I have an interview

at Blackburn Correctional Complex tomorrow morning for a librarian position, so today I decided to check out and read Jill Grunewald's book 'Reading Behind Bars: A True Story of Literature, Law, and Life as a Prison Librarian'. That is #29 out of the goal of 24 books this year. Yay! And it was written by a fellow graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Library Science.

A very weird but entertaining book

I started it back in May and picked it up here and there, but really got going tonight and finished it at 2:45 AM.

Finished book #28 out of a goal of 24 for the year. It's the first fiction one I've read this year. One other was a book of poetry. Everything else has been non-fiction. My friend lent this one to me after bringing it back from his trip to New York. Something reminded him of me. I suspect it's because the main character tends to please everyone but himself, never pursues his own dreams, and instead sticks close to his wacky family while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy. Years ago, my friend's crazy mother gave me a jar of Pace mild picante sauce as a commentary on my personality. Yes. Did I mention she was crazy? Somewhat subtle, I'll admit. So we've always described my personality as mild picante sauce. But I don't want to be like that. I want to be a little more adventurous without being too out there. In the book, the main character realises it's time to live a little. I'm 59; I think it's past time. I really need to make the time. Which, I believe, is the reason my friend lent me the book. 😊 I know him well; if he can do two or three things with one action, he will.

#23 of 24

I am, by the way, on Bluesky. I got on it back when it was invitation-only in 2024, I think (hence the simple handle, just like I had on Twitter). I hadn't used it hardly at all, though. I'd like to, though, as I deleted X (Twitter) last year and Bluesky is better than Threads in some respects. So I read this book. I'm just starting out, though. If you're interested in following me, or if you'd like me to follow you, I'm at: https://bsky.app/profile/eilir.bsky.social.

2026 Reading Challenge Update

I'm pretty happy with how things are going. My aim was to read 24 books this year. I've read 19; I'm seven ahead of schedule, and I'm working on another three or so. I've read each month, so Goodreads has given me an 'achievement' bookmark for each one. There are 174 days left. Here is what I've read so far, in reverse order:

1. Supervisor, Manager, Leader: The Basics of Being a Boss by Mike Kraus
2. Knock 'Em Dead 2016: The Ultimate Job Search Guide by Martin Yate
3. 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions by Ron Fry
4. Can I Recycle That? A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics by Jennie Romer
5. The Inspired Houseplant: Transform Your Home with Indoor Plants from Kokedama to Terrariums and Water Gardens to Edibles by Jen Sterarns
6. House Plants for Every Space: A Concise Guide to Selecting, Designing and Maintaining Plants in Any Indoor Space by Green Interior
7. The Lifelong Gardener: Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age by Toni Gattone
8. The Official We Do Not Care Club Handbook by Melani Sanders
9. Painting in Watercolour: Practical Techniques and Projects for Beginners by Wendy Jelbert
10. All These Ghosts by Silas House
11. I Need a Job!: Be Noticed. Land the Interview. Get Hired. by Gary Burnison
12. CV Handbook: A Curriculum Vitae Owners Manual by Will Coghill Behrends and Rebecca Antony
13. The Everything Guide to GLP-1s: Lose Weight, Build Healthy Eating Habits, and Achieve Lifelong Weight Management by Kayley George
14. What Color is Your Parachute Guide to Rethinking Interviews: Ace the Interview and Land Your Dream Job by Richard Nelseon Bolles
15. A Good Apology: Four Steps to Make Things Right by Molly Howes
16. On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World by Danya Ruttenberg
17. Why Your Resume Isn't Working: And How You Can Fix It Now by Wendy D. Steele
18. Unmasking Adult Autism: Embrace Your Autistic Identity, Overcome Executive Dysfunction, and Empower Your Neurodivergent Self by Neuro Nurture
19. Camouflage: The Hidden Lives of Autistic Women by Sarah Bargiela

Five more to go. Let's see if I can go beyond that. Hopefully! I've got two works of fiction I'm working my way through (these are almost all non-fiction). One is The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown. The other is Mrs. Lilienblum's Cloud Factory by Iddo Gefen. I'll be happy to add those to the list, as I do non-fiction much more easily than fiction these days, alas. I don't know why.

My Goodreads review for All These Ghosts, which was book #10 for the year (out of a goal of 15, so I'm ahead) Whoo!

All These Ghosts by Silas House
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful collection of poetry. I originally borrowed it from the library, then got it in audiobook form (narrated by the author), and then bought the book so I could own the text as well. I wanted both. I highly recommend both. Hearing the poems in his own voice, with his accent, made them leap from the page. I am a 9th-generation Kentuckian, although I am from the Bluegrass, not the Appalachians. But this volume filled me with pride for my people, especially 'Those Who Carry Us'. My favorite poem is 'For Those Who Have Loved Old Dogs'. As he reads it, his voice nearly breaks. You can tell he loves the dogs he has himself had. You feel a nearness to the author in the text, but in his voice even more so. The book is a wonderful collection of poems that make you feel, think, and wonder. They touch you just as poetry should. The audiobook is as if you had invited the author into your home, had him over for salmon cakes and beans, and by the fireplace, telling you stories afterwards.

View all my reviews

#15

Take Control of Your IBS: The Step-by-Step Guide That Acutally Works by Kirsten Jackson. Green Tree, 2024. 9781399410922.

Which means...

#10

Divergent Mind: Thriving in A World that Wasn't Designed for You, by Jenara Nerenberg. New York: HarperCollins, 2021.

The book itself isn't bad, it's actually pretty decent. I hate how it's exclusively geared towards women but you don't get that until you start reading it--there's nothing in the title or subtitle indicating that, and I think if I were a guy I'd feel like there was a bait and switch, because 1) male experiences matter, too, and 2) with the exception of a few cases, most of what she wrote would also apply to men, but it is written through a feminist, women-only lens. I'm saying this as a woman myself. I'm not saying we can't focus on our issues, but just be up front about it and don't alienate half the population, especially in a group that's already been alienated for being different from neurotypicals.

#9

The Mindful Guide for Adults Living with Autism: Empowering Adults with Autism, Thrive in Work, Love, and Self-Discovery by Steven Fain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a good overview of what an autistic person needs to know about dealing with adult life, and while helpful for anyone, it would make a good gift for a young adult going into the world or someone who struggles to find mindful balance in life. It doesn't overwhelm with detail, but rather gives practical advice for a wide-range of areas of life in terms of balancing relationships, learning, work, personal interests, and online life in a way that is meaningful while drawing boundaries and being assertive, advocating for oneself, and looking out for one's own mental and physical wellbeing. It is a worthwhile look at all ways to improve all aspects of life that can be challenging to those on the spectrum, without being preachy or pedantic.

View all my reviews

*Note I did receive this book free in return for the request to review it.

#8

Finished my eighth book for the year...

The Lifelong Gardener: Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age by Toni Gattoni. Timber Press, 2019. ISBN: 978-1604698534.

This one is print, but I'm working through an audiobook, and I'm about 4/5 through. I changed my goal to 15 books to be more reasonable, so I think I'll make it, hopefully, given that I have time to do so. When I went to Amazon, I found out that this book, which I have out from the library, is actually one I own on Kindle, too, which is nice because it's all about doing things to make gardening more accessible to you, and I need that. I'd all but given up on that, and I love gardening. Of course, the knee surgeries should help a lot, I would think.

Beautiful and informative and # 17

Of the 50 species this new book from the University of Kentucky Press, I have only seen two: whooping cranes and red-headed woodpeckers. At the rate things are going, I may never see any of the others that are in Kentucky at least part of the year. Since 1970, 3 billion birds have been lost in the US and Canada. The author writes that that means nearly 30% of the birds that used to live in the two countries have disappeared. 😥 Many of these are very colourful. The bill was very intesting. I just hope it doesn't become a historical catalogue. The bird on the cover is a painted bunting. I've heard of them, at least, but many of the others were new to me, so I learned a lot from it.

Citation: Williams, Matt. Endangered and Disappearing Birds of Appalachia and the Southeast. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 2024. 248 pp.

Oh, and that's book 17 for 2024!

Yay!

So, I have had a long dearth of reading for several years now. I've skimmed books, even maybe finished a few, but nothing impressive. I find my attention has been very short--probably a consequence of my ADHD and scrolling through the internet. So this year, I've decided I want to get into it again, as I have been a librarian who no longer reads. On Goodreads, I've joined the 2024 Reading Challenge in an attempt to read more. I set a reasonable goal, of 36 books, to try for.

I am happy to report I'm ahead of schedule, having read seven books so far this year. They're all non-fiction (I'm going to shoot for both fiction and non-fiction, print/e-books, and audiobooks. We'll see how it goes.)

Here's what I have read so far:

1. Shoulder Treatment: Guide To Recover From Shoulder Surgery: Typical Shoulder Surgery Recovery Timeline by Jaime Knecht
2. An Adult with an Autism Diagnosis: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Gillan Drew
3. Very Late Diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome by Philip Wylie
4. The Shoulder Patients' Handbook: The Rotator Cuff Tear Guide by Paul B. Roache
5. How to Recover from Shoulder Surgery: Safe, Effective Recovery: A Physiotherapist Shares 40 Years Experience Rehabilitating Shoulders by Bruce Paulik
6. The Ultimate Guide for Shoulder Surgery Recovery: Your Complete Guide to Recovery, Tips, Strategies, Diet and Essential Must-haves to Speed Up Shoulder Surgery Recovery Time by Morgan Gray
7. Shoulder Surgery Recovery: Over 100 Tips and Strategies to Make it Much Easier by Anne Talmage Cooksey

Currently reading:

1. Looking After Your Autistic Self  by Niamh Garvey
2. Autism and Asperger Syndrome in Adults by Luke Beardon
3. Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths by Natalie Haynes
4. Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna (audiobook) by Edith Sheffer
5. Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

I need to get off the phone

Quickly and go to bed.  The muscle relaxer makes it hard to focus and swipe the correct letters. I've nearly dropped the phone, several times. I was on Habitica and Goodreads and was not really making much sense.  Now it is seriously time for bed.  Good night. Oops,  there went the phone.  At least I grabbed the charging cord before if for the carpet.  This morning I dropped my wallet and my phone pad out and feel on the asphalt face down,  but didn't break, miraculously,  and I was cold sober.  If I had let my insurance lapse when I paid it off,  it might have been an issue. Now,  I'm sitting in my living room loopy as hell. Off to bed. Good night!

PS This post took almost an hour to compose, because I kept hitting the wrong button, opening or closing applications, and dropping or nearly doing so throughout all that. Wow. These things are more powerful than I thought; they're just 12 mg. But I think they're really helping with my neck; I can almost feel my hands again, and my left arm only hurts after an entire day now; it doesn't hurt at all when I wake up. Okay, I can't touch type on the keyboard well, either. I'll just go to sleep.