Hat on Top, Coat Below
type: channel
description: Static entries for my online journal
date: 2026-06-26T05:24:25Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
generator agent: https://wordpress.org/
items: Books 2025
items: Books 2024
items: Books 2023
items: Books 2022
items: Books 2021
items: Books 2020
items: Books I’ve Read
items: Books 2018
items: Books 2019
items: Books 2017

Books 2025
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2026-01-16T16:36:38Z
subject: Books
description: << 2024 2026 >> Books I read in 2025, not yet organized by category. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio A Dash of Salt and Pepper, Kosoko Jackson Ending was a bit too dramatic for me. Did like the rest. The Beast Takes a Bride, Julie Ann […]
encoded: << 2024 2026 >> Books I read in 2025, not yet organized by category. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio A Dash of Salt and Pepper, Kosoko Jackson Ending was a bit too dramatic for me. Did like the rest. The Beast Takes a Bride, Julie Ann Long Male lead was a bit too beastly for me, though I did finish it. Wild Rain, Beverly Jenkins I continue to love the research notes this author includes after the story ends. Enjoyed the story, too. These Summer Storms, Sarah Maclean It’s hard to read about billionaires right now, when the US has a new generation of robber barons in charge. This is not a capital R romance, so the unresolved issues at the end didn’t come as a surprise. Curvy Girl Summer, Danielle Allen I didn’t click with this for some reason. Maybe it was because compared to many/most Romance novels, less time was spent on the hero and heroine developing their relationship. Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Community, Empathy, Martha Wells A short story in the Murderbot universe that I’d missed when it first came out. I liked it. What I Did for a Duke, Julie Anne Long Mixed feelings about this one. Hero has some less than admirable qualities (as do we all, yes, but I’d rather not have them in my fiction). Heroine is sort of doormat-y at times. Yet there were some passages that did speak to me. Conflict is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair, Sarah Schulman Took me a long time to get through this because I had to read a bit then reflect on how I’d seen the things described by the author play out in conflicts in my own life and how I might have acted differently to try and influence a better outcome and whether I have the courage and understanding to do the things I didn’t do before in future situations that will undoubtedly come up. Montana: Real Place, Real People, Alan S. Kesselheim and Thomas Lee (photographer) I love hearing about how other folks live, and this book is all that, …

Books 2024
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2025-01-06T01:26:19Z
subject: Books
description: << 2023 2025 >> Books I read in 2024, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Other Genres, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America, Amy […]
encoded: << 2023 2025 >> Books I read in 2024, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Other Genres, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America, Amy Butcher Oof. I should have checked content warnings on this one before I read it. Still would have read it probably but would have been able to armor myself a bit first. I picked it up during a time I’d read a couple other books about long haul trucking then it sat on my Kindle for a while so I’d forgotten anything I knew about it other than the trucking part. I’m glad I finally read it but it had some tough spots for me emotionally. The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, Thad Carhart (P) I picked this up at the library on a whim while looking for another book I needed to meet a StoryGraph challenge. I don’t play piano and have spent only a handful of days in Paris, but I found this charming and interesting nonetheless. The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband, David Finch This has been on my virtual TBR pile for literally years; finally circled back around and found a library I have access to with the ebook. The emphasis here is on memoir, and I think I was originally hoping for more an actual guide to best practices. That’s on me. 98% Funky Stuff: My Life in Music, Maceo Parker (P) I happened to pick this up at the library when I was looking for a book to meet a challenge I’m doing on StoryGraph. I appreciated learning about times and people I hadn’t really been exposed to. Wish there’d been more emotion in the stories (but maybe that was just a mismatch between my style of relating and the author’s). The Protest Singer, Alec Wilkinson (P) Just the right amount of information. Scary to th…

Books 2023
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2024-01-17T01:49:08Z
subject: Books
description: << 2022 2024 >> Books I read in 2023, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Other Genres, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Beyond Magenta, Susan Kuklin Given the persecution of trans youth […]
encoded: << 2022 2024 >> Books I read in 2023, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Other Genres, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Beyond Magenta, Susan Kuklin Given the persecution of trans youth by the GOP, it felt important to read about some of them in their own words in this book. Non-Fiction—Everything Else: The Magic of Pockets, Jess Driscoll I have some sewing experience, so some of this was information I’d already been exposed to, but that’s fine. I liked the variety of ideas here, both for altering garments and making external pockets, as in pouches and bags. The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls, Mona Eltahawy Thought provoking. A Libertarian Walks into a Bear, Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling There are a fair few libertarians around me, so I picked this up. Some of it felt super familiar, even though this is set in New Hampshire and I’m all the way across the country. Niksen, Annette Lavrisjen I wish I’d read this one in paper, as I have the idea that the illustrations would have been even more charming in color (my Kindle is old and doesn’t do color). The non-illustration content seemed not as helpful as I’d hoped … maybe because I’m already pretty good at doing nothing. There were a couple of nuggets but overall I was left unsatisfied. Fiction—Romance and Other Genres: Chef’s Kiss, TJ Alexander (P) Really liked the inclusiveness of this. Didn’t like the work stress the characters were under but that’s realistic. Sweep of the Heart, Ilona Andrews I liked being back in this world. More Than a Mistress, Mary Balogh Entertaining. Written in the Stars, Alexandria Bellefleur Yes, more like this please. The Fiancee Farce, Alexandra Bellefleur Loved this. I cut my romance reading teeth on marriage in name only books so the fake fiancee trope is…

Books 2022
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2023-01-10T04:50:04Z
subject: Books
description: << 2021 2023 >> Books I read in 2022, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Other Genres, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy I’m the wrong […]
encoded: << 2021 2023 >> Books I read in 2022, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Other Genres, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: I’m Glad My Mom Died, Jennette McCurdy I’m the wrong age to have known this author for her work as an actress so had no image of her to contrast with the reality behind the scenes. There’s a lot of content to warm about in this one. I wished for more followup on a couple of the events but I’m sure it’s hard to know what to cover when there’s so much material. You Don’t Look Like Anyone I Know, Heather Sellers This was a tough read for me at times. Glad I picked it up despite that. Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, Maya Washington As an alum of Michigan State and a person who’s watched a fair few Minnesota Vikings games, I appreciated this biography of a man who played football in both places so I could learn some of the history I hadn’t been exposed to before. Also as an alum of MSU, I wish the title had been “On the Banks of the Red Cedar” because I have a deep groove in my brain from singing that opening line to the fight song so many times as a student. I’d like to track down the documentary film that covers this same ground. Non-Fiction—Everything Else: The Vagina Bible, Dr. Jen Gunter This is comprehensive. I consider myself pretty informed about women’s health thanks to a mom who let me read her copy of Our Bodies, Ourselves pretty young. Still I learned some things from this book and have made one change in my daily routine and am considering another. Powder Days, Heather Hansman This collection of meditations on ski bums and the ski industry sort of bummed me out. I missed the golden age of skiing and ski bumming, which is okay for me since I don’t have the drive that classic ski bums do and due to circumstance…

Books 2021
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2022-01-12T05:59:11Z
subject: Books
description: << 2020 2022 >> Books I read in 2021, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance, Erotica, Science Fiction, and Fantasy, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz […]
encoded: << 2020 2022 >> Books I read in 2021, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance, Erotica, Science Fiction, and Fantasy, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, Roz Chast (P) This had some funny moments, and some touching ones, and a lot that hit a bit too close to home for me, having dealt with cleaning out parents’ houses and trying to get them into the right care situations. Passing for Human, Liana Finck (P) Thought this was very clever. Sous Chef, Michael Gibny I keep reading books about chefs. I guess because it’s food adjacent, and I like food. This one was nicely organized and took the time to add a whole glossary of terms that might not be familiar to a read who hadn’t worked in a kitchen (or read a bunch of books about chefs). Jew(ish): A primer, A memoir, A manual, A plea, Matt Greene I had to read this when I saw all the one star reviews from Trump supporters. I might have gotten more out of this if I were more up on British politics but still feel reading this broadened my understanding of Jewish-ness. Non-Fiction—Everything Else: What I Hate From A to Z, Roz Chast (P) I liked studying the drawings for little details. Evicted, Matthew Desmond This was hard to read. That the U.S. is so screwed up when it comes to housing was not a surprise but hearing the personal stories of some of those being screwed over really makes that clear in a way that statistics don’t. I’m glad the author offered some possible solutions but despair that we’ll be able to implement them given the state of politics in this country. The Art of Skiing: Vintage Posters from the Golden Age of Winter Sport, Jenny de Gex (P) I appreciated the words that went with all the pictures here; learned some early European ski history I hadn’…

Books 2020
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2021-02-13T23:05:04Z
subject: Books
description: << 2019 2021 >> Books I read in 2020, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Race, Gender, and Politics, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance, Erotica, Science Fiction, and Fantasy, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: The Rose Hotel, Rahimeh […]
encoded: << 2019 2021 >> Books I read in 2020, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Race, Gender, and Politics, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance, Erotica, Science Fiction, and Fantasy, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: The Rose Hotel, Rahimeh Andalibian This was hard to read. Not because of how it was written (though a time or two I did lose track of when things happened as the telling jumps back and forth in time) but because the events were so painful … and I wasn’t even living them like the author and her family did. I very much appreciated the look into a part of the world I will never experience. Solutions and Other Problems, Allie Brosh (P) Her earlier book is on my five-star list, so I went ahead and bought the hardcover of this one. It made me laugh so hard I cried so many times. Hyperbole and a Half, Allie Brosh (RR) Still funny after all these years. Dirt, Bill Buford I would have like this better if the author were single, because I kept getting annoyed at how little engagement he seemed to have in raising his young twin sons, instead leaving them with his wife in NYC during the week while he worked at a restaurant in Washington DC; at least when they got to France he’d come home at night and did seem to spend at least a little time with boys. I would love for his wife to write a book about this time in their lives. I was also distracted by wondering how these adventures were funded … was the book advance so large as to allow them to afford to keep a place in NYC while they also paid for a place in France? All that said, the cooking and food parts were interesting; I’ve experimented with changing the way I crack eggs as a result, and I might very well read other things from this author. In the Shadow of the Valley, Bobi Conn Another hard for me to read memoir.…

Books I’ve Read
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2020-02-02T05:16:56Z
subject: Books
description: (A) means I listened to it. (RR) means I re-read it. (P) means I read it on paper. I link titles to Powell’s Books if they carry them. I will often link to an edition other than the one I read. If Powell’s doesn’t have it, I will link to the author’s website or another […]
encoded: (A) means I listened to it. (RR) means I re-read it. (P) means I read it on paper. I link titles to Powell’s Books if they carry them. I will often link to an edition other than the one I read. If Powell’s doesn’t have it, I will link to the author’s website or another source before I resort to Amazon. These are not affiliate links. I also log my reading on StoryGraph. I’m KarenD there. Feel free to friend (or follow) me. Once in a while I add spoilers to my reviews there in addition to what I write on this page (using spoiler tags there, of course). << 2025 January 1, 2026 to Now: (latest finished on top) All the Best Nights, Hanna Earnest The main couple had long stretches apart that weren’t really covered by the book, which I felt left me not really understanding how they got to where they ended up. It Takes Two to Tumble, Cat Sebastian Mixed feelings on this one. On the one hand, yay for queer historical romance. On the other, I don’t quite buy the happy ending. After the Billionaire’s Wedding Vows, Lucy Monroe Definitely had an old school feel to it to me, though it was published in 2021. Being deeply suspicious of chiropractors, I didn’t love that the hero made the pregnant heroine go to one. Platform Decay, Martha Wells I really should have re-read at least the book before this most recent installment of the Murderbot series before I jumped back in, as I felt dumped into the story and had very little idea what was going on. I never quite got as engaged with it as I had with the earlier books; maybe that’s my state of mind right now or maybe it’s the book, so I’ll probably re-read at some point. Game Changer, Rachel Reid Decided I should start with the book that came before Heated Rivalry (that one’s been on my TBR for about a year since the Fated Mates podcast featured it). As I started reading, I could see it was well-crafted but I wasn’t really getting into it. By the climatic scene, I was weeping. Where Waters Meet, Zhang Ling I took my time with this one.…

Books 2018
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2019-02-01T04:57:46Z
subject: Books
description: << 2017 2019 >> Books I read in 2018, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Erotica, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: There Are Worse Things I Could Do, Adrienne Barbeau I enjoyed […]
encoded: << 2017 2019 >> Books I read in 2018, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance and Erotica, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: There Are Worse Things I Could Do, Adrienne Barbeau I enjoyed reading this much more than I expected to. Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir, Cinelle Barnes This memoir sometimes made me very uncomfortable. I wanted more of it, to understand how the author got from the events described in the story to where she is now. You’ve Been So Lucky Already: A Memoir, Alethea Black I loved this so much I chose to read it instead of sleep one night, and sleep is one of my favorite things. I wasn’t always clear on where in time the story was, but the rhythms the words made in my head were so great that I didn’t mind. I didn’t always agree with the author’s choices but her writing helped me understand why she went the way she did on some things. Florencia: An Accidental Story, Douglas Bowman and John Mullen I usually prefer third person narration, but when it’s a memoir and the people writing it are referring to themselves in the third person, I find it odd and off putting. Why distance themselves from the telling that way? The editing was also very distracting, with commas used in ways that should not be. Such as this sentence: “The sandy excuse for a road was uneven with exaggerated, furrows, and paths, undetectable and unmarked.” It was disappointing to only see one photo in here, when a lot of the book covered the efforts to assemble a team to document the experience in photo and video. The Amazon reviews for this are stellar. I’m not sure I read the same book. What these guys facilitated was great; the book telling about it is not. Feast: True Love in and out of the Kitchen, Hannah Howard Even when I wasn’t agreeing with or even understanding …

Books 2019
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2019-01-31T19:13:40Z
subject: Books
description: << 2018 2020 >> Books I read in 2019, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance, Erotica, and Urban Fantasy, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Saturday Night Widows, Becky Aikman I somehow thought this […]
encoded: << 2018 2020 >> Books I read in 2019, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Romance, Erotica, and Urban Fantasy, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Saturday Night Widows, Becky Aikman I somehow thought this was fiction when I started reading. It is not. When I realized it was a true story, I wondered about how the author had gotten permission from the other ladies to share their stories after the fact. Some Googling after I finished leads me to believe the group was formed with writing a book about it in mind from the start, which is not my favorite sort of thing to read. I had some trouble keeping track of which woman was which, whether because none were especially relatable to me or something else, I’m not sure. The Size of Everything, Erin Cole and Jenna McCarthy This memoir can be very hard to read … not because of the writing, but because so many adults failed these children. Kudos to Erin Cole for surviving and eventually thriving as an adult herself. The Lie: A Memoir of Two Marriages, Catfishing, & Coming Out, William Dameron The catfishing mentioned in the subtitle was a very minor part of this book; I would have liked to hear more. There’s a lot of pain to go around here. Don’t Go There: From Chernobyl to North Korea, Adam Fletcher I spent much of this book annoyed by the author, an annoyance born of envy, as I wished I’d been able to support myself running websites and being able to take so many trips when I was his age instead of having an office job with never enough vacation days. By the end, he seemed more mature and annoyed me less. The Secret Race, Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle I’m not a bike racing fan, but still felt reading this was a good use of my time to learn how screwed up things were (are?) in that world. Walden on Wheels: On…

Books 2017
type: item
creator: admin
date: 2018-01-30T04:07:21Z
subject: Books
description: << 2016 2018 >> Books I read in 2017, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—History, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Paranormal, Romance, Erotica, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio (BC) means read for a book club Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Asses & Angels, […]
encoded: << 2016 2018 >> Books I read in 2017, organized by category and then alphabetically by author: Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography, Non-Fiction—History, Non-Fiction—Everything Else, Fiction—Paranormal, Romance, Erotica, Fiction—Everything Else. (RR) means re-read (P) means read on paper (A) means listened to it on audio (BC) means read for a book club Non-Fiction—Memoir, Autobiography, Biography: Asses & Angels, Gail Black This autobiography of a woman born in the 40s was a challenging read in many ways due to the subject matter, yet I’m very glad I read it, even though it made me miss my mom. Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened, Allie Brosh A lot of my reading is done in bed at night before sleeping, but this book wasn’t really suitable for that, what with the way it made me laugh so hard I was shaking and crying and disturbing my husband. I found it super funny, obviously, and also super relatable. Her coping mechanisms and rules for the world aren’t the same as mine, but I recognize the approach on a deep level. This book grew out of a blog, and like many blogs, it jumps from funny to serious, from current events in the author’s life to reminiscences of her childhood; that might cause some to rate it lower for lack of cohesion, but not me. The material on depression is a much a part of the author’s story as the dog tales. As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes and Joe Layden Reading this was comforting, just like watching the movie. Looking Back on Schweitzer: The Story of Schweitzer Mountain Resort, Jack Fowler as told to Ross Woodward I’ve been wanting to read this book since I first heard about it, but it’s out of print and there didn’t seem to be an easy way to get a copy. Then Mr. K met a guy on a lift who had one, and a season later, ran into him again, and that guy had scanned the book and made a PDF, which I what I read. It was s…