I started a railway puzzle while I finished the Malazan Book of the Fallen. I didn‘t intend to tackle the whole series this year, but I had to at least try the first one as part of my goal to finish everything on my Kobo, and my library had them all on audio, and here we are. I probably would‘ve loved it when I was 14-15. At 42, it felt less than fresh in some ways, but I enjoyed it more often than not & I‘m glad I finally read it. #audiopuzzling

I‘ve started buying holiday books! Today the thrift store coughed up a Boy‘s Own Annual from 1914/15, which I‘ll wrap up for my dad mostly on account of the cricket cover (a LOT of cricket happens near his house) and the battleship frontispieces. Since it‘s from a hundred and ten years ago, I assume most of the stories are all, “Manly manness forever! Glory to the empire! What ho! Such larks!”

EXCUSE ME, but this book is FUCKING MAGNIFICENT and you should read it right now if you love things packed with intense emotions where the characters read lots of books and think deeply about them and challenge one another on their reactions and ACTUALLY LISTEN instead of getting defensive.

There‘s also an excellent dog. And, like, seven million other amazing bits. I loved it so much I don‘t even care if there‘s anything wrong with it. 6 stars.

I somehow finished A DROP OF CORRUPTION before bed last night, then started THE SECOND CHANCE BOOK CLUB just for something to do before I got sleepy. Sixty pages later, I admitted I really did need to turn in. It‘s hit me right in the emotions and even now, post-breakfast and another fifty pages on, I don‘t want to put it down.

I‘ve spent forever with A DROP OF CORRUPTION, partly because I haven‘t had enough time to sit down with it these past few days and partly because it‘s about 100 pages longer than I thought it was. Gonna try to read enough tonight that I can finish it tomorrow morning before I go install some accessibility equipment for my convalescing uncle.

As I brewed this tea, I remembered a character was MURDERED with tea during my last reading session. Oops.

Working my way through my first book by Yiyun Li. It‘s not bad, but I want memoir to invite me inside the author‘s emotional truth, and I don‘t think this one has done that. While I can understand why Li maintains a somewhat academic distance, given the subject matter, I still wish it felt a little less like one of those documentaries where the narrator speaks blandly while unobtrusive piano music plays over a montage of archival footage.

I loved Lev AC Rosen‘s LAVENDER HOUSE so much I immediately requested the rest of the series. The fourth one‘s still in processing, but I was able to pick up the second & third books today, along with another Remixed Classic and Stephanie Butland‘s latest book. Then I grabbed some Zadie Smith off the shelf, because I need more nonfiction in my life, and left a couple of puzzles in exchange for this one.

I recently invested in a 1.2kg jar of kimchi so I can make the kimchi noodles from DELICIOUS TONIGHT for a bit cheaper. They and the spicy peanut noodles are my most-made recipes from the book and also one of the few things that come out basically the same colour as Nagi‘s example photo.

I usually add mustard tubers in place of bean sprouts, but I keep forgetting to buy more so last night‘s noodles were a LITTLE less substantial. Still delish.

I finished my Hallowe‘en puzzle! Yesterday‘s session took me through to the end of THE GRIMMER, which was a really good YA horror/dark fantasy novel set in ‘90s British Columbia, while today‘s brought me further into the Malazan finale. #audiopuzzling

Time for another remixed classic! I read WUTHERING HEIGHTS over fifteen years ago, and the main thing I remember about it is that it was a lot more intense and enjoyable than I expected. This version‘s off to a good start too.

Friends, this low-heat new adult fantasy romance was just what I needed. It‘s got that perfect blend of silly and serious, with great characters and fun times. The jokes land! It captures how huge life changes are scary and exciting and awkward and uplifting, all at once! Its characters work to understand each other instead of writing their friends off after they make mistakes!

Basically, it worked for me on every level. You want it.

Tonight I made tteokbokki for the first time in ages and read as much of PSYLOCKE as Marvel Unlimited has. I‘m scared to check and see if this series made it past ten issues. I love it very much and want lots, lots more of Kwannon moving through the world, reckoning with her past and loving people.

I figured it was a good time to do my big, complicated Hallowe‘en puzzle, and to finish the Malazan Book of the Fallen. It seems like all of us who‘re listening to the series this year did the penultimate book said, “Yeah, I need a break.” It‘s remained available to borrow for the last month, and no one‘s requested it in the couple days since I got it. Since there‘s no run on the grand finale, I‘ll probably intersperse other books every 25% or so.

I made a small start on STAR NOMAD yesterday, before post-vaccine wooziness set in, and I‘m pleased so far! While the series‘ prequel novella didn‘t grab me, this official first book has a good hook and some intriguing characters. I‘m eager to read on.

Also of note: I refreshed my Kobo case with a fruit bat sticker from a brand new local makers‘ shop I discovered today. I proved powerless against this 3D printed dragon, too.

I‘m having a great time with RELATIVE TO WIND, in which Phoebe Wang explores the many facets of her sailing life and how the things she‘s learned on the water also help steer her life on dry land. Casey agrees it was an excellent random shelf pick.

I‘m having so much fun with MY ROOMMATE FROM HELL, Cale Dietrich‘s forthcoming new adult romance. Saki‘s provided some excellent reading buddy services along the way. He‘s a great roommate, too, if you don‘t mind the occasional puke puddle and/or possessed baby sounds at two in the morning. (He‘s got this one noise that sounds like either “Hello!” or “Helen!” It‘s creepy, but also very cute.)

There are a lot of powerful thoughts in this tiny book. Rilke‘s ideas often reminded me of Buddhist texts for how deeply he considers concepts like emotion and solitude.

Rainy day reading with Jade, who‘s sad she can‘t play fetch outside. (Basement fetch just isn‘t the same.) I‘m flying through A CLASH OF STEEL, despite occasional purple prose and some unnecessary uses of the past perfect. (Y‘all know how much I hate that.) The setting‘s great, I‘m intrigued by the characters, and I can‘t wait to see the plot kick into gear.

I paused my Readathonning one final time to have supper with a friend, then dove right back in. A spot of audio-driven packing for my time at Jade & Saki‘s place with THE VELA, the last third of FLOAT, and a glorious rush to the end of THE LOVE THAT DARES took me to six hours, twenty-seven minutes of reading.

Now I‘m gonna tuck up in bed and devour comics until I pass out. #deweyoct #readathon

I hit three hours, twenty-one minutes of reading time while I finished LONG LIVE QUEER NIGHTLIFE, then took another little Readathon break to visit the library‘s new puzzle exchange. Even though I wasn‘t planning to borrow anything, I had a wee trawl through the stacks and came away with a bit more nonfiction to pad out my reading list, plus some poetry. #deweyoct #readathon

I‘ve now logged two hours, twenty-two minutes of reading time, with a couple breaks so I could do laundry and get groceries. FLOAT is the penultimate book in the Sword & Magic indie novel anthology, and so far I‘m divided on it. I like Carlton‘s prose style and her characters. I don‘t like how the male lead‘s big inspiration is his sister‘s brutal rape and murder, and I find the short chapters and POV shifts a bit choppy. #deweyoct #readathon

I logged about 42 minutes with my daily short story (a novelette by Rebecca Hirsch Garcia). Now, time for some X-Men! Also, some Hallowe‘en decorations. I‘ve got a terrible weakness for green glowy things. #deweyoct #readathon

Saturday morning and the books are out! I haven‘t missed Dewey‘s 24-Hour Readathon since September 2008, which makes this my 35th consecutive participation.🥇I‘ll start the day with the last story in this fabulous collection. #deweyoct #readathon

I recently updated my reading stats for the first time since May and confirmed I‘ve dropped the ball on nonfiction this year. To that end, I combed through Hoopla and found the tagged book, which is a fascinating look at the evolving face of queer nightlife, primarily in the UK. Ghaziani‘s an academic, with that audience in mind, but his prose is still accessible to laypeople. I‘m loving it.

Also, I painted some spooky stuff. #audiocrafting

Another DELICIOUS TONIGHT recipe that‘s a totally different colour from the example photo. What filter does she even use? Or are ingredients just radically different colours in Australia than they are in Canada? Here, curry powder‘s yellow and peanut butter‘s brown. They‘re the dominant ingredients in this baked chicken satay, which WAS delicious even if it was browny-yellow instead of a pretty red. (Also, I forgot the cilantro on top.)

Casey helped me start LAVENDER HOUSE over breakfast yesterday, since I woke up in the mood for a murder mystery. The rest of the day got so busy I couldn‘t squeeze in more than a single chapter, but today my rainy afternoon‘s wide open. Gonna see how much progress I can make.

KEY LIME SKY‘s prologue was so purple I felt sure my last Auld Lang Spine title of 2025 was gonna be a quick-bail. Thankfully, the rest of the book was WAY less florid, and spectacularly entertaining into the bargain. I loved it.

I barrelled through to the end while I cleaned, put out some Hallowe‘en decorations, and preserved my Candy Crush streak. #audiodecorating

Throwback to last night‘s beer: a kettle corn blonde from Bookstore Brewing Co. It was lovely. The sugar faded into the brew while the salt popped at the finish.

So far, I think I‘m enjoying the historical commentary in THE LOVE THAT DARES more than the letters themselves—for values of enjoyment that involve a whole lot of sadness at people who‘ve chosen to embrace homophobia and exclusion. Guess which country distresses me most right now.

I‘ve finally hit Victoria Goddard‘s STARGAZY PIE, which is the main reason I downloaded this indie novel anthology. I‘ve often seen Goddard compared to Katherine Addison, and now I get why: she delivers interesting character dynamics and a complex, well-realized world to sift through and figure out. The first five chapters were exactly what I feel like.

I just finished another exciting Mary Stewart novel! Even better: I was able to do the buy-book-read-book thing so quickly that the $0.99 sale is still in effect and I can urge y‘all to grab it if you‘re in the mood for a Cretan adventure with great tension. It‘s from 1962, so there‘re a couple dodgy bits, but nothing awful enough to destroy my enjoyment.

I‘m staying near a library branch with a puzzle exchange! Today I dropped two off and picked one up—and since they also had a great queer history display, I came away with a few books to boot. I‘m especially excited for A CLASH OF STEEL, since I loved the two previous remixed classics I read.

Aliette de Bodard is one of those authors I really, really want to love, but I‘ve never clicked with her longer work. (I‘ve enjoyed some of her short fiction.) Going by this book‘s opening, I think maybe her prose is precise in a way that shuts me out of the story‘s emotional side. Hopefully the rest of the thing‘ll win me over and change my mind.

Also, you‘ll appreciate why I had to buy and immediately assemble this diorama kit. #audiocrafting

Daily short story + beer. Rebecca Hirsch Garcia is mighty good. I hesitate to say each story in this collection is stronger than the last, but that‘s only because they all pack such a serious punch. An excellent random pick thanks to Hoopla‘s September bonus borrows.

The beer was also great; sweeter than I normally like, but so well-balanced that I didn‘t even mind. It drinks more like a solid fruit beer than anything else.

I finished my Broadway puzzle and did an entire (tiny) London one while I listened to BEWARE OF CHICKEN, in which a Canadian guy wakes up in the body of a pseudo-ancient-Chinese cultivator and decides to be a farmer instead of a wizard because that‘s a more useful profession. So far, it‘s low stakes fun with the hint of some moral challenges to come. #audiopuzzling

I started a Broadway puzzle while I finished THE SPIRIT COLLECTION OF THORNE HALL. The book has a satisfying creepiness to it and I enjoyed it a lot, but Thomas is one of those writers who uses, for example, “she‘d not” instead of “she hadn‘t,” and I find that contraction sounds unnatural with most North American accents, including hers. It might‘ve made sense if only time-locked Elegy did it, but everyone does. 🤷‍♀️ #audiopuzzling

Tonight I drank a really lovely tomato gose (definitely not a sour, no matter how they‘ve marketed it) and read the first half of the first novella in THE BOOK OF NEVER. It was good, too, though I‘m a little surprised some of the Kobo reviewers describe the series as unlike anything they‘ve ever read. The Sword & Magic omnibus contains the first four novellas, so it‘s got 3.5 more books to turn fantasy upside down for me.

Yesterday I posted about how much I loved Laura J. Mayo‘s latest release. Today I discovered her first book is currently free! Y‘all should grab it while that‘s the case. I dunno how long it‘ll last, but the next one comes out tomorrow so I‘m guessing it‘ll be back to regular price pretty soon.

Laura J. Mayo knows her fairy tale tropes and explores how ridiculous it‘d be to actually live them out. I laughed SO MUCH at all the physical comedy and overblown reactions—but at the same time, I got super emotional on Theo‘s behalf as she adjusts to her new life and faces down a massive upset to her sense of identity. IT‘S SO GOOD! Despite the closing line, I dearly hope Theo and her friends have more adventures ahead. I‘ll read ‘em.

I‘ve had a string of so-so books mixed in with good stuff I didn‘t like enough to read at a decent clip. It feels mighty nice to dive into something I don‘t want to put down! Alas, I‘ll soon have to stop reading THE (MOST UNUSUAL) HAUNTING OF EDGAR LOVEJOY so I can attend my first in-person football match. It‘d be a funnier prospect if it weren‘t raining, but I‘m still excited to apply everything I‘ve learned from World Cup viewing.

McDonald‘s reintroduced cappuccinos as a points redemption option, so I stopped in for a coffee and a read after I returned my library books. The drink took me a couple chapters further into BENEATH THE CANYONS, about which I‘m on the fence. The writing isn‘t bad so far, but there‘s maybe a vibe that‘s put me off? An ideological divide? We‘ll see whether I finish it or drift away.

I have Feelings about creators who reimagine ANNE OF GREEN GABLES in the States, but I made an exception for this queer, Latine take on the base story. It‘s very good so far. At about halfway through, I‘m invested in Dan and I‘m wondering if we‘ll ever see any redeeming qualities in his horrible grandfather. So far, dude is the worst.

Today‘s ZAO FAN recipe is Beijing guotie (potstickers). I made the pork version instead of the egg, alongside some chard braised with the teensy bit of leftover filling, and they were pretty good. TONS of work, though. Rolling dumpling wrappers takes for bloody ever.

I finished RADIANCE! While I didn‘t become completely obsessed with it, like I hoped at first, I did love sooooo much of what Valente does here. Now I want to watch a bunch of movies, too.

I carved a foam Mona Lisa pumpkin while I listened. She‘s my perennial favourite carving and the one that gets the most OOOOOOHs from people. Now I don‘t have to redo her year after year. #audiocarving

Time for pulp fiction and Casey snuggles. THE MAD KING‘s cover led me to expect pseudo-medieval fantasy, but it‘s actually a contemporary-to-publication adventure novel about a young American who is mistaken for the runaway king of his mother‘s European homeland. The first three chapters were fun.

Today I started RADIANCE, which feels like a book with which I could become totally obsessed, and I carved my first foam pumpkin. The hot knife tool didn‘t get hot enough to produce the smooth edges it advertised, but the pumpkin‘ll look okay from a distance once I get a better light, and it‘ll never rot. Good times. #audiocrafting

Doing the outdoor cozy mystery thing. I‘m not really invested in the murder investigation here, but I‘d very much like to eat and drink everything the characters find on their plates or in their cups.

This week‘s library haul, plus Casey‘s head. I‘m so glad they finally bought more of A MAN AND HIS CAT!

I also brought three boxes of books to donate to the Friends of the Library sale. They were leftovers from a pop up LFL I did last weekend. Most of the LFLs around here closed, and it was so much fun watching people get DELIGHTED when they saw a random bookshelf full of freebies. Weirdly, everyone took the huge, heavy nonfiction titles.

Last book from the 2025 Canada Reads Longlist! I like THE OTHER VALLEY‘s vibes so far and I appreciate how it digs deep on the philosophy, but I do have questions about how the valleys get stuff like gasoline. Perhaps Howard poured a lot into some bits of the worldbuilding but not so much into others.

Tonight‘s beer is a Music Machine Sour Fruited Gose, and it‘s ACTUALLY A GOSE! Hurray! Most local breweries confuse regular sours with goses.

I wanted Casey to pose with FEARLESS AND FREE, but he was more interested in BEING fearless and free. So here we are.

I finished the book this morning and now I‘m even more sorry I somehow missed Josephine Baker‘s tomb at the Pantheon. She was a remarkable person; not flawless, but deeply committed to her art and the fight for a better world. I admire her so much, and I love how her zest for life comes across in this as-told-to memoir.

I reheated my lemon garlic chicken in the air fryer and now it‘s the same colour as the example photo in DELICIOUS TONIGHT. No filter necessary! It‘s a miracle!

Between cooking, eating, and manual labour, I hit 70% with SEVENTHBLADE. While I appreciate a lot of what Laird does here, the first 25% or so felt like a prologue, and that‘s made it tough for me to click with the book. I‘ll finish it, but I dunno if I‘ll jump on sequels. #audiocooking