Don't Be Afraid of the Dork: Saturday in the Garden

Saturday, January 28, 2017

Saturday in the Garden | Peek-A-Boo

OUTSIDE

Winter Wonderland...

In indoor bulb starting news, I decided to play it fast and loose and just put the grape hyacinth bulbs that have been sitting in my refrigerator waiting for me to perform a complicated planting ritual (involving planting and then keeping them in a basement for several months while keeping them watered) into some containers with rocks and water. It works for the paperwhites so.... They had already started to sprout in the fridge and with just a day in water they look like they are starting to put out roots. I'll keep you posted.

A good day at the bird feeders too...

Northern Cardinals are a fairly common feeder bird in Iowa but not at my feeder - if you squint just right you can see a male sitting on the feeder and below a nice flock of dark-eyed juncos. I am also reaping rewards from not "cleaning" my garden before winter. A couple of juncos were using this little bower as shelter and to pick around on the ground. It's right outside my back door though, so I couldn't get a good picture of them using it without scaring them off.

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching

I finally finished Inuyasha! I had gotten a little nervous that I was going to be disappointed by the ending (because I had semi-spoiled myself) but instead I was pleased and think it ended just right. This is an example of a love triangle, that frustrated the heck out of me for much of the show, but which ended up being, when take in it's entirety, surprisingly nuanced, complex and interesting. If you like fantasy and are interested in anime, it's a series worth watching though a little too long (190 episodes!).

I just started a K Drama tonight called City Hunter. The first episode was completely bonkers so of course I think I will likely love it:0). This is how episode 2 started:

Reading

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

The Twelve (The Passage #2) by Justin Cronin: The second book in The Passage trilogy. The last third of this book was amazing and I ended it with so many questions! However, the first 2/3rds of the book I found frustrating and slow. I think I will have to finish the trilogy but since the last book is the least universally liked, I'm kind of dreading it.

Currently Reading:

Memories of Ash (Sunbolt #2) by Intisar Khanani: I loved book 1 so much, I immediately had to jump into book 2!
Intuitive Eating by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch: A book about how to improve your relationship with food.
The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1) by Alison Goodman: As I suspected I would, I am loving this book which the author describes as Buffy the Vampire Slayer in Regency England.

Added to the TBR:

This is a list of books that I have added to my Goodreads TBR list this week. It helps to burn the books I want to read a little more firmly into my mind, maybe get them on some other folks TBRs and gives me a chance to recognize a lot of the awesome bloggers that add stuff to my TBR!

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai: One of the books on The Book Smugglers Radar that looks like an interesting time travel and thought exploration. About a man, Tom Barron, who is living in a Utopian version of 2016, but then finds himself stranded in our less perfect reality and faces the decision of fixing things or embracing imperfection.

Otherwise lots of romances this week!

Act Like It (London Celebrities #1) by Lucy Parker: I rarely add contemporary romances to my TBR but Fine Print convinced me this one was worth checking out!
Ever The Hunted by Erin Summerill: Recommended on The Silver Petticoat Review which mostly specializes on books and media with a romantic leaning. A YA fantasy with a strong female protagonist.
How the Duke Was Won by Lenora Bell: A Regency romance included on a rec list from Book Riot's Get Booked podcast of romances that bring the humor.