It‘s Friday and we‘ve got a heat warning, so I felt totally justified in taking my book & pool time early today. The dogs elected to nap inside, where it‘s frosty.

I borrowed a print copy of HoFaS a few weeks ago, brought it home, and said, “Why the hell didn‘t I get the ebook?” So into the queue I went, with a couple suspensions, and here it is. And here I am, trying to remember who‘s who because it‘s been a looooong time since the first books.

I made a start on this essay anthology while Rocco asked if I could pleasepleaseplease feed him early and also snuggle him. (Snuggles happened. Early breakfast did not.) The introduction was too dense and academic for me to really click with it, but Eden Robinson‘s piece was great. I‘m hoping for more like that and less of the “lemme show off how opaque and fancy I can be” stuff so many litfic writers trot out when they pen essays.

Read some more of SCARAMOUCHE with Wesley nearby. It‘s currently my secondary book, but I think it‘ll graduate to primary when I‘ve got a little gap. It‘s fun so far. I do wish my free copy had an interesting cover, though.

Did some post-breakfast outdoor reading with Cooper before the heat warning dropped into place.

SPLASHDANCE SILVER is another digital freebie I‘ve had forever, since a) it didn‘t make it onto La TBR because LibraryThing couldn‘t find it and I was too lazy to add it manually and b) for some reason I thought it was like 600 pages long. It‘s actually more like 300, and the first couple chapters were fun! I‘m eager to really sink into the story.

A great end to a great series. Sebastian and Wesley have some serious changes to contend with, both personally and magically, and I had a marvellous time watching them feel their way into their new realities and figure out the shape of their lives going forward, all while they bring the mystery to its dramatic conclusion.

You want these books if you crave historical fantasy about characters who shine on their own and get even better together.

I wanted some sort of skillety thing for my birthday breakfast and the fancy place I planned to order from wouldn‘t let me ask them to leave out the red onions. Boo. I stopped off at Tim Horton‘s instead for a resoundingly adequate scramble box alongside my daily short story.

This collection is HEAVY. Manea‘s fiction draws on his experiences in a concentration camp; an important subject that many people obviously need a refresher on.

The dogs and I tried to have a good ol‘ Canada Day outdoor read ahead of the fireworks, but a thunderstorm chased us inside. Probably cancelled the fireworks, too, unless the sound got tangled up with the thunder.

I‘m plugging away through the overtly SF bits of ElfQuest. I read a teensy bit of Jink‘s story right after I discovered the series, via an ancient library book, but most of this 800-page trade is new to me. Exciting times.

Today‘s feed trough pool experience involved an urban fantasy that reads like TWILIGHT with adult lesbians. So far it‘s tapped more into the slice of life stuff that made TWILIGHT so fun and readable (as long as you didn‘t actually THINK about it), but there‘s still a fair bit of creepy possessiveness. We‘ll see how it goes now Libby has learned Jo is a vampire. Will they play very loud baseball with Jo‘s extended family? Will anyone SPARKLE?

Alas, MAGICK & MAYHEM got silly, in a frustrating way rather than a fun one. At least I got to bail on it while I sat in an excellent feed trough pool. Now I know how great this thing is, I‘m just gonna lounge around in it allllll day. Cooper and his brothers can feed themselves.

(No, no, I kid. I‘ll serve up their lovingly prepared bowls of kibble, vitamins, and broth at the appointed hour. No dogs were harmed in my pursuit of pooly enjoyment.)

Delicious lime cerveza plus witchy cozy mystery. I‘m not too far into MAGICK & MAYHEM, but it‘s got promise! The dogs and I are gonna relocate outside to make a big dent in it.

I tried one of the local grocery store‘s whirled pastries and it was actually really good! Kind of like a croissant crossed with a Danish.

I ate it alongside my daily short story, with three drooling dogs just outside the frame. They all fell asleep once the plate was empty and their hopes were crushed.

Here I am, reading a book about a guy called Wesley while I hang out with a dog called Wesley! I‘m about an hour from the end of VISCOUNTS AND VILLAINY and I‘ve got many emotions about how the characters adjust to their new circumstances, but I‘m having a little trouble concentrating tonight. I blame dog-Wesley‘s excessively sweet face. (Sebastian would love him.) We‘ll see if I finish it in an hour or so or tomorrow morning.

I took some time out this morning to listen to THE KINGDOM OF COPPER and decorate my planner for July. The book‘s great—dark and stressful—and I love the succulent stickers I used for my birthday week. #audioplanning

I went into the library to pick up READY OR NOT (my penultimate book for #AuldLangSpine 2025!), but of course I couldn‘t resist this anthology of urban poetry from Africa off the New Stuff stand.

One of my bike tires went flat yesterday (while I was about an hour‘s bike-push from home; blah), so I had to hit Canadian Tire today—and hey, my favourite indie bookstore‘s in the same mall, and it would‘ve been rude not to stop in. I chose two books from the bargain section and a gorgeous new bookmark I shall use in my primary read.

I finished A CHOIR OF LIES while I cooked and ate kimchi udon, and ooooh boy. Great dish; great book. Rowland digs into some of my favourite themes, including how stories work, who gets to claim ownership over them, and how bias colours first person narration.

I know a lot of people on here consider first person lazy writing, but DUDE. Don‘t be a lazy reader; stay aware that YOU CANNOT TRUST FIRST PERSON NARRATORS, and so many layers open up.

Here I am, trying to combat sadness with Kopiko, strawberries, and a Regency friend-romance between an aromantic woman and a gay man. I loved the hell out of the first book in this series (SOMETHING FABULOUS) but just really liked the second (SOMETHING SPECTACULAR). This shall be the tie-breaker.

My stalwart companion as I reread ONCE A ROGUE. He‘s so red in the smokey light! I filtered him a bit to capture the colour I actually saw.

The book‘s still great. I love the way these characters bounce off each other, and Allie Therin‘s prose practically reads itself. I open my ereader and suddenly half an hour‘s gone by. I needed this, especially after I bailed on an opaque contemporary fantasy last night.

I‘m rereading PROPER SCOUNDRELS in preparation for VISCOUNTS & VILLAINY, with help from the cutest little scoundrel I know.

The finished baby blanket. I couldn‘t get it to block as large as I wanted it to with the materials available to me (a stretch frame), but the spirals still stand out better than they did.

Nw, onward through A CHOIR OF LIES. The first Chantiverse novel, A CONSPIRACY OF TRUTHS, had a strong KJ Parker influence, and it‘ll be interesting to see if it carries into this one. Rowland‘s more recent books have rather different vibes. #audioknitting

Doing the backyard cozy mystery thing with my new pal Finian. DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA is a bit slow to gain momentum, but it‘s the first in a series so I‘m willing to give it some time to establish the characters and the community.

I‘ve gotta conclude Evie Woods just isn‘t for me. I liked THE LOST BOOKSHOP, but I found THE STORY COLLECTOR pretty bland and I‘m tapping out of the bakery at page 74. Theres no spark there for me. 😔

At least I had super cute reading buddies while I made the attempt. Please enjoy Cooper‘s curly adorability.

Made some bunnies for some babies while I reread IRON WIDOW on audio. I originally planned to make two bunnies each for the two newborns and two toddlers, but the hand sewn parts are fiddly and I‘m time poor right now, so the newborns can have the bunnies and the older kids can have the store bought toys. #audiosewing

I started KJ Charles‘s latest last night, and oooh, friends, it‘s right where I want to be. I hope I can scrounge enough time to finish it on this busy day.

I stayed up late with SCIONS‘ FLIGHT, then got up a bit early to finish it. Now, a teensy break before I tackle the next collection in the Peltedverse. It‘s felt great to focus on these characters and their struggles for a decent stretch, but I‘ve got a whole bunch of other genres calling out to me.

Tonight‘s curried chickpea crunch is almost the same colour as the photo in the book! It‘s a miracle!

It was as delicious as the book‘s title promises, too. I ate it wrapped in lettuce, and lemme tell you, I‘ll be doing it again.

I‘m thrilled my library‘s revamped Hoopla subscription has helped me cross so much stuff off my wishlist. In this case, though, I loved Jenni Keer‘s latest so much I immediately went and bought it! (It‘s on for $0.99.) I‘ve enjoyed everything I‘ve read from Keer, but this one really upped the ante with how it tackled its characters‘ problems and confronted their emotional truths.

Today‘s other purchase: a tiny, 3D-printed skeleton!

I finally made a ZAO FAN recipe for breakfast! These hongyou chaoshou (red oil dumplings) sure woke me up.

I parked myself outside this afternoon and binge read the second half of DRAGONS‘ FEALTY. Just one book to go before I can take a wee break from the Peltedverse! The break‘s liable to be VERY wee, at that, because binging this was no hardship. Lots of chewy politics and great character moments. I‘m excited for the sequel, and for the stuff that comes after it. It‘s nice to get really involved in a series, too. I haven‘t had that for a while now.

Another DELICIOUS TONIGHT recipe that‘s nothing like the same colour as the example photo, even with a filter. Still, this crispy lemon garlic butter chicken was delicious. Anyone who can‘t stand the taste or smell of either lemon or garlic wants to avoid it at all costs, but all the other non-vegetarians can dive in and come out happy.

All of M.C.A. Hogarth‘s books are on Kobo Plus, but Hoopla has a couple of gaps near the end of the Fallowtide period. I‘m trying to shore those up before my KP subscription ends so I can continue on Hoopla, when I‘m ready.

Tonight‘s finale of IN THE COURT OF DRAGONS will happen alongside a bowl of sundubu-jjigae with egg and cheese.

I‘m working my way through a really lovely anthology of queer SFF stories, all of which feature plants in one way or another. Take particular note if you‘re doing an alphabet challenge and you still need an X title!

It‘s another book & skull evening! FATHERS‘ HONOR covers a lot of interesting ground as everyone in the Peltedverse adjusts to their new reality and grapples with the ethical implications of their presence on Escutcheon. I desperately wanted to binge read it this afternoon, but I‘ve got a strict people-over-books policy and I spent the whole afternoon and evening in company. Now I‘ll see how much I can get through before I‘m too tired to carry on.

I still have to sew all the ends in and block the thing, but here‘s a preview of the hexagonal spirals blanket I made for my cousin‘s baby.

I get to do this tedious work while I listen to MADENSKY SQUARE, my last unread adult Eva Ibbotson novel! I‘m so, so glad my library finally subscribed to the bookish bits of Hoopla so I can experience it at long last. It‘s amazing so far. Ibbotson had such love for people, and for Vienna. #audioknitting

Rainy day reading with Ivy, who is NOT happy with all these scary noises.

I‘m about halfway through THE HAUNTING OF HEATHERHURST HALL and I‘m enjoying it a lot. It‘s got great gothic atmosphere, though I‘m pretty sure the haunting is a DARK SECRET rather than an actual ghost.

I devoured the first 25% of HEARTSKEIN last night, but this is the first real chance I‘ve had to sit down with it since then. Jade has generously offered her services as reading buddy. She also notes the slight resemblance between herself and Vasiht‘h (whose name I suddenly forgot how to spell, even though I‘ve now read MANY BOOKS about him). They‘re both black and white, but Jade isn‘t a centaur and she doesn‘t have wings.

This week‘s library haul, plus a cool book on Gaudí from the thrift store. I went in to pick up my holds, but of course I also had to grab some stuff from the Pride and Indigenous Heritage displays.

Doing the beer & comics thing tonight, with a cameo from my living lettuce. Little Brown Jug‘s Queer Beer is a cherry lime lager this year, and it lives up to its can‘s promise—it IS fruitier and more fabulous than ever before.

The comic‘s a bit choppy (a common problem with adaptations, and one of the reasons I usually avoid them), but the story‘s got potential other than the hero‘s, “oh, I just can‘t control myself around you” schtick.

Now for some Korean fantasy with my sun-loving little buddy. THE RAINFALL MARKET isn‘t bad, but it‘s the kind of story I prefer on the screen. If this were a drama, I‘m sure I‘d be chuckling away at the big personalities and delighting in all the quirky Dokkaebi shops. As it is, I‘m reading straight-faced.

I finished FARMER‘S CROWN on a slight delay because I had to eat an enormous bowl of poke, but I did finish it! Hurray! It was probably my favourite M.C.A. Hogarth novel yet; the culmination of a bunch of things and the start of a whole bunch more, with tons of great moments between the characters. I teared up quite a lot.

Supperwise, I added braised pork belly on a whim and it was delicious on its own but didn‘t go with the rest. Sadness.

Saki‘s taken to sitting by the coffee table so he can stare at me while I read. It‘s a little bit cute and a little bit creepy.

He also sat on my lap for about forty-five seconds.

When I‘m not in a staring contest with the cat, I‘m making enjoyable but slow progress through FARMER‘S CROWN. I always enjoy M.C.A. Hogarth‘s books, but for some reason I also always feel like they take me way longer than books of comparable length. Sigh.

Today‘s #audiobaking on my mother‘s behalf involved banana cupcakes and the ganache to fill ‘em with. I did them gluten free this time because my aunt‘s coming to visit and she was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. Hopefully they turned out well. I‘ll find out when they cool off.

This is me feeling all, “OMG MUST READ MORE!!!!” about SOMETHING HUMAN.

And this is Casey being sad on my behalf because this is my last unread A.J. Demas novel and I‘m gonna be bereft when I finish it.

Throwback to last night, when I fried up some leftovers to go with another chunk of WINTER. I loathe winter, fully and completely, but these essays are fascinating. Adam Gopnik delves into how and why people engage positively with winter, with a hefty emphasis on how many of those who romanticize it are winter tourists who have the option to leave it when it gets a bit rough, or people who equate suffering with virtue.

This week‘s little library haul features two Korean books, a cozy mystery from the Asian Heritage display, and a sticker from the Pride display. UNDER THE OAK TREE caught my eye in a recent Kobo sale, but I should‘ve thought about my tastes a little more and requested the original novel instead. Comics adaptations of prose works rarely land for me. Let‘s hope this one is an exception.

Onward through the Peltedverse! I read the first third of HEALER‘S WEDDING last night and it‘s both nice to see everyone again and rather stressful because there‘re schemes afoot.

Last week‘s taro bun was so tasty I bought another for today‘s breakfast. I also invested in 60 sachets of Kopiko, so I should probably get a cup the right size for them.

I went from being unsure about Sebastian Nothwell‘s OAK KING HOLLY KING to enjoying it so much I downloaded the epilogue short story collection the moment I finished it. The stories herein are mostly longer novelettes, and the first two were great. It‘s always nice to get just a little more time with characters you like and want good things for.

Here I am, snickering my merry way through another fabulous, community-focused Jenny Colgan novel with a misleading blurb and a cover that screams, “I‘m about a needlecraft store!” when all the knitting happens in people‘s homes.

Gertie wouldn‘t approve of the wee blanket I‘m making for my cousin‘s new baby, since she‘s into boring colours (sorry, Gertie), but it brings ME joy. I can‘t wait to block it and bring the spirals into their full glory.

THE KNOWING is intense; both an in-depth history of the harm perpetuated against Indigenous people on Turtle Island and a personal look at the impact on Tanya Talaga‘s own family.

It‘s also one of many, many, MANY books I‘ve read about the evil done by various Christian churches over the last 500 years, and I realize I‘ve never read anything in which a Christian writer reckons with this horrific legacy. Can any of you recommend one to me?

Outdoor supper with manga and makgeolli. My salad was sooooo good! I tore up all the salami I had left, chopped up a bit of Brie, and dressed it with dumpling sauce in place of a vinaigrette.

Unfortunately, the book‘s not as good. Tatsuya Endo is one of those mangaka whose short works feel more like prologues than stories. They aren‘t bad, but they‘re nowhere near as fun as his longform stuff.