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Book a Week 2020 - BW29: A Girl's Garden

Robin M

By Robin M,
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Robin M

Robin M

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Happy Sunday, my dears!  How does your garden grow?  Our morning glory is trying to take over the birches and the laurels once again.    Our landscaper once upon a time asked the question; ‘are you sure you want three?’  He didn’t explain when we planted it, our neighbors would be sharing in the beauty and the bounty. *grin*  The lavender is popping and the peppermint is fragrant. The hummingbirds and bees happily flit from flower to flower.  And the blue jay sits on the back of the patio chair and stares at the cat through the window, teasing him once again.

 

garden.jpg

 

A Girl's Garden

By 

Robert Frost 

A neighbor of mine in the village
Likes to tell how one spring
When she was a girl on the farm, she did
A childlike thing.

One day she asked her father
To give her a garden plot
To plant and tend and reap herself,
And he said, “Why not?”

In casting about for a corner
He thought of an idle bit
Of walled-off ground where a shop had stood,
And he said, “Just it.”

And he said, “That ought to make you
An ideal one-girl farm,
And give you a chance to put some strength
On your slim-jim arm.”

It was not enough of a garden,
Her father said, to plough;
So she had to work it all by hand,
But she don’t mind now.

She wheeled the dung in the wheelbarrow
Along a stretch of road;
But she always ran away and left
Her not-nice load.

And hid from anyone passing.
And then she begged the seed.
She says she thinks she planted one
Of all things but weed.

A hill each of potatoes,
Radishes, lettuce, peas,
Tomatoes, beets, beans, pumpkins, corn,
And even fruit trees

And yes, she has long mistrusted
That a cider apple tree
In bearing there to-day is hers,
Or at least may be.

Her crop was a miscellany
When all was said and done,
A little bit of everything,
A great deal of none.

Now when she sees in the village
How village things go,
Just when it seems to come in right,
She says, “I know!

It’s as when I was a farmer——”
Oh, never by way of advice!
And she never sins by telling the tale
To the same person twice.

 

 

Link to week 28

Visit  52 Books in 52 Weeks where you can find all the information on the annual, mini and perpetual challenges, as well as share your book reviews with other readers  around the globe.

 

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Robin M

Robin M

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Good day! Currently reading Atomic Sea by Jack Connor for my 10 x 10 dragon and other fantastical creatures category.  Interesting so far

 

"War rages. The dreaded Empire of Octung has taken everything from Dr. Francis Avery. His wife. His daughter. His life. Now, serving as doctor aboard a whaling ship far out on the Atomic Sea, he pulls a mysterious woman named Layanna from the lightning-wreathed depths. Somehow she’s alive, unharmed by the toxins . . . and she knows a way to stop Octung.

Avery decides to aid her, even if it means taking on spies, monsters, enemy armies and all the terrors of a nightmarish world.

It’s been a thousand years since the terrifying Atomic Sea has grown to encompass nearly every body of salt water on the planet, killing or mutating all it touches. Its contamination has transformed the world, but the reason for the change remains unknown—except to the Empire of Octung, the country making war on the world. Somehow the Empire is connected to the source of the mystery. But how?"

 

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Robin M

Robin M

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A few links to brighten your day on the subject of gardening:

Fictional Gardeners to Spend a Rainy Day With

Gardens in Literature: Classic Books Featuring Inspiring Gardens

Favorite Garden and Flower Based Novels (so far!)

15 Novels About Gardens to Brighten Your Spring (Or summer as the case may be! *grin*

15 Literary Gardens to Explore

Best Environmental Books

Best Sustainability Nonfiction

Flowers on Covers

 

😘

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Kareni

Kareni

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Today only, a free story for Kindle readers ~

The Terrible Old Man by H. P. Lovecraft

 "The first story set in the fishing village of Kingsport, which is featured in the later works of the one of the greatest horror writers of all time.
 
It is rumored that the mysterious old man who lives alone in the small New England town was once a sea captain. It is also rumored that he is hoarding a treasure. When three robbers decide to steal it, they will encounter a bloodthirsty evil unlike any they ever imagined . . .
 
“The Terrible Old Man is the story of three career criminals looking to rob the eponymous character, an eccentric retired mariner so ancient that no one alive remembers his youth. . . . This is also the first story set in the fictional New England geography that Lovecraft will detail over the course of future writing. . . . So, what we see in these stories is Lovecraft beginning to construct the alternate world which will be the home to his most famous works, at least as much a unifying element of the author’s oeuvre as those details subsequent writers and critics have defined as the ‘Cthulhu Mythos.’ As such, The Terrible Old Man is not only an effective piece of eerie storytelling, it is also an important stepping stone in the development of a bigger Lovecraftian world.” —The Blood-Shed
 
“A piece of minimalist brushwork, with most of the narrative suggested by negative space . . . In sharp contrast to the central Mythos tales, the horror is allusive and oblique, the violence kept off-stage.” —Tor.com"

Regards,

Kareni

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Violet Crown

Violet Crown

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About 2/3 of the plants we put in during the spring established root systems well enough to survive the drought period, and one of those was the new tree, so I say A+ to the garden. The St Augustine grass is like hay ("dormant", yes that's it) but will come back. Yesterday I saw the Water Cops cruising the neighborhood -- a sure sign of summer.

Lots and lots of reading this week, all of it for homeschooling, with the only arguable "book" finished being the Brian Friel play Dancing at Lughnasa. We will watch the Meryl Streep movie based on it, because I am a conscientious homeschooler. 

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Kareni

Kareni

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I just finished Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer; I quite enjoyed this young adult novel which was a spin-off of an award winning short story.

Here's the book description:

“A pure delight...that’s as tender and funny as it is gripping and fast-paced. This book is perfect. From the believable teenage voices to the shockingly effective thriller plot, it swings effortlessly from charming humor to visceral terror, grounding it all in beautiful friendships, budding romance, and radical acceptance.” ―The New York Times

"Because her mom is always on the move, Steph hasn’t lived anyplace longer than six months. Her only constant is an online community called CatNet―a social media site where users upload cat pictures―a place she knows she is welcome. What Steph doesn’t know is that the admin of the site, CheshireCat, is a sentient A.I.

When a threat from Steph’s past catches up to her and ChesireCat’s existence is discovered by outsiders, it’s up to Steph and her friends, both online and IRL, to save her."

Here's a link to the story I mentioned above; it's free to read ~

Cat Pictures Please by NAOMI KRITZER

Regards,

Kareni

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mumto2

mumto2

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Our lawn looks great.........my hubby has had so much time to devote to it.  Never before in the history of our marriage has he even really cared about the lawn.😂. It’s been raining a great deal and he mows every few days.......

I have been busy listening to audiobooks. I finished another Psy Changling by Nalini Singh and have checked the next one out already.  I also have managed to get halfway through another Kim Harrison.  I am listening to number ten A Perfect Blood and finally feel pretty confident that I am reading completely new material.  I think I may have skipped ahead at some point in my initial reading of the series which has made my reread rather informative.  I wish I had kept a book journal for myself when the kids were little......I spent so much time recording every single thing we read together it would have been so easy to keep track of my reading!

I also finished Clockwork Samurai https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36277094-clockwork-samurai for my recently added 10 catorgory of Steampunk.....need to work on a better name. 😂  I have Justina Ireland’s second book started in her Dread Nation series https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45486444-deathless-divide.  Deathless Divide should be classed as one of my most anticipated books of the year and is pretty good so far.  It’s genre is unique,  think alternate history with zombies .....told primarily in the first person through the eyes of a young lady that I can’t help but like a lot!

I plan to pick a new book out without zombies to read before bed!

 

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Liz CA

Liz CA

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Okay, in regards to gardens...what would be a good flower / shrub on an East wall up to the house with a few hours of morning sun? Something that grows a couple feet tall and is colorful but not roses?  :)

Reading

"Why Kings Confess" by CS Harris (almost done, liked it.)

Next up is "The Black Widow" by Daniel Silva

Audio

Just finished "Murder at Astor Place" which is #1 of the Gaslight Mysteries by Victoria Thompson. Easy to listen to and entertaining.

"Murder at St. Mark's Place" by Victoria Thomspon (read by Callie Beaulieu)

 

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aggieamy

aggieamy

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19 hours ago, Robin M said:

Waving hello! The week from heck is over with general California craziness. Grateful I had an extra couple months to finish the taxes and thankful we didn't owe an arm, and a leg.  All the while fielding questions from customers calling and coming in, right and left, wondering whether we're going to shut down after Newsom changed his mind for the umpteenth time about who could and couldn't stay open. Yep, we're still open. I smile brightly, then pull on my mask,  and get a variety of responses from 'oops, I forgot, I'll be right back'  as they run back out to their car to the grumbled 'my wife made me wear one,' to those who just don't feel the need.  No problem, we have plenty.  We'll fog up our glasses together.  😁   

Lots of light reading this week and I finished up the Team Red series by T.Hammond.

Glasses fogging up is the real complaint, isn't it? It's my main complaint anyway!

And I love the topic of gardens this week. I've taken up gardening just a bit this year ... I guess it's my new Covid hobby. I've always attempted roses in the past but most of them died. This year they're doing good. It's storming out right now but when it clears up and I'll take some pictures and give you gals "a tour".

They got all the electricians at the job site tested for Covid and they were negative so we're off quarantine. Yay. It means ... nothing really. We still don't go anywhere.

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Violet Crown

Violet Crown

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16 minutes ago, aggieamy said:

Glasses fogging up is the real complaint, isn't it? It's my main complaint anyway!

And I love the topic of gardens this week. I've taken up gardening just a bit this year ... I guess it's my new Covid hobby. I've always attempted roses in the past but most of them died. This year they're doing good. It's storming out right now but when it clears up and I'll take some pictures and give you gals "a tour".

They got all the electricians at the job site tested for Covid and they were negative so we're off quarantine. Yay. It means ... nothing really. We still don't go anywhere.

Yay for negative at least! 

I was gamely persevering in gardening in the mornings and evenings when it cooled down to the low 90s, but then the city announced finding West Nile in their mosquito testing two blocks away from us. So we are all supposed to stay inside in the mosquito hours when it's bearable to be outside. So now we just furtively run the sprinklers in the wee hours when the Water Cops aren't about, and see what survives.

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Lori D.

Lori D.

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Prince of Darkness (Penman)
Finished the 4th and final book in the Queen's Man mystery/political intrigue series.

[Side note: I had to wait weeks to get my book -- it got shipped in June, only to get lost in the post office warehouse in the city 2 hours away, and it took 3 weeks to finally make that 2 hour drive to me. I almost gave up and was ready to cancel and reorder, when it finally showed up a few days ago.] 

Not as good as the first 3 books -- it felt like it was mostly a lot of riding around from place to place, with multiple Channel crossings from England to Paris, and with a repeat dungeon imprisonment scene much like in an earlier book. But there is some tying up of loose ends from the "arc" story, and there is the slight twist of the protagonist having to work for/with 2 characters who have been against him in the previous books. However, overall I really enjoyed the world of these 4 books, and the spy-intrigue aspect added to the murder mysteries.

Edited by Lori D.
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Junie

Junie

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What I read this week:

Inherit the Wind -- Maybe this would be good on stage.  Reading plays is kind of hit or miss.  This was a definite miss.

Murder with Mirrors -- The cover on my book is misleading.  Whoever created it obviously did not read the book.  The book was good -- an average Agatha Christie.

Olive's Ocean -- I'm still deciding if I like this book.  I think I do.  I'm not sure that I would have liked it when I was 12 (the age of the protagonist) and I don't feel like it's appropriate for my 12-year-old.  If you pretend that the character is 14 or 15 I could definitely get on board.

(I wanted to include all of the covers, but the vintage Agatha Christie one is huge, so I will just include this one.  And if it weren't so unique I wouldn't post this one either.)

 

 il_794xN.2334763544_bhh5.jpg 

 

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Kareni

Kareni

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Some bookish posts ~

The Romance of Victorian Fashion by Mimi Matthews

https://frolic.media/the-romance-of-victorian-fashion-by-mimi-matthews/

THE UNCANNY APPEAL OF SOLE SURVIVOR STORIES

https://crimereads.com/the-uncanny-appeal-of-sole-survivor-stories/

A.K. Larkwood Recommends Escapist Adventure Fantasy Books

https://www.tor.com/2020/05/05/a-k-larkwood-recommends-escapist-adventure-fantasy-books/

Brilliant Book Dedications

https://www.sadanduseless.com/funny-book-dedications-gallery/

Regards,

Kareni

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Negin

Negin

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I read Full Dark, No Stars - 4 Stars - This book is dark, harsh, and not for the faint of heart. I don’t usually care for horror and all the creepy, scary stuff at all, whether in books or movies. Nonetheless, King writes fabulously and reading this was the perfect remedy for temporarily getting my mind off things, such as this never-ending pandemic as well as all the recent news events.

These are four stories involving people doing horrific things to one another. The stories have an Alfred Hitchcock feel about them. I would recommend this book to any Stephen King fan.

Here are the stories and how I rate them:

1922 – 4 Stars (the most disturbing)

Big Driver – 4 Stars

Fair Extension – 4 Stars

A Good Marriage – 5 Stars (my favorite)

Here are two of my favorite quotes:

“I believe most people are essentially good. I know that I am. It's you I'm not entirely sure of.”

“We never cease wanting what we want, whether it's good for us or not.”

9781444712544.jpg

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mumto2

mumto2

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3 hours ago, Kareni said:

Free for Kindle readers ~

The Perfectly Proper Paranormal  Museum by Kirsten Weiss

Ariel: Nano Wolves 1

 

plus for $2.99, one of my favorite books (today only)

 

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison ...$2.99

Regards,

Kareni

Thank you for The Goblin Emperor........I have recently started collecting a few more owned books that could be read by everyone in the family and I don’t think my library has this one in book form on Overdrive so a perfect one to add.  I sort of feel like having a small library that can be quickly downloaded onto all devices might be handy in the future.  I have many kindle books but many of the classics have poor formatting and some modern easy reads that aren’t romances are probably needed. 

 I was plesantly surprised to learn that my son has been reading fiction.........he is just finishing up The Brothers Karamozau and isn’t hugely impressed but ticked a box.  He is picking off a list he found ...... He had format/translation complaints off Gutenberg and I explained we could probably have found a better translation via a library.  He is telling me War and Peace is next with a wink because he remembers me reading it and finding the battle scenes boring!  I am sure I will hear about the next book at some point.

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melmichigan

melmichigan

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I finished the Consortium Rebellion Series by Jessie Mihalik.  It hit the spot this week and kept me nicely distracted.  I'm currently reading Shifting Dreams, #1 in the Cambio Springs Series by Elizabeth Hunter.

I'm doing my best to keep myself distracted as we're doing the covid dance again waiting on DH's coworkers test results.  Anyway, if there are any more space opera suggestions those seem to be working well to take my mind off things.  TIA!

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mumto2

mumto2

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33 minutes ago, melmichigan said:

I finished the Consortium Rebellion Series by Jessie Mihalik.  It hit the spot this week and kept me nicely distracted.  I'm currently reading Shifting Dreams, #1 in the Cambio Springs Series by Elizabeth Hunter.

I'm doing my best to keep myself distracted as we're doing the covid dance again waiting on DH's coworkers test results.  Anyway, if there are any more space opera suggestions those seem to be working well to take my mind off things.  TIA!

Hugs!  I have a couple of Space Opera ideas.

I thought A Pale Light in the Black was pretty good https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43697435-a-pale-light-in-the-black 

I am currently reading Finder https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40796392-finder which was recommended by one of the Linesman authors in an interview.  I am only a quarter of the way through but it has potential to be really good.  Dd is further along and likes it too.

 

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Kareni

Kareni

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57 minutes ago, melmichigan said:

if there are any more space opera suggestions those seem to be working well to take my mind off things.

Books by Becky Chambers

The Vorkosigan books by Lois McMaster Bujold

Honor Harrington series by David Weber (I've read the first eight or so)

Liaden Universe series by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (I've read several)

Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach

Nathan Lowell's Solar Clipper series (I've read the first few)

 

Not space opera, but sci-fi romance ... Michelle Diener's Dark Horse

Not space opera, but fantasy ....  The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Regards,

Kareni

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Kareni

Kareni

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This evening I finished Repeat by Kylie Scott; this is a contemporary romance with a heroine who has amnesia. I enjoyed it. (Adult content)

 "When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she's forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did - which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.

Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can't seem to let her go again. Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?"

Regards,

Kareni

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Negin

Negin

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3 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I have lost my attention span again and am struggling with staying on a book for more than 5 minutes. Does anyone have suggestions besides a proxy blocker, lol? 

Sorry, no suggestions. It's so annoying when that happens. 

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aggieamy

aggieamy

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16 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Thank you for The Goblin Emperor........I have recently started collecting a few more owned books that could be read by everyone in the family and I don’t think my library has this one in book form on Overdrive so a perfect one to add.  I sort of feel like having a small library that can be quickly downloaded onto all devices might be handy in the future.  I have many kindle books but many of the classics have poor formatting and some modern easy reads that aren’t romances are probably needed. 

 I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my son has been reading fiction.........he is just finishing up The Brothers Karamozau and isn’t hugely impressed but ticked a box.  He is picking off a list he found ...... He had format/translation complaints off Gutenberg and I explained we could probably have found a better translation via a library.  He is telling me War and Peace is next with a wink because he remembers me reading it and finding the battle scenes boring!  I am sure I will hear about the next book at some point.

I remember that too! I suspect he might enjoy the battle scenes more than his mum did. 

10 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I have lost my attention span again and am struggling with staying on a book for more than 5 minutes. Does anyone have suggestions besides a proxy blocker, lol? 

Pick up an old favorite. Something easy to read. Sometimes I even raid my kids shelves if I need to reboot my reading attention span and get something I know I'll love. Two of my favorites are Secret Garden and Harry Potter. 

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mumto2

mumto2

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10 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I have lost my attention span again and am struggling with staying on a book for more than 5 minutes. Does anyone have suggestions besides a proxy blocker, lol? 

It is so hard right now to keep myself from getting lost in an endless rabbit trail of stuff that I don’t necessarily even want, need, or care about.  At the moment I seem to be finding my way back to a sort of reading normal by keeping a stash of lighter books on hand.  I am abandoning books quicker if they don’t hold my interest because that just increases the rabbit trails.  I am reading a great deal of romantic suspense which has always been  my favorite escape genre.  

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Kareni

Kareni

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10 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

I have lost my attention span again and am struggling with staying on a book for more than 5 minutes. Does anyone have suggestions besides a proxy blocker, lol? 

Chocolate?

I'll second @aggieamy's suggestion of reading an old favorite. Alternatively try a collection of short pieces (stories or essays).

Regards,

Kareni

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Kareni

Kareni

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A limited time offer for a free book from Tor.com ~

This Week’s Tor.com eBook Club Selection is...

SILVER IN THE WOOD
by
Emily Tesh
 

 
There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.

When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.
 

Regards,

Kareni

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Kareni

Kareni

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Today only, free for Kindle readers ~

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

 "An origin story nearly as famous as the book itself: One dreary summer on the shores of Lake Geneva, amid discussions of galvanism and the occult and fireside readings from a collection of German ghost stories, Lord Byron proposed a game. Each of his guests—eighteen-year-old Mary Godwin and her future husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, among them—would try their hand at writing a tale of the supernatural. Unable at first to think of a plot, Mary was visited one sleepless night by the terrible vision of a corpse, a “hideous phantasm of a man,” lurching to life with the application of some unknown, powerful force. The man responsible, a “pale student of unhallowed arts,” fled in horror from his creation, leaving it to return to the dead matter from which it had been born. But the monster did not die. It followed the man to his bedside, where it stood watching him with “yellow, watery, but speculative eyes”—eyes of one who thought, and felt. 
The novel that Mary Shelley would go on to publish, the legend of Victor Frankenstein and his unholy creation, and their obsessive, murderous pursuit of each other from Switzerland to the North Pole, has been the stuff of nightmares for nearly two centuries. A masterpiece of Romantic literature, it is also one of the most enduring horror stories ever written. "

Regards,

Kareni

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melmichigan

melmichigan

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Posted (edited)
15 hours ago, Kareni said:

This evening I finished Repeat by Kylie Scott; this is a contemporary romance with a heroine who has amnesia. I enjoyed it. (Adult content)

 "When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she's forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did - which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.

Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can't seem to let her go again. Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?"

Regards,

Kareni

I read the Stage Dive Series years ago and enjoyed it, but the the next book or two after seemed a little off the rails for me.  I downloaded Repeat to try again.

I also downloaded Finder and The Dreaming Void to my hoopla app.  

Edited by melmichigan
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Kareni

Kareni

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1 hour ago, melmichigan said:

I read the Stage Dive Series years ago and enjoyed it, but the the next book or two after seemed a little off the rails for me.  I downloaded Repeat to try again.

I liked Repeat better than some of the Stage Dive series; I hope you'll enjoy it.

Regards,

Kareni

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mumto2

mumto2

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5 hours ago, Kareni said:

A few more free books for Kindle readers ~

Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

Good Guy (A Rookie Rebels Novel)

Greenwode (The Books of the Wode Book 1)

An Indecent Invitation (Spies and Lovers Book 1)

Regards,

Kareni

Pretty sure the Greenwode book is by an author I showed around Robin Hood country several years ago.  I have her book physically someplace but never read it but think the cover looks right.  She was extremely enthusiastic and loved history........

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Kareni

Kareni

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17 hours ago, mumto2 said:

Pretty sure the Greenwode book is by an author I showed around Robin Hood country several years ago.  I have her book physically someplace but never read it but think the cover looks right.  She was extremely enthusiastic and loved history........

How very neat, mumto2. How did this come to pass? Were you often a tour guide to visiting authors?

Regards,

Kareni

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Kareni

Kareni

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Some bookish posts ~

From SBTB: BOOK REVIEW Tam Lin by Pamela Dean

https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/tam-lin-by-pamela-dean/

CRIME BOOKS SET IN TOURIST TOWNS

https://crimereads.com/crime-books-set-in-tourist-towns/

From reddit:  International literature: what are the authors from your country you love the most?

https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/h7y2j8/international_literature_what_are_the_authors/

From reddit (asking for fantasy recommendations): For parents of precocious tweens

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/hgl4ai/for_parents_of_precocious_tweens/

Regards,

Kareni

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Kareni

Kareni

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Last night I finished Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall; this book had some truly funny dialogue and I laughed a lot. The language is also very British. I could see rereading this.

 "Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way

Luc O'Donnell is tangentially—and reluctantly—famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.

To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.

But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don't ever want to let them go. "

Regards,

Kareni

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mumto2

mumto2

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3 hours ago, Kareni said:

How very neat, mumto2. How did this come to pass? Were you often a tour guide to visiting authors?

Regards,

Kareni

Only that one time.........The village librarian fixed her up with me because she thought I would be the best tour guide for an American author 😂 plus she knew with home ed I had pretty much obsessed about locations and could give instructions the author could follow.......how to get there and where to park.  She had a rental car and I had kids/home Ed.........so I didn’t spend days with her, I did take her up the tower for bells etc.

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Kareni

Kareni

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1 hour ago, mumto2 said:

Only that one time.........The village librarian fixed her up with me because she thought I would be the best tour guide for an American author 😂 ...

A high compliment! Thanks for elaborating.

Regards,

Kareni

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Robin M

Robin M

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Howdy, just finished a dragons and other fantastical Creatures read (10 x 10)  which totally sucked me in and I thoroughly enjoyed it - Seraphina by Rachel Hartman.

"In the kingdom of Goredd, dragons and humans live and work side by side – while below the surface, tensions and hostility simmer.

The newest member of the royal court, a uniquely gifted musician named Seraphina, holds a deep secret of her own. One that she guards with all of her being.

When a member of the royal family is brutally murdered, Seraphina is drawn into the investigation alongside the dangerously perceptive—and dashing—Prince Lucien. But as the two uncover a sinister plot to destroy the wavering peace of the kingdom, Seraphina’s struggle to protect her secret becomes increasingly difficult… while its discovery could mean her very life."

Atomic Sea is a bit too dark,  so not sure I'm going to make it through. Much the same as The City in the Middle of the Night.  Not in the mood for depressing atmospheres and depressing characters. 

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Kareni

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26 minutes ago, Robin M said:

Howdy, just finished a dragons and other fantastical Creatures read (10 x 10)  which totally sucked me in and I thoroughly enjoyed it - Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

My husband and I listened to Seraphina on a long car trip. I found it a pleasant book; however, my husband so liked it that he asked for the sequel for Christmas. He read and enjoyed that one, too.

Regards,

Kareni

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Robin M

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On 7/19/2020 at 1:15 PM, mumto2 said:

I also finished Clockwork Samurai https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36277094-clockwork-samurai for my recently added 10 catorgory of Steampunk.....need to work on a better name. 😂

I'll have to check it out.  I named 10 x 10 steampunk - Clocks and Corsets. 

 

On 7/19/2020 at 2:08 PM, Liz CA said:

Okay, in regards to gardens...what would be a good flower / shrub on an East wall up to the house with a few hours of morning sun? Something that grows a couple feet tall and is colorful but not roses?  🙂

I don't like roses either as I'm allergic.  Sage, hyacinth, Larkspur, sage, veronica spicata are all good.

 

On 7/19/2020 at 2:49 PM, aggieamy said:

Glasses fogging up is the real complaint, isn't it? It's my main complaint anyway!

And I love the topic of gardens this week. I've taken up gardening just a bit this year ... I guess it's my new Covid hobby. I've always attempted roses in the past but most of them died. This year they're doing good. It's storming out right now but when it clears up and I'll take some pictures and give you gals "a tour".

They got all the electricians at the job site tested for Covid and they were negative so we're off quarantine. Yay. It means ... nothing really. We still don't go anywhere.

Glad to hear hubby was able to get tested.  I know, besides work and the grocery store, we aren't going anywhere. Would love a picture of your roses.  One of our neighbors down the street is a gardener and his whole front yard is taken up by rose bushes. He cuts them back every year when they go dormant and then boom, blossoms in the summer. Can't even see his house. 

On 7/19/2020 at 3:09 PM, Violet Crown said:

I was gamely persevering in gardening in the mornings and evenings when it cooled down to the low 90s, but then the city announced finding West Nile in their mosquito testing two blocks away from us. So we are all supposed to stay inside in the mosquito hours when it's bearable to be outside. So now we just furtively run the sprinklers in the wee hours when the Water Cops aren't about, and see what survives.

Oh my. Do they let you know the days the plans are flying over and misting or just telling you to stay inside?   Yep, we furtively run our sprinklers at 4:30 a.m. ever since the drought police told us we could only run them on odd days.  When the heat hits honey, I'm gonna run my sprinklers. I like my green lawn, thank you.

 

On 7/20/2020 at 3:45 PM, mumto2 said:

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that my son has been reading fiction.........he is just finishing up The Brothers Karamozau and isn’t hugely impressed but ticked a box.  He is picking off a list he found ...... He had format/translation complaints off Gutenberg and I explained we could probably have found a better translation via a library.  He is telling me War and Peace is next with a wink because he remembers me reading it and finding the battle scenes boring!  I am sure I will hear about the next book at some point.

Woohoo! I thoroughly enjoyed War and Peace. I'll see if I can find my copy in the garage this weekend and forward it on.

 

On 7/20/2020 at 7:46 PM, melmichigan said:

I finished the Consortium Rebellion Series by Jessie Mihalik.  It hit the spot this week and kept me nicely distracted.  I'm currently reading Shifting Dreams, #1 in the Cambio Springs Series by Elizabeth Hunter.

  Glad you enjoyed it. I liked it enough to go in the reread column. 

 

On 7/20/2020 at 7:46 PM, melmichigan said:

I'm doing my best to keep myself distracted as we're doing the covid dance again waiting on DH's coworkers test results.  Anyway, if there are any more space opera suggestions those seem to be working well to take my mind off things.  TIA!

Fingers crossed tests come out positive.  

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Robin M

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1 minute ago, Kareni said:

My husband and I listened to Seraphina on a long car trip. I found it a pleasant book; however, my husband so liked it that he asked for the sequel for Christmas. He read and enjoyed that one, too.

Regards,

Kareni

Yes, I'm reading Shadow Scale now. 🙂

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