October Reading: The Second Half (Classics, Wise Older Women, Spooky Stories)

 Somehow October has zipped by and here we are in a new month. Not much of this year left, but still plenty of reading to come! I posted my thoughts on the books I read in the first half of October here and now I have some thoughts on the books I've read since.

I read several collections of spooky short stories, all of which I enjoyed. 

Uncanny Stories by May Sinclair (read on the Serial Reader app)

Ghostly Tales: Volumes 1-5 by J. Sheridan le Fanu (e-books I own--these can be found on Project Gutenberg)

I'd read some of le Fanu before and liked his work. I want to read more of his novels as most of what I've read has been short stories or novellas. Most of these stories are set in Ireland. Sinclair is another author I'd like to read more of. I think this is the only work of hers I've read. These are all excellent collections of short stories with a supernatural element.

R.U.R. by Karel Capik (read on the Serial Reader app)

This play was mentioned in the book Goliath's Curse, which I read earlier in the month. I remembered it was on Serial Reader, so I read it in 6 installments there. RUR stands for Rossum's Universal Robots--a company that manufactures robots--this is the first use of the word, apparently. It's an excellent play and it's still so, so relevant as we start to live with the effects of AI--this play, written in 1920, was grappling with similar issues. Quite chilling. I recommend it.

Notes from Underground by Fyodor Dostoevsky (read on the Serial Reader app)

This is a strange book which took me a while to get into--reading it in installments helped, I think. It's narrated by a guy who clearly has mental health issues as he recounts some episodes in his life. He doesn't have friends or family, lives in squalor, and is an outcast in many ways. He's a very bitter person. This was a critique of various philosophical ideas popular at the time. I'm sure there are many layers that I simply didn't see. As a story, it's OK. I would have gotten more out of it if I had a background in some of the ideas the author was critiquing.

Trying to Consciously Swim in the Sea of Affirmation by Seosamh Mac Suibhne (owned book)

Last week, a friend of the person whose home we're currently inhabiting and who has since become our friend as well, messaged me and asked if he could come for a visit with a friend who wanted to meet us. They came and we had a nice conversation. When they were leaving, his friend gave us two books. One was a collaborative effort that he was a part of and includes various wisdom teachings from a variety of cultures in both English and Irish Gaelic. The other was this collection of his poetry.

The art on the front and back covers is his. They're mosaics he created. He explained the meaning behind them both. On the front cover, the mosaic shows the ship between the north star and the sun. No one on the ship thinks they will ever reach either of these, but they use them to navigate the waters of life. The ship stays afloat. On the back cover, the ship has nothing to navigate by and is sinking. The poems within the book are presented in English or an Irish English dialect on one page and in Irish Gaelic on the opposite page. They revolve around relationships, being a grandparent, nature, life. I have not yet read the other book he gave us.

I read a couple of soon-to-be-published books, both about older women and both great fun.

Golden Girls on the Run by Judy Leigh (read via NetGalley--to be published on December 6, 2025 by Boldwood Books)

The Hole in the Wall, a pub in Ballycotton, Co Clare, Ireland, is hosting a bake-off at Christmastime. Things go off the rails fairly quickly and sisters-in-law Sadie and Bronagh, both in their 80s, take off in a grandson's Ferrari--just like Thelma and Louise, says Bronagh. They head first for Dublin but soon decide to go to Devon to stay with a relative-by-marriage. Plot ensues from there. Along the way they meet interesting people, learn that, even at 80+, there's still room for self-discovery, new friends, and adventure.

This is a delightful, fun, feel-good read. It's an amusing book as well. Small details like a cat named Isaac Mewton or the description of a perfume smelling like a combination of rose petals, tarmac and chips gave me a chuckle, as did the sharp commentary from Sadie and Bronagh at times. The book is filled with quirky characters who were enjoyable to spend time with. A few times the dialogue felt a bit preachy and/or kind of stilted and slightly unnatural, but this really didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. It was simply a fun Christmas romp, complete with wonderful older women not playing into stereotypes, lovable oddballs, animals of various kinds, the warmth of the holiday season, and the festive cold of winter. If that's your kind of book, then this may just be a great read for you, too.

The Alphabet Sleuths by Laura Jensen-Walker (read via NetGalley--to be published on February 3, 2026 by Severn House)

The action starts early in this book with the following first sentence: "Claire Reynolds hadn't planned to kill a man that day, but stuff happens." Stuff does indeed continue to happen after that as the self-described Alphabet Girls, Atsuko, Barbara, Claire, and Daphne, become the Alphabet Sleuths. The women are residents of a retirement community in California and became close friends during the COVID pandemic. They're very different in temperament, life histories, and attitudes to aging and life, but they're a close and supportive group of friends. As the book opens, Claire is gardening and looks up to see Daphne, who is recovering from surgery on her arm, being strangled by a strange man. Claire rushes up to help her friend and inadvertently kills the guy. Plot ensues from there. I want to avoid spoilers so won't say much more about the plot here.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. The characters are fun to be with and their relationships with each other are lovely. They can each be exasperating in their own ways and are often funny. Some of the other characters in the book are quirky in the ways you'd expect in a cozy mystery and some were more sinister. The story kept me interested from that opening sentence through to the end. There are a couple of other mysteries that occur as the book goes on and it's unclear at first whether they're all related or not. All loose ends are tied up by the end of the book in a satisfying ending. If I had one quibble with the book it's a very minor one and that was what seemed like an overuse of the phrase "afternoon delight." This is a fun read that touches on some serious topics along the way, but with a light touch. Some of these involve the backstories of the characters, which are seamlessly inserted into the narrative. If you like cozy mysteries with older women protagonists and some humor, this may well be a book for you. It's a great read.

As always, publication dates and publishers may be different in your part of the world. I thank NetGalley, the publishers, and the authors for digital review copies of these fun books.

I didn't have any DNFs in the second half of the month. Yay! I do have books that I am reading more slowly than I'd like to because I have a small dog on my lap much of the time. The books I'm reading are chunky classics and even though they're paperbacks, they get heavy when holding them up for long periods of time. Fortunately, I can hold my phone and my e-reader in one hand so I can read e-books even with the dog on my lap. I am eager to get back to those chunky classics, though. I will try to be patient.

Here's to another month of great reading!

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Happy Halloween

 Hope you have a sweet and spooky Halloween 🎃

Jack o' lanterns used to be carved from turnips. This one is in the National Museum of Ireland in Castlebar, Co Mayo.

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Beginnings and Endings

 The dawn of a new day as seen from the bed in my temporary digs:

This day marks the last day of summertime as we move the clocks back an hour in the middle of the night tonight. I look forward to the dark evenings and long nights all year so I'm thrilled that this day has arrived!

I think this black grass in one of my friend's gardens is very cool.

If there were some orange flowers around it, it would be ready for Halloween. 🎃

I might ask to take a small bit home to plant there. Also some rosemary--there's a huge plant outside. I like it as an infusion in the cooler weather--it's especially good with lemon. I cut a couple of pieces yesterday in between rain showers and I have lemons, so I'll enjoy some later. The same friend gave me lemon balm seeds last year so I now have a thriving lemon balm plant in my kitchen. A couple months ago she gave me an applemint plant, which is doing very well on my kitchen windowsill. I was going to plant it outside, but since it's happy where it is, I think I'll wait until spring. Those two also make an excellent infusion, either individually or combined. I used to love Tazo Tea Zen blend, which is a mint-lemon combination. I don't see that tea here, but I can now make my own version--at least when I'm at home.

When we went to get some groceries the other day, I stopped at the small section of Polish and Ukrainian food and spotted a box of tea bags--black tea with raspberry and vanilla (it's apparently Ukrainian). I had to get a box to try it. We both love it, so I plan to get more boxes while we're here so I can bring some home. And my friend gave me a few boxes of Celestial Seasonings Morning Thunder tea which, like the Zen tea, isn't something I find here. I love it though, so am thrilled to have a supply. One thing I love about the cool/cold weather is sitting down with a nice hot beverage--it's one of the simple joys of the seasons for me. For some reason, when it's chilly I tend to want more tea. I drink both coffee and tea year round, but more tea in winter and more coffee in summer, so it's good to be prepared.

As summertime ends, I don't think I'll be awake to see daybreak tomorrow morning--at least I hope not, since it's going to be an hour earlier and today was already too early for me. Fortunately the dog isn't an early riser either. But I will certainly enjoy the beginning of wintertime and the start of the season of long nights. Good-bye to the 'grand stretch in the evening' that people go on about. Hello to chilly darkness outside, soft lighting and a cozy atmosphere inside, with cups of tea, woolly shawls, peace and quiet. 

Whatever you're doing in your part of the world today, I hope it's pleasant.

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Picking Up Where We Left Off

 We have revisited our roles as humble servants and professional dogball players. We're caring for the furry boss man once again, this time in his own neighborhood. He wasted no time in making it clear where we were to begin our duties.

Let the games begin!

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Vegan (or Not) Creamy Veg Soup

 I've been making this soup on repeat lately. It's so simple yet so good. I often make it with a few basic ingredients, but sometimes add more. It's so versatile and can be made in many different ways, but here's my basic process. I don't measure and it's really not necessary. It's just whatever you like, really, in whatever amounts suit you.

To make this soup, I rinse some red lentils and leave them to soak for 15 minutes while I chop up (into fairly small pieces) an onion, a red bell pepper, some carrots, floury potatoes (we like roosters), and some garlic. A glug of olive oil in a saucepan and in go the veggies, except for the red lentils and spuds. I sweat the veg, stirring all the while, for just a few minutes. Then I add the spuds and lentils, stir everything together and add either water and a couple of bouillon cubes or stock/broth, if I have any. I add just enough liquid to cover the veg completely--I don't want a runny soup. Cook for 10 or 15 minutes or until the veg is tender. Stir in whatever herbs and/or spices you like. I use dill and oregano. Crushed chilli would be yummy, too. Then I use my stick blender to puree a little bit, leaving some veggies chunks. It's so good. I always make extra so we can have leftovers. It's so creamy without any cream. 

The color in the photo is quite pale--the actual soup is more orange from the carrots and red pepper. 

Broccoli is a nice addition to the veggie mix here--peeled stem and all. Cauliflower, too. If you like sweet potatoes or squash, that would probably work (I've never tried it). Corn is nice added after the pureeing. Fresh herbs sprinkled on top would be tasty--chives, parsley, fennel fronds. There are a gazillion ways to make creamy veg soup, whether vegan or not. This is my favorite way and I expect I'll continue to make it right the way through soup season.

Are you a soup fan? What's your favorite?

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October: Mid-Month Reading Wrap Up

 Well somehow we find ourselves past a halfway point of October. It's been a lovely peaceful month so far. For many reasons I remain grateful to be where I am and not where I've been. As always, I've been reading. Here's what I've read in the first half of the month.

The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen (read on the Serial Reader app)

I was watching a booktube video a few weeks ago and the person said she was going to read this book in Victober (a booktube event in which people read Victorian literature in October). I was at the end of the Serial Reader book I was reading and remembered this book being on the list there. Also, since it's a Gothic novel, it seemed good for spooky season, so I selected it and started reading a little every day. It's a novella so not a long book. It's weird. The story is about a mad scientist sort of chap who has a friend come to watch an experiment in which he does something to the brain of a young woman he has raised for the purpose so she can 'see the great god Pan.' The friend, who is writing a book attempting to provide proof that Satan exists, reluctantly agrees to witness the experiment but is horrified at the resulting mental breakdown of the young woman, Mary. Nevertheless, he writes down what he sees. Then the story leaps forward to some disturbing experiences various people have when in the company of a woman called Helen Vaughan until it reaches the conclusion in which things are explained. Nothing is graphically described in the book, but rather implied. This didn't stop people from being scandalized in 1894 when it was published. I didn't love it and didn't hate it. It was OK.

The Nazi Conscience By Claudia Koonz (borrowed from the library)

I was reading an article about the role of women in extremist right wing movements in which Koonz was quoted. I'd read her book about Nazi women, but I hadn't read this one, so I requested it from the library. It's an excellent book that explains how the Nazis--who were not that popular at first-- got people to gradually get used to and comfortable with the obscene and horrific ideas and actions that would follow. How did they use various aspects of culture to spread their vile ideas and make them not only palatable, but righteous? As Koonz says, "The road to Auschwitz was paved with righteousness." (p 3)  She goes on to say, "In this book, I examine the incursion of a secular ethnic faith into an area of human life traditionally assigned to religion: the formation of a conscience." (p 3) She does this quite well, illustrating how this was done and what resulted from it. It's impossible to read today without applying her arguments to what's going on in various places in the world today. Of course, I am most familiar with the States (no point calling them 'united' states, which would be rather absurd) and it's particularly glaring there as the cult of the red hat follows the same basic playbook. It was interesting to be reminded of how the Nazis were inspired by the Jim Crow laws and other racial discrimination in the States and now we see the current regime in the States taking inspiration from the Nazis--a deplorable full circle of hate. I suppose authoritarians keep playing the same game over and over with culturally appropriate adaptations. And somehow people keep falling for this stuff over and over again or they think that what worked in other places won't work in their own country. It can happen anywhere and Claudia Koonz has done a fine job of showing us exactly how. 

Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (e-audiobook from BorrowBox)

A Shedunnit podcast episode several weeks ago was a deep dive into this book. When it came out, I thought I'd re-read it before listening to the pod. But then I remembered that BorrowBox had an audiobook read by Joan Hickson who is THE Miss Marple, so I decided to put myself in the queue for that and wait to listen to the pod after I'd listened to the audiobook. I loved it, although I did have to remind myself frequently that it was the vicar telling the story and not Miss Marple. Joan Hickson's voice is associated in my mind with Miss Marple so I kept hearing things from her point of view until something happened to remind me that it was the vicar. This is the first Miss Marple novel. Before this book she had always appeared in short stories. So in this book, readers are introduced to her village, St Mary Mead, and some of the characters that will appear in future Marple novels. We also get a sense of Jane Marple's understanding of the wickedness of humans and human nature. She is a realist, a woman with a sharp mind, and someone with great powers of observation. She is also dismissed as an annoying old busybody, which is actually helpful. Sometimes it's useful to be underestimated. When one of the church wardens is found dead in the vicar's office, suspects abound. There are mysterious newcomers to the village, interpersonal squabbles, and various people confessing. The police are baffled. The vicar is baffled. Miss Marple is not baffled. Eventually, the vicar admits Miss Marple isn't who he thought she was. The police just take credit for solving the mystery, but they'll meet Marple again. 

Goliath's Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse by Luke Kemp (borrowed from the library)

This is an outstanding book. Kemp begins by pointing out that human history is the story of power struggles, which he says can be categorized into four different types of state control: "control of decision-making, including by setting up a centralized government; control of the resources that others depend on, such as the wheat and rice that people eat every day; control through threats of violence; and control of information to understand and manipulate others, whether by a bureaucracy, a priesthood, or a big tech company." (p 1) He also points out that it depends on who is being controlled by the states--the size, skills, and health of the population under control matters. Every state throughout history has ended at some point, although not always in the form of collapse. Kemp is clear-eyed about what we call civilization really is. He (correctly, in my view) states that, "The problem is that most of us are uncomfortable in recognizing the most common element of civilization: rule through domination." (p 5)

 So what does he mean by a Goliath? "A Goliath is a collection of hierarchies in which some individuals dominate others to control energy and labour." (p 5) Goliaths arose when human societies began organizing themselves much like our cousins, the chimpanzees do, featuring dominance hierarchies, social ranking, and violence. All Goliaths contain the seeds of their own destruction and collapse has repeatedly occurred, whether quickly and catastrophically or slowly and imperceptibly. Collapse doesn't necessarily mean the cultures and people who created the collapsed cultures disappear, but that societies are transformed into something different. Some societies are even better off after collapse. Kemp carefully and thoroughly lays out his arguments and the reasoning behind them. He draws on work from across many disciplines to explain our human evolutionary history which brought us to our present Global Goliath, why we're in danger of collapse from many different directions, and what we can do about it. The threats we face are multi-faceted and have to do with our own psychology, the fact that cultural evolution moves faster that biological evolution does, our destruction of our habitat, and more. The solutions he offers are probably good ones, but even he admits that they are highly unlikely to actually be implemented, humans being what we are. I loved this book. If it was mine, I would've had notes everywhere. It is a book about collapse and the possibility of the extinction of homo sapiens, but I found it oddly uplifting in it's directness. I do expect things to fall apart and I don't see any reason why our species of human would not go extinct and/or evolve. That's what has happened before when there were several human species wandering around the planet until only we were left. That doesn't mean we're invincible. We're another species on the planet and the only one who happens to have created systems and societies that aren't actually well adapted in the long run to the natural world in which we live. Natural disasters aren't the only reason for collapse. We humans are very creative and seem to be quite good at finding ways to harm ourselves. I highly recommend this fascinating and very accessible book.

The Christmas Egg by Mary Kelly (borrowed from the library)

This is a British Library Crime Classics publication. It was a strange book. I think it was described as unique. Indeed. An elderly Russian countess is found deceased in her dingy bed in her dingy flat. Jewels and other valuable items are missing. Where are they? Did she die of natural causes? Did someone kill her? An investigation ensues. This wasn't my favorite BLCC book by any means. I don't think I would seek out more by this author, although there's not much in this series to look for. I think this detective only appeared in three novels and then it was briefly mentioned in one of her other books that he'd died in a car crash. I didn't get a sense of who the detective was--the characterization wasn't great. Why his wife was even in the book I don't know. The book does take place at Christmastime, over three days. There's not much festive about it although there is lots of snow. Meh.

This book will be published in a few weeks:

Freezing Point by Anders Bodelsen, translated from Danish by Joan Tate (read via NetGalley-- to be published on November 6, 2025 by Faber)

January, 1973. Bruno is shaving when his razor meets a lump and he cuts himself. He realizes that he noticed the lump recently, but it's grown larger. He sees the doctor, who says there's probably nothing to worry about but wants to do tests. Turns out there is something to worry about. Bruno has an untreatable form of cancer. But the doctor has a proposition for Bruno. He could choose to be frozen until such time as a cure is found, which the doctor thinks will be in 10 or 15 years. Bruno has a few days to decide. At first he's not sure what to do, but he suddenly decides to do it and wants it done quickly. When he comes back to consciousness, it's 1995. His cancer is gone and he is physically healthy, but society has changed so much during the time he's been frozen that his problems are just beginning. It's not a matter of simply starting his life from where he left off but without being sick. The world is different and as Bruno learns bit by bit what it's like now, he quickly learns he doesn't like it. But he's owned by society now and what can he do about it?

This book, although written over half a century ago, has so many resonances with the world today. As I was reading I kept thinking about people who have plastic surgery over and over again to try to look young and the people who want to live forever in some form. These are not new ideas of course, just the methods change as the available technology changes. When Bruno is offered the choice between living out whatever time he has left and being frozen so he can wake up cancer-free and pick up his life where he left off, he doesn't really give it that much thought. Would it have mattered if he did? Could he have even imagined the kind of world he'd come back to? Would he have been able to grasp that his status as a 'guinea pig' for this technology would cost him something in the end? Would he have gotten to the point where he'd consider the difference between extending an existence indefinitely and living a life? Whether he would've gotten to these questions before he was frozen or not, he was certainly faced with them when he was brought back to consciousness.

The book is extremely well written. I was hooked from the very beginning. Bodelsen creates a cold atmosphere throughout. The book starts in January, so we're cold from the start. Bruno has a recurring thought/memory of a time when he went skating with friends and realized that he was on thin ice, which was cracking all around him as he desperately tried to get back to shore. He doesn't have any close relationships, and seems a bit detached from others. When he's brought back from his frozen state, the environment he's in is sterile and cold--not in terms of temperature, but in terms of human connection and warmth. As reality slowly dawns on him, he struggles to make sense of his situation and to change it. Does he succeed? I'll leave it to readers to find out for themselves. I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent book and highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley, and the publisher for a digital review copy.

I had one DNF so far this month, which was the book group book for the November meeting, which I will miss anyway. The book is A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. It didn't seem like my kind of book, but I took it and gave it a shot. I was right--it's not for me. I told myself I'd give it a hundred pages (my copy was over 800 pages long). I could barely drag myself through the first chapter, which ended on page 62. The meandering sentences and jumps from topic to topic drove me nuts. I clearly do not get on with Irving's writing style. I did not care about the characters. Some stuff just felt icky. I got to the end of chapter one with relief, put it on the return pile, and got it back to the library yesterday. 

I hope you're having an excellent October so far with lots of good reading. 

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Treasure!

 It's Thursday, so after breakfast off I went to the library to hang out for a while with the yarn women. We were in a room off to the side today because Wainfest, an arts and culture celebration for children, is happening and there were lots of kids in the library doing fun things. We had our coffee/tea/treat cart in our room and had a lovely time once again. I am really enjoying this group of women and it's fun chatting and discovering the ways in which we're kindred spirits and how we're different. And of course we all enjoy seeing what we're each working on. 

Today as soon as I walked in, one of the women (I'll call her Ginny, which is not her real name) said she had something for me and handed me this:

She explained that it used to belong to a dear friend who passed away several years ago and that it came to Ginny. t's at least 40 years old, she said. Inside the case, we have these:

What a treasure! Ginny does crochet, but these are too small for her to use and she wanted them to go to someone who would love them. I will definitely love them!  I am very excited about these for a few reasons. First of all, I absolutely love using tools and materials that belonged to women in generations before me. There is something special to me about creating with tools that other women have used to create with decades ago--my hands and their hands taking what is essentially string and, with the help of these hooks, turning it into something beautiful. My life is very different from what their lives were but we have this in common. A former colleague gave me her grandma's circular knitting needles and the case they live in a decade or so ago. She also wanted them to go to someone who would love them. I use them all the time and have made many hats and other things that keep me warm, just as grandma would have done. Another thing that's great about these hooks for me is that, with the exception of one of them, they're all brands I've not used before because they weren't sold in the States. This matters because they're shaped differently and will feel different in my hands. This is true of the knitting needles as well--they're made of different materials than modern ones and they're much nicer to work with. Finally, these hooks are in slightly different sizes than ones I already have. The smallest in the case above is .75mm, which would be for something the thickness of sewing thread. I'm going to have some fun playing with those. 

I'd set aside the socks I worked on for the first couple meetings, but finished them the other night.

I'm wearing them with my Birkenstocks today and they're soft, squishy, and I love them!

I started a new project last night. I did some swatching and in the end decided on small 3 round solid granny squares with some surface crochet as the beginning of a hat. I have light hats for summer and thick, squishy hats for winter, but I could use a hat for in-between sorts of days like today. I'm using some deep purple wool that a friend brough back for me a couple years ago when she went to Boston--she found several hanks at Goodwill there. I used most of it with some other charity shop yarn to make a sweater, but I had one larger ball and a few wee balls left. I'm using that with some turquoise yarn given to me a couple weeks ago by Ginny. It belonged to her auntie. 

Ginny doesn't like wool and she was thrilled to see auntie's yarn being used. She said auntie would've loved to see it, which made me happy, too.

I'll make a few more squares like these and put them together for the main part of the hat then I'll crochet around the bottom for the brim and the top for the crown in the purple and I'll have my hat. Maybe I'll get it done so I can wear it next week. One of the other women there, Mary (again, not her real name) took one of the squares and copied it with some yarn she had so she'll be able to refer to it in future if she wants to. It's like the old sample books women used to keep with pages and pages of samples they'd crocheted for future reference. 

So it was another good time--a nice chat with very nice women, yarn, tea/coffee/treats, and I picked up some books while I was there. What's not to love? Hope you're having an excellent day, too.

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Autumn Sunset

 

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Saturday Snippets

 What was left of Hurricane Humberto was given the name Storm Amy before slamming into Ireland yesterday, with Donegal most affected. The wind was whipping, whining, whistling, and howling. We were under a status red wind warning for a couple of hours so public transport stopped and businesses closed early. I charged up my headlamps, desk lamp, mp3 player (has my audiobooks on it), phone, and e-reader. In case of power outage I'd be able to read and/or listen to an audiobook without external light or wifi/mobile phone signal. And the power did indeed go out just before 4. It stayed out for about 5 hours, so we had a cold supper and were both eager for a cup of tea. When the power came back on, I raced to turn on the kettle and had just enough time for it to come to a boil before the power went out again. But I had my vanilla chai (Tesco has some really nice vanilla chai tea bags--not the sweetened chai powder) and Bill had his black tea and it was so good. The power came back on again an hour or so later. The wind kept going though. I'd gone out before the storm to lay down the garbage and recycling bins, with the lids jammed against the wall and rocks on top, so they didn't go anywhere. I also filled buckets and various containers with water, which I didn't need, thankfully. I don't want to waste it though, so we'll be using that throughout the day. Still windy, but not like it was. Hopefully things are calming down now. Tragically, one man in Donegal died in the storm.

Thursday was windy, but in a normal kind of way. It was also raining. I knew this would probably be the case, so when I went to the library Wednesday night for book group, I told the librarian I might not make it to the knitting and crochet group the next day. Don't get me wrong--I don't mind walking in the rain and I often enjoy it. And light rain is fine in any case. But when I'm walking to a gathering of some kind I'd rather not be drenched when I get there and then hang around soaking wet for a couple hours and dripping all over carpet and furniture. I was bummed because I really enjoy the group. On Thursday morning, I was having my first cup of coffee when I got a call from the librarian saying that one of the women had just arrived and was offering to come and pick me up if I wanted to go. Wasn't that nice? I accepted, gulped down my coffee, grabbed a crochet project and stood in the doorway to meet her. Once again I had a great time. We exchanged numbers and she said she's happy to swing by and pick me up any time and I should just let her know. 

When I went to the book group on Wednesday night, I walked through the mizzle. I was damp when I got there, but no big deal. It's always such a pleasant experience walking in the misty air. The next book we're reading is A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. When I heard this I immediately remembered that someone had recommended it to me, but I wasn't sure who. Then I had a vague memory of sitting in a cafe with a friend and her telling me she loved the book. I messaged her and asked if she recommended it. She said she may have done, since she loved the book. So it was her and I can stop wondering about it. It was one of those unimportant things that just kept hanging around in my head and I was glad to answer the nagging question. 😏 My first inclination was to not even start the book, especially since I likely won't be at the next meeting. It's a chunky book--the copy I borrowed is just shy of 800 pages. It's not the length that bothers me. It's that this doesn't seem like my kind of book and the time it would take to read it is time I wouldn't be spending with books that are my kind of books. Then I thought the best thing to do is to just begin and see how I get on with it. If I don't like it, I'll set it aside and if I do like it, I'll be happily surprised. Have any of you read this book? If so, what did you think of it?

And now I'm off to pour another cup of coffee and enjoy the rest of this rainy day at home with books, yarn, and Bill--my kind of day! Hope you're having your kind of day and doing things that bring you joy.

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September Reading Wrap-Up: The Second Half

 I'm not quite sure where September went, but here we are in October. One thing that never changes as time flies by is my voracious appetite for books. Here are the books that accompanied me through the second half of September.

Night and Day by Virginia Woolf (a book I own)

I was glad to read at least one book from my own TBR* pile(s) this month, and I've been wanting to read this for a while. This was the next book in my Woolf project--reading all of her novels in publication order. The last book of hers I read was The Waves, which I wasn't in love with.  I enjoyed this one far more. Like The Voyage Out, her first published novel, there isn't much plot here. We're following a group of people whose lives intersect in various ways at various times. These people come from different classes and backgrounds and one of the threads running through the novel is how the class system and gender roles of the time was changing and how that impacted people's lives and relationships. There's a lot of internal dialogue here, with people thinking one thing and saying/doing another. This is what I liked about it because it provided a window into the thinking that goes on below the surface, how outward appearances often don't match, and how people struggle with and chafe against societal expectations that don't fit their internal reality--and finally, how this changes them.

Nostalgia: A History of a Dangerous Emotion by Agnes Arnold -Forster (borrowed from the library)

This is a fascinating book. In it, the author traces the history of the idea of nostalgia from its first known usage to the present day and the implications of this evolving idea on people and societies. When nostalgia first became a thing, it was considered an illness and Arnold-Forster gives examples of people in history who were incapacitated by it. Later, there was concern that there was too much nostalgia around and that it was emasculating, thus dangerous. Today (and in the recent past) we see how nostalgia is used to manipulate and oppress people in all sorts of ways as right wing groups use it to construct an imaginary past. However, the author points out that left-wing people tend to do this as well. I was pleased that she included this, because it's something I've noticed as well. There does seem to be a yearning for a past that seems like it was simpler and less distressing than the present, but of course, this past that some people long for wasn't actually real at a societal level. As I was reading, I kept thinking about a horrible town we lived in some years ago in which people were always going on about 'the way it used to be.' I'm interested in people's stories about their lives, but this was a fantasy past that never existed--and one they were desperate to return to. I saw much in this book to remind me of that place. Excellent book.

The Essential Fromm by Erich Fromm (borrowed from the library)

In one of the books I read earlier in the month, some of Fromm's ideas were discussed. I was intrigued, so I requested a couple of his books from the library. I started with this slim volume and by the time I was done, didn't feel like reading the other book. It's not that this was a bad book, but I didn't care for the style and some of it seemed dated. It was also slightly repetitive. The book is a collection of short excerpts from some of Fromm's writing and interviews. His ideas are interesting and I agreed with most of it, but as a reading experience, it was a bit dry. I did get a chuckle from the markings and notes someone had written in the book. At one point, 'WRONG' was written in the margin next to a paragraph about gender. In this instance, Fromm wasn't wrong and I have some thoughts about the person who wrote that. 😄

The Big Four by Agatha Christie (read on the Serial Reader app)

I've been re-reading some Christie on Serial Reader, in small chunks each day. I remembered this book as kind of silly and I still feel that way, but this time what jumped out at me was the prominent role of the friendship between Poirot and Hastings. I don't recall it ever being at the forefront of the novels in which Hastings appears before. Hastings isn't in many of the Poirot novels as he goes off to a ranch in Argentina. In this one, he's back in England on business and ready to surprise Poirot, only to get a surprise himself when Poirot is packed and catching a boat to South America at the behest of a wealthy US American. Poirot realizes in time that something is fishy and he's being got out of the way. A multinational gang--the Big Four--are intent upon world dominance. He and Hastings proceed to investigate. As I say, t's a silly book and a caricature in many ways, but it's kind of funny because of it. And the friendship aspect of it was actually quite lovely. Definitely not one of Christie's best, but not terrible, either.

Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks (borrowed from library for the library book group)

Meh. That's what I and the rest of the group thought of this book. Everyone felt it was mediocre, although some people found the informational aspect of it interesting. It's a historical fiction novel set in WWII. The title character is a young Scottish woman going to London to work as a receptionist in a GP office. On the train, she shares a compartment with two guys who find out she speaks French and think she could be useful to them as they assist the resistance in occupied France. Various things ensue, she ends up working for the British government in France under an assumed name. She has a specific task to do, but she knows before she leaves that she's going to stay in France to try to find the guy she instantly fell madly in love with when she got to London. He was a pilot and went missing. One of the storylines involves the French Nazi sympathizers and their activities. It was all too familiar and we see the same kinds of things going on today in various places. I found the book tedious, the characters superficial, and the story rather fluffy considering the subject matter. It's perfectly fine with the group if people don't finish a book and I could have DNFed* it, but I read it through. I'd never read anything by this author before and I wouldn't be quick to pick up another book by him, although others in the group said he has some excellent ones. Have any of you read his work and what did you think of it if you have?

I listened to a couple of audiobooks in September.

Country Christie by Agatha Christie (a BorrowBox audiobook)

I saw this in the 'new to library' section of BorrowBox one day. It was available so I downloaded it. It's a collection of Christie short stories read by various people. All the stories take place in Devon and the last one was an episode from The Big Four. This was an enjoyable collection even though I've read almost all the stories before. There was one that was new to me though and that was especially fun.

Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself, and China by Jung Chang

I read the author's memoir, Wild Swans several years ago now and loved it. I went on to read more of this author's work, including Big Sister, Little Sister, Red Sister and Empress Dowager Cixi, both non-fiction books about women in China. All of these books were excellent and this one was no exception. It's a follow-up to Wild Swans, but you don't have to have read that to enjoy this book. Chang writes about her relationships with various people throughout her life as well as her relationship with the Chinese government, which has often been difficult, terrifying, and traumatic. When she and her husband wrote a biography of Mao, a new layer was added. I'd happily read whatever book Jung Chang writes next and I can heartily recommend this one.

Soon-to-be-published books I read in September were:

The Body at the Christmas Book Fair by Helen Cox (via NetGalley to be published on November 6, 2025)

Private investigator and part-time librarian Kitt Hartley is really looking forward to meeting her best friend, Evie, at the Christmas book fair. There are all the books of course, but they also have tickets to see the dramatic reading of A Christmas Carol, which is a highlight of the book fair. However, just as Marley's ghost is saying, "My time is nearly gone..." the actor's time is up. It's not a pretty sight and why is cinnamon such a factor in the whole mystery?

I'm a big fan of cozy Christmas mysteries and I found this to be an enjoyable book. It was pretty clear to me early on whodunnit, so it was more an "Am I right?" experience. Nonetheless, I happily read on. I enjoyed the Christmas/winter setting. I especially liked the appearances of the spirits of a few classic mystery authors. The characters were appropriately quirky and sometimes made me laugh. All in all, a fun read.

Lambs in Winter by Alexis Lathem (via NetGalley to be published on November 4, 2025 by University of Massachusetts Press)

I'll just cut to the chase--I loved this book. I was sorry to see it end, but there is no much to think about within these pages that I know it will stay with me for a long time. The book is a series of essays, each focused on a certain subject, but taken together they create a much larger whole. The essays form layers, much like the way the author describes the layout of the homestead she shares with her husband and their animals and the permaculture ideas that inspired it. This book is many things--memoir, nature writing, journalism, anthropology, and more. In each essay, Lathem situates herself within a certain time and place, exploring her own experiences and what they mean in the context of the community within which she finds herself. The book is structured in such a way that we see the evolution of her thought process, with three sections--early years, middle years, and later years. We also see how her community, which is near Burlington, Vermont, changes long with the weather, the climate, and the natural world surrounding her homestead. Lathem is clearly extremely well-read and has educated herself on the subjects she's writing about. There are extensive notes at the back of the book. She's refreshingly honest about her place in the larger scheme of things as well as her own privilege. In the introduction, she reflects on why she and her husband choose to live as and where they do, stating, "We do this on a very small scale as an exercise in freedom and personal sovereignty, and as a form of inquiry into what it will take for human and nonhuman life to endure." (p xiii)

I read this book from cover to cover, but it could also be read and enjoyed by opening it at random and reading whatever essay happens to be there. It's also a book that can be read and re-read with fresh insights appearing on each reading. This is a wonderful book and I highly recommend it.

Woman in the Pillory by Brigitte Reimann, translated from German by Lucy Jones (to be published on November 13, 2025 by Penguin Modern Classics)

This is a powerful novella. It's short but contains so much--love and fear, hope and despair, cruelty and kindness, idealism and reality, denial and self discovery. The story is told primarily from the point of view of Katrin, although occasionally readers get a glimpse into the minds of other characters. Katrin is a young woman who has been married for 5 year to Heinrich, who is away from his farm fighting against Russians in the German army. Theirs is not a happy marriage and Katrin is not unhappy that he's gone. Heinrich's sister, Frieda, also lives at the farm and she and Katrin try to do everything, which proves to be too much. Home for a few days on leave, Heinrich says he'll have a prisoner of war sent to work on the farm. Before long, Alexei arrives. He's from Ukraine where his village has been wiped out and his family disappeared. He has high hopes for the kind of society that Russia will create after the war is over, but largely keeps his thoughts to himself and does what he's told. Frieda treats him like a sub-human creature. Katrin sees through the common stereotypes about 'the enemy' and she and Alexei gradually become closer and closer. Village tongues start to wag and eventually, serious repercussions result.

This is an excellent book. The writing is beautiful and not a word is wasted. Reimann's descriptions of the farm at night or the thoughts of the characters grabbed me from the start. The book was originally published in 1956 and Reimann lived in East Germany, although she died quite young. So it was a decade after the war ended--enough time to see that the dreams Alexei described, which I'm sure were those of many real people, did not come to fruition. And although the book is short, Katrin's evolution and growth of self awareness were aspects of the book that I quite liked. This is a book that can be read and re-read with new insights appearing each time. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers, and the authors for digital review copies of the soon-to-be-published books above.

There were a couple of books that I didn't finish. One was Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. read the first 60 pages, didn't care about anyone or what was going on, and set it aside. The other was a book about the history of human emotions that I started listening to on audio. It's read by the author and that kind of thing isn't his strong suit. I couldn't keep listening because he was so annoying. I did request the physical book from the library and brought it home, but by then I had other things I wanted to read, so I returned it unread. It seems like an interesting book that I might revisit sometime.

So that was a long ramble through my reading list for the second half of September. I hope October is an excellent reading month for all of us!

*TBR is 'to be read'

DNF is 'did not finish'

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Peace, Tranquility, Gratitude

 We went out for a quick pre-coffee walk this morning. It was beautiful--not hot and not cold. Just chilly enough to wear a sweater. There was a breeze. Clouds blocked the sun. I was drinking in the peace and calm and enjoying the autumnal landscape.

Even though the clouds blocked the sun, Errigal was still in view.

They call it a mountain, but to me it's more like a large pointy hill. Whatever. I love seeing it.

This is pretty much the color of the sweater I'm wearing today. 

Rust in a bed of green:

I enjoy looking at this rock and the moss growing on it every time I pass.

There's not much left of this cottage, but the plastic flowers and lace curtains are hanging in there. 😐

Almost home. The coffee is waiting.

I'm so grateful that I can embrace my favorite time of the year--the -ber months--here in this tranquil place. It's a sharp contrast to the previous three years, which makes me appreciate it all the more.

I hope that this day brings you whatever it is that you want/need. I'm going to refill my coffee mug. 😃

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Sharing the Love

 It's Thursday, so after breakfast I headed out to the library for the second knit and crochet group meeting. I had such a good time last week. I mean, what's not to love? Sitting there surrounded by books, working with yarn, eating chocolate and having a lovely cuppa, all the while having a nice chat. As they'd say here--great craic (pronounced like crack--means a great time, fun). 

On the way there, I noticed that a rhododendron wasn't quite done blooming, even as the leaves had started turning red.

Today was another bit of craic. The two of us from last week settled in and picked up where we left off last week. She showed me a hat she made last weekend and she gave me some yarn and thread that belonged to her late auntie. I was touched and very grateful. I do so love working with tools and materials that belonged to women from previous generations, even if I didn't know them. She told me she just wanted me to enjoy working with the yarn. I assured her that I will enjoy it very much. One of the librarians brought me a coffee and some chocolate. Shortly thereafter, a couple more women arrived. They sat down and we were all chatting. The younger woman wanted to learn to knit, but said she'd just watch the rest of us. I told her I'd teach her if she wanted, so she came and sat by me and I showed her what to do. She caught on quickly and was soon knitting back and forth. I was thrilled to have helped bring another knitter into the world! 😄 I'm always happy to share the yarn love! As far as I know, we all plan to be back next week. It didn't take long for this to be something I look forward to each week.

On the way home, I stopped at the top of the lane, just to take in the view. I'm not thrilled with this photo--I have to practice with my phone camera--and it's far more beautiful in person. The sea, which you can just see in the distance is a gorgeous deep blue color today. 

Combined with the golden light of autumn and the greens everywhere, it's such a lovely walk. I have wonderful destinations each way--the library and home. I am grateful for all of it--home, the library, and the beautiful surroundings I find myself in as I go about my daily life.

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A Few of My Favorite Things

 After breakfast yesterday, I headed out to the library. I had my crochet project with me because I was going to the first meeting of the knitting and crochet group. Earlier in the week, a friend gave me some gorgeous sock yarn, so I knew I would be making socks, but went back and forth about whether to knit them or crochet them. In the end, crochet won out. I started them Wednesday night and got past the toe increases so all I'd be doing at the meeting was crocheting around and around--no counting necessary.

Only one other person showed up--she also had some crochet with her. Not that either of us got many stitches made. We were too busy chatting for the entire hour and a half. The librarian brought me a cup of tea and some chocolate. It was a very enjoyable time, especially because I also picked up some books that were waiting for me.

I started with the audio of this book and was enjoying the content, but not the narration

After I got home, I was checking the BorrowBox site to see if any new audiobooks came in and I was in luck there, too. There's a new Agatha Christie collection of short stories set in Devon called Country Christie. It was available. Also, Fly, Wild Swans by Jung Chang. I read Wild Swans a while back and loved it. This memoir picks up where that one left off. It was also available. I got them both.

So, books, yarn, tea, chocolate, and a lovely chat. What's not to love? It was a very good day. Hope you're having a very good day, too!

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Mid-Month Reading Wrap Up: September

 I regret to say that I have not yet read any of my own books this month, although I have one in progress. I always say that I'm going to focus on the many, many books I own and that I really, really want to read, but then I'm tempted by something I read and I'm off to the library website or I see something on NetGalley and, since I have no willpower, I end up with unexpected books. Ah well, that's OK. Excellent books are everywhere and I only regret that I will never be able to read all the ones I want to. But I can read some of them and here are the titles I spent time with during the first half of September.

Hauntings: Fantastic Stories by Vernon Lee (read on the Serial Reader app)

Originally published in 1890, this is a unique collection of ghost stories, some of which are set in Italy and at least one in the UK. It was an enjoyable read, especially because I consumed it in small doses, a little bit each day.

The Haunting Season: Ghostly Tales for Long Winter Nights by various authors (borrowed from the library)

A couple of years ago, I read and reviewed the sequel to this book, called The Winter Spirits. I loved it. At the time, I don't think I knew that there had been a volume before that book, so when I found out, I requested it from the library. It was excellent. I sat down on an autumnal day with the wind howling and the rain lashing down and read it from start to finish. Delightful. The stories are by contemporary authors. There were some I liked more than others, as is typical of any short story collection. There were 2 years between the publication of this book and that of Winter Spirits two years ago. I'm waiting to see if there will be a third volume soon. If there is, I'll read it.

The Collected Poems by Wendy Cope (borrowed from the library)

This is a collection of all the published poems of Wendy Cope along with previously uncollected poems. It's a wonderful collection which I loved. I read it a bit at a time and felt heartache, joy, hope, and empathy as I read her varied and highly accessible work. Sometimes, I laughed. This poem struck me as funny, but also alarming. She's writing about individuals, but the overarching issue of reality and delusion has serious societal impact.

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (borrowed from the library)

I was in the library one day when I learned that there's a book group that meets there. One of the librarians got in touch with the person who organizes and facilitates the group to ask if there was room for one more. There was. This was the book the group read this month. I'd heard of it and the controversy surrounding it, but had never read it. Bill was interested, so he read it first  and thought it was great. I waited until a few days before the meeting. I thought it was good, but heartbreaking to know how much worse things have gotten since the publication of the book. Most of the group thought it was good--slightly above average--but a couple thought it was excellent and one didn't finish it.

The book starts in a bathroom, with a bullet whizzing by the head of Luca, an eight-year-old boy. His mother, Lydia, hustles him into his grandmother's shower so they could hide behind the partial wall. They listen as the gunmen talk amongst themselves, eat some barbecue, and as one of them takes a piss just a few feet away from them. When it's 'safe' to venture back out into Luca's grandmother's back garden, they find everyone, gathered there for a cousin's 15th birthday celebration, killed. Luca's father, a journalist, has a sign on himself that says, 'I got my entire family killed.' He'd written a story exposing the identity of the big boss of the cartel that had been terrorizing the area. There's more to the backstory, which is a bit more involved than 'I was outed and I'm mad so I'm ordering the hit' but I don't want to give anything away, so I'll say no more about that here. Of course, Lydia knows there's a target on her back and Luca's, so she realizes they have to leave. The book is primarily about their run for the border--how they proceed, who they meet, what happens to them and others. It also goes back in time to explain how things unfolded. Lydia thinks about the bookshop she owned and her life with her husband. It's definitely a page-turner. I can't say it was an enjoyable read because I know that people are going through all these things still and it's even worse than it was. It is well-written and although much of the criticism of the book seemed to be about the author not having a right to write such characters, I think it's important to tell these stories. And telling them this way will reach more people than a dry report full of statistics would. Unfortunately, too many people believe outlandish stories about people who risk or give up their lives trying to get to places they feel are safe. It's not like people wake up one day and decide to undertake these hellish journeys just because they feel like it. Anyway, although the book is very dark throughout, there are moments of humor, kindness, hope, and love that keep the reader from falling into total despair. To be honest though, I wouldn't have read it if not for the book group. I can't say I wish I hadn't read it, but it's not one I would have chosen. As someone said to me after the meeting, one thing she likes about the group is that it gets her to read books she wouldn't otherwise.

Soon to be published books I've read so far this month are:

Marginality: Solidarity and the Fight for Social Change by Jin Y. Park (to be published by Columbia University Press on November 18, 2025)

In this excellent thought-provoking book, Korean-American philosopher Jin Y. Park is examining the meaning and value of the margins. She points out that everyone is on the margins at some point in their lives at one time or another. She's also taking a different approach to philosophy than is usual in Western academic settings, drawing as she does on Asian philosophies and literature. She describes the work of Korean philosopher Pak Ch'iu, who argued that philosophy is practice, both grounded in theory, but directed at a goal. Park makes the distinction between public philosophy and academic philosophy. Beyond that, she advocates for what she calls narrative philosophy--'The act of giving meaning by telling and retelling our experiences...' (p 4). Indeed, Park practices what she preaches as she begins her chapters with anecdotes from her own life.

She draws on the work of the existentialists and Buddhist thinkers and contrasts the foundational ideas of the latter with those of Western philosophers, illustrating how new insights can arise when we alter our perspective. She reminds readers that the margin and the center need one another to exist and that what is considered the margin is defined by the center. But there are positive aspects to being on the margin, not least of which is the fact that one gets a more expansive view of reality from there. As I was reading, I was reminded of a comment made to me by one of my students--a white middle class woman--who told me that she was shocked to learn that she had a culture because she'd always just thought her way of life was just normal and it was all those other people who were in different categories than her who had cultures. This is how the center/society operates.

Park goes on to look at specific marginalized identities before concluding with a chapter on benefits of being on the margins. She states that, "The margin is not only a space that the marginalized must endure while confronting the power of the center.Historically, it has also been a space where new and creative ideas emerge, often challenging the stagnation of the center and claiming their own value." (p 143). Furthermore "...the margin reconfigures the center and what the center represents, since the margin is the force for social change." (p 143). The epilogue addresses the current situation in the US.

This is an important, fascinating, and very readable book. There is no jargon, just clear ideas explained beautifully. I loved this book, taking copious notes as I read. There is so much packed into this slim volume and it's well worth your time and attention. I highly recommend it.

Emergent Dharma: Asian American Feminist Buddhists on Practice, Identity, and Resistance: by Sharon A. Suh, PhD (to be published by North Atlantic Books on December 9, 2025)

This fascinating book "...is the first anthology of its kind to surface how Asian American feminists have been doing, being, and seeing Buddhism in generative ways outside of the stereotypes of what it means to be Buddhist in the United States." (p 1) One of the stereotypes Suh and the contributors to this volume are pushing back against is the image of (mostly, but not exclusively, white) converts doing seated meditation. The contributors in this book, while having grown up with Buddhism, may or may not have a regular meditation practice. They also may or may not be 'practicing' in the sense of going to Buddhist gatherings on a regular basis. Their Buddhism, to whatever extent they are still connected to it, is lived. It's practiced not (or not only) on a meditation cushion, but in their everyday lives. It's how they inhabit the world, how they interact with family and others, and a lens through which they view themselves and their relationships. That said, these feminist women are often defining Buddhism and Buddhist practice in ways that are not 'traditional,' and that can lead to some tension with other Buddhists. However, as Suh points out, the goals of feminism and Buddhism are interconnected. According to Suh in her introduction then, the book "...endeavors to clarify that Asian Americans not only practice Buddhism differently, but that a flourishing world of Buddhism is out there, beyond seated meditation aimed at relieving individual and collective suffering." (p 2)

The book does this beautifully. The use of life story here is powerful. Having done life story work with people in the past, I recognize how sharing stories can build bridges of understanding between people. This format allows readers to see, in a very personal and relatable way, how these women relate to Buddhism and how it influences their lives--also how it's a foundational part of their identity, whether they continue to engage in formal practice or not. These stories also show us that Buddhism isn't a separate activity that one engages in on a certain day or at certain times. It's there as a philosophy and a way of life to one degree or another. Sometimes this is a comfort and sometimes something a woman pushes back against. The experiences shared in this volume are varied and encompass many aspects of life. Through these stories, readers learn a great deal about Buddhist philosophy and practice as lived experience. One of the contributors used the term 'pragmatic Buddhism' to describe her path. She did not need or want all of the esoteric and spiritual beliefs and ideas that have been added through the years, but finds the basic teachings very useful--the four noble truths is an example. There is suffering in the world. Much of this suffering is caused by clinging and greed. There is a way out of suffering. That way is the noble eightfold path, which addresses ways to think about and organize one's life in a broad sense (skillful speech, skillful thought, skillful livelihood, etc).

I am not Asian American. I am a feminist. I did not grow up in a Buddhist household or culture. I do not meditate in any classic sense. But I do find pragmatic Buddhism to be my path. That's one of the reasons I loved this book. Another was simply the life stories these women shared. They were touching, powerful, enlightening, and fascinating. I don't think one has to have any background in Buddhism to get something out of this book. Buddhism happens to be one of the connecting threads, but there are others and, in my opinion, it's never a bad idea to learn about the lives of others. It gets us beyond our stereotypes and ideas and expands our minds. This book does that from a few different angles and I highly recommend it. It's well worth your time.

Murder at Mistletoe Manor by F. L. Everett (to be published by Random House UK on October 9, 2025 but may already be out elsewhere)

A few days before Christmas the snow is falling, falling, and falling some more. Nick, a journalist, is trying to get home to London after being away on assignment. His wife and infant daughter are awaiting his arrival. Someone suggests that he wait out the storm, but he's eager to get home, so he drives on only to be sent down the wrong road by his GPS system. Then, as the night comes on, his car conks out. He decides to walk a short way to see if he can find a phone he can use to call his wife and get help. Just as he's about to give up, he stumbles across Mistletoe Manor. There he finds a hotel staff of two--the cook and the guy who does everything else--and several guests. It's clear that he can't go anywhere, so he hunkers down. He tries to get in touch with his wife, but there's no phone signal and the landline doesn't work. The snow continues to fall. Everyone is on edge, since Nick isn't the only guest who had no intention of being there and who wants to get where they're going in time for Christmas. Nonetheless, people try to make the best of it--at least until the next morning when one of the group is found dead in bed. Somehow Nick finds himself using his skills as a journalist to investigate, although it's pretty clear he lacks confidence and isn't really cut out for the job. It's clear one of the people in the hotel did the deed, but who? And is anyone else in danger?

This was a very enjoyable read--a modern story with a classic vibe. The locked room aspect of the story ratchets up the tension. At the same time, there are funny scenes and dialogue as well--I laughed out loud more than once. I thought the book had just the right mix of humor and tension. It's very well written and the characters do come to life on the page. I was immersed in the story from the beginning and kept going back to it, reading it in a day. If you like classic Christmas mysteries, particularly of the locked room type, but set in the present day, then this is an excellent book to pick up.

I thank NetGalley, the publishers, and the authors for digital review copies of the soon-to-be-published books listed above.

And September reading continues. Happy reading!

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Scraps for All Seasons

 A while back, a video with instructions for a hood with cowl (or cowl with hood) came up on my youtube page, the thumbnail of which intrigued me. Then I remembered that I'd seen a similar project somewhere a few years ago. From the thumbnail, I figured I could see how it was constructed, but as the video was only a few minutes long, I decided to watch it and see. I started scanning my mind, trying to remember what yarn I have to make one for myself. I rummaged around until I found what I was looking for and when I found it, I started crocheting.

I had to set it aside when our furry friend was visiting because the yarn was left over from other projects and was wound into balls. Balls roll around when being worked with and our furry friend really, really, REALLY didn't like it when he was resting and something touched his leg. 😄 When he went home, I got it back out and finished the little bit I had left to do. This will be very useful in the winter when a strong, cold, sharp wind is blowing--and it almost always does here. 

The yarn I used is Donegal tweed, which I found in a charity shop some years back. I used some of it in other projects and had a bunch left. After making this, I had enough for a pair of fingerless gloves, which I wear all the time for a good chunk of the year, so I started those and finished the first one. When I'm done with the pair, I'll still have some of the yarn left and will save it to go in an even scrappier project.

This is one of those projects where you can use any yarn you have and the hook that results in the fabric you want. You don't need a gauge swatch and it's easily customizable. I crocheted this one, using single crochet (US terms) through the back loop, but it would work in knitting just as well. Because you start with the cowl part, working back and forth in rows, then seam to make a tube, garter stitch would be perfect for a knitted version. This makes it a very beginner friendly project, whether knitted or crocheted. I might be making myself a knitted version at some point in the near future.

While I'd set this aside, I picked up a different project that I'd started when it was quite warm out. It's made using thread and a small hook, so is taking a while. Because the thread I was using came in little skeins, it didn't flop around like a ball of thread would, so I was free to use it with my furry friend softly snoring next to me as I crocheted. I'm not done with this yet. It will be a scarf--probably a circle scarf-- but I'll decide for sure when I'm done with the crocheting.

It's an excellent mindless project again using some leftover thread (the brighter purple on the right) given to me by a friend and some (the darker purple on the left) that the same friend found in a thrift store in Boston last year when she was there. It comes in skeins that are small, but have a lot of yardage. I'd not seen that kind of thread before and I was thrilled to have it. It's nice to work with and is about a size 10 crochet cotton. When it's done, this will be useful on days that aren't cold, but are a bit chilly. Again, with the wind here, it's often nice to have something around my neck when I'm out and about. For the days when there's a chill wind, but it's a little too warm for wool, this will fit the bill quite nicely. I just have to finish it!

I'm having fun with these projects--I do love my scraps, leftovers, and orphans no matter the season.

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