You are so welcome! I love your blog!!

My library has finally caught up & I have to watch myself bc my requests come in so fast, I sometimes feel like I am a new release hoarder! I got in the habit requesting during worse Covid times & old habits die hard. They used to come in more slowly & I had things spaced out accordingly,

I absolutely kick myself for not visiting The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale while we were there (before things closed). I am a big fan of Diana Gabaldon and Outlander & I think she has a home there. She was born in Williams.

It was exciting knowing she was nearby & finishing up book 9 in the series. I was able to order a signed copy later.

Thankfully, we did some touring before things shut down. Including the Grand Canyon, which was a first for me. And Antelope Canyon, way out in what felt like the middle of nowhere!

Definitely our Native American history is very present in the state of AZ. So much to see and learn.

Forgot to mention, I was able to visit the Burton Barr Central library in Phoenix. Wonderful architecture. It featured one of the largest “great reading rooms” on the U.S.

I was able to take out 3 books as a visitor before they shutdown for the pandemic. They gifted me with tickets to the beautiful Desert Botanical Garden. The last place we visited before going into quarantine.

A memorable time & despite being somewhat trapped there, I do not hold it against Phoenix. Maybe one day I’ll get back there.

Oops. Did not mean to hijack the blog with my ramblings.

I have taken your advice and am waitlisted now for Stealing, Go As A River & I Have Some Questions For You.

I adored both Song of Achilles and Circe, so will keep an eye out for Galata. Thanks for the tip. You can find reviews of both Miller’s books in the reviews by author section, if interested.

Oh my! I can’t imagine getting stuck somewhere at the start of COVID. At least it was a warm, sunny place. My sister lives in Scottsdale, so next time I go, I’ll be sure to check out some of the places you’ve mentioned. Sounds like they’re great for adding to my knowledge of this awful part of our history. I also have heard that the Indian schools were even more prevelent in Canada, which somehow surprises me.

I know what you mean about the libraries. Ours were closed for a long time and I still don’t feel like there as with it as they were pre-2020.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks, Susan. I hope these books work as well for you as they did for me. Here’s to the arrival of SPRING!

How do you feel about child narrators in general? You have a few of them here. I find that if the author doesn’t get the age/maturity level exactly right for the character, I get very distracted. Do you ever have that issue?

I recently picked up the cutest little copy of a short story by Madeline Miller. I had never read her before, but she is of course the author of Song of Achilles and Circe.

The small book was the single short story: Galatea. It was only 64 pages and I actually sat and read it in the car after having just picked up my library haul. Pretty little book in a deep blue color with gold accents.

My daughter recently purchased a paperback copy of Song of Achilles and is excited to read it. But I am not so sure after reading Galatea.

Some of this mythology is so dark! At least Galatea was. Kind of disturbing,

I just skimmed over what you wrote for now/to keep things fresh, lol! But I will return to your reviews after I have read.

I visited Phoenix, AZ for Spring Break 2020 & we all know what happened in March 2020. So I found myself somewhat stranded (afraid to take the flight back home) and wanting to get some fresh air & exercise while socially distancing, I began to explore my surroundings.

I may have had some vague knowledge of Natives being educated in White man’s schools, but Phoenix was a real eye opener. I visited the excellent Heard museum, which I encourage everyone to see. Along with the wonderful permanent exhibit, there was an exhibit that detailed the Indian school experience & all its horrors.

I also would go walking in Steele Indian School Park, the site of an Indian school that began in 1891 and was not closed until 1990.

I appreciate your reviews so much. These all look like great reads!

My library finally put up the wait list for I Have Some Questions For You. I love my library. The other thing that happened in March 2020 was our libraries shut down! I will forever value my local library even more so after that experience! They do such an excellent job of making new releases available in a timely manner. Nothing better than being able to browse the stacks in person. Sometimes we do not know what we’ve got till it is gone!