karenmarie's 17th year in the 75ers - part IV

Welcome to my fourth thread of 2024

Six ways to describe me and books: bibliolater, bibliomaniac, bibliophile, lectiophiliac, bookworm (still a bookworm, because Jenna and Bill got me this bookworm for Christmas one year), and thanks to Janet, Book Dragon!

lizzied, Peggy, recently wrote “If I’m kind, I’ll get the day I deserve.” I’m going to try to implement that. No guarantees, but I may get through an hour or two before snark and unhappiness overcome my desire to be a better person.

I found an old post-it note recently, and love the quote: ‘She is currently lost to her better self.’ – Daniel Mallory Ortberg in Slate’s Dear Prudence column

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The Good: Family, friends, kitties, books, in constantly-rotating order. Jenna has de-facto moved in with her girlfriend. I miss having her here.

The Bad and the Sad: From the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Doomsday Clock. This information was published in January of this year when the clock was set to 90 seconds before midnight, apocalypse. 90 seconds is the shortest time to apocalypse since the clock was created in 1945.

A moment of historic danger: It is still 90 seconds to midnight

Ominous trends continue to point the world toward global catastrophe. The war in Ukraine and the widespread and growing reliance on nuclear weapons increase the risk of nuclear escalation. China, Russia, and the United States are all spending huge sums to expand or modernize their nuclear arsenals, adding to the ever-present danger of nuclear war through mistake or miscalculation.

In 2023, Earth experienced its hottest year on record, and massive floods, wildfires, and other climate-related disasters affected millions of people around the world. Meanwhile, rapid and worrisome developments in the life sciences and other disruptive technologies accelerated, while governments made only feeble efforts to control them.

Covid reared its ugly head in February and my right knee replacement surgery replacement had to be postponed. I’m avoiding crowds and wearing masks in anticipation of actually getting the rescheduled surgery on May 2nd. Pre-op appointments are out of the way - again - since they have to be within 30 days of surgery.

The Ugly: The Gang of Psychos is the ugliest thing going on in this country right now. Vicious, evil people in power with a pseudo-Christian agenda that does not come close to following the Christianity they profess but profane.

I’m almost 71. I think “How did I get to be old?”

I read and am a charter member of the Redbud and Beyond Book Club, started in 1997. Here are the last books of the 2023-2024 book club year. Can’t envision even starting either, although I can see both on the shelf behind me.

Apr 24 - The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash.
May 24 - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

I have been married to Bill for almost 33 years and am mother to Jenna, who turned 30 last August. It’s back to the two of us on 8 acres in central NC with 3 kitties and a daughter 40 minutes away.

Inara – 16 3/4. She’s deaf as a post and needy. Zoe – 5. She’s the most agile of our kitties. That's a headboard she's perched on. Wash – 4. Our derp boy. He startles easily, spooks easily, and frequently sees bugs in places where there are no bugs in this dimension, but he’s so sweet.
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Taken in February of 2016, very early spring from down the hill. Our house and barns.
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My goal last year was 75 books, based on what I thought would be a tough reading year because of my health. Ha. I read 393 books, mostly on my Kindle, mostly using Kindle Unlimited. They were, as my daughter calls them, smut, and my friend Karen in Montana calls them, porn. *shrugs* I still really, really enjoy reading this subgenre of contemporary fiction/romance and will continue until it no longer interests me. It’s getting more challenging to find books as I’ve refined my targeted trope(s), but I’ve become a great detective. This coming year’s goal is 150 based on still reading smut. I haven’t made the goal higher because of my knee replacement surgery, and as I recall from last year, the first month following surgery was not much reading. However, I’ve already read 144 books.
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Express gratitude for what I have - family, friends, intangibles and tangibles - every day.
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2024. Most of the rest of the year will be my recovery from right knee replacement surgery, without Jenna living at home but close by. The new normal for Covid will, I hope, be continued vigilance and an eventual regimen of yearly vaccines as we do with flu. With politics, who knows, but I hope the Democrats continue to keep the Gang of Psychos in check as much as possible and the world does not implode. I’m assiduously avoiding the news.

read - 393 last year

1. Just a Bit Wrecked by Alessandra Hazard 12/31/23 1/1/24 205 pages Kindle Logan and Andrew Straight Guys 11 2020
2. Just a Bit Captivated by Alessandra Hazard 1/1/24 1/1/24 239 pages Kindle Aiden and Zain Straight Guys 14 2023
3. Tell No One by Barbara Elsborg 1/1/24 1/2/24 280 pages Kindle Tag and Delaney 2022
4. The Making of Jonty Bloom by Barbara Elsborg 1/2/24 1/3/24 383 pages Kindle Jonty and Devan Unfinished Business 1 2020
5. Reinventing Cato by Barbara Elsborg 1/3/24 1/4/24 327 pages Kindle Cato and Vigge Unfinished Business 3 2021
6. Waiting for Ru by Barbara Elsborg 1/4/24 1/5/24 352 pages Kindle Ru and Jasim Unfinished Business 4 2021
**abandoned Brave for You by Crystal Lacy** 166 pages
7. Fairy Tales for Angry Little Girls by Lela Lee 1/5/24 1/6/24 168 pages Hardcover
8. Falling by Barbara Elsborg 1/5/24 1/6/24 333 pages Kindle Malachi and Harper Fall and Break 1 2017
9. Breaking by Barbara Elsborg 1/6/24 1/7/24 333 pages Kindle Archer and Conrad Fall and Break 2 2017
10. He's the One by Barbara Elsborg 1/7/24 1/8/24 377 pages Kindle Col and Theo Fate We Make 1 2023
11. Hold On by Barbara Elsborg 1/8/24 1/9/24 322 pages Kindle Dominic and Ren Fate We Make 2 2023
12. This is Real by Barbara Elsborg 1/9/24 1/9/24 262 pages Kindle Murdo and Lukas 2022
13. Edge of Forever by Barbara Elsborg 1/10/24 1/11/24 348 pages Kindle Pasha and Levi 2018
14. Zeke's Wood by Barbara Elsborg 1/11/24 1/11/24 68 pages Kindle Zeke and Gideon 2017
15. With Or Without Him by Barbara Elsborg 1/11/24 1/12/24 306 pages Kindle Haris and Tyler 2017
16. Drawn In by Barbara Elsborg 1/12/24 1/13/24 335 pages Kindle Kell and Gethin 2016
17. Cowboys Down by Barbara Elsborg 1/13/24 1/14/24 287 pages Kindle Jasper and Calum 2017
18. Give Yourself Away by Barbara Elsborg 1/14/24 1/15/24 353 pages Kindle March and Caleb 2017
19. Every Move He Makes by Barbara Elsborg 1/15/24 1/16/24 277 pages Kindle Logan and Zak 2017
20. Dirty Games by Barbara Elsborg 1/16/24 1/17/24 346 pages Kindle Linton and Thorne 2017
21. Where Forever Started by Barbara Elsborg 1/17/24 1/18/24 Kindle Barney and Raf 2017
22. The Bastard and the Heir by Eden Finley and Saxon James 1/19/24 /1/19/24 337 pages Kindle Darcy and Wren 2024
**abandoned The Fake Boyfriends Debacle by Hayden Hall** 79 pages
**abandoned In The Gray by Christina Lee** 140 pages
23. A Wedding in a Week by Con Riley 1/19/24 1/20/24 292 pages Kindle Marc and Stef 2023
24. Assassins Are People Too by S. C. Wynne 1/20/24 1/21/24 133 pages Kindle Marc and Dillon Assassins in Love Series 1 2019
25. Assassins Love People Too by S. C. Wynne 1/21/24 1/21/24 131 pages Kindle Marc and Dillon Assassins in Love Series 2 2019
26. Assassins Save People Too by S. C. Wynne 1/21/24 1/21/24 122 pages Kindle Marc and Dillon Assassins in Love Series 3 2019
**abandoned Love Me Again by Max Walker** 70 pages
27. Crashing Upwards by S.C. Wynne 1/21/24 1/22/24 314 pages Kindle Harper and Sam 2018
28. His Death Bringer by Courtney W. Dixon 1/22/24 1/23/24 316 pages Kindle Luca and Dante The District 1 2023
29. Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen read by Arte Johnson 12/31/23 1/23/24 11.5 hours audiobook
30. Keeping It Casual by Jax Calder 1/23/24 1/23/24 140 pages Kindle Dustin and Jeremy 2023
31. The Anonymous Hookup 1/23/24 1/24/24 121 pages Kindle Lane and Sam 2022
**abandoned Love is Blind by S.C. Wynne** 30 pages
**abandoned Head Over Feels by Bix Barrow** 284 pages
32. The Mission by Barbara Elsborg 1/24/24 1/25/24 146 pages Kindle Conrad and Arlo 2023
33. A Spaceman Came Traveling by Barbara Elsborg 1/25/24 1/25/24 62 pages Kindle Seven and Cooper 2023
34. Trapped for the Holidays by Courtney W. Dixon 1/25/24 1/25/24 98 pages Kindle Rhett and Patrick 2023
**abandoned Return by Fire by Tracey Jerald** 34 pages
**abandoned Stix & Stones by Courtney W. Dixon** 191 pages
35. Anticipating Disaster by Silvia Violet 1/26/24 1/26/24 248 pages Kindle David and Oliver Anticipation 1 2019
36. His To Own by Leo Rivers 1/26/24 1/27/24 151 pages Kindle Rowan and Zane Heart of Thornes 1 2023
37. Mine to Claim by E.V. Olsen 1/27/24 1/27/24 Kindle Rex and Devon Wasteland Temptations 1 2023
38. Mine to Protect by E.V. Olsen 1/27/24 1/28/24 62 pages Kindle Rex and Devon Wasteland Temptations 2 2023
39. His to Break by E.V. Olsen 1/28/24 1/28/24 51 pages Kindle Mac and Cal Wasteland Temptations 3 2024
40. Nixon by Laura John 1/28/24 1/28/24 238 pages Kindle Dante and Nixon Hunter Security 1 2023
41. Kissing in the Snow by Laura John 1/29/24 1/29/24 101 pages Kindle Dane and Ryan related to Sentinel Protection Duology 1 2021
42. Damaged Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 1/29/24 1/29/24 399 pages Kindle Maximoff and Farrow Like Us 1 2017
43. The Plus-One Entanglement by Paulina Ian-Kane 1/29/24 1/30/24 127 pages Kindle Asher and Jordan Love After Forty 1 2023
**abandoned One by Paulina Ian-Kane** 197 pages
44. His Mafia Prince by Leo Rivers 1/30/24 1/31/24 133 pages Kindle Angelo and Sebastian Toscano Doms 1 2023
45. The Billionaire's Rival by Silvia Violet 1/31/24 1/31/24 276 pages Kindle Ford and Jay Bad Boy Billionaires 2 2023
46. True North by C.E. Kilgore 1/31/24 1/31/24 57 pages Kindle Chris and Joshua Hearts Compass 1 2015
47. Down South by C.E. Kilgore 1/31/24 1/31/24 61 pages Kindle Gabe and Liam Hearts Compass 3 2015
48. Back East by C.E. Kilgore 1/31/24 2/1/24 57 pages Kindle Eli and David Hearts Compass 2 2015
49. Out West by C.E. Kilgore 2/1/24 2/1/24 62 pages Kindle Alex and Mateo Hearts Compass 4 2015
50. Objectified by C.E. Kilgore 2/1/24 2/1/24 48 pages Kindle Zane and Tyler 2015
51. Shades by Jaime Reese 2/1/24 2/3/24 340 pages Kindle Killian and Nick 2018
52. Grayson Ryder: A Thief's Thrill by M.L. Giles 2/3/24 2/3/24 244 pages Kindle Grayson and Colson Grayson Ryder 1 2018
53. Just Friends by Tina Kove 2/4/24 2/4/24 159 pages Kindle Ben and Tarjei 2020
54. Love and Moonlight by Killian Ford 2/4/24 2/24 177 pages Kindle Jax and Victor 2023
55. The Escape: Soren's Saga by Nicky James 2/4/24 2/25/24 291 pages Kindle Soren and Remy Healing Hearts 3 2017
56. A Day Makes by Mary Calmes 2/5/24 2/6/24 236 pages Kindle Ceaton and Brin The Vault 1 2021
57. Not What It Seems by Nicky James 2/6/24 2/7/24 442 pages Kindle Cyrus and River 2021
58. Cravings of the Heart by Nicky James 2/7/24 2/7/24 298 pages Kindle Arden and Iggy Trials of Fear 6 2019
59. Accidentally August by E.M. Denning 2/7/24 2/7/24 191 pages Kindle August and Crispin Walking Disaster 1 2023
60. As Much As I Try by Erica Montrose 2/8/24 2/9/24 208 pages Kindle Edwin and Liam 2022
61. Oliver by E.M. Denning 2/9/24 2/10/24 195 pages Kindle Oliver and Jordan Walking Disaster 2 2023
62. Last First Kiss by E.M. Denning 2/10/24 2/10/24 201 pages pages Kindle Logan and Ezra 2021
**abandoned Murder Husbands by E.M. Denning** 96 pages
**abandoned Dario: Wicked Legacies by Victoria Sue** 146 pages
63. Mafia Target by Mila Finelli 2/12/24 2/13/24 301 pages Kindle Giulio and Alessio Kings of Italy 4 2023
64. Afogato by E.M. Lindsey 2/13/24 2/13/24 262 pages Kindle Caleb and Bodhi Brew Biz 1 2023
65. Most Of You by E.M. Lindsey 2/13/24 2/16/24 280 pages Kindle Emil and Renzo The Beginning of Always 2 2023
**The Kidnapping of Roan Sinclair by Ashlyn Drewek** 131 pages
66. The Dotted Line by Claire Cullen 2/16/24/ 2/16/24 121 pages Kindle Benn and Leo Tangled Gentry 1 2017
67. Branded by Roelle Denning 2/16/24 2/16/24 277 pages Kindle Declan and Remi Allies 1 2023
68. Stepbrother Dearest by Willow Dixon 2/17/24 2/17/24 314 pages Kindle Caleb and Gray Crimson Club 1 2023
69. Fakers With Benefits by Willow Dixon 2/17/24 2/18/24 330 pages Kindle Caleb and Gray Crimson Club 2 2023
70. Surviving the Break by C.P. Harris 2/18/24 2/19/24 289 pages Kindle Max and Ash Chadwick 2 2020
**abandoned Staking His Claim by Ki Brightly and M.D. Gregory** 135 pages
**abandoned The Former Assassin's Guide to Snagging a Reluctant Boyfriend by Alice Winters** 96 pages
71. Reindeer Games by N.R. Walker 2/20/23 2/20/23 157 pages Kindle Leif and Russ Ace's Wild 6 2019
72. Nuts by S.E. Jakes and Stephanie Tyler 2/20/24 2/20/24 90 pages Kindle Preston and Jagger Ace's Wild 2 2019
73. Reunion by Neve Wilder 2/20/24 2/20/24 132 pages Kindle Cole and Dane Ace's Wild 7 2019
74. The Good Liar by C.P. Harris 2/20/24 2/21/24 346 pages Kindle Cole and Jasper Infidelity 1 2023
75. The Boss's Boy by Aja Foxx 2/22/24 2/22/24 379 pages Kindle Dmitri and Eiji Mafia Mayhem 2 2023
76. Love Language by Jax Calder 2/22/24 2/22/24 59 pages Kindle Ash and Dominic 2024
77. The Fishermen by C.P. Harris 2/23/24 2/24/22 474 pages Kindle Leland and Franklin Infidelity 2 2023
78. Want You Still by C.E. Ricci and Marley Valentine 2/24/24 2/25/24 366 pages Kindle Kindle Will and Pierce 2024
**abandoned The Way We Hate by Myka Loren** 196 pages
79. The Truth of Loving You by Heather Leighson 2/25/24 2/26/24 383 pages Kindle Cole and Shane Unframed Art MM Romance 1 2023
80. You Have Arrived At Your Destination by Amor Towles 2/27/24 2/27/24 50 pages Kindle 2019
81. Crankshaft by K.M. Neuhold 2/26/24 2/27/24 245 pages Kindle Porter and Steele Big Bull Mechanics 1 2022
**Fool's Gold by J.V. Speyer** 99 pages
82. Rhythmic Bliss by Leigh Jarrett 2/27/24 2/27/24 140 pages Kindle Lucas and Nick LJ M/M/ romance 7 2023
83. From the Ground Up by Harper Robson 2/27/24 2/27/24 263 pages Kindle Mason and Jackson Hot Dam Homes 1 2022
84. Falling for Raine by Lane Hayes 2/27/24 2/28/24 208 pages Kindle Raine and Graham 2024
**abandoned Dearly & Deviant Daniel by L.A. Kaye** 159 pages
85. Lovers Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 2/28/24 2/29/24 467 pages Kindle Maximoff and Farrow Like Us 2 2017
**abandoned Dearly Deviant Daniel by L.A. Kaye** 159 pages
86. Alphas Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 2/29/24 3/1/24 488 pages Kindle Maximoff and Farrow Like Us 3 2018
87. Tangled Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/1/24 3/1/24 483 pages Kindle Jane and Thatcher Like Us 4 2019
88. Sinful Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/1/24 3/2/24 501 pages Kindle Jane and Thatcher Like Us 5 2019
89. Headstrong Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/2/24 3/3/24 468 pages Kindle Maximoff and Farrow Like Us 6 2019
90. Charming Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/3/24 3/4/24 499 pages Kindle Oscar and Jack Like Us 7 2020
91. Wild Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/5/24 3/5/24 498 pages Kindle Akara, Banks, and Sulli Like Us 8 2020
92. Fearless Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/5/24 3/6/24 587 pages Kindle Akara, Banks, and Sulli Like Us 9 2021
93. Infamous Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/6/24 3/7/24 587 pages Kindle Akara, Banks, and Sulli Like Us 10 2021
94. Misfits Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/7/24 3/8/24 464 pages Kindle Luna and Donnelly Like Us 11 2022
95. Unlucky Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/8/24 3/9/24 588 pages Kindle Luna and Donnelly Like Us 12 2023
96. Nobody Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/9/24 3/10/24 812 pages Kindle Luna and Donnelly Like Us 13 2024
97. Damaged Like Us 3/11/24 3/11/24 399 pages Kindle **reread** Maximoff and Farrow Like Us 1 2017
98. A Bit of Rough by Laura Baumbach 3/13/24 3/13/24 217 pages Kindle Rough Series Book 1 2007
99. Lovers Like Us 3/11/24 3/14/24 466 pages Kindle **reread** Maximoff and Farrow Like Us 2 2017
100. Fire and Sand by Louise Collins 3/14/24 3/14/24 108 pages Kindle Jake & Maddox Adrenaline Jake 3 2018
101. Guns and Shadows by Louise Collins 3/14/24 3/14/24 130 pages Kindle Jake & Maddox Adrenaline Jake 4 2018
102. Diamond in the Rough by Louise Collins 3/14/24 3/14/24 207 pages Kindle Jake & Maddox Adrenaline Jake 5 2019
103. #20DaystoLA by Tanya Chris 3/14/24 3/15/24 252 pages Braxton and Craig 2020
**abandoned Kept in the Dark by Charlie Cochet** 137 pages
104. Stealing the Silver Fox by Daniel May 3/15/24 3/16/24 170 pages Kindle Ezra and Tony Obsessed With Him 3 2023
105. No Angel by Daniel May 3/16/24 3/16/24 194 pages Kindle Enzo and Hill Obsessed With Him 4 2024
106. Christmas With The Billionaire by Amber Ridge 3/16/24 3/16/24 58 pages Kindle Wyatt and Drake Boy Next Door 5 2015
**abandoned My Chaos, His Calm by Romeo Alexander** 65 pages
107. My Brother's Best Friend by Aiden Bates and Ali Lyda 3/16/24 3/17/24 258 pages Kindle Jamie and Nico Caldwell Brothers 1 2020
**abandoned Touch and Go by Aiden Bates** 177 pages
**abandoned Alphas Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 73 pages
108. The Flirty Vet by Casey Cox 3/17/24 3/18/24 401 pages Kindle Col and Wilby Vet Shop Boys Down Under 1 2024
109. Runaway by Casey Cox 3/18/24 3/19/24 260 pages Kindle Conrad and Jedfire Escape 2 2021
110. Conversation Hearts by Avon Gale 3/19/24 3/19/24 28 page short story Kindle Sinjin and Levi 2019
111. Learning to Feel by N.R. Walker 3/19/24 3/19/24 252 pages Kindle Nathan and Trent 2015
112. Old Acquaintance by Avon Gale 3/19/24 3/19/24 31 pages Kindle Andrew and Elias 2019
113. The Revenge Agenda by Saxon James 3/19/24 3/20/24 276 pages Kindle Rush and Hunter Accidental Love 3 2024
114. Alaskan Thunder by Nando Gray 3/20/24 3/21/24 104 pages Calvin and Zayne 2024
115. Without You by Marley Valentine 3/21/24 3/21/24 290 pages Kindle Deacon and Julian 2020
116. In the Eye of the Beholder by Dianna Roman 3/21/24 3/22/24 387 pages Kindle Daniel and Eric 2023
117. The Gentleman by Dianna Roman 3/22/24 3/23/24 257 pages Kindle Cameron and Pete 2024
118. You Again by Dianna Roman 3/23/24 3/24/25 262 pages Kindle Johnny and Aiden Men of Olympus 1 2022
119. A Minute More by Cora Rose 3/25/24 3/25/24 210 pages Kindle Wesley and Simon Timeless 1 2023
**abandoned Say I Do by Brea Alepoú and Skyler Snow** 170 pages
**abandoned Blu, My Protector by RS McKenzie** 156 pages
120. The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman 1/26/24 3/27/24 15.5 hours audio book 2005
121. Hot Mess by Misha Horne 3/26/24 3/27/24 309 pages Kindle London and Erik 2020
122. Little Demon in the Details by Nordika Night 3/27/24 3/29/24 376 pages Kindle Blake and Mercer 2023
123. The Caretaker by C.P. Harris 3/29/24 3/29/24 265 pages Kindle Noon and Solace Infidelity 3 2024
124. Bad Boy by Emma Alcott 3/29/24 3/30/24 398 pages Kindle Colton and Russ Masters of Romance 1 2021
**abandoned Sweet Thing by Emma Alcott** 121 pages
**abandoned Picture Love by A.F. Zoelle** 149 pages
125. Wedding Bells by Peter Styles and J.P. Oliver 3/31/24 4/2/24 Kindle Sebastian and Matt Finding Shore 3 2018
126. Endless Stretch of Blue by Riley Hart 4/2/24 4/3/24 253 pages Kindle Enzo and Damon 2019
**abandoned Boss of Attraction by Kimberly Knight and Rachel Lyn Adams ** 51 pages
**Losing Control by Riley Hart Ben and Dante Broken Pieces 3 2015**48 pages
127. Monopolize Me by Evie Noir 4/4/24 4/5/24 468 pages Kindle Dakota and Lirio The New York Series 1 2020
128. Monopolize You by Evie Noir 4/5/24 4/6/24 479 pages Kindle Dakota and Lirio The New York Series 2 2021
129. The Secret Lives of CEOs by Joey Mayble 4/6/24 4/6/24 197 pages Kindle Max and Cameron Gay Awakenings 2
130. Monopolize Us by Evie Noir 4/7/24 4/9/24 499 pages Kindle Dakota and Lirio The New York Series 3 2022
131. Unforgettable by Marley Valentine 4/8/24 Kindle Oz and Reeve Vino and Veritas 18 2021
132. Secret Desires by Amber Ridge 4/10/24 4/10/24 34 pages Kindle Nicholas and Daniel Boy Next Door 4 2014
**abandoned White Noise by Lark Taylor ** 168 pages
133. To Have and to Hold: Taken by Abigail Kade 4/10/24 4/11/24 170 pages Kindle Worthy and Crow Criminal Delights 12 2019
134. Brazen Affairs by Ashley James 4/11/24 4/12/24 295 pages Kindle Vaughn and Camden Hidden Affairs 1 2023
135. Eden by Avon Gale and Emily Rossman 4/12/24 4/12/24 224 pages Kindle Rayne and Brandon 2022
136. RPF - When Fiction Gets A Little Too Real by M. Grano and C. Azzo 4/12/24 4/16/24 458 pages Kindle Sam and Levi 2024
**abandoned Drawn In By You by R.M. Neill** 106 pages way too precocious daughter, too angsty Travis, too much
137. Storm Clouds and Devastation by Ashley James 4/16/24 4/17/24 286 pages Kindle Bodhi and Jules Hidden Affairs 2 2023
**abandoned Embracing His Shame by Brigham Vaughn** 212 pages Kink okay, but Forrest's fear of relationships irrational and Jarod starts being interested.
138. Say My Name by Ashley James 4/18/24 4/19/24 308 pages Kindle Travis and Mateo 2023
139. Insatiable Hunger by Ashley James 4/17/24 4/18/24 340 pages Kindle Elias and Zeke Hidden Affairs 3 2023
140. Aftercare by Tanya Chris 4/18/24 4/19/24 211 pages Kindle Garrett and Aayan Ever After 1 2017
141. Aftershock by Tanya Chris 4/19/24 4/20/24 218 pages Kindle Garrett and Aayan Ever After 2 2017
142. Aftermath by Tanya Chris 4/19/24 4/20/24 236 pages Kindle Casey and Brooks Ever After 3 2019
143. Red Flags and Tuesdays by Nordika Night 4/20/24 4/21/24 251 pages Kindle Reid and Atticus Weekday Weirdos 1 2024
144. Professor Platonic by Lucy Lennox 4/21/24 4/21/24 42 pages Kindle Jack and River 2023
**abandoned Hired Hadley by Nora Phoenix** 211 pages To use a phrase seen most recently on Richard's thread: Couldn't be arsed.
**abandoned various and sundry** 50 pages
**abandoned An Immense World by Ed Yong** 144 pages I do not have the mental bandwidth for this and it's been 6 months
145. Out of the Office Romance by Twoony 4/22/24 4/24/24 536 pages Kindle Kade and Nolen AND Louis and Mason 2023
146. The House of Being by Natasha Trethewey 4/12/24 4/24/24 hardcover 77 pages 2024
**abandoned Blue's Boss by Candice Blake** 76 pages Ugh. Poor writing, too many shortcuts, ridiculous situations.
147. Six Feet Apart by 4/24/24 4/24/24 113 pages Alina Popescu and A L Bates Kindle Darius and Aadi 2020
**abandoned No Secrets by Nora Phoenix** 123 pages
148. Gentle Hands by Emily Buckley 4/24/24 4/25/24 159 pages Kindle Matthew and Tom Growing Pains 1 2020
149. Payback by Alexa Land Kindle 4/25/24 4/25/24 182 pages Kindle Malcolm and Daniel Firsts and Forever Stories 10 2023
150. Message Received 4/25/24 4/26/24 by D.K. Sutton 314 pages Kindle Ben and Sean Sloan Brothers Book 2 2023 my library call center, ben sub Sean dom trust fund
151. The Heir's Disgrace by August Jones 4/26/24 4/27/24 426 PAGES Kindle Drew and Ollivier Doormen of the Upper East Side 1 2024
152. Say Yes by Jen Samson 4/27/24 4/28/24 422 pages Kindle Colt and Sebastian 2022
153. For You, Sir by Emily Brandish 4/28/24 4/29/24 306 pages Kindle Jun and Einar 2023
154. Deep Under by Tanya Chris 4/29/24 4/29/24 47 pages Kindle Maddox and Jack Deep Under 1 2016
155. Back Under by Tanya Chris 4/29/24 4/29/24 47 pages Kindle Maddox and Jack Deep Under 1 2021
156. How to Shield an Assassin by AJ Sherwood 4/29/24 4/30/24 254 pages Kindle Ari and Carter Unholy Trifecta Book 1 2019
157. How to Steal a Thief by AJ Sherwood 4/30/24 5/1/24 197 pages Kindle Ivan and Aiden Unholy Trifecta Book 2 2020
**abandoned Finding Him by Chad Lane** 87 pages
**abandoned A Detached Raider by Ana Night** 50 pages
158. Dual Destruction by Kate Hawthorne 5/1/24 5/3/24 246 pages Kindle Sage and Golden Duality 1 2021
159. Hitman's Secret by MJ Red 5/6/24 5/6/24 32 pages Kindle Charles and Oliver 2021
**abandoned How to Hack a Hacker by AJ Sherwood** 132 pages
160. 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall 5/7/24 5/9/24 386 pages Kindle Sam and Jonathan Material World 1 2023
**abandoned Hunter by M.C. Adams** 95 pages
**abandoned His Mafia Lover by Gabrielle Melo ** 33 pages
**abandoned A Christmas Reunion by Nic Starr ** 41 pages
161. Employing Patience by Saxon James 5/11/24 5/12/24 290 pages Kindle Art and Joey Divorced Men's Club 4 2023
162. Glory by Leo Rivers 5/12/24 5/12/24 81 pages Kindle Zach and Wyatt 2023
**abandoned Pretty Things by Devon McCormack ** 49 pages - already read it and only gave it 3*
163. Lights, Camera, Passion by Isabel Lucero 5/12/24 5/14/24 396 pages Kindle Jacoby and Roman 2024
164. A Mountain Man Walks into a Coffee Shop by Mal Trevino 5/14/24 5/15/24 81 pages Kindle Josiah and Lennon Harlow Mountain Men 1 2023
165. A Mountain Man Walks into a Library by Mal Trevino 5/15/24 5/15/24 81 pages Kindle Samuel and Remy Harlow Mountain Men 2 2023
166. A Mountain Man Walks Into His Brother's Best Friend by Mal Trevino 5/16/24 5/16/24 87 pages Kindle Noah and Gabriel Harlow Mountain Men 3 2023
167. Snowflake Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by M.J. O'Shea 5/16/24 5/16/24 52 pages Kindle Toby and Cook 2023
**abandoned Touch Me Gently by J.R. Loveless** 102 pages Ugh. Just... ugh. Soppy, inexplicably gay for you, too many mentions of how feminine Kaden is
168. Nothing Special by Casey Cox 5/17/24 5/18/24 247 pages Kindle Benji and Darren 2022
169. When London Snow Falls by Hayden Stone 5/18/24 5/20/24 320 pages Kindle Charlie and Ben When Snow Falls 2 2022
170. Scandal by T. Ashleigh 5/20/24 5/22/24 197 pages Kindle Austin and Beckett Black Diamond 6 2023 too trope-y no explanations for certain things
171. Tripwrecked by A. Poland 5/22/24 5/23/24 311 pages Kindle Aiden and Finn 2022
172. Ambiguous by Leslie McAdam 5/23/24 5/24/24 286 pages Kindle Sam and Julian IOU 1 2022
**abandoned Thirst by Jaylen Florian** 56 pages
**abandoned Craving You by Avril Ashton** 100 pages
173. Studious by Leslie McAdam 5/24/24 5/25/24 248 pages Kindle Danny and Alden IOU 2 2022
174. Oblivious by Leslie McAdam 5/25/24 5/26/24 185 pages Kindle Noah and August IOU 3 2023
**abandoned Curious by Leslie McAdam** 150 pages
175. Unmanageable by Leslie McAdam 5/27/24 5/28/24 242 pages Kindle Scott and Luke In Vino Veritas 3 2022
176. Survive the Streets by Alex Timothy 5/29/24 5/30/24 264 pages Kindle Bailey and Gabriel Survive Series 1 2022
177. Survive the City by Alex Timothy 5/30/24 5/31/24 258 pages Kindle Bailey and Gabriel, Renée and Peyton Survive Series 2 2022
**abandoned The Gardener by Charles Reeza** 122 pages
**abandoned Twice Shy by Sally Malcolm** 136 pages

Currently Reading:

The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin by Gordon S. Wood 4/1/24 audio book 10 1/2 hours
North Woods by Daniel Mason 1/6/24 Hardcover 372 pages 2023
Too Hostile by Nicole Dykes 5/31/24 Kindle Fletcher and Ronan 2024
The Federalist edited by Jacob E. Cooke 5/28/22 656 pages hardcover 1961

adds - 337 last year

1. Thrift Shop - How to Give Up Plastic by Will McCallum
2. Thrift Shop - Worth Dying For by Lee Child - hardcover upgrade for mass market paperback
3. Thrift Shop - Hieroglyphics by Jill McCorcle
4. Thrift Shop - The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni
5. Thrift Shop - Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
6. my catalog - readded so net 0 with cull, below: Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh
7. brought back into my catalog - The Complete Vampire Chronicles: The Tale of the Body Thief, the Queen of the Damned, the Vampire Lestat, Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice
8. Kindle - Where Forever Started by Barbara Elsborg
9. Amazon - Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat because I had to have a book by someone with that name
10. Kindle - Assassins Are People Too by S.C. Wynne
11. Kindle - Assassins Love People Too by S.C. Wynne
12. Kindle - Assassins Save People Too by S.C. Wynne
13. Amazon - The Complete Tutankhamun by Nicholas Reeves
14. Kindle - Trapped for the Holidays by Courtney W. Dixon
15. McIntyre's - Sacred Altars by Anne Strand
16. McIntyre's - On Digital Advocacy by Katie Boue
17. McIntyre's - A Line in the Sand by Kevin Powers
18. McIntyre's - Son of the Old West by Nathan Ward
19. McIntyre's - Boundaries and Protection by Pixie Lighthorse
20. McIntyre's - The Plague by Albert Camus
21. McIntyre's - Transient and Strange by Nell Greenfieldboyce
22. McIntyre's - Building a Better Boomer by Neil Offen
23. McIntyre's - Please Unsubscribe, Thanks! by Julio Vincent Bambuto
24. McIntyre's - The Apple in the Dark by Clarice Lispector
25. McIntyre's - Nuts & Bolts by Roma Agrawal
26. McIntyre's - Longstreet by Elizabeth Varon
27. Kindle - Crashing Upwards by S.C. Wynne
28. Kindle - If I Met You First by A.B. Julian
29. Amazon - The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole World by Matt Kracht
30. Amazon - The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2023 edited by Amor Towles
31. Amazon - Random in Death by J.D. Robb
32. Amazon - The Secret by Lee Child and Andrew Child
33. Kindle - A Case of Conscience by James Blish
34. Kindle - A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone - rec by elorin/Robyn
35. Louise - Stokes Field Guide to Bird Songs by Lang Elliott with Donald and Louise Stokes - audio book
36. FoCCL - The New York Times Complete Civil War edited by Harold Holzer & Craig L. Symonds
37. FoCCL - The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
38. U of Chicago Press - Giza and the Pyramids: The Definitive History by Mrk Lehner and Zahi Hawass
39. Amazon - Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer
40. Kindle - Losing Control by Riley Hart
41. Kindle - Monopolize Me by Evie Noir The New York Series Book 2
42. FoCCL - S24 The Essential Kabbalah by Daniel C. Matt
43. FoCCL - S24 Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography by John Dominic Crossan
44. FoCCL - S24 Just Because They've Left Doesn't Mean They're Gone by Stephen A. Bly
45. Kindle - Monopolize Us by Evie Noir The New York Series book 3
46. Kindle - Monopolize You by Evie Noir The New York Series 2
47. FoCCL - Tenth of December by George Saunders
48. FoCCL - The Holy Bible Containing the Old Testament in The Confraternity - Douay Texts and the Entire New Testament in the Confraternity Translation 1959
49. Amazon - The House of Being by Natasha Trethewey
50. FoCCL - Roman Britain by H.H. Scullard
51. FoCCL - What's a Christian to do with Harry Pottery by Connie Neal
52. FoCCL - Androgynous Judaism by Jacob Neusner
52. FoCCL - Citizens of London by Lynne Olson
53. FoCCL - The United States, a Modern History, 2 volumes. U.S. History To 1865 and U.S. History Since 1865 by Michael Kraus and Foster Rhea Dulles
54. FoCCL - Unlucky for Some by Jill McGown
55. FoCCL - Acid Row by Minette Walters
56. FoCCL - Sanctuary by William Faulkner
57. FoCCL - Light in August by William Faulkner
58 - 100. FoCCL - Great Books of the Western 43 of 54 books, 1952 edition
101. Kindle - The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock and Other Poems by T.S. Eliot
102. The Huguenots or The Early French in New Jersey by Albert F. Koehler
103. Kindle - Finding Him by Chad Lane
104. Kindle - Message Received by D.K. Sutton
105. Kindle - Payback by Avery Mist
106. Kindle - Waiting, Hoping, Wishing by Nic Sparks
107. Kindle - 10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall
108. Amazon - Better the Blood by Michael Bennett
109. Kindle - Thirst by Jaylen Florian
110. Kindle - Long Winter by Rachel Ember

culls - 64 last year

1. Grant by Ron Chernow - CDs
2. How to Read and Understand Shakespeare by Professor Marc C. Conner - DVDs
3. The History of the Supreme Court by Professor Peter Irons - DVDs
4. Shakespeare's Tragedies by Professor Clare R. Kinney - DVDs
5. Terror of History by Professor Teofilo F. Ruiz - audio CDs
6. Great Artists of the Italian Renaissance by Professor William Kloss - DVDs
7. The History of Ancient Egypt by Professor Bob Brier DVDs
8. Dreams of My Father by Barack Obama - CDs
9. Fairy Tales for Angry Little Girls by Lela Lee
10. The God Dog Connection by Marti Healy dogs - ugh
11. Nothin' But Good Times Ahead by Molly Ivins - duplicate
12. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

***mass market paperbacks - small print, tanned, not interested in any more, etc.***
13. The Age of Innocence by Wharton, Edith
14. False Impression by Archer, Jeffrey
15. Deep Storm by Child, Lincoln
16. Cat O'Nine Tales: And Other Stories by Archer, Jeffrey
17. Atonement by Mcewan, Ian
18. Faithless by Slaughter, Karin
19. Fatal Burn by Jackson, Lisa
20. At The Stroke Of Madness by Kava, Alex
21. Eden Burning by Lowell, Elizabeth
22. Don't Scream by Staub, Wendy Corsi
23. The Rebel Angels by Davies, Robertson
24. Sphere by Crichton, Michael
25. The Making of the President 1960 by White, Theodore H.
26. Beauty and the Beast by Howell, Hannah
27. The Program by White, Stephen
28. Travels by Crichton, Michael
29. Foreigner by Cherryh, C. J.
30. World of Wonders by Davies, Robertson
31. I Know This Much Is True by Lamb, Wally
32. The Four Feathers by Mason, A.E.W.
33. The Next Accident by Gardner, Lisa
34. The Third Victim by Gardner, Lisa
35. The Survivors Club by Gardner, Lisa
36. The Key to Rebecca by Follett, Ken
37. Perdido Street Station by Mieville, China
38. The Broom of the System by Wallace, David Foster
39. Death's Door by Sawyer, Meryl
40. Why Aren't They Screaming? by Smith, Joan
41. Malice Domestic by Hardwick, Mollie
42. The Sculptress by Walters, Minette
43. Cold Allies by Anthony, Patricia
44. The Divide by Evans, Nicholas
45. A Knife to Remember by Churchill, Jill
46. Sullivan's Evidence by Rosenberg, Nancy Taylor
47. The Times We Had : Life with William Randolph Hearst by Davies, Marion
48. Beneath the Skin by French, Nicci
49. The Winter of Our Discontent by Steinbeck, John
50. Travels with Charley by Steinbeck, John
51. Blind Justice by Alexander, Bruce
52. The Daily Jane Austen: A Year of Quotes by Austen, Jane
53. A Regency Christmas 6 by Balogh, Mary
54. Someone Perfect by Balogh, Mary
55. The End of the Road by Barth, John
56. A Seer Out of Season: The Life Of Edgar Cayce by Bro, Harmon H.
57. After the Storm by Castillo, Linda
58. Among the Wicked by Castillo, Linda
59. Down a Dark Road by Castillo, Linda
60. Her Last Breath by Castillo, Linda
61. Shamed by Castillo, Linda
62. Victory by Conrad, Joseph
63. The Last Plantagenets by Costain, Thomas Bertram
64. The Manticore by Davies, Robertson
65. May We Borrow Your Husband?: And Other Comedies of the Sexual Life by Greene, Graham
66. Fever Season by Hambly, Barbara
67. Traveling with the Dead by Hambly, Barbara
68. To Die For by Howard, Linda
69. Mortal Fear by Iles, Greg
70. A Dangerous Man:: A Novel of William Wild Bill Longley by Johnstone, William W.
71. The Ritual Bath by Kellerman, Faye
72. A Grave Talent by King, Laurie R.
73. Night Work by King, Laurie R.
74. O Jerusalem by King, Laurie R.
75. The Miernik Dossier by McCarry, Charles
76. Tularosa by McGarrity, Michael
77. The President's Shadow by Meltzer, Brad
78. Ice Hunt by Rollins, James
79. Bury the Lead by Rosenfelt, David
80. First Degree by Rosenfelt, David
81. Open and Shut by Rosenfelt, David
82. Angle of Repose by Stegner, Wallace
83. Last Breath by Stewart, Mariah
84. The Hellfire Club by Straub, Peter
85. An Autobiography by Trollope, Anthony
86. He Knew He Was Right by Trollope, Anthony
87. Rachel Ray by Trollope, Anthony
88. Why Frau Frohmann Raised Her Prices and Other Stories by Trollope, Anthony
89. Kristin Lavransdatter I: The Bridal Wreath by Undset, Sigrid
90. Kristin Lavransdatter II: The Mistress of Husaby by Undset, Sigrid
91. Kristin Lavransdatter III: The Cross by Undset, Sigrid
92. The Ringer by Wallace, Edgar
93. Back Home by Mauldin, Bill

While looking for a book on shelf L46 to read for the tribute to Julia, I found Proust and Trollope and decided that I'm going to deaccession almost everything I have by each author. None of them are of the quality I want, and if I decide to read these authors, I'll acquire paper copoies or Kindle versions that are easier to read.

Trollope
94. Barchester Towers & the Last Warden
95. The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope
96. The Vicar of Bullhampton
97. The American Senator
98. The Claverings

Proust
99. The Captive
100. Cities of the Plain
101. Within a Budding Grove
102. The Sweet Cheat Gone
103. The Past Recaptured
104. The Guermantes Way

...
105. The book of Unusual Knowledge by Publications International, LTD.
106. The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
107. Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris
108. More Letters from Pemberley by Jane Dawkins
109. Five Victorian Ghost Novels edited by E.F. Bleiler
110. The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg
111. What's Bred in the Bone by Robertson Davies
112. Counterparts by Gonzalo Lira
113. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
114. These Three Remain by Pamela Aidan
115. The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
116. Parting the Curtains Interviews by Dannye Romine Powell
117. Into Africa by Martin Dugard
118. Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie
119. Back to Blood by Tom Wolfe
120. The Source by James Michener - copy bought, then decided to give to Irene. I have 2 or three others on my shelves

while looking for two by Alice Hoffman to deccession, I found these I don't want any more:

121. The Moor by Laurie R. King
122. Victorians at Home by Susan Lasdun
123. Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
124. Thomas Jefferson: A Biography in His Own Words
125. Mr. Jefferson's Lost Cause by Roger G. Kennedy
126. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

and back to our regular programming, although with heightened awareness of what I want to not keep on my shelves
127. Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen - audio book
128. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
129. Norwegian Night by Derek B. Miller
130. Fields for President by W.C. Fields
131. The Longevity Plan by Dr. John D. Day and Jane Ann Day
132. The Love-Girl and the Innocent: Victory Celebrations: Prisoners by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
133. Midnight Rising by Tony Horwitz - yellowed trade paperback - would read better condition copy
134. The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh - will never read
135. The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin - will never read
136. Julie & Julia by Julie Powell - will never read although I loved the movie
137. Are You Somebody by Nuala O'Faolain - will never read, don't know why i bought it
138. Blood, Tears, and Folly by Len Deighton - WWII history that I will never read
139. The Darkest Hour by Tony Scumacher - WWII fiction, not my cuppa
140. The Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes
141. Personal History by Katharine Graham
142. Everyman by Philip Roth
143. The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint by Brady Udall
144. No More Words : A Journal of My Mother, Anne Morrow Lindbergh by Reeve Lindbergh
145. A Room With A View and Howards End by E.M. Forster - mass market paperback, yellowed

2024 Inventory
146. S01 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse by JJ Smith
147. S02 The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy
148. S02 The Time of Terror by Seth Hunter
149. S02 The American Spectator's Enemies List by P.J. O'Rourke
150. S02 The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
151. S02 Confessions of an Actor: An Autobiography by Laurence Olivier
152. S03 Musical Stages: An Autobiography by Richard Rodgers
153. S03 The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies
154. S03 Colony Girl by Thomas Rayfiel
155. S04 It's Always the Husband by Michele Campbell
156. S04 Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA by Ellen Meister
157. S04 The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King
158. S04 The Darcy Connection by Elizabeth Aston
159. S04 Mr. Darcy's Daughters by Elizabeth Aston
160. S04 The Second Mrs. Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
161. S04 The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
162. S04 The True Darcy Spirit by Elizabeth Aston
163. S04 The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James

Not Inventory, read, culled
164. The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman

2024 Inventory
165. S17 Nice Guys Finish Last by Leo Durocher
166. S17 The Lyre of Orpheus
167. S24 The Marx Sisters by Barry Maitland - duplicate
00 Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow - given to Stasia last year (?)
168. S26 No Angel by Penny Vincenzi

Just because
169. L80 The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
170. L86 Killer View by Ridley Pearson

171. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
172. The Racketeer by John Grisham
173. Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham
174. Angel Rogue by Mary Jo Putney

175. L24 Third Degree by Greg Iles
176. L33 Writing And Fighting the Civil War: Soldier Correspondence to the New York Sunday Mercury by William B. Styple

YTD Statistics through March

124 books read
2 of them on my shelves before 1/1/24 and not rereads
24 books abandoned, 3148 pages abandoned, 1 audiobook, .45 hours abandoned

27 audiobook hours

Avg pages read per day, YTD = 384
Avg pages read per book, YTD = 282

Book of the Month: Alphas by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie

Books by Month
January - 46 e-books, 1 audio book, 1 Graphic Novel, and 9 books abandoned for 1711 pages
February - 37 e-books
March - 38 e-books, 1 audio book, and 7 books abandoned for 899 pages

Author
Male 7%
Female 84%
Undeclared * 6%
Non-Binary 3%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Living 100%
Dead 0%

US Born 41%
Foreign Born 22%
Undeclared * 37%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Platform
Hardcover 1%
Trade Pback 0%
Mass Market 0%
Audiobook 2%
e-Book 97%

Source
My Library 6%
Library 0%
Kindle Unlimited 94%
Borrowed 0%

Misc
ARC/ER 0%
Re-read 0%
Series 81%

Fiction 100%
NonFiction 0%

Author Birth Country
Australia 7%
Canada 10%
New Zealand 2%
Norway 1%
UK 2%
Undeclared * 37%
US 41%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Original Decade Published

2000-2009 1%
2010-2019 39%
2020-2029 60%

Category
Contemporary Fiction 98%
Crime Fiction 1%
Informational Nonfiction 1%

Acquisition/Source Date
Kindle Unlimited 116
2024 4
culled after reading 4

Average Rating
1.5 - Very Bad 0
2.0 - Bad 0
2.5 - Average 5
3.0 - Good 9
3.5 - Very Good 18
4.0 - Excellent 65
4.5 - Outstanding 27
5 - Masterpiece 0

Average Rating 3.90
Books acquired YTD 39
Books culled YTD 168

March Lightning Round

Those in bold are NOT MM romances, few and far between as they are.

Alphas Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 2/29/24 3/1/24 Kindle

Oh my. Third in the Like Us series. Here’s the beginning of I wrote about the first, Damaged Like Us:

Vivid, eccentric, totally loveable characters. Maximoff is part of a billionaire family of 3 sisters, their husbands, and all the kids. The world is ensorcelled by them and stalk them all the time, so everybody has a bodyguard. Maximoff’s bodyguard Declan retires, and his mother’s bodyguard, Farrow, is assigned to him. Maximoff has had a secret crush on Farrow for 6 years, Farrow ditto, but of course bodyguards aren’t allowed to mess with their clients. Maximoff and Farrow break the rule.

In this book, Farrow and Maximoff continue to be strong in their relationship, go public with their romance, and Farrow decides to return to his interrupted doctor’s residency. It will only be three years. He resigns as Maximoff’s bodyguard. There are many family dramas in this one, all fascinating to me. Three families, linked by the three sisters. Hales have 4 children, Cobalts have 7 children, and Meadows have 2 children. Late to say it, but Maximoff is a Hale. Teenage drama, security team drama, too. There are thirteen books, and we’ll see how I do with MF romances, starting with book 4, Tangled Like Us. Caveat emptor re sex.

Tangled Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/1/24 3/1/24 Kindle

First, this is the 4th in the Like Us series. Second, This is the first MF romance I’ve read since August 2023, and THAT one was MMF. Jane is part of a billionaire family of 3 sisters, their husbands, and all the kids. The world is ensorcelled by them and stalk them all the time, so everybody has a bodyguard. Jane lives in the same townhome as her cousin Maximoff and his lover/bodyguard Farrow, Maximoff’s sister Luna, and their other cousin Sulli – female, Sullivan. Thatcher is Jane’s bodyguard. When a family member betrays Jane’s trust and places an add for a spouse for Jane, the crazies and money-hungry come out of the woodwork. The Security company decides Jane needs a fake boyfriend, and they choose Thatcher. *eye roll* Jane and Thatcher have been secretly attracted to one another, and after the fake boyfriend thing starts, become lovers behind closed doors. Mayhem, family drama, ANOTHER bodyguard sleeping with his client, and just so much fun and love and well-written characters and fun plot twists that I’m still enthralled. Caveat emptor re sex – straight sex. *blinks*

Sinful Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/1/24 3/2/24 Kindle

Maximoff and Farrow have become engaged, and some of the family secretly jet to Scotland to check out a castle as a wedding venue. It’s supposed to be a week, and with Thatcher’s identical twin going on the trip as bodyguard to HIS client and a smarmy bodyguard named Tony having been assigned as Jane’s bodyguard, the twins switch. Some of the family and bodyguards know, but others don’t, which should be fine for just a week, but a blizzard strikes before they can return and they end up being stuck in Scotland for 34 days. Hijinks, trying to keep those who don’t know that it’s Thatcher and not his twin there, danger and well-written dynamics and plot twists kept me compulsively reading all day. All 501 pages in one day. Caveat emptor re sex – more straight sex.

Headstrong Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/2/24 3/3/24 Kindle

Sixth in the Like Us series. Maximoff and Farrow have moved their wedding date up to the summer and Jane’s the wedding planner. There is the additional complication of a baby related to one of the bodyguards. Maximoff cannot NOT take the baby in with Farrow’s approval and blessing. The mother abandoned the baby at the hospital and the father is in jail. Maximoff and Farrow and the baby, Ripley, live in Maximoff’s room at his parents huge house. Jane and Thatcher and Maximoff’s sister Luna have moved back home after their townhome was destroyed in a fire two books ago. Complications from Maximoff’s maternal grandmother and the attempts to keep the wedding venue away from the paparazzi and Maximoff’s and Farrow’s loving being dads, even temporarily, lead up to a memorable wedding. Caveat emptor re sex.

Charming Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/3/24 3/4/24 Kindle

Seventh in the Like Us series has Oscar Oliviera, bodyguard to Charlie, one of the cousins, asking Jack, executive producer of a family docuseries, for a kiss. The words no gay person wants to hear: “I’m straight.” Fast forward to being back home after the wedding, and Charlie constantly puts Jack and Oscar together. Charlie is willing to have Jack do a separate docuseries of just him, too. This one was my least favorite, in that Jack is not only straight, he is also very attracted to Oscar. Oscar’s always been attracted to Jack. Other family drama, drunken weddings, etc. Caveat emptor re sex.

Wild Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/5/24 3/5/24 Kindle

Eighth in the Like Us series has Sulli, 21, retired Olympian, deciding that she wants to replicate her dad’s free-solo climbing when he was in his 20s by going to Yellowstone and free-soloing. Two of her bodyguards go with her, her long-time bodyguard Akara, and a floating bodyguard, Banks. Banks is the twin brother of Thatcher, who had his story with Jane, above. Both are secretly in love with Sulli, and after a cougar attack going back to their tent after Sulli does a free-soling equipment dry run, things get heated. Sulli wants both of them, they agree to sort of date her yet not go too far, with her decision on who she really wants to date coming after they return home for Thatcher and Jane’s wedding. I know… but it really works for me. They have to deal with some obnoxious climbers and get into a revenge war with them with dangerous/hilarious results, and barely make it home in time for the wedding reception, having actually missed the wedding. Steamy times become sexy times, and Sulli makes her choice. Caveat emptor re more straight sex.

Fearless Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/5/24 3/6/24 Kindle

Sulli chooses to be in a closed triad with Akara and Banks. It slowly leaks within the family, to some members only and some of the security team only. Sulli also decides to try to qualify for the Olympics again after retiring after the last Olympics. Family drama, Olympics drama, and lots of discussion of the inner workings of their triad, which includes all their backgrounds and character traits. I’m fascinated with how the Ritchie sisters write, and I devour every word, paragraph, chapter about every family member and every bodyguard. Caveat emptor re poly sex.

Infamous Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/6/24 3/7/24 Kindle

Sulli’s qualified for the Olympics, turns up pregnant just as the games start. This novel is a combination of getting into the mind of a competitive swimmer, feeling all over again the joy and absolute terror at turning up pregnant, and how Akara and Banks deal with the pregnancy and the craziness of living a public life. There’s danger, mending of fences with Banks’s brother Thatcher, and Akara’s trying to balance his security business, his relationship, and his gym ownership. The authors write with joy and fearlessness, insight and humor. Caveat emptor re poly sex.

Misfits Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/7/24 3/8/24 Kindle

Luna Hale is the sister of Maximoff, cousin of Jane, and cousin of Sulli, who all had their love stories in earlier books. Luna is eccentric, insecure, and secret writer of fanfic. Donnelly is her brother’s bodyguard. Two separate triple date scenarios are going on. Add in Luna’s current estrangement from her best friend Beckett, brother of Jane, Donnelly’s being on the outs with Luna’s father Loren because of giving her tats (she was legal at the time), and son of meth addicts and nephew/cousin of the Donelly family – all on the wrong side of the law. Donnelly and Luna’s father agree that they can’t date because she’ll become a target of his family. Another client/bodyguard romance, and the wonderful families with all the stories and dynamics. Luna and Donnelly have one of the sweetest romances, and I’m going to be sad when this series ends. Cavet emptor re straight sex.

Unlucky Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/8/24 3/9/24 588 pages Kindle

Donnelly moves into the 9000 sq foot penthouse because the security apartment 3 floor below is crowded. He’s now the roommate to Luna, Maximoff/Farrow/Ripley, Sulli/Akara/Banks, and Jane/Thatcher. Luna and Donelly are trying to hide their attraction and NOT date. Then, the world implodes when Luna and her mother are chased down and there’s violence. Coming back from those bad events, joy with family pregnancies (NOT Luna…), plans to permanently keep Luna safe, and the relationship between Donnelly and her parents kept me fascinated. Hugely satisfying. Caveat emptor re straight sex.

Nobody Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie 3/9/24 3/10/24 Kindle

Last in an absolutely stunning series about the Hale, Cobalt, and Meadows families. Luna and Donnelly are officially dating, other family members have children, and people move but are still family. Epilogues give me what I craved – to see how Luna and Donnelly navigate their future relationship. Caveat emptor re straight sex.

The word that comes to mind about this series is Pure. Pure feelings, pure love, pure goodness and light.

And, I can’t find anything as engrossing, fun, and steamy while being intelligently written, so I’ve gone back and re-read the first two books in the series,

Damaged Like Us 3/11/24 3/11/24 Kindle **reread**

Here’s what I wrote in January:

Oh my. Vivid, eccentric, totally loveable characters. Maximoff is part of a billionaire family of 3 sisters, their husbands, and all the kids. The world is ensorcelled by them and stalk them all the time, so everybody has a bodyguard. Maximoff’s bodyguard Declan retires, and his mother’s bodyguard, Farrow, is assigned to him. Maximoff has had a secret crush on Farrow for 6 years, Farrow ditto, but of course bodyguards aren’t allowed to mess with their clients. Maximoff and Farrow break the rule. Kittens, crazy times teaching a cousin who swims, has won 5 events at the Olympics, and is retired from swimming because doing it once was enough how to safely drink, surrounded by loving cousins and bodyguards. Maximoff is a caregiver and loves beyond measure every single member of his family and tries to fix everything. He cannot, of course. He lives with his cousin Jane platonically, but after he rescues her in front of their house while only in his boxers, and one of the paparazzi takes a photo of him that shows love bites and it goes viral, the family thinks he and Jane are incestuously involved and his romance with Farrow comes out, but only within the family and the 3 intertwined security companies that provide bodyguards. I really, really liked this one for how Maximoff and Farrow suit each other, both strong alpha males but willing to give and take, both romantically and in other aspects of their lives. HFN. Caveat emptor re sex.

If anything, I like it more the second time. There’s attraction, romance, scandal with Jane and Maximoff, and Maximoff and Farrow exchange wonderful words.

A Bit of Rough by Laura Baumbach 3/13/24 3/13/24 Kindle

Sigh. Verbal and situational shortcuts, over-the-top size and power differentials, emotional shortcuts. Adequate and average, sadly. Bram hooks up with James in the alley behind a bar, where James has gone in reaction to a work disappointment. Bram is powerful, aggressive, and James is submissive and it works for them. Bram gives him his business card, telling him to call if he wants to go out on a date the next night. James does, thinking Bram works in construction based on what he’s wearing, the type of bar, and who he’s with. Heh. Turns out Bram owns the construction company. Sex, love declared within a week – not impossible, as I believe in love at first sight, but. Caveat emptor re sex.

Lovers Like Us 3/11/24 3/14/24 466 pages Kindle **reread**

Here’s what I wrote in February, when I continued with the second in the series:

Oh my. Second in the Like Us series. Here’s the beginning of I wrote about the first, Damaged Like Us:

Vivid, eccentric, totally loveable characters. Maximoff is part of a billionaire family of 3 sisters, their husbands, and all the kids. The world is ensorcelled by them and stalk them all the time, so everybody has a bodyguard. Maximoff’s bodyguard Declan retires, and his mother’s bodyguard, Farrow, is assigned to him. Maximoff has had a secret crush on Farrow for 6 years, Farrow ditto, but of course bodyguards aren’t allowed to mess with their clients. Maximoff and Farrow break the rule.

In this book, some of the children and their bodyguards go on a good-will/charity fundraising tour that is supposed to last 4 months. There is danger, a stalker, more info about various members of the family, and Maximoff and Farrow’s love grows stronger and deeper. HFN. These books make me feel good – yes, there’s money and excess. There’s also love, commitment, well-written emotions and plot twists. I’m immediately starting the third about Maximoff and Farrow: Alphas Like Us. There are thirteen books, and we’ll see how I do with MF romances, starting with book 4. Caveat emptor re sex.

It’s just as good as it was the first time. In this one the stalker ups his craziness, Farrow, as Maximoff’s bodyguard has to read all his sexual encounter NDAs. The bus tour ends abruptly. Maximoff realizes that he wants with Farrow what his parents have even though he knows Farrow will come into the spotlight and not in a good way. Very HFN, caveat emptor re sex.

Fire and Sand by Louise Collins 3/14/24 3/14/24 Kindle

3rd in the Adrenaline Jake series. The first was Jake’s take on how he and Maddox met, and the second was Maddox’s take on how he and Jake met. Suffice to say that Maddox is a crime boss and Jake is an adrenaline junky who gets off on stealing things. In this book, they’ve been together for a while, in an undefined … relationship?... GWB – guys with benefits? Maddox has someone after him and has his most trusted lieutenant take Jake to a desert island and leaves him there. Maddox comes for him eventually, and their amorphous dynamic becomes less amorphous but not much. Well written, with vivid characters. The dynamic between Jake and Maddox is fun to read. Caveat emptor re sex.

Guns and Shadows by Louise Collins 3/14/24 3/14/24 Kindle

Fourth in the series has them back in London, Maddox still being set up. Nobody knows about Maddox’s feelings for Jake, but Jake is unhappy with getting less of Maddox’s time as he is searching to find out who’s after him. Jake wants to learn to shoot so Maddox takes him to an old farmstead. Good shooting, good sex, but then someone sets them up. Caveat emptor re sex.

Diamond in the Rough by Louise Collins 3/14/24 3/14/24 Kindle

Final in the Jake & Maddox series has Maddox in a high-security prison and Jake beside himself. More mayhem, more betrayal. There’s a clever break-Maddox-out scenario, bad guy chases of Jake, and a very satisfying HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

#20DaystoLA by Tanya Chris 3/14/24 3/15/24

Former stepbrothers Braxton and Craig are on a road trip from Connecticut to LA so that Braxton can start his new job. Braxton is gay but doesn’t realize that Craig knows this, Craig is bisexual but just hasn’t announced it to the world. They combine falling in love with Craig’s exuberance with life and Braxton’s cautious approach to life, compromising, nearly failing, yet ending up with a HEA. I especially liked how when they had conflicts, they worked them out, especially Craig’s willingness to do anything to make sure Braxton gets to LA in time to start his job. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Kept in the Dark by Charlie Cochet**

One night stand 2 years previously, before each lost their current life, one as a CIA field op and one as a black ops government op, make for hard feelings and a feeling of betrayal. However, the initial wanting to tear each other apart turns into steamy times and romance way too quickly for me, and the tears were just a bit much.

Stealing the Silver Fox by Daniel May 3/15/24 3/16/24 Kindle

Very dark book, by an author I read 2 previous books by but had to abandon the 3rd in that series. This book was a stunner, with 19-year old Tony, from a background of wealth and privilege, working as a mechanic. Ezra is all arrogance when he is getting his car repaired, and in a drunken texting session after his cousin alerts him as to Ezra’s kinks, feeds them and dominates him. Sexting turns into dominance yet caring, and after one particularly steamy scene in a club, things have a … HEA? Caveat emptor re kinky sex.

No Angel by Daniel May 3/16/24 3/16/24 Kindle

Deeply disturbing, Enzo is escaping from very bad men and breaks into an old house in a good district. Turns out that Hill is in the midst of a hallucinogenic state and thinks Enzo is an angel. He makes conditions for Enzo to stay safe. Very weird and kinky, almost sorry I read it except I was interested in some of the plot elements that actually didn’t get explained by the end. Caveat emptor re kinky sex. No more by Daniel May for a while.

Christmas With the Billionaire by Amber Ridge 3/16/24 3/16/24 Kindle

A short story that’s too sweet and with too many coincidences. The CEO of the company and Wyatt, a bakery delivery/setup guy, are caught with when there’s a power outage and he keep running into each other. Then the building is in complete lockdown with just the two of them and a conveniently absent maintenance guy. HEA, caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned My Chaos, His Calm by Romeo Alexander**

I occasionally like being preached at re mental and physical issues, but this book irritated me.

My Brother's Best Friend by Aiden Bates and Ali Lyda 3/16/24 3/17/24 Kindle

Legal intern Jamie is hired for the summer by his brother Saint and his partner Nico for their law firm. Jamie has had a crush on Nico for 16 years, but it’s always been hidden. Jamie is assigned to Nico because Jamie’s interested in Nico’s area of responsibility/interest, family law. Nico is startled that Jamie’s all grown up. Sparkage, but Saint’s family decree of no relationships between brothers and friends keeps both of them on hold until Saint revokes it. Then there’s a bit of drama when Jamie is confronted with Nico’s past conquests, but we get the HEA. Predictable but okay. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Touch and Go by Aiden Bates**

Derek is an ER doctor, Seb comes in with a sprained wrist. Derek’s attracted. Two days later, Seb comes in clinically dead, pulled out of the Potomac River. He’s revived, realizes he’s in trouble, and Derek opens his apartment to him. Derek has 7 foster brothers who live in the same repurposed warehouse. Not interested enough to continue, frankly because it’s very predictable and the chemistry’s just not there. And, the thing that really got to me at page 177 was when Seb put himself back in danger knowing Derek’s 7 other brothers would go with him. I do not really like characters acting stupid for the sake of the plot when their characters have been developed for them to make better choices. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Alphas Like Us by Krista Ritchie and Becca Ritchie **

Sigh. I restarted the series and read the first two books about Maximoff and Farrow, but this one has a part that I can hardly bear to read again. And, from above, characters acting stupidly when their characters are not developed that way? Yup. Here, too. Caveat emptor re sex.

The Flirty Vet by Casey Cox 3/17/24 3/18/24 Kindle

I really adore books about Aussies, and this one has a very drunk Wilby singing horribly in an alley below Col’s hotel window. Col’s American, in Australia to help family ranches restructure or refinance in order to save the property/assets. Wilby and Col are immediately attracted. The conversions are funny, clever, and develop the characters nicely. Col’s backstory is immediately apparent, Wilby’s comes a bit later. In the meantime, they each realize that this could be the guy, but Wilby will never leave the family cattle ranch and Col’s American based in the US. Wilby’s family is wonderful, Col’s dad and his husband are wonderful, and the tortuous path for these two to get their HEA was believable, fun, and sexy. Caveat emptor re sex. There is a second book in the series about two of the secondary characters in this one, with a great teaser at the end of this one. It comes out in December, and I’m following the author because I really want to read it.

Runaway by Casey Cox 3/18/24 3/19/24 Kindle

Jedfire is a rich boy mess, traumatized by a family tragedy, bewildered by a strange financial quirk, who is at a gay resort, where he meets Conrad, who won a week’s stay there and also has a huge secret. There is immediate sparkage, with Jed trying to bulldoze Conrad into the sheets, but Conrad resists. They spend time together, secrets come out, there is a wildly irritating coincidence that leads to their HEA. I could see where it was going and wanted to quit, but about 2/3 of the way through I really had tears in my eyes. They dried, and I read to the end. Caveat emptor re sex.

Conversation Hearts by Avon Gale 3/19/24 3/19/24 Kindle

Very short story, beautifully done. Levi is an escort in a high-end hotel, waiting for his appointment. The escort service has a deal with the hotel, but the hotel’s records only indicate the room’s taken when the appointment shows up. Sinjin needs the room because he’s an assassin. It’s really quite funny and serious and steamy. I don’t want you to think the author doesn’t know that Sinjin is the pronunciation for St. John, so we learn that Sinjin’s real name is James St. John. Lots of talk, shared snacks and beverages, shared bed. There’s hope at the end, which makes it sweet and interesting and left me wondering where they took it. Caveat emptor re sex.

Learning to Feel by N.R. Walker 3/19/24 3/19/24 Kindle

This started off with an interesting premise – Nathan, an ER doctor in MA, has never had a satisfying sex life, has never really ever FELT anything. He works, he eats, he sleeps. He realizes he wants a change and takes a locum tenens physician position for one year in Maine. The house they give him for that time is being fixed up and Trent, the painter, and Nathan start something interesting. Things move along nicely, and then, when we get the HEA, the author pretty much beats it to death for the last 100 pages. I admit to skimming the ending. Caveat emptor re sex. Heck, I even skipped the last sex scene. 🙄

Old Acquaintance by Avon Gale 3/19/24 3/19/24 Kindle

Another sweet and steamy short story. Andrew is divorced from a woman, at a New Year’s Eve party near where he has his house on the oceanfront. Elias is a college student who is working the party as a server. Andrew is melancholy and sitting on the beach and Elias gets off work and comes over. They chat, Elias asks if he can give Andrew a peck on the cheek to ring in the New Year. Andrew turns into the kiss, and things get happily hectic from there. Andrew realizes he’s not really straight and probably has never been – but it works in the context of this very short story – and after a wonderful night, Andrew is looking forward to New Year’s Day with the still sleeping Elias. Caveat emptor re sex.

The Revenge Agenda by Saxon James 3/19/24 3/20/24 Kindle

This was a happy surprise – fun plot, interesting and well-written characters. Rush has a boyfriend and he visits him at Christmas dressed in an x-rated costume under his jacket. It’s the wrong night, and Ian is with his fiancé/parents. Rush leaves completely distraught. Hunter, the fiancé, comes outside to make sure Rush is warm and gets him an Uber to get him home. Next, it turns out that Hunter is Rush’s new boss. Things are interesting from there, with Rush and Hunter planning revenge on Ian. Rush lives with 7 roommates and their various lovers/spouses, every one beautifully and laugh-out-loud eccentric. Rush suffers from ADHD, and although I don’t know how it manifests from personal experience, it seems believable and contributes to Hunter’s attraction to Rush and his calming effect on Rush. There’s sparkage of course, and wonderful conversation. They get their HEA, their revenge, and caveat emptor re sex.

Alaskan Thunder by Nando Gray 3/20/24 3/21/24

Very good novella. Calvin is a pilot, hired to take Zayne, a social media influencer, from Skagway Alaska to Fort Huron Alaska in his admittedly ancient plane. Too much luggage, a bad storm, and all of a sudden, they’ve crashed. Each brings qualities to their survival, and they get a very sweet HEA. Caveat emptor re one sex scene.

Without You by Marley Valentine 3/21/24 3/21/24 Kindle

Deacon’s brother Rhett died young, leaving his devastated boyfriend, Julian, behind. Deacon had moved away from Montana because he never felt like he fit in, never felt like his brother was his, jealous of Julian, who moved next door with foster parents but became immediate friends with Rhett. Julian and Rhett fell in love, but there’s tragedy when Rhett dies. Not a spoiler, we learn this early on. Deacon becomes part of the family again, but on the first anniversary of his brother’s death, things change between him and Julian, and knowing it will devastate his family, they start seeing each other. There is guilt, but love, and although there are family troubles, they get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

In the Eye of the Beholder by Dianna Roman 3/21/24 Kindle

Stunning story of two damaged men, one because of his family, the other because he lost his wife to cancer 3 years earlier. Daniel is a bartender. He’s been serving a silver fox at the end of the bar once a week for 3 years, always his specialty – a Manhattan. That’s how he thinks of him, as ‘Manhattan’. Later we find out his name is Eric. Daniel’s friend broke up with a guy who’s back from prison. Dallas is threatening Daniel because he knows Daniel has a chunk of change saved to eventually open a club. Dallas has gotten in trouble with the Russian Bratva, and one night after working late Daniel is attacked in the parking garage. ‘Manhattan’ is coming out to go to his bodyguard driven car and is attacked after he diverts Dallas from Daniel. He rescues Daniel and takes him to his home in the country to keep Daniel from getting killed, giving him a job as PA. *eye roll* Daniel has a business degree, of course. Sparkage from Daniel’s side, but Eric is closed off romantically. That changes, of course, along with us learning about who Eric and Daniel really are, and how they get their HEA. I’m a sucker for stories with complex characters and stories where their backstories come out gradually. This is actually the second in a series that I didn’t want to read the first, Until I Saw You. The lovers in that book show up as strong secondary characters in this book. Caveat emptor re sex.

The Gentleman by Dianna Roman 3/22/24 3/23/24 Kindle

Pete is a product manager for the Fairway Companies, and Cameron, son of the owner, comes aboard as an HR clerk. He has been realizing that he needs to come out as a gay man, needs to understand what being a gay man is, and when he sees a rainbow-decorated pot/plant on Pete’s desk, assumes he’s gay. He needs someone experienced and discrete, a gentleman, so he asks Pete. Pete is straight, OCD, never successful with women. You can see where this going, and it gets there happily, if exaggeratedly. Exaggerated families, exaggerated and immediate feelings. However, it was good enough to finish and they got their HEA. And I now have a plant I want – lithops. Caveat emptor re sex.

You Again by Dianna Roman 3/23/24 3/24/25 Kindle

Johnny has moved back home to Wisconsin from SoCal after he was betrayed by his lover of 2 years. He’s damaged and emotionally cut off and only wants the occasional hook up. He’s part of a large Greek family. Aiden is bisexual, more experienced with women, but still. They meet at a carnival when a kid bumps into Johnny and gets mustard on his shirt. Aiden comes over and helps him clean up. Johnny has seen Aiden with a woman, so assumes he’s straight. He’s attracted, but no more straight men for Johnny. The next time they meet is through a gay dating app. Aiden is looking for a permanent relationship, Johnny to scratch an itch. They meet again at a speed dating event. Lots of fun stuff in this one – two men attracted to each other, listening to important things about each other. Johnny keeps pushing Aiden away, and at one point we think it’s permanent. Their feelings are realistically portrayed, the pace is good, the writing humorous and true. All’s well that ends well. Caveat emptor re sex. I had a serious from-Greece Greek boyfriend for 3 years while I lived in Connecticut, and the book eerily reflects lots of what I learned about Greeks in the US. Fun stuff.

A Minute More by Cora Rose 3/25/24 3/25/24 Kindle

Wesley is a college graduate but doesn’t know what he wants to do so he’s working a minimum wage at a coffee shop. Simon works there, too, doesn’t talk with anybody, but occasionally gives Wesley looks. I read it, I liked it as I was reading it, but almost more to find out the mystery of who Simon is than to understand this straight-to-gay story of Wesley being attracted to Simon. HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Say I Do by Brea Alepoú and Skyler Snow**

Mafia boss is forced to marry Yakuza daughter to cement relationship between families, but her twin brother is dragged, drugged and bound to the wedding instead. Honestly. Too much. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Blu, My Protector by RS McKenzie**

Psychopath and serial killer Blu is a psychologist. One of his patients is Alvin, who he immediately recognizes as a serial killer too, although he isn’t worried about it until he meets Alvin’s romantic interest, June, a young man who’s a barista. Instant obsession for Blu, and he kills Alvin when Alvin has lured June to his house in order to kill him. Blu’s there to save June and kill Alvin. Okay, it goes downhill from there. Caveat emptor re sex.

The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman 1/26/24 3/27/24 audio book

Amazon’s description: "A brainy noir . . . a winningly cryptic tale . . . a cabinet of wonders written by a novelist whose surname and sensibility fit comfortably on the shelf between Umberto Eco and John Fowles." —Los Angeles Times

"One of the year’s most literate and absorbing entertainments." —Kirkus Reviews

Jon Fasman’s dizzyingly plotted intellectual thriller suggests a marriage between Dan Brown and Donna Tartt. When reporter Paul Tomm is assigned to investigate the mysterious death of a reclusive academic, he finds himself pursuing leads that date back to the twelfth century and the theft of alchemical instruments from the geographer of the Sicilian court. Now someone is trying to retrieve them. Interspersed with the present action are the stories of the men and women who came to possess those charmed—and sometimes cursed—artifacts, which have powers that go well beyond the transmutation of lead into gold. Deftly combining history, magic, suspense, and romance—and as handsomely illustrated as an ancient incunabulum—The Geographer’s Library is irresistible.

It took me two months to listen to this audio book, and I admit to losing track of some of the chapters about the alchemical instruments. The story of Paul Tomm and Hannah Rowe, however, is vivid and puzzling and kept me listening to find out what exactly happened to the death of the reclusive academic whose life intersected both of theirs. The ending is a shock, and I won’t say anything about it. The historical aspects seem authentic, written with vividness and apparent historical accuracy. Paul Tomm’s voice is jarring in that he is 24 at the time of his narration – young, unformed, curious without being disciplined. Very good without being stunning memorable, a good way to spend time listening to an audio book in the car.

Hot Mess by Misha Horne 3/26/24 3/27/24 Kindle

London is living a life of rudderless hiding, even from himself, the kink and sexual needs he has. Erik, a neighbor, finds some lace panties when he helps London fix a broken faucet spewing water everywhere, and it goes from there. Erik is a giver, willing to help London realize his needs and help London organize his life, which he desperately wants but has no clue how to make happen. The reason I really liked this one is that London is a product of his upbringing as an Army brat. He was jerked from base to base, away from friends and potential friends, searching for security and stability. Erik is also a product of his traumatic upbringing, but ended up with his grandfather and brother, giving him stability. Erik and London’s kinks work well together. Caveat emptor re kink and sex.

Little Demon in the Details by Nordika Night 3/27/24 3/29/24 Kindle

Over the top, in a wonderful way. The story of Mercer, abused since childhood, although rarely physically. Abandonment, and etc. Blake sees him outside a club and takes him home, simply because. They’re like oil and water, and Blake’s had a few MM experiences but only a few. Eventually the attraction grows to the point where they act upon it. In the meantime, there’s a mystery surrounding Mercer and his family as it relates to Blake and his family. Highly satisfactory, lots of fun dialog and well-written emotional content. Just when you think it’s over, you look down at the % read and number of pages read, calculate roughly how many pages are left, and buckle in again for more of the excellent ride. Caveat emptor re very steamy sex.

The Caretaker 3/29/24 3/29/24 Kindle

Noon was in a terrible accident and has lost the last two years of his memory. He finds a receipt and goes to the bar where he got it in a distant town. He takes photos, and sees someone he thinks he might know. Solace knows Noon. So much to unpack – spousal cheating and abandonment, romance and true love, loss of that love, finally a HEA. It went across three time periods, which was hard to follow, but their feelings for each other rang true. Caveat emptor re sex. I liked the first two of the series better.

Bad Boy by Emma Alcott 3/29/24 3/30/24 Kindle

Lost boy Colton, literally, gets caught in a snow storm in front of a cabin. The door’s open, he goes inside. He’s fearful of so many things in his life, but not Russ. Instant trust, instant sparkage, instant connection. Colton’s dad and the local sheriff are less than pleased that Colton is staying with a former petty criminal gone straight, a romance writer, and the man suspected by the sheriff in the disappearance of his boyfriend 10 years earlier. I really enjoyed this one because of Russ’s on-line gay-romance writer friends and their hilarious banter. I also wanted to find out what happened to the missing boyfriend. Colton grows a backbone and tells his old boyfriend off, Russ is a caregiver, and they get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Sweet Thing by Emma Alcott**

As good as Bad Boy was, Sweet Thing made my teeth hurt. Another gay romance writer, Aaron, has an assistant. He’s in love with Aaron but can’t find the right way to tell him about his feelings. He writes a romance about two men which is really about him and Aaron and gets it published. It becomes a best seller, 🙄, and at that point I just couldn’t take any more. Probably caveat emptor re sex, but I abandoned it before I got that far.

393 books read

1 Masterpiece
51 Stunning
181 Excellent
48 Very Good
30 Good
9 Average
4 Bad

Best Fiction
Show Me Wonders by Riley Hart Review
The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith Review
Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Ray Review
The Boy in the Field by Margot Livesey Review
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Review
*runner up The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths Review

Best (only) Nonfiction
1066: The Year That Changed Everything by Professsor Jennifer Paxton Review
Lost Christianities by Bart D. Ehrman Review
Introduction to Judaism by Professor (Rabbi) Shai Cherry Review

Top five overall for the LT Top Five Books of 2023 List
Show Me Wonders by Riley Hart Review
The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith Review
Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Ray Review
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Review
Introduction to Judaism by Professor (Rabbi) Shai Cherry Review

…...

And, new in 2024, courtesy of Jackie_K, my husband, and Richard:

Wordle 1,040 2/6* Hot damn. trope, overt

🟨🟨🟨⬜🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Welcome!

Morning, Karen. Happy New Thread. Once again, I love your dream house. Back to chilly temps today. Ugh. I am still waiting for the goldfinch to arrive. I have been keeping fresh thistle in the feeder. I have seen them on my walks and the males are in a full summer plumage.

I am tending to the "kids" today and then I will head out to pick up the camper and bring it back here.

'Morning, Mark, and thank you. We'll be warmer than you today, getting to 73F. Louise has so many goldfinches at her place, and I have only a few here. She gave me her thistle feeder and I need to get seed for it. Gotta figure out another place to hang a feeder where I can see it.

I'm glad that you're getting the camper today for your FOY trip this weekend.

Here's a treat for being first on my new thread, the yellow-feathered Cardinal in 2018.

Nice shiny new thread you have here, Karen. Congrats on Worlde in 2!

Happy new thread, Karen! Checking in before I lose you again.

>1 karenmarie: Vicious, evil people in power with a pseudo-Christian agenda that does not come close to following the Christianity they profess but profane.

As a Christian, I cannot tell you how the truth of that statement hurts me.

The House of Being (Why I Write) by Natasha Tretheway
4/12/24 4/24/24





From Amazon.com:

An exquisite meditation on the geographies we inherit and the metaphors we inhabit, from Pulitzer Prize winner and nineteenth U.S. poet laureate Natasha Trethewey

“Searching and intimate, this impresses.”—Publishers Weekly

In a shotgun house in Gulfport, Mississippi, at the crossroads of Highway 49, the legendary highway of the Blues, and Jefferson Street, Natasha Trethewey learned to read and write. Before the land was a crossroads, however, it was a pasture: a farming settlement where, after the Civil War, a group of formerly enslaved women, men, and children made a new home.

In this intimate and searching meditation, Trethewey revisits the geography of her childhood to trace the origins of her writing life, born of the need to create new metaphors to inhabit “so that my story would not be determined for me.” She recalls the markers of history and culture that dotted the horizons of her youth: the Confederate flags proudly flown throughout Mississippi; her gradual understanding of her own identity as the child of a Black mother and a white father; and her grandmother’s collages lining the hallway, offering glimpses of the world as it could be. With the clarity of a prophet and the grace of a poet, Trethewey offers up a vision of writing as reclamation: of our own lives and the stories of the vanished, forgotten, and erased.

Why I wanted to read it: An LT recommendation that I knew I had to have, but I can’t remember on whose thread I saw it. (Note to self: Put all books acquired from recommendations or BBs into my kairfa thread – my wish list – otherwise I won’t remember where I learned about a book.)

I wanted to give this 4.5 stars, but finishing another book that was very different and rating it 4.5 stars, realized that this deserved just that much more. I am beyond stingy with 5 stars, but this book absolutely deserves it. It is short and sweet at 77 pages in hardcover, sad and damning, musing on the author’s life as the child of a white father and black mother in the deepest south, Gulfport, Mississippi.

The writing is lyrical and personal, just as if she were sitting with me on my front porch in rocking chairs side by side, speaking into our pastures and the tree line.

Here’s one paragraph that struck me:

What the World Book taught me was only one of many lessons that set me on a path toward becoming a writer. How many times, over the years, would my father remind me – quoting Martin Heidegger – that “Language is the house of being”? It would be decades before I’d read those words myself in a book by the German philosopher – who was also a member of the Nazi Party – and feel again that sharp pang of recognition: the difficult knowledge that some of the most enduring ideas had been written by complicated figures, like Thomas Jefferson, who believed in racial hierarchies, inherent superiority and inferiority. More and more I would come to understand that it was not simply ignorance that I’d need to push back against, but also the stores of received knowledge – philosophy, history, science – that I would encounter in the most learned places. p 44

I was fascinated with poetical forms I’d never heard of. I know about villanelles and sonnets and palindromes, but had never heard of pantoums or ghazals. Facts in addition to memories and feelings, quotes from authors, poets, philosophers. So many things in such a small package.

The place of her birth and the tragedy of her parents’ marriage and divorce and the murder of her mother by her step-father are vivid slashes against the gentle and learned wanderings of her mind.

Six word review: Condemnation and self-awareness, love, heartfelt sharing.

>15 karenmarie: It was recommended to me by Richard, so maybe that is where you got it from?

If I did not already have it in the BlackHole, I would be adding it!

Bravo to Karen. Incredible lists. Impatient to go under the knife. Yowzer!

I saw the hearing aid pitchlady yesterday. She's got a minion evaluating what can be wrung out of my insurance. Oh, and maybe a new cell phone too.

I have a shelving expansion underway. Nothing that's going to be done quickly.

Three books being read, in rotation. I'm still working through "Big Pink", a 500+ page graphic bio of Keith Haring, titled Keith Haring.

             See. It's BIG and it is PINK!

Also reading Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper by Nicholson Baker and The Arrest by Jonathan Lethem.

May 1st, with the weather authorities' cooperation, I shall drive the lawn tractor around the place. With the cutting blades spinning, no less.

Stay as sweet and formidable as you are.

Happy new thread, Karen.

And nice Wordling!

New thread and Wordle in 2 - GOOD for you (((((Karen)))))!

You are treating *Like Us* the way I have treated my Ishmael Wang series for several years. I know I can count on them for what I seem to need. Another GOOD for us!

I do feel the need to try *Damaged*. I'll see.....

Meanwhile, I wish you a lovely day. It looks like one!

Happy new thread! The countdown to a new knee is on!

>15 karenmarie: That does sound interesting. Life is so convoluted, and coming from diverse origins really can force one to deal with it.

Happy new thread, Karen. xx

Happy new thread, Karen!

From your last thread, to LizzieD: I hope to be able to visit you by late summer. Or, you could come up here once things settle down, and visit Bobbie AND me. If Peggy comes up this way, I would love to finally meet her in person!

Happy new thread, Karen, and happy Thursday!

So glad your pre-op appointments went well, I keep fingers and toes crossed until next week.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. The yellow cardinal is jaw-dropping. What a sighting that must have been. You got me with The House of Being. I have read her memoir and some of her poetry. She is a treasure.

Yesterday was a busy one, with all our preparations. I never cracked a print book and I probably won't have a chance today either. Sacrifices need to be made, I guess. We hope to shove off around noon.

>13 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, and thank you.

>14 alcottacre: Hello Stasia. Thanks. There are a few Christians in my life, you among them, who walk the walk instead of just talking the talk. It makes you and them all heart sore over what people do in the name of their religion and beliefs.

>16 alcottacre: Most likely Richard, then. I’m so glad I bought it and have actually read it.

>17 weird_O: Bill! Hi! Lists and knives, two things important to me this year. Yowzer indeed.

I’m glad the nice hearing aid pitchlady is working hard on your behalf. New cell phone, too. Exciting. More shelves for more books, always a good thing, and your reading is impressive. Haring was from rural PA – anywhere near your neck of the woods? Mumble, mumble… I need to read a Lethem this year from the two on my shelves – As She Climbed Across the Table or Gun, With Occasional Music.

Thank you. Sweet and formidable. I don’t think I’ve ever had those two words together in a sentence to describe me.

>18 katiekrug: Hi Katie, and thank you. We’re always happy to get two, aren’t we?

>19 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. I’m happily surprised that you wanted to try Damaged Like Us. I liked yesterday, and it was lovely. Today is gorgeous. Blue skies, even the black walnuts have started to leaf out.

>20 quondame: Hello Susan. I know – today’s the first day of stopping and starting various things – no supplements or herbal anythings, soon to start Mupiricin, an ointment to help prevent me getting MRSA in the hospital. Half dose of the blood thinner 3 days before surgery, and etc. Would it surprise you that I have a spreadsheet for this? Nope, didn’t think so. *smile*

>21 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, and thank you.

>22 atozgrl: Hey Irene, and thanks. If we can get Peggy up here this year, I hope it’s enough time to get lots of people and things in. That would be lots of fun.

>23 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita. Happy Thursday to you, too. Thanks re the pre-op appointments. Fingers and toes crossed help.

>24 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you. I remember reading about it at the time and being amazed. Also, every birder in the South went there, plus folks who could afford to fly down. I felt bad at the time for the locals. Glad I got you with The House of Being.

Heh. Sacrifices in order to use your camper for your FOY trip. Enjoy your time away.

Wordle 1,041 4/6* This took a while. trope, worth, orbit, intro

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Yesterday was lots of upstairs puttering, reading, some soccer, and etc.

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Today will be more of the same. I did get up late, but I slept well for 7+ hours so am not whining too much about the late start. First cup of coffee, Wordle, and this message done, off to get brekkie and etc.

>25 karenmarie: How about 13 miles? The distance from my house to Keith Haring's childhood home. Yowzer.

Oh my goodness, Bill. 1+3=4, half of my lucky number, and therefore even more special. Yowzer for sure.

Hooray for 7+ hours!!!! Ditto for the spreadsheet! I confess to having had trouble keeping up with the eye drops for my cataracts. You are not only sweet and formidable but also competent and ORGANIZED! More power to you!

We both fourded alphabet soup (always trying for a pun here) with Wordle today.

Bill inspires me to go back to the local audiologist. I swore I wouldn't, but it doesn't make sense to go out of town for something that may need multiple visits for adjustments. I don't like her, but I guess she can fit hearing aids.

Enjoy your day.

Karen, You are amazing. the amount of books you read is incredible!

>15 karenmarie: That sounds amazing, I've added it to the wishlist (it doesn't come out here until June). Happy new thread!

Hi Karen my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend. At last i have found a new thread with less than 50 posts that i can post on. As you can tell with my lack of posting, my time is limited if i am to get some reading done. What with my chauffering duties, housework and my ongoing issues with my back, neck, hips and thighs, things are not too good although we are seeing quite a bit of Elliott which is always a joy, he is growing up so fast and people see him and think he must be about five when in reality he is approaching his 3rd birthday on the 4th of May.

We are both doing as well as can be expected and looking forward to our holiday in Madeira to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary which tomorrow will be 98 days away. I realised that the day we fly is the day of the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

We hope that you, Bill, Jenna, Inara, Zoe and Wash are all OK and send love and hugs and kitty skritches from both of us and of course, Felix.

>25 karenmarie: A spreadsheet!?! I am, in fact, surprised - I don't think about applying spreadsheets to myself. Book, things, money, and I know there are those pesky projects (but isn't that an entirely different branch of SW) but me? or thou? nope. Also, I'm not the best at paying attention, so I may have overlooked some of your darker proclivities.....

>25 karenmarie: It would be lots of fun! But it's up to Peggy.

Wordle in 4 for me today as well.

>33 atozgrl: Peggy is willing but can't think that far ahead!

Happy New Thread!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/360348

Happy New Thread, Karen. Not long until you have your knee surgery. I am sure it will go well, and best wishes. My sister recently had to put her cat to sleep, due to old age and end stage kidney failure. She has a just adopted a new young cat, a beautiful looking calico like your Inara. My sister's cat came with the name " Corrine" but she plans to change it once she knows her better and decides what name suits her. I have been over to visit the cat and I think she is lovely. She is considering quite a few names, but I am partial to one suggestion, Chloe - or Abby or Eliza. She is over 2 years old and was found wandering in a parking lot. I'll let you know her name once I know.

That yellow cardinal is gorgeous. Best wishes on the knee replacement. I had two knee surgeries on my left knee in 2014/2015. It's hard to believe it's been almost 10 years now. I bet you get a big, neat brace for a while.

>28 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Happy next day. I got just under 8 last night. I took the NuQuil Severe Cold & Allergy Liquid GelCaps at 12:30, really late, but slept straight through when I turned the light out at 1:30. I had 3 kitties on the bed at that time. Always a joy. Woke up with the still on the bed.

I alarms set on my cell phone by using a free alarm app, although most people would probably just ust Google Calendar or another calendar app on their phone. Surprisingly, I don’t want Google or other entity knowing my day-to-day appointments/reminders.

Yay for fourded. Today I thirded, to continue the trend.

I’m sorry you don’t like the local audiologist, but having her do mostly mechanical things isn’t the same as a specialist who has to combine knowledge, knowledge of you, and the skill to marry the two. You can figuratively roll your eyes at her when you’re there, although that comes close to the snark that you try to avoid that I revel in.

>29 Whisper1: Hi Linda, and thank you. I am reading a lot, thanks to Kindle Unlimited. My current … ah … passion for MM romances is unabated, but I did read the Trethewey book, so there’s that. *smile*

>30 Jackie_K: Hi Jackie! Yay for your wish list, and thank you. I hope you like this book as much as I did when you get around to it.

>31 johnsimpson: John! Thank you for visiting, and thank you re my new thread. I know – long threads can be daunting, and I’m sorry your ongoing health issues are ‘not too good’. Wow. Elliott is almost 3. I prioritize reading over thread visiting, too. I’m focused on football too - looks like Man U is in 6th right now. Would it surprise you that I have the Arsenal, Premier League, US Soccer, Champions League, and FIFA apps on my cell phone?

I’m happy for you for your Madeira holiday this year, and early early congrats on your 40 years of marriage to the wonderful Karen.

We’re all okay. Sending love and hugs to you and Karen and kitty skritches to the wonderful Felix.

>32 quondame: This darker proclivity you speak of, Susan, started when I got my first home computer in … 1989? … when I still lived in Tujunga. It has ensorcelled me and expanded over the years. I love my spreadsheets and yet do not keep an online calendar – I use ‘Letts Classic Quarto vertical week to view with appointments diary’ in black.

>33 atozgrl: Hi Irene. Yay for Wordle in 4. I got it in 3 today. If we get Peggy up this way sometime down the road, so to speak, I hope we can have a 3-way meetup. The one and only one of those I had was with Peggy and nittnut, Jenn. 2019 perhaps?

>34 LizzieD: ‘Morning, Peggy! I know you can’t think that far ahead, too much going on for you!!! But tucking it away in the back of your mind, where it can percolate, isn’t a bad thing. I think you two would get along just fine.

>35 SilverWolf28: and >36 SilverWolf28: Hi Silver, and thank you. You’re diligent and I appreciate it, with providing the links I still haven’t used. *sigh*

>37 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah, and thank you. Thank you, too, for your wishes for my surgery.

I’m sorry about your sister having to put her senior kitty to sleep. Nice that she’s already adopted a kitty. I finally figured out that the shelters just pluck a name out of the ether for kitties unless they’re relinquished by an owner who can’t keep them any more. My two gingers were NOT previously owned, Zoe being semi-feral and her kitten not used to being touched by humans. Their shelter names were Dreamsicle and Sherbet, which we changed within the week, with all three of us having serious input. Zoe Rose and Washburne Ryder are their full names. Your sister’s choice, Chloe, is a good one, IMO, rhyming with our Zoe's.

>38 elorin: Hi Robyn, and thank you. I had heard about the sighting, read all the newspaper articles, saw all the photos, and kept this one here in my Gallery on LT. I knew it would come in handy one of these years, and instead of a crown for Mark for being first on this thread happily thought about it and found it. Thanks for my knee replacement. Wow for two surgeries on your left knee, can’t imagine that. One per knee is my goal. Aqualcel for 5 days, a portable brace with ice for moving around, free of charge to Medicare patients, and the Polar Care unit my daughter bought for me last year otherwise. Walker, then cane. At least time I know the drill.

Wordle 1,042 3/6* trope, spank, vapid

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Yesterday was some reorganization of linens upstairs and putting stuff up in a closet and reading, spreadsheet stuff, soccer, and watching the first two episodes of Ripley, based on The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith. I love, love, love it, Bill's not quite sure about it but willing to continue. Alas, my copy of the book seems to be MIA, darn it. I'm going to search around where I think it is, but I'm not sanguine and may break down and buy another copy.

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Reading, puttering, doing a few things pre-surgery related, and etc. are on the docket for today. Also, replenishing the bird feeders.

Tomorrow is our 33rd wedding anniversary, and we'll just be here at the house watching soccer. I'll inaugurate my new stove (beyond heating things up and making a few small things) with steaks. Potatoes in the toaster oven. I'm planning on making a Chocolate Pound Cake with chocolate glaze, perhaps today, most likely tomorrow morning, and that will also inaugurate the oven in the stove.

>39 karenmarie: Have a cozy and delicious anniversary! Congratulations.

A physical record of calendar events, the process of physically entering the future and noting the past in an attractive, satisfying to the touch and eye book, is hypnotic. Alas, for me, useless.

Happy new thread, Karen

I’m glad you’re enjoying Ridley, Karen. We just finished it last night.

>39 karenmarie: >34 LizzieD: If a meet-up happens, count me in! I am certain we would get along, Peggy was the first one to friend me here on LT.

Congratulations on your wedding anniversary! It sounds like you have a marvelous dinner planned. Good way to inaugurate the new appliances.

>40 quondame: Thank you, Susan. Most people use online calendars of some sort. I’m stubborn in this way, and have desk calendars back to 1985.

>41 ArlieS: Hi Arlie, and thank you.

>42 lauralkeet: We’ll continue with Ridley, just don’t know if it will be tonight or not.

>43 atozgrl: Ah, Irene, you and Peggy are already fast LT friends. Thanks re our anniversary.

Wordle 1,043 4/6* trope, demon, smell, gleam

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Yesterday was really quiet. I did replenish all 4 bird feeders. I read, puttered, and we watched some soccer replays.

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Well, today started off busy, and this is the first chance I've had to sit down except for 15 minutes of soccer. They moving guys showed up without warning, something Bill told Osmar NOT to do. they arrived about 8:15. Scurry to get dressed, call Louise, and go, come, direct, thank, and tip. Gone by about 9:30, so at least there's that. Louise gave us her sofa and love seat, very similar to what we had, just a tad lighter in coler with a different, also small pattern. She also gave me her mother's hope chest from 1906, when her mother was 18. She's stuffed it full of things and just smiled when she told me. I'll open it later.

Bill and I exchanged cards and sweets before the mayhem started - Look Bars for me and 2-cookie packages of Oreos and Chips Ahoy for Bill. We got each other the exact same 'funny' card, believe it or not, which was highly amusing.

Liverpool tied with West Ham, so even though they were already out of contention, now they definitely are. It's Arsenal vs. Man City for Champion of the Premier League this year. Nail biting time.

After things settle down, I'll eat a bit of brekkie then make the pound cake. Might watch a bit more soccer. Arsenal plays the Spurs tomorrow at 9 a.m. The rest of today should be quiet.

Have a wonderful weekend, Karen!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO YOU AND BILL, KAREN!!!! I love that you got each other the same card.

I love that Louise gave you her mother's hope chest. What an adventure unpacking that will be!

Enjoy your day - and your wonderful food!

>25 karenmarie:, >16 alcottacre: Yep, that one's from me. *smooch* for new-threadulatory zhuzhing!

Happy new thread, Karen!

Happy new thread, Karen. The House of Being (Why I Write) by Natasha Tretheway sounds like a compelling read.

Good on you for helping Louise with the movers. Too bad she is moving so far away.

>45 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, and thank you. So far so good.

>46 LizzieD: Thank you so much, Peggy. I opened the ‘funny’ card first and kept a straight face. He was impressed. The hope chest has hand-finished linens, stitched by Louise and her mother, and a brass plaque inside that says, "A Antoinette en Souvenir de sa Grand'Tante Madeline 1902-1922". Antoinette is Louise's mother.

>47 richardderus: You did good with The House of Being, RDear, enticing me to read more than smut. Thanks re the new thread, too. *smooch*

>48 drneutron: Hi Jim, and thank you.

>49 Familyhistorian: It’s a short and sweet read, Meg. If you can get your hands on it, I hope you like it as much as I did.

I’m sad for and happy for her that Louise is moving to Florida. She has bought a 2-bedroom 2-bath house literally across the street and down one from her daughter. It’s a sweet little house in a senior community. She can participate as much or as little as she wants to. Ponds, pools, library, other amenities. She’d rather be here, though, and these last two weeks have been/will be tough – she’s literally moving on the 7th, I think. I’ll be down from my May 2nd surgery, but she said she’d come over after the surgery to say good bye one last time.

Wordle 1,044 3/6* trope, prude, prune

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Yesterday was a good day. We had steak and potatoes and chocolate pound cake for dessert. Soccer, and etc.

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Arsenal plays Tottenham this morning at 9. Other than that, all the usual things.

Happy (belated) Anniversary, Karen. Quiet celebrations are the best. And you picked identical cards. Proof of a good match!

How sweet that your good friend and neighbor Louise gifted you with a family heirloom with some treasures inside. I know you will miss each other.

I will be following along as you have your other knee replaced. Hope all goes smoothly and that Jenna comes home and plays nurse again. X0

>50 karenmarie: Apart from the *shudder* chocolate, it sounds a lovely dinner. Hoping today's a good'un.

*smooch*

Congratulations on your anniversary, Karen and Bill! I love that you bought each other the same card! Last year a friend of mine and her husband bought each other the exact same book for their anniversary. No chance of Pete and I ever doing that, we have such different tastes in reading!

Hello, 3 Sister!

I'm touched again at the treasure of that hope chest. I hope that Louise's daughter will be as good to her as you have been.

Hope you're enjoying your Sunday. I'm home from church, and we're about to walk.

Happy Anniversary! I love that you bought each other the same card ... am I remembering rightly that this has happened before?

I hope Louise's move goes smoothly and that you can stay in touch. Zoom is wonderful for that - if she hasn't used it before, perhaps her daughter can help her.

Happy Anniversary to you and Bill. Same card - a story for the future.

I'm sure you will miss Louise, but the move sounds good for her. I hope the new neighbors are pleasant and friendly.

Morning, Karen. We are back. A bit more details over on my thread. We dodged most of the bad weather predicted but our campsite was flooded. Ugh. It looks like bird migration is in full swing. I saw my FOY Baltimore oriole yesterday, along with a couple of new warblers. Hummers have arrived too but haven't seen 'em yet. Hope to get out more this week.

I hope everything is going well at your homestead.

>51 Donna828: Hi Donna, and thank you. I will definitely miss Louise. Our new neighbors are apparently a couple with an 11-month old daughter. Thanks re my knee. XO to you, too!

>52 richardderus: Hello RD! Yes, it was a good day, and yesterday was good, too. *smooch*

>53 Jackie_K: Hi Jackie, and thanks. Identical cards and books are definitely a sign, aren’t they?

>54 LizzieD: Hi 3 sister. I got it in 3 again today, as you can see below. The hope chest is very special. Daughter Cathy seems to be settling down since her move, husband’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis and death last summer in July. She lives in a seniors community, and it suits her to a T. Louise, of course, will be in the same community, across the road and down one. I’m glad you’re going back to church.

>55 streamsong: Hi Janet and thank you. Hmmm. I can’t remember if we’ve done it before.

>56 ffortsa: ‘Morning, Mark. I’ll visit your thread in a bit, but oh my, flooded campsite? Ugh. Yay for your FOYs, AND lifetime warblers? Everything’s going well here, thank you.

Wordle 1,045 3/6* trope, brunt, craft

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Yesterday was relaxing and nail biting time, too, with Arsenal beating Tottenham 3-2. They were up 3-0 at the half, but a mistake by the goalie Raya that led to a goal and then a penalty kick that led to another goal, made it stressful until the final whistle blew. I had a piece of chocolate pound cake for brekkie. Louise came over to bring me a few things - a flour cannister she'd had since the '50s, a teapot for Jenna, 8 individually wrapped suet cakes for the birds. I sent home a piece of pound cake in a container she didn't have to worry about washing/returning.

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A bit of adulting, a bit of getting ready for Thursday's surgery, a bit of reading and etc.

Sounds like you will miss Louise a ton. Warmest wishes for the knee replacement surgery. Sounds like you are all set. I hope it relieves the pain.

>58 karenmarie: I'm glad for you that Arsenal pulled it back. Enjoy your *shudder* chocolate, and the prospect of neighbors with a kid. YAY for Thursday! After this it's done and dusted. I'm delighted for you. *smooch*

Good morning, Karen. I'm on my way back to adulthood, I sigh to say. Meanwhile, I continue to read *Like Us*. I think my final verdict is going to be that there's too much explicit sex for my taste. I can enjoy one hot scene per book, but the next ones are tedious. I feel the same way about *In Death*, but I'll keep reading those because you know I'm a mystery addict. I do like the characters, but again, I'll be glad that I read this one and will likely catch up the rest of the series by reading a review or two.

Cheers for Spring! Love to you as the 2nd is nearly here! We should probably talk when we both have a little time.

Thursday! I hope the surgery goes well and your recovery is, shall we say, uneventful. Of course it is a big deal, but you will feel so much better when it's done.

I have been quite behind with threads and missed the beginning or your new one.

Happy new thread!

Best wishes on your knee surgery.

Morning, Karen. I ended up going on a bird walk with my birding buddies yesterday, clocking in over 30 species, including several FOY birds. Congrats on seeing a grosbeak yesterday. We saw a male and female on our walk but I am waiting for one to visit my feeders. I did see a white-crowned sparrow in the yard yesterday. The first time in 2-3 years.

Tomorrow....

>59 elorin: Hi Robyn. Louise was the first neighbor we met, and she was a terror. She asked who Bill was just after we bought the property and he was over here, told Jenna to stay off her property, and ragged at me for my kitties visiting her because they chased/killed the birds. Almost 26 years later, it’s gonna hurt that she won’t be next door. Thanks re my surgery. I’m set in all the important ways, just got some things to arrange.

>60 richardderus: Thanks, RD! They gave us a rough last 25 minutes, for sure. Chocolate works for me, and I’ll always eat your share if we’re stuck on a desert island somewhere together. Thanks re the surgery. *smooch*

>61 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, and happy next day to you. I’m not surprised about the explicit sex in Damaged Like Us. I just loved the huge biological and found family in addition to Maximoff’s and Farrow’s story, which continues in two more books of the thirteen, along with them being characters in the other nine.

Funny that you mention the In Death series, because although I love reading about sexy times, the sexy times between Eve and Rourke has become formulaic to me and I’ve actually pretty much skipped over it in the last 3 or 4 books I’ve read. Having said that, I need to read the 4 on my shelves and have noted that there are two out there, one due to be published in the late summer and one due out next year.

Yes re spring, thank you for the love, and I’d love to talk.

>62 ffortsa: Hi Judy, and thank you, and YES to an uneventful recovery. It is huge. So far the only thing I think I’m going to do differently is work hard at moving to a cane sooner from the walker.

>63 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, and thank you twice. I can relate to being behind on threads, and apologize to EVERY ONE I haven’t visited in recent days, weeks, months.

>64 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you. Yay for a BBW – birding buddy walk. 30 species and several FOY birds, congrats. Thanks re the Grosbeak. They are soooooo gorgeous, all dramatic white, black, and dark rose. Nice about the White-Crowned Sparrow, too.

Wordle 1,046 5/6* blech. alphabet soup. trope, prong, proof, proud, prowl

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I finally got all the pots and pans back on the hanging rack yesterday - I didn't put any back that weren't thoroughly scrubbed. Gas stoves make for a dirty kitchen, but I wouldn't have it any other way now that the idea of an induction stove came and went with a whimper since I couldn't have the type of exhaust venting over it that it required. Various and sundry bits of puttering, reading, and etc.

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Reading, puttering, working on the grocery list for tomorrow's online/Bill pick up grocery shopping. My cleaning ladies come today.

>66 karenmarie: This isn't Wednesday, is it. I've spent the entire day thinking it's Wednesday. Can you shed light on exactly *why* you've prevented this from being Wednesday? It feels like one, so it ought to be one.

*irritated glare*

>67 richardderus: Please don't make it Wednesday yet, Richard. My DH tried his best to make yesterday Tuesday, and I need all the time I can get!

Good morning, Karen! I have to be out and around in the early afternoon, but then I'll text to see whether we can talk sometime.

>68 LizzieD: I shall have you to know, Peggy, that *I* do not control Time. That is Horrible's purview. Addressing one's pleas to the proper party won't, however, result in her kindness being bestowed since our suffering is her ambrosia.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. I finally got caught up with some reading yesterday afternoon. Whew! I needed it. Nice sitting out on the front porch too, soaking up some sun. I am going to try my first outdoor pickleball today, after I drop off the kids at school. It looks to be another lovely day. I put out the grape jelly.

>70 msf59: ...wait...yesterday was Wednesday...this is Thursday, isn't it?

*sigh*

Well, whatever day it is, I hope it's a lot calmer than tomorrow will be. *smooch*

>65 richardderus: ??? Oh. NOW it’s tomorrow, RDear. *smile*

>67 richardderus: I’ve done that before – thinking it’s a different day than it really is. I’ve prevented it from being Wednesday because I had one more day’s worth of things I needed to do before today.

>68 LizzieD: All us retired folks get a pass on not knowing which day of the week it is. Good morning the next day, Peggy, and since we’ve texted, let’s make sure to talk today.

>69 richardderus: I control time? News to me. If so, I’d have added 4 or 5 days before I had to cancel my February 29th surgery to get completely over the Covid symptoms. That’s all it would have needed, and I’d already be 9 weeks into my recovery. I must admit to having moments of epicaricacy, but never with fellow LTers.

>70 msf59: Hi Mark, and happy Wednesday to you. Yay for reading catch up. Front porch sun, good vitamin D and warmth. I hope the outdoor pickle ball goes well. The grape jelly’s for the Baltimore Orioles, right?

>71 richardderus: Wise guy. I’m enjoying my first cup of coffee and some time today am expecting a call from my surgeon’s scheduler with the time of my surgery tomorrow. Today’s Wednesday.

Tomorrow won’t be particularly calm, but I’ll have Jenna with me, which will make all the difference.

Wordle 1,047 3/6* trope, girly, diary

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My house got cleaned yesterday, Bill and I watched a bit of a soccer match replay, I read, and etc.

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As mentioned above, waiting for the scheduler's call some time today, reading, getting things out to take to the hospital tomorrow, and etc.

>72 karenmarie: Here's hoping that all goes well with the scheduler's call, getting ready for the hospital visit tomorrow, and the surgery itself!

Hi Stasia, and thank you so much for the visit and well wishes. They're greatly appreciated.

YTD Statistics through April

156 books read
2 of them on my shelves before 1/1/24 and not rereads
35 books abandoned, 4486 pages abandoned, 1 audiobook, .45 hours abandoned

27 audiobook hours

Avg pages read per day, YTD = 368
Avg pages read per book, YTD = 285

Book of the Month: Endless Stretch of Blue by Riley Hart

Books by Month
January - 46 e-books, 1 audio book, 1 Graphic Novel, and 9 books abandoned for 1711 pages
February - 37 e-books
March - 38 e-books, 1 audio book, and 7 books abandoned for 899 pages
April - 31 e-books, 1 hard cover, and 11 books abandoned for 1338 pages

Author
Male 6%
Female 85%
Undeclared * 6%
Non-Binary 3%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Living 100%
Dead 0%

US Born 46%
Foreign Born 19%
Undeclared * 35%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Platform
Hardcover 1%
Trade Pback 0%
Mass Market 0%
Audiobook 1%
e-Book 98%

Source
My Library 6%
Library 0%
Kindle Unlimited 94%
Borrowed 0%

Misc
ARC/ER 0%
Re-read 0%
Series 78%

Fiction 99%
NonFiction 1%

Author Birth Country
Australia 6%
Canada 9%
New Zealand 2%
Norway 1%
UK 1%
Undeclared * 35%
US 46%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Original Decade Published

2000-2009 1%
2010-2019 38%
2020-2029 61%

Genre
Contemporary Fiction 97%
Crime Fiction 1%
Graphic Novel 1%
Informational Nonfiction 1%

Acquisition/Source Date
Kindle Unlimited 147
2024 5
culled after reading 4

Average Rating
1.5 - Very Bad 0
2.0 - Bad 1
2.5 - Average 7
3.0 - Good 18
3.5 - Very Good 18
4.0 - Excellent 76
4.5 - Outstanding 35
5 - Masterpiece 1

Average Rating 3.87
Books acquired YTD 105
Books culled YTD 176

April Lightning Round

Those in bold are NOT MM romances, few and far between as they are. It also occurs to me that quite a few of the smut books have warnings about triggers that I don’t mention here. Caveat emptor re triggers if you want to dip your toes in.

**abandoned Picture Love by A.F. Zoelle**

Felix gets dumped and goes on the trip to Paris that he and his ex-boyfriend had planned together. A friend’s older brother lives in Paris and has offered to show Felix around. Instant sparkage, instant everything, instant too much. Caveat emptor re sex.

Wedding Bells by Peter Styles and J.P. Oliver 3/31/24 4/2/24 Kindle

Sebastian is a Sheriff’s Deputy in his hometown. Matt has come home for his best friend’s wedding. He’s nervous – he was bullied in high school and the town is pretty rough if you’re gay. Sebastian pulls Matt over because Matt is a terrible driver. They don’t recognize each other, but Sebastian’s mother remembers Matt and how everybody was mean to him in HS. Sebastian was, too, and when he realizes this, although Matt wasn’t out and Sebastian knows he didn’t bully him for being gay, Sebastian is remorseful and wants to be a friend to Matt. A couple of dinners are awkward and go awry, but eventually, within the space of the week that Matt’s home, Sebastian is attracted to a man and Matt is attracted to someone he likes now but didn’t in high school. This is told in the first-person present tense, with separate chapters for each MC, and it worked beautifully for me. It’s a sweet story, with a HEA in the future but pretty much guaranteed. Caveat emptor re one sex scene.

Endless Stretch of Blue by Riley Hart 4/2/24 4/3/24 4/3/24 Kindle

My Book of the Month. Enzo loses his brother in a club fire on the same night that Damon loses his sister in the same fire. Each is eaten up with survivor’s guilt and trauma. One night Enzo rescues Damon from being beaten up and robbed. Damon follows Enzo in a daze to the restaurant Enzo was going to, they eat, and they tentatively start spending time together, and then realize they both lost siblings in the same club fire. They have ups and downs, spending time together more and more, and it turns into romantic feelings and sparkage. Enzo is part of a big Italian family, Damon only has his mother now that his sister is dead. Each has never been with a man before but accept that Enzo is Damon-sexual and Damon’s bisexual – the labels they use for themselves. They get their hard-earned HEA. Very emotional and serious, well worth the read. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Boss of Attraction by Kimberly Knight and Rachel Lyn Adams **

If somebody gave me a buck for every chuckle, wink, twinkling eyes, and smirk in this book, I’d be able to buy lots and lots of GOOD books. Predictable conversations, predictable gay awakening for a 50-year old, just… ugh.

**Losing Control by Riley Hart**

Disjointed start, two characters who I didn’t immediately like.

Monopolize Me by Evie Noir 4/4/24 4/5/24 Kindle

Dakota is blackmailed into coming to New York to take over his father’s billion-dollar banking firm. Lirio owns the largest hedge fund in the US, possibly the world. Dakota’s father and Lirio have a history, and are currently enemies. They meet before they know who each other is and are immediately attracted. Dakota is trying to learn his father’s business as COO, bringing his dairy farming experience and his innocence/baggage. Lirio is trying to take care of something personally that we only learn about in the 2nd book. Dakota’s a natural submissive, abused by a homophobic ‘friend’ for decades. Lirio is a practiced Dom who hasn’t had a sub in years. They start navigating this relationship in private, because the SEC would be very interested in learning that they might be in business cahoots. It ends on a stunning note. Caveat emptor BDSM and sex.

Monopolize You by Evie Noir 4/5/24 4/6/24 Kindle

Book 2 picks up immediately after book 1 ends. Business things occur, personal musings in the form of separate chapters by character POV, and their non-contractual relationship, which drives Lirio crazy, is put to the test when he has to go to Brazil for 3 weeks. Dakota is taken advantage of by his father, he starts falling apart. Lirio starts falling apart in Brazil out of guilt in his mishandling of his relationship with Dakota, lots of business things occur, and the second book also ends up on a shocking note. Caveat emptor serious BDSM and sex. I was not planning on reading book 3. There will be a book 4 this summer or fall. However, I kept thinking about Dakota and Lirio, liking them and understanding them because of the author’s skill in character development.

The Secret Lives of CEOs by Joey Mayble 4/6/24 4/6/24 Kindle

Gads, I thought this would be a palate cleanser after the emotional roller coaster of Evie Noir’s books, but this one has Max forcing Cameron, as his personal assistant, into a submissive roll sexually in order for Cameron to keep his job. HEA? I’m sorry I finished this one. Caveat emptor re sex.

Monopolize Us by Evie Noir 4/7/24 4/9/24 Kindle

Dakota has left New York, returning to his dairy farm in Kentucky, planning to never return. His time away has spoiled him for home although he is stubborn and wants to make it work. His father comes to the farm and they have a discussion in which Dakota realizes he wants to return to new York after setting up a manager, ranch hands, and the proper care for his mother. When he returns to New York, he meets up with Adrien, who he met in Paris. In the meantime, Lirio has pretty much fallen apart and returns to his Dominant and agrees to re-ground himself through submission. Dakota and Adrien attend a private BDSM gathering, and Lirio is there. Another shocking ending, and book 4 will be released this year, I hope. Caveat emptor re BDSM and sex. This series is addictive.

Unforgettable by Marley Valentine 4/8/24 4/10/24 231 pages Kindle

Oz is happy working at Vino and Veritas, a bar/book store in Vermont. He is a constant disappointment to his parents, which wears at him, but not enough to change his life. Reeve comes to Vermont for the summer before he returns to his family home and business to work. He is not happy with this but doesn’t feel he can tell his parents no. They meet for a one night stand, and there’s serious sparkage. Then Reeve gets hired at V&V, they spend time together. Fake boyfriend, real feelings. I had a bit of a hard time with how whiny each of them seemed, frankly, and wanted to meet Reeve’s parents for him to say he’s not going to work for them. Doesn’t happen, but Reeve and Oz get their HEA after a lot of soul searching by both of them. Caveat emptor re sex.

Secret Desires by Amber Ridge 4/10/24 4/10/24 34 pages Kindle

Very short story in which Daniel is with friends waiting to get into a club. He sees Nicholas go by, a boy he tutored in high school, lusted after, yet never let Nicholas know how he felt. Once inside, Nicholas comes up to him on the dance floor but leaves. Daniel follows. Nicholas is a Dom, Daniel is submissive. The story leaves us with the idea that things might work out for them, but it’s too short for that. However, I felt like both of them were well-developed characters, with enough back story to justify the scene. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned White Noise by Lark Taylor **

Journalist stuck in elevator with rock star, a brief encounter. Later, the journalist gets asked to spend 6 weeks with the band in a setup that is the envy of every journalist. Turns out that the rock star is smitten and has made the assignment happen. Too much too fast, too predictable. Caveat emptor re sex.

To Have and to Hold: Taken by Abigail Kade 4/10/24 4/11/24 Kindle

Very kinky, very violent. It worked for me, somehow. *shrug* So sue me. Worthington is married to Terrence, in an abusive relationship. Worthy, as Crow ends up calling him, is a very well-off young man. He escapes to go to his half-sister’s wedding after stripping Terrence of all the assets Terrence has taken from him. Worthy meets Crow, his half-sister’s best friend. Crow is an assassin-for-hire in addition to having a legitimate business. Crow is smitten, but that’s all. Very soon thereafter, he's hired to kill Worthy after getting information Terrence needs to get all the money/assets back that Worthy took back. After realizing that Terrence is the bad guy, not Worthy, Crow and Worthy act on the sparkage. It’s kinky and I don’t understand it, but I’ve read enough books in my Smut-a-thon to have read other books in the genre and be okay with reading it. Terrence hires thugs to kidnap Worthy, Crow enlists other assassins he knows to get Worthy back and end Terrence. Dark and kinky and weird, but except for the extreme way Terrence is killed, I truly liked it. Chapters are from main character POVs and we come to understand their backgrounds. Caveat emptor re violence, kink, and sex.

Brazen Affairs by Ashley James 4/11/24 4/12/24 Kindle

The best thing about this book is how much I learned about making a living from posting content and having followers. Camden is paying for college by posting videos of himself and sometimes himself in MM videos. Vaughn is laid off, finds his wife in their bed with another man when he comes home early that day and temporarily leaves. He’s beside himself, looks online, and finds Camden’s videos. He’s fascinated, views every video and posts comments and eventually gets in touch with Camden about how to get in the biz, although I’m not exactly sure how he gets from straight to MM videos. Camden teaches the ropes, if you will. Vaughn catches feelings first, Camden is totally opposed to them, but after some bizarre plot twists, they get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

Eden by Avon Gale and Emily Rossman 4/12/24 4/12/24 Kindle

Brandon moved to Eden Alaska after getting dishonorably discharged from the Coast Guard, partly based on his CO Rayne’s testimony. Rayne leaves the Coast Guard and reconnects with his foster sister Eileen in Eden, taking a helicopter pilot and guide job with the same company as Brandon. Instant hate, which camouflaged attraction, becomes sparkage and instant heat and a HEA. Caveat emptor re sex. A bit improbable, a bit too quick for good feelings from several years of bad feelings.

RPF - When Fiction Gets A Little Too Real by M. Grano and C. Azzo 4/12/24 4/16/24 Kindle

Oh my. 19-year old Sam is a Criminal Psychology student at university in London. He is completely emotionally closed off, has a few friends called The C*** Collective, his mother and father are divorced. She’s in Canada, his dad’s a nurse. Sam reacted badly to cruelty to his cat when little, and it’s a recurring theme of punishment. Levi paints abstract art and they meet when a friend of Sam’s from work and he go to an exhibit and see a piece by Levi. Sam is the only one who’s ever seen the secret violence in the painting of a man leaning over someone, holding a knife, with the person on the ground beseeching him. They are immediately attracted to one another and start seeing each other. In the meantime, Sam’s got a stalker. His friends and he Google themselves, and a blog shows up with Sam as the love object. Increasingly unsettling and violent episodes occur. One of Sam’s professors helps him research who it might be, but eliminating anybody from his life who could be the stalker is almost impossible. Eventually someone close to Sam is attacked. All the time Sam thinks it might be Levi, but he met Levi randomly after the blog started yet can’t seem to eliminate him. The writing’s detailed, the characters believable, the info about stalkers informative. Sam and Levi get their admittedly twisted HEA. First in the Hidden Affairs trilogy. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Drawn In By You by R.M. Neill**

Travis puts on a brave front and is only into hookups. Dylan has a young daughter and moves closer to his business associates, bringing him into Travis’s sphere. The daughter is just too cute for words -ugh – the plot predictable, the sparkage, need, and need to care for Travis a bludgeon on my senses. I abandoned it before any sexy times.

Storm Clouds and Devastation by Ashley James 4/16/24 4/17/24 Kindle

Second in the Hidden Affairs trilogy has Bodhi escorting. He’s shocked to see his high school best friend’s father as his client one night. Bodi is hanging on by a thread, traumatized by his birth family but not understanding why. Jules is a NC Supreme Court judge, estranged from his son. They dance around each other and eventually the sparkage overcomes good sense for both of them. Bohdi has an eating disorder, his HS friend comes back into his father’s life, and various and sundry get their comeuppance in addition to Jules and Bodhi getting their happily ever after. Too much, actually. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Embracing His Shame by Brigham Vaughn**

Two men discover that their kink works out perfectly with each other, but halfway through Jarod wants a relationship and Forrest runs screaming into the night, literally speaking. I wasn’t interested in reading about how Jarod overcame Forrest’s fears about a relationship. Caveat emptor re sex.

Say My Name by Ashley James 4/18/24 4/19/24 Kindle

Travis finds his long-term boyfriend and Mateo in their bedroom doing the deed, throws a lamp at Mateo and leaves, breaking up with the boyfriend. He takes an apartment in a different town but wow! Turns out that Mateo is his across-the-hall neighbor and after a snowstorm, Travis being locked out of his apartment and spending 2 days with Mateo, the sparkage ignites. It was okay and fluffy and they got their HEA. Oh, and the ex-boyfriend got his comeuppance. Caveat emptor re kink and sex.

Insatiable Hunger by Ashley James 4/17/24 4/18/24 Kindle

Elias was at a high-end, discrete, rich-guys-dancers/escorts party dancing and lap dancing, and had a memorable and anonymous time with Zeke. Imagine his surprise when he is introduced to his mother’s fiancé and it is Zeke. Attraction, dancing (so to speak) around the elephant in the room, and it was all well and good until Elias said Spank me, stepdaddy., and I was appalled. Kept reading, mind you, because I wanted to find out how the author was going to make this one work out. The plot ground audibly, the age gap was a bit too squicky, and the ending much too sappy. Caveat emptor re sex.

Aftercare by Tanya Chris 4/18/24 4/19/24 Kindle

Stunning book. Garrett is a public defender, not able to continue his high-profile criminal defense career after his husband, lover, and Dom Russell died after a devastating last 6 months of cancer. Garrett is a sub and a masochist, and Russell was everything to him. Aayan comes to his office to hire Garrett to defend his brother Syed, accused of murdering his lover Jamie. Syed and Jamie had the same type of relationship Garrett had with Russell, and Aayan needed Garrett to lead the defense. Garrett does not know that Aayan had seen an art photo of him in a submissive pose at Syed’s and fallen in love with it. Syed hires Garrett and Garrett and Aayan start a relationship. Evidence, court, Dom/sub, sadist/masochist, this book was so very well done. Add in the complications of Islamophobia and prejudice against the BDSM community, and a HEA for Garrett and Aayan, and it definitely deserved the 4.5 stars I gave it for my reaction – stunning. Caveat emptor re sex and Dom-sadist/sub-masochist play.

Aftershock by Tanya Chris 4/19/24 4/20/24 Kindle

Just as good as the first in the series, Aftercare. Dashiell, a lawyer helping Garrett with Syed’s defense in book one of the series, has joined Garrett’s rejuvenated criminal defense practice as a partner. They take on the case of a young man accused of beating a gay man who later died, and Dashiell and Syed start a relationship. Many of the same themes as in the first book, with the interesting twist of seeing Syed learn to be a different kind of Dom to Dashiell than he was to Jamie. More info comes to us regarding Jamie’s murder, and the book ends with Syed and Dashiell’s HEA and a very nice lead in to the final book in the trilogy, Aftermath. Some of the plot twists are a bit too coincidental, but that’s only after finishing it and thinking about it – as I was reading it everything was believable and logically flowed. Caveat emptor re sex and Dom-sadist/sub-masochist play.

Aftermath by Tanya Chris 4/19/24 4/20/24 236 pages Kindle

Final in the Ever After series has Casey out of jail for his role in the death of Jamie. He goes to live with his aunt, starts volunteering at a LGBT+ day facility for teens, and meets Brooks, a Dom who has lost his nerve. Casey finally admits to being gay, starts a relationship with Brooks, and it quickly becomes toxic for both as Casey needs redemption and forgiveness. Garret and Aayan and Syed and Dashiell play parts in this one, and it was a pretty good finale go a very interesting and well-written series. Caveat emptor re sex and Dom-sadist/sub-masochist play.

Red Flags and Tuesdays by Nordika Night 4/20/24 4/21/24 251 pages Kindle

I thought this would be a frivolous romp after the trilogy just finished, and in many ways, it is, with the opening paragraph including the “epic walk of shame” of Atticus out of Reid’s rooms in a … not exactly frat house but close. Wonderful conversations, snarky comebacks, continuing sparkage, and a very unconventional wooing by Reid. Both Reid’s and Atticus’s backstories eventually come out, and all in all this was a combination that is my kryptonite – intelligent writing, well-written emotions, well-written sexy-times, and characters I could believe in plots that weren’t too over-the-top. Reid’s wealth IS over the top, but that’s okay. Caveat emptor re very steamy sex.

Professor Platonic by Lucy Lennox 4/21/24 4/21/24 42 pages Kindle

Meh. Short story has Jack just over a semester in his graduate studies program, knowing one of his professors hates him and will fail him. He needs cuddles, has no one to cuddle him, and posts online. Cuddle hookup turns out to be with his professor. Hate turns to sparkage turns into a HEA. Improbable everything, but at 44 pages I read it to the end. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Hired Hadley by Nora Phoenix**

To use a phrase seen most recently on Richard's thread: “Couldn't be arsed.” 211 pages abandoned. Sometimes the lightbulb goes on over my head and I think “Abandon!” This is clearly one of those books, even with so much time invested.

**abandoned various and sundry**

4 books for a total of 50 pages – sometimes the beginning, or the number of characters presented in too few pages, or the writing just scream “NO” to me. Thank goodness for Kindle Unlimited.

**abandoned An Immense World by Ed Yong**

A lovely book, interesting musings on various natural phenomena, but I just don’t have the wherewithal to finish it at this time.

Out of the Office Romance by Twoony 4/22/24 4/24/24 Kindle

Wonderful tale of a young man who wins a contest and is hired into the marketing department of a large firm. The night before he starts, he finishes up his last shift being a waiter and is called on to train a new employee. He basically throws him to the wolves. They’re fiercely competitive, and the one with the most tips will win. Kade wins, and Nolen suggests 2 out of 3. They meet the next night to run and Nolen wins. Third leg of the competition is an arcade night. In the meantime, Kade starts his job and realizes that the CEO of the company he works for is Nolen. Also in the meantime, we learn that Nolen’s brother Mason is the CFO. They are step-brothers and have been raised to hate each other and compete against one another. Louis is Nolen’s PA. Throw in Kade’s ex-boyfriend who is a stalker and abuser, Nolen and Mason’s family dynamics, Kade’s family’s dynamics, and you get 536 pages of excellent dialog, good plotting and pace, and well-written emotions – book-reading kryptonite for me. Throw in steamy sexy times, and I couldn’t get enough of this book. I do hope Twoony writes more non-YA. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Blue's Boss by Candice Blake**

Ugh. Poor writing, too many shortcuts, ridiculous situations. The initial meeting, where Blue is waiting to interview for a job and a man in the coffee shop ties his tie for him is cute, but it goes downhill quickly.

Six Feet Apart by 4/24/24 4/24/24 Alina Popescu and A L Bates Kindle

One of the only books, smut or not, that I’ve read that has direct plot lines related to the Covid pandemic. (Two of the Ruth Galloway books by Elly Griffiths also deal with Covid.) Darius and Aadi are both traveling to Malta. Each thinks the other is hot when they see each other on the airplane, Darius overhears a phone conversation that makes him think Aadi thinks he’s revolting. They are in the same hotel, and in rooms next to each other with balconies separated by a low wall. Once they get over the misunderstanding, they get calls that they’re under quarantine for 14 days and must stay six feet apart. Sound familiar? They learn about each other, are more than attracted to each other. We get their backstories, and when they’re out of quarantine and are able to touch each other in the hall after finding an apartment to ride out the pandemic together, are able to give each other a kiss. Caveat emptor re phone sex.

**abandoned No Secrets by Nora Phoenix**

Not even worth writing more than the sentence “Too cute, too many coincidences, a ridiculous gay-for-you setup, and shortcut writing.

Gentle Hands by Emily Buckley 4/24/24 4/25/24 Kindle

Matthew is an art student in his senior year of college, living with friend Emmett. Matthew has been an escort since freshman year. Tom sets up an appointment but instead of it being sex, it’s a proposal for Matthew to be his fake boyfriend for as long as it takes for Tom to gain control of his parents’ company as they step down. They are very unhappy with his philandering and won’t turn over the reins until he’s in a committed relationship. He offers more money than Matthew can turn down, so Matthew cancels all his clients. One starts stalking, so Tom moves him into his luxurious house. Tom’s closed off, Matthew’s open and warm. Sparkage, acting on sparkage, with the contract still in play and the end coming. However, things change, and there’s a very satisfactory end to the stalker subplot (not murder!), and a very HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

Payback by Alexa Land Kindle 4/25/24 4/25/24 Kindle

Good enough to finish, but only worth a ‘good’ with 3 stars. Daniel is devastated when his boyfriend cheats on him and breaks up with him, vowing vengeance by getting his father to take him as his date to Brad’s aunt and Malcolm’s sister’s wedding. Daniel crashes a party for Malcolm and Malcolm is intrigued when he sees a young man get over a fence, fall in a bush, and tear his pants. Said young man, Daniel, is being thrown out by the party’s host, and Malcolm comes to his rescue. Sparkage, sex, and etc., invite to the party. Malcolm finds out through a friend’s hiring a PI, that Daniel and his son were in a relationship, which Daniel hasn’t told Malcolm about. And etc. Happy ever after. Caveat emptor re sex. Very sweet, and the part with the cat chasing the rat at the wedding reception was hilarious.

Message Received 4/25/24 4/26/24 314 pages Kindle

Ben is a supervisor at a call center, Sean, flighty and unable to hold a job down, is hired as a new CSR. Sparkage, elements of D/s. Ben had acrimoniously broken up with another supervisor 6 months before and was still somewhat of an emotional mess. Sean’s a Dom, Ben’s a sub. We learn about their backstories, there’s sparkage, and there’s a HEA and a bit of a comeuppance for the ex. Ben learns to let go of his OCD a bit and Sean learns how to be more responsible. Caveat emptor re sex.

The Heir's Disgrace by August Jones 4/26/24 4/27/24 Kindle

Oh my. Drew’s a doorman at an exclusive Upper East Side building, Ollivier is a spoiled brat who has the entire top floor. Drew’s struggling with depression, his girlfriend, and trying to make it as a model. Ollivier parties too hard and treats Drew and the other doormen with disdain. One day when Drew brings Ollivier a package that Oliver could have brought up himself he snaps, and things get interesting with sexual tension. From there, we have two supposedly straight men trying to figure out ‘how to be gay’ in their intense attraction to each other. Ollivier is a prisoner of his parents’ expectations, Drew has loving parents, 3 sisters who love him but one who berates and demeans him at every phone call. Drew doesn’t think he can stay in NYC, Ollivier realizes how conditional his parents’ love is. As Drew and Ollivier start falling for each other, Ollivier’s parents set up an arranged marriage with a woman for him after he creates a huge scandal. Ollivier and Drew get their HEA. Lots of fascinating character development, vivid characters and a fast-paced yet intricate plot. Caveat emptor re sex and breath play.

Say Yes by Jen Samson 4/27/24 4/28/24 Kindle

Colt and his friend Spencer run a day center for LGBTQ+ kids on a shoestring budget, usually eating ramen when the money runs out. They apply for a grant and meet the CEO, Sebastian. It’s immediate sparkage, with them eventually starting a D/S contract relationship. Colt’s got serious emotional baggage and is a cutter, and Sebastian has serious emotional scars. There are strong plot elements around peripheral characters and I loved Sebastian’s Aunt Joslyn, a witch. We get our HEA after almost too many plot twists, but over all I really liked it. It’s dark, so beware. Caveat emptor re sex and BDSM.

Deep Under by Tanya Chris 4/29/24 4/29/24 Kindle

Maddox pulls Jack over for speeding. When he sees the gun tucked into the back of Jack’s pants, he arrests him, but not before both feel the sparkage. Jack gets the charges dismissed, Maddox is pissed. Maddox reads his rap sheet, sees he’s a petty career criminal. They meet up in a hotel room. Maddox is a Dom, Jack a submissive. Serious D/s and sexy times. The next time they officially meet is at a shootout at the docks. Jack gets shot, there’s an interesting reveal. There’s a HEA. Very short story at 47 pages, but vivid, with strongly written characters. Caveat emptor re sex and D/s.

Back Under by Tanya Chris 4/29/24 4/29/24 Kindle

Sequel to Deep Under, 4 short pieces extending over several years, with more about their lives, their HEA, and their continuing exploration of D/s. Caveat emptor re stuff I’d never even heard of before in addition to sex.

How to Shield an Assassin by AJ Sherwood 4/29/24 4/30/24 Kindle img src="http://static.librarything.com/pics/s8.gif">

I just love assassin stuff – it’s the moral gray areas that intrigue me and Ari is a walking gray area. We first see this when Ari completes an assignment and an 8-year-old girl, in rags and bruises, offers him change to kill the stepfather who beats her. Ari complies, then takes her and adopts her. This harkens back to his time in foster care, which he doesn’t want for her. He incorporates her into his life, getting fake documents from his hacker friend Khou and help with learning how to be a parent from an admittedly dodgy source, his thief friend Ivan. This goes on for 6 months or so, and they settle in to Daddy, Remi, and Uncle Ivan and Uncle Khou. Carter, a retrieval expert usually on the shady side of the law, tracks Ari down to hire him to help retrieve a stolen painting. Sparkage, plotting, and etc., with a happy ending for Carter and Ari. Lots of fun, interesting bits about parenthood from the viewpoint of 4 men who tread on the dark side, and an engaging and clearly thriving smart, sassy, damaged and sweet girl. Caveat emptor re sex.

>76 karenmarie: Wow! Talk about a "lightning round." That really was lightning. Pow!

Oh well. >76 karenmarie: had just two words: lightning round. Hence my response. Ya spoiled it for me, dagonit.

>72 karenmarie: Good morning, Karen. I hope you have a really good day today, and get everything done that you need to get done. Best wishes for tomorrow--I'll be thinking of you and praying for you that everything goes well. And for a quick recovery. I know you already know the drill.

epicaricacy - I consider myself well-read, but that's a word I don't remember ever having seen before. I learned something new today!

ETA: >66 karenmarie: Don't be in too big a rush to go to the cane. When my DH was recovering from his surgery, the home healthcare person had him try a cane and said he was not ready for it yet. He didn't want him to develop a limp. And we just found out that the wife of a couple living down the street also just had a knee replacement. She started on a cane pretty quickly, but when she went to PT, the therapist told her that she wished she hadn't done that. I guess she wasn't really ready for it yet either. Maybe let the PT tell you when it's the right time?

I've been thinking of you as your surgery date approaches, Karen. I hope all goes well both with surgery and recovery.

>75 karenmarie: Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75, Karen!

Still keeping fingers and toes crossed, so all goes well tomorrow and after.

>78 atozgrl: Latin for "schadenfreude"...cool word, no?

I'll be thinking of you tomorrow, Karen!

>76 karenmarie: I admit I'm a little surprised about Ed Yong being on the abandon list. You sure as heck had a great April's reads, though!

>81 richardderus: Yes, very!

>77 weird_O: Thunderstorm round, right? Almost everything I read in April was Lightning Round. I took the phrase from Mark a long time ago, and it relieved my mind of needing to write full-blown reviews for books I didn’t have that much to say about. Once I started reading MF and MM romances, it became necessary.

>78 atozgrl: Hi Irene, and thank you. So far today’s gone well. I must admit that when I looked up schadenfreude, one of the links told me about epicaricacy, so I learned about it today, too.

I will go to the cane when my PT tells me to, although I will mention to him that he can push me a bit more than last time. I resisted. I trust him, and will do what he says. Thanks for the concern.

>79 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, and thank you.

>80 FAMeulstee: Thank you re my 2 x 75, Anita. And thank you for keeping your fingers and toes crossed.

>81 richardderus: I love both words, RD.

>82 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie!

>83 richardderus: Only because of bandwidth, RD. It’s a wonderful book full of fascinating things. Yup, lots of good reads. I've had to get more and more creative about finding good authors and books, but am still successful. Different search terms, looking down for recommendations within a book on Amazon, and just looking at an author's output if I liked one or more books by them has worked so far.

…
So my surgeon’s office called a couple of hours ago. I need to check in at the hospital at 9 a.m., and surgery’s scheduled for noon.

Jenna’s got a list of folks to call, and Peggy’s on the list. I’ll asked her to post an update here on my thread sometime tomorrow if she can, like last year.

I hope all goes well with your surgery and your recovery is rapid!

>85 karenmarie: Very good. Letting the PT know he can push you is good. It sounds like a plan!

You bet, you bet I'll post here on your thread tomorrow just as soon as Jenna lets me know. I have an apptmnt with the lawyer sometime in the afternoon, but otherwise, I'll be here and I'll be waiting. I'm relieved to be on the list. I was going to ask!

Best wishes tomorrow, Karen. I'm sure all will go well, and I'm so glad Jenna will be there to keep you calm.

Best wishes for your operation today. I hope you can feel the love and concern from right round the world!

Thank you all for your good wishes. We're leaving in about half an hour, but right now I'm sipping 12 oz of black coffee and just Wordle-d, of course.

Wordle 1,048 3/6* trope, slime, slice

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Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday, my friend. I hope the procedure goes smoothly. Keep us updated.

FYI- Sue saw a Baltimore oriole at the feeder yesterday. The grape jelly certainly works. 😁

Everything crossed for the best possible outcome today! *smooch*

Prayers going up that all has gone well with your surgery (which should have started about an hour ago if all went well.) Take care of yourself!

YAY! Just in: GOOD NEWS FROM JENNA!!!!!

"- we got here around 8:45 am and were checked in around 9am - she got taken back for the first round of prep about 9:35 and then I got called back for her second round of prep around 10:30 - got through alll of the paperwork, medications, and prep over and done with at about 11:50 which was right in line for her surgery time of 12pm - fun times she met a nurse from LA and they had a delightfultalk about the garbage pastrami in N.C.and how LA had the best - she was wheeled up for surgery at about 12:05 pm and I went to a waiting room - everything seemed to go fast and before I knew it I was talking with Dr. Watters about how it went - she got a glowing report and he is positive about her recovery yay
-she was in recovery for around 2 hours but had been moved to her room where we have ordered dinner for her
-she is talking, moving her legs already, and set to get this second part of the show on the road

All is well. She is good and even humming a little. Has yet to mention reading so tsk tsk but she will return to normal shortly."

What a champ!!!!!!!

>95 LizzieD: Great news! Thanks, Peggy, for letting us know.

Excellent news! I’ve been thinking about Karen all day. Thanks for sharing with all of us Peggy.

Yay!
(NYC reliably has better pastrami, but a couple of places here in LA do have the good stuff)

>95 LizzieD: Thanks for the update on Karen, Peggy!

Way to go, Karen! And thank you, Peggy!

This is so great! I’m so happy for Karen! Thank you, Peggy, for the update.

Karen O

>95 LizzieD: All the YAY!! Thanks to you, Peggy and to Jenna.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/360495

>95 LizzieD: Wonderful news!

>95 LizzieD: Thanks for letting us know! A million wishes and a prayer or two that things continue to go smoothly!

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. I am glad the procedure went well and now hoping for a smooth recovery. 🤞😁

>95 LizzieD: Thanks for Jenna's update, Peggy. We appreciate it.

>95 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy, so happy to know it all went well.

I texted a bit with Karen this morning. She had a pretty good night and expects to go home mid-day. AND she looks great! She is looking forward to a stop at Taco Bell for her usual treat.

>109 LizzieD: Crunchy taco treat was never more justified than it is today. Thank you for the news, Peggy.

Hi all - I hobbled into the Sunroom so I could Wordle, am amazed at all your lovely messages.

I am only staying to do Wordle because Jenna made me promise, so here's Wordle and I'll get caught up when I can, promise. I'll probably have her bring my laptop into the Library tomorrow.

Love,
Karen

Wordle 1,049 2/6* Spreadsheet help with trope, ebony

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It’s great to hear from you so soon, Karen. And Wordle in 2, wow! Surely that’s a good omen.

Wow, it's great to see you here so soon! You're obviously doing well. And Wordle in 2 to boot! I was glad to get it in 3 today. Take your time getting to the threads here, there's no rush. Take care of yourself first!

So good to see you posting! And getting Wordle in 2! Welcome back!

Karen O

Morning, Karen. Happy Saturday. Praying for a speedy recovery. Take it slow, my friend.

>109 LizzieD: That is wonderful news!

I hope all goes well with getting home, Karen!

Congrats, Karen. Keep up the good work!

Back, but only Wordling and Arsenal-ing. Arsenal are up 1-0 against Bournemouth at the start of the second half. 🤞🤞🤞

Back I hobble to Arsenal ... have already used ice and taken pain meds to get me to 2 on the pain scale of 0-10.

I shall return again - more love to you all.

Wordle 1,050 5/6* trope, plane, scale, ladle, value

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Are the medical authorities awarding you a badge or a gold forehead star? For being such an exemplary customer, oop, patient.

>118 karenmarie: Stay cautious with yourself, please. Glad Arsenal isn't stressing you out unduly!

*smooch*

How wonderful to see you back home and recovering already! Take it easy!

Wordle in two the day after surgery!!!!! That should get you into the Wordle Hall of Fame!

I love that you're back and doing your stuff, Karen! As I have said before, "YOU ARE THE WOMAN!"

It's great you're able to give us even a short visit!
We'll be here when you're ready for more.

Congratulations on your smooth surgery. All the best on the recovery phase.

>111 karenmarie: Glad everything went well and that you are back home!

Hi, dear friends. Today's been a bit rough so far, frankly. Wordle, lie down, then Louise is coming over for our last visit before she leaves. I'm going to finish here without visiting threads (sorry!), get the Polar Care going, and take an oxycodone. Still doing much better than my other knee last year, though, so there's that.

Wordle 1,051 4/6* trope, geeky, fecal, decal

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Gonna let Jenna and Bill spoil me today, too. Not that they haven't, but I have to learn to ask for help more often. Bill said this morning that he doesn't ever know when to just do things because I'm so independent. Not feeling the independence right now.

(((((hugs)))))

Karen, it's nice to see you here. I'm glad you're doing better than with your previous knee replacement, but I know it's no picnic. It's great you have both Bill and Jenna there to keep you comfortable and fetch things as needed. Like you, I would have a hard time asking for help even knowing they are more than willing to give it.

Don't even think about apologizing for not visiting threads. You can tippy-toe back in when you feel up to it, and everyone will be fine with that!

>127 karenmarie: Sunday *smooches* and an extra-soft pat for being aware that help is forthcoming without grumbles or grudges. That is a tough, tough lesson and you're a shining example that no one is ever too old to learn it.

Does Liverpool's win over Tottenham affect Arsenal's standing any?

I hope your day improved, dear Karen. I'm counting on tomorrow being better in any case. Take care of you inside and let Jenna and Bill serve you outside! (I'm off to bed, having had an afternoon of not getting the deviled eggs right. I hope they improve somehow before they get to the beach to be eaten by the group. We leave tomorrow! YAY!!!!!)

>127 karenmarie: Gonna let Jenna and Bill spoil me today, too. Good! Keep on doing that as long as you need to!

Morning, Karen. I hope you at least feel a bit better when you get up today. Fingers crossed. No worries about visiting threads. We are a patient bunch.

I got a fleeting look at my first hummer yesterday morning, at the feeder. They seem to be late arriving in our area.

It's nice to come here and see that I've had visitors. Yesterday was a challenge. I think I'm better today, bu have only had half a cup of coffee, meds, and one of the cupcakes mentioned below.

Wordle 1,052 3/6* trope, fluke, shave. Getting from fluke to shave took 10 minutes - checking valid words, checking words used, thinking.

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Lots of resting yesterday, lots of worrying, because that's something I excel at. Louise's visit was sweet and bittersweet. She brought over a box of cupcakes w/white frosting/strawberries, an unopened box of Fig Newtons, an almost full bag of egg noodles, and her Christmas wreath. She's a hoot. She 'owes' me a bag of thistle seed, which she says she'll leave on the steps.

Jenna cooked steak and fries for us, so I got some good protein. She will do some things around here, go to WalMart to get my favorite peanut butter - Smucker's Natural Chunky - then go back to her girlfriend's in Carrboro. It's been wonderful having her here, although I haven't been able to fully appreciate it, what with surgery and drugs and pain.

Read, sleep, use the Polar Care, etc.

>133 karenmarie: Happy-making report, Horrible. Sad as it is for Louise to move away, I'm sure you're glad it's done so its grief can be processed.

Sending heal-fast *smooches*

>129 richardderus: Does Liverpool's win over Tottenham affect Arsenal's standing any?

IF Liverpool wins their last two games and Arsenal loses both of their last two games, and IF Man City only gets one draw out of their last three games, then Liverpool will win the League Championship. So, yes, but under a rare set of circumstances.

Still morning, dear Karen. I'm glad you're doing better today. You and Louise have been dear to each other. I'm sad for you both but wish her well. Maybe you'll be able to visit her if that's something you'd both like.
I'm also sad that Jenna has to leave. I'm sure she's pulled between you and her everyday life.

Peace and Healing!!!! Also LOVE! (((((Karen)))))

Peace and healing to you. Here's hoping every day gets easier.

I'm glad you're recovering well.
Fully appreciating family members comes in many forms. Though the interactions may not have seemed best ever they can't be compared to that, but what it would have been like to deal with a strange care taker who couldn't interpret your wants and needs nearly so well as Jenna.

Hi Karen, I hope each day has you feeling better and better!

Hope you’re healing and feeling 100%, soon! Let’s hear it for modern medicine!

Karen O

I peeked in a few days ago, when you had the surgery and I'm so glad all went well, Karen. Here is to as quick a recovery as can be managed, but take it easy, Karen.

>133 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I'm glad you were feeling better this morning. I'm sad for you that Louise is leaving, but it sounds like you had a nice visit before she left. And I hope you did let Jenna and Bill spoil you. I also hope Jenna will be stopping by more often while you recover.

Congratulations on Wordle in 3. I don't know if it was possible to get it that quickly today without referring to a used words list. It took me all 6. Impressive to get it in 3 while being all medicated.

I too send my wishes for a quick recovery.

I'm a bit woozy this morning - took an oxycodone about 4 a.m. I took a wrong step yesterday about 3 .m. in the kitchen. It hurt some then, and it hurts quite a bit now.

PT's at 11, will call the surgeon's office in a while. They may want me to come for an xray, or even go to the local Urgent Care or ER. Darn it. Time to go ice it and sleep.

Wordle 1,053 5/6* trope, blast, stuck, dusty, musty

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I appreciate you all.

Hang in there, Karen. I'm sorry to hear about the misstep and hope it turns out to be just a minor wrinkle in your recovery.

Morning, Karen. Aw, that is a bummer. Keep us updated. 🙏

>143 karenmarie: Good gracious! I hope nothing serious happened. It hurts, that's bad enough, but no x-rays would be best. Crossing the crossables!

Sorry about your misstep Karen! I hope you recover quickly.

So sorry about the misstep and the pain. I will be watching for your update. Healing thoughts and prayers sending your way.

Oh, I hate to hear about the misstep. Hoping it's really nothing serious. I too will cross all the crossables and send healing prayers.

Is it just me or are Wordles getting harder? I have had got hardly any in 3 in the past month or two.

Believe it or not, but I started Wordle at 9:40 this morning and have worked on it off and on all day and just got it.

Wordle 1,054 4/6* trope, spoon, ploys, pious

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The misstep continues to haunt me, but only in a pain way, not a ruined-the-surgery way. The surgeon's office said to call if it was still painful on Friday, meaning they weren't worried about it, and my PT has looked at it numerous times and said that it hasn't damaged my new knee. I went to PT this morning, and it's halftime in the Real Madrid - Bayern Champions League semifinal match. After this I'm going to take a nap.

I've read a bit, texted with sister and Jenna, and spoken on the phone with Karen. I also took delivery of a free-from-Medicare appliance called a Cryo Pneumatic Knee. It's got hinges and lots of support and a place to put a frozen gel pack. It is good for walking around while icing my knee. It's easy to use, too.

>150 LovingLit: My starting word has been good recently, Megan, but today was ridiculous.

I'm sorry you are still in pain, but I'm very relieved that nothing was permanently damaged. I was beginning to worry.

Sending many healing vibes! Hoping every day is easier!

>151 karenmarie: *ow*ow*ow*

Boo hiss on your pain, thank goodness it's JUST pain. Have a lovely time with the fit lads in their satiny jammy-bottoms. *smooch*

>151 karenmarie: Very glad to hear that your misstep was not something overly serious, but I certainly hope the extra pain goes away soon. I haven't heard of a Cryo Pneumatic Knee before. It sounds like it will be very helpful.

>150 LovingLit: It seems to me that the beginning word makes a big difference. If your first word doesn't give you anything, or gives you something where multiple words could fit, it gets a lot harder.

Glad your surgery went well, Karen, sorry the misstep caused more pain.

Morning, Horrible, how's the pain level today?

When I saw how far behind I was on your thread, I realized I'd missed the excitement. Glad the surgery went ok and the misstep doesn't seem to be consequential. Also glad that you are progressing better than last time. Wonderful what medicine can do these days!

Catch up time: Thank you Peggy, Irene, Laura, Susan, Stasia, Katie, Karen, RD, Bill, Silver, Janet, Mark, Anita, Shelley, Jackie, Robyn, Anita, Joanne, Deborah, Judy, Megan, Rachel.

>98 quondame: I’ve eaten pastrami in NYC and at Nathan’s in LA, among other places, and as long as it’s on seeded rye with yellow mustard (not a mustard aficionado, so yellow works for me), hot, fatty, juicy, and piled mile high and served with a dill pickle, I’m very happy.

>109 LizzieD: We did stop at Taco Bell and it was heaven.

>110 richardderus: Badge, Bill, which is still in the mail. Customer is just as good a word in some respects, of course – lots of money gets transferred from my insurance to my doctor and my PT eventually, and I have a copay here and there. To be fair, Dr. Watters and Max the PT consider me a patient.

>112 lauralkeet: Wordle in 2 always deserves a wow! Good omens are welcome.

>113 atozgrl: Working on taking care of myself, Irene. Trying to eat enough, rarely a problem with me, but Jenna’s gone home and Bill is as immobile as I am and doesn’t cook. Can you say PB&J?

>115 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

>116 alcottacre: Getting home was good. Jenna took good care of me. I’m not doing quite as good a job, but still… haven’t fallen, haven’t taken too many drugs out of order (*smile*), haven’t embarrassed myself too much.

>120 richardderus: Arsenal won, so I was happy. *smooch*

>121 Jackie_K: Working on the taking it easy, Jackie. I didn’t even get out of bed ‘til 11 today, but that’s because my sleep was strange last night.

>122 streamsong: It must have been the drugs, Janet, that’s all I can say. I’d love to be in the Wordle Hall of Fame. I’ve had two surgeries where I Wordled on the morning of surgery and Wordled in the afternoon after returning home the next day. That should count for something, shouldn’t it?

>123 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, and thank you for posting Jenna’s update and checking in with me via text and talking with me via phone. You’re the best.

>128 lauralkeet: Visions of me tippy-toeing back via walker are a great visual, Laura. I know folks understand, so will mentally let go of that bit of guilt.

>130 LizzieD: I’m so happy you’re visiting the beach with your friends, my dear, even if the deviled eggs are not perfect.

>133 karenmarie: Yay for the first hummer sighting, Mark! I need to put fresh everything out, but will have to do it in phases. Sigh.

>136 LizzieD: Jenna’s pulled, true, but her girlfriend is her sun and I’m her moon, I guess. It’s as it should be, it’s just that the timing sucks for me.

>138 quondame: I’m coming around more and more to the idea of reincarnation, and honestly think that Jenna and I (and my sister, for that matter) have a many-lives relationship.

>140 klobrien2: Modern medicine won my respect when I had to have a C-section with Jenna. 100 years ago we both would have died. And knee replacement surgery? Amazing and gives me a good quality of life in my senior years.

>142 atozgrl: Louise is now in Florida. She said she’d call me from Florida, so whatever day that is, I’ll wait for her to call me.

>152 streamsong: Thanks, Janet. Right now, having taken pain meds at 7 a.m., I’m about a 3.

>153 richardderus: The fit lads in their satiny jammy-bottoms were a joy yesterday. We watched Real Madrid beat Bayern. Much drama at the end, of course.

>154 atozgrl: The knee brace is quite nice, and I’ll use it here in a few.

>155 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. At this point, the pain is still less than this time after the first surgery, so, I figure I’m still ahead.

>156 richardderus: 3. Haven’t taken pain meds since 7 a.m. That will change, soon.

>157 ffortsa: Hi Judy. Thank you.

Wordle 1,055 4/6* trope, fever, derby, jerky

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PT yesterday, a good workout but not shaking-crying painful. Bill picked up a prescription and filled up my gas tank while waiting for me.

...
Nothing on the schedule today. No PT, no other doctor office visits or calls or anything. No bills to pay today. I just need to get a few things organized here in the Sunroom if I feel up to it.

Oh, and haven't eaten brekkie yet.

Mark - a Downy is on the suet feeder. Otherwise, the feeders have been eerily quiet. I can hear the cicadas through the hardiplank walls and double-paned windows.

Whoops hope your surgery went well

Good morning, Karen. It's almost afternoon for you. I hope your level of pain is down today. So sorry about the "misstep". Ouch. Recovery is tough enough as it is. Plus, you are dealing of the sadness of your sweet neighbor Louise moving away. I love that she brought over a Christmas wreath for you. ;-)

P.S. We cross-posted. Glad to see your pain levels are reasonable today. Thank goodness for good meds.

Enjoy a day of recovery with no plans to push it around!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/360644

Checking in on you, Karen. I hope you have a wonderful, pain-free day!

>158 karenmarie: I hope the rest of the day was as restful as you made it sound, and that today is its twin! *smooch*

>159 Owltherian: Hi Lily, and thank you. It went well. It was major surgery, of course. This was my right knee, last March was my left knee. It takes a long time to completely recover. I’m looking at 3-4 weeks before I can use a cane instead of a walker, and 2-3 months before I can drive – I could drive sooner last year because it’s my right leg that controls the brake and gas. Lots of breakthrough pain, so I’ve been taking more oxycodone than I’d like, but I do have it for a reason.

>160 Donna828: Hi Donna! Pain’s about 5 right now, but that’s because I slept through the 7 a.m. Tylenol/tramadol so took them about 9:15. They should be kicking in pretty soon. And, as I wrote above to Lily, there’s always oxycodone.

I love that Louise kept finding things that she didn’t want to move that she wanted to give to me. We haven’t hung a wreath on an outside door in a decade or more, so this will be a nice tradition to revive.

>161 quondame: Yesterday was quite nice, Susan. No outside obligations, no cooking, no anything except what I wanted to do.

>162 SilverWolf28: Hi Silver and thank you.

>163 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. I’m hoping the pain gets to the nagging stage soon and not the Very Noticable Stage that it is right now. Of course, that will be just in time for Max to put me through my PT paces.

>164 richardderus: Hiya, RDear. Thank you. It was restful. Today, not quite so much, but by 12:30 I’ll be back in jammies, most likely in bed to take a nap and use the Polar Care.

Wordle 1,056 4/6* trope, leach, vegan, media

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Reading, dozing, soccer.

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PT, dozing, reading.

I'm glad that you're managing yourself, dear friend. I guess I have to stop having fun and get to work on estate stuff. Take good care of (((((KAREN)))))!

You go, lady. Good start post-discharge. Doing any reading, or haven't you time just now? I seem to be focused on putzing all day, then reading in the evening. But that putzing is vital, and I guess you're temporarily denied that pleasure. Pity.

>166 LizzieD: (((((PEGGY))))) I'm mostly getting things right, but have discovered that I have surgery brain or amnesia brain or whatever - small things are getting missed or done wrong. Nothing major, and nothing meds related, so there's that. Ugh to estate stuff. I'd help if I could, you do know that, right?

>167 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. I'm reading a fair amount - finished 3 and abandoned since the day of my surgery. I don't have the energy, inclination, or upper body strength vis-a-vis the walker, to do much more. Putzing is vital, yes indeedy, so Go, Bill the Putzer!!!

Wordle 1,057 3/6* trope, tight, tidal

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Good PT session yesterday, although when we had my stretchie pulled up so he could look at the incision/staples, we discovered a huge black bruise on the inside of my thigh extending around the back behind my knee. Has to be from surgery and didn't show up right away. It's deep but doesn't hurt.

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Lots of soccer on today, but Arsenal plays tomorrow. I might watch some today, otherwise it's reading and napping. Got breakthrough pain right now, so it's oxy time.

Friend Rhoda recommended author Michael Bennett, so I got the first book in his Hana Westerman series. It arrived two days ago, just getting it opened and entered into LT.

>168 karenmarie: Keep the pain under control because *getting* it under control is harder and more drug-intensive than *keeping* it there.

Did the lights make it that far south? I looked for 'em but when I did, it was cloudy and I saw nothing between that and the streetlights. I just reviewed a book about the Dozier School boys, this time a horror novel with the "I see dead people" twist. It was a long read, not very easy, but quite well-written. It's up for a Locus Award for best horror novel but I will bet you it doesn't win because it's too controversial a topic.

I am very happy to see that you are doing so well, Karen! Keep it up! I hope the big bruise goes away soon.

Healing energy for the knee and a little focus for surgery brain. Lots of productive wishes for PT.

Good morning, good morning, Good Karen! Oh. Good afternoon, good afternoon, Good Karen!

I am glad to see you treating yourself well so that you can heal well.

I'm slow on the go this morning. I continue to do stupid things without the excuse of post-surgery residuals and mini-traumas. You'll clear up! I won't.

>168 karenmarie: My DH had bruising on most of his leg after his surgery, and a lot of it didn't show up until later. As you know, it will eventually go away. Good luck to Arsenal tomorrow.

>169 richardderus: The local news showed lots of pictures taken by folks in the area, so yes, the lights were visible this far south, surprisingly. Unfortunately we didn't see anything at my house, but we've been overtaken by development, so we've probably got too much light pollution. One of the pictures sent to the TV station was from a small community just down the road from us, however. They did say the pictures they were getting were from rural areas. We're told there might be a repeat tonight, but we're also supposed to get clouds in this evening, which may obstruct the view unless you're up about 3AM. I will add that they were visible even further south, as some of my DH's old friends still living in Mississippi posted pictures on Facebook.

Morning, Karen. Happy Sunday. I just got back from my birding trip to Ohio. Glad to hear you are progressing and PT is moving right along. Fingers crossed that it all continues. I am having a chill day with the books today. I did not read anything on the trip.

Oh yeah- HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!! ❤️

Sunday *smooches*

Happy Mother's Day!

>169 richardderus: ‘Morning, RDear. Just took gabapentin and meloxicam, can take tramadol in an hour. If the lights made it this far south, I didn’t see them – wasn’t looking, of course. Bill has a friend who is a professional photographer who took stunning shots from Banner Elk NC, and our own Jordan Lake was a good place to view them two nights ago. My pain-med mind didn’t remember that Bill said we should look last night. Interesting horror novel, but even from this remove, I’ll pass. *smile*

>170 alcottacre: Hi Stasia, and thank you. Coming along for sure. The big bruise is still there, still black and purple mostly.

>1 karenmarie:`71 Hi Robyn, and thank you. PT’s been good so far. Max is gentle but puts me through my paces.

>172 LizzieD: Hi my dear. Our traumas are different, of course, and it’s still way too soon after your mother’s death to consider you anything but grief stricken. Yes, you’re going out, yes, you went with friends on an away trip, but as we’ve discussed, cleaning out the house is a daunting task in addition to the legal things that always have to be done.

>173 atozgrl: Ah, yes, your husband’s surgery – it sounds like he had more bruising than I did. I may have had bruising last year but since the pain was so awful I wasn’t thinking of bruising.

Lots of local photographs made it to WRAL’s website – they’re gorgeous.

>174 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Yay for your birding trip. Yes, I’m progressing, thank you. Glad you’re up for the books today. Thanks re Mother’s Day.

>175 richardderus: *smooch* back’atcha, RDear.

>176 quondame: Thank you, Susan.

Wordle 1,058 2/6* trope, outer. First thought was overt, but it was already used.

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Yesterday was soccer and straightening up a few things that could be done using a walker, so not that many. Reading, of course.

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Bill got me a lovely card, some cute book/glasses socks, and Heath Bars for Mother's Day. Jenna's texted, and will call after 2.

Arsenal plays soon, so I need to post this and get some brekkie/brunch. I think I'll have a PB&J sandwich on multi-grain bread, Skinny Pop, and a Cherry Bubly. By the time I get all that done and get settled, the game will start. Everything takes such deliberate effort...

Hiya. Happy Mother's Day. HCR's letter this morning was about the evolution of the "day". I, of course, didn't read it, but probably will later. Not sure what this particular day will present.

{{Ah! That must have been the magic trigger.}} I just got an invite to sup with Jeremy, Tara, and their daughters. That's good for my spirits.

>179 LizzieD: I take it that you're now wrapped up in Arsenal, and I hope they're doing well for you. Just back from church, I got Wordle in 3 and was chuffed. 2 for you! Your first word is a winner today. You, on the other hand, are a winner every day. (((((Karen)))))

Poor Man United. Your lads did it to 'em.

>178 weird_O: Hi Bill, and thank you. I had a good-enough day. I'm sure your thoughts were of Judi yesterday, glad you got an invite out.

>179 LizzieD: Arsenal won, 1-0. It wasn't a pretty win, but it was a necessary win. Thanks re my 2, congrats re your 3. Aw, shucks - If I was more awake, I'd be blushing. As it is, I'll have barely enough time to finish a cup of coffee and get ready to leave for my 11 a.m. PT appointment. (((((Peggy)))))

>180 richardderus: I honestly don't know how they didn't score. They stole the ball, got downfield, and yet our defenders and even our midfield and strikers denied them. The only thing that would have made it better was more goals for more goal differential.

Wordle 1,059 3/6* trope, claim, cumin

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I used my prerogative of being a mother to do a whole lot of nothing yesterday - naps, reading, Arsenal, naps, reading. Late in the evening I caught up on my books read message above, need to update my Lightning Round.

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PT, then home and probably a bit of puttering and etc.

You're off for PT and I'm off for our walk in just a bit longer. Then I have my regular checkup with Brownie and the rest of the afternoon to either adult or veg and read. Tomorrow is book club for the 2nd time since 2020. I'm putting in the first two *Thursday Club* books, which I don't think any of them have read. At least, my bellwether hadn't read them (or "the lead cow," as our ancient beekeeping buddy used to say). I missed the study club meeting, which I would have shown up for this Thursday, a week late. I'm almost hopeless when the second Tuesday and the second Thursday don't happen in the same week.
You're still ahead of me Wordlewise, Karen. I'm happy to get it in 4. Congrats on your 3! Good PT to you! I'll look forward to the next lightning round.

>181 karenmarie: Sounds like a lovely day ahead...nothing urgent but things to do.

Here's hoping Arsenal keeps it up. So to speak. *smooch*

>182 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Walk, Brownie, and adult or read/veg. You can probably guess what I vote for. *smile*

PT is exhausting but necessary, and less painful than last year in that I don't have a Bakers Cyst.

>183 richardderus: I actually got very busy, RD - PT, clean the cat boxes, and shower. Exhausting, and I took a nap on the couch while obstensibly watching soccer from 6:30 - 8:30.

Wordle 1,060 4/6* munch, llama, amass

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My cleaning ladies come today. I need to do a tiny amount of adulting.

First, though, will be a nap on the couch. Bill's been getting up between 9 and 10. Even if he gets up early, he won't put the volume of the TV up.

>184 karenmarie: Just keep your adulting today to a minimum. You need to be babied :)

Morning, Karen. Glad to hear you are progressing, my friend. Keep it up. I did Trail Watch yesterday. It was a beautiful day. Rain off and on today. I have not seen Jackson in a while, so I will be hanging with him today. We also are slowly preparing for another camping trip this weekend.

My feeders have been dead quiet. Really strange.

Morning, Horrible! Another day in paradise as the body recovers, so go go go.

*smooch*

Very good morning to you, Karen! I'm glad your cleaning ladies are coming. As Stasia says, you should baby yourself. Meanwhile, I'm thrilled that PT is a bit less painful than last year. I know you're powering through because that's who you are!!!!!

Off to book club. I'm putting in *Thursday Murder Club* and hoping that everybody hasn't read it already.

Hi Karen! Glad things are going OK and that the pain is less than last year's.

Hooray for cleaning ladies! Will it make you laugh if I said mine quit? She was trying to run a cleaning company and had several of her ladies quit, leaving just herself to clean. My house was one of the ones she decided to let go. I tell myself that it doesn't mean that my house was so bad, that she gave up on it, but I don't always believe it.

You are still doing much better at Wordle than I am. I did get the one today, but had two strikeouts this week. It's lovely that you post your puzzling so when I strike out I can see what the answer was.

Morning, Horrible. I'm off to the races, trying to get my review of The Ministry of Time written. I keep sounding whiny and petulant. Not surprising because I feel like a six-year-old who was promised cake and got squash. A tasty, cheesy casserole of squash, but it ain't cake.

Oh, and today's review...not a book you should worry yourself about, dark and supernatural and quite unkind to its ladies. *smooch*

Another good morning, Karen. I hope that you are fine and sleeping in. I am resolved to get over to Mama's and hunt for those @#())@^&!!! coins. Take good care of yourself!

*blinks* I'm bleery-eyed. The alarm woke me up at 9:40 - meds to take at 10 a.m., which I realize I hadn't taken, so just took at 10:34 a.m. Half a cup of coffee consumed, but so far it hasn't helped much.

>185 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. I did keep the adulting to a minimum. I took a nap ‘til about 9 or so, only did a few necessary things so my cleaning ladies wouldn’t quit on me (see >189 streamsong:). I asked them to bring in the 3 boxes of Fancy Feast that got delivered from Chewy the night before, and they just did a few extra things ‘cuz they’re great. I did the babying thing.

>187 richardderus: Hi the next morning, RDear. Exercised, rested, read, slept. Yay me. *smooch*

>188 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. Happy Wednesday morning to you. I obviously didn’t get back here yesterday. I’m powering through because I’m extremely stubborn and prideful. *smile* Whatever it takes, right? I hope your book club meeting was a success.

>189 streamsong: Thank you, Janet. You’re more rural than I am, so even finding cleaning ladies is always a big deal. Sorry yours quit on you. Perhaps it was just that she couldn’t clean it by herself within the time frame/$$? Are there any women from your church you'd trust in your house that might need some money?

I definitely have a method to my Wordle madness, and it paid off again today, with a three. I love posting my answers, am glad it pleases you, and it actually helps because I don’t always update the words used tab on my spreadsheet and can easily come back to this thread and get all the words.

>190 richardderus: I’m sorry that review has you twisted up, RD – hope you finagled it yesterday. Ugh to squash casserole – I like summer squash sauteed, grilled, stuffed, or shredded into zucchini bread. Soft squash is squicky.

>191 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, and another good morning to you, too. I did sleep in, too long, actually, am now on my second cup of coffee and still feeling bleery-eyed. Good luck on the Great Coin Mission. Stuffed into toes of shoes in the boxes in her closet? Sewn into the linings of clothes/linens/etc?

Wordle 1,061 3/6* trope, spunk, pinch

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So yesterday was a bit of straightening for the ladies, NOT MUCH, I promise. Showed them my incision when they got here after asking if they wanted to see it. They're quite wonderful - I'm past the bit about breaking my cook top since I love my new appliances and Esmerelda paid for the cost of what would have been the parts and installation.

Other than that we watched Man City beat Tottenham, which doesn't help Arsenal on Sunday. It's still up in the air and more complicated than I want to write about here. But Man City has to lose or Draw for Arsenal to even have a chance at the title.

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Off in ... gads... 45 minutes to my PT appointment, then over to the surgeon's office for the 2-week checkup and staples removal. Long day, but nothing else planned. We should be home no later than 4 p.m.

Glad to hear from you, Karen!

Hope PT is going well. Book club didn't. I sat at a table with two women whom I don't know from a neighboring little town, and they pretty much ignored me. I joined this bc for my mama since it was hers. Over the pandemic membership has changed, and attendance has fallen off - only 8 of 20 were there yesterday. I'll give it one more chance in the fall and then likely resign.

The coins! No --- Daddy had proof sets and series in blue folders and a huge notebook with coins in the plastic coin-holder pages. The DH said he thought he remembered where they were, but they weren't. I have one more place to search downstairs, and I'm off to do that now since we have walked.

I wish you babying for the rest of the day!

Karen, glad to hear that things are going well. By all means, keep up the babying after the PT and doctors appt!!

Hallooo, Karen. Seems like your post-op rehab is progressing appropriately. I went to...a book sale. Spent more than ever because I nabbed some pricey items—an Annie Liebovitz...ah...let me call it an album of her work between 1990 and 2005; an Art Spiegelman book; Ken Burns' Our America: A Photographic History. Altogether a swell shopping experience.

Tomorrow I will be productive, by golly.

Happy Thursday, Karen!

I hope all went well with the checkup at the surgeons office and the PT.
Glad to read you are in less pain this time.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Let us know how PT & the doctor's appointment went yesterday. Hoping for all positive results.

I had good looks at 2 battling hummers yesterday at the feeders. Sue saw 3 battling it out. They have officially arrived. I also went to sleep last night, with the neighborhood owl softly hooting. 😁🦉

>192 karenmarie: Hooray for you doing the babying thing! Keep on doing that.

>193 LizzieD: (((((Peggy))))) I’m sorry book club was a bust, with rude women who ignored you.

Ah, I remember you telling me more what the coins were – proof sets, notebooks. Had a brain fart suggesting they were individual coins. I hope yesterday’s search was more productive.

PT/surgeon’s visit yesterday deets below.

>194 Berly: Hi Kim! Nice to see you here, and yes, things are well within the context of pain and PT. Truly, it’s all good.

>195 weird_O: Hi Bill. Yup, appropriate progression. Wow, why does it not surprise me that you went to a book sale? I’m envious of the Leibovitz – I have her Photographs. Yay for the Spiegelman and Burns books.

I expect a report back on today’s productiveness!

>196 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, and thank you. Things went well yesterday, see below.

>197 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you. It’s all good, see below. I’m glad you’ve got hummers now. I saw one yesterday, but the feeder really needs attention and I’ll get Jenna to do it for me today. Nice lullaby with the owls.

>198 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. I am still babying myself although trying to keep things under control around here.

Wordle 1,062 4/6* trope, shunt, stack, stall

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Nothing like a full day to remind you that you underwent major surgery just two weeks ago - I was beyond exhausted when we got back.

PT went very well. He pushed me within the scope of its only being two weeks since surgery. My measurements are perfect - 99° for flexion, and 0° for extension. I have to keep working on them to make them 'permanent' - those were after exercises and him pushing down to stretch the back of my knee for extension. He wrote a letter for the surgeon's office, which they were glad to get.

Surgeon's office: I checked in 12 minutes before the 15 minutes before my appointment and before I could even open my Kindle to read I was called back. Tatiana took out my staples and it didn't hurt nearly as much as last year. I then had x-rays taken and the PA brought them into the room with her. Everything looks perfect. They're pleased with the incision, the x-rays, how I'm coping with the pain, and etc., and etc. I'll see the surgeon on June 17th. If things go well then, I won't have to see them again 'til next May.

Got home, had lunch, was beyond exhausted, iced my knee, read, dozed, but was too restless to actually nap. Didn't particularly sleep well, because even with the staples out I have weird pains and numbnesses and aching. The bruise is still black and blue but faded - hasn't reached the purple/yellow/green stages yet. It hurts because of the swelling. Which is relatively minor, according to both the PT and the surgeon's office. Lots of icing elevation, although less elevation than I should be doing. I'm not supposed to rest my knee on anything, just my ankle, and that pushes the extension. That's good, but it can hurt.

Had a bit of dinner but wasn't really hungry, read, dozed, slept, ached, hurt, and etc.

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Jenna's coming over later this morning, will go out early this afternoon to pick up a grocery store order that will include my Mother's Day dinner ingredients. I'm pumped. She'll stay through dessert tonight, then go 'home' to her girlfriend.

In the meantime, I've got to get started on the grocery store online order.

As usual, you are doing beautifully. I wish it felt beautiful at this point, but you know what to expect, and you are the champ!!! Enjoy Jenna's day with you and allow her to baby you! (((((Karen)))))

My heart beat fast with joy for about 20 seconds when I pulled a heavy box out from under the bed in the front room. No coins. Instead, it was 3 scrap/picture books of family stuff. I brought home the biggest one with my grandfather's receipts, bills of sale, deeds, etc. from the late 19th century. The pictures are almost all studio-made and identified on the back. Unfortunately, a lot of the IDs were done in pencil and have faded past reading. I have no idea who collected the contents or how Mama came to own it.
I did find a picture of my grandmama from the 1980s. When I was buying a new sound system, the clerk asked for my ID. Fumbling, I whipped out that pic of Grandmama instead of my driver's license. The clerk accepted it. He said, "Anybody with a grandma that sweet is bound to be OK."

>199 karenmarie: Full days are exhausting indeed during recovery. You're doing a lot, so it's not a big surprise that it's wearing you out. I'm very impressed that it's been as smooth a sail as could be. Kind of a shame that, now that you know how to do it, you won't need to again.

Or so we're told...maybe there are three-kneed women out there in some man's hell....

*smooch*

>199 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I'm so glad your recovery is going so well! I'm hoping the pain will abate soon, but it's certainly not surprising that you are still feeling it. I'm sure Jenna will take good care of you today, and I'm glad you'll have her company. Interesting that you may have only one more appointment with the surgeon. My DH has had 3 already, and one more follow-up scheduled.

Rest well, and get some good reading done!

>199 karenmarie: Great news about you knee! I hope healing speeds up even more for you!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/360905

Karen--sounds like it was a long, but great day. Hope you get a good nights sleep and take it easy tomorrow. Read!!! : )

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. Sounds like you had a long and exhausting day but there will be rewards. We are leaving for our second camping trip on the year today, so I won't be around much. Have a good and restful weekend.

>200 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! It’s feeling better than last year, but wow. Still no fun at all.

Sorry no coins, but yay for scrapbooks. I love the story of the clerk accepting your grandmother’s photo as ID. (((((Peggy)))))

>201 richardderus: Hiya, RDear. I am doing a lot, especially this week, but next week should JUST be PT. Heh. I have appreciated the fact that I only have two knees. *smile* and *smooch*

>202 atozgrl: Hi Irene. Thanks re my recovery. I had a wonderful time with Jenna, see below. I’ve had just the one yesterday, the ‘two week’ appointment. I’ll have one in another 4 weeks, so the ‘six week’ appointment, and if everything’s looking good, nothing ‘til next year. I can always call them or email them with questions or issues or to schedule an appointment if I feel I need one. I hope your husband’s recovery is coming along, too.

>203 quondame: Thanks, Susan. With the staples out, I have more range of motion. I have 15 Steristrips.

>204 SilverWolf28: Hi Silver, and thank you.

>205 Berly: Yes, Kim. Two long days in a row. Today’s only PT. I am getting some reading done.

>206 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Yup. Long and exhausting. Yesterday was long, wonderful, and exhausting. Enjoy your second of the year camping trip.

Wordle 1,063 4/6* trope, torch, tumor, tutor

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Jenna got to the house about 11 a.m. and stayed 'til 8 p.m. She gave me a wonderful card and an extremely cute and teensy taco pinata filled with miniature Heath bars. She picked up the grocery store order and put it all away, we hung out some and I had to rest some, she made dinner. Except for me helping back into the times to make sure things were all ready at the same time she did it all - perfectly cooked medium rare steaks, twice-baked potatoes, perfecty steamed broccoli, Crescent rolls. Dessert was a Marie Calender Cherry Crunch Pie.

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My meds timing got off yesterday and I'm just now taking pain meds for the first time in 7 hours. Yikes. PT in an hour.

Home again, puttering, resting, reading. On Jenna's way out yesterday evening, she took this pic at the house that used to be Louise's. Unwanted visitors.

Good morning, Good Karen..... Hooray for the Jenna visit! That one was worth waiting for.

I see the cows, and my mind goes straight to Green Gables - Anne's cow (or not) in the neighbor's cabbages or flowers or whatever it was.

Hope you got your pain pills in time enough to do you some good in PT, and that your recovery from it is swift.

Hello sweet friend.

It was so good to see her not worrying about Covid or surgery and recovery.

I had Meloxicam, tramadol, AND tylenol before PT yet it was still rough - it's supposed to be rough - and I got to 105° flexion, which is the goal for next week. Home, looking at children's books I have that I want to loan to my PT. He and his wife had a baby last year. He's 7 1/2 months now, was a premie at 6 weeks. It's fun looking through board and read aloud books.

I do need to not sit any more, get back into jammies, and ice my knee in bed. Oh, and eat something more than cherry pie, which was brekkie with a cup of coffee. NOT the best nutrition, I know.

I've never read Anne of Green Gables, but have a copy of it upstairs from before I joined LT. It can stay for now, even though I've got the tag 'cull' on it for some reason.

Our landscape guy is here making noise. Things will look more under control after he's finished.

>207 karenmarie: Louise has mooooved, girls! (those're cows, so it fits)

Glad it's been a good visit and a smooth recovery, Horrible. *smooch*

>208 LizzieD: Hello Karen, I hope you're getting some good rest after the PT. Yes, my DH is recovering well. His PT got approval from insurance for a lengthy treatment, so he's still going twice a week. He is getting around very well and has stopped using the handicapped parking, even though he's got a month left on the placard. His jazz band has a gig tomorrow night. (Hoping the weather won't be a problem.)

The picture of the cows gave me a good laugh.

>210 richardderus: Noooo, RDear! Mooooooved. Thank goodness for coffee and cherry pie, or I wouldn't be able to take it. Thank you re the recovery so far, and I love it when my kidlet visits. I'm happy that she's got a wonderful girlfriend, sad that she doesn't live at home. *smooch*

>211 atozgrl: Hi Irene. I did take a nap and get horizontal with my faithful Polar Care unit. My swelling comes and goes but is never worrisome. Yay for approval for a lengthy treatment and glad that he can perform with his jazz band.

We've had cows visit us many times over the almost 26 years we've lived here. Here's my favorite/most irritating one. The cow was less than 20 feet from where I was sitting here in the Sunroom.



Wordle 1,064 3/6* trope, grind, briny

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Nothing else exciting from yesterday.

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Nothing out of the ordinary planned for today. Therefore it's books, spreadsheets, puttering, napping, exercises.

>212 karenmarie: Sans coffee, I wouldn't be able to take anything at all. Cherry pie would be lurvely but I shudder to think what a kosher fruit pie would be...every other kosher "dessert" is awful, boring, or just plain chocolate (which isn't a plus for me).

Good morning, (((((Karen)))))! I am not a cow lover, I'm sorry to say. Granddaddy used to take me out to pet them when I was little, but I never warmed to them. I do have a memory of Grandmother's hysterical laughter when G'd was chasing a cow around the house to get her back where she belonged - and then it became clear that the cow was chasing G'd.

Enjoy your almost-normal Saturday!

>199 karenmarie: I expect a report back on today’s productiveness! Can't deliver that report, since I haven't felt very productive since Wednesday. I gotta get out behind the lawn tractor's steering wheel and finish the mowing begun yesterday. Bookcase building needs attention. I neglected my "2024 Book Acquisitions" list, so I'm reconstructing it from my catalog. But still, I'm having good fun.

I see you're having your fun. Heh heh.

>213 richardderus: I think there are good kosher dessert recipes, but based on your descriptions of meals where you live, God should be furious about what they're feeding you in general and come down and smite them. I bet they don't make Rugelach for you either, do they?

>214 LizzieD: 'Morning, Peggy! I'm not a cow lover either, except as a consumer of milk products and beef. Great story about your G'd getting chased by one.

I visited Karen in Montana in 1987 and she took me out to meet the family's dairy small herd of cows. She walked through them nonchalantly, but they kept BUMPING me and I was actually quite scared. She never knew this til about a year ago when the subject of cows came up.

>215 weird_O: Hi Bill. The interim report is disappointing, but finishing the mowing, continuing bookcase building, and updating your 2024 Book Acquisitions List are all good things. Carry on, my wayward son. My fun... hmmm. Yesterday wasn't much of it, I'm afraid.

Wordle 1,065 4/6* trope, stint, ditch, hitch

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So yesterday was a pain and tiredness day. I didn't do anything, smart lass that I am, but I ended up sleeping on the sofa last night, which actually gave me better sleep than the sofa bed in the Library.

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Today's better, but I'm not going to do too much. I need the pain to get within normal range again. I did all the pain med things right yesterday and even took an oxycodone sometime in the middle of the night.

The only things on the schedule are watching Arsenal play Everton at 11 a.m. All 20 teams are playing the last game of the season at this time, so Man City plays West Ham at the same time and the champion of the Premier League will be determined right away.

If I'm ambitious, I'll clean the cat boxes and/or swap out the hummingbird feeder - I made the sugar water yesterday. We won't tell Jenna that I'm going out onto the porch, but I won't get remotely close to the stairs, so what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?

>216 karenmarie: No one could describe the awfulness of dry, crumbly rugelach, or kosher baked goods in general. They don't bake here, they buy "desserts" from a kosher supplier. Once in a while they'll get chocolate-fondant topped creme-filled donuts, which are fine...the fondant's hard and so it peels right up leaving little enough chocolate that I can ignore it. They used to get napoleons, but people got sick of them being so dry they flaked away to nothing getting soaked in creme, with hard, unflavored fondant weighing the proceedings down.

Can't have good-tasting things, gawd wouldn't like it.

*sigh* Thank goodness I can still budget my way into occasional normal-food binges.

Luck be with Arsenal today, Horrible! Stay on the couch and get those pain levels down, please, you do not need to focus on anything except things that will increase your recovery speed. (Though you know Jenna would fuss, it's more about the stairs tempting you to try them early...no risk of that while the pain's high!)

Arsenal won 2-1, but Man City won 3-1, and they are champions. We did our job by winning.



>217 richardderus: Hiya, RD! I have gotten some stunning rugelach over the years, and am sorry they buy their desserts. Fondant should be outlawed, IMO. Budget away to yummy stuff.

I'm back in the Sunroom. I'm going to change out the hummingbird feeder, but I'll take a pic of the front porch to show that I can sneak in behind the hammock and not get near the stairs. I wouldn't go up or down stairs yet, but falling down 10 of them would piss Jenna off. *smile*

After the hummingbird feeder I might take a nap or just read. I'll ice my knee and even possibly take an oxy to get ahead of the pain game.

>218 karenmarie: Yes to outlawing fondant! I don't know who ever thought of the stuff, but I hate it.

Congrats to Arsenal for winning, but I'm sorry for you that they didn't come away with the championship. I hope you had a better day today and have gotten the pain back under control.

Uh oh, cows coming to visit, Karen. I'm sorry to read you are still in pain and not sleeping well. I hope that soon sorts itself out.

>219 atozgrl: Hi Irene. I never thought about just eating the cake out of a fondant-covered piece of cake, but will do so if I ever get the chance to go to another wedding where they use it.

It was a stressful game for a while - Rice dodged wrong on a free kick and deflected it into the net, scoring a goal for Everton, but then Tomayasu scored to even it up and then Havertz scored the winning goal.

>220 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Fortunately, the cows didn't visit us this time, just the new neighbors. Thanks re the pain. Yesterday was pretty good, yet this morning I'm feeling it again and just took an oxycodone.

Wordle 1,066 6/6* Whew. trope, aider, miser, giver, fiber, nicer

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I did fill change out the hummingbird feeder yesterday and did the teensiest bit of puttering, but spent most of the time horizontal and iced my knee a lot.

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Today's busy. Friend Jan is coming to pick me up to go to lunch at Virlie's, then will take me over to PT, where she'll leave me to go home. Bill will come to pick me up ~2:45. Given that the weekend was more painful than I expected, I should probably cancel on Jan, but instead I'll ask Max to take it a bit easier on me. I think the rigorous PT session on Friday overextended some muscles and/or tendons.

>221 karenmarie: The best of all possible worlds. I encourage you to keep your social side moving because, even if it's physically uncomfortable, the psychic boost is very much a part of speedier healing. Enjoy your full day! *smooch*

Enjoy your day, Karen! I know you know how to take care of yourself. I know you know to pay attention!

Morning, Karen. We are back from camping and gearing up for another trip on Friday. Glad to hear you are still progressing with PT. Keep it up, my friend. Love the cow pics. I am a fan of the bovines, although I am not sure I would want them in my backyard.

Morning Horrible! *smooch*

A very late start, but not a worrisome one - see below.

>222 richardderus: Hi RD! I did have a full day. It was fun and productive. *smooch*

>223 LizzieD: ‘Morning, Peggy! I (mostly) took care of myself. And, when I got home, I did another thing to take care of myself! See below.

>224 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you. Wow. Camping season is in full swing at the Freeburgs. Thanks re PT. Awww, you don’t want large and heavy animals making huge divots in your grass and leaving large cow pies and gallons of cow pee on your property? I don’t get it…

>225 richardderus: *smooch*

Wordle 1,067 4/6* trope, owing, bingo, dingo

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Jan came over, loved the appliances, then carried me off to lunch at Virlie's. We had a great time talking, as always. She paid for my lunch - unexpected - and while she was up paying Rita the Librarian came over. She was taking a late lunch and we said we'd try to have lunch next week. Jan took me over to PT and went home and Bill was waiting outside PT when I was finished.

The big thing that happened yesterday was that I told Max about being in a lot of pain since Saturday. I said I wanted to take it a bit easy and he said sure, although I worked just hard - my pride's involved, of course. By the end of PT Max had said that his opinion was that I needed to keep the oxycodone in my system through this pain cycle at a minimum. I've only been taking one or two a day for breakthrough pain, but when I got home I set up a schedule for all 3 pain meds - tylenol, tramadol, oxycodone. I slept better last night even though I woke to an alarm at 2 and 6 a.m. to take various and sundry, and woke to the alarm at 9:40.

...
I do feel a bit groggy, but don't have anything to do for the next several days, so groggy works. Reading, minor MINOR puttering, napping, and etc.

>226 karenmarie: That Max is a wise bird. Glad you're listening to his expert advice.

Hiya, RichardDear.

Yes, he is. He's really knowledgeable AND adorable - he's in his early '40s, handsome, in shape, etc., and he and his wife have a 7 1/2 month old son. She's able to stay home with him right now, working from home for her family's business. Once their 6-week preemie starts becoming a crawler/walker, they'll have to do something else, but for right now it sounds like they're all very happy.

I just took another oxy at noon.

Time to see if Bill's in the mood to watch soccer.

>226 karenmarie: It's good to have professional hand holding when dealing with pain medications. There are such horror stories and while we know some are pure scare, others are deadly real. I hope your sleep is uninterrupted tonight as well.

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. Sorry to hear that you are still dealing with pain issues. I hope this subsides soon. A hot one here yesterday but it cools off nice today. I think our A/C may be on the fritz. Ugh.

I am off soon to pick up the "kids". Hard to believe that next Wednesday is the last day of school for the summer. They don't return until mid-August.

>229 quondame: Hi Susan. I'm really careful with the pain meds, but do see how people can easily abuse them - either from being woozy and dosing wrong or deliberately for a high of some kind. And, of course, some people use them to commit suicide with.

My sleep was okay. I'm a bit woozy from an oxy at 6 a.m., and need to tweek the schedule a bit.

>230 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you. Thanks re the pain - I'm doing better because I'm taking full doses of everything so it's only painful sometimes, not excruciating.

I do hope your AC is just cranky and needs to be babied a little to start the season, not on the fritz. 🤞

Yay for last day of school next week 'til August. Will you find something else to bring in some $$ or give yourself a break 'til August?

Wordle 1,068 4/6* trope, fetch, event, exalt

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Whole lots of nothing yesterday, with a bit of soccer thrown in. I did find an old Roi-Tan 50 Bankers box in perfect condition with pencils/pens, business and other cards, and 4 pictures. They are totally embarrassing. Don't you just love the cat eye glasses? Linda, Lori, and Isabel - 3 BFs from high school - in the pool pic, Lori in the others. Plus a family friend. In hindsight, I think he was perving on Lori.



...
I've got PT at 11 a.m. today, then Jenna's coming over for perhaps 20-30 minutes to pick up her mail and help me with a couple of things. After that, I hope that Peggy's schedule meshes with mine so that we can talk sometime after 3. Another 🤞

Just coming over (we are neighbors, right?) to check and make sure you are behaving yourself!

I hope PT goes well and that you have a nice visit with Jenna today!

I love the pictures, but I miss the curls. That was the time though, right? (I'd say you were right about the family friend - a little old to be fending off Lori's left elbow.)
I had even cattier cat-eye glasses in 1956, and they had white frames to boot. I should add a search-and-destroy mission for those to my continuing s&d for the third grade school picture. I was just back to school from having been out sick. I hadn't remembered that it was picture day, so I wore a hand-me-down dress that was a little big on me. I had gotten a perm and poodle cut the week before. AND I had lost my 2 front teeth, and I grinned. Now that is embarrassing!

I look forward to the phone call!

>231 karenmarie: Good heavens! What a brave soul you are for posting cat-eye-glasses photos. I am so grateful, now, that my embarrassing 1960-forward photos are long gone from my possession. I just hope my one sister's lost the ones she had.

Happt Thursday, Karen!

I hope your scedule for the pain meds keeps your sleep better. It is a long way to get back, and I am sure your PT does his job well again.
Love the pictures, never heard of 'cat eye glasses', looking at the picture it is a perfect description.

I had cat eye glasses too - and I loathed them. I did not get to pick out my own glasses in those days, my father did. Never, ever again. Lol.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. Love the old pics. Must put a smile on your face. No plans to work through the summer. If they will have me back in the fall, with my 2–3-day restrictions, I will probably do it.

The only thing I am seeing in the backyard are housefinch and doves. Weird...

>232 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Yes, we are definitely neighbors. Thank you for checking in on me. Yesterday when my daughter came over, her dad told her that I did a bit of running around before she arrived. Snitch. She gave me the evil eye. I am behaving myself, I just needed to make sure a few things were under control before kidlet showed up. PT went very well, the visit with Jenna was perfect. Details below.

>233 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! Straight hair was de rigueur, especially in SoCal. Curls were not good unless they were from rollers, with straight hair ending in a flip or a pageboy. Thanks for the confirmation about the perving. AND, Lori’s stepfather was also a perv, and i think it went beyond that, I'm afraid.

I really want to see the third grade school picture. Dress that was too big, the perm/poodle cut, cat-eye glasses, AND front teeth missing.

The phone call was perfect…

>234 richardderus: Hiya, RDear! I AM brave, aren’t I? I wish I still had those glasses, but they are no more. *smooch*

>235 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, and thank you. The pain meds change is really helping. PT’s going well. Thanks re the pics.

>236 alcottacre: I hated my glasses, too, Stasia. My mom picked them out. Mine were olive green. The first glasses I picked out were wire-rim aviator frames when I was at Pepperdine 1971-1975. Women were not wearing them then, and I remember the glasses place questioning my choice. But my friend Katie went with me, and Katie was a force of nature so I got what I wanted. Mine were Coke bottles – thick, thick glass, heavy, put grooves in my nose. I loved them. Hershel III and me in Connecticut, ~1978-1980 at apartment I lived in with my crazy Greek boyfriend.



>237 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday to you, too. Thanks. They are so weird that I just had to post them. I love finding things in boxes tucked in strange places – and we have LOTS of places like that. I’m not exactly on a hunt, but I might see if there are more pics in that desk.

I am not classified as having body dysmorphia, but my whole life I’ve wished that I looked different – skinnier, not a redhead, someone with thick straight blonde hair, prettier feet, whiter teeth, etc., and etc. It’s a cruel thing that is done to children, to try to fit them into a defined type of beauty that few fit into. And, of course it changes over time. My red curls eventually came into style, went out, came back, and now, frankly, I think, anything goes.

I’m glad you don’t have to work through the summer, and nice to think you might drive the kids in the fall again.

Let’s see – I’ve got finches and a Tufted Titmouse. Lots of natural food out there, so at least here it’s not too surprising that I don’t have a lot of bird visitors.

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So PT was hard and good. My goal was 105° flexion, and I got to 112°. The long-term goal is 120°. Extension got to 0°, but Max wants me at -2° - this is what I had pre-surgery, hyperextension-wise.

And then Jenna was supposed to come over, which is always good, but she texted to see if Hwan could 'tag along'. Yes!!!! And more yes!!! So we met the girlfriend. She's wonderful and smart and articulate and she and Jenna are so head over heels in love with each other... we had a great visit. Hwan was particularly interested in all the pics of Jenna we have all over the house. More visits are definitely going to happen. They stayed about an hour. Jenna filled the sunflower seed feeder for me and tore down boxes and put them in Bill's SUV so he can take them to the dump. Otherwise, we sat in the living room and just chatted. Oh - Hwan met Inara and Zoe Rose. Wash was shy boy and didn't come out until they left.

...
Today is lots of good nothing - resting, icing, reading, napping, puttering, but nothing strenuous.

The mental and physical switch to all meds-all the time is definitely helping with the pain. And although I got up to the alarm in the night to take pain meds, I got good sleep and didn't wake up in major pain.

So, more coffee, find another book to read, and etc.

Great news about Jenna and Hwan. I'm so glad you approve, and I'm sure Jenna and Hwan are too.

Hope you enjoy your coffee. I'm going to do that too. I was awakened at 6:15 or so, feeling the low blood sugar jitters, so I got up, checked, then sucked on some hard candy whilst the coffee brewed.

Hi Bill!

Yuck to low blood sugar jitters. I hope you're feeling better. Bill gets low blood sugar readings in the morning sometimes, and it usually takes quite a while for him to 'even out.'

Yup, coffee and a smack in the face. I'm not an espresso girl - I like strong-ish medium roast, black, no sugar.

I'm on my 3rd cup even as I type this, having gotten up really late this morning.

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day.

It smiled from ear to ear reading about the visit from Jenna and Hwan. That's a big step for them, and I'm glad it went well.

>238 karenmarie: What an excellent day! I'm glad Hwan got to come with and meet you. That is a great moment, isn't it?

Here's the Memorial Day readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/361025

>241 lauralkeet: Hi Laura, and thank you. I’m glad it went well, too. It just came up out of the blue, so there was no chance for nerves.

>242 richardderus: Hello RDear. It was a big yet completely easy big step for all of us. Yes, it was a great moment.

>243 SilverWolf28: Hi Silver, and thank you.

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Yesterday was pretty much a blur of reading, napping, and taking pain meds. Not much pain, though. We lost power from 3:45 p.m. - 11 p.m. The generator did its job, so we were very pleased. I spoke with my sister for a bit.

...
PT today at 11 a.m. and all the normal things.

Morning, Karen. Happy Friday. I am so glad Jenna is happy with her partner. I wish them both the best. Enjoy your weekend. I'll be off the grid for a few days but may be able to check in.

>244 karenmarie: Normal is good! Normal is urgently needed! Yay for normal, and for the meds working their magic on your pain levels.

*smooch*

I absolutely concur with all the good cheer and all the affirming posts going on here! (To be clear, my cat-eye glasses were 7th grade not 3rd. I almost think I wore them for the school picture, but maybe not. I'll surely come upon another copy of them when I get to my mother's pictures.)

*sigh* I got home from an hour+ of waiting for the banker to figure out how to get a medallion signature needed for some estate business. I didn't get it, and I was furious - not because she couldn't figure how to comply with the bank's requirements but because after she said, "I may not be able to do it for you," I said, "If you can't do it, what can I do?" Her reply: "I don't know," signifying "not my problem." Lawyer assures me that we will get it done, and there's no time constraint, so I'm fine today. But really? It's a service assigned to her that her bank offers their customers. I'm a customer. It's not her job to figure it out, never mind being courteous about it?????

Maybe I'm not quite fine about it.

>239 weird_O: If I hadn't finished my coffee, I would be wiping it off the keyboard.

>247 LizzieD: The bank problem stinks. You might need to escalate up her management chain to find someone who knows what they are doing.

Thanks, Judy. I know that lawyer David will have it in hand. If I have to deal with it, I assure you that I will give the regional office a call - after I've been to the credit union where I bank.

>238 karenmarie: Hurray for the great visit with Jenna and Hwan! Hwan sounds wonderful. I'm also glad to hear that you've got the pain back under control.

I thought cat-eye-glasses came back into fashion a few years back. My DH and I thought it was weird, because they were always considered ugly when we were growing up.

Have a great weekend!

>231 karenmarie: I love looking at old family photos, especially of my parents before I was even a thought. Fashions come and go but some trends are quite out there. In one photo, my dad had medium length hair, with large checkered pants and a mustard yellow sweater

I am glad that you are progressing with PT.

Nice that first impressions of Jenna's partner were positive! It is hard to find a partner that clicks and even more so if family can't get along.

>245 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark! I hope you had a good Friday, and happy Saturday to you. Thanks re Jenna and her partner. I know it’s a 3-day weekend, but with both of us retired, it doesn’t really mean much beyond the meaning of the holiday on Monday. Enjoy your camping trip.

>246 richardderus: Normal IS good. Yes, it’s urgently needed. I like normal and uneventful. Taking ALL the pain meds ALL the time yields a result that is truly magic. *smooch*

>247 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! I am so appreciative of the love and support I get here. It’s a huge help in my motivation and emotional happiness.

Ah. Got it. 7th grade. Of course I need to find my school pics now and see when I wore my glasses and when I didn’t.

My bank tends to pull that crap, too – offer a service then either only make it available when one particular person is in since most banks have now drastically reduced tellers/bankers/notaries, or have the person who is supposed to provide the service not know how to provide it, like your experience above. I wouldn’t be fine either, and I’d ask to speak to the manager – ostensibly to find out which employee to ask for who is authorized and knows how to provide the service, but also to either subtly or overtly tell her/him how much time you wasted and how much irritation it caused you.

>248 ffortsa: I hadn’t scrolled down to your message when I wrote the above, Judy. Great minds, eh?

>249 LizzieD: I’d still complain to the bank you went to. You shouldn’t have to chase an offered service down.

>250 atozgrl: Hi Irene. Thanks re Jenna and Hwan. It seems that pretty much everything is back in fashion these days. I think they’re ugly, too. Our weekend will be quiet, hope yours is great.

>251 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita. Yay for family photos. Oh my – your dad’s hair and outfit sound like a lot of fun. Thanks re the PT. Painful but necessary.

Jenna has known Hwan since November. Lots of texting before a meet up, then meet ups, then more and more. They are adorable together, and my undemonstrative kid being demonstrative with her girlfriend – snuggling and holding hands – is a treat to see.

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Yesterday was super quiet. PT and napping, reading.

...
Overnight was a challenge. I took all the pain meds but still had pain in my right knee/calf/quad. It's definitely from PT, so I must be pushing harder than I think I've pushed. I'm icing my knee with the Cryo Pneumatic Knee Set, which allows me to ice it anywhere, leaving the Polar Care in the Library.

Today may or may not be a grocery store online order. I'm not terribly motivated right now, and we do have enough to eat and drink otherwise.

Reading, filling bird feeders, napping, and etc.

>252 karenmarie: Pain is a scourge, and a thief. I'm very glad you're possessed of all the modern ameliorators, and the desire/will to use them. Keep that up, said your fellow sufferer. Easier by far to keep that bastard pinned down than to pin it down in the first place. *smooch*

Hope your afternoon is making up for the bad night, (((((Karen))))). You are more than allowed to do exactly what feels best for the next month or so. I'll write the universe a note to that effect!

the person who is supposed to provide the service not know how to provide it - that was the case. She consulted with the operations manager, and she is fairly high up in their hierarchy - 60ish with a big office. I would pretty easily forgive everything but the "I don't know." Lawyer David will see that she takes care of it.

>253 richardderus: Hi RDear! I just took one of the ameliorators - Tramadol. And I just found an interesting article on redheads and pain. I knew that redheads processed pain differently, but there are also other things that redheads do differently, including producing more vitamin D naturally. Somehow or another this might explain the ridiculously high Vitamin D level I had last year. Redheads and pain *smooch*

>254 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. Happy Sunday to you. I think I overdid it at PT on Friday, and thank goodness I will have had ~96 hours before Tuesday's appointment. My quads are still screaming, and working on flexion is more painful than it has been so far. I'm not working on more degrees of flexion, either. Just getting to 90-100°. Muscles and tendons around my new knee are also more sensitive, as are the muscles in my calf. So, for Tuesday's PT I will work hard but not push push push like I have been doing. I'm way ahead of the curve.

Letting lawyer David take care of getting the medallion signature is a good thing. One less stressor for you.

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Yesterday's pain was ... interesting. So what did I do? Once I was Tramadol, tylenol, and oxycodone'd up, I made air fryer boneless skinless chicken thighs with half a baked potato each and succotash. Nothing hurt worse after, and we got a reasonably healthy meal out of it. Leftovers for tonight, perhaps with rice.

Overnight was a combination of good sleep and the pain mentioned above.

...
Nothing planned for today beyond pain management, reading, and two smallish things: Put all VHS tapes into UHaul book boxes so that Jenna can put them in the Media Room/Storage Room/Karen's Book Annex, and take care of the bird feeders.

>255 karenmarie: Gladder than you know to read your pain is better controlled than before. The day today sounds like you're taking things as gently as needed for the best and quickest healing.

*smooch*

Hooray for pain meds. Another hurray for Jenna and Hwan.

Interesting conversation about wearing glasses. Apparently I was semi-blind my first couple of years. I started wearing glasses at age 3 and I’m sure I had at least one pair of cat-eyes. My most memorable pair were bright red. Not sure how old I was then. I got contact lenses at age 18. They changed my life! Due to old dry eyes I went back to glasses in my late 50s. I don’t mind them at all because they help hide the permanent bags under my eyes.

Keep on with your pain management and PT. Karen. You are making good progress. Who knows…maybe there will be a marathon in your future. Or a long walk in the park. Just keep moving and all will be well.

Just surfacing here and there to see how folks are faring. I'm pretty quiet now, and seems the bookworms hereabouts are too. I do have several chores/projects/etcetera.

• Applying polyU to bookcases, which must not be interpreted to mean the construction is nearly done. Kinda-sorta in the middle. But I got time.

• Poring over Ken Burns' Our America. It's physically big, and the chosen structure has me switching from the body of the book (meaning the photos) and the back matter where the captions are gathered. But it's quite fascinating.

• Learning a new cellphone. Got an iPhone 14 and I'm struggling to master various swipes and slides and taps, and getting the multitude of Google apps* loaded. I do have have LT loaded and I expect to have few problems with it My previous phone was a Pixel 2, about seven years ago; 'twas a different era back then.

The iPhone is a step toward getting hearing aids.

• And here's my upcoming fun. Colonoscopy. Wednesday. I envision Tuesday and Wednesday morning—limiting intake other than the prescribed purgative—being torture. I can do it!

Oops! I've gotten carried away. Have a good long weekend.

Cheers...
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* Almost forgot my apologetic footnote. I know you seek to avoid all things Google, but Judi and I spawned a computer guy, and he hooked up with Google a dozen or more years ago. Much good for us has been spawned by that.

Sounds like you are pushing hard in PT. I wish you the best in your recovery and pain management.

>258 weird_O: Colonoscopy is nothing I personally enjoy but at least they put you under these days. Imagine all that without a sedative!

>256 richardderus: Hi RD! I’m working really hard at doing a lot of nothing. Normally I read and putter all day, but puttering is much harder right now. Bill keeps encouraging me to Do Nothing Except Rest and Read. *smooch*

>257 Donna828: Hi Donna. Nice to see you here. I loved contact lenses and wore them for perhaps 15 years or so until I would have had to start using hard lenses instead of soft. Back to glasses, and I stopped using make up at the same time.

Glasses are good for hiding bags and diverting away from not wearing makeup…

Thanks for the encouraging words regarding pain management and PT. I will just keep moving. Reminds me of Finding Nemo when Dory says ‘just keep swimming’.

>258 weird_O: Hello Bill. I’m definitely quiet, feel guilty about it, but not enough to actually visit threads. Yay for bookcase work. I love books by Ken Burns. I have 3 of them, but not Our America. Congrats on a new cell phone, and I hope you get all the apps loaded and figure out all the swipes/slides/taps.

Ugh. Colonoscopies are no fun but are pretty important. The prep is the worst – they make it mentally and physically as unthreatening as they can. Good luck and cheers back’atcha.

Oh, Google. I do not like Google. Do not use use their search engine but use their translate function and, for some odd reason that I cannot explain, I chose a Pixel 7 the last time we got phones. *shrug* I like it a lot, but still hate a lot of what Google represents. Kudos to your son – not a bad company to be hooked up with.

>259 elorin: Hi Robyn and thank you.

>260 richardderus: Gads – no sedative. Nope.

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Yesterday was napping and reading and making rice and reheating chicken and succotash for supper. Easy peasy. We had major thunderstorms 9ish, and lost power until about 11:30. Our generator kicked in right away, worked like a champ, and switched back automatically to commercial power when it was available again.

...
More nothing today - reading and napping. All caught up on pain meds. I might start an online grocery order so that Bill can pick it up while I'm in PT tomorrow.

I hope your napping is restful and refreshing.

Morning, Karen. Thanks for keeping my thread warm while I was gallivanting in the woods. It was a good trip. It sounds like you are chugging along on your recovery. Keep it up. I am leaving shortly to pick up the kids. Tomorrow is the last day of school.

My feeders are still eerily quiet. I did see a hummer very briefly.

>262 quondame: Hi Susan! Naps are always good.

>263 msf59: Hi Mark, and happy Tuesday to you. You're welcome. Gallivanting is important, glad you had a good trip.

I've been very tired the last several days, but that's just part of the recovery, I guess. I only have finches on the feeders.

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I too all the meds and wasn't in much pain. Read, napped, watched some Forensic Files with Bill last night.

...
My cleaning ladies come today, sounds like the landscape guy is here, and I have PT at 2 p.m. Busy day. Reading, too, of course, possibly a nap.

I'm happy that the cleaning ladies are coming; you will be happier in a fresher house, I'm sure. I hope PT is both helpful and reasonable and that the rest of the day is just as you please!

>264 karenmarie: I need a nap after reading that. It's too beautiful here to nap. I'm sure there's a law against it somewhere on the state's code.

*smooch*

Morning, Karen. Happy Wednesday. Last day of school. Yah! A short day too. I pick up the kids at 1130 today. I am thinking of playing pickleball in between. It is nice having the camper in the driveway. It makes packing so much easier.

>265 LizzieD: 'Morning, Peggy! I always love it when my cleaning ladies come. With three cats, Bill, and me, getting things cleaned every two weeks works perfectly. Thanks re my day - I hope you had a wonderful day filled with reading, naps, and time with your DH.

>266 richardderus: States do make the most ridiculous laws in addition to the most misogynistic, homophobic, racist, and heartless laws, don't they, RD? *smooch*

>267 msf59: 'Morning, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you, too. Yay for last day of school! I hope you can get some pickle ball in. What's your next trip? And, the Indigo Bunting was visiting again today, along with finches and Cardinals.

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Yesterday was supposed to JUST be cleaning ladies and PT, but when Esmerelda and Adela got here, they asked if we knew our driveway was blocked. I said no, I didn't know, got shoes on, and went out. Sure enough, a 25' 8" in diameter limb had come down in the storm 3 nights ago. Bill and I used our alternate driveway - in front of the shed, across the front lawn, up between the house and barns, through the first tree line, and across the back yard to the driveway that wasn't blocked - to get to PT. Came home the same way. After Esmerelda and Adela left, I sent a Help! email to Gary, our HOA President, asking if he or someone else in the neighborhood with a chainsaw could at least get the driveway cleared and we'd get our landscaping guys to do the rest when they could get over.

Gary came over about 6:30 p.m. and got it all taken down and neatly stacked on the grass. It was SO good of him.

In PT yesterday flexion got to 116°. The final goal of all PT is 120°, so I just need to keep stretching to keep the scar from preventing flexion. Extension was 0° and the same - gotta keep working it to make sure it's a permanent.

...
Today"s PT and an online grocery order to be picked up while we're already in town. I'll be placing the order after I post this message and visit a few threads after.

You had some day yesterday! You are doing very well, very very well with PT. Keeping on is a GOOD THING!!!!!!!

Hooray for Gary!

I hope you can take it easy today. I did yesterday - found out a once-close high school friend had died Monday. We had drifted apart, a fact I realized and she didn't, so I guess I'm the one who drifted. The world is a sadder place without her.

Hi Peggy!

Yesterday was busier than I would have liked, but I'm feeling rather chipper this morning. Gary's a blessing.

Today's only PT and picking up the FL order. FL order placed, a few threads to visit, brunch to be had. Onward! Upward!

I'm so sorry a HS friend died on Monday, sorry that you feel you drifted.

>268 karenmarie: YIKES on the tree! Yay for Doug. Hope you're still happy post-grocery-making.

*smooch*

>252 karenmarie: I hear you about the three day weekend. My biggest impact was that the library was closed on the Monday, so I had to wait until Tuesday to collect my holds and inter-library loans.

-

I hope that when I get to the bottom of the thread I'll find your pain much improved.

>258 weird_O: I hear you on the "joys" of learning a new cell phone.

According to my hearing aid people, there are aids available that can talk to Android phones, as well as those that can talk to iPhones. So if you have a phone preference, hearing aids won't force you to use the type of phone you like less. (For the record, I retired from Apple, and stopped using their phones immediately. Their UI designers just don't think like I do. I'm currently using a Pixel 3a, which could be described as obsolescent - and overjoyed not to get OS upgrades any more, so I don't have to figure out the changed UI.)

--

I guess the colonoscopy you mentioned is today. Good luck with it.

What a day. It's good you had an alternate way out! Also that Gary was available and willing to clear up the tree.

Hi Karen my dear, another hurray for Jenna and Hwan, i hope they will be happy together. I am slowly getting back around the threads now that i have a new laptop to work with. Sending love and hugs to everyone.

Happy Thursday, Karen!

Glad you got to meet Hwan. Love how you describe the interaction between Jenna and Hwan, young love is a treat.
Sorry about the blocked driveway, good Gary came to help out.

Morning, Karen. Sweet Thursday. We are going to a small campground, just north of Racine WI. Bree and Sean have their boat docked at the marina in Racine, so we will spend a lot of time with Jack & Co. Really looking forward to it. We shove off around noon.

Still no birds at the feeders, although I did see a male cowbird at the birdbath yesterday.

>271 richardderus: Hi RD! It was just so weird – we didn’t know the driveway was blocked. We’re usually more aware than that. I was happy post-grocery-making, happy if tired the rest of the day.

>272 ArlieS: Hi Arlie! The biggest impact on me is that my PT, Max, took the holiday (how dare he!) so I have PT on Tues, Wed, and Fri this week. Next week I’m back to Mon, Wed, Fri. Thank you re the pain. Sometimes I’m mentally stronger than others and can tolerate it better. It’s not 24/7. In the middle of the night is when I’m most vulnerable to feeling depressed about it. Sigh.

>273 ArlieS: I need to head on over to Bill’s thread to check up on him re the colonoscopy.

>274 quondame: Hi Susan. Fortunately, I’m pretty good in emergencies, handling what needs to be handled and falling apart later for fall-apart-worthy situations. Tree down was not fall apart, fortunately. And, it’s funny – I’m the one who just had surgery, but I’m the one who sent the email to Gary. Bill is strangely reluctant to participate in any way in the neighborhood anymore, so it’s all on me.

>275 johnsimpson: Hi John! I’ve got my fingers crossed for them. Yay for a new laptop. Sending love and hugs to you and Karen and kitty skritches to Felix from our three terrors.

>276 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, and happy Thursday to you, too. You’re right – - young love IS a treat. Yes, back to everything else that’s going on. *smile*

>277 msf59: ‘Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you. Your trip sounds wonderful, especially with Jack & Co. I’ve had the Indigo Bunting, Downys, finches, and Cardinals. I need to take care of all the feeders today.

Wordle 1,076 4/6* trope, shady, milky, gummy

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Yesterday was grocery store online ordering, PT, picking up the order (Bill did that while I was at PT), then getting stuff in and put up. Bill's still got soda in the back of his SUV, but I got all the stuff I'm responsible for up.

I took my cane to PT per Max's request, we confirmed that it's the right height (same as the walker), and he asked if I wanted to walk down the hall. Gulp. I did, with him behind me and occasionally touching my waist to remind me that he was there. I was a bit wobbly, but by the time we'd gone about 25' or so, I was confident, if slow. I'll use the cane around the kitchen - I've got enough counters and the island to always have something to steady myself against or hold on to.

...
A friend was going to come to visit today, but I bailed because I just needed the quiet day. We'll work on something for next week. Besides bird feeders, I want to read another Federalist, read about Lithops (I downloaded a Kindle Unlimited book about them because I want some for my birthday), and read MM romance and putter. I'm reading a good post-apocalyptic MM romance, Survive the Streets by Alex Timothy, with the second book, Survive the City already downloaded to the Kindle. There's no touchstone for Survive the City. Thank you, RD! Much appreciated.

Good for you for taking the quiet day when you need it! It takes some of us a long time to learn to take what we need, especially when the other people involved are not seriously incommoded. (Is that really a word? I guess so.)
Also, Hurray for the cane already! Use in the kitchen sounds reasonable to me. I know I've told you what Brownie had to say about touching stable objects as I pass them. I go days when I don't remember, but I always feel better when I do.

That Wordle! Wow for your 4!

Enjoy the cooler weather! I've just looked up lithops - fascinating!

>278 karenmarie: Survive the City has a touchstone now. You're welcome. *smooch*

Quiet day joy, Horrible.

I do most of my shopping for pickup, too. I have always hated going into stores to buy groceries, and really even dislike shopping for clothes. But I don't have your mobility excuse

Guilty on all 34 counts! Yay! (You know who I'm talking about.)

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/361148

>279 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! It was loverly to not have anything I absolutely had to do. I read and napped. Didn’t even do much puttering, to tell the truth. Incommoded is a word. 👍

I haven’t told Max this, but I’m also doing a bit of wall/door jamb/counter walking without the cane – but just if it’s just a few feet. Thanks re my 4. Today it’s 5, but better than 6 or a skunk.

And Yay for lithops.

>280 richardderus: Thank you kindly, dear Richard. I’m on page 154 of ~265 pages. Quiet day joy was had.

>281 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! No excuses needed if your stores offer it. I pay $1.99 for the service. The key to success is to put a note on EVERY SINGLE THING IN YOUR ORDER. “No substitution” on most items for me, but several have very specific alternatives that are acceptable.

>282 weird_O: I know, Bill, I know. Peggy texted me yesterday afternoon as I was just waking up from a nap with the news, and I admit to reading several articles on NYT and CNN.

>283 SilverWolf28: Thank you, Silver.

Wordle 1,077 5/6* trope, wound, bison, savoy, chaos

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Pain was had, but meds were had. Reading, talking with Jenna, straightening the desk, napping, hearing the glorious Guilty on all 34 counts news. Bill and I watched Cold Case Files. Much doom scrolling on YouTube in the night. I ended up on the couch about 5:15 or so, read 'til about 6. Got up about 9:30, am slowly getting organized.

...
PT at 2 p.m. I'll help Bill get recyclables and some trash into his SUV so he can take it while I'm in PT. Last day of the month, I should be able to finish Survive the City before the month end cut off. Now it's a few threads and brekkie/meds.

I thought you were late getting here this morning, Karen. I'll be glad when you're sleeping really well. Maybe, I hope, it will become your new normal!

Hope PT is enough to take you through the weekend without wiping you out! ((((((Karen))))))

Hi Peggy! Yup, very late. On the couch, a bit groggy from oxycodone and tylenol at 6 a.m. It usually doesn't muddle me this much.

I need to stop doom scrolling. Perhaps tonight. My current favs are videos of hairless cats and a Russian boy, clearly with some genetic anomaly, but whose smile just lights me up. He's teensy. His family just puts his antics and sweetness to music and lets him bounce and zoom and smile his way around their house and out and about.

Thanks re PT at 2.

I hope you are having a lovely day. It's absolutely gorgeous out.

It's gorgeous here, too! And not just because 34 got his. I hope you're getting shorter durations of the pain, at least.

*smooch*

>268 karenmarie: Hi Karen! It sounds like your PT is going well. My DH went to PT and his flexion was measured at 135°. He has one more week of PT left.

Hurray for Gary! I'm glad he was able to come over and clear your driveway. I'm also glad you had another way out. That could have been a bad situation.

And good for you for taking a quiet day! Enjoy the good weather while it lasts.

Good morning, Karen. All things considered, you are doing quite well. That's encouraging. Keep it up. :-)

>287 richardderus: 'Morning, RDear. Happy Saturday to you. Pain is worst overnight, stiffness, too. Once I get going, even if I'm at the end of a pain meds cycle, things are better. *smooch*

>288 atozgrl: Hi Irene! 135°. Fantastic. I was at 117° yesterday. My PT says my goal is 120°, but that may only be for getting through the first 6 weeks of PT.

The only thing that would have been an issue had we not had another way out from the blocked driveway would have been cancelling PT.

The weather is very nice. Of course today's the first day of Hurricane Season.

NOAA National Weather Service forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center predict above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this year. NOAA’s outlook for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30, predicts an 85% chance of an above-normal season, a 10% chance of a near-normal season and a 5% chance of a below-normal season.

NOAA is forecasting a range of 17 to 25 total named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, 8 to 13 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 4 to 7 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). Forecasters have a 70% confidence in these ranges.

The upcoming Atlantic hurricane season is expected to have above-normal activity due to a confluence of factors, including near-record warm ocean temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean, development of La Nina conditions in the Pacific, reduced Atlantic trade winds and less wind shear, all of which tend to favor tropical storm formation.

Wordle 1,078 4/6* trope, slick, missy, basin

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I filled all the bird feeders yesterday - sunflower, wild bird seed, suet, and hummingbird. I also got all the recyclables and the kitchen trash into Bill's SUV, and went to PT. Can you say exciting?

...
Nothing planned today except to work on May statistics and Lightning Round. When I came into the Sunroom this morning, I was gifted with an Indigo Bunting on the wild bird seed feeder.



I may make air fryer chicken for dinner tonight.

>290 karenmarie: Smoochling, your "& deg ;" grammar needs a little revision.

Getting up and going is often the solution to most pain problems. I miss my PT time. The problem for me is my blood uric acid levels are always high and exercise makes the crystal formation worse. Right now I'm having a nasty time with my right wrist and both feet. Oh well.

The NOAA forecast is pretty depressing. Hurricane Xena as the first Category 6 in human history seems like a reality waiting to belt us in the chops. I hope it destroys something precious and irreplaceable to each and every fossil-fuel bankster...and insurance refuses to cover it.

Salad night here, which is always awful.

Good morning, Karen. That indigo bunting is magnificent. I've never seen one. (Early in our marriage when I hadn't really thought much about birds, we went to Brookgreen Gardens where I confidently told a pair of birders that I hoped to see a Painted Grummidge. Didn't faze them, and DH and I have enjoyed the words through the years.)

Good day to you! I dread hurricane season. It's the one kind of storm that doesn't go around us, being too large, I guess.

>291 richardderus: I fixed the html errors. Not enough coffee. I'm sorry that PT causes your gout to get mad at you. I'm very sorry about your right wrist and both feet. (((hugs)))

Ugh to salad night.

>292 LizzieD: Hi Peggy! The Indigo Bunting has been visiting all week and I was lucky to get a decent photo of him. A Painted Grummidge. That's wonderful. I want to see a Painted Grummidge, too.

We lucked out last hurricane season. I hope we do this one, too.

...
Cows came through our land up to the road. I left an irritated but not completely nasty message on the cow owner's phone. "Please contain them and get your fencing fixed."

YTD Statistics through May

177 books read
2 of them on my shelves before 1/1/24 and not rereads
48 books abandoned, 5639 pages abandoned, 1 audiobook, .45 hours abandoned

27 audiobook hours

Avg pages read per day, YTD = 330
Avg pages read per book, YTD = 283

Book of the Month: Tripwrecked by A. Poland

Books by Month
January - 46 e-books, 1 audio book, 1 Graphic Novel, and 9 books abandoned for 1711 pages
February - 37 e-books and 8 books abandoned for 1058 pages
March - 38 e-books, 1 audio book, and 7 books abandoned for 899 pages
April - 31 e-books, 1 hard cover, and 11 books abandoned for 1338 pages
May - 21 e-books, and 13 books abandoned for 1153 pages

Author
Male 8%
Female 83%
Undeclared * 6%
Non-Binary 3%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Living 100%
Dead 0%

US Born 45%
Foreign Born 19%
Undeclared * 36%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Platform
Hardcover 1%
Trade Pback 0%
Mass Market 0%
Audiobook 1%
e-Book 98%

Source
My Library 6%
Library 0%
Kindle Unlimited 94%
Borrowed 0%

Misc
ARC/ER 0%
Re-read 0%
Series 77%

Fiction 99%
NonFiction 1%

Author Birth Country
Australia 7%
Canada 8%
England 1%
Ireland 1%
New Zealand 2%
Norway 1%
UK 1%
Undeclared * 36%
US 44%
* - can't find any info anywhere

Original Decade Published

2000-2009 1%
2010-2019 33%
2020-2029 66%

Genre
Contemporary Fiction 97%
Crime Fiction 1%
Graphic Novel 1%
Informational Nonfiction 1%

Acquisition/Source Date
Kindle Unlimited 167
2024 10
culled after reading 4

Average Rating
1.5 - Very Bad 0
2.0 - Bad 1
2.5 - Average 9
3.0 - Good 21
3.5 - Very Good 24
4.0 - Excellent 83
4.5 - Outstanding 38
5 - Masterpiece 1

Average Rating 3.84
Books acquired YTD 110
Books culled YTD 176

May Lightning Round

Those in bold are NOT MM romances, few and far between as they are. It also occurs to me that quite a few of the smut books have warnings about triggers that I don’t mention here. Caveat emptor re triggers if you want to dip your toes in.

How to Steal a Thief by AJ Sherwood 4/30/24 5/1/24 Kindle

Second in the Unholy Trifecta Trilogy has Ivan, the thief of the title, heading down to New Orleans to steal a rare stamp but runs into Aiden, the poverty-stricken student whose family has stolen everything left to him from his grandfather’s estate, including the stamp and all the rest of the stamp collection, worth roughly $6 million. Ivan buys furniture, food, and protects him from other interested parties. Ivan’s found family also comes down – Ari and Carter and Remi from the first book, with Kyou heading up the computer and hacking activities in Boston. Lots of bad guys getting it, lots of mystery looking for the stamp, and lots of sparkage between Ivan and Aiden. HEA achieved, stamp found. I guessed where it would be pretty quickly, too. *preens* Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Finding Him by Chad Lane**

I can’t remember enough about this book to even remember why I abandoned it. *blinks*

**abandoned A Detached Raider by Ana Night**

Detectives Cade and Cole are put together on a serial killer case and there’s immediate friction and sparkage. Not enough to keep me going, though, so I abandoned it after 50 pages. Too much attraction too quickly to go with the too-much professional antagonism.

Dual Destruction 5/1/24 5/3/24 Kindle

Back alley hookup, days later Sage’s been attacked and comes to Golden. Attacks, bad guys, sexy times, violent times. Meh, but I finished it. Caveat emptor re sex.

Hitman's Secret by MJ Red 5/6/24 5/6/24 Kindle

Hitman Charles suddenly becomes the protector of a shy redhead named Oliver. Sparks fly, alpha male testosterone roars, and there will be a very strange HEA in this 32-page short story. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned How to Hack a Hacker by AJ Sherwood**

Third in the Unholy Trifecta Trilogy has our hacker Koy secretly protecting Brannigan for 6 years. He unintentionally reveals himself to Brannigan, and it gets rather cute, what with Evan and Aiden and Ari and Carter all getting involved. However, it was just too much. Caveat emptor re sex.

10 Things That Never Happened by Alex Hall 5/7/24 5/9/24 Kindle

Sam is the manager of one bed and bath store owned by Jonathan. Sam manages the people rather than the numbers, Jonathan is a numbers guy. He brings Sam to London to fire him. Sam falls and gets a bad concussion but also pretends to get amnesia. Of course Jonathan has to take him into his house. Of course they’re attracted, fighting it every step of the way. There’s a Maine Coon named Golum, Jonathan’s eccentric family, and as much as I love Alexis Hall, it all fell rather flat. And I'm blessed if I can figure out the significance of the title. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Hunter by M.C. Adams**

Klein wants to hire a man to marry so that he can get out of paying his cheating ex-wife. Hunter gets fired as a bouncer at the club Klein goes to, seeking a marriage candidate. Klein initially hires Hunter to protect him, but all of a sudden changes his mind. They get married, which seems to neutralize the threat from the ex- and the thugs she hired to intimidate Klein, but now Klein has a criminal after him for gentrifying a section of London that was ‘owned’ by the criminals. Really? And it’s gay-for you and etc. Blech. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned His Mafia Lover by Gabrielle Melo **

I only read 33 pages and barely remember it.

**abandoned A Christmas Reunion by Nic Starr **

Enemies to lovers, old wounds will be resolved, there will be sparkage and a HEA. For some reason this one did not engage me right away, so I abandoned it at 41 pages.

Employing Patience by Saxon James 5/11/24 5/12/24 Kindle

Straight Joey works his fingers to the bone to get one sister through high school and the other through college. He works for Art, and I honestly don’t know why I finished it – Joey flirts with Art why? And flirts for a year? Art goes to his apartment one day after Joey’s called out sick for 2 days, sees the squalor he and his sister lives in and buys new furniture, stocks food, pays all back bills. It worked and it didn’t work, and had I had something better to read would have not finished it. Caveat emptor re sex.

Glory by Leo Rivers 5/12/24 5/12/24 Kindle

Anonymous sex between Zach and Wyatt becomes not so anonymous, and there is sparkage and protection and etc. It’s a very short story which worked for me. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Pretty Things by Devon McCormack **

Forgot that I’d already read it and given it 3*.

Lights, Camera, Passion by Isabel Lucero 5/12/24 5/14/24 Kindle

Roman is an up-and-coming actor, Jacoby is well-established. They are cast as two gay men in an adaptation of a bestselling book. They have a history – supposedly Roman stole Jacoby’s girlfriend, but both men are gay. However, there are bad feelings all around. Once filming starts, though, there’s sparkage and an eventual HEA. This was a low-angst book with a HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

A Mountain Man Walks into a Coffee Shop by Mal Trevino 5/14/24 5/15/24 Kindle

Josiah is an introvert, barely ever coming to town. Before a bad snowstorm he needs a crimping tool, but the last one was sold to Lennon, a newcomer to town who is working to open a coffee shop. There’s immediate sparkage, immediate romance, and a very HEA between two lonely men. First in the Harlow Mountain Men series. Caveat emptor re sex.

A Mountain Man Walks into a Library by Mal Trevino 5/15/24 5/15/24 Kindle

Remy is the new librarian and Samuel, Josiah’s brother from the first book in this series, visits every Monday with a quote and baked goods. This goes on for six months, and it takes Remy quite a while to figure out that Samuel is wooing him. Very sweet, vivid characters and plot for being a novella.Caveat emptor re sex.

A Mountain Man Walks Into His Brother's Best Friend by Mal Trevino 5/16/24 5/16/24 Kindle

Gabriel has returned home after a serious accident and losing his girlfriend. He is staying in brother Josiah’s shed. Noah has had a crush on him for 10 years, but Gabe doesn’t realize anything until he realizes he’s Noah-sexual. Gay-for-you, but it works. Serious sparkage on both sides, another HEA in the third of the Harlow Mountain Men series. Caveat emptor re sex.

Snowflake Wishes and Mistletoe Kisses by M.J. Oshea 5/16/24 5/16/24 Kindle

How a stupid misunderstanding wrecked two men for ten years. Toby was set up by ‘friends’ of Cook’s in high school. He didn’t know Cook wasn’t even there for Prom, and left town without talking with Cook. Years later, there’s still sparkage, upset at why their friendship that could have been more wasn’t, and a HEA. Caveat emptor re implied sex.

**abandoned Touch Me Gently by J.R. Loveless**

Ugh. Just... ugh. Soppy, inexplicably gay for you, too many mentions of how feminine Kaden is. And how can Kaden be such a good cook – good enough to cook for 20 men on a cattle ranch? Caveat emptor re sex.

Nothing Special by Casey Cox 5/17/24 5/18/24 Kindle

Benji and Darren meet in college along with another friend Curtis. Benji and Darren are best friends. Benji writes MF romances, Darren has left to become an actor. He fails in Australia and Hollywood and returns home. His father helps him buy an apartment in Benji’s building. Benji is struggling but nobody knows it – guilt over the accident when he doesn’t take Curtis’s keys away. Darren is resisting the pressure from his father to take over his successful commercial window washing business. Benji needs help in his current book, and Darren goes along with it. They take walks, share info about themselves never before shared. Benji is agoraphobic but Darren doesn’t truly realize this. And on and on. Lots of honesty and hard work for them to become more than best friends, caring for each other in such a well-written and believable way. Caveat emptor re sex.

When London Snow Falls 5/18/24 5/20/24 Kindle

Charlie works hard – as a barista, as a student, as a member of a band, and supporting his daughter and her mother, his BFF. His family is after him to marry and ‘settle down’. He meets Ben, member of a very successful band, and there’s sparkage and a hookup. However, Ben wants more. Charlie is irritating 100 or so pages in, frankly, by shutting Ben down without explaining his reasons. Lots of back and forth, some honesty and hiding the truth on both sides, but eventually they realize that they want this to work and overcome all obstacles. I really loved this one. Caveat emptor re sex.

Scandal by T. Ashleigh 5/20/24 5/22/24 Kindle

Austin’s identical twin poses as him in a sex-drugs scene that causes their father to ship Austin off to a resort/rehab facility. Reporter Beckett goes there to get the story on Austin, but wow! There is sparkage and feelings. All well and good except that when Austin is released from his stint, there’s no explanation of his father or brother’s reactions to him, or his relationship with Beckett. Shallow, illogical, rather smarmy, actually.Caveat emptor re sex.

Tripwrecked by A. Poland 5/22/24 5/23/24 Kindle

Aiden flees Dublin after finding his boyfriend of 8 years in bed with his sister. He quits his unrewarding call center job while he’s at it and ends up in a small town in Australia. He’s rented a house and meets the owner’s brother Finn in embarrassing circumstances. The final one is a funnel spider blocking the way into the house, so Finn takes Aiden home after calling the exterminators. Finn has shared custody of his daughter Millie, who is cute rather than irritating. Aiden discovers that found family is better than birth family, ex-boyfriends shouldn’t fly to Australia to try to get old boyfriends back, and we get a very satisfactory HEA full of love, humor, and sexy times. Caveat emptor re sex.

Ambiguous by Leslie McAdam 5/23/24 5/24/24 Kindle

Sam is a lawyer, assigned to make sure that Julian, a famous rock star, completes the album he’s contractually obligated to finish. Sam isn’t hardnosed, and actually texts nice things to Jules. Their first meeting is a riot – Sam face plants on Jules, spilling coffee. He tries to wipe it up, but it’s mostly on Jules’s crotch. Jules thinks Sam’s adorable even though he works for a cutthroat law practice. As Sam encourages Julian to work on his album, Julian is inspired by Sam to write about his feelings and being in the closet, and etc. They are careful to not to take their feelings past a kiss or two, because of Sam’s conflict of interest. In the meantime, Sam’s family keeps pressuring him to continue his fake relationship with Kurt, in order to bolster his grandfather’s chances of getting elected governor of California. Some of these subplots are rather silly, but the way McAdam writes about feelings – especially Julian’s – is heartfelt and resonates. We get our HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Thirst by Jaylen Florian**

’lean and agile physique’ – blerg. ‘change was viscerally in the air in 1992’ – double blerg. I just couldn’t seem to care about this one AT ALL.

**abandoned Craving You by Avril Ashton**

I can’t remember enough about it to say why I abandoned it beyond the fact that characters named Preacher should be restricted to Firefly.

Studious by Leslie McAdam 5/24/24 5/25/24 Kindle

Alden’s cute but can’t figure out how to attract a guy, Danny’s a player. One night Danny takes a very drunk Alden home to just take care of him, and they agree that Danny should show Alden the ropes of being a player. Sigh. It was okay. Caveat emptor re sex.

Oblivious by Leslie McAdam 5/25/24 5/26/24 Kindle

Noah and August own and are partners in a law firm and have been friends forever. They are always very physical with each other, spend most of their time together. Noah has been in love with August since high school, August is, as the title says, oblivious. This book is about August’s realization that he’s attracted to and in love with Noah, and I found it very sweet in addition to being spicy. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Curious by Leslie McAdam**

Ugh. Shelby is kicked out from his boyfriend’s house next door to where Camden is working. Camden ‘rescues’ him but breaks his ankle. He has no insurance, Shelby says let’s get married to get him on his insurance. When they get married Cam kisses Shelby, and it’s game on in the gay-for-you stakes. Didn’t care enough to continue. Caveat emptor re sex.

Unmanageable by Leslie McAdam 5/27/24 5/28/24 Kindle

Scott falls in love too easily, can’t manage money, and in desperation, calls about a nanny job. Luke is staying up north with his daughter while his ex-wife goes on a 3-6 month journalism gig and is floundering. He’s trying to work from home as an investment banker and take care of his 6-year old daughter. Scott’s interview goes well, Scott’s hired, there’s sparkage but each is reluctant to start anything. Luke just hooks up, Scott wants romance and hearts and a HEA. They both change quite a bit. It was fun and light and even the serious themes seemed light. Caveat emptor re sex.

Survive the Streets by Alex Timothy 5/29/24 5/30/24 Kindle

Every once in a while, I really want to read a post-apocalyptic novel. There are quite a few of them in my currently preferred genre – MM romance – and this and the second in the series, Survive the City are wonderful. Total length of both is 522 pages, which would be off-putting, I suppose. So, unless you really hate this one, I suggest immediately diving into the second one, Survive the City. There is a virus that turns people feral. It’s transferred via bodily fluids, most usually blood. It’s worldwide, and government services are slowly shutting down due to the sheer volume of people affected and loss of people to perform all jobs in the economy. Bailey and his brother Peyton are in high school, as is Gabriel, a rich boy who kissed Bailey at the Christmas Ball. Bailey considers himself straight. Gabriel has created a gang that is slowly taking over parts of the town, providing food, shelter, and safety from those infected. Peyton has joined his gang because Peyton loves killing those infected. Bailey is horrified by it all, won’t even consider killing anybody. Eventually Bailey has to fight with his brother or face the infected on his own. He gets bitten and realizes that he will die as horrible a death as everybody else infected. And thus ends this book. Caveat emptor re vivid descriptions of violence.

Survive the City by Alex Timothy 5/30/24 5/31/24 Kindle

This book picks up where the first book ends. Gabriel’s secret infatuation with Bailey causes him to take Bailey to his compound. He thinks he can save him – no more spoilers than that. Peyton sees this as betrayal and joins Gabriel’s sister Renée’s takeover of the other half of the city. So we’ve got the dynamic between Gabriel and his sister with their backstory, Bailey being kept at Gabriel’s compound, and Peyton’s relationship with Renée. Secondary characters and subplots are vivid and fill in more detail about this world. I can’t say hardly anything else because it would be serious spoilers, but I recommend this series for those who love post-apocalyptic world building and MM romance. Caveat emptor PDA and very mild sex scenes.

**abandoned The Gardener by Charles Reeza**

Sam is looking for a place to live after being kicked out by his parents for being gay. Adam has an apartment for rent, but initially doesn’t want to rent to Sam. Eventually he does, and two gay men – one in the closet and one not – begin a slow courtship. It’s sweet and irritating, frankly a bit twee. I know they’ll get to their HEA, but as with the next book, I just couldn’t be bothered to read the whole book to get there.

**abandoned Twice Shy by Sally Malcolm**

Ollie gains legal custody of his sister’s two young sons after she and her husband die in a car accident. Ollie abandons his master’s program and internship to care for them and moves to a small town near their paternal grandparents. Joel is a sixth grade teacher, recently divorced from a woman but bisexual and in the closet about that aspect of his life. They are attracted and start acting on that attraction. It’s a good story, but I honestly didn’t want to finish it to get to the HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

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Happy June! It sounds like PT is progressing. I hope the middle of the night pain subsides and takes the depression with it. Good reading.

>295 karenmarie: I'm tired just reading all that typing! Thanks for doing it though!!!

Sorry about the cows AGAIN.

Have a very good night, (((((Karen)))))!

Dang! That is certainly a lightening round! Very impressive. Happy June.

Looks like you are making steady progress with your second knee, Karen. Keep up the good work. Nice that you got to meet Hwan. Even better that you like her.

I'm glad you met Hwan and glad you like her. Great pictures ! Jenna looks very much like you.

>296 richardderus: trot

>297 elorin: Hi Robyn, and thank you. The pain keeps decreasing, depression comes and goes simply because I’m me and depression has been a part of my life forever. *shrug* The reading is coming along.

>298 LizzieD: (((((Peggy))))) I always open up a Word Document each new month and write comments about books I’ve read and abandoned within a day or so of finishing/abandoning. It is a lot of words, but never at one time. Damn cows. Last night was a combination of problematic and good. Can you say ice?

>299 Berly: Hi Kim! Thanks re the lightning round. I’m in total reading escape mode. Still. Happy June to you, too.

>300 Familyhistorian: Hello Meg. Yes, we’re coming along. Thank you. Hwan’s a brilliant sweetie. I’ve only met one of Jenna’s girlfriends before Hwan, and it was not in good circumstances. Two of four had lesbians on their straight bucket lists, one was beyond needy, and one was too immature. Hwan’s just right for Jenna.

>301 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. Me too – times two. Jenna looks like both Bill’s Mama and me.

Wordle 1,079 4/6* trope, armor, organ, bravo

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Bill and I watched the final of the Champions League - Dortmund vs. Real Madrid. It was a good match. Reading, icing, etc.

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I'm going to make the air fryer chicken today that I didn't make yesterday. Puttering, icing, reading, and etc. otherwise.

And, give me a few minutes to set up my new thread.

>291 richardderus: What is this forecast? Is it a some time in the future, maybe, kind of thing? I googled "hurricane xena" and then "hurricane xena 2024" and got nothing much - the most relevant were at a site called "Hypothetical Hurricanes Wiki".

>303 ArlieS: A rhetorical device. No such prediction exists yet, or at least not that I am aware of.