Don't Be Afraid of the Dork: Saturday in the Garden

OUTSIDE

The picture above doesn't do the day justice - it's beautiful outside! I got snowed out yesterday so this morning my technician and I ran our Bald Eagle Midwinter Route. Basically you drive as close as possible along a stretch of river and looks for eagles. Not too many eagles but it was a nice day for a drive and we did see a gaggle of geese enjoying the river.

Inside, the narcissus has bloomed It's beautiful and has a really strong scent! It's also fun to study its roots snaking through the rocks and water. It's crazy how little it takes for them to grow!

I'm hoping, on this long weekend, to spend some time garden planning! 😍

GAK

I had a such a fun surprise in the mailbox today!

Yes, I'm terrible at selfies!

My friend knitted it and sent it my way as a surprise - my very own Pussy Hat! I plan on marching in the local Women's March next Saturday and will be honored to sport this! I wish I had gotten my sh%& together to knit this myself but this is really better. Thanks Jen!

WATCHING, READING and BLOGGING

Watching

Still watching Inuyasha - there are a LOT of episodes even though they are short. I think what attracts me to anime is that it takes a surprisingly mature and thorough path to developing and growing its characters. And the characters are complex, at that. Anime may be cartoons but not in the sense that I as an American understand them. It's fascinating and engaging for my adult brain while also giving my inner child the delight of a traditional and fun story.

Reading

Finished Since the Last Time I Posted

Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym: The last few years I've started the year with a Barbara Pym novel. This one, about two spinster sisters in a small English village didn't let me down.
Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin (author) & Chi-Young Kim (Translator): I didn't really know too much about this book except that it got a lot of buzz when a translation was released and it was a bestseller in Korea. It turned out to be a very interesting character study and was told from some very interesting perspectives.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum: I listened to the audio read by Anne Hathaway - it and she were great!
Starflight by Melissa Landers: This was a completely addictive listen thus far! So stinking fun and finished it in two days.

Currently Reading:

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #) by Patricia Briggs: Recommended to me highly many times because I love the Kate Daniels series. I'm really enjoying it!
The Twelve (The Passage #2) by Justin Cronin: The second book in The Passage trilogy.

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!

Mockingbird, Vol. 1: I Can Explain by Chelsea Cain: A graphic novel about Bobbi Morse fron Agents of SHIELD. On Reading The End's TTT list.
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake: A book about three royal sisters. It was on absolutely EVERYONE's TTT list. I buckled.
Furthermore by Tehereh Mafi: Described as inspired by Narnia and The Secret Garden. I'm in! From Chrissi Reads.
How Not to Fall by Emily Foster: This contemporary romance was so highly recommended by Kaja at Of Dragons and Hearts that I had to add it!
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden: Mogsy at The Bibliosanctum among many others has been raving about this newly released fantasy novel.
Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey: Inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest. From the Fantasy Book Cafe.
Murder at Longbourn by Tracy Kiely: Selah at A Bibliophile's Style described this as "An Agatha Christie style murder mystery with an Austen obsessed heroine..." Sounds great to me!
Department Zero by Paul Crilley: Another recommendation from Mogsy at the Bibliosanctum. I love genre mash-ups and this looks like it's got a little sci-fi (alternate universes), and UF (crime investigation).
Charmed Life (Chrestomanci #1) by Dianna Wynne Jones: A book in this series was recommended on The Book Smugglers and it looks fun, plus I could probably do with more Dianna Wynne Jones in my life.

The following are all from Book Riot's Get Booked Podcast...

Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa Alsanea: I'm a little torn about this one. Described as a Saudi Arabian Gossip Girl, it is supposed to open a door onto the lives of teenage girls of wealthy families in Riyadh. I'm attracted to the idea of learning more about this secretive culture but am not a big fan of books about privileged teenage girls so....
How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid: A satire of the Get Rich Quick culture in Asia.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah: This one is also a little iffy for me because I am aware of Noah's chauvinist and borderline anti-Semitic jokes of the past which leave a bad taste. However, he has an interesting past being the son of a mixed race couple in Apartheid Africa. This meant that his parents relationship and his birth were a crime.
Angel's Blood (Guild Hunter #1) by Nalini Singh: This paranormal romance thriller sounds wackadoodle in the best possible way (Vampires and Angels - Angels who run cities). I've been wanting to check Nalini Singh out for while as well.
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle: Lavalle sounds like he has a unique voice in the Urban Fantasy genre.
Night Watch (Watch #1)by Sergei Lukyanenko: This is the first in a Russian Urban Fantasy series that sounds very intriguing!
Shrill by Lindy West: This memoir has been on my radar screen for a while now but as I've learned more and more about West, I've finally tipped over into putting it on the TBR.