It’s been a rough couple of years, and I’ve been crap at posting anything besides book roundups, but I’m going to try for a little more variety–no promises, because I’m still struggling, but I’m going to try.

We spent a long weekend at Canaan Valley (the first time we’d been hiking since November, which is a really long time for me) and although the weather was meh for part of the weekend, it was wonderful to be back in the woods.

By meh, I mean Saturday was either rain or this:

(Guess what Michael did.)

But we did hike, and of course we our first walk was along the Blackwater River Trail. It’s my favorite.

The beaver dam is starting to fall apart; not sure if the beavers have moved or it was just the ice melting. We’ll see in the coming months.

Since the ground was frozen Sunday morning, we decided to try to Abe Run and Mill Run trails.

Why that caveat?

Those trails are wet.

There are several boardwalks throughout that system.

Luckily the water was mostly frozen (or avoidable) so we get to enjoy this view.

And of course I sat by a creek for a bit.

February was apparently a month for mysteries, something about puzzles perhaps distracting me from the doldrums.

Lots of rereads (unexpectedly) but there were some new stories in there, including the delightful Mortal Follies, which I’d held off reading. It is an Alexis Hall romp with banter and mystery and (in this case) magic, with an unreliable narrator.

I am that knavish sprite that frights the maidens of the villagery. I am Oberon’s jester—was Oberon’s jester, that’s rather the issue. I am called hobgoblin by some and, contrary to what certain people might have told you, it is not a name I like and you shall not have good luck if you repeat it in my hearing.

I am also your narrator.

Another book I’d had on my TBR for ages and finally got around to reading was Shady Hollow by Juneau Black. Although it is a fantasy, it is really a cozy mystery whose characters just happen to be animals. Suspend your disbelief and dive into this delightful story.

Traditionally, woodland creatures are not big readers, but things changed when Lenore opened the bookshop. “Nevermore,” she said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony, “will the town have to do without quality entertainment.”

This month’s audio books were the Shadow Police series, which 1) blows me away every time I read it, 2) has all the trigger warnings for all kinds of terrible things, and 3) really deserved more books.

There are two new romances, one by Cathy Yardley and one by Chloe Liese. I’m discovering that I tend to love everything Chloe Liese writes, and although I want to love everything I read by Cathy Yardley, the stories are not quite as awesome as I want them to be. Likely because Cathy Yardley’s books have a fair amount of sex, which means I do a bit of skimming, which does throw me out of the flow of the story. (As always, this is a me thing, so take that into consideration.) Essentially, I think it’s that  I can skim the boinking bits in Chloe Liese’s stories without losing the flow of what I’m reading, but the same doesn’t hold true for other authors.

Fantasy

• Mortal Follies (2023) Alexis Hall 9/10
• Paladin’s Grace (2020) T. Kingfisher (The Saint of Steel) 8.5/10

Mystery

• Shady Hollow (2015) Juneau Black (A Shady Hollow Mystery) 9/10
• Think of England (2014) J. Charles 9/10
• Proper English (2019) J. Charles 8/10
• Page & Sommers by Cat Sebastian: The Missing Page (2021) 8.5/10, Hither, Page (2019) 8.5/10
• Scott-De Quincy Mysteries by Jane Steen: Lady Helena Investigates (2018) 8.5/10, Lady Odelia’s Secret (2022) 8/10
• The Last Drop of Hemlock (2023) Katharine Schellman (Nightingale Mysteries) 8/10
• The Best Corpse for the Job (2014) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) 7.5/10
• The Christmas Appeal (2023) Janice Hallett 6/10

“He probably thinks the police actually help people.”

“They do,” Vivian said, an edge of bitter humor to her words. “Just not people like us.”

Romance

• Two Wrongs Make a Right (2022) Chloe Liese (The Wilmot Sisters) 9/10
• Ex Appeal (2022) Cathy Yardley (Ponto Beach Reunion) 6/10

Audio

• Shadow Police by Paul Cornell narrated by Damian Lynch: London Falling, Audio Book (2014) 8.5/10, The Severed Streets, Audio Book (2015) 9.5/10, Who Killed Sherlock Holmes? Audio Book (2016) 9/10
• The Early Middle Ages, Audio Book (2004) Philip Daileader (The Great Courses) 8/10