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What I read: February 2024

LHC #236: "The animals in that country" by Laura Jean McKay.  I thought I knew what I was getting into with this, but I did not. Wow. It's like a pandemic addiction memoir but with talking Australian animals who are not as insightful as we'd like.  "The Power" by Naomi Alderman. I watched the TV show (season 1? will there be another?) last fall. The TV show was amazing, except the end didn't quite work for me. Alex went to a signing with the author, and I got this. I quite enjoyed it, the ending was much more satisfying.    LHC #236: "Armistice" by Lara Elena Donnelly.  Audiobook. I found MRK's reading sort of a downer, wondering if that was on purpose. Or too wistful maybe. Also, Makricosta sounds really old as read, I went looking for fan art to get a better sense. I found surprisingly little, maybe I don't know how to search anymore.  LHC #237: "The Marigold" by Andrew Sullivan. Near future horror set in Toronto. Needed m
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In Progress: Feb 2024

 Not my car! But left at a place I frequent for several days. Very dirty.  Wind/Water/Salt  Chapters 39-51:   Still n eed to take up comments and revise.  Persephone  (probably not its real name): Thought thoughts mostly.  Short Stories:  Finished that third draft. My goal was to finish this in Feb and get it on the 'shop. I'm so close.  Critted  6  Got back  1    Submissions  0  Out there   0   Rejects   0 Knitting Cathar  (self). Started the month halfway to the armholes. Wanted to get there by the end of the month, but I have 25 rows to go.  Morning Brew  (Coffeehouse Knits). Started the month with 7" of body. God, stocking stitch in the round is dull. I need milestones! I also wanted to get to the armholes on this by the end of the month, I think I have 4 more inches.  Tiny Twists Socks . Started the month with a half inch done. Finished the first sock, halfway down the leg of the second.  Sashiko project:  Nothing.  Ruffle skirt:  Nothing. 

What I read: January 2024

"Morgan is my name" by Sophie Keech. Office book club selection. It gets exhausting to read about plucky young heroines who are terrible at needlework all the time. I should probably read some Jo Walton. I mean, you can be good at needlework and other things too! I didn't find this book very surprising. The first half was kind of boring, but it got better towards the end.  LHC #233: "The Shifter" by Janice Hardy. I read her writing advice website regularly, so I thought I should maybe read an actual book to find out if she was worth it. Oh my, the voice of this book grabbed me immediately. The worldbuilding seemed shady but the voice was solid. It wasn't very subtle, but I might not be the target audience.  LHC #234: "Ragnarok: The End of the Gods" by A. S. Byatt. At this point with my library account, I'm just guessing. I know there was something by Byatt there? I suspect there was. I did not know what to make of this book. Strange, but it w

In progress: January 2024

What a bad selfie! What an awesome sweater!  Wind/Water/Salt  Chapters 39-51:   Still n eed to take up comments and revise.  Persephone  (probably not its real name): Thought thoughts mostly.  Short Stories: Started a third draft where I took out all the things that didn't belong.  Critted  6  Got back  1    Submissions  0  Out there   0   Rejects   0 Knitting Cathar  (self). Started the month with the fair isle portion barely started. Since I was now down to 2 projects, I had no choice but to work on this, which is good. I planned to the armholes and did about half of that.  Braids   (self). Started  the month with just the hem to go and then a small amount of finishing. It went great and now it's done.  Morning Brew  (Coffeehouse Knits). Started the month with a tiny bit of the body done. As it's mindless, and I'd run out of other mindless projects, I did a bit.  Tiny Twists Socks . Started another pair, because I needed something portable and I have some modification

What I read: December 2023

"Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros. Two of my sisters asked for this for Christmas, and the boy started reading it and had to stop because he was having too many sarcastic thoughts, so I bought it so he wouldn't have to. And the tradition is, if you can read it, you should before you give it away.  Alternate title: Sexytimes at illogical dragon school.  LHC #231: "Into the Riverlands" by Nghi Vo. Book 3. I was going through old entries looking for hints as to what might be on my library holds list, and I found book 2 of this series, and I knew book 3 must be there.  "Lady Tan's Circle of Women" by Lisa See. One of my sisters asked for it for Christmas. It was a bit gory, and I found the last section sort of tacked on, but it was quite fun.  LHC #232: "The Midnight Bargain" by C.L.Polk. Just guessing this was on my holds list. I found it stressful to start, then kind of silly. Maybe I was going too fast. Good read.  "Fifth Business&quo

In progress: December 2023

Wind/Water/Salt  Chapters 39-51:   Still n eed to take up comments and revise.  Persephone  (probably not its real name): Thought thoughts mostly.  Short Stories:  More editing strategies. I think another day or two of words and I'll call it a second draft, and start a third.  Critted  3  Got back  0    Submissions  0  Out there   0   Rejects   0 Knitting Cathar  (self). Started the month with the fair isle portion barely started. Did not progress. Braids   (self). Started  the month with just the hood and hem to go. Started the hood a few times, did not make great progress for a few weeks, then I realized what to do in conversation with Alex, and finished the hood for New Year's Eve after only four days of work.  Tiny Twists socks  (Pop socks: Colorful patterns by Knit Picks). Started the month on the heel of the first. Finished. Beady-eyed owls. Last of the Christmas socks, for this year anyway. Started and finished.  Morning Brew (Coffeehouse Knits). There's some math in

What I read: November 2023

  LHC #228:  "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline.  Office book club selection. A quick read, a little rape-y but maybe I just found it that way because it's not my lived experience.  The Toronto Public Library's website had some sort of hacking incident or something, which was great, because I can remember enough of my holds list to get the next few books, and I can't add new things to it! Considering that it was up to 94 books, this was a blessing.  LHC #229: "Jade Legacy" by Fonda Lee. The easiest thing to remember, of course, is the sequels on the list. I think I wanted something that stuck more together, this seemed a little pulled apart, across time and space, at least for the first third. The middle was awesome, and I was glad I'd kept reading. About 75-76% I was bawling my eyes out.  "Refuse to be Done" by Matt Bell.  I bought it with some credits I had at Indigo and then read most of it on TTC rides to the office. This is where