One more walk should finish this book up. Then I won‘t know how long I‘ll have to wait for the next one. I intended to take a long walk at the park but I ran into a friend I haven‘t seen since our university first closed for COVID. We had a lot to catch up on, so my walk ended up being a short one as I didn‘t want to walk in the dark. #audiowalk

This version of A Christmas Carol told through texts and social media posts was okay. Sometimes the only reason I understood what was happening is that I‘ve read the book and seen multiple movie versions of it multiple times. In some areas, it was a little too jokey for me. I didn‘t hate it, but I won‘t be reading it again either like I do the original book.

One of the characters in this story is a social media influencer; she is truly an awful person. What I don‘t get about her is that people tolerate her terrible behavior just so she won‘t throw a tantrum. That‘s how you enable entitled behavior. Ugh. I walked in a couple of places I haven‘t been in awhile; a park and a tiny cemetery. #audiowalk

This is the latest in the Gethsemane Brown series, so I figured I would finish it and wait for a new one. It‘s beautiful outside today — this weather is my favorite to walk in because you don‘t get too sweaty. #audiowalk

I like this series and the main character, but if my high school boyfriend implicated me in a murder when we were teenagers and I had to leave town because the talk about me was so bad, there‘d be no forgiveness — ever — from me. Violet looks like she might be headed down that road. Ugh. #audiowalk

I finished up both Fatality in F and What the Cat Dragged In on my walk today. Both books rank among my favorites in their respective series. With Cat, after 14 books, it turns out there are still surprises with Charlie and new things to learn. With Fatality, the story was just really interesting. #audiowalk

This is my evening listen, but I decided to bring it on my walk. Charlie inherits a house, and finds old bones in it. Whose bones are they, and what happened to them? Does Charlie‘s family have secrets, or does this secret belong to the family who held a lifetime lease on the house? #audiowalk

“Bother me one more time while I‘m reading. I dare you.” Right now, I‘m having issues with concentrating. If it weren‘t for audiobooks, I‘d be in a full-blown reading slump. I‘ve only read 5 books this month and 4 of them have been audiobooks.

Jenny Lawson‘s Broken was acting up on my walk so I started Fatality in F instead. One of the things I like about this series is that the people in the village actually comment on the fact that there have been more murders in their town since Gethsemane arrived, and some view her as having brought bad luck to the town. This rarely happens in cozy mysteries. #audiowalk

Hall is one of my favorite crime writers; Lou Norton is a great character. Here she‘s looking to find the murderer of young girls. I liked the story and the view into Lou‘s life. My only problem with this book is that I figured out the killer very early, and I‘m notoriously bad at that. Lou, as a professional, should‘ve noticed the clues. My daughter and I took my husband for a walk; it‘s the first time he‘s been outside in a month. #audiowalk

I‘m really liking this book and have about two hours left. I think I know who the killer is, but I‘m not sure at all. It could be a red herring. My walk was actually a little chilly. I considered putting on the jacket I‘d brought with me. #audiowalk

Poor Lou; she‘s never going to get some alone time with her new man between a grisly murder and her friends interrupting them just to be sure he is right for her. 😄. I have no idea why that bow is on that bush in the middle bottom picture. #audiowalk

1: City Lights — also Powell‘s and The Strand
2: No. I might have one book on my mind when I go, but sometimes I don‘t even get the original book. Instead, I‘ll get something that seems more interesting. I‘m a browser.
#Two4Tuesday

I took a break from Jenny Lawson for a bit to start this 3rd book in the Lou Norton detective series. I hate when it gets dark this early; I have to rush to get in an outside walk. #audiowalk

While I like these books, it‘s beyond me why Meg hasn‘t learned yet to avoid being alone in isolated places when there‘s a killer on the loose. This is the Christmas book, and it‘s on the low end of my pick scale. Mostly because the story went a little slow. It‘s been my bedtime listening, but I was almost finished, so I took it on my walk to finish it up. #audiowalk

I really liked the story here with the evil ghost killing first born children in revenge for her murder. The narrator had trouble maintaining Gethsemane‘s Virginia accent. It was a little distracting and was something I hadn‘t noticed in previous books. I started Broken when I finished this book. I love this quote, “What we really want to know is that we‘re not alone in our terribleness.” Beautiful, if a little chilly, walk. #audiowalk

One or two walks walks should finish this book up. It was actually almost a little chilly today when I went for my walk. #audiowalk

This is about all my mind was up to reading today. As a fan of Midsommer Murders and tons of other murder mystery books and shows, this book was a lot of fun for me — if a bit short. It included quizzes, which I failed, so now you know that if I ever say I‘m going to a quaint English village I‘m probably not coming back.

I love this time of year; I can walk outside without nearly having heatstroke. This book has a really interesting storyline with a curse thrown by a 500 year-old ghost and an opera that tells that story. #audiowalk

After a month, my husband finally came home from the hospital last Thursday. Things have settled down, and I now feel emotionally able to set some goals for #BFC21. I‘m glad to be back to this again.

More Gethsemane Brown for walking. I hadn‘t checked my Conqueror challenge in a long time, but I checked it and discovered that I‘d finished it! It was 186 miles along the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (virtually), where my mom grew up. That was an exciting discovery. 😊

Bourdain was a good choice as narrator for his story, and the book was fun, but now I‘m not sure if I ever want to go to a restaurant again! I was floored by how many casual references to suicide there were in this book. Also, it must have been written before he knew Tom Colicchico because he mispronounced his name. Ramp is begun in preparation for my husband‘s return from the hospital, finally; he‘s been there since September 30! #audiowalk

While I still liked this book, Gethsemane did something so colossally stupid in it that I wanted to strangle her! The story was good if a little convoluted, and we meet a new and interesting ghost. I will definitely continue with this series. Started Kitchen Confidential and am a bit saddened by the number of throwaway references Bourdain makes to suicide. #audiowalk

It rained a fair amount earlier today, so I was afraid I wouldn‘t be able to get out and walk, but it stopped. In this book, Gethsemane and her brother-in-law who‘s visiting from the US, get involved in an art fraud case that turns into murder. #audiowalk

The continuing adventures of the Thursday Murder Club only this time they involve someone from Elizabeth‘s past. I liked this one even better than the first one, and I would not want to become Elizabeth‘s enemy! And Joyce seems ditzy but she‘s actually whip smart and proves it in this book — I‘m loving her. My new walking book is Death in D Minor. #audiowalk

I guessed a plot twist! I‘m really terrible at that. Osman introduces Ron‘s grandson, Kendrick, in this book, and he‘s a wonderful character. We are experiencing a “cool” front, so it got down to 63° today, making it a beautiful day for a walk. #audiowalk

This is my new walking book, and I‘m liking it so far. It was a lovely day outside, so I got in a couple of nice walks. My husband has been seriously ill, and he‘s now in rehab. He‘s doing better now, but he won‘t be coming home for at least two more weeks. The walks are helping to keep me on an even keel mentally; so are the audiobooks. #audiowalk

Well, I‘ve found a new series. Gethsemane Brown is a great character, and I love her interactions with the ghost in her house and with the villagers. I saw a bunny on my evening walk. #audiowalks

When I took a course on diversity in libraries, we talked about read-alikes; if a patron tells you they like a certain book, what books you can recommend that are similar to what they like but are by diverse authors. This series features a Black woman and is written by a Black woman and was recommended when we talked about cozy mysteries. I‘m loving it and Gethsemane Brown, a classical musician living and teaching in Ireland. #audiowalk

I loved this book. Sometimes I got confused with the plot, but the characters are fantastic. My favorite might be Elizabeth, whose backstory I really want to hear more about. Looking forward to book two. I discovered a teeny, tiny graveyard and a gigantic oak in a park I walk in relatively frequently. I don‘t know how I missed them. It made me feel better when a friend said he & his wife go there all the time and never saw them either. #audiowalk

Because of various issues going on, I have not walked since September 22. Today, I finally went out for a walk. If was just so nice. I‘m enjoying The Thursday Murder Club. #audiowalk

I recommend listening to Rick Bragg‘s books instead of reading the print or ebook. He‘s got that storyteller‘s voice that drags you into his tales and makes you feel like you‘re listening to your best friend. I especially enjoyed the sections on New Orleans and its food.

1: Dial A for Aunties (ebook), Hood Feminism (ebook), Where I‘m From (audio), and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (print)
2: Aunties is funny. Hood has a different perspective than mine. Rick Bragg has a great voice, so the stories make you feel like you‘re hearing from a friend. Just started Hotel.
#Two4Tuesday

This book was fun, surprisingly a little heart-warming, and not very gross. Not gross is an important factor for me as it‘s generally my problem with all things zombie. Angel is a great character, and you‘ll find yourself rooting for her. Starting Dial A for Aunties now.

Because I‘ve had such a bad two weeks, a friend of mine bought this and sent it to me and my daughter. She said she thought we‘d enjoy it. It definitely looks like fun. 😊

This evening‘s reading. Love the cover.

I got the news today that I have skin cancer — I will be fine; the doctor says it‘s highly treatable. But “cancer” is a scary word, even when you know you‘ll be fine, so I‘m lying here in bed, wallowing, eating junk, and reading Edward Lee. I‘m giving myself today for the wallowing; tomorrow, I‘ll just have to go back to my regular self.

So, I finished How Y‘all Doing? today. It was a nice and mostly fun book. Like the Dolly Parton book I listened to, it felt conversational, and I liked that aspect. Leslie Jordan seems like he‘d be a fun person to know. Now I need a new walking book. Anyone read anything funny and/or light recently? Or read a cozy mystery that would make a good walking book?

It‘s back to Leslie Jordan for my walks. It‘s been awhile because I decided to finish up Synchronized Sorcery for my last walk, and when I went to the beach and walked, I didn‘t feel like listening to anything but the waves. I‘m in a more serious section now where he‘s talking about what AIDS was like in the 80s. I remember that so well. #audiowalk

I‘ve been listening to this at night but decided to finish it up on my walk this evening. I was afraid I wouldn‘t get to walk because it‘s been raining most of the day, but it stopped. This wasn‘t my favorite book in the series, and it ended abruptly and anticlimactically with some things left unanswered. I still liked it though, and I still love Xe Sands as the narrator. #audiowalk

Typical Jeeves & Wooster. Bertie‘s shenanigans always make me smile if not laugh out loud — something I needed today. My daughter brought me this framed picture of our sweet boy. That helped as well; I miss him.

This is the 2nd Worcester & Reeves book, following What Ho, Automaton. It‘s short, but my husband & I really enjoyed listening to it, except this narrator got Reeves completely wrong. He gave him a working-class accent, and given that these characters are based on Wodehouse‘s Jeeves & Wooster, it‘s wrong. Also read The Sound of the Sea while at the sea. #audiowalk

Well, that was a weird, oddly specific little detail. “… a dead bluebottle fell on the usher‘s head.” It might be my occasionally weird sense of humor, but that line made laugh.

Not feeling well, so I left work early and am now sitting here in bed reading the 3rd Inspector Barnaby book. I don‘t expect to need much concentration for it.

This collection of essays was really good. Heartfelt, funny, and touching. Green reveals a lot of himself in many of them and covers a variety of topics from his war with a gopher, to living in the pandemic, to art, to dinosaurs. Jayne was keeping me company most of the day.

I heard this was good, so it‘s my new walking book. I‘m on chapter three and it‘s been fun so far. I love his narration. #audiowalk

In this book John Green reviews and rates experiences in the 20th and 21st centuries. In that vein, I‘d like to rate coronavirus as a negative I don‘t know what — there‘s not a number low enough. This is my daughter‘s cat, Jayne. He‘s the best cat we‘ve ever had. We‘ve had him for about 2 years and just found out he is dying from FIT, called the feline coronavirus. Damn it.

This was a totally fun listen that left a lot of questions unanswered. Not in terms of the mystery, but in terms of the flock. The sheep aren‘t completely anthropomorphized; they are like sheep — they just understand English. #audiowalk

We drove to the beach today, and it wasn‘t nearly as crowded as I thought it would be. The park in Foley has fall decorations up. I have 2 hours left in my sheep cozy, so I should be finished soon. #audiowalk

Some beach reading.