Last day of February...the monthly update on reading and watching

Well this month went by fast. I had some good reading, good walking, time fiddling with my plants which did not freeze to death this month....and yesterday was my granddaughter's 12th birthday.  That time flew!  I can still remember Doug and I leaving work to drive to Ft. Stewart in Georgia for her birth. She is as tall as I am now. 

 Here's the February breakdown.........

Watched........ 📺

This month we watched a variety of genres.  We finished season 2 of Fallout (SciFi based on a game our son was pumped about) season 2 of Patriot starring Terry O'Quinn and Michael Dorman (quirky) and just started a second season of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Very much looking forward to Shrinking and For All Mankind.

📚  Read   📚

I had a good month of reading.  Some books I loved and others were just meh...but I read quite a bit. Reviews may be found by clicking on the title links.

Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty

Crux by Gabriel Tallent (a buddy read with Susan of The Cue Card blog.)

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Within the Walled City by Virginia Evans

Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age by Annalee Newitz (nonfiction)

Loving / My new pen! I already had the Scriveiner ballpoint and just received this silver chrome Crown and Regent rollerball. It's lovely for journaling and letter writing.

That's it for now.  End of February, over and out!

Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon

Fickle February weather means more reading time

 Four days ago I was wearing short sleeves and wishing it were cooler.  Night before last I had to cover the plants as the temps dropped to be 27F / -3C.  Our walk today was brisk to say the least with 18 mph wind and heavy coats.  Loki's ears were flapping, lol.

This is Loki and his neighbor buddy Daisy on a warm morning walk this past weekend. The photo makes them look to be the same size but Loki is a good 28 pounds bigger.   Looks like they are about to drop a new album.

Two books finished this week. Let's start with a fiction by Virginia Evans - Within the Walled City. I loved her latest book The Correspondent but this one I have mixed feelings. 

Starting  with the good things I will say the cover art is beautiful. The story mostly takes place in Siena Italy and the descriptions of architecture, interactions and food come alive.  I could clearly picture the characters, the vibrant colors and conversations weren't stilted.

Jillian is the narrator, a college aged young woman focusing on art, planning a work study program in Italy.  It must be noted Jillian and her father have a cool relationship and by that I mean civil after a huge falling out.  As Jillian's mom Lily had cancer and died when Jillian was nine years old, she naturally had questions about her mother. Her requests for info about her mother were usually stonewalled over the years and then, she finds a treasure trove of Lily's paintings hidden in the attic.  Confrontation ensued.

Time passes....

Suddenly her father is encouraging her to accept the art study in Sienna over other Italian cities.  Before leaving, he hands her Lily's journal, written when Lily was an art student in....you guessed it, Siena.

There are times this story was rather slow and others storylines about her roommates in Siena get mixed in but overall, I did like the book.  It's a lovely armchair excursion to Tuscany where you'll love the foodie descriptions, a bit of romance and most of the loose ends get tied up neatly. 

I was fortunate enough to purchase this book on Kindle shortly after reading The Correspondent (which I loved) but now it appears the book is unavailable in either Kindle or physical book format. The great success of The Correspondent must have inspired bookworms to seek out Evan's earlier book.  Rating it a 3.75 and should probably round to 4 as I was never tempted to put it down.  Just the ending seemed "too" tied up and improbable, in my humble opinion.  I'll put a spoiler note on Goodreads with those thoughts.

Next we have a nonfiction.  Just finished Four Lost Cities: a Secret History of an Urban Age  by Annelee Newit last night. 

 Did you know we have a World Heritage site here in the United States? I did not until I read this book.  It's located about 10 miles from St Louis Missouri, a large prehistoric civilization which  was larger than London in 1250 AD.   Here is a link to Cahokia Mounds, a World Heritage and State Historical site.  

The chapters about Pompeii was my main interest and learning about the society.  Freed slaves (libertli) their children or those who earned their freedom constituted the major part of the population.  It was a vibrant city, ruined and abandoned so quickly after the volcanic eruption.  Sad. A citizen named Julia Felix was particularly interesting as she held ownership of several blocks of buildings, quite a businesswoman.

The other two cities excavated and studied are Cataholyuk, Turkey and Angkor in Cambodia. This book is tagged as science with much info about the archeological digs and finds. 

The book was written by a journalist, not an archeological team, so keep that in mind when reading about environmental and political reasons why a vibrant civilization disappeared. Rounded up to 3.5 stars

This was for the Nonfiction Reading Challenge hosted by Shelleyrae at Book'd Out. Category: Science.

Sharing with Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge.

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte(Classics Club Spin)

 The pick for my Classic Club Spin was Agnes Grey and while it was one on my classics bucket list, I didn't love it. That said, I completed the book. 

Agnes Grey wasn't what I thought it might be and I didn't find this book particularly engaging. I've heard from friends Anne Bronte's second book, Tenant of Wildfell Hall, is much better.  So I will try that book one day.  Won't be soon though.....

 As the youngest Bronte daughter Anne's experiences, personality and insecurities came through in this novel. The fictional Grey family face financial difficulties so Agnes decides she wants to help by becoming a governess.  Her mother and sister are surprised and don't show her any encouragement but Agnes persists.  

Agnes accepts a position with the Bloomfields, a heinous family who are snobby,  rude and cruel. The children are absolutely horrid! Straight off, that child Tom is a serial killer in the making with talk of hurting his pony and cutting up birds. Wicked child who follows his father and uncle's way of thinking.  Pure evil the lot of them.  Agnes only lasts a short time, is dismissed and moves on to the next position. 

Our author interjects religion and moralizing into Agnes' character,  complaining away while trying to enlighten the reader about the indignities of being a governess. 

Complain. Rinse. Repeat.  The romance between Agnes and Mr. Weston, a man of the cloth of course,  was tepid at best. 

Happy ending...kinda...but I won't think about this book and the nonexistant depth of the character developments later on.

I'm surely in the minority with my 2 star review of a Bronte classic but we all have different takes on a story.  It's one I wanted to knock off my classic club bucket list and ✔...it's done. 

Sharing with Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday and The Classics Club.

Mid February Update

Hello February. So far this month has been productive in regards to reading and other pursuits. Lots of walking, cleaning out the house and ridding outselves of superfluous items and watching some of the Olympics.

Here's the midmonth roundup.

Read / Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty

Stella and Gerry have been married over 35 years so they know each others habits, have comfortable silences and their own little secrets.

The book starts with the minutiae of the evening as Stella is preparing them for their trip to Amsterdam the next day. When I say the minutiae of their activities I mean just that - it's all the little almost inconsequential details of turning down the heat, turning down the bedclothes, putting on lotion and being sure the toiletries bag is packed....like that.

The entire book is like this with normal conversations between the two.  There are also  flashbacks to the past where you learn about life changing events in their marriage,  They are a Northern Irish couple living in the north when violence touches their lives.  In their older years they live in Scotland, their son grown and living with his family in Canada.

I wrote a more detailed review on Goodreads HERE. Settings are Scotland but most of the book takes place in Amsterdam.

Crux by Gabriel Tallent

This book was a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card. I will admit the teemage chatter between two best friends, Tamma and Dan, was annoying at first but quickly gave way to the excellent writing and plot.  I was very much invested in the lives of our main characters.

Two teens living in poverty; one with opportunties for college, the other written off.  You'll notice when reading that Dan is described as a scholar and good looking.  Tamma is described by her deformities (mind you, her father caused them) and how she is perceived to be stupid. She is not.  She is a powerhouse of ambition and tenacity. 

Neither one has scenes with friends other than each other. There is a loneliness for both of them, Tamma gives it the middle finger but Dan has depression he tamps down. Both are alive and happy when climbing or planning a climb. They trust each other implicitly.

This story is about perserverance, friendship and loyalty.  I wrote up a longish review but realized I ought to mark it as spoilers so that's on Goodreads HERE. You will come to seriously dislike one of the mothers. 

📚 Currently Reading 📚 

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte as it was my Classics Club spin book and a nonfiction, titled  Four Lost Cities by Annalee Newitz.

Today......

Sharing with Joy for British Isles Friday  with Irish author Bernard MacLaverty

Classics Club Spin time

It's time for the Classic Club Spin!   👈 Check that out through the link and join in if you'd like.  It took me years to finally join the Classics Club and I have been enjoying having a goal of reading books on my list.  The Spin is a fun little game.

Here's my book list for the Classics Club Spin 

1. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
2. Agnes Grey by Ann Bronte
3. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
4. And The There Were None by Agatha Christie
5. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
6. Daisy Miller by Henry James
7. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
8. Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
9. Goodnight, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian
10. Hotel Du Lac by Anita Brookner
11. It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
12. Lost Horizon by James Hilton
13. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
14. Out of Africa by Blixon, Karen 
15. Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier
16. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
17. The Covenant by James Michener
18. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
19. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
20. The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell

When the spin number is announced on Sunday, 8 February, I will (hopefully) read that book before 29 March.  Wish me luck!

Will you be joining in?  Check out the announcement post HERE.

Sharing with The Classics Club

Monday Mailbox

My library books came in sooner than expected.  Here's what I got.

Four Lost Cties is a nonfiction by science journalist Annalee Newitz exploring the rise and fall of four ancient cities. I'm particularly interested in Pompeii as well as the indigenous metropolis Cahokia near the Mississippi River, where St. Louis stands today.

Crux by Gabriel Tallent is fiction, a buddy read planned with Susan at The Cue Card. This is a coming of age book about friendship, challenges and the realities of adult life and responsibilties.

Also picked up the latest issue of BookPage, a free publication I enjoy browsing through.  You can get it online but I like the old school paper version.

There are many articles of interest in here as well as upcoming publications in all genres for your interest. I was particularly interested in this bit about Allegra Goodman's new book This is Not About Us.  It's labeled as literary fiction and a family drama, which I like.

Did you get any books this week? I am still planning on working on my to-read list but interjecting the library haul on these chilly days spent indoors.  Still working on my short term reading goals as well.

Monday Mailbox is hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be at the Beach.  

Check out Monday Mailbox to see who linked up this week.

Books read and goals accomplished!

In my previous post I talked about making some short term goals and listing a few books I have on hand.  It's working well for me as I have finished two books I own.  One fiction and the other a nonfiction. 

After reading Cecile Pin's book Celestial Lights I found myself a fan of her writing style.  As I own Wandering Souls I thought I'd start with that one on Kindle.

This is the story of a family, broken apart while fleeing Vietman after the war ended. 

I can't imagine the fear and obstacles of leaving your country, grasping at an escape so scary, possibly unreliable  smugglers transporting you and loved ones..... hoping it will be safe. Hoping to escape horrid living conditions in exchange for a good life.

The story is told with multiple narrators.

"Because Anh, Minh Thanh were the 3 oldest children, their parents decided they would travel ahead on a separate boat, dividing the family in two. It hadn't occurred to Anh that this breaking in half was the first sign of peril. The first clue that her father knew that one of the halves might fall."

When Anh's parents and siblings don't arrive when planned she knows things went wrong.  Now at 16 years of age she is the care taker of her younger brothers.  She must keep them safe and fed while living with uncertainties in resettlement camps.

In between her story and viewpoint are passages from the deceased brother named Dao.  Seeing his sister and brothers from a ghostly existence.   Sounds odd but it worked, especially in explanations about their culture.

For a more my review is here on Goodreads.  #Historical Fiction #Asia #War

📚📚📚 Nonfiction

Next on my list was Hayley Arceneaux's book Wild Ride. A Memoir of I.V. Drips and Rocket Ships.

This is an inspiring story of a pediatric cancer survivor, how she handled the treatment and how it gave her a different outlook on life. That sums it up. She went into some good detail about the emotional side of cancer treatment, her adventurous spirit and how incredibly driven she was; however I would have liked more detail on how she was selected for the civilian spot for space travel and the mission training.

She traveled as much as could, learned another language and eventually got her dream job.  It's an easy read of 208 pages, listed as a memoir.  Could have been a Readers Digest short series rather than a book, in my opinion.  3 stars

Currently reading / Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty. This is about Gerry and Stella Gilmore, a retired Irish couple who now live in Scotland and their midwinter trip to Amsterdam. As I'm not too far into the book it appears there will be reflections on their 40+ year marriage and uncertainties about past events.  I like books featuring older adults...probably because I am one. :-)

Upcoming will be a buddy read with the book Crux by Gabriel Tallent in February.

That's all I have this week book related. Otherwise it was just a few medical apointments, Loki going crazy and havng a seizure because I snuck out early to get blood work, made a beef stew and homemade baguette for the comfort food needed in this weather.  Still covering the plants as lows are 23 F/ -5 C for the week.

Hope your reading week was fantastic.

Linking up with:

Joy for British Isles Friday (for Northern Irish author Bernard MacLaverty)

Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge (using the Wild Ride book for the Nonfiction Grazer category as I have another book in mind for Memoir)

Short Term Reading Goals

How many books do you have languishing on your shelves or your Kindle which you've owned for more than two years?  I have plenty.  So I ask myself, what inspired me to purchase them and when will I make time to read them....and then a few more titles distract me and it goes on and on.

As I was in a list making mood I noted a few titles I definitely want to make time for within the next 2 months.  That's a good goal for me as I am still reading from The Classics Club, the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge and some buddy reads. 

Here they are, in no particular order, and I think I can manage these by mid March.

Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah

Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin

Within the Walled City by Virginia Evans

Nonfiction

Wild Ride: A Memoir of I'V. Drips and Rocket Ships by Hayley Arceneaux (thank you Katherine for bringing this one ot my attention)

A Time Remembered: American Women in Vietnam by Olga Gruhzit-Hoyt

Bush School by Peter O'Brien (thank you to Shelleyrae from alerting me to this one) 

I think I will start with the Cecile Pin book about Vietnam refugees. 

📚 Do you have a goal list of books you plan to read soon? 📚

Reading and fussing....

This week I finished the last book in the Dalton trilogy by Shannon Bowring.

In a Distant Valley by Shannon Bowring, a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card.  This is the last book in the Dalton trilogy and what a wonderful series.  Bowring brings the characters to life.  You can visualize them, hear them, anticipate what they may say or do and hope to encourage them.  She made them real.  Can't wait to see what she comes out with next. I'll do a more detailed review on Goodreads.

Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin is scheduled to be published in March 2026.  I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC from LibraryThing. 

This book starts in 1986 with the explosion of the Challenger and  Oliver Ines' birth. Little Ollie is growing up in a small English town, his bedroom ceiling and wallpaper are covered with stars which glow at night.  Around age 10 he cycles to a neighbor's home at the request of his mother to trade off produce and meets a girl named Philly.  The children have a connection and become friends, their lives weaving in and out of each others paths after a chance meeting at a London College.

Between the chapters are log book entries from Commander Oliver Ines as he is on a ten year mission, in charge of a spaceship and crew headed to Jupiter.

Ines is an astronaut employed by a private company owned by a billionaire. Hmmm....

 He reflects on events in his life, his childhood, university days, the career in the Navy and his love of Philly and family.  It's introspective as he considers his relationships and regrets, reconciling choices he made.  This is a well fleshed out character study of a man who wonders if he made the correct choices and if they were worth it.

Themes are family, friendship, belonging and compassion. 4 stars.

This is a book blog...mostly.  I try to keep frustrations on the state of our country out of my writing but this week was bad.  So....rant.

Rant..............

Political news - this sums it up. I honestly hope the damage can be reversed one day.  Hopefully in my lifetime.

The Agriculture Secretary actually suggested Americans can save money on food by eating "one piece of chicken, one piece of broccoli and a tortilla" - see here.

You know what I suggest?  These politicians who enjoy free health care and have financial security have to trade places with a family trying to make ends meet for an entire month.   Trade places with individuals experiencing financial insecurity during the days of rising costs, those experiencing food insecurity, without health care or the cush benefits these politicians enjoy and take for granted.

Put the names in bowl and draw = making sure a quarter of those names are those who are struggling with homelessness,  those who sleep in their cars, those who struggle to feed their children especially when some states have pulled the free lunches for kids.  See what they think about some real life issues.

Don't get me started on Greenland.....

Rant over.

Ok, let's end with more book chat. Just picked up The Ferryman and His Wife, a translated book by Norwegian author Frode Grytten and started it yesterday.  As you can see by the photo I was able to sit outside a bit.

  Tonight brings a wintery mix, as the weather station calls it, so I will be once again covering my plants as freezing temps are back again.  All week apparently.  Being inside means bread making, puzzles and reading.

Hope your week will be a good one. Lots of good reading and anything that makes you happy.

Linking up with:

Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon

Joy for British Isles Friday (for Celestial Lights)

Subpar Planet by Amber Share{2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge}

This book uses the unique concept of gathering one star reviews of amazing travel destinations and combining it with historical info.  Some reviews such as "Only go if you like art" referring to The Louvre leave you shaking your head.  I mean...duh.

Educational and entertaining plus the armchair travel I crave.  That's a win-win-win for me! That said, I give it 3.5 stars.  

The layout of the book covers the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania with details about the history of the landmarks and wonders of the world.

The comment on the left side of the page is the one star review.  Might have been nice to have a more detailed review but what do you expect from someone who states Stonehenge is just a field of random stones or the sunrise over Mt Fuji was nothing spectacular. No pleasing some people.

The opposite page tells some history of the visited site and tips on best times to visit.  It's amusing but don't expect true photos of the venues. 

Tags are Nonfiction, Nature, Travel, Humor, Geography and History.

 Linking up with Shelleyrae at Book'd Out for the 2026 Nonfiction Reading Challenge. Category: Humor

New books on the horizon

Hello my bookish friends!  How was your week? I've been fortunate to have some great titles available to me and had some good reading time.

Posted this week - my first nonfiction of the year Daughters of the Bamboo Grove

New books on the horizon - I picked up this month's issue of BookPage and found some good books coming out later this year.

A new Maggie O'Farrell and Ann Patchett book will go on my holds list as soon as they are published. The titles are Land and Whistler, respectively.  Also I saw Tana French has a new book coming out but I am not a fan of her Cal Hooper series so I will pass,  That said, I love Tana's writing and very much miss the Dublin Murder Squad series.  Hoping the next book she writes will go back to that series...hopeful but doubtful.

Currently reading / Subpar Planet by Amber Share.  A humorous nonfiction about celebrated landmarks and disappointed visitors.  

Watching/  I don't remember who posted about this show but we recently watched Ambassadors and it was enjoyable. Some comedy and  drama about  the British ambassadors to fictional Asian country Tajbekistan.   One of the actors is Keely Haws who we recognized from two other British shows -  Mrs. Wilson and Line of Duty

I hope you had a wonderful week with good books.  What are you reading or watching this week? Suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.

Linking up with:

Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon

Joy for British Isles Friday