What I made, by Sharon

 I stuck to last week's plan , and then read two extra books, the excellent The Marriage Box   and a NetGalley review copy of It Happened in Clissold Park , by Hugh Todd, which is a series of interconnected short stories set in the eponymous park. It's very cute, but short -  I started it this morning and I've nearly finished. I think next I'll read a straight-out romance novella that's been hanging around on my Kindle for a while An Irish Rockstar for Christmas , because we are having a horrible cold snap, and I could do with a book to warm me up! I've also been making progress, one story at a time, on the short stories of New Adventures in Space Opera . It does feel like I've been reading a lot of short books, novellas and short stories, so I might look for a longer book as my next read after that. In knitting, I've nearly finished the sleeves of the Pressed Flowers Cardigan: Then it's just the buttonbands. I have some concerns about the fit, but I

This is part twelve in a series of non-fiction book reviews, based on the idea that the books I request tell you everything you need to know about me. Today I'm reviewing books about cooking  for camping, cooking with sesame and baking in the American South. I like food and camping! All books are from NetGalley, all opinions are my own. Baking in the American South: 200 Recipes and Their Untold Stories   By Anne Bryn (Release date 3 September 2024) The description: Witness the rise of Southern baking from the humble, make-do recipes of our ancestors to its place as one of the world's richest culinary traditions through this essential cookbook from bestselling author Anne Byrn. With 200 recipes and more than 150 photos from 14 states, Baking in the American South has the biscuits, cornbread, cakes, and rolls that will help you bake like a Southerner, even if you aren't . This book contains really interesting stories and history, it is beautifully presented and photographed.

Delightfully we had Monday off as a public holiday -"King's Birthday". It's on the same date as the old "Queen's Birthday" was, and it wasn't her birthday either. Weird, but I do love a day off. The whole weekend was pretty low key - I saw a few friends, went for a run and to the pole studio and dyed some yarn pink for my next major project - the Pressed Flowers Shawl : It is very pink. I kept to the reading plan, finishing the review copy of  Ghost of the Neon God. It's near future sci-fi, by T.R. Napper, an author I had never heard of. I loved it, 5 starred it and went and bought his other books, so that was a good time. And that cover: I'm finishing up Dancers in Mourning, my fourth Margery Allingham book in 8 weeks. I'm enjoying each more than the previous once and this has a who sub-plot about cyclists and dangerous motor-car drivers. Triggering, but "funny" that they worried (and ranted!) about driver behaviour t in 1937

The other day some asked on Threads whether they should get interchangeable needles, and everyone said "yes" and many, many people said Chiaogoo, which is my interchangeable needle of choice , but one person said that someone had given her Denise interchangeables, and she loves them. I picked up a set of Denise needles on my 30th birthday. (The whole story is here ). Anyway, I realised that was 18 years ago . I've been a "serious" knitter for more than 18 years. I'm a bit shocked about that. The pictures are some yarn I got from a destash Suzanne did this week - 8 balls of lace weight Zealana and some very pretty sock yarn. I have been knitting for a long time, and I have found such an amazing community, people to have good times with, people who support each other through thick and thin, and people who occasionally, randomly, give away very nice yarn!

Even thought I'm reading a good book, I've really struggled to sit and read, because I am obsessed with my current knitting project - the Pressed Flowers cardigan. It's very addictive, watching the flowers develop and the yarn change colour.  I've been listening to more audio, because I can't stop knitting. I'm a good way through Sometimes I Trip on How Happy We Could Be by Nichole Perkins. It's memoir essays, and I'm  enjoying it less and less as I go through it. The blurb says it is about pop culture's influence on her life, and I would more say it's about sex and race. And so much about sex. Also, she comes across as quite a narcissist. At least the cover is interesting. I'm eye reading The Redoubtable Pali Avramapul   by Victoria Goodard. It's the second in the Rd Company Reformed series, and it's ...fine. It goes over some of the same territory as the first book, and they do a lot of camping and walking and there are some stron