Books read in 2021

51  Scout's Progress, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller (#2 in the Space Regencies internal arc of the Liaden Universe®) (e)*
50  Witness for the Dead, Katherine Addison (e)
49  The Kingdoms, Natasha Pulley (e)
48  His Secret Illuminations, Scarlett Gale (Warrior's Guild Book #1) (e)
47  Logan's Run, William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson (re-re-re-&c-read)
46  The Hellion's Waltz, Olivia Waite (Feminine Pursuits #3) (e)
45  The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, Olivia Waite (Feminine Pursuits #2) (e)
44  Fugitive Telemetry, Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #6) (e) (read aloud w/Steve)
43  Subtle Blood, KJ Charles (Will Darling #3) (e)
42  Welcome to Temptation, Jennifer Crusie (Dempsey Family #1) (re-read) (NOTE: Yes, I read the Dempsey books "backward." I read them that way the first time, too.  Plus, I prefer #2 to #1 by an ooomph of an inch)
41  Faking It, Jennifer Crusie (Dempsey Family #2) (re-read)
40  Angel of the Overpass, Seanan McGuire (Ghost Roads #3) (e)
39  Upside Down, N.R. Walker (e)
38  Network Effect, Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #5) (e) (read aloud w/Steve)
37  Exit Strategy, Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #4) (e) (read aloud w/Steve)
36  Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #3) (e) (read aloud w/Steve)
35  A Dead Djinn in Cairo, P. Djèlí Clark (e)
34  The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting, KJ Charles (e)
33  Artificial Condition, Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #2) (e)(Steve read to me)
32  All Systems Red, Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #1) (e) (read to Steve)
31  Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain
30  Stranger Planet, Nathan W. Pyle (Strange Planet graphic collection #2)
29  Foxes in Love, Toivo Kaartinen
28  Strange Planet, Nathan W. Pyle (Strange Planet graphic collection #1)
27  What Abigail Did that Summer, Ben Aaronovitch (e)
26  Sizzle, Jennifer Crusie (e)
25  Tangle of Need, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling #11) (read aloud w/Steve -- and this catches us both up)
24  The Secret Language, Ursula Nordstrom (re-re-re-oh-hell-who-can-count)
23  Fugitive Telemetry, Martha Wells (Murderbot Diaries #6) (e)
22  The Rose Cottage, Mary Stewart (e)
21  The Girl in the Green Silk Gown, Seanan McGuire (Ghost Roads #2) (e)
20  What the Devil Knows, C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr #16)
19  Last Guard, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling/Trinity #21) (pre-pub copy provided by the author; read aloud with Steve)
18  Tipping the Velvet, Sarah Waters (e)
17  The Consorts, Melissa Addey (e)
16  Brightfall, Jamie Lee Moyer (e)
15  Spider Woman's Daughter, Anne Hillerman (e)
14  Wild Sign, Patricia Briggs (Alpha & Omega #6) (e)
13  Marian Halcombe, Brenda W. Clough (The Thrilling Adventures of the Most Dangerous Woman in Europe #1) (e)
12  The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, Olivia Waite (read aloud w/Steve)
11  An Easy Death, Charlaine Harris (Gunnie Rose #1) (e)
10  Paladin's Strength, T. Kingfisher (Saint of Steel #2) (e)
9   Strange Bedpersons, Jennifer Crusie (read aloud w/Steve)
8   The Sugared Game, KJ Charles (Will Darling #2) (e)
7   The Rules of Magic, Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic #2)
6   Smoke Bitten, Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson #12) (e)
5   Bonds of Justice, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling #8) (read aloud w/Steve)
4   Hostage to Pleasure, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling #5) (read aloud w/Steve)
3   Anyone but You, Jennifer Crusie (read aloud w/Steve)
2   Mine to Possess, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling #4) (read aloud w/Steve)
1   The Duke and I, Julia Quinn (Bridgerton #1) (e)

NOTE:  I've started to list the series, if any, a particular title is part of, as well as its place in series, if known.

*Yes, yes, it's a sad thing, an author reading her own stuff for fun, but there it is -- I recently had to proof Local Custom, the first of the threesome, and found it, err, compelling, and I had the two follows on the phone, so here we are.  For the record, I'm having fun.  The trilogy runs thusly:  Local Custom, Scout's Progress, Mouse and Dragon.

The writers, goofing off

So, we turned in a book!  And the next one's not due til next year, so, like the grasshoppers we are, we decided to take a vacation of Some Scope, rich with seal cruises, and eating out, and walking the seaside, and the town, and museums, and -- well. Long story short, we have decided once again to be conservative (this seems really very unfair, as I share Padi yos'Galan's dislike of being conservative, but here we are), and have scaled back our vacation plans, um...Quite A Bit.

I had schemed for Electron-Free, instead, we will be Electron-Lite, and our day-trip destinations will be chosen from among those shrinking areas in Maine where Covid and its cousin Delta are in lesser evidence.  We will also be -- see above -- conservative.

So, yesterday!  My suggestion was that we drive to Naples and have an ice cream.  This morphed into driving to Naples and eating lunch on the back porch of the Freedom Cafe, overlooking Long Lake, and the various business that goes forth on that body of water in August.

My strawberry-blueberry-greens, feta, and chicken salad with lemon vinaigrette was awesome.  Steve had many complimentary things to say about his fish 'n chips, and just sitting somewhere that is not our dining room was...really splendid.

After lunch, Steve drove us along back roads to Pine Point, where we visited the salt water for a bit, before driving down to Old Orchard Beach, and actually finding a parking spot!  So we had a small walk along the ocean there before heading home.

At Pine Point, a kind lady named Mary took a joint portrait of us, which is appended below.

I think that mostly catches us up.  We'll be back to work next week.

Everybody stay safe.