The Long Halloween

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Another in my series of reading favorite comics, I reread The Long Halloween by Geoff Loeb and Tim Sale.

Batman must race the calendar to discover who the Holiday Killer is and stop them from killing off Gotham City citizens.

This is such a great and beautiful Batman book. I think this a great introduction to Batman and Gotham and this universe. If you need this introduction or need a reintroduction I would highly recommend this graphic novel. The Long Halloween was originally a 13 book run, but I think it’s better to read this in the bind up form, as you will not want to wait to find out what happens in this compelling and exciting thriller. This was written at the time when the writing and art team of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale were rising stars in comics, and both went on to have bigger roles in the genre. The art makes this book for me, as it has a noir style but is not too dark. The writing and story does have a few holes, and can be a little confusing, but the art ties it all together. Bc the writing and the plot can be a bit confusing, I think it would be best to have a general knowledge of comic reading before diving into this one. I would highly recommend this book to die hard Batman fans, those new to the Bat-verse, and readers who like thrilling murder mysteries with large and unique casts.

What is your favorite Batman tale?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

More about books here:
BookTube
Goodreads

On My Mind On Friday Morning

Happy June!
The International Booker Prize Winner was announced on Wednesday. At Night All Blood Is Black won. Here is a good video reaction: https://youtu.be/ikzWXW5d8KU . Although this book sounds amazing, I don’t know if I can handle reading it as it’s said to be extremely violent.
I’ve been thinking again about daily uniforms. This was an interesting look at a few people who have been wearing one for the last 10 years or more.
I need this for outside BBQs this year.

May Plant Update

May was up and down for plant observations. We observed a lot, but the pits and peaks were with the weather. At the beginning of the month, our world looked like Spring, all flowers and bright colors, but it felt like Winter, cold and brisk. Later there was hot sun and Summer feels, and it seems we had skipped Spring entirely. By the end of the month it was raining, cold and we were back to late Winter or early Spring. Over all this is the first year in many many years that I cannot predict at least in part, the weather and the seasons.

Love these little trumpets.

More and more I appreciate azaleas.

Wild colors.

The peonies were big and bountiful.

The outside…

…and the inside.

Stumbled on this little lake front park.

Lovely high views.

As well as this hidden beach.

If you could hear him, you would know that this is a red wing blackbird.

We were surprised by this image.

We found some unexpected spots, where hopefully we can return and revisit. We also visited our normal spots, some of which we have not seen since this time last year. We saw lots of flowers!

What were your plant observations? What were the seasons doing at this time?

May in Review

What a weird month May was…. Have I said that about every month this year?

It was cold, summery, rainy, hot, busy, restful, and unexpected. The month started out cold but sunny. Seemingly, Spring had totally passed us and we were in a weird limbo between Winter and Summer. Flowers were out and blooming, pollen everywhere, animals were out. We saw #watchercats, deer, rabbit, and new birds. By mid month, it was hot, all Summer all the time. Plants were happy, the tomatoes shot up. We had peppers, peas, and herbs. But by the end of the month, storms rolled in. It was torrential rains and strong winds for memorial weekend. The temps have dropped and we are back to Spring like 50s and 60s as we start the new month.

We traveled and explored a little this month, ate in a restaurant (but still sat outside), and get a lot of big looming, but boring tasks crossed off our to-do lists. We are back down to only one car which is very exciting!

I’m totally thrown off by this year so far. Much more than last year, so that’s saying something. What will June look like? I have no idea.

Weekly Video Round Up #24 - 5/24/21 - 5/30/21

5/27 - Summer TBR | Ideas for Summer Reading | A TBR?? Who is she??? | pile of possibilities | Pride Books

Hi, I’m Mo.
I never make TBRs but there are so many books I want to read this summer! Pride Month and BookTube Favorites! These are books that I have gotten a while ago or are new to me.
For June I wanted to read books mainly about the queer community or with queer rep in it. I have often read books that contain queer content, but I don't usually go out of my way to seek them out. In June, I will!! In July I will be reading BookTube Darlings! I have recently picked up a lot of booktuber's favorites and I really want to read them! I usually read more backlist books, and modern classics, but Summer is a good time to branch out! What will you be reading this Summer?
Books Mentioned:
Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl (2015) Carry Brownstein
The Queer Bodies Issue Zine
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (2014) Beck Chambers
New Orleans Mourning (1992) Julie Smith
Convenience Store Women (2016) Sayaka Murata
Final Girls (2017) Riley Sager
The Water Cure (2018) Sophie Mackintosh
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing (2018) Hank Green
The Death of Mrs Westaway (2018) Ruth Ware
Leave the World Behind (2020) Rumaan Alam
Born a Crime (2016) Trevor Noah
Nothing to See Here (2019) Kevin Wilson
The Devil and the Dark Water (2020) Stuart Turton
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (2017) Taylor Jenkins Reed
The Vanishing Half (2020) Brit Bennet

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos three times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Cats in this video: Irving slept through the whole thing!

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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5/30 - Little Library Tour and Recently Acquired Books | Lots of nonfiction books! | Little Free Library

Hi, I’m Mo.
Oh no, another recently acquired book video! Don't call it a book haul! I visit a bunch of little free libraries near me and get a ton of awesome books! Lots of nonfiction in this one!
I am working on my Little Free Library project and trying to go to little libraries all around where I live! I love to find booktube darlings and favorites and also to find copies of my favorite books! I found a lot of nonfiction in this adventure! I also love to get second hand books at thrift shops! I hope to slow down getting books in the summer months, tho! I have more books than I can read! What was the last book that you got at a little free library or a thrift shop?
Books in this video: So many, you just have to watch!!

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos three times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Cats in this video: sadly none.

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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Cover Her Face

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

As soon as I found the first book, Cover Her Face, in the Adam Dalgliesh series by PD James, I couldn’t wait to read it!

When a unwed mother and servent is suddenly proposed to by the man of the house, then murdered on the same night, Adam Dalgiesh must get to the bottom of the mystery.

This is the first Adam Dalgleish novel. I’ve been reading this whole series for a few years, but I read them out of order as I find them. One day I want to go back and reread them all in order so I can really see the progression of the character and his personal elements. I was excited to read this first book to see if it feels like the first book. Was Adam young and fresh and a unformed character? Will we see his origins? Will we see the origins of his squad and fellow investigators? And the answers are no. This books is very much already in the vane of all of the others. There’s a murder, seemingly impossible and with only a few possible suspects, AD is called in, there are clues and other crimes, and shocking reveals, and Adam solves the mystery. Some of the characters come out ok, some not. Overall, I really enjoyed this installment of this series. It had a few twists that were different than other of the series of the book and I feel that I will remember these moments more than moment in some of the other books. I would definitely recommend this book for those who already like the Adam Dalgliesh or who are starting this series at the beginning, those who like manor house murders, and those who like British cop mysteries.

What is a series that you read out of order but still enjoyed?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

More about books here:
BookTube
Goodreads

Weekly Video Round Up #23 - 5/17 - 5/23/2021

5/17 - Second Tome Around Book Tag | A Tag All About Secondhand Books!! | Used, secondhand, thrifted books

Hi, I’m Mo.
I was so excited to do this tag all about secondhand books! Do you buy used or thrifted books? Check out this awesome book tag Second Tome Around.
Thanks to The Hungry Bookworm for creating the Second Tome Around Book Tag. Find her video here: ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uex8I3qiiWg
I love secondhand books and was so excited to do this tag! I love secondhand books and getting books in Little Free Libraries!! Check out my Little Library Tag for more secondhand book fun! https://youtu.be/0aYduEE75do
Second Tome Around original questions:
1) Do you buy second hand books?
2) What is / was your latest purchase?
3) What condition do you find acceptable? ie, tatty or not tatty etc
4) After you have read said book, do you keep it for a re read or re donate it?
5) Do you have a favorite place you like to go to, when looking for second hand books?
6) Hardback or Paperback, do you have a preference?
7) Have you found any real gems?
8) OPTIONAL - Find a book from your shelves that you can donate to a good cause or your local Charity / Goodwill shops
9) Go ahead and tag some peeps!

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos two times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Books in this video:
Fresh Complaint: Stories (2017) Jeffrey Eugenides
Convenience Store Woman (2016) Sayaka Murata and Ginny Tapley Takemori (Translator)

Videos and other things mentioned:
The Book Garden: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog/2020/1/19/off-season-the-book-garden
Unnameable Books: https://unnameablebooks.square.site
Asbury Park Book Coop: https://www.asburybookcoop.org

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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5/20 - May 2021 Garden Tour | No Talking | Backyard Garden | Recycled Garden | Compost at the End

Hi, I’m Mo.
Here is a no talking tour of our backyard garden. We use a lot of recycled materials in our garden. We end at the compost pile!
In May 2021, our garden is still very small!! We have a lot of things started but not everything is planted in the beds. Some of our beds are still empty. We have a lot of blueberry plants and raspberry plants, but we haven't gotten any fruit yet! We have gotten a few strawberries! We have some houseplants, herbs, and lots of tomatoes and peppers. Do you have a garden? What are you planting? You can hear the children screaming from the school near us.

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos three times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks
Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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5/23 - My Friend Who Reads | Isaac | BookTube Interview | Shared reading, haikus, book writing, comics

Hi, I’m Mo.
Isaac is my friend who reads! This is the first in a series of booktube interviews with my friends! We talk about reading books, writing books, favorites and current reads as well as our shared reading experiments.
I'm really exciting about interviewing my fiends who read about why we are friends and if we share thoughts and experiences of reading! Isaac and I have been friends for almost 15 years! He writes and draws haikus and reads a ton! He likes all sorts of books but size and shape are important!
Books Mentioned:
Time's Arrow (1991) Martin Amis
The OverStory (2018) Richard Powers
House of Leaves (2000) Mark Z Danielewski
Bluebeard (1987) Kurt Vonnegut
Cannery Row (1945) John Steinbeck
The Three-Body Problem (2006) Liu Cixin (translated by Ken Liu)
Infinite Jest (1996) David Foster Wallace

Other cool things mentioned:
Isaac's Haiku https://www.instagram.com/isaacwolftanner/?hl=en
The Fall Cafe https://www.ellayangstudio.com/new-blog/2008/05/23/fall-cafe-on-smith-street-brooklyn-ny
Books Are Magic https://www.booksaremagic.net
Jason Bemis Laurence Podcast https://beforethestream.libsyn.com
Poetryisnotaluxury https://www.instagram.com/poetryisnotaluxury/?hl=en

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos three times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Cats in this video: Martin can be heard in the background.

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks
Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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Fletch

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

My husband loved the movie of Fletch and we had the book by Gregory MacDonald so I decided to pick it up.

Irving Fletcher is a brash and brilliant investigtive reporter undercover and on the trail of drug dealers on the Cali beach. He is drawn into aan even more bizarre case when he is propositioned to murder a weathly young businessman. Now Fletch has two great sories to write.

Although there were many aspects of this book that were dated, I really enjoyed this mystery! This has a very 70s feel with quite a bit of problematic elements. One aspect that I really liked was that this book mostly takes place in dialog. There is very little omnipotent information, and the reader must get all the action and emotion through the conversations and inner dialog. Fletch cares little for anything other than his story, but he is impacted by his past choices, sometimes to comedic (or at least the book intends them to be comedic) ends. He is harassed by his ex wives and their lawyers, harried by his editor who he thinks is undeserving of the job, and immersed in his role as both a druggie on the beach slash murderer. I like that the two investigations provide areas for Fletch to use his detective skills as well as dressing up, pretending to be someone else, and all the layers of the mysteries. I had recently seen the movie, so I had some idea of what was going to happen. And yet, I’m not sure if they ended the same way. Some of the problematic elements in this book were a little difficult to get used to. Demeaning behavior to women is a common theme. I did feel that that was mainly a product of it’s time. The words that I come back to with this book are madcap, fast paced, and fun. Although the subject matter was harsh being about murder and manipulation, overall, I thought this book was fun! I would recommend this book to sleuth lovers, people who like newspaper books and investigative reporters, and those who like beachy, zany, fast paced, 70s mysteries!

Have you read this book or seen the movie?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.

More about books here:
BookTube
Goodreads

One More Month of Zero Waste: Meatless Mondays in May

For our May Zero Waste challenge, we can partake in Meatless Mondays. By acknowledging the detrimental environmental, physical, economical, humane, and wasteful repercusions of the commercial meat, dairy and fish industries, we can can better understand the waste that we help generate and start to reduce our participation in this industry. As always, being mindful and aware and educating ourselves is the first step.

You might choose to give up meat on Mondays (or any day of the week that will make it easier for you to stick with!). Or maybe you already don’t eat meat and you can give up fish, or dairy, or eggs…. etc… Perhaps you have already stopped eating all that, but you can give up almonds to help bees and conserve water waste. Perhaps you can make your own vegan cheeses instead of buying them in plastic. Perhaps you can go beyond Mondays and give up whatever you choose for the weekend or the month.

Another good step, as well as giving up some items a few days a month, would be to only get your meat, dairy, or fish from local purvayors and merchants. Explore your local farmers, fishers, and get closer to the source of your food.

Have you ever done meatless Mondays, or some other meatless challenges? What were your experiences?

You can see these challenges as they were first presented in this blog here.

You can follow along with the new versions of these challenges on the Mad Cat Quilts BookTube.

Dead Wake

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson is the 3rd of his books I have read. I recently picked up this copy at a Salvation Army.

As World War One takes a drastic turn, a passenger ship with a full crew and roster of public passengers makes it’s dangerous return to England. Dead Wake is a facinating look at the lives and times of some of the passangers, crew and captian of this famous book in the political atmosphere serrounding the first great war.

Dead Wake was my number 15 book for the BookTube Spin Spin 1!! I was happy to have the extra push to get to this one. I was initially very excited to get to it, but when I found out it was all about world war one, I kinda hemmed and hawed about it. In the end, I reread Thunderstruck by Erik Larson, then read this book. I really liked it! It was about war, but it was a more historical take and less emotional than most of the books that focus on war. I Also rarely have read anything about WW1 so it was interesting to learn more about that. Like many of Larson’s books, this follows the duel but conjoined timelines of a German U Boat Captain and crew and the captain, crew, and passengers of the Lusitania Cruise Liner. One thing that I really enjoy about Larson’s writing is that each time line is given as much importance as the other. Neither are judged more than the other. This might annoy some readers, the subject matter being what it is, but I really enjoy the mostly impartial writing. Having little knowledge of the history, I felt bother story lines were fascinating. I really enjoy learning about the day to day life of the passengers, which is very much a different experience I’m used to. The same can be said of the two captains! I would highly recommend this book to those who already know and enjoy WW1 history, or those who are totally new to the subject.

Have you read Dead Wake?

This book is featured in my March Wrap Up.
Booktube Spin Spin 1.

More about books here:
BookTube
Goodreads

Weekly Video Round Up #22 - 5/10 -5/16/2021

5/12 -Linguathon Reading Vlog | 4 Books for the Readathon! | 1 DNF | Monthly Vlog

Hi, I’m Mo.
In April I participated in the Liguathon Readathon and vlogged my reading! I read 4 books and had one DNF. Enjoy this monthly vlog!
I really liked this readathon put on my Annie Mcnulty and Noel7Pages ( https://www.youtube.com/c/ceiyr). I will link their announcement videos below! Linguathon is all about books with different languages, translated works, bilingual characters, verse, prose, dialect, and more. There are nine prompts and I completed seven of nine. This readathon really got me out of my comfort zone which was good! I read 4 books and had one DNF. I plan to finish that book at some point, but for now it was a little too much for me!
Did you read anything for Linguathon? Do you have a favorite translated book?

Prompts:
Team Polyglot
Asian Novel in Translation
Bilingual Protagonist
Historical Fiction in Translation

Team Linguistics
Books about Language
Novel in Verse
Translated Sci Fi or Fantasy

Bonus
Features a Dialect
Translated from a European Language
YA in Translation

Books in this video:
The Sound of Waves (1956) Yukio Mishima
The Raw Shark Texts (2007) Steve Hall
The Baron in the Trees (195x) Italo Calvino
The Society of S (2007) Susan Hubbard

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos two times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Videos to check out:
My April Wrap Up for more info on some of these books: https://youtu.be/jmevGPNXZEc
My last reading vlog for The BookTube Spin Spin #1: https://youtu.be/DD3hiNMNHF8
Noelle's announcement video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGPO9iomAoE&t=170s
Annie's announcement video: https://youtu.be/p_TDfTRhrVw

Cats in this video: Martin!

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog

Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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5/14 - One More Month To Zero Waste | Meatless Monday in May 2021 | Small steps to a more sustainable life!

Hi, I’m Mo.
It's May, so it's time for 1 More Month Of Zero Waste! We make small steps towards a big goal! Go meatless, fishless, eggless, or dairyless (depending on what you already don't eat) one day each week in May 2021.

Going meatless (or whatever you are giving up) one day a week is a small and easy step to help us give up meat entirely some day! The industrial meat, dairy and fish industries are HUGE waste generators and be reducing out consumption we can extend the life of the planet!! No need to give it up all at once, but it is something to strive for! A great amendment to this challenge would be to only buy local small farm meat, sustainable local fish, or dairy and eggs from nearby farms! Once you start looking out for these avenues to find non industrial food, you might never go back!

Check out some of my vegan and vegetarian recipes on my blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog/category/Recipe
You can also find more about our zero waste journey there! http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog/category/6+Months+of+Zero+Waste
You can also find more months of zero waste here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWDh1Q6VSIsiNKmRTjulSQHRJsTrR2ncE

What will you give up eating on Mondays? I'm planning to do cheeseless Mondays and store bought cheese for the month!

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos two times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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Mad Cat Garden | April 2021

It was a big month in the garden with lots of plants growing a little bit. So the progress wasn’t spectacular to look at. I took this opportunity to look at the front beds a bit.

The two photos above are of the front bed which are flowers, not food, but came back quite well this year. This bed is all bulbs and it’s a great surprise each year what decides to come up and how many come up each year. This year we had bright tulips, hostas, daffs, and pink and purple hyacinths.

My montauk daisies came up again this year, which is always a surprise as well.

Our front beds started coming up with a lovely butterfly attracting bush and a few mint volunteers. The orange thyme always thrives in our big bed. The rosemary survived this year! We planted a bunch of herb seeds in the beginning of April but none came up.

Sadly by the end of the month our front flower bed was completely destroyed. We got a new roof and the beds were trampled!! The hostas and irises were ok, so I was happy about that!!

How was your garden month in April?

Hellboy Seed of Destruction

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

Another of my all time favorite comics, Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola only gets better every time I reread it.

As crazy nazi sorcerers try to call about the end of days, a hell boy appears on Earth. He is taken in by Professor Bluttenholm who leads the bureau of Paranormal Research and Development.

This is a great story that reaches into all the subsequent Hellboy books. The origin of Hellboy is short in this book, and the rest is taken up with the story of the death of his mentor and father figure. Finding out the story behind his death leads Hellboy from the arctic circle to Connecticut, the swamps of Cavendish Hall—which is revealed to be an Aztec temple. We learn all about the methods and techniques that Hellboy employs in his work. We are introduced to Hellboys gentle, but firm and thoughtful approach to life and his peculiar circumstances. Hellboy is a pretty instantly endearing character. We also meet some of the other unique members of the BPRD and see some of their backstories. Overall this is an amazing introduction to a character and set of characters that grow and change over many novels and titles. These books are heavily inspired by gothic writing, sci fi, fantasy and art. There are references through out the series to HP Lovecraft, HG Wells and many other notable authors and artists. I would highly recommend this book to those who like gothic sci fi or horror, those who like dark atmospheric settings, and those who may have watched any of the Hellboy movies and found them lacking.

I am so in love with Mignola’s art. What is one of your favorite graphic novels for the art?

This book is featured in my Feb Wrap Up.

More about books here:
BookTube
Goodreads

Weekly Video Round Up #21 - 5/3/21 - 5/9/21

5/4 - April Vlog Style Reading Wrap Up | April 2021 | All 6 Books I Read | Reading Slump!

Hi, I’m Mo.
Here is my April 2021 reading wrap up. I love these vlog style wrap ups! I was pretty slumpy this month by I still read 6 books. Even tho I got in to a reading slump, I still read 6 books this month so I feel ok about it!
As long as I read about a book a week I feel on track! I read a few mysteries, a coming of age story, a book about grief, and a modern classic romance! I also DNFd a book but I will read that book at some point, so I'll wrap it up in the future. I also started a book but will finish it in May. I also go into a bit more depth about some of the diversity concepts in certain books. One book had good queer rep, which I don't see a lot in the books I read. There was a good discussion of found family as well. I participated in Linguathon. Here is noelle7pages announcement vid: https://youtu.be/YGPO9iomAoE I mention a lot of other vids I've made, too!! those are listen below!
How was your reading month? Was it great or slumpy like mine? Have you read any of the books I read? What are your thoughts?

Books in this video:
The Sound of Waves (1954) Yukio Mishima
The Raw Shark Texts (2007) Steven Hall
The Society of S (2007) Susan Hubbard
New Orleans Beat (1994) Julie Smith
The Daughters of Cain (1994) Colin Dexter
They Do it with Mirrors (1956) Agatha Christie

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos three times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Videos Mentioned:
Recommending Books to my Fav BookTuber: https://youtu.be/Y_Zfsc7VGpk
Try a Chapter: https://youtu.be/9o9QmgqfnsQ

Cats in this video: none

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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5/9 - May 2021 Plan with me | New Bullet Journal | Yearly Set Ups | Monthly Set Up | Minimalist BuJo

Hi, I’m Mo.
I got a new bullet journal for May 2021! In this video I set up my yearly spreads and the first month of my journal. Minimalist BuJo.
My monthly spreads are all basically the same each month but I love when I get to do my yearly spreads!! IN the case of the last book and prob in the case of this book, it will technically be a six month spread. But you get the idea! My bujo is minimalist, simple and utilitarian. I have a few new yearly spreads in this books, so I will need to work with them over the next 6 or so months to see how I like them! I use a Cognitive Surplus notebook. I used one of these for my last bullet journal as well and I really liked it! You can find them here: https://cognitive-surplus.com
Do you only start a new book when you need to or do you start on every 6 months or a year? I start my book when ever I need to but I like that these books are lasting me 6 months. It feels like a good period of time! Are your spreads always the same or do the change month to month?

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos two times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Cats in this video: Irving helps me in this video!

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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Y The Last Man Vol 1

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

I hadn’t read Y the Last Man Vol 1 in many years, but I would always count this as one of my favorite comics. I love BK Vaugne’s concise writing and Pia Guirre’s simple art.

When a mysterious instentaneous plague kills every animal on the planet with a Y chromosome, Yorick Must discover why he and his pet monkey are the only two males to survive.

This book definitely hits different after 2020 and the Corona Virus Pandemic. It’s a very different pandemic or global plague than the one we are currently going thru but there are some aspects that do cycle through the emotions and events that have happened in real life. People storm the capital for goodness’ sake! Yorick has to navigate the new world and a ravaged landscape to find his family and find out why he’s the only man left on earth. This volume of the comic is only the beginning and the tip of the iceberg in this story. In this volume, Yorick starts his journey to find out what happened to the world, and he finds some of his crew who are going to go on this journey with him. This book definitely wets your appetite to find out what happens to those characters. If you like books where the characters have to travel and tackle difficulties in the landscape, books about pandemics or plagues or catastrophic global events, or if you enjoy scientific and pos apocalyptic adventures, I would recommend this comic.

Have you read this comic series? What other comics do you love?

This book is featured in my Feb Wrap Up.

More about books here:
BookTube
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2021 Quarterly Goals | April Wrap Up | Q2 (April, May, June)

In 2021 I have decided to make quarterly goals instead of monthly goals. But I still want to check in monthly so that I can take a look at my progress and be mindful of my goals. Here are the goals I’m working on for Q2 (Apr, May, Jun):

10K steps (but really tho)
cleaning schedule
yoga/stretching/exercise 15 min a day
tiktok and reels
be outside more
eat better/lose weight

Oh man, so April went by quite fast, with a lot of change and upheaval. I feel like my quarterly goals really went by the wayside. I’m not yet feeling very inspired by these goals like I do some other months or quarters. I hope to pull up in the last few months of the quarter and get into my goals more seriously.

The goals I did ok on this past month were walking 10k steps: I feel that I did get a bit better at this although I’m still nowhere near as good as it as I was this time last year. I also did ok at being outside more. The weather is finally getting to be where I would expect it for this time of year, so we have been in the garden, taking walks, or chilling in the back yard a little more.

The other goals that crept up a little were eating better, we have been eating take out a lot, but we also ate more fresh veg and at least it was in our minds to improve our eating. I didn’t really follow my cleaning routine, but felt pretty happy in April with how much cleaning I got done. I also did explore tiktok a little so that’s some kind of progress.

Although, my goals need work, but I’m excited for the quarterly goal potential to keep working on them. How have your goals gone this month?

The Island of Dr Moreau

One of my goals in 2021 is to read more. See other books I've read or listened to here.

The Island of Dr Moreau by HG Wells is one of my very favorite classic sci fi novels.

A civilized Englishman is rescued at sea by a scientist’s assistant with a crude seeming manservant and taken to a mysterious island. At first he is relieved to be alive but the more he finds out about the strange island, it’s inhabitants and it’s benefactor, Dr Moreau, the more he fears for his life!

I’m always so pleasantly surprised how easy and captivating this book is. I have reread this book several times, and I always remember loving it, being frightened, being thrilled, being horrified, but forget how I get there. There are many things about this book that are dated. Some of the writing, some of the science, some of the morals, are all of it’s time to a certain extent, but the reader can still be exhilarated and thrilled by this short novel. Chase scenes, fights to the death, torture, moral ambiguity, imprisonment, revolt, can all be found in this book that is less than 150 pages in most editions. This story is not for the faint of heart. It does have many horror aspects. Bc the emotions of the main character are so heightened, the reader feels acutely what all of those feelings. I’m also a fan of the critically panned 1997 film of the same name. I find that although there are many flaws with that movie, it well depicts the anxiety, fear, and horror of the book. But the movie also adds a endearing quality to some of the characters that the book might not touch on. It keeps you on your toes, balanced between sympathy and disgust. I would recommend the movie, especially as a companion to the book which I would highly recommend. I would hope that all sci fi and horror fans read this classic novel. I would recommend this to classic lovers, people who like books about science, and readers who like isolated mysteries or suspense books.

Have you read The Island of Dr Moreau? Where do you feel it fits in the many genres it encompasses?

This book is featured in my Feb Wrap Up.

More about books here:
BookTube
Goodreads

April Plant Update

What the heck spring? The month has been all over the weather map. Cold, rainy, hot, sunny, hail, freezes, and the plants can’t keep up! Spring was not sprung in our neck of the woods. It kinda limped in, left and then returned. Even now, in the first week of May, it’s dreary. Where is out bight spring blooms? Already gone, missed them, it’s over. There were some good plant observations but everything felt stunted.

So many petals!

Love those rain droplets.

Belmar, NJ

Asbury Park, NJ

A rainbow.

Some early blossoms.

What is this fiery shrub??

Lovely lichen.

River bed.

Asbury in the evening.

In the beginning of the month, our front bed was blooming…

…but by then end, it had been trampled by the roofers. At least we have a new roof.

How was your April? Was the weather cooperating with you? Was it what you wanted and hoped for?

(BI) Weekly Video Round Up #20 - 4/19/21 - 5/2/21

4/25 -Zero Waste Recipe | Vegan Red Sauce | Easy Zero Waste and Vegan | Simple $$ Saving Recipe

Hi, I’m Mo.
Super simple and easy zero waste recipe for vegan red sauce. Inexpensive recipe that's easy, zero waste, vegan and delicious! Better than store bought!
This is my super simple vegan pasta sauce recipe. Even people who don't like to cook will like this recipe better than jarred pasta sauce. Very easy to make and lasts up to two weeks in the fridge. Longer if you freeze it! Modify the recipe for any size family or dish! Recipe with pics also on my blog! (http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog/category/Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 large can tomato puree
2-3 cloves garlic
1 small onion olive
oil salt, pepper, sugar to taste

Equipment:
knife
cutting board
pot
spoon

Fine chop garlic. Chop onions as fine as you would like, I usually do mine in a large dice. Add oils, garlic and onion to the pan over low to medium heat. Cook until the onions and garlic are soft and translucient. I try never to burn mine but if those are flavors that you like, go ahead. Add tomato puree and cook for a few minutes to warm tomatoes thru. Add sugar, salt and pepper. I add about a teaspoon of salt and pepper, and and two tablespoons of sugar. Sometimes I add less sugar, it just depends what mood I’m in. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 -50 min depending on how thick you like your sauce. Serve over pasta, use for pizza, use in rice, or anything else you like tomato sauce on.

Using loose veg, canned tomatoes, and oil and spices in metal or glass make this a very zero waste friendly recipe. Refill the spices from a bulk section, refill the oil if possible, and reuse the can (good for seedlings if you poke a few holes in the bottom), or recycle it, to be even more zero waste.

A few notes:
- I know sugar in tomato sauce is controversial, but I like it.
- Add any herbs you like as well. I try to keep a few frozen herbs/oil ice cubes from summer and like to add these occasionally. Fresh or dried herbs work great, too. Chili flakes would also be good, I’m sure.
- I prefer my sauce to be smooth, so I use tomato puree, but if you like chunks/seeds you could use diced or whole tomatoes.
- The better the canned tomatoes you use, the better the sauce will be. Same goes for olive oil.
- This recipe usually yields about 3 meals for us, depending on how we use it. We generally get two pasta meals from it, maybe three, and then I use the last little bit when making rice or lentils (I just add sauce right to the cooking water).

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos three times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

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4/26 - Little Free Library Tour and Recently Acquired Books | Secondhand Books | Free Little Library

Hi, I’m Mo.
I was not expecting to need to do another recently acquired books video but I have been visiting so many little libraries lately!
I had to do another video bc if not I would have dozens of books to catch you up on soon. Many of these backlist books were from my moms stash that she is going through. We've been working through all the little libraries we can find in Monmouth Country NJ. I found a lot of booktube darlings! Secondhand books are the best! Have you done my Little Library Tag?? If you love little libraries, make sure to check it out!
Do you like LL? Where else do you love to get used books?

Little Library Tag: https://youtu.be/Xp3qIZqzeBw

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos three times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Books in this video: Too many to list!

Cats in this video: None!! Where are all the cats??

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

Please Like, Comment, and Subscribe!

4/28 - BookTube Spin | Spin #2 | Reaction to Rick MacDonnell's 2nd BookTube Spin | What Book Did I Get?

Hi, I’m Mo.
Here is my reaction to Rick MacDonnell's 2nd BookTube Spin. Spin #2!! Let's find out what we will read for May and June!
The rules are simple! Make a list of 20 books (number them 1-20), post them somewhere public, watch the spin video, and read the book that corresponds to the number chosen! I really loved the first BookTube Spin. The number that was called for Spin #1 was number 15. I read Dead Wake by Erik Larson. I have a whole vlog video of it here: https://youtu.be/DD3hiNMNHF8
For Spin #2, I kept the same list so I didn't make another list vid. I did read 3 books (including #15) from that list between then and now. So I will just count around my list. Did you make a new list or keep your old one? Find Rick's Spin #2 vid here: https://youtu.be/KeqrH9FFtBM

BookTube Spin 2021 List
(intimidating) 1- The Private Patient (2008) PD James
2 - Big Bang, A Novel (2019) David Bowmen
3 - Be Here Now (1971) Ram Dass
4 - Witches of Eastwick (1984) John Updike
(modern classics)
5 -Our Man in Havana (1962) Graham Greene
6 - The Pearl (1947) John Steinbeck
7 - Starship Troopers (1959) Robert Heinlein
READ - Carry On Jeeves (1925) PG Wodehouse
(mysteries/thrillers)
READ - A Murder is Announced (1950) Agatha Christie
10 - The Maltese Falcon (1929) Dashiell Hammet
11 - Rebecca (1939) Daphne De Maurier
12 - Mad Mouse (2006) Chris Grubenstein
(nonfiction)
13 - Mr Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonders (1995) Lawrence Weschler
14 - Salt (2002) Mark Kurlansky
READ - Dead Wake (2015) Erik Larson
16 - Continuing the Good Life (Maine) (1979) Scott and Helen Nearing
(short stories/collections)
17 - The Salmon of Doubt (2002) Douglas Adams
18 - Flappers and Philosophers (1920) F Scott Fitzgereld
19 - Japanese Fairy Tales (1903) Edited by Philip Smith
20 - The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1961) Ernest Hemingway

Here are a few other relevant videos:
Rick’s first Booktube Spin video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc4Iz0dvGos
Rick’s first spin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6eYtA0X-2g
My Booktube Spin TBR video: https://youtu.be/UqXne0-dtWE

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos three times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Books in this video: You have to watch to find out!

Cats in this video: none!

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

Please Like, Comment, and Subscribe!

5/2 - TBR ASMR 8 | Lo Fi | Scratching, quick tapping, natural long nails, calm breathing, book stacking

Hi, I’m Mo.
Here is another ASMR TBR with my natural long nails, books stacking, scratching, page turning and fluttering. I like to make sure that I grow my nails out for my monthly installment of TBR ASMR!
These are 4 books that I might read in May. I'm stacking, scratching, and tapping them. Page fluttering, picture tracing, and page turning is also featured. Do you have a favorite books sound? Have you read any of these books?

Thanks for joining me today! I post videos three times a week. I post about creative simple living: books, cats, zero waste, bullet journaling, beach life, and more!

Books in this video:
Speak, Memory (1944-1966) Vladmir Nobokov
Loved Ones (1948) Evelyn Waugh
World Was One British Poets (Pub 1997) Various
Miss Savidge Moves Her House (2009) Christine Adams with Micheal McMahon

Cats in this video: Irving!

Original music by audionightlight. https://soundcloud.com/anlight/tracks

Blog: http://www.madcatquilts.com/blog
Instagram: http://instagram.com/madcat1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/120401161-ana-mo-shoshin

Please Like, Comment, and Subscribe!

April in Review

April is done and it was a good month, classically a month of lots of change. We had changes in our work, our jobs, our home and the world outside.

It was a very busy month and one with few pictures. We explored mostly at home this month. We tried to get the hang of the weather which was up and down all month. We saw some #watchercats and a #riderdog! Flowers popped up all over this month, the garden started growing in earnest, and trees got their leaves.

The year is almost half over and it’s happened before we could even think about it. Now we are on to May.