Terrible Terri (tymfos) tackles the tomes Thread Two

Welcome to Thread Two of my 2016 75 Challenge thread! I’m Terri, and I’ve been an LT member, and 75 Challenger, since 2009. I live in the mountains of Pennsylvania with my husband, college-age son, and a tabby cat named Siegfried (Sig for short).

I’ve enjoyed being a part of this group. Thanks to folks here, I’ve added a lot of items to my Ever-Expanding List of books to read! I read a wide variety of books, both fiction and non-fiction, but am probably a little too partial to mysteries. I also participate in the Category Challenge each year, and once again I've focused that challenge on series reading.

I tend to be a rather moody reader, and usually don't do much with the special challenges, like the AAC or TIOLI, though I may drop into them occasionally. I have been doing the Navajo Tony Hillerman/Craig Johnson monthly reads, located here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/209475 . I'd already read all the Longmire books so far, but this has introduced me to Tony Hillerman's work, and I plan to continue this year. I like some of the monthly themes too, like Mystery March and September Series & Sequels. And I usually start an Autism Awareness thread in April.

I welcome comments by visitors (as long as you’re not bringing me spam.)

Books finished in JANUARY (note to self: have entered "finished" date in book record for these)
1. Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor AUDIO (1/1/16)
2. The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (1-5-16)
3. Six Geese a Slaying by Donna Andrews (1-6-16)
4. Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman (1-6-16) e-book
4a. Beneath the Book Tower by Steve Hamilton e-book short story (1-7-16)
5. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon (1-8-16)
6. Last Train to Paradise by Les Standiford (1-12-16) e-book
7. Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen (1-13-16) e-book
8. Never Haunt a Historian by Edie Claire e-book (1-16-16)
9. Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie (1-17-16)
10. The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall AUDIO (1-18-16)
11. The Small Hand by Susan Hill (1-19-16)
12. Wednesday's Child by Peter Robinson (1-25-16)
13. Final Account by Peter Robinson (AKA Dry Bones that Dream) e-book (1-28-16)
14. Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology by Caroline Paul e-book (1-30-16)

books finished in FEBRUARY (note to self: have entered "finished" date in book record for these)
15. The Riesling Retribution by Ellen Crosby AUDIO (2-2-16)
16. Out on a Limb: A Smoky Mountain Mystery by Carolyn Jourdan e-book(2-3-16)
17. Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie (2-6-16)
18. Broken English by Gaus e-book(2-9-16)
19. The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (2-10-16)
20. Shelf Ice by Aaron Stander e-book (2-15-16)
21. A Finer End by Deborah Crombie (2-16-16)
22. A Specter of Justice by Mark de Castrique (2-17-16)
23. August Heat by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (2-17-16)
24. Little Girl Blue the Life of Karen Carpenter by Randy Schmidt (2-18-16)
25. Dressed for Death by Donna Leon (2-20-16)
26. The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt (2-26-16)

Books finished in MARCH (note to self: have entered "finished" date in book record for these)
27. The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (3-5-16)
28. The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn e-book (3-9-16)
29. Nobody Knows: The Forgotten Story of One of the Most Influential Figures in American Music by Craig Von Buseck (3-11-16)
30. Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley AUDIO (3-17-16)
31. I Don't Care if we Never Get Back by Ben Blatt & Eric Brewster (3-17-16)
32. The Body in the Fjord by Katherine Hall Page (3-24-16)
33. Reliving the Passion by Walter Wangerin, Jr. (3-27-16)
34. Never Buried by Edie Claire e-book (3-29-16)
35. A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman (3-31-16) more

Books finished in APRIL
36. Winterkill by C J Box (4-6-16)
37. Healers by Ann Cleeves (4-8-16)
38. Joyland by Stephen King AUDIO (4-9-16)
39. Send in the Idiots by Kamran Nazeer (4-20-16)
40. The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (4-23-16)

Books finished in MAY
41. Plainsong by Kent Haruf (5-4-16)
42. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer e-book (5-7-16)
43. The Haunt of Grace by Ted Loder (5-8-16)
44. Never Sorry by Edie Claire e-book (5-10-16)
45. The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis AUDIO (5-12-16)
46. Talking God by Tony Hillerman AUDIO (5-13-16)
47. Never Preach Past Noon by Edie Claire (e-book) (5-19-16)
48. The Highwayman by Craig Johnson (5-27-16)
49. Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews e-book (5-28-16)

Currently reading:
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
My Lobotomy by Howard Dully
The Leopard by Jo Nesbo (AUDIO & e-book)

Devotional:
Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair by Anne Lamott

On Deck:

As I said above, I participate in the yearly category challenge, and have recently focused it on series reading. This year, I’m adding a little “flavor” to the effort. I realize that many of my categories are too broad to be represented by any one dish, or even two dishes. I mean no disrespect to any nationality if the choice of dish doesn’t quite fit the settings of all the books, or seems stereotypical. These categories are subject to change.

1. Appetizer -- The first book in a series
2. Salad -- The second book in a series
3. Main Course -- Books in the “middle” of a series. This year, I’ll only list books here that don’t fit in any other categories, to avoid a ridiculously long list here.
4. Dessert -- The last/most recent book in a series
5. Snacks -- books from a series read alone or out of order
6. Lutefisk -- Books/series with a Scandinavian/Nordic setting
7. Cheesesteaks and Scrapple -- Book/series set in Pennsylvania
8. Old Fashioned – Books/series where history plays a significant role
9. Rice -- Books/series set in Asia.
10. Cappuccino and a bagel -- Books/series which feature coffee/coffee shops or baking/bakeries
11. Mint Julep -- Books/series set in the Southern US
12. Guinness Stout -- Books/series set in Ireland or featuring those of Irish descent
13. Fish & Chips – Books /series with a British setting
14. Lasagna -- Books/series set in Italy
15. Indian Fry Bread -- Books/series featuring Native Americans
16. Peanuts and Crackerjack -- Books/series relating to sports

MISCELLANEOUS CHALLENGE STUFF
January British Author Challenge: The Small Hand by Susan Hill DONE
January Non-Fiction Challenge (bio): Nobody Knows: by Craig von Buseck (bio of Harry T. Burleigh) finished in March
January book for the Navajo Tony Hillerman/Craig Johnson monthly reads: Skinwalkers DONE

I didn't do much of anything with challenges for February
started: The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn for Spring Training Baseball read
The hold I had on an Agatha Christie audio book for the British challenge didn't come available until March 5

Possible March challenge reads: (Note: I don't say "planned" because I know better than to plan anything . . .)
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy for British challenge (on myTBR shelf) did not start
Moo by Jane Smiley for the AAC (On hold list for e-book; our library must have weeded the shelf copy we had) copy did not come available in time
The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn for Spring Training read DONE
A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman for the group reading his books DONE

April
Autism Awareness April:
Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer (DONE!)
Send in the Idiots: Stories from the Other Side of Autism (DONE!)
The Way I see It by Temple Grandin (intended to read, but didn't)
The Rosie Project (possible read, but didn't)

The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis (for Nonfiction Spirituality emphasis) DONE!

May
Talking God by Tony Hillerman (for Hillerman/Johnson thread and May Murder & Mayhem) DONE!
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (for group read and MM&M) CURRENTLY READING
My Lobotomy for May Mental Health Awareness CURRENTLY READING
The Leopard by Jo Nesbo (MM&M) CURRENTLY READING
Never Preach Past Noon by Edie Claire (MM&M) CURRENTLY READING

Happy new thread, Terri!

Congrats on the new thread!!

Happy New Thread, Terri.

Happy new thread, Terri!

>8 Crazymamie: Mamie, you're first! Hello!

Hi, Kim, Paul, and Amber!

Thanks, everyone, for the good new thread wishes.

Today is a college day. My son just headed to math class, and I have several hours free on campus to study, read, do homework, etc., before I have class. On a nice day (like today) sometimes I'll dash out and do errands, but I have no place I need to go today.

So I'm in the library (my favorite place on campus).

Happy new thread! And have a good school day too!

>12 tymfos: So I'm in the library (my favorite place on campus).

:-) (I just wish LT would turn that into an emoticon!)

Happy New thread, Terri.

Oooh, free time in the library sounds wonderful!

>13 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer!

>14 thornton37814: Like!

>15 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara

>16 scaifea: It's a pleasant place to pass the time, Amber . . .

OK, I survived my midterm exam. The nice thing about computerized exams is the instant grading.

This teacher places more grade emphasis on the hands-on computer projects we're doing, so the exam doesn't carry the weight it might in some classes. But I think I'm doing ok

Happy new thread, and congrats on surviving midterms!

Happy New Thread, Terri! And Happy Reading!

Congrats on passing your mid-terms.

>18 tymfos: Well, hurray for surviving the mid-term! Every so often I remind myself that, whatever else I have to deal with, I will never have to take one of those again!

Congrats on a new thread and doing well on your midterm, Terri!

Terri, I loved being a non-traditional college student and spent many happy hours in the library. I keep thinking I'll go back and take another literature class, I audited so I wouldn't have to take the exams. Not sure I could take the pressure. Congrats on surviving your mid-term.

Thank you, Carri, Mark, Linda, Meg, Diana, and Donna!

>24 Donna828: Donna, there don't seem to be a lot of non-traditional students at our college. Or maybe they all take night classes. (I managed to schedule around my work and be there for a twice-a-week class during the day; those are also the days my son has his classes, so we carpool.) When I stopped in the campus bookstore to buy a greeting card, the clerk asked me if I worked nearby. "No, I go to school here!" I've gotten similar queries from other people at different times.

Happy weekend, Terri.

Stopping by with Happy New Thread and Happy Weekend wishes for you, Terri!

Thanks, Barbara and Lori!

Book #27 The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO
Inspector Montalbano series #11

The body of a woman is found, her face destroyed by gunshot. The one identifying mark is a distinctive tattoo on her shoulder blade, of a butterfly or, rather, of a moth. This occurs as Montalbano feels he is at a crossroads in his relationship with Livia. Will they finally part ways for good?

This was a decent installment in the series, but I found the ending a bit unsatisfying.

Congrats on surviving midterms!! : )

>30 Berly: Thanks, Kim!

Unfortunately, my son didn't do quite as well. His grades at midterm are rather shaky. He's working with the college tutoring service to try and get a handle on things.

Book #28 The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn (read both e-book and hard copy)

Roger Kahn's baseball classic starts off with memories of his childhood growing up as a baseball fan in Brooklyn, and eventual entry into journalism, starting as a copy boy for the now-defunct New York Tribune and occasionally as a stringer for Associated Press.

Things start to get really interesting when he's assigned to cover the Brooklyn Dodgers of the early 1950's -- during the era of Jackie Robinson -- traveling with the team. The true gold comes when he looks up the members of that team years later, and explores their memories.

This is an eloquent and insightful look at our national pastime in an era of great change in our nation.

>31 tymfos: Mid-Terms are just that Terri - there is plenty of time to get the tutoring and studying done to get the grades up. Good luck to your son. My own is preparing for his O Level exams this June and seems to be concentrating as much as ever (not enough), but the science teacher stops by twice a week for additional tuition which I hope will be money well spent.

It is funny I was far less concerned about my own grades than I am about the kids'.

Happy Thursday, Terri! WahHOO for you passing your mid-terms. Boy, am I glad that those days are behind me. Still, I think taking a literature class from the local college would be loads of fun - if I could just audit it like Donna. I might have to look into something like that once Birdy finishes up high school - she just has one year left after this one. That seems impossible!

Congratulations on your mid term and the fact that you are attending classes at the same college as your son.

I obtained an accounting degree via a non-traditional student route. I loved it!

I hope Sig is well. I long for photos!

And, I am most impressed with the number of books you read so far. Reading at that pace, and attending college are both proud achievements.

Terri....

I finished my message to you, and then I went to my thread wherein I found a message from you. Harmonic convergence is in the air.

Glad you liked The Boys of Summer, Terri. I'd like to read more by Kahn.

>34 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I've generally liked school (at least higher ed -- I wasn't too fond of elementary and high school). So it feels good to be back in a classroom.

>35 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! I'm thinking of posting a photo of what Sig did to the curtain rod in my den . . .

>36 Whisper1: How about that!!

>37 lindapanzo: I just realized I didn't put my post about it on the baseball thread . . .

>39 DianaNL: Awwwww! How cute! Thanks, Diana!

Book #29 Nobody Knows: The Forgotten Story of One of the Most Influential Figures in American Music by Craig Von Buseck

This is a biography of Harry T. Burleigh, one of the first African Americans to manage to overcome late 19th/ early 20th century American bigotry sufficiently to be recognized in traditional artistic/musical circles. He eventually sang for US Presidents and Kings and Queens in Europe. His story is one of serious talent and remarkable determination. He changed the world of American music by bringing the Spirituals, those marvelous songs passed down from those in slavery, into the mainstream of American musical consciousness. Dvorak's New World Symphony was largely the result of exposure to the Spirituals when Burleigh was a student and Dvorak was head of the American Conservatory.

This book was worthwhile because of the subject matter, but I really didn't care for how it was written. There was too much jumping around to get the family background story, especially in the first half of the book. The second half was more linear, but I felt the author took too many artistic liberties in the way he wrote this biography. I can't believe that all the dialogue in quotations could have been documented as what was actually said at the time by the parties involved.

HI Terri
What a shame that your latest read wasn't written as well as it could have been.

I would like to know what that devil Sig did to the curtain rod.

>40 tymfos: I can't believe that all the dialogue in quotations could have been documented as what was actually said at the time by the parties involved.

I hate it when biographers or historians do that! I listened to a biography a few weeks ago that did something similar, describing things like how the woman would smooth her skirt before walking out the door. When authors so obviously embellish the facts, it makes me wonder how far the embellishment goes.

I'm discovering new threads this evening...
>40 tymfos: Too bad the style didn't do justice to the content. Sure sounds interesting.

>41 Whisper1: I would like to know what that devil Sig did to the curtain rod.

Hi, Linda! Here's the latest adventures in Sig land:

How in the world does that cat do these things?


So where is the cat, anyway?

Oh! :)

>42 cbl_tn: describing things like how the woman would smooth her skirt before walking out the door.
Yeah, he did stuff like that, too.
When authors so obviously embellish the facts, it makes me wonder how far the embellishment goes.
Agreed! Though I've looked at enough other sources to be satisfied that most of the basic facts of the biography were reasonably accurate. The author did some major dramatic embelishment in describing his death, though.

>43 qebo: Hi, Katherine! Burleigh was a very interesting man. The Spirituals of Harry T. Burleigh for high voice is one of my major go-to music books for church solos. The arrangements are glorious.

I think I'm going to suspend reading the C.J. Box book I'm reading. It's not drawn me in, I'm crawling through it, and I want to get to the Hillerman book for this month.

Sig is running around the house full-tilt, more like galloping, very noisy. How is it that sometimes he moves so stealthily I don't know he's there until I almost step on him, and sometimes he sounds like a thundering herd?

Go Sig! Go Sig!

Hi, Terri! I know you love your crime books; Have you read the Fiona Griffiths series? I just started Talking to the Dead, the first in the series and it is good.

>47 tymfos: Mercy does that, too, Terri, and it always makes me laugh.

>48 msf59: Hi, Mark! Thanks for stopping by. No, I haven't tried the Fiona Griffiths series. I'll have to look into those.

>49 Crazymamie: Sig does a lot of things that make me laugh. Even the broken curtain rod was worth a chuckle, just trying to imagine how he could have done that. If he was ON the curtain rod, how did he get there? Leap all the way from the bookcase? (The Flying Siegfried!) Or maybe he just sank his claws into the curtains and hung on and the rod bent from his weight hanging from the curtains? It's a mystery.

Happy Weekend!

>51 DianaNL: Hi, Diana! Thanks for the greeting and the little lamb!

Book #30 Home to Harmony by Philip Gulley AUDIO
(Harmony series book #1)

This is a pleasant slice of small-town life told from the viewpoint of a minister who returns to his hometown of Harmony, Indiana to lead the Harmony Friends' Meeting. The congregation is full of quirky people. It's more a series of vignettes than a true narrative. Some of the stories are a little over-the-top.

Book #31 I Don't Care If We Never Get Back by Ben Blatt and Eric Brewster

A baseball stat nerd, Ben, talks his best friend, Eric, into a frenzied 30-day tour of all the 30 major-league ballparks. (Eric doesn't like baseball, but says he'll go to "see America" -- really, he's going to help his friend.)

The pronouns in this book made me a bit dizzy. The story is told by the two who made the trip. Joint activity is told with first-person plural pronouns ("we" did this together) but discussion of individual acts is done third-person ("Eric" drove, "he" got pulled over for speeding; "Ben" made a mistake; "he" was upset).

I can't help but think that Ben is either OCD or is on the autism spectrum somewhere, or darn close to it; his insistence on particular "rules" for the trip to "count" (being present for every inning of every game on the trip, for instance, or even that the trip was a failure if not done within 30 days) definitely showed an obsessive streak beyond the norm. Heck, the whole idea of this trip was pretty far beyond the norm. Frankly, it wasn't safe (too much driving, too fast, with too little sleep) and it really wasn't enjoyable. It turned Ben's beloved game of baseball into a chore (kind of like when I get too caught up in reading challenges and, as a result, don't enjoy my books; but with a lot more effort, inconvenience, expense, and risk).

This was a quick, easy read, with a chapter for each ballpark (and the trip to get there from the previous park). I liked some of the ballpark descriptions.

>52 tymfos: I love Home to Harmony! The part about the church bathroom had me laughing to the point of tears.

>53 cbl_tn: That part was funny!

I actually read the second book in that series first. A friend from church loaned it to me. I'd always meant to go back and read the first one, and then maybe the rest, but only got to that first one now.

Have a lovely weekend Terri. xx

>44 tymfos: "So where is the cat, anyway?" Yeah, that's where we find our cat many a morning when it's time to make the bed. And she "helps" in very innovative ways.

>44 tymfos: LOL

>44 tymfos: When she was a wee little tot, our granddaughter Kayla would jump under the covers, or would run with her chubby little legs and go behind a bush in the yard where her tiny little voice would say "Opa, I'm hiing!"

Opa (German for grandfather) was her first word. She adored Will-- She still does low these 13 years of her life.

Sig, What a character. I think he might be like Kayla and if he could talk he would tell you he was hiing. I so enjoy his adventures. A children's illustrated book is waiting to happen.

On another topic, I'm reading a book, and I thought of you and wondered if perhaps you might like

The Haunting of Sunshine Girl by Paige McKenzie

>58 Whisper1: - Love that cover!

Okay, I am definitely skipping I Don't Care If We Never Get Back--Yoooouuuuu'rrreee OUT!! ; )

>52 tymfos: I think the Gulley book is sitting on my shelves unread. I should probably get around to reading it sometime.

Have a wonderful Easter.

Terri, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

>55 PaulCranswick: >62 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much, Paul! Best wishes to you and your family.

>56 laytonwoman3rd: Yeah, that's where we find our cat many a morning when it's time to make the bed. And she "helps" in very innovative ways.
LOL, Linda! Oh, yeah, Sig is real helpful that way . . . :-}

>57 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl! Good to see you here!

>58 Whisper1: What a sweet story about Kayla! It's lovely when children cherish their grandparents.

>59 lkernagh: Isn't that a good one, Lori!

>60 Berly: Yes, I don't think that would be your cup of tea, Kim.

>61 thornton37814: It's pleasant, and has some good theology woven in. I used one passage as a light sermon illustration . . .

>63 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

>64 DianaNL: Thanks, Diana!

Book #32 The Body in the Fjord by Katherine Hall Page
Faith Fairchild series

Faith's friend Pix goes to Norway with her mother to help her mother's friend, whose granddaughter has disappeared after the suspicious death of her fiance during a group tour.

I know some folks loved this installment of the series, but I really didn't. First, I didn't like that Faith was hardly in it -- it focused on her friend Pix, instead. Second, I found it hard to understand why a mother would insist that her daughter undertake risky actions when it would have made more sense to go to the police with what they knew. I'm a mother, and I'm pretty focused on keeping my young'un OUT of trouble, not trying to get him INTO trouble.

The book got better toward the end, but I barely finished it before the library loan expired -- usually a sign that I'm not particularly enjoying a book.

Stopping by to wish you a Happy Easter Terri.

Hey Terri! You still planning on doing the Autism April thread? I'm interested to see what other people are reading...though I guess I've got my list all made up so I guess there's no rush in finding out what other people are reading. :) I'm excited for it, anyway.

>67 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! Happy Easter to you, too!

>68 Berly: Hi, Kim! Is that bunny chocolate under the wrappings? ;)

>69 The_Hibernator: I'm planning to do the Autism Awareness April thread again, just haven't gotten around to setting it up. I just bought a Temple Grandin book, The Way I See It I plan to read, along with a novel with a main character on the spectrum, Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer -- perhaps other books TBA.

>66 tymfos: Oh, I hate you didn't enjoy that one. It was one of my favorites in the series. I haven't read it in a long time, but it did feature Faith's friend Pix rather than Faith.

>71 thornton37814: I did like the descriptions of Norway.

I need to go run the Easter bulletins for church, and then I think I may come back and set up the Autism Awareness thread for April, so people have a few days to think of what they want to read before the month begins.

Chocolate underneath? Of course!!!

>73 weird_O: Thanks for the peeps, Mr. O! :-D

>74 Berly: I love chocolate . . .

Book #33 Reliving the Passion: Meditations on the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus as recorded in Mark by Walter Wangerin, Jr. (3-27-16)

This was my daily devotional book for Lent. I read it for the first time years ago and absolutely loved it. I am a bit less enthusiastic this time around. Perhaps my theology has matured, perhaps I'm growing less impressionable as I age, perhaps it's just not as effective the second -- or third -- time around. Author Wangerin begins each day's reading with a passage of Scripture; then, in his reflection, he attempts to make the story of Christ's passion com alive by writing it as though present for the events, and adding details not in the original text of Scripture -- what a person in the story might have felt, what might have been seen along the way on the streets of Jerusalem. (It's not unusual -- a Biblical dramatist we frequently have visit local churches adds details about, for example, what it was like to be blind in Biblical times when he acts out the story of Jesus healing the blind man.) I realize these are just reflections on the Biblical story, but I guess I'm feeling like a few of the added details went too far afield. Each reading closes with a prayer.

I still absolutely love the preface, where Wangerin tells what it was like to experience Lent and Easter in the small North Dakota congregation of his youth. That has always been my favorite part of the book.

I've started my annual AUTISM AWARENESS thread for April

https://www.librarything.com/topic/220532

glitter-graphics.com

Happy Easter, friends!

I had some time after my class until my son is done with his class, so I finished a book and am on LT for a bit.

Book #34 Never Buried by Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow series book #1)

Leigh has just moved in temporarily with her cousin Cara, when she finds a body in Cara's backyard hammock -- a ten-years-dead-and-embalmed body has suddenly surfaced. Who? Why? It appears to be related to the history of the house which Cara and her husband have restored and moved into.

I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. Part of the enjoyment came from the Pittsburgh-area setting of the story. I realize the plot was maybe a bit implausible and silly, but then aren't most cozies? At least I didn't feel that the protagonist was doing too many really inexplicably stupid things, as is the case in so many cozies. This book was fun, and I kept going back to it when I had a chance to read.

I had read one of the later books in this series and liked it. I may read them all!

edited for clarifications

Starred the thread. No idea what I might read! ; )

>79 Berly: Hey there, Kim!

I'm a really moody reader lately. I stopped reading in the middle of two -- no, three -- books from series I usually enjoy.

I think I lost interest in Winterkill by C.J. Box because I was eager to get to this month's Hillerman read.
I just couldn't get into my audio of Killer Market by Margaret Maron. I tend to use my audiobooks as incentives to do housework and exercise, as those are prime listening times. Whereas I was avoiding this audiobook (and losing incentive for my tasks). This one just didn't click with me; not sure why.

Lately, I'm trying to relax about skipping books in series. It's stupid to get held up on a series I like because I don't want to plow through one installment I don't like. FictFact has a "skip" option among the choices for reading status of each book in it's series listings, and I've given myself permission to use it.

I also have dropped my second Baseball Spring Training book, The Echoing Green, for now. I want to get to my Autism Awareness books!

>78 tymfos: I have a copy of Never Tease a Siamese which is one of the latter books in the series. I haven't read it yet. It sounds like I need to read the first one in the series too.

Wishing you a relaxed weekend, Terri.

>81 thornton37814: Lori, I've read two from this series now, and enjoyed them both as light, fun reads.

>82 Ameise1: Thank you very much, Barbara!

I've not been getting around to threads at all. Busy times. I did manage to finish one book, for the Hillerman project, on the last day of March (staying up late to finish).

Book #35 A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn/Chee series)

This is the best yet as I read through this series. I'm really enjoying these books.

I've decided to switch devotional books. The Lost Art of Practicing His Presence by James W. Goll caught my eye when it was offered on Amazon because of the reference to The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, which I loved -- and, indeed, if I get to the end, this e-book supposedly has a contemporary translation of that book appended to it. However, the book itself is not speaking to me.

I've decided to pick up a recently acquired paper book to read, The Haunt of Grace: Responses to the Mystery of God's Presence by Ted Loder. I'm more in need of deep reflection (which this is) rather than a how-to prayer maual ((which the Goll book is). This one grabbed me with the first sentence.

Just catching up with you, Terri. Good to hear that you did well on your midterm. We gave a presentation for ours - I didn't do well but then I don't when I have to get up in front of a room full of people. The final exam is the Tuesday after this one. When is your final?

Book #36 Winterkill by C.J. Box
(Joe Pickett series)

It took me a while to get into this one. However, it got better and better as it went along, and the ending was stunning.

>83 tymfos: I've read all of Hillerman but over... decades? On the one hand I'd find a reread appealing for the setting. On the other hand, there are so many, and I'd get partway through and remember oh yeah, that's how it turns out.

Hi Terry! I'm really enjoying the audio of The Rosie Project that I checked out for April Autism. I have to be careful about listening to it in public because it makes me laugh!

>84 Familyhistorian: Good luck on your final, Meg! Ours is May 10, I believe. The big challenge, more than the exam, is the major project. I feel like I'm in over my head and never learned to swim . . .

>86 qebo: On the one hand I'd find a reread appealing for the setting. On the other hand, there are so many, and I'd get partway through and remember oh yeah, that's how it turns out.
Katherine, that's why, with the group read alternating between Hillerman & Craig Johnson's Longmire series, I'm not doing the re-read of the Longmire. Nice to visit with the crew in Absaroka County, but I'd remember the endings. Generally, I don't do re-reads at all, except for a handful of favorites -- too many new books to get to. But the Hillerman books are all new to me.

>87 cbl_tn: Carrie, maybe I should be reading that one instead of Rubbernecker, which I'm finding rather grim so far. I'm rather not quite in the mood for grim -- a good laugh might be nice.

Currently reading:
Healers by Ann Cleeves
Send in the Idiots by Kamran Nazeer
Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer e-book
Joyland by Stephen King AUDIO

Devotional:
The Haunt of Grace by Ted Loder

Just realized that I spelled your name wrong up there. Sorry! My fingers and my brain don't cooperate well when I'm tired.

>89 tymfos: Don't worry about that. (Did I get yours right?)

>90 cbl_tn: Yes, you did!

Ok, now I'm going to sit down with an old Ann Cleeves paperback mystery, and a mug of herbal tea in a musical-themed mug that says "Compose yourself!" Which is quite appropriate, given that I'm feeling a bit frazzled this evening.

Of the books shown above I have only read Joyland (and really liked it) but I would read most of the others because of the covers! They are stunning and intriguing.

>88 tymfos: Thanks for the exam wishes, Terri. I just wish it was over. What do you have to do for your big project?

Happy weekend, Terri.

Stopping in to wish you a weekend full of happy, Terri. Hoping it is kind to you.

>94 cal8769: Some of those covers are interestig, aren't they? I find the one for Rubbernecker particularly stunning.

>95 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I have to create a web site from scratch. It doesn't actually have to be published on the web, but I have to write all the code and be able to say exactly how to go about going live.

>96 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

>97 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! Wishing you a happy weekend, too!

The weather is lousy, so good for some final winter-ish curl-up-with-tea-book-and-warm-wrap time.

Book #37 Healers by Ann Cleeves
(#5 Inspector Ramsay series)

A loutish farmer is murdered. There are questions about the possible motives of neighbors and an alternative medicine group. Does it have anything to do with a young woman's earlier death? Inspector Ramsay is on the case. This was a neat little British police procedural.

Book #38 Joyland by Stephen King. AUDIO

A youg man gets a summer job at an amusement park with a supposedly haunted tunnel of horrors ride. A young woman was murdered on the ride, and there are reports of her spectral presence. Yes, there is a ghost story and some incidence of "second sight" in this book, but that's not really the heart of the story. There is mystery -- the killer was never caught -- but there's even more than that. It's about love lost and found, and the complexities of relationships, and the question of whether we really know other people. There's also some good nostalgia as King brings us fully back into the 1970's, and the world of a small independently-run amusement park trying to survive the competition from the standardized park fare served up by huge competitors such as Disney & Co.

Some might view certain aspects of the story as anti-religion, but I saw them more as critical of a specific kind of dogmatic, rigid, un-loving religiosity claiming to be Christian that, IMO, has little in common with the Jesus I've found in Scripture. (Just my two cents.)

>98 tymfos: That sounds like a lot of work. How big does the website have to be and are you doing it all yourself or as part of a group?

Ooh, I liked Joyland on audio, plus it was a shorty. Rare in Mr. King's Bloated Biblio-World. Grins...

I have several of his, waiting in the wings. I need to bookhorn one in.

Happy Sunday, Terri! Hope all is well. Still waiting on springtime, here in the Midwest.

Hi Terri! Just trying to get caught up here. Carry on...! : )

Stopping by to wish you a lovely weekend Terri! Your web design project sounds interesting.

Happy Sunday, Terri.

Ooh, I've been absent for over a week. Busy times.

Slow progress with my current reading:
Plainsong by Ken Haruf
The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri (audio)
Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer (e-book)
Send in the Idiots by Kamran Nazeer (non-fiction)

>100 Familyhistorian: It's a small website, Meg, just 5 pages or so, just to demonstrate mastery of the concepts. It's a solo project.

>101 msf59: Hi, Mark! Joyland was a good one. We've finally got some springtime here in PA -- it was around 80 degrees today!

>102 Berly: Hi, Kim! Wishing you well . . .

>103 lkernagh: Hi, Lori! I hope you are having a good week.

>104 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara!

I am TOTALLY behind on threads -- not even having time to look . . .

>105 tymfos: Even a small website takes about three times as long as you think to write, Terri. Allow yourself plenty of time.

>106 Familyhistorian: I've got a lot done. I'm just finishing a session of tweaking some format details and adding some content. It's much slower at home where it's just me and Notepad. Much nicer in the lab at school with better software and a tutor nearby if I get stuck!

>107 tymfos: You have a tutor to ask for help. That must be great. We had to figure it out for ourselves when it came to the actual website design.

Ann Cleeves certainly does keep busy with her writing! I still need to start the Vera series.

What platform are you using for the website? We use Weebly. And I had to learn the hard way setting up our company's site. ; )

>108 Familyhistorian: His role is to help us think it through when we get stuck. He doesn't give easy answers but is a great help in learning. The college has good tutoring services. My son and I both make good use of them.

>109 Copperskye: The Inspector Ramsay series is an old one, very early Cleeves, Joanne. They're very hard to get hold of now. Though I see Amazon has Kindle versions.

>110 Berly: Right now it is just a hypothetical website on my computer & flash drive, Kim. It hasn't gone live, and may not ever, except on a school server for practice uploading and grading purposes. We do have to research the domain registration and web hosting process.

>110 Berly: I found Weebly a bit complicated to learn when I was using it while doing an internship. I have forgotten everything that a learned because that was a few years ago.

>110 Berly: I found Weebly a bit complicated to learn when I was using it while doing an internship. I have forgotten everything that a learned because that was a few years ago.

Book #39 Send in the Idiots: Stories from the Other Side of Autism by Kamran Nazeer

Someone posted about this book on the Autism Awareness thread, and it sounded interesting, so I ordered it through ILL. The author is on the autism spectrum -- very "high functioning" -- and decided to try and track down and write about some of his classmates from a school he attended as a young child. (It was one of the first schools specializing in teaching children with autism.) In the end, most of his former classmates and their families declined to be involved. Three of is classmates -- Andre, Craig, and Russell -- and the parents of a fourth classmate, Elizabeth (who had committed suicide), welcomed the author to spend time with them.

This was a very interesting book.

I am enjoying The Eagle Tree written from the perspective of a 15-year-old with autism. When he writes about his behaviors and the situations that created them or why he does things, I can see some of the behaviors I have noticed before. You also have to like trees to read this book!!

Interesting as always here Terri with the comments on learning tools and I do hope not to throw a spanner in the works by wishing you a lovely weekend. xx

>115 Berly: Hi, Kim! I'm not at all familiar with that book.
You also have to like trees to read this book!!
Well, trees are fine, but I'm not especially crazy about them!

>116 PaulCranswick: Greetings, Paul! Glad you dropped by. My weekend was fine, thanks!

Book #40 The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri (4-23-16)

Inspector Montalbano has a rude awakening when, after a strange dream, he wakes to find a dead horse on the beach outside his home. Then the body of the horse disappears. The subsequent adventure has his home repeatedly invaded and questions about Mafia involvement.

The horse's lovely owner has Montalbano's attention, with Livia only a nagging voice over the phone in the background.

Not a lot of reading going on here. I've only finished five books this month, and two of them were on audio!

I haven't been reading (or LT-ing) much lately, but I did finish this gem:

Book #41 Plainsong by Kint Haruf

Opening this book, the cadence of the first sentence immediately reminded me of the flow of plainsong -- long, flowing line, not punctuated with the kind of rhythm you'd expect, lacking a stop where you'd expect it. (Some might call it a run-on sentence, but to me it set a certain tone -- it was perfect.)

This is a mostly gentle tale of small-town people getting through the ordinary stuff of life: a marriage on the rocks, an unintended teen pregnancy, paper routes, tending cattle, school disputes. I say mostly gentle because, as in any small town, there are bullies, both among the youths and those old enough to know better.

This is not a book to be rushed through to find out what happens next; it's a book to be savored for the images it conveys of people, land, and animals, and the light it shines on the ordinary work of being human.

Oh, I have that one on the shelves, Terri! I love that opening sentence, too. Wishing you a very Happy Thursday, dear!

>119 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! A happy Thursday to you, too!

I am so behind here on LT. I just started trying to catch up on threads, but it's useless. I've missed almost entire threads of people I usually follow.

I guess I'll just jump into the fray as best I can. The semester's almost over, so maybe I'll have some more time . . . wishful thinking . . .

Just jump to the bottom and say hello - everybody understands that life gets busy. Great to see you here - you have been missed!

>120 tymfos: I assume I'm farther behind than you. I've missed multiple entire threads of people I follow! And I'm behind on reading too. Got almost nothing done last month. And what I did get done was mostly fluffy.

Hi, Rachel! Glad you had a chance to stop by my thread today! (And fluffy reading is still reading -- a fair share of my reading is light fare!)

Hi Terri, I'm starting a book about the Hindenburg disaster, called Flight of Dreams of Ariel Lawhon. Turns out it's historical fiction but, even so, it'll be the first disaster-related book I've read in awhile.

Hi Terri - It sounds like you are keeping busy -- and doing a lot of reading! The book on autism sounds interesting.

Light is good. :)

>124 lindapanzo: , it'll be the first disaster-related book I've read in awhile.
Hmm, Linda, I don't think I've read anything disaster-related since the book about the railroad to Key West I read in early January -- and even that one, the 1935 hurricane was only part of a much longer history.

>125 BLBera: Hi, Beth! I was reading up a storm earlier in the year, but slowed down over the past few weeks or so.

I just remembered I've got a thread on the 50 states challenge, and I've totally neglected it. This evening I looked over the books I've read over the past year or so, to see if there's anything that will fit there. I only found two books.

I think I want to be more intentional about filling in the gaps in that challenge.

Hi Terri

I haven't been able to post as often as usual. I hope you know how much I appreciate your visits to my thread, and the kind words you always express. Thanks!

It is hard keeping up with the threads, Terri. Every time I think I am getting close they just take off again!

Are you almost finished your course and your website?

Hi Terri! I've been meaning to read Plainsong for ages. It sounds like such a wonderful book.

>128 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! You have more important reasons than I do for not posting much. Good to see you here, though!

>129 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg! The website is really pretty much DONE!! :) just some double-checking to do before I post it to the college server for grading.

>130 cbl_tn: It was lovely, Carrie. Thanks for stopping by!

Well, I am caught up on your thread!! That's a relief. ; ) Happy Mother's Day tomorrow!

>132 Berly: Thanks, Kim! Hope your day was great, too!

Well, I finished two books that I've been nibbling at for almost a month.

Book #42 Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer (5-7-15)

I thought I would love this book about a young man with Asperger's Syndrome who studies anatomy and eventually suspects his dissection subject was murdered. I know a lot of people really liked this book; I'm interested in the autism spectrum, and I usually like Belinda Bauer's work. Frankly, this book drove me a bit crazy and I was slow to finish it. I could see individual traits illustrated which are typical of Asperger's, but the whole picture didn't quite ring true to me. Everyone on the spectrum is different, and I suppose there are folks almost like Patrick out there somewhere . . . but I haven't met them. And I really disliked his mother.

Book #43 The Haunt of Grace by Ted Loder (5-8-16)

I've been reading small portions of this book as a devotional over the past few weeks. I really like this book. These writings were originally sermons, I believe; and like sermons, some work better than others. Not everything he writes works for me, and I know more conservative Christians will cringe at some of his opinions. But there is much here that is thought-worthy for the Christian reader, regardless of where one stands on the theological spectrum. Loder is a poet, and even when he's not writing poetry, his writing is poetic; his sometimes startling use of metaphor really touches something within my soul. He's very literate, quoting from all sorts of writings -- fiction, poetry, philosophy, in addition to the expected theoloical works. Most importantly for me, he has a very deep sense of God's grace; it permeates everthing he writes. This is what made the book shine for me.

>133 tymfos: Me, too, Terri. i didn't think Patrick had Asperger's, and it really bothered me that it was misrepresented.

>135 Crazymamie: I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling that way!

DONE! I'm done with school for the semester. I'm just hanging out in the library waiting for my son. I spent some time just wandering among the shelves, looking at titles and author names, just being a book lover.

Now I have to get ready for a visit from my in-laws. (It will be nice to see them.)

I needed a light read for my e-book, to balance with the more complex The Name of the Rose, which I'm reading for the group read here. I went with Never Sorry by Edie Claire, from her Leigh Koslow series.

Last night I had trouble sleeping. When that happens, I often read my e-book on my phone in the dark. Well, I finished it, even before I got around to listing it as "currently reading."

Book #44 Never Sorry by Edie Claire. (#2 Leigh Koslow series)

Leigh is working late at her second job, helping the veterinarian at the zoo, when she stumbles upon murder -- and quickly winds up as prime suspect.

I don't know why, but this little mystery really drew me in. I normally dislike the "protagonist falsely accused of crime" plot, but I tolerated it well in this book. I like Leigh and her cat, and her family and friends. This was just what I needed in the stressful closing days of the semester.

I've jumped right into the next book in the series.

>136 tymfos: Congratulations!

>136 tymfos: Hurray for the end of the semester!

>136 tymfos: Oh yes, the freedom of being at the end of the semester and that feeling of wondering what you used to do with your time before homework. Enjoy, Terri.

>133 tymfos: I just picked this one from my local library this morning. Well, we'll see if I like it or not.

Happy weekend, Terri.

Thank you, Jennifer, Linda, Meg, and Barbara!

>141 Ameise1: I'll be interested in seeing what you think of it, Barbara.

OK, lots of audio book time, with a long drive for a medical appointment, and lots of housework to be caught up.

Book #45 The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis
This was a short book, which I listened to on audio. It seems almost half the book was the Appendix, which was Francis' proclamation declaring the Jubilee Year 2016. That part was a little dry and scholastic, and some of the customs he referred to were unfamiliar to me because I'm not a Roman Catholic. The main part of the book was a question-and-answer session about mercy. I found most of it quite refreshing. I suspect that, way back when he was a parish pastor, he was a very good one. For the most part, I like him and his ideas better than any Pope I can recall in my lifetime. (Well, John XXIII was in my lifetimes, but I was too young to have any opinions on him at the time.)

Book #46 Talking God by Tony Hillerman
I probably liked this one the least of all the Hillerman mysteries I've read so far. It raised really good issues relating to how museums treat Native American remains and artifacts. However, I found the plot a bit convoluted and difficult to follow, and when the action moved to Washington, D.C., I missed their usual western setting. The fact that I listened to it on audio may have affected my opinion a bit. I didn't dislike the narrator as much as someone else whose comments I read, but it wasn't the greatest narration, either.

Current reads:

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (for group read)
My Lobotomy by Howard Dully
Never Preach Past Noon by Edie Claire (e-book)
The Leopard by Jo Nesbo (AUDIO)
Stitches by Anne Lamott

Jo Nesbo! I haven't read a book by him in a while.
*mental note to get Nesbo*

Happy new week Terri!

I loved The Name of the Rose. I was reading The Prague Cemetery two weeks ago and I enjoyed it very much.

Congrats on school being out for you, Terri. It's good to have all those delicious books you are currently reading to keep you company, isn't it? I had very similar feelings about Talking God. I had the print version so narrators didn't enter into my feelings about it. I'm ready to get back to the southwest desert!

Hi Terri! I am not sure the narrator killed the book for me, (Talking God), but he didn't help. I pearl-ruled it. Congrats on "schools out"!!

>144 cal8769: Hi, Carrie! Nesbo is good. This one starts with always-melancholy Harry Hole probably at the lowest point in his life, following the Snowman case. Actually, it starts with the murder -- grisly -- but when we get to Harry, he hardly seems able to solve anything. But I'm sure he will . . .

>145 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel! Happy weekend to you!

>146 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara! I'm enjoying The Name of the Rose. But my quality reading time is limited now, and that takes some concentration, so I'm going slowly through it. Thankfully, I've arranged a renewal on my inter-library loan.

>147 Donna828: Thanks, Donna! Yes, that was my least favorite Hillerman so far.

>148 Berly: Hi, Kim! I didn't dislike it so much as to pearl-rule it, but definitely not a favorite.

I tend to read e-books 1) when I'm away from home and waiting for someone/something (car repair, doctor appointment, son to finish at school, etc.) because they're on my phone and always there. 2) when I can't sleep at night (can't turn on light in bedroom, don't want to go downstairs) 3) lunchtime at work 4) when the e-book is light reading, my paper books are heavier reading, and my brain isn't up to a challenge.

I'm reading a lot of e-books this month -- e-books and audios. I have more time for reading this month, but still short on quality reading time. Light reading downloads work well in that regard.

Book #47 Never Preach Past Noon by Edie Claire (e-book)
Leigh Koslow series, #3

Leigh's Aunt Bess lands in the hospital after a fire at her church's parsonage, and calls on Leigh for help. She believes that the pastor is some kind of a con man. There is a break-in at the nearby animal shelter, and a suspicious death. Bess wants to stop the church from being ripped off, but without a public scandal; thus, she has Leigh investigating in ways that go against Leigh's better judgment, and keeping things from the police. Of course, this can't continue without some major problems.

This is the third book in the series, and the fourth one I've read (I tried one out-of-order first). I love the title, but it's my least favorite so far. The behavior of the people just seemed too farfetched, though Leigh, the main character, was reasonably sensible. I just took it for what it seemed to be -- a somewhat silly cozy, light reading. I enjoyed all the cats in the story, especially the bad-tempered one, who became a bit of a hero. I like the Pittsburgh-area setting of this series, though I didn't "feel" it as much in this book. I must say, there was a serious twist at the very end that startled me. 'Nuff said about that.

Next e-book on my plate: Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews

GO, PENGUINS!

Next month is going to be crazier than I expected. My son didn't receive the necessary C-or-above grade in one of his classes, and has to retake it in the first summer term -- 2 hours a day (evening, actually), 4 days a week. The college is 45 minutes away, and not accessible from here via mass transit. He doesn't drive. I do. Enough said. Except worried Mom hopes he's able to get through the class OK this time! I've had a couple of experiences where I did a re-take of a class (generally, one I'd dropped because I felt lost) had a different teacher, and did fine the second time around.

I so admire the wonderful mother you are. Your commitment to your son is so very special. I hope your son wasn't upset at having to re-take a class. I think many of us have had this experience. I'm sorry that it means so much traveling for you. Summer courses are compact.

How is Sig? I long for a sig photo.

>151 tymfos: Sometimes it's just easier to absorb the second time around. I guess it'll give you some reading time while he's in class.

>152 Whisper1: Linda, he really seems to take it in stride. He can name th things he needs to work more on this time. I'm the one who is a nervous Nellie about it! He likes school, so is not too upset to spend more time there. I'm glad it's summer, so it won't be too dark for the evening drive. I don't like to drive at night any more.

>153 qebo: Hi, Katherine! There is something to be said for repetition. As for reading time, I hope the college library will be open in the evening.

He is starting to wonder if he should consider a field where mathematics is less important.

Oh, Terri! Sorry that your son has to retake a class, and that it will be such a time investment for you. Rae also does not drive. I bet he will do just fine with just the one class to focus on. Keeping the both of you in my thoughts and prayers.

>151 tymfos: Good luck to your son second time around. Exams can be daunting affairs and sometimes the 2nd time that edge of nervousness has dissipated a little.

Have a great weekend.

Hi Terri! Adding my good wishes for your son's success in his summer school course. Maybe the concentrated format of summer school will work better for him.

I hadn't heard of the Edie Claire series. I'll keep an eye out for it at the library or the used bookstore.

Ha! I am in the same boat with one of my kids. Not fun.

Happy weekend Terri! Or, I mean, happy new week, I hope you had a great weekend. Wow. It's over already.

>156 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! It can get complicated when the young adults don't drive, can't it? Especially in a rural area -- we have no transit, no taxis, no Uber. He does like to walk, but there are limits to that :)

>157 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I think the immediate repetition of the class is probably just what he needs.

>158 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie! We'll see how it goes. That Edie Claire series is cute, not fabulous, but for me the Western PA setting counts a lot.

>159 Berly: Oh, Kim, yours too? Oh, dear. As if you don't have enough going on in your life. (Last time I was on your thread, I saw that you're back to TKD -- that's good!)

>160 The_Hibernator: Hi, Rachel! Happy week to you too! (Those weekends go fast, don't they?)

>161 tymfos: Yes, ma'am. Rae actually has a driver's license, but she won't drive. Yet. I am working on it.

Happy Tuesday to you, Terri!

>162 Crazymamie: Happy Saturday to you, Mamie!

I'm not having a lot of time for LT or reading lately. But yesterday, the library processed the new Longmire novella. I picked it up to start it near bedtime -- and stayed up into the wee hours to finish it. I"m also a reader of Margaret Coel's Wind River series, and enjoyed seeing Walt visiting in Wind River Arapaho territory.

Book #48 The Highwayman: a Longmire Story by Craig Johnson
Walt Longmire series #11.5
Note: this is not a full-length Longmire novel. I'd call it a novella -- 190 pages, small book size, easy-to-read-size print. Like most of the Longmire "stories" (as opposed to the full-length novels) this isn't a traditional crime-solving mystery, but lets us get to know Walt and his friends better.

I'll be honest -- like most I love a good ghost story and every time I've driven through the Wind River Canyon I've felt as if there was one there just waiting to be put down on paper. (Craig Johnson, from the Acknowledgments, "The Highwayman")

Well, he seems to have captured a fine one in this short story/novella about a young highway patrol officer hearing mysterious radio calls in the night. Johnson credits Charles Dickens's classic ghost tale "The Signal-Man" as part of his inspiration; "The Highwayman" is an attempt to tell that sort of story in a modern setting.

Highway Patrol officer Rosey Wayman -- one of the best HP officers Walt has ever known -- has moved on from Absaroka County to patrol the Wind River Canyon. Thirty-five years earlier, another young highway patrol officer, Bobby Womack (yes, named for the singer), died in a fiery crash, trying to stop a runaway fuel tanker. He was reportedly the first Arapaho to serve in the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Legends of his ghost abound among the locals and especially the native Arapaho community, who call him Heeci'ecihit -- "The Highwayman."

Now Rosey is hearing mysterious radio calls in Womack's voice -- and she is the only one hearing them. They are for a code 10-78 -- officer needs assistance.

Walt and his good buddy Henry Standing Bear, whose help has been requested by Rosey, are soon caught up in determining whether uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuubn
(OK, that was Sig's contribution walking across the keyboard! :-)

As I was saying, Walt and Henry Standing Bear are soon caught up in determining whether Rosey is experiencing a prankster cutting into the radio frequency, a psychiactric problem, or something other-worldly. Walt is determined for it to NOT be something supernatural.

Adding into the mix are rare coins mysteriously appearing, seeming to be from a heist that happened near the time of Womack's death. I won't give a spoiler as to how this is tied to the dead man, but Walt is increasingly curious about all that went down 35 years before.

This is quite a yarn, spun out well. Johnson captures the unique geography and atmosphere of the Wind River Canyon and its tunnels very effectively. This story was well worth staying up late to finish.

Book #49 Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews
Meg Langslow series, book #11

Everything is coming up Roses in Meg Langslow's life -- and it's not a rosey feeling. She's organizing the first annual Rose Show/Competition in town, and things are not going well. Her father's best rose bush has gone missing; the smell of manure-spreading has forced relocation of the opening cocktail party; and the much-maligned hostess of activities has had her dog abducted. When Meg stumbles upon a dead body on the estate where the show is being held, things get even worse.

This is the usual madcap Meg Langslow adventure, with the usual zany cast of characters and some interesting guest stars. I enjoyed it as a light read.

We are re-organizing our file cabinets. I spent much of the day sorting through old papers and mementos, reviewing, shredding, tossing as appropriate. I found a list of books/authors from pre-LT days. Most are ones I still read, and have properly listed among my books read; a few I had forgotten.

>163 tymfos: I have a few more books to go before I'll be caught up. I just downloaded the audio of A Serpent's Tooth, so it will be my next audiobook.

>164 tymfos: I've listened to a couple of books from this series, and I really enjoy them in audio format.

I hope you are enjoying your weekend, Terri, and that you find more time for quality reading.

>166 cbl_tn: Hi, Carrie!

I love the Longmire books on audio!!!!

I'm not sure if I did any of the Langslow series via audio or not. I know I have the next on my bookshelf, so won't be listening to that one.

>167 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! Wishing you a great week ahead!

I've been listening to Nesbo's The Leopard, but it's long, I'm only about a third of the way through, the Overdrive loan will expire soon, and I don't know if I'll be able to renew it. Also, my hold came available on another audio I've been waiting for, The Cold, Cold Ground.

So, I was able to download an e-book loan of the Nesbo, and am switching formats on that one.

I do love those Nesbø books on audio, Terri, even though the narrator pronounces Harry's name wrong. The Leopard is the one I have up next, but I am not sure when I will get to it.

Hoping that this week is kind to you!

>142 tymfos: I picked up a copy of the Pope's book awhile back but haven't gotten around to it. It always seems to be at the top of the teetering pile of books, somehow. I think it's a sign.

I'm Catholic, and I, too, like this pope the best of them all. Also too young for any opinions on Pope John XXIII and not enough time to judge John Paul I.

>170 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! I've done a lot of the Nesbo books on audio. They are well done. I have a couple of days left on the Overdrive loan for that audio, and I'm alternating between that and the e-book version as circumstances allow. When the loan expires, I'll move on to the other audio, and finish The Leopard via e-book.

The week hasn't started out well. It's all relatively minor stuff, in the grand scheme of things. But my computer is starting to get cranky. I fear it's not going to last much longer.

>171 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda!
It always seems to be at the top of the teetering pile of books, somehow. I think it's a sign.

LOL! Maybe it is!

Hooray! The college library is open during the time my son is in his evening class, and it's nice and quiet with plenty of computer availability. There aren't many evening classes going on, so no crowds.

I guess this is a good time to catch up on threads and some reading.

Hi, Terri! Hope you had a nice holiday weekend.

I am so glad you fell in love with Plainsong. It is such a special book and I hope you explore his other work. Every one is a gem.

Note to self: Get back to Nesbo.

>174 msf59: Hi, Mark! The weekend was good.

Our library has Eventide, and I'm planning to read it soon!

Note to Mark: Yes, get back to Nesbo!

College library computers about to be shut down.

Reading time!

OK, it's June and time for a new thread. Please join me here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/224057