Unraveled Wednesday: 4/3/24

I'm happy to join Kat and the Unravelers with the second installment of my Hitch on the Move. I hope I've knit enough on it that it no longer looks like a bikini like last week. I tried to be careful when taking the photos!

It was dark and very rainy outside when I took these so they're pretty dark. Hopefully, it will be done raining next week and I can take some better pictures outdoors. 

I got a nasty cold and cough from John, so I've been content to drink hot tea, knit, watch Call the Midwife, and breathe in the aroma of Vicks. Despite a pounding headache, I did manage to finish one very good book. I've been fortunate to read a string of ARCs recently with four and five-star ratings, but The God of the Woods was the best of all of them. I loved Heft and The Unseen World, both penned by the talented Liz Moore, so I requested a copy from Edelweiss. While mysteries aren't typically my cup of tea, this novel transcends genre, offering a richly literary and intricately woven narrative populated by finely drawn characters. It delves into themes of family dynamics, social class, privilege, gender politics, and the weight of long-held secrets, all against the backdrop of Camp Emerson nestled in the Adirondacks within the Van Laar Preserve.

Set in 1975, the story centers around the disappearance of camper Barbara Van Laar, a mystery that may (or may not) hold ties to her brother's vanishing in 1961. Moore masterfully employs a non-linear storytelling approach, skillfully building suspense as the narrative unfolds. The novel's unexpected and satisfying conclusion captivated me, fulfilling that elusive craving for a truly gripping read that I don't often encounter. I've said this several times recently, but this book will be among my top favorites this year.

Thank you to Riverhead Books and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on July 2, 2024. There is a giveaway for the book on Goodreads if you are interested. 

What are you making and reading this week? 

Read With Us: It's A New Book!

Today is the day we announce a new Read With Us book for spring! You might already be aware of this if you were able to attend the last Zoom discussion for The Poisonwood Bible, but now everyone will know. We haven't read a memoir in quite a while, but this selection has been called "a lyrical, intricate memoir of tremendous courage and truth about things that make and unmake us; and how we make, remake, and fashion ourselves out of these complex legacies." It's also "a story about the redemptive forces of the creative life, and the many forms of self-making, resilience, and reconciliation that unfold in the family." The book is How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair. 

From the author's website, "How to Say Babylon is the stunning story of the author’s struggle to break free of her rigid Rastafarian upbringing, ruled by her father’s strict patriarchal views and repressive control of her childhood, to find her own voice as a woman and poet." H

"How to Say Babylon is Sinclair’s reckoning with the culture that initially nourished but ultimately sought to silence her; it is her reckoning with patriarchy and tradition, and the legacy of colonialism in Jamaica. Rich in lyricism and language only a poet could evoke, How to Say Babylon is both a universal story of a woman finding her own power and a unique glimpse into a rarefied world we may know how to name, Rastafari, but one we know little about." I know very little about Jamaica aside from Bob Marley, so I'm looking forward to reading this and learning something.

Kym, Carole, and I will be talking about the book, giving additional information, and doing promotional posts throughout April and May. Discussion day for How to Say Babylon is scheduled for Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 7:00 pm Eastern time, so mark your calendars. We'll ask questions on our blogs that day and then host the always fun, educational, and entertaining Zoom discussion.

The hardcover, Kindle, and audio versions of the book are all available from my library with some wait. Hopefully, we'll all have plenty of time to place a hold, get the book, and read it.  The Kindle and hardcover versions are priced reasonably on Amazon and I'm sure your local bookseller could order a copy for you if you're lucky enough to have a local bookseller. 

I do hope you'll read How to Say Babylon with us. I can't resist a book with an intriguing cover, written by a poet, and I might even learn something. 

Come Read With Us!

Mistaken Identity

Okay, I learned my lesson on Friday and I will not be posting about politics again. I've been berated, chided, maligned, and spammed. But here is another important news story that I feel compelled to tell you about. (In case you're wondering, this is not an April Fool's joke!) Last Thursday, a woman took what she thought was a baby hedgehog to Lower Moss Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital in Cheshire, England.

She noticed it on the side of the road and after she observed that it "hadn't moved or pooped all night" she scooped it up in a box with some cat food. She didn't look at it closely or handle it because she didn't want to further stress the hedgehog. 

Once the staff at the wildlife hospital had examined the hedgehog they were able to determine that it was actually a pom-pom from a hat. “She was so concentrated on doing the right thing. She was concerned it hadn’t moved or even pooed — that would be spooky if it had,” veterinarian Janet Kotze added. 

The fact that the pom-pom was mistaken for a hedgehog and "rescued" is funny enough (but certainly understandable). It was the vet's comment that really made me laugh. 

I hope your week is off to a good start. You can be sure that I'll report any important news stories if I come across them, but stay tuned for the announcement of our spring Read With Us book tomorrow!

Someone I Could Feel Good Voting For?

You've probably seen this, but I can't help feeling a little bit of hope about this story. I definitely don't, can't, and never will support Trump, but I also think it just might be time for Biden to leave the political arena, even though he is clearly more sane and principled than his opponent. So who to vote for? Literally Anybody Else. 

This story tells us about the Texas teacher who legally changed his name to Literally Anybody Else because he was unhappy with the candidates for President. Chances are that his name will not even appear on the TX primary ballot because an independent candidate needs to obtain the signatures of 113,151 registered voters who did not vote in the presidential primary of either party. That is an oddly specific number but it's also a very high bar to meet. 

But Mr. Else has given enough thought to his candidacy to put his policies on his website. I would love to support a candidate who would work for quality healthcare for every American, improving education for tomorrow, housing affordability for all, and securing our borders responsibly by promoting "legal immigration pathways while simultaneously fortifying border security to deter criminal elements." These items along with his other policies are things that I would like to think all of us want. 

"For too long have Americans been a victim of its political parties putting party loyalty over governance. Together let's send the message to Washington and say, “You will represent the people or be replaced.” America should not be stuck choosing between the “King of Debt” (his self-declaration) and an 81-year-old. Literally Anybody Else isn’t a just a person, it’s a rally cry."

I may be putting this bumper sticker on my car:

This is all slightly amusing but it's also sad and serious. (You have to laugh so you don't cry.)

A Bunch of Books

Since I haven't posted about books that I've read for several weeks, I decided to put them all together in a book post. They are all Advance Reader's Copies and I enjoyed some good reading!

The first is entitled Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo. I had some trouble getting into and enjoying Claire Lombardo's debut novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had, but I slid easily and enthusiastically into Same As It Ever Was. The description of the story may sound dull and banal, but I found it completely immersive. At fifty-seven, Julia Ames finally feels like she may have gotten a handle on things. She was raised by a mother who didn't understand her and seemed emotionally unavailable; Julia got into some emotionally devastating situations. She is understandably prickly and standoffish, but she marries a man named Mark, has two children of her own, Ben and Alma, and tries her very best, all the while feeling like she isn't doing anything right.

While shopping for her husband's 60th birthday party, Julia runs into a friend who 20 years ago made her feel seen and understood, but also made it possible for Julia to continue her self-sabotage. Claire Lombardo successfully explores friendship, long-term marriage, motherhood, and family dynamics through her stunning writing, taking us from Julia's adolescence through her marriage, to her deep friendship with Helen Russo, and all that came afterward. This is domestic drama at its best; by that I mean a story that is written with understandable emotions and realistic well-drawn characters. One of the things I liked best about Same As It Ever Was was how it made me feel seen and understood. This was five stars for me. 

Thank you to Edelweiss and Doubleday for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on June 18, 2024.

If you enjoy fantasy or tales of King Arthur, I can highly recommend The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman. When I read that Lev Grossman had written a new book, I went right to Edelweiss to request a copy of The Bright Sword. It was everything I hoped it might be and more. I read that the author has been working on the book since 2015 and it shows, in extensive research and amazing storytelling. While the subtitle is A Novel of King Arthur this is not simply a mediocre retelling of the King Arthur story that so many are familiar with. Grossman introduces a new knight as the protagonist, Collum of the Out Isles. Collum makes his way to Camelot only to find most of the knights gone and the Round Table in shambles. Arthur is dead, along with most of his knights, and there is no heir. Those who are left are mainly previously minor characters that other authors have not found worthy to tell their stories. In this author's hands, Sir Dinadan, Sir Bedivere, Sir Dagonet the Fool, and Sir Palomides rise to the forefront. It is up to Collum and these not-so-minor characters to see if things can be set right. The Bright Sword has all that we've come to expect from Arthurian legend, magical swords, knights, and evil wizards, but Lev Grossman has written with originality and given characters new motivations that make this a book well worth reading. This was another five-star book for me. 

Thank you to Edelweiss and Viking for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on July 16, 2024.

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor is the only four-star book in the bunch. It's the first book in a new series featuring Franklin Warren. Set in 1965, Detective Warren leaves Boston because of a tragedy in his own life and moves to Bethany, Vermont as a State Police Detective. There is a barn fire on his first night there, and Warren is charged with determining if the death of Hugh Weber was suicide or murder. Weber was found in a room in the barn that had been locked from the inside, so while things seem clear at first, they become murkier on further investigation.

There are a whole host of suspects and others living in Bethany, and it is a lovely quaint setting with excellent descriptions of Vermont. Several of the characters (like Alice Bellows and Arthur Crannock) seem extraneous and a distraction in this novel, but they may become more important in subsequent volumes. I enjoyed this initial novel and getting to know Franklin Warren and his neighbors and colleagues in Bethany, and would consider reading subsequent entries in the series. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to St. Martins Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on August 6, 2024.

Lastly, there is Sandwich by Catherine Newman. The author's previous novel We All Want Impossible Things was an average three-star book for me, but Sandwich was easily five stars. It's the story of Rachel (nicknamed Rocky), her easy-going husband Nick, and their grown children Willa and Jamie (and Jamie's girlfriend Maya) vacationing for a week at the same beach house on Cape Cod that they've rented for 20 years. Newman's writing about the mishaps of vacation (clogged toilet, strep throat, and a hospital visit) is very realistic but also quite funny. Throughout the week, Rocky reminisces about the early days of motherhood and these are also honest, poignant, and funny. Rocky is currently menopausal and prone to hot flashes, so we're treated to more humor and realism combined perfectly. The whole book was the perfect combination of realism, some not-very-good things, poignancy, humor, a few secrets, and lots of love, respect, and communication among family members. I'm fairly sure that Sandwich will be one of my top books this year.

"And this may be the only reason we were put on this earth. To say to each other, I know how you feel. To say, Same. To say, I understand how hard it is to be a parent, a kid. To say, Your shell stank and you're sad. I've been there."

(This quote will make complete sense if you do yourself a favor and read the book.)

Thank you to Edelweiss and Harper for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on June 18, 2024.

There are currently giveaways for The Bright Sword, Agony Hill, and Sandwich on Goodreads if you are interested. Here's hoping you're reading some good books!

Unraveled Wednesday: 3/27/24

I'm happy to join Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers with a new project. This is the beginning of a Hitch on the Move (Ravelry link). 

There has already been some unraveling. I split the yarn in one of the kfbs, and my attempts at fixing it were unsuccessful. I unraveled 20 rows or so, counted carefully, placed my marker, and resumed knitting. I hope it's okay now and it was a good exercise for me to really get the pattern clear in my mind.

I last talked about books a couple of weeks ago, and I've read several in that time. Since there are four of them I'll be back tomorrow with a post just about books. 

What are you making and reading this week?

Unraveled Wednesday on a Friday: 3/22/24

Ta-da! My Hydrophily is done! I struggled to find a way to take pictures that showed just how lovely it is, and in the end, I took a bunch and hoped for the best.

Sarah's pattern really is a marvel. I followed along while she was knitting her sample and anxiously awaited the pattern release. I think it's a wonder that she could conceive of something so beautiful and then figure out the mechanics of how to knit it. She did that incredibly well and I thank you, Sarah! 

I had an idea in my mind and I'm so pleased that it worked out with a gradient set and a couple of lovely skeins of gray fingering. 

I'm wearing it over my gnome overalls and it probably deserves a much fancier outfit, but until I get my ball gown (just kidding; I don't really have one) back from the cleaners, this will do just fine. 

Now it's time to finish winding my yarn for my second Hitch on the Move. My last one was not quite large enough to suit me, so this time I've got four skeins so I can make it as large as I'd like. That's a good thing but it means I've got four skeins to hand-wind because I'm too cheap to buy a swift and winder. It looks like it's going to be a rainy weekend here, but I'm content to sit inside wind, knit, and read while wearing my Hydrophily. I hope you all enjoy a lovely weekend with things you enjoy!