Life and Things

I got the first of my new prostheses, and my second pair of new glasses came in. That was exciting. Here’s an up close of my eye. It’s a deep violet.

I’ve begun to have odd problems with my left hand releasing its hold on things without warning. Like, not even tingling, or a feeling of weakness. Basically, it seems to have become this cat right here…

In less exciting news, our sick kitty is still doing poorly. It hurts so much to see her sick and be unable to fix it at all. And her brother is getting frustrated, both in missing playing with her, and in how much more of our attention she gets. He has Bengal or Abyssinian blood, well, both do…. Anyway, he is a high energy, high maintenance cat. We try to wear him out and Persephone at least is mostly tolerant of him. She puts up with more dive-bomb attacks than Shadow does.

On the blog front…. I found some dozen or so books reviews that were never posted on Port Jericho. It’s so confusing. I posted them everywhere else, but they aren’t even drafted to Jericho. Like, they are from 2016. Bizarre…

 

Books read, reviewed, and posted/scheduled this past week

Oliver Twist: The Mystery of Throate Manor by David Stuart Davies, 3*

The Day is Ready for You by Alison Malee, 4*

Goodnight, Seahorse by Carly Allen-Fletcher, 4*

Poetry Builders: Ana and Adam Build an Acrostic by Victoria Peterson-Hilleque, illustrated by Winifred Barnum-Newman, 4*

Poetry Builders: Connor and Clara Build a Concrete Poem by Megan Atwood, illustrated by Reginald Butler, 4*

Poetry Builders: Luke and Leo Build a Limerick by Marybeth Mataya, illustrated by Ilene Richard, 4*

Box Turtle by John Himmelman, June 22, 5*

 

Favourite Read(s) of the Week

 

Current Read

 

Next Up (maybe)

Building a Trade Empire by Paul E Horsman

High Merchant by Paul E Horsman

Fascinating New Yorkers by Clifford Browder

Monstrum by Kat Ross

Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts

Jurassic Florida by Hunter Shea

Everything Under the Sun by Jessica Redmerski

 

Book Haul

‘After surviving the horrors of the Holocaust – in ghettos, on death marches, and in concentration camps – a young couple seeks refuge in Canada. They settle into a new life, certain that the terrors of their past are behind them. They build themselves a cozy little cottage on a lake in Muskoka, a cottage that becomes emblematic of their victory over the Nazis. The charming retreat is a safe haven, a refuge from haunted memories.

That is, until a single act of unspeakable violence defiles their sanctuary. Poking around the dark crawl space beneath their cottage, they discover a wooden crate, nailed tightly shut and almost hidden from view. Nothing could have prepared them for the horror of the crate’s contents – or how the peace and tranquility of their lives would be shattered.

Now, their daughter, Deborah Vadas Levison, an award-winning journalist, tells the extraordinary account of her parents’ ordeals, both in one of the darkest times in world history and their present-day lives. Written in searing, lyrical prose, THE CRATE: A Story Of War, A Murder, And Justice examines man’s seemingly limitless capacity for evil… but also, his capacity for good.’

 

‘With his Starfleet assignment temporarily on hold, Odo needs a distraction. He welcomes Chief O’Brien’s offer to loan him some of the action-packed books that both men relish: tales about hard-boiled private eyes, threatening thugs, and duplicitous dames. Then Quark suddenly goes missing during a hastily planned trip to Ferenginar. His concerned friends on Deep Space Nine feel that Odo, as the station’s former chief of security, is uniquely suited to track Quark down. But once on Ferenginar, Odo learns that Quark is trapped in the seamy underbelly of a criminal enterprise that could have been ripped from the pages of one of O’Brien’s novels. To find the bartender, Odo discovers that he must rely not only on his law enforcement background, but his knowledge of all things noir….’

 

‘It’s time for war.

After suffering terrible losses, Henrietta and Lord Blackwood have led their warriors to Sorrow-Fell, a vast estate where only those invited by a Blackwood may enter–and the ideal place to plan a final assault against the Ancients.

It’s time for a wedding.

Henrietta nervously awaits her marriage to Blackwood, but when the ritual to become his bride reveals a dark secret, she realizes that Sorrow-Fell is not a safe haven; it’s a trap. Convincing the sorcerers of this, however, is not easy. So with Maria, the true chosen one, and Magnus, the young man who once stole her heart, at her side, Henrietta plots a dangerous journey straight into the enemy’s lair. Some will live. Some will die. All will be tested.

In this stunning conclusion to the Kingdom on Fire series, Henrietta must choose between the love from her past, the love from her present, and a love that could define her future. While battles rage, the fate of the kingdom rests on her decision: Will she fall or rise up to become the woman who saves the realm?

It’s time for Henrietta to make her stand.’

 

‘Yokai…Japanese spirits.

Most people fear them, and a few people even hunt them, thinking they are horrible monsters to be destroyed at all costs. But young Hamachi wants to be friends with them! He sees them as mischievous creatures that could coexist peacefully with humans if only given a chance.

When his grandmother dies under mysterious circumstances, Hamachi journeys into the Yokai realm. Along the way, he encounters an ogre who punishes truant children, an angry water spirit, and a talking lantern. Will Hamachi be able to find his grandmother’s killer, or will he be lost forever in another world?’