Monday Musings

My week: I had fun dressing up with my co-workers at the library for Halloween! It was a nice change to wear a tutu to work instead of my uniform shirt. The rest of the week was pretty quiet... I've been busy at work getting the November bulletin board up (it's 13x9 feet, so it's always an endeavor!). In October I asked patrons to trace their hand and color it in however they liked, and now those hand prints are feathers on a giant turkey.

 

Reading: I tried for a second time to read "The Keeper of Lost Things" and I got stuck at the same spot, about three chapters in. I really wanted to love this book, but I decided to give up on it, at least for now. I think part of the problem is the authors way-overuse of alliteration, but really, I'm surprised I couldn't get into it.

Instead I started working on my list of 2017 releases I want to read  by the end of the year, and I stated with "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas. I'm sure you all know the novel has to do with Black Lives Matter and a black teen boy shot by a white policeman. Regardless of your politics or viewpoint, it's a book I recommend because the author did such a good job making me feel connected to the main character, 16-year-old Starr. And it also gave me a glimpse into a life very different from mine -- which is one of the things I most enjoy about reading.

Then I read "Tuck Everlasting," the November book for the 4th and 5th grade book club I do at the library where I work. It started off really cute, but it suffered from exactly what I mentioned above -- I closed the back cover and didn't feel like I knew any of the characters at all. Winnie almost decides to become immortal for Jessie Tuck, a boy she knew for ONE DAY, and I didn't know anything about him other than that he was cute. I imagine the movie version fixes this problem, and since it stars Alexis Bledel (aka Rory Gilmore), I do want to watch it.

And now I'm reading "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman, another book from my list of 2017 releases. I'm a little over halfway done and really enjoying it so far. I didn't exactly know what to expect with it, but it's different that the vague idea I had in my head -- in a good way, though! As prickly and awkward as Eleanor is, I'm starting to fall in love with her!

Knitting: I'm finally knitting again! I hardly knit at all in 2017, but I'm back to work on the Newt Scamander scarf for a friend. Perfect timing, since I like to knit while watching TV (see below).

Watching: I had a wake-up call this week when I saw our rather massive DVR only had 10% space remaining! I feel like since I only work part-time I should watch "my" shows when Jarrod isn't around, but all too often I choose reading over watching and now I have entire seasons of shows to catch up on, not to mention a bunch of movies.

So, what am I watching? I'm keeping up with "This Is Us," "Poldark" (which Jarrod watches with me -- yay!) and "Grey's Anatomy." I finished the first season of the new Masterpiece show "My Mother and Other Strangers," which is set in a small Irish town during WWII, where American troops have set up a base, and I picked back up with the final season of "Switched at Birth." It's been my guilty pleasure for years, but this season is way too political for my taste and I had to take a break from it.

I had been recording the "Will and Grace" revival and I finally gave that a try, but after five minutes of audience sounds and canned laughter I just couldn't handle it. It occurred to me how much TV has changed -- growing up, most of the shows I watched were sitcoms "filmed in front of a live studio audience," but now there aren't even many shows like that left, much less ones that I'm interested in (period dramas don't have laugh tracks!). It never bothered me when I was younger, but hearing a bunch of audience laughter every 20 seconds was like nails on a chalkboard, so "Will and Grace" got the delete button.

We're also watching "Stranger Things" season 2 and it's really good!

Signing up for: The Broke and Bookish Secret Santa! It'll be my third year participating and I'm so looking forward to it. Though the real fun for me is buying for my secret buddy, I've had absolutely fabulous Santas the past two years and it's just been a great experience!

Blogging:
Monday Musings
Turning the Page on October 2017
Mini Reviews: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, The Alice Network, Origin, Setting Free the Kites & Red Sister
Non-Fiction November Week 2: Five Non-Fiction/Fiction Pairings

Looking forward to: Changing out my display of spooky books and movies to Thanksgiving and Christmas ones at work today!

*I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Monday Musings

My week: We spent the weekend on Kauai, which, though a very quick little trip, was still rejuvenating and relaxing. We like to stay at some military beach cottages on the far west side of the island. They're pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but we enjoy the seclusion. And without all that light pollution, the night sky is absolutely stunning! Plus we love falling asleep at night to the sound of crashing waves. We sat on the beach, did a waterfall hike and ate some delicious food. It was fabulous.

I was a little worried about leaving Alohi for the first time, but we had a friend dog- and house-sit for us, so Alohi got to spend the weekend with her new BFF. As much as it was refreshing to have a break from my wild and crazy puppy -- I wrote this entire blog post without her stepping all over me, pressing a squeaky toy against my face or scratching to go out -- I missed the crap out of her!

Reading: Alert the media: it's finally happened! I have given my first 5-star rating of 2017! I absolutely loved "Red Sister" by Mark Lawrence, and I can't wait until the second installment of this fantasy series comes out in April! I told a friend that it was sort of like a mix of "The Queen of Blood" and "Harry Potter" and assassins. If you like fantasy, READ THIS ONE! (P.S. I personally think this cover is horrible -- see the much prettier U.K. one in my cover battle post here!)

I finished "Red Sister" Friday night after we got to Kauai, and then I read "James and the Giant Peach" for the September meeting of the kids' book club at work, which is this Wednesday. I've never read Roald Dahl before -- somehow he escaped my voracious childhood reading -- and I don't think I've ever seen any of the movies either. The book was ok... cute and zany, but I didn't really get the point of the story.

Now I'm reading "Good Morning, Midnight" by Lily Brooks-Dalton, which is a post-apocalyptic thriller set partly in the Arctic Circle.

(I'm still reading "One Summer: America, 1927" by Bill Bryson, but I was so wrapped up in "Red Sister" that I didn't read much non-fiction this week.)

Checking out: Once again, way too many library books. I had four holds to pick up from the public library on the same day I brought home the next six books for the kids' book club!

Watching: I squeezed in one episode of "Outlander" season 2, and we watched the last couple episodes of the most recent season of "Homeland."

Making: My AzkaBANNED Prison bulletin board -- and the accompanying Azkaban wanted poster photo board -- are finished! It was a labor of love, as all these boards are, but I really like the way this one came out! And it's been gratifying to see people reading it, getting all afluster that books they love are on the wall (many people apparently don't know books are challenged and banned!), and checking out books from the pile I've set out.

Eating: All our favorite restaurants on Kauai (including our favorite burger place, which uses local beef, and kalua pork tacos and teriyaki chicken tacos from our favorite taco restaurant). We also had the best fried Brussels sprouts -- they were mixed with jalapenos, raisins and pepitas, and topped with a delicious jalapeno honey vinaigrette. And I got my first salted caramel mocha and pumpkin scone of the season from Starbucks.

Blogging:
Monday Musings
I Judge Books By Their Covers: Red Sister
Book Review: The Essex Serpent

Looking forward to: The weekend! Even though our trip to Kauai was relaxing, it wasn't the same as having a normal weekend, and I'll actually be working quite a bit more than usual this week to help fill some gaps at work (who knew September would be the random crazy month of everyone needing time off while we're also down an employee?!). I'll also be helping out with preschool storytime for the first time ever, on the same day I have the 4th and 5th grade book club. I'm going to be so happy when Friday night rolls around!

*I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Monday Musings

My week: I definitely enjoyed my Memorial Day off work! I took the opportunity to clean out and reorganize my closet. Sometimes purging stuff just feels so good! Wednesday I finally made it to the beach, and it was fantastic and relaxing and much-needed. And Sunday I went hiking with some of my co-workers. It was fun but, as are most Hawaii hikes, pretty muddy!

Reading: I finished and enjoyed "A Twist in Time," book two in a time travel/historical mystery series. Plotwise, I liked this book better than the first, and I'll definitely read the third book when it comes out next spring. The books are set in early 19th century England and I love all the historical details the author includes.

Now I'm reading a non-fiction book a friend recommended, "Bring Back the King: The New Science of De-Extinction," which is a fun look at the very real possibility of bringing extinct animals back into existence.

I'm also skimming "Maybe in Another Life," the June book club book for work. I read it back in December and really enjoyed it, but unfortunately my book club co-facilitators didn't like it! I sure hope the patrons in the club have more positive reactions.

Watching: We watched "The Girl With All the Gifts" this week and it was decent. I loved the little girl they chose to play Melanie. And I got totally sucked into this new show, "The World of Dance" on NBC. I don't really watch competition shows these days but Jarrod was working the night the premiere came on and I was exhausted and just needed to stare at the TV... and of course, I was hooked and will now be tuning in every Tuesday!

We also watched a random episode of "Full House," which was fun! We always put something on the TV for Alohi when we leave, and Jarrod left the TV on Nickelodeon when we went out to eat the other night. When we came home, "Full House" was on and, oh, the nostalgia! And the '90s clothes!

Making: The new wall display in the kids' section at work. Our summer reading program kicked off on Saturday and this year's theme is STEM, so I made a giant volcano with books spewing out the top -- Hawaii-related, science-y and bookish!

Eating: Chocolate-chip banana bread (literally, right now as I type this!).

Craving: A burger and fries!

Blogging:
Monday Musings
8 Exciting Books Coming in the Second Half of 2017
10 Things... I'm Looking Forward to This Summer
16 Intriguing June 2017 Book Releases
Turning the Page on May 2017
Book Review: American War by Omar El Akaad

Looking forward to: One of my favorite shows, "Grantchester" on PBS/Masterpiece, comes back on in two Sundays!

I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Turning the Page on April 2017

-As you can see, I didn't do a whole lot in April besides work and hang out with Alohi. We've finally gotten into a good rhythm and she's been a pretty good girl lately. We're navigating the adventures of teething (which are a bit bloodier than I expected!) and she's doing as well as could be expected. We also started a puppy training class at Petco, and we're continuing to take her to their Saturday puppy playtime, which she loves. She absolutely adores everyone -- human, dog and cat alike. It's been so fun to watch her grow; at her last vet appointment she weighed 21 pounds (and I'm sure she's more now) -- almost four times bigger than when we brought her home at the beginning of February!

-My hours at work changed the last week of April, and now instead of working three 8-hour shifts a week I'm working four 6-hour shifts. It doesn't sound like a huge difference, but I think it'll be a very positive change. Since I won't be taking a lunch, I'll be getting home three hours earlier (3 p.m. instead of 6, 4 p.m. instead of 7). That's great for me, but it's also good for Alohi because Jarrod's schedule is about to change, too. He's been working 4 a.m. to noon (which means he was home in the afternoons with her) but starting May 1 he'll be working noon to midnight (blah!).

-I'm continuing to watch "This is Us" on the DVR -- I'm through the Thanksgiving episode now. What an awesome show! I'm so glad I decided to record it. And together we've been watching "Survivor," "Designated Survivor," "Elementary" and, now that the new season's begun, "Deadliest Catch." We also finally finished season 1 of "House of Cards" on Netflix and started season 2. Movie-wise we watched several decent DVDs: "Fences" (depressing), "Lion" (sad), "Moonlight" (sad), "Moana" (fun to watch while living in Hawaii!) and "Doctor Strange" (so weird to hear Benedict Cumberbatch speak with an American accent).

Books read: 10
"The Weight of Feathers" by Anne-Marie McLemore (for book club; 2 stars)
"Sputnik's Children" by Terri Favro (4 stars)
"The Dry" by Jane Harper (4 stars)
"Swimming Lessons" by Claire Fuller (4 stars)
"March" volume 1 by John Lewis (4 stars)
"Gone Without a Trace" by Mary Torjussen (2 stars)
"Exit West" by Mohsin Hamid (4 stars)
"Bleaker House: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World" by Nell Stevens (3 stars)
"A Terrible Beauty" by Tasha Alexander (Lady Emily #11) (4 stars)
"March" volume 2 by John Lewis (4 stars)

Currently reading: "A Conjuring of Light" (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab

Favorite read: I enjoyed "The Dry" by Jane Harper -- it'd been a while since I had read a good, classic mystery (as opposed to the now-ubiquitous psychological thriller). And I was also really impressed with the "March" graphic novels, about Congressman John Lewis's participation in the Civil Rights Movement.

Biggest let-down: This was definitely not a banner month for reading; I read two 2-star books (and while we're on the topic I've yet to read a single 5-star book in 2017)! But I'd have to say the biggest-let down was "Bleaker House" by Nell Stevens. I'd been anticipating it for so long and totally expected to love it, but it turned out to be just-ok.

May release I'm most excited about: Tough choice! There are so many great-sounding books coming out in May. Maybe I'll go with "

Book I'm most looking forward to reading in May: Another tough choice! I've hit the jackpot with library holds, and I've got some great reads coming up: "A Conjuring of Light" by V.E. Schwab (the conclusion of her Shades of Magic series), "American War" by Omar El Akkad, "America Gods" by Neil Gaiman. And I'm finally going to read "Maisie Dobbs" by Jacqueline Winspear. I'm excited about all of them!

Books added to to-read list: 17

Most intriguing TBR addition: "The Immortalists" by Chloe Benjamin. (Out next January.) From Goodreads: "If you were told the date of your death, how would it shape your present? It’s 1969 in New York City’s Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone their date of death. In search of one thing they can know for sure, the Gold siblings -- four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness -- sneak out to hear their fortunes. Their prophecies inform the next five decades. Golden boy Simon runs away to San Francisco, where he lives a life of decadence and unmitigated sexuality; chameleonic Klara becomes a magician obsessed with blurring fantasy and reality; Daniel, a natural leader, rises in ranks as a prestigious military doctor; and shy, bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immorality."

Favorite bookstagram: I finally bought a couple succulents! And I love the muted color scheme of the photo below, the first picture I took featuring one of my new purchases. Plus, I almost never get cold drinks at Starbucks, so that was a change. (Find me on Instagram @knittinglindsay!)

I didn't have a ton of time for crafting in April, but I did work just a bit on the Newt Scamander scarf I'm knitting for a friend (Alohi likes to "help" me knit, so that severely decreases my knitting opportunities!). I also ordered three embroidery starter kits from Etsy and I hope to get to work on one of those soon. I did do some crafting at work, though! I made a huge April Showers Bring May Flowers display with giant paper flower and clouds, and I also crafted a pretty wreath out of leaves made from paper grocery bags.

Favorite post: 12 Magical Harry Potter Items on Etsy. I had a lovely time looking back through my favorite items -- and, of course, adding a few more!

Book reviews:
Sputnik's Children by Terri Favro
The Dry by Jane Harper
Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen
Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Bleaker House by Nell Stevens

Monday Musings

My week: Well, it was another week in the same vein as all the rest of the weeks the past couple months: it was full of puppypuppypuppy, work, a bit of reading, and desperately trying (and, of course, failing) to keep on top of the housework and errands.

Alohi has been going to puppy playtime at our local Petco the past few weeks and, since they were having a special, we decided to sign her up for some puppy training classes there. Saturday was our first hour-long session, followed by half an hour of puppy playtime. Alohi is the most exuberant, enthusiastic, sociable dog and she will go-go-go, but the second we got into the car she was out like a light, as you can see here:

Reading: I finished the first volume of "March" and started the second. It's a graphic novel trilogy written by Georgia Congressman John Lewis about his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement of the '60s and the books are fantastic! (I do have to say, though, that the only other graphic novels I've read are the Saga series, and I miss having color illustrations; March is just black and white.)

Then I read "Exit West" by Mohsin Hamid (part Middle East country on the brink of civil war, part love story, part magical realism), which turned out to be a lot different than I had expected but still decent. Then I read the memoir "Bleaker House: Chasing My Novel to the End of the World," a book I'd been anticipating for months, but it was kind of a let-down. Reviews to come soon for both of those.

Now I'm just beginning "The Wanderers" by Meg Howrey, about the first manned mission to Mars.

Crafting: No time this week for knitting, or for trying out one of my new embroidery kits. :(

Watching: We watched "Fences" this weekend. I was impressed with the acting, but the story was so sad and depressing. And I didn't love seeing Denzel as an unlikable character! I also watched two more episodes of "This Is Us," including the Thanksgiving episode. It made me nostalgic for the holidays!

Eating: Every time I go into Starbucks the cheese danishes in the pastry case catch my eye, and I finally decided to whip some up myself. I used the cheater version with Pillsbury crescent roll dough and they came out ok... I'm not a huge fan of crescent rolls, so I should've known they wouldn't be quite as good.

Making: This pretty wreath for my new rotating genre display for work. The wreath was made out of paper bags, paint and hot glue, and I'm so pleased with the way it came out! The whole display turned out just about how I had envisioned it, which is such a wonderful feeling! Even my very-amateur hand-lettering looks ok. Every month we'll highlight a different genre, and the genre is written in chalk so it should be easy to change. I had SO much fun researching and brainstorming memoirs to display; I was especially interested in including some that wouldn't just be in biography section. Now I'm thinking about what to do next... it could be as broad as mysteries or as specific as WWII novels. We shall see!

Blogging:

Monday Musings
10 Things That Make Me Instantly Want To Read A Book
New Release: Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen
Book Review: Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
I Judge Books By Their Covers: The Wanderers

Looking forward to: Afternoons free! Starting today, my schedule at work is changing. Instead of working three 8-hour shifts, I'll be working four 6-hour shifts. I'll be getting off at 3 or 4 instead of 6 or 7, and it'll be so nice to have some time in the afternoons to get stuff done! Plus, Jarrod's schedule is about to change too and it would've meant a lot more time in the crate for Alohi. This way, she'll still only be by herself for a few hours a day.

*I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Monday Musings

My week: What a week it's been! We got back from our trip to the Big Island Sunday night, worked all day Monday, ran errands and went to the beach Tuesday afternoon -- and then picked up our new little bundle of joy Tuesday night. Life has been just a little bit crazy since then!

Meet our adorable 8-week-old boxer puppy! She's so, so, so cute, and she's rambunctious and curious and playful and smart, and she adores snuggles and naps. We didn't intend to start this so soon, but she already sleeps curled up in between us at night. She was pretty much destined to be spoiled from the start! I haven't had a puppy since first grade when my family got our sheltie, Stoney, and I have to say puppies sure are exhausting. But we are completely in love with our furbaby -- it's just delightful to watch her discover the world.

You might notice I didn't mention a name -- she doesn't have one just yet. We're temporarily calling her Alohi when we need to use her name (it's the nickname her parents' family gave her and it means brilliant in Hawaiian). We might keep that, or we might go with one of our previous contenders (like Hanalei, Juniper or Daisy), or something else might just present itself as the perfect name for her. For now, she's "the puppy." 

Reading: I've hardly had any time for reading this week, but I did finish "Looking for Alaska" by John Green, this month's pick for the book club I facilitate at work. (Not my choice, and I thought the book was just-ok, though I did like it better than "The Fault in Our Stars." I'm really just not a YA fan.)

I made a some headway in "Lab Girl," a wonderful memoir by Hope Jahren. I absolutely love her conversational descriptions of the life cycle and science of trees and plants, which follow along with her own journey as a woman and a scientist. I'm about three-quarters of the way done and I would definitely recommend it!

Next up: an advance-read copy of the new YA fantasy (I know I just don't like YA, but I couldn't resist this one), "Gilded Cage" by Vic James. It comes out this Tuesday and I know I won't be able to read it before then, but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless.

Knitting: Not a stitch. Though I did talk to two patrons at the library about fiber arts this week!

Watching: We watched "Snowden" and "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" this week and enjoyed them both.

Making: Monday was a gray, rainy day and it seemed like the perfect time to make a Sherlock Holmes-themed display at work! If you're familiar with the show "Sherlock," you'll get the wallpaper, smiley face and "I am Sherlocked." There are SO many Sherlock-themed spin-offs (or "pastiches" if you're feeling literary); my library is pretty small, so it says a lot that we had this many in our collection!

Blogging:
Monday Musings: Lava!
I Judge Books By Their Covers: "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet"

Looking forward to: The upcoming three-day weekend!

*I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?