EPBOT Readers discussion

Hello everyone,

Here in the US it is the beginning of a long holiday weekend. It looks like a lovely one here in New England. We're staying home because I just got back from a work trip to NYC.

On the train I finished my audiobook Replay. I give it 4.5 stars. I very much enjoyed the story and how it all unfolded. I took away a half star because why things happened never were explored. And there were a couple threads that just kind of ended. But overall it was a compelling and interesting story that I enjoyed.

It was also a bit weird for me because the same narrator for Replay also narrated all of Scalzi's Old Man's War series. So my brain had a bit of adjusting to do to not think about this as being in that universe.

I also read one of the Amazon Prime Obsession short stories, People Like Them. That was about a 90 minute audiobook. I enjoyed this one too. I found the story interesting and surprising enough that I might listen to it a 2nd time now that I know how it ends to see if I can detect clues earlier.

I'm still reading One Last Risk from the winter kindle free stuff. This one is pretty good and enjoyable enough.

QOTW:
What are your favorite childhood books?

I definitely remember having my mother read a ton of Curious George books to me when I was very young and couldn't read myself yet. Those were definitely a favorite.

I also remember reading a lot of Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume in the elementary school years.

Once I was older in middle and high school I read a lot of John Jakes. That was the time that his 8-book Bicentennial Series came out as well as his North & South trilogy.

Happy Friday!

I'm looking forward to this three-day weekend. Work has been so busy, so I could use an extra day. It's also my partner's mom's birthday on Sunday, so we're taking her out to a good dinner.

Finished:
The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 1 by Natsu Hyuuga - 4 stars - not for a prompt. The first season of the anime covers what's in this first light novel, so it's nothing new to me, but Maomao makes everything enjoyable.

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean - 4 stars - not for a prompt. This was a short, twisty little thriller. I wish the main detective had been a little more fleshed out but still really enjoyed it.

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki - 4 stars - not for a prompt. I enjoyed it, but this was a weird little genre-bender of a book.

Currently reading:
Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher - 24th book of an author for PopSugar - I love her fairy tale retellings anyway, and I hadn't read this one yet, so this is a win-win for me.

Upcoming/Planned:
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali - for PopSugar's book set 24 years before I was born. The blurb specifically mentions the exact year I needed, so even if it's only partially set in that time, I'm going for it in good faith.

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - for PopSugar's cozy fantasy prompt.

QOTW:
When I was really little, I remember a Little Golden Book, The Poky Little Puppy. I know I had other ones, but I don't remember any of them. I also had a Reader's Digest multi-volume set of fairy tales that I loved. I also read a lot of Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume.

Middle grade, I loved the Babysitters' Club and Sweet Valley Twins/High. I also discovered fantasy around this time, and I know where I started: The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley.

In eight grade, my best friend introduced me to Mercedes Lackey, and I pretty much skipped straight to reading adult fantasy and sci-fi in high school (Lackey, Tanya Huff, Anne McCaffrey, Steven Brust, Roger Zelazny). My favorite series in high school was Lackey's Last Herald-Mage, whatever that says about me. :D

My weekend plan is going to visit family and possibly renting an inflatable kayak to see if it makes sense to purchase.

Slow Birding: The Art and Science of Enjoying the Birds in Your Own Backyard - I felt very seen by the preface and introduction, as I am always the person at the Audubon Society who doesn't chase rarities or get up early in the morning; I just like seeing what the birds around me are up to. The rest of the book is profiles of various common North American birds with info about scientific research that's been done on them. It was OK.

Bea Wolf - Look, this is as much Beowulf as I am inclined to read, and it was fun. I was previously familiar with Boulet and would have said his art wasn't my favorite, but it really works here (I think the lack of color helps). I texted my Beowulf-obsessed-in-college friend who now has kids, and he hadn't heard about it, so that's my good deed this week.

QOTW: For some reason, the first thing that came to mind was Amelia Bedelia (and various sequels).