It's Monday! What are you reading? 7/30/2018

Hosted by: Book Date

I didn't get my helicopter ride yet.  Apparently the company they've been using has been having some mechanical issues, so until they have everything fixed, the ride is on hold.  Since having a Thursday evening off took more than a month's notice, I'm a bit concerned about whether I'll be able to manage a future date with my work schedule.  We'll see.

Since my sister and BIL are unable to start work on the inside of their new house (tenants are still in residence), they've been getting straight to work with the outside.  All the previous shingling is being taken down to expose the original wood of this almost 120 year old house.  I'm not involved in any of the work for this, but it's been fun to watch, if crazy.

My older nephew had his first 4-H dog show this weekend.  While it took cajoling and encouragement and 4 hours, we eventually made it through (he only ran out in the middle of judging once).  He came home to video games, and the other two kiddos came home to try start their own training attempts with a couple of the other dogs.  I found it incredibly cute and amusing to watch them put the dogs through their paces, but no one else seemed to care much.  Of course there was also an open house that day that my mother was preparing a dish for, and the house stuff, so those may have been factors.

Anyway, I went to a game night that same day, and we played a card version of Oregon Trail.  It was fun and brought back fond memories of the computer game in elementary school, but we had a couple people wipe out from dysentery and one from snakebite.

On the reading/blogging side, I've been dragging my feet on this post because I accomplished so little reading this past week...

This week I finished reading:

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke  - [My post] This was my first review book from Edelweiss, and I enjoyed it.  It involves Norse mythology and assassins (of a sort) and was different than anything else I've read lately.

Coyote Tales by Thomas King - This is the second book I've finished for the 12th annual Canadian Book Challenge.  I still have to post on this per challenge requirements, but haven't yet.

The Story Chapter 1 "Creation: The Beginning of Life as We Know It" and Chapter 2 "God Builds a Nation" read by Michael Blain-Rozgay and Allison Moffett - These are eAudio through the library's Hoopla subscription.  I saw something about this series on another blog post and decided to try it.  Apparently each chapter is about 30 minutes long.  They are supposed to be set up like a continuous story.  This means some biblical stories are skipped.  But so I'm finding these readings interesting.

I'm currently reading:

In audio (on CD), I've been listening to Moby Dick by Herman Melville (read by Paul Boehmer).  I haven't listened to as much as I should have this week.  I did listen to some discussion of the ship dynamics - how the captain, mates, and primary harpooners interact with each other, particularly around meals.  Also the mast heads have been discussed.  I just looked at a physical copy, though, and it seems I have not really made a dent in the book.  Oh, dear.

A Hard Day's Knight (Nightside, Bk 11) by Simon R. Green (library OverDrive ebook) - I'm enjoying this so far.  John has gone to London Proper to seek the Knights of the Round Table for advice on dealing with Excalibur.

Eye of the Shoal : a Fish-watcher's Guide to Life, the Ocean and Everything by Helen Scales (library hardcover) - So far this is interesting, despite a bit too much evolution talk.  It seems to tie in well with Moby Dick.

Up next:

 

Nothing has changed from last week here.  My reading has reached snail pace.

The Saturday Morning Murder (Michael Ohayon, Bk 1) by Batya Gur
The Silk Train Murder (Kondike Era Mystery, Bk 1) by Sharon Rowse
Who Moved My Goat Cheese? (Farm-to-Fork Mystery, Bk 1) by Lynn Cahoon
Murder at the Mansion (Victorian Village Mystery, Bk 1) by Sheila Connolly
Bannerless (Bannerless, Bk 1) by Carrie Vaughn
Cat About Town (Cat Cafe Mystery, Bk 1) by Cate Conte
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (book discussion book)
The Door to the Lost by Jaleigh Johnson
The Scroll of Kings (Lost Books, Bk 1) by Sarah Prineas
Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi; Translated by Jonathan Wright
Tricks for Free (InCryptid, Bk 7) by Seanan McGuire
Happy Cactus: Cacti, Succulents, and More

The Boneless Mercies

Title: The Boneless Mercies

Author: April Genevieve Tucholke

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Macmillan)

ISBN: 9780374307066

Length: 352 pages

Obtained: Download from Edelweiss+

Comments:

I just signed up for Edelweiss and was whitelisted for all Macmillan titles.  I was picking my first book and wanted to make sure it would be one I would definitely read... the right one.  When I saw this one includes girls in "the death trade" and was a standalone, I just had to read it.  My interest in assassin-type books is apparently never ending.

The Boneless Mercies are girls and women trained in the art of the "mercy killing."  For those who are frail and dying, they can seek a quick death by inviting these girls, marked by their cloaks, to finish their lives - for a price.  Ever since the Mercy that trained them passed, Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa have been growing weary of their work in the death trade.  But they've recently heard of a beast that remains undefeated despite many warriors fighting to stop it.  This is their chance to change their futures.  Meeting with cruel men, Sea Witches, and others along the way, they will fight for what might be.

I liked Frey and her fellow traveling companions.  Each of the girls and Trigve, the young man they had added to their group along the way, reveal their different characters and (mostly tragic) backgrounds as the story progresses. 

I also appreciated the bits about Norse culture and mythology that was interspersed throughout the story, including their attitudes toward death and strong oral history.  The Boneless Mercies are quiet and not mentioned in the tales, but Frey wants to make an impression that will be passed down like the other sagas and chronicles that the Norse share.

While not necessarily what I might have expected, I enjoyed the story and finished it quickly.

It's Monday! What are you reading? 7/23/2018

Hosted by: Book Date

Another week has passed.  My sister and BIL (who have been staying with us) finally signed for their new house...next door.  Now they just need to wait for the tenants to leave and get some basic reno/remodeling done and they will be moving out - with the 3 kiddos, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 2 guinea pigs, 2 birds, and 1 bearded dragon.  I love them, but I can't wait!  So close! I suspect this next month or two before things settle may be the hardest for me.

Earlier this summer I won a free helicopter ride over my hometown.  I plan to use it this week, so I'm super psyched!

On the reading side, most of what I read was short, but at least it feels like I've accomplished something...

This week I finished reading:

The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny (Nightside, Bk 10) by Simon R. Green - [My post / re-read] I've already started book 11, A Hard Day's Knight.

Mary Flora Bell: The Horrific True Story Behind an Innocent Girl Serial Killer by Nancy A. Veysey and Ryan Becker - [My post]

White Sand Blues (Ashley Grant, Bk 1) by Vicki Delany - [My post] The first book I've read for the 12th annual Canadian Book Challenge!

Dog Dish of Doom (Agent to the Paws, Bk 1) by E. J. Copperman - [My post] I look forward to reading book 2, Bird, Bath, and Beyond (I have a review copy).

Saving Fiona: The Story of the World's Most Famous Baby Hippo by Thane Maynard - [Goodreads] This children's story tells the story of premature hippo Fiona who was born at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden in early 2017.  A cute feel-good story.  The end includes facts about hippos.

I'm currently reading:

In audio (on CD), I've been listening to Moby Dick by Herman Melville (read by Paul Boehmer).  This week I heard an entire lecture on the ways whaling is a good, beneficial industry (sorry not buying it), heard a description of the ship and its set off for the upcoming 3 year journey, and been introduced to the ship officers.  The last part was particularly difficult for me to focus on, unfortunately.  I found my mind wandering throughout.

A Hard Day's Knight (Nightside, Bk 11) by Simon R. Green (library OverDrive ebook)

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke (Edelweiss+ review copy ebook)

Eye of the Shoal : a Fish-watcher's Guide to Life, the Ocean and Everything by Helen Scales (library hardcover)

Coyote Tales by Thomas King (library Hoopla ebook) - American/Canadian author

The Story: Chapter 1 "Creation: The Beginning of Life as We Know It" - (library Hoopla eAudio) - I saw a later chapter on another blog on a previous Monday - I can't remember who/where - and decided to try it.

Up next:

 

I have returned yet more library books unread.  Some of the library books I still have out include (my apologies for the low-quality pic above):

The Saturday Morning Murder (Michael Ohayon, Bk 1) by Batya Gur
The Silk Train Murder (Kondike Era Mystery, Bk 1) by Sharon Rowse
Who Moved My Goat Cheese? (Farm-to-Fork Mystery, Bk 1) by Lynn Cahoon
Murder at the Mansion (Victorian Village Mystery, Bk 1) by Sheila Connolly
Bannerless (Bannerless, Bk 1) by Carrie Vaughn
Cat About Town (Cat Cafe Mystery, Bk 1) by Cate Conte
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (book discussion book)
The Door to the Lost by Jaleigh Johnson
The Scroll of Kings (Lost Books, Bk 1) by Sarah Prineas
Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi; Translated by Jonathan Wright
Tricks for Free (InCryptid, Bk 7) by Seanan McGuire
Happy Cactus: Cacti, Succulents, and More