Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger

This was not a book club assignment.

Youngest alerted me months ago that William Kent Krueger’s 20th book/Cork series would be available mid August 2024. 

I preordered on Audible. I knew there would be a wait at all libraries on the Libby and Hoopla platforms. I wanted to be able to read it immediately.

It automatically popped up in my library. 

As soon as I got in my car, leaving my August 21st book group discussion meeting, I started Spirit Crossing.

I knew I could easily finish it before Monday morning rolled around and I started my next discussion group book. 

I try to attend one book discussion group per week. These groups meet on Wednesdays or Thursdays. I start the new book each Monday, so it is fresh in my mind for discussion. I do not start another (personal choice) book until after the discussion. So I read one book a week for discussion. And I tend to read one or more books per week that are personal choice. 

Youngest and I were introduced to William Kent Krueger, fall 2023, when her book group assigned one of his stand alone novels. She loved it. Her group loved it. I read and loved it. Then I started in on the rest of his list. This was before I started attending one book group a week. 

I read all the rest of William Kent Krueger’s books fall 2023. I read the stand along books first and then the Cork series. (I have not read the Cork companion book.)

It very happily took many months to listen/read thru all Krueger’s titles. This emersion method is my favorite way to read a really good author - one book after the other in chronological order. 

https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/william-kent-krueger/

The Day He Never Came Home by Andrew DeYoung

Reeding Between the Lines is the book review podcast hosted by my quilt blogger (Nicole Reed) and her daughter (Sara Reed). 

Podcast format - Sara hosts each episode. Nicole joins her, at least once a month, for their book review topic. Nicole’s son, Sara’s brother, Ahren joins Sara on occasion to discuss science fiction titles. And also, occasionally, Sara interviews a variety of authors. I best like this podcast when Nicole is on it. But I like the other says too. 

One of the July podcast titles caught my attention -

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reeding-between-the-lines/id1744436935?i=1000663808381

The podcast (above) features the author of this book -

I sort of devoured it. I started listening on a Wednesday morning, after my book group meeting on another title, and finished it before I went to bed that same day. It was in my ears, playing, sort of the whole day. 

It was captivating. I would classify it as a “beach read”, a book with a quick pace that holds attention without being complicated or difficult. 

I absolutely could keep track of all the characters easily. 

I understood the plot. 

I enjoyed it. 

I watch enough Dateline to know that some officials are excellent, others not so much. 

So, I accepted the book’s premise that the FBI is a little incompetent, right from the start. And then just let go of certain facts that otherwise would have annoyed me in the plot. 

I think this author, at this point in time, has three books.  Would I read the other two? Yes, I might. 

Photo frames

This would make a great gift idea. 

I ordered this first 10” digital photo frame directly from Amazon in March 2022, $180.83. We had problems with it. It was a return with someone else’s photos loaded on it. It appeared as if a family bought it for a party, loaded/used it, and then returned it. 

Amazon refunded the full amount after we complained about the fact it was a second hand frame. Skylight helped us return it to factory settings/clean.

I kept this 10” frame. It has been in the living room for the last two years. The kids send photos directly to it.

It recently moved to the kitchen. The 10” size is perfect on a kitchen counter. We tend to watch the frame while we wait for the microwave.

There is a power strip with a short cord behind the frame. This is my charging station.

I recently ordered a 15” (directly from Skylight) for the living room. I really love the larger size in the living room. 

I did not wait for a sale. I ordered June 2024. I ordered directly from Skylight (not Amazon) so I was assured it would be a new one. 

Peter Swanson books

Nicole (Reeding Between the Lines podcast and Sister’s Choice Quilt Blog) mentioned this series. 

I liked them very much! I thought the series was original and well written. 

Various sites use these genres to describe the series: psychology suspense, thriller, mystery, fiction.

Yes, they absolutely need to be read in order. They are captivating. I listened to all three over the course of approximately 5 days. 

I listened to the first two via Libby/library. I purchased the third one (Audible) because there was a very long wait on both Libby and Hoopla.

The characters were easy to distinguish.  Multiple readers voiced the different people. The character changes were well defined, it was very easy to keep track of everything and everyone through all three books. 

I just went with the premise and did not fight it. 

Probably I will read his stand alone books also:

Arthritis creates daily problems

In February/March I had a lot of left knee issues. 

I ended up getting a cortisone shot which helped a lot, because we traveled in April. 

I thought the cortisone calmed down everything and the left knee issues were solved.

In July, the pain came back. Very sad. 

Getting in and out of my car seemed to be one of the biggest issues.

We bought a new/higher vehicle for me. 

It is quite a bit taller than the 2023 Accord, which makes it look big, but it is not.

It is about 10” shorter than the Accord and less than 1” wider.

It has even more safety features. It is much easier to get in and out.

Boxes, again

About 16 months ago I shared a short post on boxes.

https://baby-steps-v.blogspot.com/2023/04/boxes.html

Today is an update. 

The lady who wanted boxes for her Etsy store, disappeared. Clearly she did not want more boxes.

All the recycling drop off stations, where we used to drop our flattened excess cardboard, closed. 

We can still put cardboard in our recycling bin, but that is only picked up every two weeks and has to hold all our other recycling and middle’s recycling too. She does not have curbside.

So I now rely on Facebook Marketplace for my excess cardboard. 

This is good, it is the easiest. I simply put the boxes on my porch. I don’t have to go anywhere. I do not have to break them down. 

People who are moving are extremely happy to get my boxes. They are usually gone within 1-6 hours of my Facebook Marketplace notice.

This is the ultimate recycling. The boxes are used again.

Great Blue Lobelia starting to bloom

 

The annuals in my pots this year - month three