Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha #1) by Tasha Suri

The Books of Ambha duology by Tasha Suri is on the Reddit list of Top Books by Women. Empire of Sand is the first book in that series. 

Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of the Governor. Her mother was Amrithi, a desert nomad. Amrithi are outcasts, not welcomed into the Empire's society. But Mehr has Amrithi power, an ability to harness the power of the desert storms and when her power is noted, she is soon married in order to harness that power, although that power is used for evil. Now she and her husband Amun must trust in one another to survive.

The writing was beautiful. But this book was a slog with the same things happening over and over again and there were scenes of what I thought of as unnecessarily graphic violence. I think this is a style situation where if that style is your jam, that's great. It's not a book for me. I did like the slow burn romance, but I also question whether or not Mehr would have fallen in love with anyone who was kind to her. 

The magic of this world is super interesting, though. I wish I had loved this book because I am curious about what's going to happen with the magic in the next book. I glanced at the description of the next book and it looks like it's about Mehr's younger sister and it's almost 500 pages. Hmmm. I'm not sure I'm invested enough to continue.

3/5 stars

Lines of note:

Mehr woke up to a soft voice calling her name. Without thought, she reached a hand beneath her pillow and closed her fingers carefully around the hilt of her dagger. (location 72)

What an opening line!

Mehr was suddenly quite sure that if she could have chosen her own suitor instead of being drawn into the mystics’ net, she would have selected the kind of man who did not answer a question with a question. She wanted a truthful man, a straightforward one. She wanted someone who would not make a game of her life. (location 1363)

I mean, I think that's fair.

“The bonds that tie people together change who they are,” Mehr said. “They have to.” (location 2955)

Do you think this is true? Do you think that every interaction you have with someone changes you?

Mehr had significant experience in keeping her head lowered and her mouth silent. In that moment, she chose to put the skill to good use. (location 4417)

I should learn this skill. 

Hat mentions:
None 

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Is there a book you can think of that has great writing, but that just didn't hit for you?

Starter Villain by John Scalzi

Who knows where I even stumbled upon Starter Villain by John Scalzi? If it was you, thanks for the recommendation.

The dedication of this book reads:

This book is dedicated to:
    Everyone who could make someone else's day worse, but tries to make it better instead.
    Thank you. It's more important than you think.
    Also, to Sugar, Spice, and Smudge, my current set of cats.
    You are all a real pain in my ass, and I love your stupid furry faces. 

If you are not charmed by that, you and I are very different people. 

So this is an amusing little book. Charlie's barely making ends meet when he learns that his uncle left him his supervillain empire. Oh, also, his cats can communicate in English using a typewriter. I thought the first half of the book was stronger than the second, but I was happy to have read this. Also, maybe the being able to communicate with cats was really truly wish fulfillment for me. 3.5/5 stars

Line of note:

I didn't need another cat. At this point in my brilliant career as an itinerant educator I could barely afford to feed myself. But then, no one ever needs a cat these days. That's not why we have cats. We have cats because they amuse us and because otherwise our clothes would lack the texture only cat hair can provide. (page 17)

"When people name cats, they usually do it in one of three categories: food, physical characteristics or mythology," Morrison explained. "So, you name your cat Sugar, or Smudge, or Zeus..." (page 21)

Things I looked up:

esters (page 5) - chemical compounds formed by the combination of an acid and an alcohol; used in many industries, including food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing

chaebol (page 150) - the large, conglomerate family-controlled firms of South Korea characterized by strong ties with government agencies

Patrick Etoile (page 227) - This is a character on Sponge Bob. 

Svalbord (page 255) - a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. One of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, it's known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra sheltering polar bears, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes. The Northern Lights are visible during winter, and summer brings the “midnight sun”—sunlight 24 hours a day. Sounds bad. 

Hat mentions: None

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If you could ask your pet one thing, what would it be? 

Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom

I read Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom mostly based on Birchie's recommendation. 

In 1872, sixteen-year-old Goes First, a Crow girl, marries a white fur trader named Abe Farwell after her Crow betrothed is killed during a hunt. Their marriage is mostly happy, with Abe appreciating his wife's ability to live on the land, hunt, and be a cool cucumber in trade negotiations. He renames her Mary and they travel doing trading things. Abe's goal is to have a ranch and he's trading during boom times to earn that money.  And this is their story. It's filled with battles and bravery and lots of drunk people and descriptions of really disgusting sounding food.

I was riveted by this book. What was going to happen next? Where were they going to go? How many times would someone take off their hat to wipe their brow? Would there be more justice in Canada than in the United States?

This story is based on true events and I was super interested in the author's note about how she was uncomfortable writing this book as a white woman, but how she really embedded herself in the research. I was happy to read about how she had reached out to the family of the real Goes First, as well as other indigenous experts and leaders. Thumbs up to this page turner. 

Line of note:
"Oh, Goes First," she said, "men are all the same. Tell them every day that they are the biggest and strongest and best provider, and they will seldom come home with a second wife." (page 61)

I have started telling my husband he is the biggest, strongest, and best provider. He told me that it doesn't come off as very sincere and that he would not bring his second wife home anyway.

Hat mentions (why hats?): 

44 hats! It's no Gone With the Wind, but it's a lot of hats. Here are the repeaters.

leather hat (page 49, 72, 205)

removed his hat (page 56, 131, 182, 200)

black hat (page 110, 337)

Strikes the Hat - the name of a character (page 264 x 2, 265 x 4, 266 x1, 290 x2, 292)

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How would you feel about someone bringing home a second spouse? Honestly, if she wasn't a pill, I might like the help! Does she have dog and/or cat training experience?

Week Six: The Blue Castle CBBC Wrap-Up

Welcome to our wrap-up for The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery.

Past discussions:
Week One, Chapters 1-8

Week Two, Chapters: 9-15
Week Three, Chapters 16-24

Week Four, Chapters 25-32

Week Five, Chapters 33-45

 

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Pop Culture:

I don't think there's a movie adaptation, although I'd love to know if you know of one. According to Wikipedia, there was a 1996 musical adapted from the book. Has anyone see the musical?

So what I'm going to talk about in this section is mostly popular culture about the author, Lucy Maud Montgomery. 

First up, there's an ongoing podcast called Story Girl that is going through Montgomery's life. Nicole talked about it in the comments early on. It's sort of interesting, but I feel like I wanted the authors to use more sources than just Montgomery's letters and journals because she wrote those for an audience. She knew they'd be read and wrote them with a certain perspective in mind. 

I also thought it was sort of gross that her granddaughter admitted that she released the note written by Montgomery's death bed as a way to increase interest in the 100th anniversary of Montgomery's death. I mean...

Sarah sent me a link to a story about how the star of the successful Anne of Green Gables miniseries Megan Follows is going to play Montgomery in an upcoming series based on the author's life. 

Is anyone listening to Story Girl? Will you be watching the Follows series? 

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TBC Questions to Ponder:

1) What's you rating for this book? I gave it 4/5 stars. I didn't love it as much as some of you did. I was annoyed with Valancy for being a door mat and not seeming to learn any lessons. But, you know, sometimes a light diversion in the middle of the collapse of democracy is a good thing. 

2) Do you have a blue castle of your own, somewhere you escape to in your mind? What is it? 

3) If there was ever a film adaptation of "The Blue Castle," who would your dream cast be?

4) What did you like about Montgomery's writing style? Was there anything you didn't like?

5) If you had to have dinner with three members of Valancy's family who would it be and why?

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Most Iconic Line Poll:

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CBBC Questions to Ponder:

1) Last year I ran another CBBC in August that wrapped up in the beginning of September. That turned out to be terrible timing for me personally. Would anyone be upset if I moved the schedule to start mid-September and run through October in the fall? Please discuss the pros and cons.

2) I have been keeping a list of books folks have suggested for future CBBC reads, but I'm always open to more if you have any ideas. Drop your suggestions in the comments!

Five for Friday, Edition #17

1) Happy making postcards in the mail! I received beautiful cards from Elisabeth and J! I love getting surprises in my mailbox and it's making me feel like I'm falling behind in my own correspondence. I shall send out those St. Patrick's Day cards sitting on the dining room table ASAP!

2) Does anyone wonder how the smallest creature in the house is the loudest and also the most physically in the way? It's our fault, really, since we trained the dog to GTFO of the kitchen when we are in it, but the cat thinks that if she puts herself in the middle of the damn room, she'll get food. She was right here THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS COOKING DINNER. Bless her little kitty heart. 

3) Anyone want to see the books I have checked out from the library?

*Here Be Dragons (Welsh Princes #1) by Shannon Kay Penman - Dudes, the font is SO SMALL. I am struggling to literally read it.

Pop City: Korean Popular Culture and the Selling of Place by Youjeong Oh - My little BGSU Falcon heart can hardly wait to read this. 

Take a Thief (Valdemar) by Mercedes Lackey

*The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray - This is my next IRL book club read.

The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen 

*On a Sunbeam by Tillie Walden

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

Samurai William: The Englishman Who Opened Japan by Giles Milton

Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha #1) by Tasha Suri (ebook)

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (ebook)

*Big books (over 500 pages)

4) My hairstylist sat me down in the chair and asked what I was looking to have done. "Oh, maybe a bob and bangs," I said, absolutely straight-faced.

"You want bangs?" she said.

"Yeah, and just chop it off. It's driving me crazy."
"You want me to chop it off?"

"Yeah. And some bangs."

She stared at me.

"You don't want bangs. You will hate them."
I laughed.

"You're right. Just take off an inch or so and add some long layers. No bangs."

She laughed. "I nearly had a heart attack."

5) Podcast episode recommendations from me to you:

a) Rob Harvilla's back with 60 Songs That Explain the 2000s. The episode on "Hurt" by Johnny Cash is quite good if you're interested in Rob's thing. 

b) Nate DiMeo's podcasting game is still the best thing in the world. Listen to "Two Postcards" from The Memory Palace. You won't regret that fifteen minutes. 

c) You know how I like a good shipwreck story, right? Well, what happens when someone finds a shipwreck? Who owns it? Should it be excavated? Should it be treated as a mass grave? Boy do I have a Planet Money episode for you! "The Fight for a Legendary Shipwreck's Treasure"

d) I randomly have the 12/13/24 episode of Food News down as something you should listen to. I think it's because at one point one of the hosts is laughing for real and not fake podcasting laughing and I found it super charming. If you're not listening to Food News, why not?

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How many books do you have checked out from the library? What book are you going to read next? (Bonus points if anyone can recommend me a good big book - over 500 pages - written by a woman.)

What I Spent: February 2025

 As a reminder, my husband pays the "big bills" like mortgage, phone, and electricity. I pay for groceries and the pets and that's relatively even. 

Groceries ($854.15) - It was my turn at Costco. *heavy sigh* We actually spent a lot more than usual here because I stocked up on snack food because my husband's brother and his family were visiting and I hosted book club. I don't think it's too bad considering all that. 

Personal care ($428.02) - Look, I know that this number is more than some of you spend on personal care ALL YEAR, but this was me stocking up. I purchased regular AND purple shampoo and conditioner (I only use the purple every two or three weeks); heat protectant for my hair; styling product for my hair; moisturizer; lots of makeup, including new foundation, mascara, and eye and face primer; and shower oil. Was it a lot? Yes. But if you're a lady who wears makeup, this is the price you must pay. And I can't imagine having to buy much beyond more face lotion and sunscreen in the near future.

Pets ($332) - I bought both girls food. I splurged and got Zelda a new litter box after the Great Radioactive Litter situation of 2025. Also, Zelda had to get some medicine. 

Savings ($200) - I'm catastrophizing, but why bother with saving money since the economy is going to collapse?

Cars ($161.30) - Gas a few times and an oil change for the new car. 

Donations ($130) - Local charities got it all.

Gifts ($124.20) - I bought a roll of stamps, which is most of this. I also bought a tiny dog some presents. 

Bills ($117.09) - Home and car insurance.

Entertainment ($60.50) - This was the charge for the golf simulator when my husband's family came to visit us. Extortion!

Fitness ($42.30) - I had to buy a pass for my fitness class through the end of April.

Eating out ($8.21) - I stopped at Dunkin' after the oil change. I deserve a treat after doing dumb chores.

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When's the last time you ate out? 

February 2025 Accountability Buddy

Saturday, February 1

Wellness Day at the community center. There were vendors and free classes. I attended the following:
15-minute stretch class
25-minute Werq (dance) class
25-minute yoga class

Sunday, February 2

30-minute full body workout trisets with Caroline Girvan

Monday, February 3

30-minute yoga in the student union at lunchtime

30-minute Werq (dance) class after work

Tuesday, February 4

45-minute body blast class at the community center

Wednesday, February 5

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime*

Thursday, February 6

30-minute Yoga with Kassandra flexibility video

Friday, February 7

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Saturday, February 8

40-minute full body strength for women over 40 - really excellent and hard!

Sunday, February 9

35-minute total body workout

Monday, February 10

30-minute yoga in the student union at lunchtime

Tuesday, February 11

45-minute body blast class at the community center

Wednesday, February 12

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime*

So much shoveling and sweeping and trudging through the snow. There was no time to exercise because I was playing in the snow.

Thursday, February 13

More shoveling this morning. 

30-minute yoga in the student union at lunchtime

Friday, February 14

Day off

Saturday, February 15

More shoveling this morning

Sunday, February 16

More shoveling this morning

40-minute yoga video

Monday, February 17

30-minute yoga in the student union at lunchtime

30-minute Werq (dance) class after work

Tuesday, February 18

45-minute body blast class at the community center

Wednesday, February 19

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

Thursday, February 20

30-minute no repeat full body 

Friday, February 21

15-minute stretch class at lunchtime

35-minute yoga to relax practice - this was just the thing I needed on a Friday

Saturday, February 22

30-minute total body dumbbell workout - Super hard! Also, two adorable dogs.

30-minute stretch and recover

Sunday, February 23

35-minute yoga slow flow vinyasa

Monday, February 24

30-minute yoga video at the student union

30-minute Werq (dance) class

Tuesday, February 25

45-minute body blast class at the community center

Wednesday, February 26

45-minute yin yoga 

Thursday, February 27

30-minute yoga video at the student union

60-minute Zumba class - This was SO MUCH FUN. Also, my endurance is not always great. 

Friday, February 28

15-minute stretch class

Totals: 23/28 (82.1%) of days 

12 days of yoga

16 days of strength/cardio

7 short 15-minute stretch classes at lunchtime

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*Our local healthcare organization does free stretch classes virtually three times a week. Sign up here! It's free. It's fun. We regularly talk about candy and what's for lunch. It's a delightful break in the middle of the day. You do not have to have your camera on. 

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Have you tried a fun new workout recently? Spill the details!