Well. That was unexpected....

Hi!  It's been awhile!  I kind of, sort of, completely unintentionally dropped off the face of the Earth.   When last I blogged, at the end of March, everything was still mostly brown.  Now, as the Golden Alexander above attests, Spring has most definitely sprung.  Hurrah!

I wish I could say my disappearance was because I was kidnapped by space pirates who ended up being really nice and having hearts of gold and we had many adventures and bouts of sea (space?) shanty singing before they dropped me back home on Earth. Alas, the reality is that work got all demanding and sucked away all energy for anything but it so I took a break during a particularly busy week which turned into 2.5 months. This may have been more exciting if "work" wore a scary black mask and breathed through a respirator while laughing maniacally but really my job is all right.  It just sometimes gets overwhelming and needs all my brain power.  *shakes fist at feeble brain power*

Anyhoo, with that much time away, it does feel awkward and a little rusty to get back in the game but I have continued to read and watch TV and I have stuff to say about all of it.  And I want to know what you think about all of it. Plus, I've missed adding 20 books to my TBR each week because I haven't been keeping up with all the book bloggers I've come to rely upon to feed my addiction (in a good way:).  In short I miss the book blogosphere and all the wonderful people in it.  I even got a little defensive of it when I recently read The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith and some not-so-complimentary things were implied about book review blogs.  That better have been the opinion of your snotty, literary fiction writing characters and not you, J.K.!  Bottom line, I'm going to try and creep back into this world slowly and hope I am able to get the knack of it....I'd say again but I'm not sure I ever quite got the knack.  So, how about I'm going to re-start my clumsy blundering and have a great time doing it.

So what have I missed?  How've you been?  What was your favorite book that you reviewed in the last couple months?

Ella's getting bigger and bigger and we have fun.

Jasper and Rudy continue to be adorbs.

Top Ten Albums From My Youth | OH the 1980s

A high school friend of mine posted a list of her favorite albums from her childhood on Facebook and it sent me into a frenzy of nostalgia!  I decided to attempt to make a list of my own.  It was hard but fun!

This list will certainly emphasize my age but I know there are some other folks out their that will jam to this music.  Most of these I still recognize as really really great albums and they are in no particular order.  Join me on this musical trip to the 1980s...

1) Duran Duran  - Rio (1982)

I was a HUGE Duranie as a kid (if you're wondering I was a Simon LeBon devotee) and a big fan of British musicians in general (you'll probably pick up on that in the list).  In fact, all these British musicians that made it huge in the U.S. were referred to as the Second British Invasion (the first being led by The Beatles).  My favorite song from this album was probably Save a Prayer and the video typifies their early videos which were famously set in gorgeous locales (Sri Lanka I believe in this one).

 2) Duran Duran - Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983)

As I said. Duranie.  My favorite from this album was New Moon on Monday and it featured probably my favorite video of theirs as well (though Wild Boys was pretty out there and cool).  I mean, of COURSE freedom fighters would have such brilliantly coiffed hair, right?  At one point there are even light sabers.

3) The Police  - Synchronicity (1983)

Second only to Duran Duran was The Police and Sting so they get two spots as well.  Their music is great because it's so straight forward - bass, guitar, drum maybe a keyboard.  My favorite from this album is probably Wrapped Around Your Finger  - I love when, briefly, 2/3rds through the song, it briefly loses the dreamy quality and gets fierce and then fades back down. "I will turn your face to alabaster....when you find your servant is your master." This is a great one but I love so many songs from this album!  

4) Sting  - Nothing Like The Sun (1987)

Honestly, The Dream of the Blue Turtles should be on here as well but I'm trying to keep Sting and Duran Duran from completely taking over the list.  These were the first two of Sting's solo albums and while I've loved all of his newer stuff too, these are still my favorites. Fragile has to be my favorite song from this album.

And because I can't help it, I must include the video of Moon Over Bourbon Street from The Dream of the Blue Turtles.  I was a huge Anne Rice fan at the time and went GAGA over this song.  It is a song from the perspective of Louis from Interview with a Vampire.

5) Dexy's Midnight Runners - Too Rye Ay (1982)

Everybody knows the song Come On Eileen - It was Dexy's only big U.S. hit and boy was it a hit.  While, I do love that song and its probably my favorite from this album, I actually really LOVE the rest of the album too.  It's got so many great songs.  To feature one of the other excellent songs here's Plan B.  Kevin Rowlnad stirred up such complicated and passionate feelings in my pre-adolescent heart.

6) The Smiths - Strangeways Here We Come (1987)

Oh Morrissey.  Such angst.  Such peppy beats.  I love, truly love every song on this album.  How could you not want to bop along to Girlfriend in a Coma or gleefully sing along to Unhappy Birthday. Most people think The Queen is Dead is the best Smiths album but I don't know if it's when it came out or what, this album just spoke to my angsty, snarky teenaged heart.  "I've come to wish you an unhappy birthday, 'cause you're evil and you lied. And if you should die...I may feel slightly sad but I won't cry."  Don't ever hold back M.

7) Madonna - Like a Virgin (1984)

I'm finally leaving the U.K.!  I was such a huge fan of Madonna as a young 'un.  My love for this album has perhaps not persisted as much as the albums above but boy did I listen to it nonstop as a 12 year old. I think Dress You Up is probably my favorite song from the album.

8) Michael Jackson  - Thriller (1982)

Best pop album of all time?  I think it may be.  At least 6 of the 9 songs on the album were HUGEMONGOUS hits.  Of course the featured song and video has to be Thriller.  Michael does a pretty great acting job actually!

9) Crowded House - Temple of the Low Men (1988)

You don't still hear much from this Aussie group anymore but I loved them and this album is one of my favorites of all time, not just from my youth.  I love every track but I think Better Be Home Soon is my favorite. 

But I also have to feature Love This Life because its pretty perfect too.

10) INXS - Kick (1987)

My friends and I were so completely obsessed with this album and INXS.  The song I have to feature from it is Never Tear Us Apart which we sang, very melodramatically, at the top of our lungs every time it came on.  Good times.

*******

Okay, that was super fun for me!  So fun I may do Albums 11-20 next week.  So how about you?  Do you love or loathe the 80s? What's a few of your favorite albums from your youth?  

The TV Crushes of 2016

I did a post of my favorite book characters from this year and didn't want to neglect my imaginary TV friends!  Below are some of the characters I fell in love with, some admittedly a little more lustfully than others, but all with due respect and affection for how they lit up the small screen!  It's maybe not such an exciting list because they all come from a handful of shows but I still think they deserve some love from me.

*************

1) Galavant/Joshua Sasse from Galavant

I remember being pretty underwhelmed by the promo photos etc... of Josh Sasse.  He's meant to be the quintessential Fairy Tale hero and I didn't think he really fit that mold.  It took him basically the opening song of the first episode to win me over.  Sure he's hella handsome but he's also got a great singing voice, great comedic timing and nails Galavant's mix of arrogance and romantic sweetness.  He's perfect and imperfect all at the same time. Sigh....

2) King Richard/Timothy Omundson from Galavant

Timothy Omundson plays the deplorable and childish King Richard in Season 1 and he is hilarious but not especially lovable. It takes season 2, to renovate this adorable dragon owner. If Season 1 was Galavant's journey from immature, arrogant hero guy to all around decent and self-aware human being, season two is King Richard's turn.  His bromance with Galavant is adorable and we see his world opening up as he gets outside of his sheltered castle and role as king.  By the end of season two I was more in love with him than Galavant!

3) Princess Isabella/Karen David from Galavant

Princess Isabella is a modern Princess  - well-dressed and beautiful sure but that pales beside her competence, intelligence, kind heart and toughness.  She's tiny, fierce and in all cases braver than the men that surround her.  Karen David captures it perfectly and also has perfect comic timing.  I want to pick up watching Once Upon A Time Again because I heard she was cast as Jasmine!

4) Oliver Queen - Arrow/Stephen Amell from Arrow

Like Joshua Sasse, Stephen Amell didn't make a great first impression with me.  I didn't think he was all that handsome and Oliver was kind of boring even if he was a secret super hero.  By season 2, my feelings about him, on all levels had changed.  I think the character of Oliver was developed more fully and in interesting directions and Stephen Amell really improved in his portrayal of him by the end of that first season.  What I love about this character is that he is seriously flawed and messed up and the way they have written his character arc has been slow, realistic(ish) and really interesting.  And Oliver doing the Salmon Ladder - Oh my good gracious goodness. *fans self*

5) Felicity Smoak/Emily Bett Rickards from Arrow

Unlike Oliver, I fell in love with Felicity immediately.  The writers have not been as kind in her character development as they have been with Oliver but I still adore her and she is my favorite part of the show.  In fact it was a blog post (I don't remember from whom - speak up if it was you!) that compared Felicity to Cress from Marissa Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles (nerdy socially awkward IT girl with a heart of gold and mad skillz) which convinced me to try Arrow again this year after stalling out on it early in season one a couple years ago.  She has not disappointed.  Thank you Arrow for elevating this character that was supposed to be very minor to a leading role.

6) Kim Boong Do/Ji Hyun-woo from Queen In Hyun's Man

Kim Boong Do may be my most favorite romance hero of all time much less in K Dramas.  He's a beta hero - respectful, but not in anyway weak, sweet, romantic and kind.  He's also super clever, bad-ass with a sword and has a fantastic sense of humor.  He also happens to be a warrior and scholar from 500 years in the past who gets catapulted into the modern era whenever his life is threatened, so he has all sorts of interesting first-hand knowledge about history.  He ain't hard on the eyes either: ). I love him.

7) Melinda May from Agents of Shield

I so admire, love and envy tough bad-ass ladies who have complete control over their emotions.  This describes Agent May perfectly.  I love how cold and stone-faced her character is but how the show reveals how much she cares in key moments.  If I needed to be rescued from dastardly peril of any kind?  I'd want Melinda May to head up the rescue mission.

8) Clarke Griffin/Eliza Taylor from The 100

Clarke. She is THE BEST.  Possibly my favorite character from my 2016 TV watching.  She is the only character ever that I ship with absolutely everyone (if forced to choose I am probably in the Bellarke camp).  Of course all these people are in love with her...She's Clarke. More coherently, Clarke is a super flawed but super talented and interesting character who takes a leadership role among the Ark teenagers that are sent down to a toxic planet Earth to fend for themselves.  Things are TOUGH but Clarke is tougher while also holding on to her compassion and sense of justice.  She is an absolutely fantastic character and Eliza Taylor is amazing at playing her.

9) Lily Bell/Dominique McElligott from Hell on Wheels

The last two characters on the list are actually characters which I encountered for the first time in past years but I developed a new or more pronounced respect for them in 2016.  I re-watched the first two seasons of Hell on Wheels with the intention of catching up on the several seasons which had been released since then.  This re-watch prompted me to write a whole post about the awesome Lily (SPOILERS AHOY - don't follow that link if you don't want to be spoiled for Hell on Wheels!!).  Lily is awesome, beautiful and accomplished, brought up in a well to do British family she could have had a very comfortable life.  Instead, she chooses to marry an American surveyor and follows him to the Western frontier as he charts a course for the railroad.  Like the other women on this list Lily is intelligent and strong and when things get tough she does what she has to do.  What can I say, I have a type: ).

10) Finn Hudson/Cory Monteith from Glee

I did another re-watch of Glee this year to catch up with seasons 4-6.  It was the first re-watch since the tragic death of Cory Monteith and it made me pay a little more attention to his character of Finn which I'd never really cared about before.  By doing so, I really developed a fondness for the goofy, good-hearted but sometimes judgmentally challenged Finn.  His character development over the first 3 seasons is great and Cory does a really great job playing him.  RIP

***********

Last post of 2016!  I'm glad it was sharing my love for some very inspiring characters and the talented actors and actresses that play them.  Thanks for the many hours of joy you gave me this year!

What were some of your favorite TV character discoveries this year?

Saturdays in the Garden | New Year's Eve

OUTSIDE

It's turned into a beautiful sunny New Year's Eve afternoon.  Besides taking a walk with the dogs this morning, I haven't really stepped outside choosing instead to re-organize, clean and clean-out my closet.  Not fun really but satisfying.

It's satisfying because we're headed into winter where the cold temperatures and the high potential for snow and ice will keep me indoors a lot.  I've made some purchases lately to help being outside during winter be less unpleasant (yaktrax, balaclava, a day-glo yellow winter cap with a built in light, comfortable long-underwear).  I want to make a real effort to get outdoors more this winter for my and the dogs' sake,  Still.  There will be lots of indoor time.

A lovely early winter morning at the dog park.

Having a clean, tidy house is one way to make being indoors more pleasant.  Another thing that helps get me through the winter is planning my garden and surrounding myself with indoor plants.  Seed catalog season is fully upon us and all my favorites for 2017 have arrived.  I've also splurged on two new plant members of the household - a gardenia, a jasmine and bonus a narcissus bulb gifted from a friend.  They help make January and February more bearable!

GAK

I am one of those people, who places significance in the turnover of the year.  I don't know why as I'm not sure I have ever made some major life change that originated at the new year but at the least it seems like a convenient and appropriate time to take stock of where you are and how you'd like to move forward.  Rather than shove all of that rumination into this weekend, I think I am going to carry this through the month of January.

One way I am doing this, which also relates to the above, is that I've signed up for the Hibernate workshop put on by Heather at Beauty that Moves.  I took her Freezer Cooking class last year and it was excellent and I've been intrigued by the hibernate workshop ever since I noticed it. As I indicate above - I need help getting through winter.  It's a 4 week online workshop starting January 16th.  It involves some sewing and knitting, both of which I have zero to little experience in so it might get interesting! Hopefully I'll pick up at least one new hobby as both seem like such useful skills!

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

After the success of Voltron, I stumbled upon a Japanese anime title on Netflix - Inuyasha.  It's been a fun little diversion but don't know if it will remain so for much longer.  It's getting a little frustrating and repetitive at halfway through season 2 and I just discovered that although Netflix only has these two seasons there are actually 3 or 4 more seasons and a total of like 160ish episodes. Do I care enough to seek out the other eps?  The one really good thing about it is that because it is subtitled I have to focus on it and can't multi-task which drives me crazy but is likely healthier for my brain : ).

Reading 

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

I've officially polished off 117 books as of today, surpassing my Goodreads goal by 2 books: ).  I may, if I can find the time, polish off A Plain Malice and start fresh in the New Year! 

• The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club (Peter Wimsey #5) by Dorothy L. Sayers:  Slowly making my way through this series of mysteries.  This one is very interesting!
• Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe:  A classic African novel about the downfall of a man and  his culture.
• Armada by Ernie Cline: I listened to Wil Wheaton read this one and it was fab!  Definitely a more gamer oriented book even then Ready Player One but still a lot of fun for this non-gamer.

Currently Reading:

• A Plain Malice (Appleseed Creek #4) by Amanda Flower:  I've been kind of obsessed with this Amish country mystery series and this is the last book in the series:(.    

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!

• Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee:  I've seen this book lauded many places but didn't record what/who tipped it onto my TBR!  A science fiction debut novel.
• The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima: I didn't record who recommended this either but I'm pretty sure it was Kaja at Of Dragons and Hearts.  *Runs off to check* Yup that's the place.  She indicated that this was one of the best YA Fantasy series she's read in a while!
• Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain:  A historically written memoir from a nurse in World War I.  It sounds fascinating and I'd never even heard about it  - thanks to The Book Stop for bringing it to my attention!
• The Summer Dragon by Todd Lockwood: This was one of Mogsy at the Bibliosanctum's favorite debut authored books for 2016.  It has dragons.  Need I say more?
• The Last Days of Magic by Mark Tompkins:  Ditto the recommender from above!  This looks like a rather more thoughtful and interesting book involving Irish folklore.
• Say Goodbye for Now by Catherine Ryan Hyde:  A historic, romance with a diverse set of characters that made Reading Reality's top ten of the year list.  There's a dog on the cover.
• Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend: This book made 500 Books top of the year list and she describes it as a quiet book focusing on women's life after 40 and a lifelong female friendship.  Sounds lovely to me.

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

MONDAY: I Watch Too Much TV | 2016 Edition - The shows I was obsessed with this year.
TUESDAY: Top Ten Tuesday | Best Books I Read in 2016
FRIDAY: Celebrating my Book Series Addiction: 2016 - My favorite books series I read this year.

Lots of lists  - I have one more 2016 wrap-up list I'd like to post (hopefully tonight) and then call 2016 done.

Let your Freak Flag Fly:)! It's like he started to get off the couch but then got sleepy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Saturday in the Garden | How Shady is That?!

OUTSIDE

A really cool citizen science project popped up on my blog feed this week.  There is a new online tool that helps you to map your yard, particularly to identify what wildlife habitat you have.  There is a nice description of it, an interview with it's coordinator and a link to the site on A Way to Garden.com.  It's very cool because you get a tool to explore your yard from a bird's eye view (literally!) AND some ideas how to improve it for wildlife AND the folks behind the project get data on wildlfe habitat in yard-scapes.  Above is my slap-dash yard map.  I learned that my yard could definitely use some improvement but more strongly that I ain't lying when I say my yard is shaded.  I had a hard time outlining my house and you can't even see the yard or the other two buildings on the property because of the treed canopy cover.  It's a miracle I can grow anything at all!  Anyway, it was fun!

GAK

The Goodreads Choice Award first round nominees went up this week and they were exciting and they also make me feel just the slightest twinge of regret about my reading choices.  I'm not one to be up to the minute with my reading.  Which is why I have read exactly two of the nominated books and that is out of ALL the categories (they would be The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater and A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro both of which were super excellent).  I'm lame.  I have heard of a high percentage of the books that are nominated at least and a number of them are on my towering TBR.  Anyway, most of the time I don't really care that I'm behind the times but I'm kind of bummed not to feel really qualified to vote in a more educated and fair way than just "I like these two!"....which were the only two I've read.   How about you?  Do you feel qualified to jump into the goodreads' awards fray?

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

Arrow! Season 3 finished.  Season 4 embarked upon!  I got through the first 5 episodes or so of the season before leaving for a trip and I am LOVING the vibe so far.  Love kinder, gentler, wiser Ollie, love he and Felcity being drama free and she getting back to her kick ass roots, love Damien Dahrk as a villain and Malcolm as R'as Al Ghul.  It's all just clicking and fantastic and I'd be 100% happy if I wasn't spoiled up to my eyeballs and knew that it doesn't last.  About halfway to two-thirds through the season the poo hits the fan and things get real bad and I'm already dreading it.... #StayLikeThisAlways

Reading 

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

• The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: This is The Sword and Laser book club pick for this month and it's been on my TBR for ages.  Fantastic book!
• Don't Hex With Texas by Shanna Swendsen: Book 4 in the Enchanted. Inc. series.  Much fun!

Currently Reading:

• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury:  I'd like to try and read all of Ray Bradbury's books - I love his writing.  I thought this would make a nice Autumn/Halloween read.  I had to emergency stick this one in my ears on the plane on Thursday to drown out this blowhard two seats from me who was going on and on without cease about how great Trump was.  
• Etiquette and Espionage (Finishing School #1) by Gail Carriger: I loved the Parasol Protectorate series so am looking forward to a YA offering in the same world by Ms. Carriger!  
• The Man With a Load of Mischief (Richard Jury #1) by Martha Grimes:  I was reminded of this series and author on a recent Get Booked Podcast and pretty immediately went to library and picked the first one up.  My memory of them is that they were a great favorite of my father's for a while so it's appropriate that I am reading it while I am visiting "home" for a long weekend.  Definitely making me nostaligic and a little sad but the book is actually pretty funny and delightful thus far.

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!

• Rejected Princesses by Jason Porath: This sounds like an intriguing and irreverent introduction to some less well known bad ass ladies of history and myth.  Learned of it from a review by Reading Reality.

Blogging

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

SUNDAY: Review | Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
TUESDAY: Top Ten Tuesday | Books to read for a Fantasy (as in SFF) Book Club

Saturday in the Garden | Happy Samhain!

OUTSIDE

The weather thus far this Autumn has been insanely mild which is good for me because I have been dragging my feet on my yard and garden chores.  It's an Autumn for slackers!  Thank you weather goddesses!  I did plant the garlic today and about a third of the flower bulbs I impulse bought a few weeks ago.  The bulbs were Grape Hyacinth and Alliums that will hopefully look like the below next spring.

Allium

Grape Hyacinth

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

Arrow! Season 3 now.  Oliver's just about to get shirtless on a mountain top with Ras Al Ghul.  Not that I have any particular fondness for that scene.

Reading 

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

• The Chessmen by Peter May:  The last in a trilogy of mysteries set on the Outer Hebrides. 
• Fables (Vol 21 and 22) Happily Ever After and The Farewell by Bill Willingham et al.:  The last two volumes in the Fables series. Sad. 
• Serenity (Vol. 2 and 3) Better Days and Other Stories and The Shepherd's Tale by Joss Whedon et al.:  These suddenly appeared at my library much to my delight.  I particularly liked The Shepherd's Tale though I'm not sure I buy the overall concept as Shepherd Book's back story.

Currently Reading:

• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury:  I'd like to try and read all of Ray Bradbury's books - I love his writing.  I thought this would make a nice Autumn/Halloween read.
• The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker: This is The Sword and Laser book club pick for this month and it's been on my TBR for ages.  I am loving this but the audio expires tomorrow at the library and I still have a couple hours (or more) of audio.  It feel's like it is taking me forever to read but it's just a smidge under 500 pages.
• Don't Hex With Texas by Shanna Swendsen: Book 4 in the Enchanted. Inc. series.  Much fun!

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!

Nothing this week.

Blogging 

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

It ended up being kind of a crazy week so I got nothing really posted except all my readathon posts  last Saturday.  Speaking of which the readathon was awesome and I lasted until 3 am:).

SATURDAY:

• Readathon In the Beginning
• Readathon Midpoint
• Readathon Wrap Up

For Disney Fans

For Scary Movie Fans

Happy Halloween!

Saturday in the Garden | On a Sunday

OUTSIDE

I don't have too much to write about the garden.  The tomatoes have been insanely irritating - they're sparse, took forever to ripen, had a lot of blossom end rot (too little water) and then half of them have been split (too much water) as soon as they ripened.  For a vegetable that anyone can grow I sure do suck at it, lol!  I was visiting a friend this weekend who was growing ground cherries and man were they tasty!  I may have to consider experimenting with them next year.

Here are some scenes from this weekend: first, the Rapidan River and second, the falls at Mineopa State Park both near Mankato, MN.

GAK

My blogging and internetting dwindled to almost nothing the last couple weeks.  Not really sure entirely why but I've got some work stress and I've been pretty obsessed with the Olympics and then  actually traveled and was social this weekend (shocker!).  It's these lapses in attention that keep me from doing anything to fancy up or improve the blog - I really love blogging and interacting with other bloggers but that doesn't always come with a constant level of commitment.  So. Sorry my blog's lame.  I'm sure it's only me that really cares but still.  I'm not sure this week will be any better honestly.  I just got home a couple hours ago, I'm pretty beat and this week at work promises to be challenging.  That doesn't mean I won't be unexpectedly flooded with inspiration and energy - it's doubtful but weirder things have happened.  Like this...

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

The Olympics.  Sad it is over:(. I love the drama and the feelings of inadequacy it brings;0).  My new favorite athlete crushes are Simone Biles, Usain Bolt (don't ask why it took me so long to get on this train), and Ashton Eaton.  Bad Asses All.

Reading

Finished Last Week:

• Lost Stars by Claudia Gray: My first Star Wars book and it's sooooo gooooood!  
• Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie: I'm not usually a reader of contemporary romance or so-called chick-lit but I really loved this book!
• Beguilement (The Sharing Knife #1) by Lois McMaster Bujold: It was bound to happen some time  - LMB has let me down.  This book was not my cup of tea.

Currently Reading:

• Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2)  by Libba Bray:  I had an actual Love-Hate relationship with the first book in this series but there was enough love to make me curious about where the series is headed.  I am not not enjoying this book but I'm not making very fast progress.  I just can't express how little I care about Evie and her relationship entanglements with Sam and Jericho. 
• Runemarks by Joanne Harris:  I am actually not going to finish this book though it's not bad.  It reminds me a bit of Cathrynne Valente's Fairyland series, told in a very fairy tale style.  The problem with this is that characters tend to be pretty generic and shallow which means I don't get engaged.  The Fairyland series eventually shifted for me about halfway through book one and this one might have too but I just don't have the patience and attention right now to stick with it and find out.
• The Castle of Wizardry (The Belgariad #4) by David Eddings:  I am re-reading this series on audio - it was one of my favorites as a wee(ish) thing.

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!

• Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie:  Because of above.  There's a feisty lady and a hitman.
• Rhapsody: Child of Blood by Elizabeth Haydon:  I think I heard about this one on the Sword and Laser podcast?  It kind of looks like a generic fantasy but whoever was recommending it, loved it.
• Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins:  Boarding school ...witches...I'm in.  Sounds like a fun YA.
• The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware:  A Agatha Christie-esque mystery thriller.  Sounds great. Pretty sure I heard about this one on Book Riot's All the Books podcast.

Blogging 

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

The last time I posted a Saturday's in the Garden post two weeks ago I was all proud of my blogging prowess.  NOT so much this fortnight - the below is all I've managed...

TUESDAY (Aug15): Top Ten Tuesday | The Best Books with the Worst Settings

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Saturday in the Garden | Eating My Own Weight in Corn, Cukes and Tomatoes

OUTSIDE

I got the yard cleaned up last Sunday, at least somewhat, and my neighbor foisted all kinds of vegetables on me for which I am NOT complaining.  She gets more sun, she's in her eighties so spends most days puttering in the garden and she grows enough for 20 people.

It's officially August in Iowa.

My garden continues to be weird.  I appear to be headed for a bumper crop of peppers but my tomatoes are really sparse and I've only gotten 4 to ripen so far.  My "experimental" crop this year were Lima Beans (which I love and didn't realize most people hate until I was like 35) and they are producing pods like mad but the pods aren't fattening up.... That will be a serious bummer if they stall at this stage without producing the beans.

The view out of my office window continues to provide a show.  The Monarch was enjoying some Ironweed and the Giant Swallowtail was enjoying the Bee Balm (sorry for the horrible pic - he was being very fluttery).

And some other random photos from being out in the field this week.  We've actually started finding some Monarch caterpillars which is a relief.

Fun Leafhopper

4th Instar Monarch Caterpillar

Ever wondered what being in the middle of an Iowa corn field looks like? Probably not but here you go anyway.

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

I'm still making my way through Agents of Shield and haven't gotten to any new episodes yet.  I still love May an insane amount.  I am most drawn to female characters who are bad ass and really good at controlling their emotions.  I am NOT good at controlling my emotions so I think it is a trait I envy/admire the most in other women.  I'd forgotten just how much I hate the mostly ruined dynamic between Fitz and Simmons and how changed Fitz's personality is - I love the two of them and hate that everything about them in this season is mostly grim and that most of the blame for that is piled onto Simmons.

The near future will probably be all about the Olympics!

Reading

Finished Last Week:

• Magician's Gambit (Belgariad #3) by David Eddings: See above!  Book 3 reread from a muc beloved series.  
• Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews: I swear this series keeps getting better and better!

Currently Reading:

• One Magic Square by Lolo Houbein: A gardening book about maximizing food production in a small space.  An ARC from Netgalley (though I think it's an older title).    
• Lost Stars by Claudia Gray: My first Star Wars book and it's sooooo gooooood!  
• Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2)  by Libba Bray:  I had an actual Love-Hate relationship with the first book in this series but there was enough love to make me curious about where the series is headed.  The bad news?  The first sentence Evie utters contains the dreaded "Posi-tute-ly!" Ugh....

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!

• Trials of the Earth: The True Story of a Pioneer Woman by Mary Mann Hamilton: I think the title says it all!  I love frontier/pioneer stories and if they are true all the better! 
• To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey: I loved The Snow Child by this author and this second book of hers has historical Alaska as a setting again. Both this one and the one above were from The Capricious Reader's blog.
• The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen:  This sounded like an interesting mystery/southern fiction story that was recommended on the Get Booked podcast from Book Riot. 

Blogging 

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

Two Reviews!  Look at me being a real book blog;0).

SUNDAY:  Review | A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
TUESDAY: Top Ten Tuesday | Let the Book Avarice Begin!
THURSDAY: Review | The Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Saturdays in the Garden | Superheroes and Butterflies

OUTSIDE

I still haven't done any work in the yard and garden.  Hopefully tomorrow?

Instead, here's a picture out my office window.

Two Eastern Tiger Swallowtails,  nectaring on Bee Balm

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

I finished my Arrow re-watch and have started on an Agents of SHIELD (AoS) re-watch so that I can start season 3 which was recently released on Netflix.  Superheroes everywhere.  I hated the first half of the first season of AoS when I initially watched the show but am finding it not so bad this time around.  Probably because I'm already attached to the characters. I still love May and kind of hate Skye If you watch superhero shows, what's your favorite?

Reading

Finished Last Week:

• Queen of Sorcery (Belgariad #2) by David Eddings:  This is a re-read of a much beloved epic fantasy series from my youth.  It holds up surprisingly well.  Great quest epic fantasy!
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith: I will try almost any take on Jane Austen's novels, even (especially?) ones involving zombies. I enjoyed re-reading P&P and didn't mind the occasional insertion of zombies.

Currently Reading:

• One Magic Square by Lolo Houbein: A gardening book about maximizing food production in a small space.  An ARC from Netgalley (though I think it's an older title).  
• Magician's Gambit (Belgariad #3) by David Eddings: See above!  Book 3 reread from a muc beloved series.  
• Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews: I love this urban fantasy series.  

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!

• Smoke by Dan Vyleta:  I've heard about this book from a few different locations and it sounds fascinating.  It takes place in the late 1800s in an England where every sin a person commits makes them emit visible smoke.  
• Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton:  I didn't write down where I read about this dang it but it's a YA novel that apparently has a wild west vibe but set in a middle eastern culture.  

Blogging 

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

SUNDAY:  Mini-Reviews | KDramas | Oh My Ghostess, Splash Splash Love, Noble My Love
TUESDAY: Top Ten Tuesday | Crazy Things I Want To Do Because Books Told Me To

* I really need to get some reviews written so hopefully get some done this week?  

Have a Great Week!

Saturday in the Garden | My TBR Hits New Heights of Ridiculousness

OUTSIDE

My bountiful harvest this week: a handful of Green Beans and a tiny pile of adorably minuscule Blueberries.  Awww....

I've suspected for some time that at least one thing eating my Kale so thoroughly was Cabbage White butterfly caterpillars.  This was pretty much confirmed today.  I feel bad that it makes me feel such rage towards them as one of the focuses of my job is butterfly conservation but Cabbage Whites are originally non-native - introduced from Europe. So Screw 'em.

Speaking of butterflies, my field work lately has been looking for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars on milkweed plants.  I only found two Monarch eggs this week (on about 175 examined plants at 4 sites) but I did find a couple of other cool critters:

Milkweed Tussock Moths (I think) - They feed gregariously at least during early larval stages.

A Grey Tree Frog  - These frogs can change their color based on the color of the background they are sitting on, hence why this fellow looks green instead of grey!

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching 

I've been making my way through some K Dramas, so far Oh My Ghostess (very good!) and then a couple of mini-dramas; Splash, Splash, Love (despite the ridiculous name, very good!) and Noble, My Love (hmmm... jury's still out).  Watching these dramas (it also happened with Coffee Prince) has made me very curious about Korea and its culture which as portrayed in the Dramas is still steeped in its own traditions but with heavy influences by Western, particularly American culture.  America's influence is not surprising considering the Korean War and the North and South Korea situation which America heavily butts into because of the Communism and such.  Anyway, it makes for a fascinating dynamic and it is part of the reason why I like the Dramas as more than just silly fluffy romance.

My overall relationship with television still feels very broken.  Besides the K Dramas I can't really get into anything, and even my enthusiasm for the K Dramas is somewhat muted.  It would be a good time to explore other hobbies and break my TV addiction, right?  Nahhhh..... Hopefully this slump ends soon.  Thankfully, I've been reading some good books of late.


Reading

Finished Last Week:

• Broken Homes (Peter Grant #4) by Ben Aaronovitch:  I LOVE this series so much.  The ending of this one may have broken my heart though.
• In a House Made of Bones and Teeth (Lovegrove Legacy #3) by Alyxandra Harvey: A short self-published conclusion to Harvey's Lovegrove Legacy trilogy.  It was less than satisfying of course, being only 55 pages in length but at least she provided something after the publishers dropped the series.  
• A Study in Charlotte (Charlotte Holmes #1)by Brittany Cavallaro: A YA novel that takes place at a modern day boarding school focused on a team up between the female descendant of Sherlock Holmes and the male descendant of John Watson.  LOVED this book.  So much fun and then some.

Currently Reading:

• One Magic Square by Lolo Houbein: A gardening book about maximizing food production in a small space.  An ARC from Netgalley (though I think it's an older title).  
• The Passage (The Passage #1) by Justin Cronin:  This literary novel about a vampiric plague has been recommended to me a thousand times in a thousand ways.  My first thoughts: 1) I am 13 chapters in to the whopping 75 total chapters and already feel like I've been reading it for AGES, and 2) I sometimes think literary fiction authors' whole goal in life is to imagine up new levels of misery they can put their characters through.  Despite the fact that those two comments are kind of negative, I am sucked into it.  
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith: I will try almost any take on Jane Austen's novels, even (especially?) ones involving zombies. 

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!

The Top Ten Tuesday topic this week (see below) was killer on my TBR as were some podcasts....

• Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins:  A romance set on the American frontier featuring people of color.  It sounds amazing!
• Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie:  I'm not really a contemporary romance or "chick-lit" fan but the premise of this book sounds so good.  Guy takes a bet to ask a girl out, girl knows this is why he's asking her out but stays mum about it and there is apparently some great scenes with donuts. 
• HEX by Thomas Olde Heuvelt:  A modern day town is home to a creepy old witch who placed a curse on it 100 years prior.  
• The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz:  A really interesting sounding mystery. About Bourbon and Thievery.
• The Voyage of the Basset by James C. Christensen: 18th Century folks go sailing into the ancient myths.  Sign. Me. Up.
• A Cat Called Dog by Jem Vanston: A cat who acts like a dog and the proper cats that take on his re-education.
• The Secret Notes of Lady Kanoko (Volume 1) by Ririko Tsujita:  I am flummoxed by but drawn to manga so am always on the look out for recs.  
• Daughter of Xanadu (#1) by Dori Jones Yang:  Historical fiction about the grand-daughter of Kubilai Khan.  
• The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal: Fairy Tale-esque political intrigue set in a Scandinavian royal court.
• Above World (#1) by Jenn Reese: People living under the sea.  
• The Mark of the Horse Lord by Rosemary Sutcliff:  I've not read any thing by Rosemary Sutcliff and need to fix that I think.  This looks like a good one featuring retired Gladiators and mistaken identities.
• Peaceweaver by Rebecca Barnhouse: Looks like a very fun YA epic fantasy with a female protagonist.  
• The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Albino's Treasures by Stuart Douglas: I am always on the look out for good "professional" Holmes fan fiction. 
• The Spirit Chaser by K.M. Montemayor:  Ghost hunters.
• A Two Reel Murder (Maisy Malone #1) by Larry Names:  Mystery featuring stars from the golden age of silent cinema.  
• Claymore, Vol. 1: A Silver-eyed Slayer by Norihiro Yagi:  See above note about Manga.
• Rivers of London: Body Work #1 by Ben Aaronovitch:  A graphic novel version of one of if not my very favorite Urban Fantasy series!

The next few were inspired by my recent K Drama watching and desire to learn more about Korea.

• Drifting House by Krys Lee:  Short story collection.
• Without Me There is No Us by Suki Kim: Non-fiction about a Korean-American's stint as a teacher in North Korea.
• Korea and Her Neighbors by Isabella Bird: A classic non-fiction book about the region circa 1890s.
• The Memoirs of Lady Hyegong by Lady Hyegong: Another classic which is the diary of a member of the royal household during a particularly dramatic and brutal time period - her husband, the Crown Prince, was murdered terribly by his father.
• Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick:  A look at every day life of every day people in North Korea.
• Nation Building in South Korea: Koreans, Americans and the Making of Democracy by Gregg Brazinsky: I think the title is pretty self-explanatory and is a big part of my interest - the Western influence on this Eastern Culture.   

I TOLD you my TBR exploded this week!  My TBR has hit the milestone of outnumbering my "Have read" list on Goodreads.

Blogging 

On the BLOG LAST WEEK:

TUESDAY:  Top Ten Tuesday | Underrated Books
THURSDAY: REVIEW | The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Never be Afraid to Look Unintentionally Silly. And have a good week!- Jasper