Books read in 2021

74  The Lawrence Browne Affair, Cat Sebastian (e) (The Turners #2)
73  The Matzah Ball, Jean Meltzer (e)
72  The Seventh Bride, T. Kingfisher (e)
71  Lady Whilton's Wedding, Barbara Metzger (e)
73  Holly Jolly Diwali, Sonya Lalli (e)
72  Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings, Ursula K. LeGuin (Catwings #3)
71  Prisoner of Zenda, Anthony Pope (e)
70  Henchmen of Zenda, KJ Charles (e)
69  Half-off Ragnarok, Seanan McGuire (e) (Incryptid #3)
68  A Night in the Lonesome October, Roger Zelazny (re-re-re-&c-aloud w/Steve)
67  Good Night, Mr. Holmes, Carole Nelson Douglas (e) (Irene Adler #1)
66  Band Sinister, KJ Charles (e)
65  Iron Widow, Xiran Jay Zhao (e)
64  The White Mountains, John Christopher (e) (Tripods #1)
63  Paladin's Hope, T. Kingfisher (e) (Saint of Steel #3)
62  Creatures of Light and Darkness, Roger Zelazny (re-re-re-&c-read) (e)
61  Midnight Blue Light Special, Seanan McGuire (e) (Incryptid #2)
60  The Widows of Malabar Hill, Sujata Massey (e) (Perveen Mistry #1)
59  Sixty-Five Hours, N.R. Walker (e)
58  Silver Silence, Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling #16) (re-read)
57  His Sacred Incantations, Scarlett Gale (Warrior's Guild Book #2) (e)
56  Any Old Diamonds, KJ Charles (e)
55  Think of England, KJ Charles (e)
54  Fast Women, Jennifer Crusie (re-read)
53  The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison (re-re-read) (e)
52  Mouse and Dragon, Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (#3 in the Space Regencies internal arc of Liaden Universe®)(e)*
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 Saga of Tinsori the Honda

So, last Monday, I bought a used car.  We've been a one-car family for a few years, now, and The Theory was that we would remain so, having moved Into The City and All.

Unfortunately, we moved to a city without transit buses, where the taxicabs are overwhelmed, and came up against a series of events in very short order which required two cars to accomplish.  Now, granted, I could rent a car, at 3 days at a go for the local place and approximately $300 each time.

Anyhow, it just seemed like the universe was arguing for a second car, and we went looking for a used Subaru Forester (we have our reasons).

Reader, this is not the time to be trying to buy a used Subaru, if you also like to live indoors and eat.

After several disappointments, we wound up at Charlie's Motor Mall in Augusta, where we'd purchased our last four or five, or maybe even six vehicles, including the Forester we have now.

The salesman at the Subaru side confirmed that this is not the time to be shopping for a used Forester, and after some discussion, and a test drive, I allowed myself to be sold a 2014 Honda CR-V EXL in Kona Coffee (or, as the registration states -- "brown.")

I like the car.  A lot.  We had some previous experience with the Honda CR-V, from that time that Amtrak dumped us off the train at 2am in Cincinnati and told us to find our own way back to our car, which was parked at the Albany station.  We drove that rented CR-V 700 miles in 20 hours, and it was solid, uncomplaining, and a complete good sport about everything we demanded of it.  Tinsori, as the new-to-me Honda has come to be called, is equally solid, and uncomplaining, and I think we'll get on fine.

So -- bought the car last Monday.  Noticed a couple things weren't exactly as they should be, including the back lift gate catch was broken, and there was a stutter in the transmission at certain speeds.  So, I called the Honda Section of Charlie's Motor Mall and made an appointment to have Tinsori brought up to spec while he was still under warranty.

It was here that things got a little squirrelly because I hadn't purchased the used Honda from the Honda Section; I'd purchased it from a Subaru salesman off of a mixed lot, and Phone Calls therefore Had to be Made, Permissions Granted, and long story short, the Honda Section did fix the back gate, burnished the transmission, replaced the broken fog light I hadn't noticed was broken, and! topped off the window washer fluid, and the cost to me was -- nada.  Zero.  Zip.  Zilch.  All good, thank you, ma'am, and if anything else goes wrong, you know where to find us.

Now, in order to get these repairs done, I had to leave the car at the Honda Section early in the morning.  Repairs were finished by 4:15ish.  In Maine in these days of late fall/early winter, it gets dark at 4pm.  What with One Thing and Something Else, I haven't actually driven in the dark for almost 3 years.

Therefore, as Steve was driving us to the Honda Section, we made A Plan for the drive home.  I would lead, driving Tinsori, and I would go the "back way" home, avoiding the interstate because I felt safer that way.

We picked up Tinsori, checked the hatch and the fog light, and Implemented the Plan.

Almost immediately, Steve lost me in Augusta end-of-work traffic, but he knew where I was going, and how, so he kept to The Plan.  As I did.  It's a little exciting driving in the dark, but I hope to become used to it, and everything was going along pretty well until I came to the intersection of the Belgrade Road and the Pond Road, in Sidney, which was to be my turn toward home.  This corner is dignified by the presence of Steve's Furniture and Appliance, which has a big light-up sign on the corner of its property.

By now, I was pretty much out of Augusta traffic, but there was a -- backup right before I got to my turn.  A long line of cars, and -- hold it!  a car without lights sideways across the left lane, and -- good grief, two cars in the bushes off the road on the right, and a positive sea of glass in the intersection, where one guy with a flashlight was trying to guide cars around.

I realized that Steve was behind me, and was going to come on this disaster area and Make Assumptions.  I therefore cleared the intersection, pulled into the parking lot at Steve's Furniture and called him.

"Steve!  There's a big crash at Steve's, but it's not me!  I'm OK!"

"Good," he said.  "I was worried, and pulled into Steve's parking lot --"

"I'm in Steve's parking lot!"

After a muddled few moments, we found each other, and got oriented to head off for home, Steve in the lead this time.

Two ambulances passed us on the Pond Road, heading toward the intersection with the Belgrade Road, but we got home with without further incident, parking the cars, and went inside to toast each other with a glass of wine, and kinda let the adrenaline flow away.

So, that happened.