Category Archives: Reading

Linkity thinks the hints of green are teasing us

Reviewettes
Shelf Life: Fantastic Stories Celebrating Bookstores, edited by Greg Ketter. Pretty good collection of short stories about bookstores. Seemed a little heavy on the horror (do not like), but I enjoyed the stories anyway.
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Vera Wong grows on you until you’re suddenly, unexpectedly fully invested. Recommended.


Mayhem would like me to STOP pestering her.

Harry napping on the kitty hammock.

Polly sees BIRDS!

Linkity needs a nap

Reading Update
March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell. Excellent graphic novel autobiography of Representative John Lewis, told in flashbacks on the day of President Barack Obama’s first inauguration.
Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking by David Bayles and Ted Orland. What the title says, but much more engaging than you’d expect from the title.
Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price. Very good examination of autistic masking, that is, of hiding one’s neurodiversity and mimicking neurotypicality as best one can in order to fit in.


Serious Harry.

Polly having a think.

Siblings hanging out in a kitty hammock.

It’s linkity time again!

Reading
Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brene Brown. A very good and very timely read – if everyone seems more and more polarized on issues and you’re trying to bridge the widening gap, this book might help.
Art Supplies: Making, Manufacturing, and Creating by Jane Audas. Very good overview of people and companies involved in the creation of art supplies, from Beam Paints to Liquitex.


Polly upside-down cake!

Harry sleeping off some ‘nip.

Linkity’s gotta whole lotta “WHA…?” going on

Reading Update
Every War Has Two Losers: William Stafford on Peace and War by William Stafford. This is probably best for fans of Stafford’s poetry. Until I read this, I had no idea the US had camps for conscientious objectors during World War II. Strangely, that was never mentioned in history class…


Polly sitting like a people.

*blep* -Harry

Sometimes Mayhem and Harry can just quietly co-exist, no squishing involved!

Linkity lost in time

Reading Update
Creativity Takes Courage: Dare to Think Differently by Irene Smit and Astrid van der Hulst. Very good book/workbook filled with ideas to help unleash creativity.
Knitorious Murder Mystery series (1-12, starting with Knit One Murder Two) by Reagan Davis. Enjoyable cozy mystery series set in a small tourist town in Ontario.


Silly Polly is silly and adorable!

Harry keeping an ear on things.

Linkity will take snow over December tornadoes, thanks

Reading Update
Take a Look at the Five and Ten by Connie Willis. Lovely holiday short! I read this in a collection, but it was years ago.
The Hungry Dreaming by Craig Schaefer. Very suspenseful and intense paranormal thriller about saving the past and future of New York City. (Don’t be alarmed that it seems to be the third book in a series – it’s not, really.)
Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren. Ok, but there’s not much to it. And I’m not sure it lives up to its ambitious subtitle.


Drowsing Harry.

Polly by the window, with snow in the background. Most of that snow melted when it was 58F/14C on Wednesday. NOT normal for Minneapolis in December.

Polly asleep, Mayhem mildly annoyed/inconvenienced by Polly’s presence/existence.

Linkity’s looking forward to the end of 2021

My surgery went well, everything was benign, I’m healing fine, and so far I’m coming up negative for covid. Hey. Living the dream! (Some family members who stopped by to visit and drop off Thanksgiving leftovers for me on Black Friday [masked, as was I] have tested positive for covid. So!)

Reading Update
The Book of Raven: Corvids in Art and Legend by Angus Hyland & Caroline Roberts. Lovely book, exactly what it says on the tin.


All three cats on me! You can see marks from my fingers on Mayhem’s head.

Harry under the “EEEEEEK” blanket from Target.

Sleeping Polly.

Harry smug, Mayhem annoyed.

Brief linkity of brevity

Reading
When Sorrows Come (October Daye #15) by Seanan McGuire. Was this the end of the series?! Including the novella, it sure felt like it could be the end.
The Last Oracle series, starting with The Book of Secrets, by Melissa McShane. Very good series about a woman who’s hired to work for an unusual bookstore and learns she’s now part of a magical world she had no idea existed.


Polly blep, with Harry looking out the window in the background.

Blurry Harry licking my ear (ewww), but it IS a very cute picture of his Halloween bow tie!

Polly’s pretty happy lap blanket season has returned.

Harry’s pretty happy about lap blanket season, too.

Linkity is very tired of throwing sparkle balls

Harry LOVES playing fetch with sparkle balls and basically follows me around, waiting for the chance to play fetch.


Reading Update
Spilling Open: The Art of Becoming Yourself by Sabrina Ward Harrison. Let’s just say I wasn’t this eloquent at 21, although maybe after pruning and editing for publication…


Mayhem and Harry on the couch.

Mayhem and Polly on the couch.

Handsome Harry is handsome.

Oh Polly. LOL!

Linkity planted a cat tree

Reading Update
Magical Midlife Madness, Magical Midlife Dating, Magical Midlife Infasion, Magical Midlife Love, and Magical Midlife Meeting (Leveling Up 1-5) by KF Breene. Ok series about a newly divorced woman who becomes a caretaker of a creepy old house and falls into a world she had no idea existed.
Oath Sworn, Family & Honor, Broken Loyalty, Echoed Defiance, and Shades of Hate (Jacky Leon 1-5) by KN Banet. Ok series about a werecat who wants to be left alone to run her bar, but the rest of the world just won’t comply.


The harvest will be bountiful and furry.

Siblings.

Judging the “kittens” very hard here.

I was trying to nap after taking my migraine medication and Harry decided to “help” by vigorously grooming my head as Polly looked on.