Spring, spring, spring...and a break...

 

I'm sharing another spring bloom picture here.  Taken, as usual, on my morning walk.  Seems that we're finally making our way into my favorite time of the year.  We need more rain because we are in a serious drought in Central Texas, but there has been plenty of wind.  And when we do have rain it only seems to come in little bits or with some serious storms that include tornadoes.  The Austin area has had several of those in the last few weeks.  Droughts bring such dry air though and the wind dries things even more.  Fire bans are everywhere, but fires will get started accidentally and the potential for damage is really scary.  One of our favorite vacation spots, Ruidoso, New Mexico, has had a wildfire going this week with a lot of damage and evacuations needed.  So horrible for that small community.  Please keep them in your prayers as they continue to battle the fire and then deal with the aftermath.

We've been busy here and I think I'm going to take an 'official' break from blogging for a few weeks.  I always like to let my friends here know that I'm fine and well, but will be taking a step away for a bit.  I hope to be back in a few weeks.  I always continue to read your blogs, but my commenting is often sparse.  Sorry about that.  Hope everyone is having a nice Easter weekend and I also hope that we all get some April showers that will turn to May flowers.  See you in a bit!  

April arrives with some lovely blooms...

Hello everyone!  Hope you are all well and that spring has come to your area.  Hope you're getting to see some blooms.  I have a couple of pictures from my morning walks to share.  Spring is finally here!  The picture above is actually from my brother-in-law's yard in the Austin area.  And, yes, those are bluebonnets.  He cultivates them every year and they were gorgeous.  We travelled to Austin last weekend and saw lots of them along the roadsides.  Not too many in our new town of Kerrville, but I'm still hopeful.  Fredericksburg and Johnson City had loads of bluebonnets.  I say 'thank you' every year to Lady Bird Johnson for making roadside wildflower seeding a 'thing' in Central Texas and indeed all over Texas.  

I had to take a quick shot of this redbud tree that is blooming right outside the Kerrville History Center.  Very cheerful and I've always loved these trees.  I was heading inside that building to attend the 'Talking Texas' Book Group.  I told the group members that I took a picture and several jumped up, headed out, and took their own pictures.  Ha! 

We've begun some of our renovations at our new-to-us house and we're glad of that.  Other things have kept us busy, but I've been around reading your blogs even if I haven't commented too much.  I've attended a couple of book groups since I last posted and enjoyed discussions there.  March had a 5th Thursday, so that was a 'day off' of book group attendance.  I'm busy reading a couple of the books that will be discussed in April and I've managed to read a few new books as well.  

My reading list is below and I enjoyed all of them.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James - I liked this one quite a bit.  The author has a way of including some 'maybe' supernatural, but 'maybe-not'.  Tends toward the Gothic side of mystery.

Nine Lives by Peter Swanson - A good one by an author that I've enjoyed in the past.  Not my favorite of his, but I did listen to an interesting interview with him in a podcast.  Our 'Shrouded in Mystery' Book Group will discuss an earlier book of his, Eight Perfect Murders, in May.

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey - This book is the 3rd in Massey's Perveen Mistry series.  I liked it very much and hope this series will continue.  The protagonist is based on India's first female lawyer and it's set in 1920's India.  

The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths - I just could not wait for the 14th Ruth Galloway book and so I ordered the hardcover from the UK.  This series is published in the UK in early spring, February usually, and in the US in late June.  I had a gift card and so...why not?  Loved this one.  I thought the author did a good job of including the pandemic in the story and there are some startling revelations about certain characters as well.  Of course, this means that I'll have to wait longer for the next 'Ruth' book.  Ha!

The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye - This was re-read for the 'Historical Fiction' Book Group meeting that will take place Thursday.  I had read and discussed this one with another group several years ago, but I couldn't remember a lot of specifics other than that it told of the beginnings of the NYPD way back in the 1840's.  I remembered why I liked it so much.  It is a little gritty and I'll be curious what other members of the group think about it.

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I think that's about all the news I have.  My husband has been going back and forth to Austin a bit for his 'so far' one-day-a-week in the office.  We got to spend some time with family eating out this last weekend.  It was nice to catch up with our daughter and son-in-law and my husband's extended family.  We're looking forward to being able to host them here in a few months.  Otherwise, all seems to be well.  Take care everyone and get out and enjoy some 'blooms'! 

And March blows in...catching up...

 

Hello book friends!  Can't believe that we are halfway through March!  Where does the time go?  Happily, I saw some flowers blooming a couple of days ago on my morning walk.  Pretty yellow daffodils (right?).  I hope that means that other lovely flowers are just around the corner.  I have noticed that spring is a bit slower to show up here in our new area.  It's curious to me that only a few miles west and a bit south and the climate is noticeably different.  I'll adjust though.  Really hoping that we've seen our last low temperature in the 20's for the season.  

I think the last time I posted about my reading here I was doing some catch-up on a few mystery series that I enjoy.  Since that time, I've read these books:

Reading update:

Last Seen Alive by Joanna Schaffhausen (5th in her Ellery Hathaway series) - hoping it's not the last, but some storylines are mostly resolved.  Really recommend this series.

The Deepest Of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong (7th in her Rockton series) - I think this might be the last of this series, but who knows?  I do know that the author has a new series starting in a few weeks.  It's A Rip Through Time and I'm on the hold list at the library for this one.

Miss Moriarty, I Presume by Sherry Thomas (6th in her Lady Sherlock series) - again, the series progresses and I'll be curious to see where she goes from this point.  Not sure it's the end though.

The Appeal by Janice Hallett - this is the debut book by the author and I'm a bit torn about what to share here.  It's an epistolary novel (which I normally love) and it's a mystery, but...it's more than a bit odd.  A little tough to say exactly what it was in the end.  Told in emails and texts and letters and having some quite annoying characters, I finished it and said, 'Ok, on to the next.'  Take from that what you may.  Ha!  Have any of you read this book?  Curious what others might get from it.  

Book Groups Update:

I missed the first two book groups in March.  Out of town for one and had an allergy sinus headache for the other.  The Historical Fiction book group discussed These Is My Words by Nancy Turner.  I had read that one many years ago, but knew I would not be here.  Didn't reread it.  The book selected for April is The Gods Of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye.  I have also read that one in the past and plan to read it again.  

The second week group is the Brown Bag book group.  They discussed The Library Book by Susan Orlean.  I had skimmed that one after having discussed it with another book group some years ago.  Haven't talked to the librarian yet to see how it went.  The April selection is Behind The Scenes At The Museum by Kate Atkinson.  Again, have read that one long ago, but I'll do a reread.  I think this book was the author's first book.

Tomorrow afternoon is the Shrouded in Mystery book group and the discussion will be about The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths.  I just finished a reread of that book and enjoyed it thoroughly again.  I really need to get to the second book, The Postscript Murders.  Have you read The Stranger Diaries?  Lots of Gothic fun.  The April book for this group is After The Crash by Michael Bussi.  And I haven't previously read this one.  Yay!

The fourth week book group is the Talking Texas book group.  I'm currently rereading Elizabeth Crook's Monday, Monday for that discussion.  I was part of a group that discussed this book soon after it was published (2014) and we were able to speak online with the author about it.  Not everyone has loved this one, but it does give a good account of Austin and surrounding area during and just after the University of Texas Tower shooting in 1966.  The story tells of three students that were there that day and how that tragedy affected their lives for decades.  I do think the book is better in the early parts and then kind of gets a little 'soap opera'-ish in the second half.  Will be curious what others in the group think.  

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Think that's about all I have for today.  In regular life, not much to tell.  We're still back and forth a bit to Austin.  My husband's company will return to the office next week for the start of their 'hybrid' work.  We're hoping to be able to take a trip in early summer to North Carolina.  And our renovations will one day happen.  Have a good rest of the week!  And I'll be back in a while with more pictures hopefully.  Take care, everyone!       

How can researching historical fiction be so delightful? - A guest post by Gail Kittleson

 

How can researching historical fiction be so delightful? Let me count the reasons!

First of all, I’m curious. Always have been. Even in my youth, my questions may have seemed a bit “off” because I often searched beneath the surface. (Not too popular with my dad, a World War II vet working hard to make up for the time he had lost.) What business did this prying little snoop have delving into his motivations?

But this inquisitiveness has taken me places, and names exude history’s intrigue. For example, why would someone name a location Loyal Valley? 

Before I could unearth the answer, this name had me hooked. Wow—a pioneer German immigrant chose Loyal Valley to reveal the area’s loyalty to the Union despite Texas officially joining the confederacy. 

This act required courage. After all, tensions ran high during that period, and the Nueces Massacre took place quite close. But John Meusebach possessed courage in spades. 

Secondly, I love stories. 

Perhaps my searches involve human story as much as historical fact. I’m hungry for instances of courage, fortitude, and determination. Perhaps my background plays a role in this as well. Growing up in a tense household on an isolated family farm gave me a feel for tenacity and perseverance, because Mom displayed these qualities every day. 

The capacity to “grin and bear it” ran deep in her. She’d experienced hole-in-the-shoe poverty in the Depression and watched two older brothers go off to fight in the war.

Obstacles notwithstanding, she trucked on. And beside her, her second child wondered, asked, and sometimes nagged. Always pondering, nose stuck in a book at every opportunity, this girl surfaced with even more questions. 

Though others might scoff at the way her mind worked, foundations were being laid stone by stone, cemented into place. And sixty years later, I take joy in leaving no stone unturned in my research. Which brings me to our third reason: the joy of discovery.

Often while I’m searching, an intuition arises, so I must see if history bears out this possible scenario. In researching the Fall of Bataan, I thought, “Surely, with over 70,000 Allied captives and such mountainous terrain, some soldiers must have escaped.” 

A whole lot of reading later, evidence came to light. Indeed, some officers had escaped to fight with Philippine guerillas in the heights. Such satisfaction ensued—my instincts rode close to the truth, and my hero might survive being a POW, might even make it back to the States. 

Fourth, (and last for this writing) I like to learn. Isn’t that one reason we’re still here on earth, to learn and grow? A person cannot study history without learning—just today, a bias I’ve held for decades against a certain politician dissolved. How did I miss his part in aiding Jewish individuals to emigrate to the U.S. before and after World War II? 

Historical research takes you where you allow it to. And the best part? The process amounts to pure fun!

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My thanks to Gail for sharing her joy of historical research with us.  I liked her book Land That I Love very much and hope to read others.  Her website is gailkittleson.com and you can find lots of information there.  Enjoy!

Land That I Love by Gail Kittleson

Land That I Love by Gail Kittleson

Blurb:

Set in the German Hill Country of Texas during World War II, Land That I Love is a sweeping literary novel of love and loss; friendship and animosity; fathers and sons; and coping during times of war and peace. Yet it is more than a love story. It is about the racism and bigotry that still exist in our world. As author Gail Kittleson’s characters struggle with the problems of everyday life, they teach us that we survive hard times by being good neighbors despite our differences and that hatred can be conquered by love, understanding and forgiveness.

My Thoughts:

Land That I Love was the January selection for the 'Talking Texas' Book Group here in my new town.  We were lucky enough to have the author, Gail Kittleson, attend our meeting and share with us some thoughts on her writing journey with this book and in general.  Gail is originally from Iowa, but now lives in Arizona, and she was on a book tour through the Central Texas area.  Gail wrote about her trip here on her website. 

I mentioned in another blog post that I really enjoyed this book.  Honestly, a lot more than I thought I would.  As most of you know, I'm firmly in the Mystery 'wheelhouse', but I do venture out from time to time (which is good for me).  I knew that Land That I Love was set in Central Texas during the World War II years.  I also knew it told of a family and friends that lived during that time and of their experiences.  Our librarian moderator had said that it was a sweet story with a lot of character growth.  I had not anticipated the amount of historical details that I would encounter that both spoke to me and my life and also caused me to think and ponder.  I'll share a bit about those.

My father was a WWII vet and he spent his time in the Pacific arena.  He didn't talk about it much, but he and my mother did share some memories of that time with us as we grew up.  My mother had memories of the Pearl Harbor attack and listening to the radio that day.  I knew that FDR had addressed the nation.  I did not remember that Eleanor Roosevelt also addressed the country and was the first public figure to do that day on her radio show.  The First Lady spoke to all Americans, but she also addressed the women and young people specifically.  What a strong leader she was! 

There were other things about Texas during the time - the fact that many pilots were trained here not far from our area.  Women did a lot of the ferrying of the planes back and forth so that the men training could have access to the equipment they needed.  I knew, of course, about the internment camps for Japanese Americans.  I had not heard as much about the German Americans.  Central Texas was settled by many people that came from Germany and Central Europe.  And there was discrimination during the war years.  I wrote a post here a few years ago about visiting Fredericksburg, Texas (about 20 miles from Kerrville where I live) and touring the National Pacific War Museum and seeing the Admiral Chester Nimitz Gallery.  Admiral Nimitz was born in Fredericksburg and was a descendent of some of those German settlers.  I could go on and on.  Ha!

Our book group enjoyed talking with Gail, the author, and she shared her love of historical research with us and talked about her writing life.  Many questions were asked and several in the group told a bit of their own stories and growing up knowing this or that regarding the topics brought up in the book.  It was a great meeting.  Glad I was able to attend.

I'm delighted to share a guest post by Gail Kittleson tomorrow.  She also has written other books set during that WWII time period.  You can find info about them on her website:  gailkittleson.com.      

February reading and book groups so far...

 

Hello book friends!  Can you believe that February is already half over?  I can't.  The days are passing quickly.  I couldn't find a good picture from my morning walks (which have been a bit nippy this last couple of weeks), so I'm sharing a picture of my new library's 'Blind Date With A Book' display.  Have you ever tried one of those?  I've seen other libraries and bookstores have this type of event.  Books are gift-wrapped and a 'teaser' is taped to the 'gift'.  The patron decides on one to try, unwraps it, and begins reading their 'blind date'.  This library also included a nice bookmark.  After you try the book, you're asked to turn in a 'review' of your date.  It could be a 'dud' or you'll 'just be friends' or maybe 'love at first sight'.  Ha!  I had selected a book on Monday when I was volunteering and was going to check it out when I completed my 'shift' of shelving.  Well, someone else 'stole' my 'date'!  My second choice was a 'just friends' selection.  Or maybe a 'dud'.  I was nice in my 'review'.  (P.S. It really was a 'dud' for me!)  Oh, my 'blind date' was Milkman by Anna Burns.  Not for me.  Have you read it?

I've been busy the last couple of weeks with several things house related and we also were lucky enough to have an ice storm.  Most tiresome that was.  Not as bad as the big storm last year that Texas had, but we had to stay home for 2 or 3 days.

Reading:

My reading has been progressing, but not as fast.  I did complete the book for the new Mystery Book Group here (will talk about that in a minute).  I also read The Unheard by Nicci French and Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner.  Both the last two fell into the psychological thriller realm and, though I've read other books by Nicci French and liked them, this one was only OK for me.  Greenwich Park has been reviewed well and I think many have liked it, but the protagonist was way too anxious for me and I ended up thinking that I need a break from these type books.

I've decided to catch up on J.D. Robb's Eve Dallas series and have now completed Faithless in Death and Forgotten in Death.  Today, I started Abandoned in Death, her newest that just came out.  My reading feels much better.  I love Eve and Roarke.  

Book Groups:

Since it's been a few weeks, I'll talk about a couple of book group meetings.  When I last posted, it was the day before the 'Talking Texas' Book Group met and we discussed Land That I Love written by Gail Kittleson.  I'm going to share about this book and our meeting, which the author attended, next week.  Gail also was kind enough to write a guest post for the blog and it will be up next week as well.  Stay tuned!  We really liked the book, by the way.

The ice storm cancelled our 'Historical Fiction' Book Group discussion unfortunately.  We had read The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.  That one will be talked about quickly at our March 3rd meeting as well as the March book, These Is My Words by Nancy Turner.  Sadly, I'll have to miss the meeting as I'll be in Austin for a few days.  I read These Is My Words a number of years ago and liked it very much.  Have you tried that one?  Recommended.

The second week of the month is the 'Brown Bag' Book Group, which reads fiction/non-fiction.  We had a fun time talking about Lorna Landvik's newest, Chronicles of a Radical Hag.  Not many in the group had known of Lorna Landvik's books and another member and I recommended a few for them to try.  Ever read this author's works?  I've enjoyed what I've read.  Our book for March is The Library Book by Susan Orlean.  I'm looking forward to hearing what others think about that one.  And I think I'll re-read it. 

Have I confused you about my many book groups yet?  Ha!  Today's meeting was the 'Shrouded in Mystery' Book Group.  First book discussion and it was a lot of fun as well.  We talked about The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. I personally liked the book a lot, though I have heard from other bloggers that it wasn't quite such a favorite.  This group definitely got the whole 'older people' sleuth vibe.  One member wanted to sign up to move into the retirement community that the characters live in.  We talked about how it might look if adapted for TV and who might play the characters.  The librarian has read the second book in the series, The Man Who Died Twice, and said she really liked that one too.  I felt like I could see Helen Mirren as Elizabeth, the character that was a spy 'back in the day'.  Thumbs up from that group for sure.  Our next discussion will be The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths.  I love that book!  I had a good time telling them about the Ruth Galloway series by the author as well.  Hope some will try that as well as her Magic Men series.  

That's all I have about book groups.  As I said, I'll share more about Gail Kittleson's Land That I Love next week, as well as her guest post about historical research.

Hope all of you are well.  Now if only spring would burst forth with those wildflowers!!!                  

Happy Valentine's Day! Back soon...

 

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!  Hope it is a day of love and good cheer and maybe a bit of chocolate, right?  We're going to a favorite restaurant tonight and are 'gifting' ourselves with something sweet - maybe cake or cobbler.  We don't do dessert much these days, but Valentine's Day deserves a treat.  As a 'blast from the past', we got engaged 42 years ago today - gotta celebrate that!  

I've been busy with a bunch of things and haven't gotten too many books read.  I'll try to get back around later in the week to update on reading, life, and book groups.  And maybe a picture of something from my walks if I find a suitable subject.  Still waiting for spring....take care!

Almost the end of January and reading...

Hey, everyone!  Nice to be here to and share a little bit.  The picture above is from my walk this morning.  It shows a few of the deer (I count 12) that are wandering around our neighborhood all the time.  This bunch are all does I think and they were happily congregated and munching.  The bucks are out and around though and the other day there was some 'courtship' going on in our backyard.  Well, the buck wanted 'courtship', but the does were saying 'no, thanks!'.  Ha!  It was fairly cool out there today, low 40's with a breeze, and I was moving briskly.  Here's a little update:

Reading:

Another two books finished, both of which are for library book groups here.  I'm trying to get a little ahead of things with those four groups and also trying to select which ones I will indeed read and which I'll skim or skip.  

Chronicles of a Radical Hag (With Recipes) by Lorna Landvik

Land That I Love by Gail Kittleson

I enjoyed both of these books and especially liked Land That I Love.  I wasn't expecting to like that one so much, but just goes to show - you never know.

I've read other books by Lorna Landvik in the past, but it's been quite a while.  Chronicles of a Radical Hag is the February selection for the 'Brown Bag' Book Group and I'll share about our discussion after that occurs.  I will say that this one had more overview of the time period from the '60's to almost current day and it was told partly through newspaper columns that one of the characters had written across that time period.  Lots of reminders of things that I hadn't forgotten completely, but had not thought of in years.  Plus recipes.  The main story is about Haze Evans, the columnist, who has had a stroke and is in a coma.  Her publisher, Susan McGrath, decides to republish Haze's first column and then continues republishing selected columns in order.  And this is how the story is told, also with bits from the present day.  

Land That I Love by Gail Kittleson is the selection for the 'Talking Texas' Book Group for January.  We will meet tomorrow and talk about it and the author is supposed to be with us to share her writing journey.  This event had to be rescheduled once, but it seems it will happen this time.  The story is set in the Texas Hill Country, mostly north of where we are here in Kerrville, and the time period is the WWII era.  I was happy to read the book, but had no idea that I would enjoy the historical and local tidbits so very much.  Again, I'll share more next week after the meeting. 

New Mystery Book Group:

The second new book group that the library here has started is one that will concentrate on the mystery genre.  And I guess you can imagine that attending this one will not at all be a 'chore' for me.  Ha!  I am delighted.  The librarian/moderator told us that she wants to read all kinds of mysteries and shared how this genre is more broad than many readers would think.  There were five of us in attendance and apparently three others called the library to say they wanted to come but the weather forecast was not good.  We did have sleet/snow spitting outside last Thursday.  We shared what we liked about reading mysteries and there was another member who had been part of a mystery book group in the past.  I think this group will be fun and I suspect others will want to join.  

Our first book selection is The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.  It's one that I've had on my list and heard good things, but not read as yet.  Well, I'm in the middle of it now and liking it a lot.  The second book in the series is out now and a third is promised.  The Thursday Murder Club is nominated for at least 6 upcoming mystery awards.  Have you read it and what did you think?

Regular Life:

I don't have much to share in this category.  Just doing the usual or what has become the usual.  Volunteering for things connected with the library and the Friends of the Library, walking in the neighborhood and always getting to visit with or meet others that way.  We're still working on making selections for our upcoming renovations.  And we're not driving into Austin as much as we thought we would.  I do have some upcoming annual doctor appointments, but that's about it.  

Hope all of you are well and have had a good January.  See you next week and February, here we come! 

Another busy week - reading and other stuff...

Greetings, book friends!  Hope all of you are doing OK and managing through winter, complicated times, and also in your health.  I am doing fine and have been busy.  I'm trying to think about how to construct these 'weekly' posts.  Think I won't worry about whether they are actually about a 7-day week or just what's been going on since I last posted.  I don't seem to be able to plan to write this on a certain day.  Anyway, I'm sure you don't care about that.  Ha!  Well, let's see what I can share:

Reading:

I've finished two more books since we last visited together.  I liked both of them, one more than the other.  

Saving Meghan by D.J. Palmer 

A Flicker In The Dark by Stacy Willingham

Saving Meghan was a book I'd had on my Kindle for well over a year.  Written by D.J. Palmer (who is also Daniel Palmer), it was what I'd call a medical thriller.  I used to really like those types of books - like what Robin Cook has written.  I finished this one, but wasn't quite as pleased.  Featuring a teenage daughter with an 'unknown' illness, a mother who teetered on the edge of way too overly involved in her daughter's life, and a father that I didn't like at all, this book kind of got on my nerves.  I will probably not read any more books by this author.

A Flicker In The Dark was one that I did like quite a bit.  It's a dark story with a theme about missing teenage girls in the past, in the current day, and a female psychologist who has family secrets about the past and perhaps about the present.  It's gotten a lot of notice and the blurbs were by big-name authors.  Think it has also been sold already for TV adaptation.  It's Stacy Willingham's debut novel and I think she's definitely got talent.  A few annoyances about the protagonist and I did figure out most of the twists, but that's not unusual for me.  I can recommend this one and would be interested in what others think about it. 

'Brown Bag' Book Group:

The 'Brown Bag' book group is one I've attended before here in Kerrville and it's the 2nd week of the month book 'club'.  We read and discussed The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.  I liked the book a lot and thought it was quite interesting in the ways it made me think about my life and what might have been different had I chosen another path.  Most in the group liked it, though there were a couple who were not as impressed.  I think it was quite a 'change-up' for several with the meta-physical aspects included.  Our librarian moderator mentioned several things about the author and his struggles with mental health.  We thought that he did a good job with including some aspects of that personal challenge through the story.  Several said that they would try other books by him.

Our selection for February is Lorna Landvik's Chronicles of a Radical Hag (With Recipes).  I'm reading that one right now.

Regular Life:

In 'non-book' life, we met with our contractor to do some more planning for our upcoming renovations inside our house.  Those will include the kitchen and bathrooms.  He made the suggestion that we should go ahead and pick out the counters, tile, appliances, etc., because of a need to get orders in.  Yes, there are supply chain issues and material holdups.  Right now, windows that he had ordered for another job are 21 weeks out.  Whew!  We did go and take a look at a couple of showrooms and made our selections.  We'll see how it goes when orders are placed.  The contractor and his staff won't be starting here for several more weeks, but we'll get there eventually.  

Otherwise, it's cold today with bits of sleet spitting down.  Not much and don't think it will be enough to mess up the roads.  It was well over 70 yesterday and the ground is warm.  That's January in Texas.  You never know what you'll get from day to day.  As I said last week, I'm ready for the wildflowers.  Have a good week!     

2022 is starting off well in my reading department....happily!

Hello book friends!  As I mentioned a couple of times, I'm going to try to stop by here at least once a week and share a bit about my reading, my book groups, my volunteering, my walking, and whatever else I can think up to talk about.

Reading:

I've finished three books so far in 2022 and I'm happy about my reading pace.  I enjoyed all of them.

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell  

Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger

The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan

I think I might have read a book by Lisa Jewell before, but I can't quite remember.  Lisa Unger is a great favorite of mine and I've loved her books set in upstate New York in a town called The Hollows.  That location plays a bit of a part in Last Girl Ghosted, but it's not one that is exclusively set there.  I've known of Allison Brennan for many years, but have not read any of her books.  I liked this and will probably check out more of her books.  I do think I saw Allison at a book conference a number of years ago. 

Historical Fiction Book Group:

I've mentioned that my new library here in Kerrville is starting two new book groups this year and so that will mean every Thursday will have a meeting there for a total of four groups.  The first week of the month is the Historical Fiction Group.  There were 8 of us at the first meeting, including the librarian and she spent a bit of time talking about what the group would be like.  She encouraged all of us to suggest books and then told us what we'd read for our February meeting.  The choice was The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.  I read that one about three years ago and discussed it with the mystery group I was part of in Austin.  A good choice and a couple of the others had read it as well and were enthusiastic about it.  Kate Quinn's newest book, The Rose Code, was also mentioned as a good one.  I checked out The Alice Network and plan to at least skim it again to refresh my memory.  We'll know the Mar-Jun books at the next meeting.  I think I can handle 4 groups.  Ha!

Regular Life:

I went to Austin early last week for my annual dermatologist appointment and was happy to see that she didn't find too many little spots to 'freeze' with her liquid nitrogen.  Yay!  I always want to keep up with those exams as I've had some little skin cancers in the past that had to be taken off.  Best to be proactive with those screenings.  Let's see - I also got a haircut on Thursday and helped out at the 'Friends of the Library' bookstore on Wednesday.  We had trees trimmed in our yard and it's looking so much better.  Maybe some grass can actually grow in the back yard.  It was so full of shade that not much sunlight reached the ground.  Still waiting on the inside renovations, but the outside is shaping up nicely.  

I think that's about all I have to share this week.  No pictures from my walks.  It's been quite cool and my hands are wearing gloves and stuffed in my pockets.  Spring will arrive in a few weeks though and I look forward to wildflowers.  Take care everyone and see you next week!!