Prickett’s Fort State Park

Beartown State Park

It’s March. Again. Or perhaps still, I’m not sure. Whatever it is, I read a lot of books last month.

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells are amazing. I read the second, Artificial Condition and it was just as good as the first.

If you’re interested in reading some LGBT fantasy, but don’t want to read the boinking, then I’ve got some recommendations for you. The Last Sun by K. D. Edwards (The Tarot Sequence) is a book I’d had for awhile but hadn’t read because the cover put me off. I’m sorry I waited. Another first book in a series is White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton (Adam Binder) which didn’t end as cleanly as I would have liked but is still recommended. And if you wondered how cupid operated in the modern age—and were in need of a fluffy romance, may I point you to Making Love by Aidan Wayne

It looks like Wonderstruck by Allie Therin is the final book in her Magic in Manhattan series, and it was satisfying.

And two straight-up romances that I really enjoyed were The Husband Gambit by L.A. Witt which is a fake husband story, that I found extremely satisfying, and Grumpy Bear by Slade James (Bear Camp) which was the second book in a series. Both books are explicit.

Fantasy, LGBT

Open for Business (2016) Angel Martinez (Brandywine Investigations) 8.5/10
The Last Sun (2018) K. D. Edwards (The Tarot Sequence) 8.5/10
Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector (2018) Nicole Kimberling 8.5/10
Wonderstruck (2021) Allie Therin (Magic in Manhattan) 8/10
Making Love (2017) Aidan Wayne 8/10
White Trash Warlock (2020) David R. Slayton (Adam Binder) 8/10
Heir to a Curse (2020) Lissa Kasey (Romancing a Curse) 7/10
Marked by Death (2020) Kaje Harper (Necromancer) 7/10
Powered by Ghosts (2010) Kaje Harper (Necromancer) 6/10
Bound by Memories (2020) Kaje Harper (Necromancer) 6.5/10
How to Marry a Werewolf (2018) Gail Carriger (Claw & Courtship) 7/10
Marine Biology (2010) G. L. Carriger (San Andreas Shifters) 6.5/10
Fire Water (2015) Jaye Wells (Prospero’s War)

Fantasy, Steampunk

Soulless (2009) Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate) 7.5/10
Changeless (2010) Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate) 6/10
Blameless (2010) Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate) 7/10
Heartless (2011) Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate) 4.5/10

Romance, LGBT

Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut (2018) R. Cooper 9/10
The Husband Gambit (2018) L.A. Witt 8.5/10
Dine with Me (2019) Layla Reyne 8.5/10
Grumpy Bear (2021) Slade James (Bear Camp) 8/10
It Takes Two to Tumble (2017) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks) 8.5/10
A Gentleman Never Keeps Score (2018) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks) 8/10
Candy Hearts (2000) Erin McLellan (So Over the Holidays) 7.5/10
Fake Date Flip-Flop (2021) Hank Edwards 6.5/10
The Hideaway Inn (2020) Philip William Stover (Seasons of New Hope) 6/10
The Hockey Player’s Snow Day (2021) Jeff Adams (Hockey Hearts) 6/10
Changing Colors & Heat Wave DNF (2018) Elyse Springer (Seasons of Love Book)

Romance, Historical

These Old Shades (1926) Georgette Heyer 9/10

Mystery

Mystery at the Masquerade (2021) Josh Lanyon (Secrets and Scrabble) 7.5/10
The Killings at Badger’s Drift (1987) Caroline Graham (Chief Inspector Barnaby) 7/10

Mystery, Historical

At Bertram’s Hotel (1965) Agatha Christie (Miss Marple)

Science Fiction

Artificial Condition (2018) Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries) 8.5/10

Fiction

The Weddings (2019) Alexander Chee (Inheritance collection) 7/10

Non-Fiction

An Edible History of Humanity (2009) Tom Standage 7.5/10

We’re getting our deck replaced.

Finally.

But that’s not really what this post is about.

When they tore off the old deck, they exposed the (pretty damaged) original house steps. And I noticed something bizarre: what looked like broken bottles embedded in the bottom step of each set of stairs.

Front door

Kitchen door

Upon closer inspection, they really do look like broken bottles.

That almost looks like a Pepsi logo to me.

And this one has writing.

This is the same picture in mirror image.

The lower part of the text there looks to be “BOTTLE OF MORGANTOWN” but I could be wrong.

So, why on earth were there bottles embedded into the cement stairs? Since there is no cement in the bottle, I am guessing the bottle was broken after the cement was poured. It’s a 1930s house, so is this some weird Great Depression thing?

This house just has so many surprises.