Autumn Busy

It's Walkin' and Readin' Wednesday!

Truth!

The weather is autumn in the shade, but still summertime in the hot sun around here.

Niko has no shame.

A twofer!

Nice white jabot, kitty!

🐾 👣 🐾

Audiobook recommendations:

The Hurricane Wars Trilogy by Thea Guanzon

Narrated by Jeanne Syquia and Kaleo Griffith

Book #1: The Hurricane Wars

Book #2: A Monsoon Rising

Book #3: The Shattered Tempest

My two cents: War, magic, technology, found family, and imperial politics, with a helping of enemies-to-lovers-but-still-enemies.  

Action packed, based on Southeast Asian mythology, so it differs from other authors who use Norse or Greek/Roman mythology.

As I type this, I'm 50% through Book #3, and I will do nothing else but listen to this spellbinding story.

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

Narrated by Bernadette Dunne

My two cents: An older audiobook, which was made into a decent film, details the authors determination to pull her life together after her mother's death, and her divorce.

Walking the Pacific Crest Trail for 1,100 miles in 94 days mostly alone isn't my idea of getting my head on straight, but that's the beauty of this story: being in charge of yourself is the best remedy, despite a blisters, lost boots, hinkey hikers, and snowfall when you are in shorts.

Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

Narrated by Christine Hewitt

My two cents: A novella really, but what a journey in a short listen!  Silvie and her family are living as if they are ancient Britons, surviving by the tools and knowledge of the Iron Age, with an archeologist and his students.  This is harsh living, made worse by Silvie's violent father.  The back-and-forth between modern thinking against the backdrop of scrounging for food and living in nature, artfully written and performed, really made me think, and think, and think some more. 

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Collections

It's Walkin' and Readin' Wednesday!

A rag-tag collection of items today:

New stray in the yard, taken as Henry and I watched through the window.

Smith Street Black and White kitty.

Woodpecker feather, found on sidewalk.

See the kitty next to the mailbox?

Hickory Tussock Moth Catepillar.

👣 👣 👣 

Recent audiobook listens that I recommend:

Threshing Day by Rebecca Yarros

The Empyrean Series Book #3.5

Narrated by large cast

Fourth Wing Book #1

Iron Flame Book #2

Onyx Storm Book #3

Goodreads blurb: "Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders."

My two cents: Action-packed, magic, dragons, venin (really bad guys), scribes, royalty, war, love, and a cat named Broccoli.  It's so action packed, and both the dramatized (multi-cast) and duet style of narration are terrific.  Hold onto your seat!

Check the trigger warnings.

Reliquary by Hannah Whitten

Narrated by Lauren Fortgang

Audible blurb: "A young woman is lured to her late fiancé's remote island estate—only to uncover eerie family secrets, a haunting past, and a monstrous hunger stirring beneath the sea in this deliciously atmospheric horror debut from New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten."

My two cents: Whoa, did NOT see that coming!

Can't say much more, so I don't spoil this wild private island horror story.

The Nightmare's Kiss Book #1 by Skyla Gray

Monster Research Facility Series

Narrated by Rachel Lebland

The Revenant's Heart Book #2

The Imaginary Friend's Obsession #3

The Harbinger's Redemption #4 (haven't listened to it yet)

Goodreads blurb for each book:

"How can a living nightmare bring such sweet dreams?

Can a dead heart learn to beat again?

Could her imaginary friend be a real threat?

Will their love save the world, or end it?"

My two cents: Sure, romance, but we've got sirens, Frankenstein's monsters, ghosts, shadows, nightmares come true...oh, it's just a load of fun, but not for the creatures imprisoned at the government facility. 

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Keeping Entertained

 It's Walkin' and Readin' Wednesday!

Zoomac, again!

New window kitty.

Mocha

Recommended audiobooks:

The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson

Narrated by Laura Horowitz and Anthony Palmini

Audiobook published August 18, 2026

Libby app blurb: "The breakout standalone dark enemies to lovers romantasy about a woman whose lips are deadly poison...until she meets the one man who can survive her kiss."

My two cents: An excellent romp, with magic and angst, nasty parents, and each side of the conflict is sure the others are bad, bad people.  Vampires too!  Adult.

Place of Temptation by Bilinda P. Sheehan

All books narrated by Polly Lee

DI Haskell and Quinn Series:

#1 A Wicked Mercy (2019) 

#2 Death in Pieces (2020) 

#3 Splinter the Bone (2020) 

#4 Hunting the Silence (2021) 

#5 Hidden in Blood (2022) 

#6 Place of Temptation (2022) 

#7 Lake of Tears (2023) not yet available

#8 No Safe Place (2025) not yet available

#9 Dark is the Mind (2026) no yet available

#10 Lost and Found (2026) not yet available

Goodreads blurb: "Crime novels set in North Yorkshire, England feature D.I. Drew Haskell teaming up with criminal profiler Harriet Quinn."

My two cents: Drew and Harriet have a past, making them adversaries in private, but a good team when solving murders.  Their connection evolves with each book.  I found this series years ago, but only the first three books were available at my library, until recently when more have come online.  Waiting impatiently!  Oh yeah, beware: gruesome.

Born to Be Hanged: The Epic Story of the Gentlemen Pirates Who Raided the South Seas, Rescued a Princess, and Stole a Fortune by Keith Thomson

Narrated by Feodor Chin

Audiobook published May 10, 2022

Libby blurb: "Discover the thrilling account of the roguish acts of the first pirates to raid the Pacific in a crusade that ended in a sensational trial back in England."

My two cents: Non-fiction - Sailing any ocean back in 1680 was dangerous, let alone doing it as pirates!  A must-read if you are into the history of seafarers, plus the Admiralty's amazing laissez-faire attitude years later is remarkable.  We've got Captain Henry Morgan, treks into Panama with fighting against the indigenous folk, The Spanish, and even The English.  A princess is saved!

Nose Prints

 Walkin' and Readin' Wednesday!

Two 'hood doggos, sharing one window.

The Clinton River, from The Crocker Bridge in downtown Mount Clemens, Michigan, about 1/2 mile from Eastside Cats.

Unknown neighborhood kitty, who was friendly.

Neighbor's window cat; still don't know his name.

Ruby, my neighbor who always greets me, with her wee tailio wagging a mile a minute.

Yes, she has ears.

❤️ 👀 😻

Recently completed audiobooks that I recommend:

The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul by Eleanor Herman
Narrated by Susie Berneis

Published: June 12, 2018

Goodreads Blurb: "In The Royal Art of Poison, Eleanor Herman combines her unique access to royal archives with cutting-edge forensic discoveries to tell the true story of Europe’s glittering palaces: one of medical bafflement, poisonous cosmetics, ever-present excrement, festering natural illness, and, sometimes, murder."

My Two Cents: Not as many forensically proven murders as one would think, but the whole world was poisonous back in the day.  Not for the faint of heart, and an interesting look into historic society that makes one wonder if it isn't just safer to be poor and unknown.  Famous folks mentioned: Napoleon Bonaparte, Danish mathematician Tycho Brahe, Baroque painter Caravaggio, and many more.

The Bravest Hour: Verity Kent Mysteries #9 by Anna Lee Huber

Narrated by Heather Wilds

#1: This Side of Murder (2017)

#2: Treacherous Is the Night (2018)

#3: Penny for Your Secrets (2019)

#4: A Pretty Deceit (2020)

#5: Murder Most Fair (2021)

#6:  A Certain Darkness (2022)

#7: The Cold Light of Day (2024)

#8: A Moment's Shadow (2025)

#9: The Bravest Hour (2026)

Goodreads Blurb: November 1920. Dublin, Ireland. British Intelligence Agent Verity Kent's efforts to foil a contemptible plot by the traitorous Lord Ardmore and save countless lives—as well as the British government’s reputation—has exposed her to detrimental scrutiny, bringing her contact with the Irish rebels to light. Crushingly, she finds herself incarcerated in Dublin Castle, the “Dread Bastille,” where she must withstand interrogation from her own countrymen.

My Two Cents: Am not a fan of this narrator, but the stories are so good!  Began reading this series in 2023, and this ninth book in the series feels like a finale, as Verity and husband Sidney have been in the game for a long time. However, the author may be unable to retire them.  The surprise of all surprises occurs early in Book #1, which hooked me like a largemouth bass.

The four audiobook Emaneska series, by Ben Galley

#1: The Written, 2010

#2: Pale Kings, 2012

#3: Dead Stars - Part One, 2013

#4: Dead Stars - Part Two, 2013

Narrated by Steven Cree

Goodreads Blurb: "Game Of Throne meets Die Hard in this explosive epic fantasy, packed with tattooed mages wielding unbridled spells, meddling gods, dragon-riders, and twisted Norse mythology."

My Two Cents: Ben Galley can write women, men, dragons, leviathans, gods, demigods, queens, and these stories (and the following three book The Scalussen Chronicles) keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and wondering what the heck is going to happen next!  This is war, played dirty and gritty, and every character is treacherous. 

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Looking and Listening

Walkin' and Readin' Wednesday!

As seen in my neighborhood:

Sweet void kitty, and I've forgotten her name.

Leopard slug, found on sidewalk, about 3 inches long.

Shy kitty.

Another shy kitty.

Zoomac is the opposite of shy!

🐾 😽 🐾

Recently listened to audiobooks that I recommend:

The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison

Narrated by Imogen Church

Published: June 23, 2020

Goodreads Blurb: "This is not the story you think it is. These are not the characters you think they are. This is not the audiobook you are expecting."

Wikipedia Blurb: "A fantasy novel...set in an alternate 19th century London, with supernatural creatures such as angels, and is based on the Sherlock Holmes stories."

My two cents: OH YEAH!  The Angel of Crows as Sherlock Holmes, and Dr. Doyle as John Watson...except they aren't.  Great fun; loved this.  The Hound of the Baskervilles is forever changed in my mind now.

The Frozen People, Ali Dawson Series Book #1 by Elly Griffiths

Narrated by Julie Maisey

Published: July 8, 2025

Goodreads Blurb: "Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen—or so their inside joke goes. Ali’s work seems like a safe desk job, but what her friends—and even her beloved son—don’t know is that her team can travel back in time to look for evidence."

My two cents: This author really makes characters come alive, like she's living inside their heads!  Book #1 ended on a cliffhanger, and the wait for Book #2 The Killing Time is still months away, and I have no patience.

The Poisoner Series by I.V. Ophelia

Book #1: The Poisoner, 2024

Book #2: The Arachnid, 2026

Book #3: The Cannibal, 2026

Narrated by: Matt Sykes, Sebastian Brown, and Stephanie Willis

Amazon Blurb: "This gothic paranormal romance series unfolds in Victorian-era London and 1890s Buffalo, where humans encounter vampiric beings called Vipera. Alina Lis, a botanist and poisoner who targets unsavory men in her own sense of justice, encounters Silas Forbes, a Vipera resistant to her deadly poisons. Their attraction develops amid escalating tensions between human and Vipera worlds."

My two cents: The blurb doesn't do this series justice.  Alina may get knocked down, but she doesn't only get mad; she gets even.  She makes her opponents believe that she's playing their game, while finding ways to save herself and her loved ones.  Adult stuff, plus, you know...vampires. 

📚 🧛‍♀️ 📚

I Am Entertained

It's Walkin' and Readin' Wednesday!

As seen on a recent neighborhood walk:

Mocha

Porch Twins

Thought there was only one cat when I'd stopped.

Driveway kitten

Window Tuxie

😻 😻 😻

Recommended audiobooks:

A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers

Narrated by Courtney Patterson, Claire Christie, Brittany Wilkerson, and Stephanie Willis

Published: February 11, 2020

Goodreads blurb: "A young witch is cursed to relive a doomed love affair through many lifetimes, as both troubled muse and frustrated artist."

My two cents: Maybe a tiny bit long, but wow, the ending!

The Washington Poe Series by M. W. Craven

1 The Puppet Show (2018)

2 Black Summer (2019)

3 The Curator (2020)

4 Dead Ground (2021)

5 The Botanist (2022)

Cut Short - 7 short stories (2023)

6 The Mercy Chair (2024)

7 The Final Vow (2025)

8 The Killer's Mark (2026)

All narrated by John Banks

M. W. Craven blurb: "Meet Detective Sergeant Washington Poe. Dark, cynical, ruthless; he lives a monastic existence in a shepherd’s croft on the most desolate moorland in Cumbria. Even his secrets have secrets. He has a past he keeps there and another past he doesn’t yet know about . . ."

My two cents:  Terrific police procedurals, even if Poe and his team rarely follow instructions.

A bit gruesome, with sharp and witty dialogue, and a male author who can write convincing female characters.

Chasing Evil: Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent’s Search for Hope and Justice by Robert Hilland and John Edward

Narrated by Robert Hilland and John Edward

Published: September 2, 2025

Goodreads blurb: "How a skeptical FBI agent reached out to a famous psychic for help on a baffling case—and the twenty-five-year crime-solving journey that followed."

My two cents: Not for the faint of heart, as some bad people are caught and properly sentenced.  Not all cases were neatly sewn up, and the struggle to find evidence was the true story here.  Fascinating, but there isn't a snowball's chance of me ever becoming a cop.

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Finding The Cool

It's time for a Walkin' and Readin' Wednesday!

Due to the high humidity and heat, I've been out really early (4:30 AMish), then again at sunset.

When it's still dark, or just getting dark, the scenery changes some:

Opossum, hiding under a parked car.

Friendly kitten with a nub for a tailio; have not seen this baby before.

Sunset clouds.

This cat travels; have seen it on different streets; not a human fan.

Interesting street light patterns on a tree.

📸

Recent audiobooks to recommend:

Lafayette in the Somewhat United States

Author: Sarah Vowell

Narrators: the author and many others

Audiobook published: October 20, 2015

Goodreads blurb:

"A humorous and insightful account of the Revolutionary War hero Marquis de Lafayette--the one Frenchman we could all agree on--and an insightful portrait of a nation's idealism and its reality."

My opinion:

This author brings out such fascinating bits of history that really brings her subjects to life, and rarely does any Revolution historian reveal that the French really won the war for us, but we never really paid back the gold that they loaned us.

Extra Factoid:

The Marquis de Lafayette is a direct ancestor of the current Belgian royal family through the maternal line; King Philippe of the Belgians is his fifth great-grandson.

A Deadly Inheritance

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Narrator: Veronica Hortiguela

Audiobook published: March 24, 2026

Goodreads blurb:

"After discovering she's an heiress to a billion-dollar corporation, seventeen-year-old Liliana finds herself at a new boarding school where she must navigate secret societies and a deadly competition. Not to mention two handsome boys."

My opinion:

Another crafty horror/mystery, when the main female character's life changes in a blink: rags to riches!  But, someone is trying to kill her.  I enjoyed this!

V for Vendetta

Author: Alan Moore

Audiobook published: January 14, 1990

Goodreads blurb:

"A powerful story about loss of freedom and individuality, V FOR VENDETTA takes place in a totalitarian England following a devastating war that changed the face of the planet. In a world without political freedom, personal freedom and precious little faith in anything comes a mysterious man in a white porcelain mask who fights political oppressors through terrorism and seemingly absurd acts. It's a gripping tale of the blurred lines between ideological good and evil."

My opinion:

Wow, just wow!  How did I NOT read this years ago?  Scarily prescient to today's political environment, at least here in The States.

More titles that I recommend:

The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

The Counting Game by Sinéad Nolan

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