What I finished:
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn.. The latest in Quinn's string of book about underestimated women being heroic and competent in WWII. This one isn't as awesome as The Huntress, due to not having Nina Markova in it, but it was still suspenseful and enjoyable. The three heroines all work at Bletchley Park in various capacities, and ( Read more... )

I'm back!

Actually, I've been back for several days now, but I've alternated between being extremely lazy and extremely busy, so no post until today.

Our trip to Carmel was just about perfect. The weather was gorgeous -- the one time it rained was overnight, and everything was fine again by morning. The view from our hotel room was even more ( Read more... )

I still have to pack, mind you. But I've closed my work computer (both of them) and set an away message on my work e-mail, and early tomorrow morning The Boy and I are off to lovely Carmel-by-the-Sea for a week of sorely needed rest and relaxation. Watch this space (and my Instagram) for trip posts and photos, whee! This entry was originally ( Read more... )

( GBBO neepery )

First of all, thank you so much for writing me a story! Whichever of my requested fandoms you choose, rest assured that I love them all. My sign up has some prompts you can use, but really, feel free to go with whatever inspires you.

My likes: Action, adventure, happy endings, casefic, slice-of-life stories, established relationship stories, humor ( Read more... )

I've been really enjoying the new season of Great British Bake Off. They seem to have course corrected from last year -- the technical challenges are properly challenging but not bizarre or obscure, and all the contestants seem pretty likable so far. ( spoiler )

Despite my lifelong history of having a black thumb, I've actually managed to start a little bit of a container kitchen garden this summer. My basil has grown enough that I can use it for cooking now, snipping off leaves here and there as needed. Rosemary and thyme aren't at that point yet, but they're still growing nicely. The biggest success ( Read more... )

What I finished:
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. For tonight's book club. This is a book about a failed bank robber taking a bunch of people hostage, which makes it sound like some sort of thriller, but it's actually a quirky and ultimately rather sweet story about a bunch of, well, anxious people working out their various personal issues. I ( Read more... )

To all who are celebrating, may your next year be sweet.

I love it when a High Holiday starts on a weekend (long weekend in this case), 'cause then I have the whole day free to prepare all the tasty, tasty things. Right now I have tzimmes bubbling away in the slow cooker, the apple cinnamon cake cooling on the counter, and the challah dough waiting ( Read more... )

What I finished:
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. The narrator, Klara is a solar-powered android purchased to be an Artificial Friend (called AF by all the other characters) for a teenage girl named Josie, because that's apparently a totally normal thing to do in the world of this book. Josie is ill with some vague but life-threatening illness ( Read more... )