Review Day: Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

There are no major spoilers in this review.

Rivers of London is the first book in an extended series (up to 15 books so far) by Ben Aaronovitch. I enjoyed the light tone of the narration and its dry, observational humour but was less enthralled by the plot and the overall sum of the book's parts.

In modern London, Constable Peter Grant's forgettable police career pivots after a chance conversation with a murder witness who also happens to be a ghost. This circumstance plunges him into a world where magic is real and ancient gods that personify the rivers of London walk amongst us. Grant's newfound understanding of magic helps him investigate a series of particularly violent random attacks around the city.

I loved the wry narration from the main character which offers hints of both Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett in the way it surfaces absurdity in everyday modern life. The charm of the narration wore off as the book progressed, because the two major plots weren't quite enough to sustain my momentum. Events start out in a disjointed, episodic manner until the midpoint where a larger framework is revealed. Yet even as the pace of action accelerated in the back half, I felt like the plot was bogging down into a confusing muddle.

The flatness of the characters and shaky plots don't compel me to pick up the next book immediately. However, I might read at least 1 more book into the series just out of appreciation for the creative setting and the author's style.

Final Grade: B-

Data Day: 2024 Exercise Stats

I jogged 175.5 miles in 2024, usually moving at 3 - 7 miles per hour. The amount of time I spend on the treadmill generally depends on the existence of good treadmill shows: those that are good enough to get me on the treadmill, but bad enough that I don't keep binging them after my jogs.

My 13-year-old treadmill is still hanging in there. Besides periodic doses of unnecessarily expensive silicon lubricant, I have replaced the axle once, replaced the belt once, and disconnected the beeping speaker on the circuit board that use to echo throughout the house during Maia's naps.

I spent 105 hours and 50 minutes doing VR cardio with Beat Saber. I can beat almost every song on Expert level (not Expert+) and can beat about half of the songs on Expert level played 10% faster. However, I've been practicing this song for 4 months now and still can't beat it on Expert without toggling the "No Fail" setting.

I spent 23 hours and 50 minutes doing assorted other types of exercise, including snow shoveling, neighbourhood litter pickup, neighbourhood forest pruning, lawn mowing, driveway painting, and Appalachian hikes.

Chad Darnell's 12 of 12

12 pictures of your day on the 12th of every month

6:13 AM: Early morning puzzling in the Everybody Codes 2024 event.

8:06 AM: Birthday Cake flavoured pancakes for breakfast.

9:20 AM: Ian plays Isle of Cats while Maia spins yarn.

9:20 AM: We sit on the couch.

11:21 AM: Running on the treadmill while watching Lincoln Lawyer.

12:12 PM: Leftover wasabi salmon for lunch.

1:00 PM: Tater belly.

1:09 PM: Uri pile-up.

3:02 PM: Playing the remake of Link's Awakening.

4:40 PM: Using a gift card at Barnes & Noble.

5:11 PM: Dinner with new books, at City Tap.

6:55 PM: Story time.

Cat Day

We've had our new cats for about 7 weeks now.

It's weird having active cats in the house again, since Booty and Amber were essentially end table cats for the last few years of their lives. We're definitely glad that we managed to adopt such great cats, even if the timing wasn't perfect (is it ever?)

Ori is the inquisitive, into-everything cat, always nearby and getting into trouble. She has a tiny meow and is quick to purr. She likes playing and has inexhaustible energy. Sometimes she'll jump off the wall sideways while running down the hallway, or jump out of the Christmas tree to fake-pounce you during her zoomies. (She also purrs while playing which I've never seen another cat do). She is the ultimate bed cat, sleeping next to us for the majority of the night.

Tator is much more low-energy than Ori, although the reverse was true when we first got them. He likes sleeping most of all, and dislikes when Ori tries to bully him into playing together. Tator is the lap cat, jumping into Rebecca's lap at the dinner table, or my lap while I'm working. He doesn't meow at all, but he has a rare purr that's gratifying to elicit.

Both cats are even-keeled with no behavioral problems to report. They will congregate near the humans, although Ori is more likely to go off into the basement for a quieter nap. This week while we were out in the snow, both cats came down to the back patio door to wait for our return.

Maia's Art Day

Maia's art has improved exponentially since the first grade.

I love the perspective, layering, and shadows in this one.

Here is a puzzle piece showing things that Maia likes. Clockwise: Gymnastics, cats, violin, camping, soccer, cats, cats, Pokemon, mac and cheese.

Enjoying Puffin Rock these days...

Sometimes I will take a nap in the house and wake up to a brand new art gallery taped to the wall.