indian professor working at Trinity College ended up with Pakistani intelligence. While in Dublin the action saw the traffic in a one-way system running opposite the one-way. This was not one or two vehicles going against the traffic flow. This was a total reversal of the actual traffic flow. Also, there is a fight on a Luas tram. (Luas is the name for the tram network in Dublin). The tram is running down Harcourt street while the fignt is going on. In the film the fight goes on while the tram travels about five miles along Harcourt Street. Harcourt street is only about half a mile long.

While these and many other venue distortions were not in line with reality, they added to the entertainment. The film is very funny and gently pokes fun at James Bond. It starts in a village in North Afghanistan where the hero agent is found and defeats about 50 men sent to kill him. In the next scene he has returned home to India. The milkman calls at his house delivering the milk and the agent comes to the door wearing a 007 T-shirt. :-)

As you will know there is a lot of dancing and pageantry in a Bollywood movie. In preparation for the making of the film the film makers asked the various community groups around Ireland who had prepared floats and msytical beasties, to hold onto their creations and they used many of them in the dance scenes in the film.

Of course knowing Dublin and Ireland adds to the enjoyment of the film, but I would recommend "Ek Tha Tiger" to anyone who wants to sit back and have a good laugh. It is a great film visually.

>107 catzteach:
I have not read In the Woods yet but do have it on my shelves. I have only read French's The Wych Elm which I enjoyed very much. I am looking forward to reading In the Woods and your post reassures me I will enjoy it. Thank you!

>108 pgmcc: What is a BB when no books are involved?
That sounds just what I need and I shall look for it.

>108 pgmcc: that sounds like a great film! I will look for it.

Edited: found it on Amazon Prime! I put it on my watchlist. It has subtitles so I have to really pay attention.

>110 -pilgrim-: & >111 catzteach:

When I was writing 108 I took the DVD down to check I was spelling the title correctly. Having posted my comments I prepared a snack, cheese, crackers and tea, and my wife and I sat down and watched it again. My mind is still buzzing with the music.

>107 catzteach: So glad to read that you enjoyed In the Woods. :o) I hope you get around to reading The Likeness while some of what happened is still fresh in your mind.

>113 clamairy: thanks for posting this! I wasn’t sure which one to read next. *pops off to the library site to put a hold on it*

>114 catzteach: It's got a completely different vibe because Cassie is the main character. I really loved it.

>115 clamairy: I really liked Cassie. I was worried about her future because of the foreshadowing. I thought maybe she was going to get killed. Glad she didn’t and am excited to read a book about her.

>112 pgmcc: I am envious of catzteach. It is not available on Prime here.

Finished The Sanatorium today.

A group of people are stuck in a five star hotel in the Alps due to an avalanche. Then they find a body. The main character is a detective from the UK. She has her issues due to a tragedy in her past. She takes over the investigation of the murder. One thing that bugged me: there are about 35 people left at the hotel. A few are guests, most are staff. To “keep them safe” from the murderer, the only thing that’s done is to move everyone into rooms on the first floor. I would’ve put everyone in the dining hall and not let anyone go anywhere without a buddy, but, hey, that’s just me. I was thinking the story would be creepy. Yeah, not so much. And I guessed who the guilty person was. So I’m giving it just an “eh” rating.

I haven’t posted in over a month!? Yikes!

I’ve been in a funky mood. I haven’t been reading like I usually do in the summers. I’ve been hanging out inside the house working on puzzles and watching Netflix. I think it’s a combination of reasons: super hot temps, smoky air, crazy Covid numbers, and burn out from a very long school year.

I did just spend the last two days reading others’ threads. :)

I have finished a few books since my last post. They are:

For We Are Many after getting over my initial confusion of so many Bob’s, this was a decent book.

Whispering Rock a comfort read.

The Girl at Midnight this one was good. It’s about an orphan that gets taken in by people who live under New York City. She gets tasked to find the firebird, an item that will end a centuries long war. I’ll probably find the rest of the series.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires a book club book. It was a lot more horror than I was expecting. It was good, though.

The Likeness a return to the Dublin Murder Squad. I liked it! I’ll definitely read the others!

Aurora Rising this was a really good read. I picked up the second in the series today.

In between these, I’ve DNF’ed a couple of books.

I started another YA one yesterday. I’m not sure if I’ll continue it. I’m on page 90. If it isn’t grabbing me by page 100, I’ll put it aside, too.

The Husband and I were able to go on our vacation to Yellowstone. It was our second trip there so we were able to avoid some of the crowds by visiting some of the less traveled spots. We did see Old Faithful and hiked the overlook to the Grand Prismatic Pool. We took a day to go to the Grand Tetons and Jackson, WY. We wore our masks and ate take out or food we brought with us. It was great to get away and we lucked out with the weather and no smoke. It’s been smoky there the last couple of days.

I have two weeks of summer left. I think this school year is going to be just as wild and crazy. It’s super smoky here (hazardous levels at the moment) so I’ll continue to spend my time indoors.

>119 catzteach: Your pics from Yellowstone were amazing! I really have to visit one day. I'm so glad you were able to get away and have a good time there.

>119 catzteach:
I am delighted you had a good break in Yellowstone. It is one of the places in The World that I would like to visit. Sorry to hear you have returned to the smoke and that it is getting to hazardous levels. Take care.

I was pleased to see your comments on The Likeness. I have only read one Tana French book, The Wych Elm, and have acquired her first novel, In the Woods. I will be reading that soon and I suspect I will be reading more by this author.

I enjoyed the first "Bob" book but I have not been inclined to pick up the next one. Apart from a general tendency to not get into series I am finding other books more appealing. If I run out of books I am really enthusiastic to read I might pick up another Bob. With over 1,000 books in my tbr pile it is not likely I will run out of other books that I am really enthusiastic to read. :-)

>119 catzteach: So happy to hear you enjoyed The Likeness and that you will keep going! I finished the 4th one (Broken Harbor) and tried to get into a few other books and couldn't. I ended up starting The Secret Place.

Enjoy these last weeks of Summer.

>120 Sakerfalcon: thanks! I think my favorite one is the Grand Prismatic Pool.

>121 pgmcc: I thought of you when we were driving through the Grand Tetons. I was wondering how they were made. So I bought a book about it. :)

>122 clamairy: I need to go onto the library website and request the next one.

The Four Winds finished this book yesterday morning. Ive read a few Kristen Hannah books and have really liked them. This one was ok. Takes place during the Dust Bowl. The main character takes her kids to California for a better life. Turns out things aren’t any better there. Poverty, starvation, no jobs, rich farmers who take advantage, etc. Very sad and not so fun to read.

>124 catzteach: Thanks for the warning. It got decent reviews, but right now I could not handle it...

>125 clamairy: honestly, I’m surprised I made it all the way through. I’m still needing less heavy reads. Four Winds was not one of those.

>126 catzteach: I'm not sure I'm ever going to want to be deliberately depressed by a book again.

>127 clamairy: I hear ya. I wasn’t crazy about depressing books before 2020.

Galaxy, and the Ground Within this was a nice return to the Wayfairers series. I really liked how all the characters were respectful of their differences. And how they learned about each other and then honored that. A good read.

Second Grave on the Left the second Charley Davidson book. Charley is trying to find a missing woman. She’s also trying to find Reyes, her love interest. Well, he’s more than that. He’s in danger and she needs to help him.

I’m almost halfway through Aurora Burning. I’m really hoping something that I think is going to happen doesn’t. I’ll be very sad if it does happen.

Today was an “indoor recess” day. The air quality has been unhealthy all day. It’s extremely bad right now. And there’s a new fire about 25 miles south of my city. Lots of crews on it so hopefully it won’t get too big. Sigh. Is this going to be our summers from here on out? :(

Finished Aurora Burning this morning. Oh my goodness! A very suspenseful ending and the third book isn’t out until November! Erg

And, wouldn’t you know it, I get my reading juju back just as school’s starting. Ah well, at least I can read in the evenings.

Onto The Ten Thousand Doors of January. I hope it’s as good as I’ve heard.

>130 catzteach: Maybe I will wait to read Aurora burning until the final book is out!

>129 catzteach: - Galaxy is possibly the best of the series, maybe just behind Long Way, I found it utterly charming.

>131 Sakerfalcon: I was bummed to see it wasn’t out yet. I want to read it now!

>132 reading_fox: I agree.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January I am part of an FB group in which this book has been receiving rave reviews. I was expecting something different. I was thinking she was going to go through doors to different worlds. Instead this was a story about January’s childhood and about her dad and mom’s story. It wasn’t bad, just wasn’t what I was expecting. I did get a bit bored about halfway through. It ended well. I don’t think I’ll be recommending it, though.

Just finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Loved it! Addie is a young woman who grew up being told not to pray to the gods after dark. On her wedding day, she runs into the woods and starts praying to be free. Before she knows it, the sun has set. She continues to pray. Someone answers. He gives her immortality, but she can not be remembered by people. So she goes through the years. Until one day, someone does remember her.

I’ve been wanting to read a VE Schwab book for a while now. Luckily, my book club chose one! I will definitely be reading more of her work!

>135 catzteach: Uhoh... might be a BB. Glad you enjoyed it.

>134 catzteach: oh thank goodness you posted this review - I had made a similar assumption about the doors, and am glad to be able to adjust my expectation in advance :)

>136 clamairy: :)

>137 Darth-Heather: glad I could be of assistance. :)

What Lies Beneath by GD’s very own Marissa Doyle. I received this as an Early Reviewer. Marissa even signed it! Thanks, Marissa!

This was a really good read.
17 year-old Emma is sent to her Grandma’s for the summer while her dad helps the war effort. Emma is really wanting to join the war effort but is hampered by being too young or a woman. While on the island, she meets Malcolm. His family owns a hotel and are helping the war effort. How they are helping has to remain a secret. Malcolm soon realizes Emma has the same abilities as his family and would be an asset.

I will recommend this book. Currently a friend has my copy. I will definitely read more of Marissa’s work!

I also finished Faithful Place. I’m enjoying this series. I love how she focuses on a different character’s story for each book. How many are there?

In running news: officially started my marathon training. Hopefully this one is more successful than my last attempt.

>139 catzteach: - I recently finished What Lies Beneath as well, and agree with you.

>139 catzteach: that's very cool. I didn't know Marissa was an author. although apparently she's been editor of some BVC collections I've read. I shoudl pay more attention!

>141 reading_fox: I didn’t know she was either! I’m definitely reading more of her work!

>142 catzteach: I've liked all of Marissa's books I've read so far.

Third Grave Dead Ahead I’m enjoying this series. Charley Davidson is a PI. She’s also the grim reaper. And she’s got a thing going with the Son of Satan. They are actually a very fluffy read. I’ll read the rest of them. Darynda Jones has other series, too. I plan on checking them out soon.

Empire of the Vampire wow! This book! Finished it last night and had to just sit with it for a while. If you like sparkly vampire stories, this book is not for you. Something has happened to the sun. Because it is perpetually gloomy, the vampires can come out during the day. Gabriel is a Silversaint - an order of men who are half vampire and half human. They hunt the vampires. I like a paragraph from the book’s jacket: “Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King, and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope: The Holy Grail.” It grabbed me from the beginning and I didn’t want to stop reading.

>139 catzteach: There are six books in the Dublin Murder Squad series. I'm so glad you are enjoying them. I only have one left to read, and I am avoiding it because I don't want to be done with the series.

I'd read one of Marissa's books before, and enjoyed it, but it was YA and I didn't keep going with the series. Interestingly enough I am now reading her Skin Deep and I have been completely sucked in.

>145 clamairy: I’ll have to get the next Dublin Murder book to put on my pile. I also saw your post on FB about Skin Deep. I’ll see if my library has that one.

Creatures of the Night this is a YA book that reads as if a teenager wrote it. Underdeveloped characters. There are three peoples: the hollowers, the humans, and the shapeshifters. The hollowers are enemies with the shapeshifters. But it is never explained why. And we learn very little about the hollowers, other than they are the enemy. It ended with a cliff hanger. I won’t be reading the next one.

The Once And Future Witches you guys were right! This one was good. And the misogyny was hard to read. Loved Juniper and her spirit.

>147 catzteach: I'm so glad you enjoyed it! And yes, Juniper was wonderful.

I’ve finished a few and need to get caught up posting them here.

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet the fourth Charley Davidson book. Charley learns more about what she can do as the grim reaper. These are fun brain candy.

A Bad Day for Sunshine I thought I’d try Jones’ latest. It was good. Sunshine Vicram gets elected sheriff of her home town even though she was unaware she ran. Her put her in the election. Sunshine and her teenage daughter move back. On sunshine’s first day, she gets a case involving a kidnapped girl. The case reminds her of her own kidnapping when she was 17. I liked it even though I figured out the culprit before the ending. Another fun brain candy book.

In the Ravenous Dark this one was an ok read. I lost interest by the end nd skimmed the last few pages.

Broken Harbor another good one by Tana French. This was hit a bit close to home as it deals with a murdered family during the height of the recession. It appears it might possibly be a murder-suicide. During the recession, a family at my school was murdered by the father who then killed himself. The little boy was in 2nd grade. This made the book a bit hard to read at times. But it was still very good. I believe there is one more in the series?

>149 catzteach: There are two more in the series.

I'm sorry that one hit so close to home. It was tough enough for me in places, but I thought it painted a decent picture of what stress does to people.

>150 clamairy: stress and depression.

The Man With One of Those Faces this was a BB by pgmcc
I really liked it! It felt like it took forever to read. That was because I’ve been so tired, when I’ve laid down to start my nightly bedtime reading, I fell asleep after just a page or two. The book had nothing to do with that. Teaching during a pandemic and being very close to Winter Break had everything to do with it. The book was great! I want to read the others, especially if Bunny is in them.

>152 catzteach: I was hit by that same bullet and regret nothing. They are fun. I bought the hardcover of Stranger Times by the same author (his pseudonym is C. K. McDonnell). Haven't read it yet though.

>153 MrsLee: I’ll see if my library has Stranger Times. I try not to buy books (even though I love to buy books) because I really don’t have room in my house. The library didn’t have The Man so I had to buy it. :) I’ll have to buy the sequels (prequels?), too. I’ll end up loaning them out.

>152 catzteach: >153 MrsLee:
It looks like my work here is done.

By the way, I was on contract to -pilgrim- who hit me with that bullet first. She should be taking the credit.

>152 catzteach: Bunny is in all of the Dublin Trilogy (except that for the novella Sisters Gonna Work It Out). There is also McGarry Stateside to look forward to.

Who Rides the Storm a YA fantasy. There are four main characters all with a back story. Their stories come together eventually. I got a bit bogged down on the middle, but the story picked back up for the end. And of course, it ended with a cliffhanger. Will I seek out the second one? No. But if I run across it, I’ll probably check it out and read it.

A Good Day for Chardonnay the second Sunshine Vicram mystery. I’m enjoying this new series. It’s witty and fun. I really like the characters of Sunshine and her daughter, Auri. This one wasn’t quite as predictable as the first. It was a fun, fast read (I was able to do almost nothing but read yesterday and read almost the whole book.)

Finished Aurora’s End last night. Oh my gosh! What an ending to the series! Action packed and suspenseful. The crew is Squad 312 has been separated and they are all trying to find their way to ending the Ra’haam, a plant like species that wants to take over the galaxy.

I have now started We are the Brennans. This one is for book club. I’m liking it so far. The author lives here in Bend and might join our book club when we meet next month!

My last read of 2021: Fifth Grave Past the Light a return to the Charley Davidson series. Fun, easy read.

Best wishes for a new year—may it at least suck less than the old one.