I Judge Books By Their Covers: "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"

I'm Lindsay, I'm a bookaholic, and I absolutely judge books by their covers.

U.S. paperback // U.S. hardcover

U.K. paperback

I read "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" (review) way back when I first started my blog but wasn't impressed enough to continue the series. I hadn't thought about the book in ages, but I recently came across the U.K. cover on Book Depository and knew I'd have to do a cover post about it because it's so much different! I don't typically like pictures of real people on my book covers (which means I often don't like YA covers anyway) and I was never too fond of the "City of Bones" cover with it's glowing human chest, weird clouds and kinda ugly colors.

I like the U.S. paperback a little better than the hardcover, but I definitely prefer the U.K. version. It stays true to the original fonts, but the artwork is so much more to my liking. I love that gorgeous fuchsia/purple color and I like the drawing of the wings made up of elements of the story.  If all three of these books were on a shelf next to each other, I would probably not even pick up the first two, but I'd definitely give the U.K. paperback a second look. The only downside to that book is that the purple might deter boys from picking it up (as might the bare male chest of the hardcover), whereas the U.S. paperback in particular looks more unisex. Which cover do you prefer?

My winner: U.K. paperback

Yarn Along: "The Magicians" and Earnest Cardigan

Yarn Along is a wonderful weekly link-up hosted by Ginny at the Small Things blog about two of the best things in life: books and knitting.

Reading: I started "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman at the beach over the long weekend and haven't gotten too far yet (it's tough to begin a new book when you're surrounded by distractions, I think) but what I have read I've enjoyed. It's about a university for magicians -- Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy -- and our main character, Quentin, has just passed his entrance exams at the point where I'm at. I've read a zillion times that it's like an adult version of "Harry Potter," and I can definitely see that.

Knitting: I skipped several Yarn Alongs because I completely ripped out what I had done of my Earnest Cardigan and just could not find the motivation to get it going again, then when I did I had problem after problem! But I'm finally on track and almost to the point where I (very rashly; lesson learned here: step away from the knitting when I feel my blood pressure rising) ripped out all my progress.

I was frustrated because I had bought two skeins of additional yarn to supplement what I already had in my stash so I'd have around enough (I thought I still might be a bit short) to make this sweater. It arrived after I'd already started knitting, and when I tried to incorporate it in by alternating rows, it quickly became apparent that the yarn came from a vastly different (much lighter) dyelot than what I already had. And I had made two errors rows and rows before that were bothering me, so I said to hell with it and in 10 minutes the sweater was back to being balls of yarn.

This yarn color has apparently been discontinued, so there aren't a lot of alternative buying options. I had hoped (after ripping it out) that I might find some miracle solution to the mismatched dyelot problem, but apparently there isn't one. So for now, my plan is to use the lighter yarn for the sleeve cuffs and the bottom ribbed band and hope that I have enough of my darker yarn to make at least 3/4 sleeves. Fingers crossed!

Anyway, I'm pleased with the way it's coming along now (error-free!) and I'm nearly caught up to where I had been before. I'm excited to once again be working on the back cable panel and the seed stitch (which makes up the body of the cardigan). I chose the pattern because it features two of my favorite knitting elements, cables and texture, and it's so fun to knit. (For reference, that long cable piece is the back collar.)

P.S. I love the newest addition to our patio, a rhoeo. I've had a great time shopping for some tropical plants to decorate our new house here in Hawaii. (Now let's hope I can keep them alive... not my strong suit!)

15 TV Shows I Watch When My Nose Isn't Buried in a Book

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) is a TV-themed freebie, in honor of the start of fall TV. I don't consider myself much of a TV watcher, and if Jarrod's not home the TV is rarely on. He likes to have the TV on for background noise -- I do not, and we're constantly arguing about the volume. When I was brainstorming what route to go with this topic, he suggested "10 Things I Hate About TV."

So with that in mind, it's rather surprising that I came up with over 10 shows that I currently watch. Maybe it just feels like I don't watch as much TV because I very rarely watch anything when it's actually airing -- the DVR (plus DVDs and streaming) is my best friend!

So below we have all the TV shows I watch at the moment, some with Jarrod and some by myself. (And I feel obliged to mention that "Downton Abbey" would be on this list if the series hadn't ended this year!)

 Do tell: what TV shows do you watch? Do you have any recommendations for me based on my watching preferences?

Elementary

I love this Sherlock Holmes spin-off, which features Lucy Liu as a very brilliant Watson (and one who is much less of a sidekick and more of an equal than other iterations of Watson). Like many similar crime dramas, it takes place in modern-day New York City (Sherlock lives in an amazing brownstone), but Sherlock and Watson's deductive detection, Sherlock's personal issues and persona, and the good acting set it apart.

Game of Thrones

We started watching "Game of Thrones" on DVD a couple years ago and quickly got caught up. Since then we've ordered HBO for three months every spring just so we can watch it. I keep saying I'm going to read the books -- one day!

Girls

The first season of this twentysomethings-in-NYC dramedy was by far the best, but I'm still enjoying it. I laugh out loud at least once per half-hour episode, but there are plenty of serious issues tackled too. I bet everyone who watches the show identifies more with one character than the others -- flaws and all. "Girls" was my introduction to the hilarious Lena Dunham and the quirky Adam Driver.

Grantchester

I love this PBS Masterpiece Mystery show, inspired by a book series set in post-WWII England. Sidney Chambers is not your typical village vicar -- he's got his vices, he's ridiculously handsome and he assists the police in solving crimes. I love the Grantchester atmosphere and Sidney is just the most likable freakin' guy. And, while he's a clergyman, there's really no actual religion to the show -- so not to worry if, like, me, you're not religious.

Grey's Anatomy

Oh, "Grey's."  After 12 seasons I'm committed to seeing this show through to the end, but it's definitely seen better days. They try to keep it fresh, but there's really only so many romances and tragedies and medical craziness that can happen before it gets repetitive! Still, though, like a long-running book series (a la Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books), watching is easy and comfortable and familiar, which makes it enjoyable.

Homeland

Jarrod and I watch "Homeland" together and we both really enjoy it, partly, I think, because Jarrod's military career makes it extra relevant for us. Claire Danes plays CIA agent Carrie Matheson, and in the first couple seasons she's focused on Nicholas Brody -- a rescued prisoner of war whom she believes may have been turned. After the Brody stuff is resolved, Carrie continues to be a badass and track down terrorists -- all while battling her bipolar disorder.

Mr. Robot

We streamed the first season of "Mr. Robot" when we were stuck in base lodging when we first got to Hawaii in May, and then the second season started in July. It's about a cyber security expert/vigilante hacker who also happens to be a schizophrenic.

Orphan Black

We binge-watched "Orphan Black" last year and were addicted from the first episode. It's a combination thriller, drama and sci-fi show that kicks off when our main character discovers she's one of several clones -- whom someone is trying to kill. The same actress plays all the clones and she does such an amazing job with accents and mannerisms that you'd never know it was the same person.

Outlander

I read the book several years ago and was so excited to see it turned into a TV show! It's worth watching for the stunning scenery alone. If you're not familiar with the story, it starts right after the end of WWII, when nurse Claire time-travels back to 1700s Scotland, right in the midst of the Jacobite uprising and tension with England. This show has history, romance, suspense, humor; I loved the first season and I've got the second recorded. I'm *hoping* to read "Dragonfly in Amber" before watching it.

Poldark

You might recognize Aidan Turner as the handsome dwarf Kili in "The Hobbit" movies. Here he plays an Ross Polark, an Englishman just returned from fighting in the Revolutionary War to find his father dead, his inheritance almost non-existent and his girlfriend engaged to his cousin. Ross Poldark is intelligent, kind and full of perseverance and he's very easy to root for. The show's set in Cornwall and the scenery is gorgeous. Like "Grantchester," this is another Masterpiece show based on an older book series. (Season 2 starts on the 25th!)

Sherlock

I absolutely adore this show. The acting is stellar. The plots are completely engaging. (And, while I do love "Elementary," "Sherlock" is way better.) But there are only a measly 10 episodes! I'm so excited for the next season in 2017!

Survivor
I watched the show with my family when it first premiered what seems like long, long ago, then didn't watch for several seasons. A couple years ago my husband and I started watching again. It's hard not to get annoyed about the obvious editing and manipulation, but it's definitely entertaining!

Switched at Birth

This show is my guilty pleasure. It's about two teenage girls in Kansas City -- with very different ethnic and economic backgrounds -- who learn they were switched at the hospital as newborns. It's got all the typical adolescent dramas, but I love how the show's creators don't shy away from realistically tackling issues relevant to today's teenagers (the most recent season featured a storyline about sexual consent). And the show is set apart by the deaf element -- several of the characters, including one of the daughters switched at birth -- are deaf, and I've learned a lot of about deafness from watching the show.

The Walking Dead

I had zero interest in "The Walking Dead" and was totally irritated by the world's zombie obsession, but finally I gave in -- and it became one of Jarrod's and my favorite shows! We also watch "Fear the Walking Dead," though it's not nearly as good.


Turn

"Turn" is a historical drama loosely based on the true tale of a Revolutionary War spy ring. It's definitely not entirely historically accurate, but the characters are easy to like (even some of the Brits -- gasp!) and, in case you haven't guessed by now, I'm a sucker for period dramas! Jarrod and I watch this one together.

Honorable Mention:

Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life
I just watched "Gilmore Girls" for the first time a few years ago, but I fell in love! I only wish I had discovered it when it was actually on TV; I'm the same age as Rory is in the show and she would've made a great high school role model (not to mention we both went to school for journalism -- at the same time!). I'm really looking forward to the revival, which comes out in November. It'll be the perfect treat to watch during the holidays, cozied up with a warm drink in my Luke's Diner coffee mug, while I pine for the seasons I'm missing out on in Hawaii! (Since I'm not watching it *yet* I put it here at the bottom.)

Monday Musings

My week: It was a pretty boring week here, but we did get to the beach on Friday afternoon and stayed to see the sunset.

Reading: I finished and enjoyed "The Things We Keep" by Sally Hepworth (review), then breezed through "Sleeping Giants" by Sylvain Neuvel, a science fiction novel I've been dying to read since it came out in April. Told entirely in interviews, journal entries and mission reports, it was different than I expected but still pretty good, and I'm anxious for the story (which deals with the discovery of an ancient alien artifact) to continue in the second book.

Then I finished up a galley of "The Hike" by Drew Magary. I won it in a Goodreads Giveaway and started it back in July (it was released at the beginning of August); I ended up setting it aside because I just couldn't get into it. Reviewers said the ending made it all come together so I decided to finish it up -- and it just did not do it for me. I hated the writing and the plot just seemed utterly pointless.

Now I'm reading an advance e-book copy of "Sirius: The Little Dog Who Almost Changed History," set during WWII and featuring a very intelligent fox terrier. It's cute so far, though the choppy writing is a bit off-putting, maybe because it was translated from German?

Since I can't take my iPad to the beach (too much glare), I also started a library book, "The Magicians" by Lev Grossman, on Friday. It's on my must-read-in-2016 list and I'm excited to finally be getting to it years after I first decided to read it. I've only read the first two chapters but so far I'm totally into the story and Grossman's writing. People say it's like Harry Potter for adults, so I'm fully expecting to love it!

Knitting: ARGH! I finally found the motivation to re-start my Earnest cardigan (I ripped out the entire thing about two weeks ago now) and I have just had one problem after another getting it going again. I'm finally back on track, though, and since Jarrod is working 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. shifts again the next two weeks, I expect to get a ton of knitting done. Pictures to come when I actually have some progress to show!

Watching: I started season 2 of "Grantchester," one of my favorite shows! It's part of Masterpiece Mystery on PBS. Based on a book series, it's set in 1950s England and features the very handsome Sidney Chambers, Cambridge graduate and WWII solider turned vicar in the village of Grantchester -- who also happens to assist the police with detective work. I love the setting and the actors, and I was so happy to see it was renewed for a third season. (P.S. Check out my Top Ten Tuesday list tomorrow for a list of my other favorite TV shows!)

Listening to: One of my favorite bands, Glass Animals, has a new album out!

Eating: I whipped up a loaf of chocolate chip banana bread this week. Yum!

Trying: Sherry. UGH! I bought a bottle for a new recipe and couldn't resist testing out a sip. It was revolting and I have no idea what Professor Trelawney is thinking with her propensity for sherry-drinking. Perhaps someone should introduce her to a nice moscato wine... or a shot of tequila?! (That said, the recipe -- kung pao spaghetti from Damn Delicious -- was yummy!)

Looking forward to: Getting my first pumpkin spice latte (or maybe salted caramel mocha) of the season. If I close my eyes and crank up the A/C while sipping it, maybe I can pretend that I'm in the mountains of Colorado instead of perpetual-summer Hawaii.


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

Book Review: The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth

"The Things We Keep" by Sally Hepworth
First published in 2016
338 pages
My rating: 4 out of 5

The Short Of It:
This was a heartfelt, easy read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While it did deal with a very serious topic -- early-onset Alzheimer's -- it was well-balanced with lighthearted moments and an overarching message about the power of love.

The Long Of It:
I've read a lot of heavy stuff lately, and Sally Hepworth's "The Things We Keep" was a refreshingly pleasant, easy novel. I just felt happy reading it, even though both the protagonists are going through extremely difficult things.

Anna is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease at just 38 and moves into an upscale residential care facility, Rosalind House, where she meets Luke, a kind, intelligent -- and sexy -- man suffering from a different form of dementia. The facility's two young'uns form a fast bond that soon becomes more than friendship, and the relationship brings them both joy even as their diseases rapidly progress -- until a tragic event makes their families and the facility determined to keep Luke and Anna separated.

Several months into the future, we meet Eve and her adorable 7-year-old daughter Clementine, a lovable pair with struggles all their own: Eve's investment banker husband committed suicide after he was caught running a Ponzi scheme. Eve can deal with her drastically reduced circumstances and the ostracism by her former friends, but she's determined to keep things as stable for Clementine as possible. To keep Clem in her current school district, Eve takes a job as chef (and, unexpectedly, housekeeper) at Rosalind House. There she meets Anna and Luke, both now in the advanced stages of their dementia, as well as the other sweet and cantankerous elderly residents. And of course, spunky Clementine charms the pants off all of them even while she's coping with kids at school saying cruel things about her dad and coming to terms, in her own way, with her father's death.

The story is told in alternating segments, narrated by Anna over a year ago at the start of her disease, and told by Eve and Clementine in present day. As Anna's Alzheimer's progresses her passages are increasingly sad and difficult to read, and by the time Eve begins work at Rosalind House it's hard to believe Anna's the same feisty adrenaline-junkie paramedic we met in the first chapter. And, though not nearly as hard-hitting as the well-known "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova, which deals with the same subject matter, I think Hepworth did a good job conveying the horrors Alzheimer's disease inflicts on both the patients and their families.

While the story deals with several difficult topics -- dementia, loss of power to convey ones wishes, the question of when a life is no longer worth living, suicide, grief, school bullying -- it is told with an ultimately positive, warmhearted air. The themes of making the best of a bad situation, helping those in need, friendship, family, kindness, and abiding love trump the sad stuff to leave readers closing the cover on a satisfying ending. I'll plan to pick up Hepworth's previous book, "The Secrets of Midwives," next time I'm craving some easy, enjoyable women's fiction.

Book Review: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

"I Let You Go" by Clare Mackintosh
First published in the U.S. in 2016
369 pages
My rating: 3.5 out of 5
Image from Goodreads

The Short Of It:
A decent detective story/psychological thriller -- complete with the requisite twist -- that kept me turning pages. I read the whole thing in two days.

The Long Of It:
A rainy fall day in Bristol, England. A 5-year-old-boy walking home from school with his mom. A hit-and-run car accident. A dead child. A heartbroken, bereft mother.

Destroyed by the accident, Jenna Gray retreats to a tiny stone cottage on the cost of Wales where she takes up a hermit-like existence. She befriends only a handful of locals and, an artist by trade, starts making a living by taking photographs of words written in the sand at the gorgeous beach where she's taken up residence. And she tries constantly to forget the horrors of that devastating day, which torment her waking hours and seep into her dreams.

Meanwhile, detectives Ray Stevens, Kate Evans and the rest of their team are tasked with finding the driver who mowed down little Jacob. The few leads they have are dead ends, and eventually they're ordered to close the case. But Ray and Kate keep working on it in their own time, determined to track down the driver of the car who so heartlessly left a little boy dying in his mother's arms on the wet pavement. But when they finally do, something doesn't quite add up.

This was the fourth British police drama/psychological thriller I've read this year, and while it was the best of the bunch I still didn't love it. These books are inevitably compared to "Gone Girl" or "The Girl on the Train" -- now the gold standard for psychological thrillers -- but they never seem to have the edge-of-your-seat intensity or the intricate characterization that made those two books so magical.

Still, I did enjoy "I Let You Go." It had a good twist, it was fairly well-written, and it's obvious that Mackintosh, a former police officer herself, is intimately familiar with police practices, as well as the utter grief of losing a child, which she mentions in the author's note. It was an easy read that took me no time at all, and I recommend it if you're craving a quick thriller that'll keep you turning pages to find out what happened.

Turning the Page on August 2016

(The top right picture is the Cap Sleeve Lattice Top I finished knitting at the end of July, and the bottom right picture is coffee beans still on the tree!)

The Month:

*It was a pretty quiet August here. Jarrod worked some crazy hours (like several days of 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.-but-actually-5-a.m. shifts) and since I'm not yet working I've spent a lot of time reading, knitting, baking, blogging, sending postcards, watching the Olympics and talking to the cat. We did get to the beach a couple times, which was nice.

*I watched the 2015 BBC miniseries of "War & Peace" and I really, really enjoyed it! I don't know anything about the book -- other than that it's loooong -- but this film version was great. And it features some actors I already knew and loved, like Rose from "Downton Abbey," Professor Slughorn from the Harry Potter movies and Sydney Chambers from "Grantchester."

*Way back toward the beginning of the month, we hosted Julianne of the Outlandish Lit blog and her boyfriend for a couple days while they were stranded in Honolulu in the midst of an air travel nightmare. It was fun to meet another book blogger, and we enjoyed giving them a glimpse of the good side of Hawaii (i.e. anywhere but the airport) while they were here.

The Books:

Books read: 11
"The Moor" by Laurie R. King (4 stars)
"Cooking for Picasso" by Camille Aubray (3.5 stars)
"A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara (4 stars?)
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne (3 stars)
"Redemption Road" by John Hart (3 stars)
"The Sound of Gravel" by Ruth Wariner (4 stars)
"The Invisible Library" by Genevieve Cogman (4 stars)
"Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi (5 stars!)
"I Let You Go" by Clare Mackintosh (3.5 stars)
"The Things We Keep" by Sally Hepworth (4 stars)
"Sleeping Giants" by Sylvain Neuvel (4 stars)

Favorite book: "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi. What a masterful novel!

Most intense read: "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara. I've avoided writing a review because I still have so many conflicting feelings about this book, and I almost feel guilty for getting any enjoyment out of it because the subject matter is so difficult.

Biggest let-down: "Redemption Road" by John Hart. It was ok, sure, but I don't get the hype or the over-4-star Goodreads rating. "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" was a bit disappointing too, but I wouldn't say it was a let-down exactly; I was already a bit skeptical going in.

September release I'm most excited about: There aren't any that I'm absolutely dying to read, but "Letters from Paris" by Julie Blackwell looks good. I enjoy dual narratives, and I love any novel that involves letters.

Book I'm most excited to read in September: I'm going to make a point to finally read "Morning Star" by Pierce Brown, the last book in the Red Rising trilogy. I may even re-read the first two books!

Books added to to-read list: 20 (way too many!)

Books added to maybe-to-read list: 14

Most intriguing TBR addition: "The Bear and the Nightingale" by Katherine Arden, which comes out in January. From Goodreads: "A young woman’s family is threatened by forces both real and fantastical in this debut novel inspired by Russian fairy tales." After watching the "War and Peace" miniseries this month, I want to seek out more novels set in Russia. I'm honestly not sure if I've ever read a book set there.

Books read from my summer reading list: 6

Books read from my must-read-in-2016 list: 0 (Must do better! I've got 18 books left to go and only four months. I did just request two books on the list -- "All the Light We Cannot See" and "The Magicians" -- from the library, so I'll make at least a little headway in September!)

Favorite bookstagram: I like the way this picture looks, but I also like the completely unplanned, ironic symbolism. Earl Grey tea and black and white cookies kind of fit with a novel about Britain's colonization of Africa and everything that followed. "Homegoing" was the best book I've read so far this year and I urge you to check it out! (Follow me on Instagram @knittinglindsay!)

The Knits:

I started working on a new sweater, the Earnest Cardigan by Joji Locatelli, as part of the Joji Fall KAL. And then, after hours and hours of work, I ripped the whole thing out. I had made a couple small errors that were bothering me, and then I knitted a few rows with some extra yarn that I'd bought that ended up being quite a bit lighter than most of my yarn, and I was so frustrated and disheartened that I decided to start over -- which, in hindsight, was a little rash. I keep putting off starting it again, but I'll get it back on the needles soon.

The Blog:

Favorite post: 7 Twitter-Sized Book Reviews. What a fun post to write! I had all but given up on writing reviews for these books, some of which I read waaaay back at the beginning of the year, and this was an enjoyable and no-pressure way to mention them. And since I don't normally use Twitter, it was fun to try to condense my thoughts into 140-ish characters!

Favorite link-up post: 13 Books With Refreshingly Underused U.S. Settings. I had a good time looking back at my past reads and reminiscing about some of the more unique settings.

New feature: Book Chat! My first entry in a new series of discussion posts was about book genres -- and why I don't really have a favorite anymore. I enjoyed writing the post -- it was a nice change from book reviews! -- and I'm excited to have many more Book Chat discussions in the future.

Also: I finally set up a Facebook page for the blog! You can find it here.

Book reviews:
"Cooking for Picasso" by Camille Aubray
"Redemption Road" by John Hart
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"
"The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir" by Ruth Wariner
"The Invisible Library" by Genevieve Cogman
"Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi (my favorite book of the year so far!)