As some of you know, I used to live in the country outside Flagstaff, Arizona. We lived on 2.5 acres a half mile or so from the Coconino National Forest, with a view of the San Francisco Peaks from our driveway. It was the most beautiful place I’ve ever lived. This week my former neighborhood was evacuated because that beautiful place is on fire. This fire, the Pipeline Fire, is the second major fire in the area. The Tunnel Fire blazed through in April. According to the current map, this fire burned to within about a half mile of our former home. So far the neighborhood has been spared, but friends of ours were evacuated, and while the evacuation order has now been lifted, the danger hasn’t fully passed. Back in 2019, a fire started in the mountains above us, and we spent over 2 weeks in “SET” status, i.e., a pre-evacuation order. That means you have your bags packed and need to be ready to leave immediately. It also means you spend every day and night in a state of high anxiety, refreshing Inciweb (official emergency management site) and news sites to see the direction the fire is moving. You look out your windows and watch the smoke, maybe even see flames on the ridgeline. You make arrangements for your animals, because they aren’t allowed in the people shelters. You decide where you’ll go if you’re evacuated, picking at least 2 routes in case the highway is closed in one direction. You decide what to take and agonize at all you’ll leave behind. And all the while, you have to go to work and live your life. It’s horrible. Today my heart breaks for my former neighbors and friends who are living with this fear and for all the destruction caused by this fire and its predecessor. If you live where wildfires happen, please follow all fire restrictions and be as careful as you can. This fire was started by a homeless man who lit his toilet paper on fire. That’s all it took to burn thousands of acres of wildland and send hundreds of people to shelters. All right, enough gloom and doom. I know most of my readers don’t come here for that, so I appreciate you indulging me for a few paragraphs. In this week’s post, I’m going to share some pictures of my old neighborhood (don’t worry–I won’t get all maudlin) and I’m going to pray it’s still standing when the fire is contained. I’m also going to talk books–what I’m reading, what I’ve recently read–and share the usual hot, fresh batch of memes. But before we get to that: This post is part of the Weekend Coffee Share hosted by Natalie the Explorer and the What’s on Your Bookshelf Challenge, hosted by Debbie, Sue, Donna, and Jo. My Flagstaff Neighborhood We’re city and desert dwellers now, and while I miss our little slice of paradise in Flagstaff, I’m glad we aren’t dealing with the fire. A couple of older posts on this blog feature pictures of the forest near our former home in Flagstaff and our Flagstaff garden, so check them out if you want to see more. The Book Nook As noted above, this post is part of the monthly What’s on Your Bookshelf Challenge. What with work and writing, I’m not reading as much as I used to, but some book are better than no books. Books I finished in the last month The Case of the Mysterious Madam – Elise M. Stone. Full disclosure: Elise and I are both members of the Old Pueblo (Tucson) chapter of Sisters in Crime, so I know her, though not well. The Case of the Mysterious Madam (first book in the Shipwreck Point Mysteries series) is an indie-published traditional mystery set in a New England town in the early 20th century. The characters are engaging, the red herrings kept me guessing, and I didn’t want to put it down. It’s the perfect book to read with a hot beverage on a stormy day. Rare Danger – Beverly Jenkins. A romantic suspense novella by one of the best-known Black romance writers ever–and the main character is a librarian! And the dialogue crackles. Great read! Doing Harm: The Truth About How Bad Medicine and Lazy Science Leave Women Dismissed, Misdiagnosed, and Sick – Maya Dusenbery. Every medical student should read this book. Every doctor should read this book. It’s infuriating to see how women’s health issues continue to be marginalized and minimized, and the legacy of misogyny continues to do so much harm. Writes of Passage: Adventures on the Writer’s Journey (Sisters in Crime the Writing Life, v. 3) – a collection of short essays by Sisters in Crime members about the writing life. I found so much comfort and encouragement in this volume. The Best American Mystery Stories 2020 – C.J. Box (ed.). So many excellent stories in this collection. I especially enjoyed the different story forms and the outstanding use of voice in these stories. After Dark – Phillip Margolin. I love me a good legal thriller, and this one kept me turning pages. Books I’m currently reading I can’t believe I have only 2 books in progress right now. I need at least 4: an audiobook on my phone, a Kindle book on my phone, and a print book in each bathroom 🙂 Race Talk and the Conspiracy of Silence – Derald Wing Sue. Still reading this one for a book discussion group associated with my day job. The Best American Mystery Stories 2012 – Robert Crais, editor. I’ve been reading lots of short stories this year, a) because I love the form, and b) in the hope that good examples will help me level up my own short story writing. The podcast that’s taking up my reading time One reason I have only 2 books on the go right now is that I’m whipping through episodes of the Writer’s Detective Bureau podcast instead of listening to audiobooks. Detective Adam Richardson answers questions from writers on the show, sharing all kinds of fascinating details about police work. I started listening because I’m writing my first detective story (which is due for a contest deadline in less than 2 weeks and the first draft isn’t done and… why am I blogging when I should be working on that !@#$% story?), and everything I know about police work I learned from novels and Hollywood. I highly recommend this podcast if you have any interest in what police and other law enforcers actually do. You can find my previous What’s on Your Bookshelf posts here. Memes about Books Since this post contains my monthly reading roundup, let’s stick with that theme as we enter the memery. Here we go: That’s probably the only book deal I’ll ever get. Mine is 8 volumes long and counting. The expression on the teen train’s face is how I look pretty much every day when reading the news. In case you’re running low on emojis: I’ll be laughing at the Kafka one for at least a week. And while we’re on the subject of classics: Sometimes books can set us up for disappointment: While we’re on the subject of Tolkein: Then there’s this gem: Follow me for more parenting tips. And finally: Nice try, but I’m already in Hell. I live in Arizona. Did you really think I’d make it all the way through this post without complaining about the weather? Oh, you sweet summer child. Now tell me what you’re reading. My TBR list is only 3 lifetimes long.