Week 20! That sounds very funny to my fingers as I type it. Can we possibly be almost halfway through the strangest year of many of our lives? What a bizarre notion!
Yet, here we are in week 20 and it’s Wednesday! On Wednesday I join Kat at As Kat Knits for her Unraveled link up – a group of knitters and readers who share their weekly progress. It’s a wonderful group of bloggers, so please go visit them!
Reading
Finished This Week:
Cozy mystery series are hitting the spot for me right now. I finished three this week and was wrong about the killer in every one! I love it when that happens.
A Room Full of Bones is the fourth Ruth Galloway mystery and was an enjoyable one. I love the characters in Ruth’s life and am so curious to see Ruth and Nelson’s relationship change over time. I don’t know what’s going to happen between them, but I can’t wait to see!
Murder at the Vicarage introduces Miss Jane Marple. The villagers of St. Mary Mead are in full gossip mode when there’s a murder in the study at the vicarage. Christie gives us such a wide set of suspects and enjoys bending the story to make the mystery difficult to solve!
Raven Black is the first in the Shetland series. I was hesitant to read this series because I’ve seen so many of the episodes when the series was on Netflix, but there was no need to be nervous because I’ve already forgotten so many of them! I was genuinely surprised by the killer in Raven Black and enjoyed reading about the Shetland landscape. One day I’ll visit!!
Currently Reading:
I haven’t read The Hobbit since high school, but it’s time to return to The Shire. I always think Spring is the best season to visit Bilbo in his snug hole in the ground – something about the daffodils and everything starting to green up. I’ve mentioned on this blog before that I wish there were entire books about life in the Shire, but I suppose spending time with Miss Marple in St. Mary Mead is pretty close!
I love Megan Miranda! I’ve started The Last House Guest on audio and am already hooked. I get so excited about books set in Maine and unreliable narrators!
Knitting
I’m making slow but steady progress with my Birkin. I’m finally on the hem! It’s a split hem, which I’ve never attempted before, but it’s been easy so far! I’ve finished the back hem and am now on to the front, less than an inch to go! and then “all” that’s left is the dreaded sleeves!
I saw that Kat queued Kirsten Kapur’s newest knit along starting on June 1st which tempted me. I don’t tend to do mystery knit alongs (or any knit alongs) because I can’t keep up with the clues and I worry that I won’t like the pattern. But I decided to take the plunge because it’s been years since I did one and it feels like a little community is just what I need right now. Solidarity! So yesterday I bought the pattern and ordered some yarn (from knitpicks because I don’t want to spend a ton of money on this project!), and am now excited for June 1st. Anyone else joining along?
How has your week been treating you so far? Are you reading or working on anything you especially love? Do you have any book recommendations for me? I’d love to hear from you!
The Cozy Burrow 
Our library has finally started curbside service! I called yesterday and ordered 5 books, going to pick them up today! I so want to start reading when I get home but, of course, today is finally going to be decent warm weather so I have a lot of work in the yard and flowerbeds. But it’s supposed to rain the rest of the week so I’ll get reading in then. Enjoy your knitting!
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Curbside service at the library is brilliant!! I keep hoping that my librarian will call me and say that she’s leaving the key in a secret place and that I’m welcome to visit whenever I want – total fantasy!
Enjoy today’s warm weather and then time with your books while it rains!
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Oooh I didn’t see the TTL mystery knit along… I just may need to join in. I did hers in 2017 (though I finished like 3 months late) and really loved the finished product, I think it’s actually the shawl of mine that gets the most wear.
And the Birkin is looking great! Ugh sleeve island – have you tried doing sleeves two at a time?
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It’s good to hear that you loved the TTL MKAL that you did! I’ve never done two sleeves at a time – but it’s such a great idea. Finishing baby steps keeps me going – so even if it takes forever, being able to finish ONE sleeve encourages me to start the next, so I think one at a time is the way to go for me!
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Ah that makes sense! Even though TAAT is slower progress on each sleeve, for me I like not having the idea of another whole sleeve hanging over my head so for me it works well!
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Always love The Hobbit and The Last House Guest sounds wonderful. I believe it is on my TBR. Happy reading and knitting! ❤️
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Thanks Tessa!!
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I’m glad you enjoyed Raven Black. I too was hesitant, having watched the series first, but I found that I had either forgotten the stories or else the plot in a particular book hasn’t been used in the series. I just got the fifth book from the library last night and have read a few chapters — they are so easy to read!
I’m also joining in on Kirsten Kapur’s MKAL. I’ve done one before in the past and it wasn’t too hard to keep up, and that was when I was working full time and had a smaller kid, so I think you’ll be okay. I splurged a bit and bought some indie-dyed yarn from a friend.
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Yay! Another person doing the MKAL! Thanks for the encouragement about keeping up. It looks like several of my blogger friends have signed up, so that will be a motivator for me, too 🙂
You’re right – the Shetland series is so easy to read AND I love the setting. I’m so glad you’re still enjoying the series!
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Hmm, I might need to look for an audio copy of The Hobbit! Bilbo is indeed perfect for spring! (and we had a dog named Bilbo Baggins growing up!)
I am excited to knit KK’s new shawl! I am using Knitpicks for my Lunar Phases shawl and I love it (I am using Palette) it is like and there is an incredible selection of colors!
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YES – The Hobbit has been perfect. I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy this reread, but I’m liking it even more than I did the last time I read it!
Knitpicks is so great! I can’t wait to see what colors you choose for the MKAL!
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I loved the Hobbit so much! Actually, I think it was my love of the Hobbit that carried me through some of the slowest parts of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (the Ents nearly did me in). Have a wonderful week!
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I definitely enjoyed it much more this time than when I read it previously – so I’m glad that I reread it!!
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So glad you’re still enjoying Elly Griffiths! I am too. Sometimes I get annoyed about Nelson and Ruth and their dithering but the mysteries and the other recurring characters are so good too!
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She’s a great character! I’m having so much fun with the series and trying not to binge on them right now!
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Oh, I’m a little jealous you have SEVEN of the Shetland books in your future. I binged through the whole series late last year and enjoyed every minute. (I NEVER managed to figure out the murderer!)
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I love finding new series! I’m looking forward to listening to more of these and I’m so glad to hear that you were unable to guess the murderer in all of them – high praise!
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