CBL's 2nd 75 in 2012

This is my second 75 for 2012. My first 75 are on my previous thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/129592

76. The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson
TIOLI #15 - Title includes one of the worlds from the bridal rhyme (cold)

Walt Longmire is marking time until he can retire as sheriff of Absaroka County,Wyoming. His co-workers and friends have tolerated the annoying bachelor habits he's developed since the death of his wife, but they're beginning to hint (not so subtly) that it's time for him to move on. He doesn't protest too much when his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, fixes him up with a beautiful, wealthy single neighbor. However, their budding romance must wait while Sheriff Longmire leads an investigation into the murder of a local youth. The young man was one of four involved in the rape of a Cheyenne teenager with fetal alcohol syndrome. There are some in the community, both on and off the reservation, who believe the boys were punished too lightly for their crime. Has someone taken up where the legal system is believed to have failed?

Although this is a character-driven story, there is plenty of action for readers who prefer plot-driven novels. There's just enough humor to keep the atmosphere from becoming unbearably depressing. Johnson gets the relationship between Longmire and Standing Bear just right. Their conversations are made up of the kind of back and forth that is characteristic of long years of familiarity and shared experiences, with an unstated undercurrent of deep affection and trust. I feel like the characters are real people in a real place, and if I went to Wyoming I'd find them there. This is one of those rare books I hated to finish because I didn't want my time with the characters to end. Fortunately, I have several more books in the series waiting for me!

4 stars

Next up: Miss Julia Strikes Back by Ann B. Ross

Oh, that sounds so good! Straight onto the wishlist!

Congrats on getting past 75!

Book Bullet ....that one must go on the TBR pile!! Just the kind of mystery I like. Congrats on reaching 75 btw.

Congrats!

Hi Carrie, I'm glad you liked Cold Dish, I really like the series. I find Walt such a likeable yet very human character.

Thanks everyone! The Cold Dish was a great start to my second 75 for the year. I hadn't quite finished the book before the premiere of the A&E series Sunday night, but I had already guessed "whodunit" so I went ahead and watched the program. Even though I could tell the first episode was based on this book, it had been changed enough that the show wasn't a spoiler for the book's ending. I'm glad I read most of the book first. The TV show was good, but the book was much better!

I've recorded the show to watch later. Did you like the casting? I'm always nervous when a loved book is turned into a movie or TV show, often the casting just spoils it for me. And I agree, the book is almost always better.

Carrie congrats on your new thread and getting to 75 already!

Thanks, Paul!

Judy, I think you'll like Robert Taylor as Walt Longmire. I can't imagine that they could have found anyone who is more right for the part than he is. I've always liked Lou Diamond Phillips. The only thing that didn't seem right is his hair, which is way too short compared to Henry Standing Bear's hair in the book. I like the actress they cast as Vic, but she's blond rather than dark like in the books.

Thanks Carrie, I'm looking forward to watching it!

77. Miss Julia Strikes Back by Ann B. Ross

While her new husband, Sam, is on a long-planned trip to Russia and her friend Hazel Marie is in Mexico, it would seem that Miss Julia would be at loose ends. However, when her engagement and wedding ring and Hazel Marie's jewelry are stolen by a gang of thieves, Miss Julia has plenty to do since her private investigator friend, Mr. Pickens, is out of town and is unavailable to take the case. Miss Julia and Hazel Marie's young son, Lloyd, take off for Florida after they learn that the gang's headquarters is probably located there. Miss Julia and Lloyd are soon hot on the theives' trail, with a little help from a drunken P.I. friend of Mr. Pickens and from the slightly trashy Etta Mae Wiggins.

The Miss Julia books are among my favorites for escape reading, and this one is the best yet of the series. I'm glad I didn't read very much of it in public. I laughed so hard in places that I know I would have attracted attention to myself. It's not great literature, but it's well written for its genre and it's just plain fun. Here's a sample passage, with Miss Julia and Lloyd trying to cope with a drunken P.I. Tuttle:

”If he's not closer to normal by morning, we might have to {call a doctor}. The problem is, though, we don't know what normal is like for him. We may be seeing it now.”

“It's got to be better than this,” Lloyd said as he gazed soberly at Mr. Tuttle. “All he's done is sleep and throw up, and I don't think that's normal for anybody.”

I nodded, marveling again at how incisive his mind was. He could cut through to the gist of a problem as quickly as Sam or Lillian could.

This book might work OK as a stand-alone, but I don't think it would be as funny without a knowledge of the characters from the earlier books in the series. I recommend starting from the beginning and reading the books in order.

5 stars

Next up: Harry Lipkin, Private Eye by Barry Fantoni

78. Harry Lipkin, Private Eye by Barry Fantoni

Harry Lipkin isn't your average private eye. He's 87 years old and still in business. His current case involves another senior citizen, a widow with a problem. Items of sentimental value are disappearing from her home, and only her household staff has access. Lipkin investigates the five staff members to identify the culprit.

The book is as much about aging as it is about crime solving. Harry's mind is still active, but his body has slowed down. He can't do things the way he would have done them when he was younger. He's not intimidated by physical threats. After all, he's 87 years old. What does he have to lose? The story is entertaining, but not particularly memorable. The author seemed to know when enough was enough. The novelty of an 87-year-old PI would have worn thin in a longer book, but 200 pages (give or take a few) feels just about right.

This review is based on an advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

3 stars

Next up: Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum

I'm heading to Florida this evening for a conference. I was planning to read the Miss Julia book before I left anyway. It was nice that my May Early Reviewer book was also set in the Miami area. I'm in the mood for Florida now. I'm taking one book with me - The Miss Stone Affair - plus a couple of books on my Sony Pocket Reader. I don't have a lot of time for reading this week, though, other than on the plane.

Have a good time!

So far the Florida weather has been almost perfect. It's a little on the warm side, but not as humid as Tennessee. I spent a little over a half day in a meeting. The conference officially began with dinner so I had a little time this afternoon to read before I fell asleep. I didn't get much of a nap, though. The fire alarm went off. I should mention that the alarm was really, really loud. Painfully loud. As I walked down the stairs from the 5th floor with several other guests, one of them said he was pretty sure he saw what triggered the alarm. They were doing some renovations on one end of our floor and whatever they were doing was raising a lot of dust. The firemen confirmed his suspicion when they arrived. We rode the elevator back up with one of the firemen, who was very nice. I think he was relieved for everyone's sake that it was a false alarm.

Not a whole lot of reading going on this week during the conference. I've managed to squeeze in some sightseeing, as you can see from this picture of Palm Beach:

79. Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum
TIOLI #13 - Book with an amusing tag ("impossible toddler")

The investigation of the disappearance of a young girl in a small Norwegian town results in the discovery of a body. Who killed this seemingly-well-liked girl, and why was she killed? If Inspector Sejer and his partner, Skarre, can unlock the secret of her personality, this might lead them to her killer.

I was pleasantly surprised when the story went in some unexpected directions. Its ending was unpredictable until I had read well past the halfway point. Fossum cast suspicion on a number of credible suspects. The problem is that some of the suspects were cleared of suspicion by events or circumstances that weren't fully explained. Still, it's a strong start to a series that's become popular with fans of Scandinavian crime fiction.

The relationship between middle-aged Sejer and the younger Skarre reminded me a bit of the relationship between Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir in Louise Penny's Three Pines series. They're not quite as charismatic as Penny's duo, but the dynamic is similar. This might be a good series for Penny's fans to experiment with while waiting for the release of the next Three Pines novel.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy and The Miss Stone Affair by Teresa Carpenter

80. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (audio version)
TIOLI #9 - Book from a Legacy Library

This book has one of the greatest opening statements and also one of the greatest closing statements in all of literature. I've read it more than once, and every time the ending leaves me in tears. Each time I read it, I discover something I overlooked in my previous readings. It hadn't sunk in until this time through how long a time span is covered in the book – from the American Revolution to the French Revolution, a period of 15-20 years. I always had a mental image of Lucy as a young woman, but she must be approaching middle age by the end of the book.

I think Dickens' real genius is in his characters and the world they inhabit. Although the plot details grow fuzzy between readings, the characters remain alive: Dr. Manette and his shoe bench; Mrs. Cruncher and her floppin'; Madame Defarge and her knitting; Sidney Carton, ever conscious of his moral weakness, yet capable of one great act of courage and sacrifice. This novel is on my top ten list, and it's one that I think everyone should read at least once.

5 stars

Currently listening to: The Black Cat by Martha Grimes

81. The Miss Stone Affair by Teresa Carpenter
TIOLI #4 - Book visiting a country I've never been to before in a book (Macedonia)

A middle-aged, single missionary seems an unlikely person to be at the center of a foreign crisis, yet that's what happened to Ellen Stone in the fall of 1901. While traveling in Macedonia with a group of Christians, Miss Stone and a young Bulgarian woman were kidnapped by a group of men who had been lying in wait for the party. The men demanded a ransom that was the equivalent of several thousands of dollars. The unprecedented kidnapping caught U.S. officials by surprise. In the past, the U.S. had dealt with citizens taken captive by pirates on the sea, but they had no policy for dealing with American citizens who were kidnapped in foreign countries. It hadn't happened before. The government's response was further complicated by a domestic crisis – the shooting of President McKinley on September 6, just 3 days after Miss Stone's kidnapping.

Several groups had an interest in Miss Stone's rescue, and more often than not they were at cross purposes. The U.S. government and the mission agency both initially refused to raise and pay the ransom, so Miss Stone's family appealed to the public through the media. As week after week passed without a resolution of the crisis, the government and the mission agency gradually accepted the need to pay the ransom, particularly since there was so much public sympathy for Miss Stone and her companion, who, to everyone except her husband's surprise, was 5 months pregnant at the time of the kidnapping.

This account of the kidnapping, although written for a popular rather than an academic audience, is at times difficult to follow. Although Carpenter used archival sources as well as contemporary newspaper accounts, I'm sure it was difficult to separate the facts from the speculation and misinformation surrounding the incident. As new participants entered the story, Ms. Carpenter shifted the focus to the new arrival and his or her involvement with the rescue effort. This resulted in a lot of backtracking. I think a chronological approach might have worked better, although, given the nature of Balkan politics, the intricacies of the story would be difficult to describe in any format.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: Warriors in the Crossfire by Nancy Bo Flood; also reading For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions by James R. Gaines

I'm headed for Denver this afternoon for my uncle's 50th wedding anniversary celebration tomorrow. I have two books in progress that I'd really like to finish for this month's TIOLI. I think I've got enough plane and airport time today to finish both. I just might do it if I'm not too sleepy to read on the plane! Maybe the extra 2 hours I get today will help. (I'm going from EST to Mountain time.)

82. The Black Cat by Martha Grimes
TIOLI #1 - 3rd word of title has only 3 letters

When a murdered woman is discovered at a Chesham pub called The Black Cat, the case is assigned to Richard Jury of Scotland Yard. The difficulties encountered while attempting to identify the dead woman uncovered some surprising secrets. In order to solve the case, Jury enlists the help of his friend, Melrose Plant, in investigating the world of escort services.

The murder plot itself is unoriginal, but rather borrowed from well-known books and films. The book has ties to at least one of Grimes' previous Jury novels, The Old Wine Shades, which I hadn't read, unfortunately, since this book contains some major plot spoilers for it. While the mystery plot alone isn't enough to recommend the book, designer shoes and a cat and dog that talk with each other add an element of whimsey that might attract animal lovers or readers with a passion for shoes.

3 stars

Next up in audio: The Expats by Chris Pavone

83. Warriors in the Crossfire by Nancy Bo Flood
TIOLI #4 - Book visiting a state or country (or territory) I've never been to in a book before

When the fighting of WWII reaches the strategic island of Saipan, it falls to 12-year-old Joseph to help his family survive. The war exposes a rift between Joseph and his best friend and cousin, Kento. While Kento's mother and Joseph's mother are sisters from one of the local tribes, Kento's father is Japanese. Should Joseph trust Kento once the fighting begins? Which ties are stronger for Kento – family or nation?

This coming of age novel explores themes of war, family, friendship, loyalty, courage, fear, and grief. The point of view of the non-Japanese, non-American inhabitants of a Pacific island is probably unfamiliar to many readers. Each chapter opens with a short free verse poem, adding an emotional dimension to the story. The novel could be used as supplemental reading for a study of the Pacific Theater in World War II. Recommended for middle school age and up.

4 stars

84. A Deadly Row by Casey Mayes
TIOLI #1 - 3rd title word has only 3 letters

This first-in-a-series cozy mystery introduces Savannah Stone and her husband, Zach, the former Charlotte, NC, police chief. Zach retired from the Charlotte police force after receiving a gun shot wound to the chest. After his recovery, Zach and Savannah moved to the country. Zach now works as a consultant, while Savannah spends her time creating puzzles for a syndicated newspaper column. A couple of related murders that threaten the life of Zach and Savannah's friend, Charlotte mayor Grady Winslow, prompt Zach's former colleagues in Charlotte to hire him as a consultant for the case. The killer seems to be taunting police – and Zach and Savannah, in particular – with cryptic clues pointing to the next victim. Can Savannah help Jack solve the puzzle and prevent the next murder in the series?

I liked a lot of things about this new series. Both Savannah and Jack are likeable characters and seem like people I'd enjoy spending time with. Since Zach is a self-employed consultant, there isn't a problem with Savannah's involvement in the case. Savannah doesn't have to be nosy like so many other cozy heroines. Zach recognizes that Savannah has skills that complement his own and asks her to take on some of the tasks of the investigation. Since they're working on separate aspects of the case, the couple don't spend much time together, and they seem to have the same conversation whenever they do get to see each other.

I wish the puzzle aspect of the book had been developed a little more. Although I've been addicted to logic puzzles since middle school, I had difficulty following Savannah's train of thought. I'm not sure if this puzzle required advanced math knowledge that I either never had or have forgotten since high school, or if there just wasn't enough of the puzzle presented in the book for readers to solve on their own.

I'm always on the lookout for good books set in my local region, so I'll be adding this series to those that I follow.

3 1/2 stars

85. For Liberty and Glory: Washington, Lafayette, and Their Revolutions by James R. Gaines
TIOLI #1 - 3rd title word has only 3 letters

Although this book is about both the American and French Revolutions, Washington and Lafayette, Lafayette ends up being the central figure in the book. The account of the American Revolution mainly deals with the events in which Lafayette was involved. If this is the only book you have read about the American Revolution, you're missing out on a lot of the history. For instance, Generals like Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox are barely mentioned. The British generals and strategy are also largely absent from the story. I'm not as familiar with the French Revolution, but I think the account of it, too, is probably missing some key figures and events.

I did learn a lot about Lafayette from this book, and my admiration for him has grown as a result. His contributions to the Revolutionary War were important for its success. His career in France after his return was even more remarkable. He seems to have had friends and admirers on all sides of the French revolution. (There did seem to be at least three sides!) He must have had a charismatic personality, with an ability to make himself agreeable to even those with whom he disagreed in principle. The hardships he shared with American patriots during the American Revolution formed the basis for lifelong friendships with many of the founding fathers. However, political considerations restrained his American friends from providing much assistance to Lafayette when the revolutionary zeal in France finally turned against him.

If you don't have some familiarity with the history of the American and French revolutions, this isn't the place to start. The best audience for the book is probably the general reader looking for a biography of Lafayette. I noticed more than a usual amount of typographical errors in the book (e.g., the state of Franklin referred to as Frankland), so readers may need to double-check facts in other sources.

3 stars

Next up: A Peach of a Murder by L .J. Washburn and The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy

86. A Peach of a Murder by Livia J. Washburn
TIOLI #12 - Title includes a food that begins with "p"

Now that she is widowed, retired teacher Phyllis Newsom has taken in boarders to fill her large home. The other retired teachers who live there include man-crazy Eve, eighty-something Mattie, and Carolyn, Phyllis's rival in the town's peach festival cooking contest. Phyllis's life is upset when she is among the first on the scene at a series of murders. Although she's not considered a suspect (it helps to have a son who's a sheriff's deputy), Phyllis is disturbed when the authorities focus on someone close to her as their primary suspect. Since Phyllis is sure her friend is innocent, she launches her own investigation to find the real killer. Meanwhile, Phyllis takes in a new boarder – Mr. Sam Fletcher – with interesting results.

This is the first book in the series, but it's the second one I've read. I didn't like this one quite as well as the first book I read. That's probably a good thing, since it suggests the series gets better as it progresses. It wasn't hard for me to figure out the murderer's identity and motive. I haven't been impressed with the mystery plot of either of the books I've read in this series. However, the characters seem like people who might be in my circle of friends if I lived in Weatherford, TX. Since I enjoy the characters and I'm curious about how Phyllis's relationship with widower Sam might develop, that's reason enough for me to continue with the series.

3 stars

Still reading The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy

My aunt & uncle's 50th anniversary reception this afternoon was lovely. My cousin Matt's wife has worked as a wedding director and she did most of the planning for the event. My cousin Cindy made the cake for the reception. She doesn't live here and didn't want to deal with high altitude baking, so she baked the cakes at home, froze them, boxed them up really well, and brought the layers in her suitcase. She spent the last four days decorating the cake. It was a white cake with lemon curd filling between the layers, with white chocolate and fondant icing and marzipan flowers. I think she did a fabulous job with it.

My aunt's wedding dress was on display at the reception. My mother was the first in the family to wear the dress two years earlier. My mother's sister wore it two years later. That aunt & uncle will celebrate their 50th in 2014.

The reception looks lovely, Carrie. Your cousin did a lot of work, but she sure can be proud of the result. That cake is beautiful. The wedding dress is lovely, and must hold so many memories for your family.

Yours is a talented family, Carrie Beth! The cake is beautiful! And the wedding dress story is so sweet.

I finished a book in Colorado and another one last night after the power went out. It may be a while before I get a chance to review either of them. There's a utility pole down near my house and no ETA right now for when the power might be restored. It looks like it might be tomorrow at the earliest. I have friends I can stay with tonight if I don't have any power at home.

I just found out that it may be Sunday morning before my power is restored at home. I'm planning to stay at a friend's house tonight.

Sorry to hear about the power out, Carrie. Hope you aren't left sitting in the dark too long!

Still no power at home. I spent the night at a friend's house last night and will probably stay the same place tonight if the power is still out.

Things continued to get worse for me throughout the day. After work I went to the airport to pick up a friend. She had been due to arrive at 2:15, but her flight was delayed. My car wouldn't start when we got back to the parking garage. I called AAA and someone came and jumped the battery to get the car started. I got my friend back to her car and on her way home. I went through a drive-through on my way to the friends' house where I was to spend the night and the car died again. The manager & one of the employees got the car started with jumper cables, and then my friends & I drove to an auto parts store where I was able to buy a battery 10 minutes before they closed.

Today is a new day, though. Even though I still don't have power, I have places to go where I can stay cool. I'm hoping the Sunday a.m. estimate is a worst-case scenario and that the power will be restored later today.

I came home to get clothes for tomorrow and discovered that my power has been on for about 3 1/2 hours. The house is cool. However, the utility pole is still down. The utility company just got here to set the new pole and a line crew will come through later to attach the lines to the new pole. It's a mystery to me how I have electricity and cable right now. The utility crew seemed just as surprised as I was. I expect they'll turn the power off while they string the lines, but it shouldn't be off for too long.

And the bad luck continues. One of the members of my church had a 4th of July party at his house this evening. I parked on the street in front of his house and someone who arrived later than I did backed into my car as she was parking. I was inside when it happened, but the people who were outside said she hit it pretty hard. There's some cosmetic damage to the front of my car, so I guess I'll be making some phone calls on Monday morning.

Sorry to hear about your car. Hopefully the repairs are minor. *fingers crossed*

You are certainly having a run of bad luck right now, hopefully this turns around and good things are just around the corner.

87. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy
TIOLI #8 - Author's initials form a commonly-used abbreviation, initialism, or acronym

I'm a huge fan of several movie versions of The Scarlet Pimpernel, but I had never read the book until now. How would it compare to the movies I love so much? Very well indeed. It's neither better nor worse than the movies – just a few plot differences. It's just the sort of book I look for when I want to escape to a different time and place – historical fiction with equal parts adventure and romance. Maybe the best thing about it is that there are sequels, so I have more escapes to look forward to!

4 stars

Years ago, there was a tv ad for a bath product whose ad line was "take me away". I remember thinking the ad whenever I opened a book. Historical fiction is my perfect escape, too. It's been years since I've seen a Scarlet Pimpernel movie (and I've never read the book), but I remember enjoying it very much. Glad the book lived up to its movie!

I got an estimate on my car this afternoon. Since they'll be able to do the repairs while I'm away, I won't have to deal with a rental.

I made a trip to the local used book store to take some of my father's books, and in the process a others ended up coming home with me:

Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout
Death Dines In, edited by Claudia Bishop and Dean James
Malice Domestic 6, edited by Anne Perry
The Stones of Florence by Mary McCarthy
The Bayeux Tapestry by Carola Hicks
In Search of the World's Worst Writers by Nick Page
The Feud that Sparked the Renaissance: How Brunelleschi and Ghiberti Changed the Art World by Paul Robert Walker
The Gazebo by Patricia Wentworth
So You Think You Know Jane Austen?: A Literary Quizbook by John Sutherland & Dierdre Le Faye

The Jane Austen Quizbook looks interesting. :)

I thought it might be fun to use it for my Jane Austen book club. There are some good discussion questions in the book.

Nice. And very cool that you have a Jane Austen book club. I took a seminar in my last year of undergrad on Jane Austen and I loved that class to bits.

88. The Jewels of Paradise by Donna Leon
TIOLI #10 - Author's surname could also be a first name

During her four years of teaching in dreary Manchester, baroque music scholar Caterina Pellegrini has come to realize how much she misses her native Venice. When a colleague presents her with a job opportunity that will take her back to Venice, she jumps at it without much deliberation. Caterina finds herself in unusual circumstances. She has been hired to examine the contents of two recently-discovered trunks belonging to a baroque composer. Her clients are cousins and are direct descendants of the never-married composer's heirs. Caterina's task is to determine which side of the family the composer favored so that ownership of the trunks and their contents may be awarded to one of the cousins. Caterina's contact with the mysterious cousins is facilitated by an attorney who may have his own agenda. Just what treasure do the cousins suspect the trunks hold? If they know, they're not telling.

While there are some elements of physical danger, the mystery is primarily an intellectual challenge requiring extensive library, archival, and Internet research. I know a little bit about this kind of research, and I was puzzled by some aspects of her research strategy. For instance, due to the obscure nature of her research subject, Caterina decides to switch from using the “standard JSTOR site” to a “more mainstream search” (by which I assume she means Google). There's no mention of RILM or other specialized music indexes that someone with a doctorate in music should be familiar with. When computers and cell phone technology are mentioned, the language and descriptions seem to assume the characters' (and by extension the readers') unfamiliarity with the technology described. It made me wonder if the book's target audience is assumed to be on the low to intermediate end of the computer literacy spectrum.

Donna Leon's Commissario Brunetti series is still on my TBR list, so I can't say how this stand-alone compares to her popular series. I suspect it's a different kind of mystery, and that some Brunetti fans will like it while others might not. It will appeal most strongly to readers who like cerebral mysteries and to classical music lovers. Although the setting is modern, the historical research component might appeal to historical mystery fans.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the author through NetGalley.

3 stars

89. The Expats by Chris Pavone
TIOLI #7 - Book of over 300 pages with a multiple-word title

Working mother Katherine Moore sees her family's move to Luxembourg as an opportunity to reinvent her life. The new “Kate” Moore is learning the joys and frustrations of being a stay-at-home mom as well as learning the ins and outs of the expat community in one of Europe's financial capitals. Kate and her husband, Dexter, develop a friendship with another American couple, but Kate soon becomes suspicious that Bill and Julia are not what they seem. Even more disturbing, Kate discovers that Dexter may have his own secrets. Just what are Bill and Julia after? Is it related to Kate's past – or to her family's future?

Kate is a likeable heroine. Although the plot is a little far-fetched, it never crosses the threshold of unbelievability. This fun thriller will have strong crossover appeal for fans of other genres. Romantic suspense fans might enjoy this even though Kate is happily married. Kate's spirited personality may resonate with chick-lit readers. It's equally suited for beach reading or for curling up with by the fireplace on a snowy day.

3 1/2 stars

Currently listening to: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

#47: I'm glad you enjoyed The Expats, Carrie! I thought it was a great read when I found it a couple of months ago. And you're right, there's an appeal for fans of lots of different genres.

90. The Monuments Men by Robert Edsel
TIOLI #6: Read a book with boy/boys or man/men in the title or author's name

War is destructive. It destroys the future by prematurely ending the lives and potential achievements of thousands of individuals. The loss of a generation of their children who were never born can only be guessed at, not measured. War also destroys the past in the form of tangible objects of cultural significance: the art, architecture, and other artifacts that represent past cultures and that in some way have helped to define the present.

In The Monuments Men, Robert Edsel recognizes an under-appreciated group of World War II heroes, the 350 men and women who served in the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section. The MFAA's task was often overwhelming as the scope of Hitler's looting became clear. When faced with inadequate resources and the occasional hostility of fellow soldiers and officers, the MFAA improvised to recover stolen and looted cultural property and to protect monuments damaged during military action from sustaining further damage when the fighting ended.

This passage is illustrative of the MFAA's mission in Europe:

When the Allies arrived at Chartres, they found the cathedral at risk of being damaged and possibly destroyed by twenty-two sets of explosives placed on nearby bridges and other structures. Demolitions expert Stewart Leonard, who after the end of active hostilities would himself become a Monuments Man, helped defuse the bombs and save the cathedral. As he later explained to Monuments Man Bernie Taper over drinks in a Berlin apartment, “There's one good thing about being in the bomb disposal unit: No superior officer is ever looking over your shoulder.”

But was art worth a life, Taper wanted to know. Like all Monuments Men, it was a question that haunted him. “I had that choice,” Leonard said. “I chose to remove the bombs. It was worth the reward.”

“What reward?”

“When I finished, I got to sit in Chartres Cathedral, the cathedral I had helped save, for almost an hour. Alone.”

Since the MFAA's work in Western Europe began during and after the invasion of Normandy, this book covers roughly the same time period as Stephen Ambrose's Citizen Soldiers. Highly recommended for all World War II and art history readers.

4 1/2 stars

Currently reading: City of Shadows by Ariana Franklin, Suddenly Everything Was Different edited by Olaf G. Klein, and My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss.

91. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
TIOLI #11 - Title includes one of the colors of the Olympic rings

Teenaged Kit Tyler has left the only home she has ever known in Barbados to sail to the Puritan colony of Connecticut. She plans to surprise her Aunt Rachel, who was always spoken well of in Kit's family, but whom Kit has never met. Kit is greeted with mixed emotions by her Aunt Rachel, her Uncle Matthew, and her cousins, Judith and Mercy. Kit's pampered, carefree life in Barbados has not prepared her for life among the stern Puritans. She finds a place of refuge with Hannah Tupper, an elderly, nearly blind woman who lives a solitary life in a meadow outside of town. Kit's friendship with Hannah has its own risks. Hannah doesn't share the Puritans' beliefs, and because of her differences she's been labeled by some as a witch. Meanwhile, Kit has attracted the interest of two very different young men. Will the wealthy young Puritan, William Ashby, win her heart? Or will she choose sailor Nat Eaton?

I can't believe I went through my teenage years without reading this book. Somehow I missed the fact that it's historical fiction and I thought it was about the occult. The strong female characters are different enough that readers will have different favorites among them depending on the reader's personality. I felt the most affinity with Mercy, and I would count myself lucky to have her as a sister or a friend. There is food for thought for today's young women, particularly about friendship, dating, and life choices. The lessons never overshadow the story, though. It took me a while to unravel the romantic tangle. SPOILER: When it occurred to me to count the single men and single girls, I realized that they would all end up happily paired by the end of the book.

Mary Beth Hurt has done an outstanding job with the audio version. If it's been a while since you've read the book (or even if it hasn't!), the audio version would be a great way to re-familiarize yourself with this YA classic.

5 stars

Currently listening to: The Arms Maker of Berlin by Dan Fesperman

I probably won't have much reading time in the next 10 days. I'm heading to Germany tomorrow to visit my brother. I'll probably get some reading done on the plane, but I also want to at least try to sleep since it's an overnight flight. I've got several short books lined up on my e-reader, and if I read them all it may take me a while to catch up on reviews after I get back!

I'm taking 3 print books: When In Germany, Do as the Germans Do; Death in Berlin, and Berlin Game.

Loaded on my e-reader: My Berlin Kitchen, Three Men on Wheels, Elizabeth and Her German Garden, In a German Pension, The Wrecker.

I should finish the two books I'm currently reading before I leave, but I may not post reviews until after I return.

Enjoy your trip, Carrie. I'm off tomorrow as well, not going quite as far, just an hour and half ferry ride over to my Mom's.

Just catching up with your thread. Best wishes for your trip.

And you caught me with a book bullet -- the very first book on the thread -- The Cold Dish -- is going onto my list!

Thanks, Judy & Terri! Terri, I think you'll like The Cold Dish. I've noticed that the TV series is driving up demand for the public library's copies of the books. I read the first one before the series aired and didn't have to wait for a copy. I'll probably have to get on a waiting list for the second one.

92. City of Shadows by Ariana Franklin
TIOLI #1 - Rainbow challenge (orange cover)

Nazis, Romanovs, Communists, German and Eastern European Jews, and expat Russians provide plenty of dramatic potential for this stand-alone historical mystery. Franklin uses the real-life Anna Anderson, who claimed to be the Grand Duchess Anastasia, as the focus of a serial killer. Once she is aware of the danger, Russian Jew Esther Solomonova does everything in her power to protect Anna, even if it means supporting Anna's claim to be Anastasia when Esther is convinced that she isn't. Esther joins forces with a German policeman who risks everything important to him to uncover the truth.

I think Ariana Franklin must be one of those authors who, for whatever reason, just doesn't click with me despite her popularity among readers with similar tastes to mine. A few anachronisms jumped out at me as I read, such as a woman described as a “silent film star” in the part of the book set in 1922-23. (Since all films were silent in those years, I think people of the era would call her a “film star” without the qualification.) I was also annoyed by Franklin's overuse of the “f” word. It's just not right for otherwise intelligent characters to have such a limited vocabulary. Although Esther very much reminded me of Maisie Dobbs, she didn't have Maisie's appeal.

Possible Spoiler
Franklin had the bad luck to release the book just months before the remains of the last two Romanovs were conclusively identified through DNA analysis. All of the Romanovs have now been accounted for, and none of them survived. Since the possibility that one of the Romanov daughters survived is integral to the plot, readers need to be willing to overlook all of the evidence to the contrary.

2 1/2 stars

93. My Berlin Kitchen by Luisa Weiss
TIOLI #7 - Book of 300+ pages with a multi-word title

Luisa Weiss is a third culture kid, having been born in West Berlin to an American father and an Italian mother. After her parents' divorce, she shuttled between Boston and Berlin through her school years. Sometime during her youth she began reading and collecting cookbooks and recipes, and spending more and more time in the kitchen. The kitchen became her home, where she could create familiar tastes and smells. Her life-long interest in cooking led her to a career in the cookbook publishing industry and a successful hobby as a food blogger. The “love story” of the subtitle is not just about meeting and marrying her soul mate. The book is filled with the people and places Weiss loves – her parents, extended family, girlfriends, New York, and Berlin.

Each chapter includes a recipe related to the memories shared in that chapter. The nice thing about the recipes is that Weiss includes tips about what the food will look like at various stages of the preparation process, as well as mistakes to avoid. Her recipes don't just tell the cook what to do. She also explains why the steps are important for achieving the desired result.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley. I liked it well enough to want a copy for my permanent collection, and it's fairly high on my wish list. I've also added the author's blog to my RSS feed.

3 1/2 stars

94. Death in Berlin by M.M. Kaye
TIOLI #10 - Author's surname could also be a first name

I had read all of M.M. Kaye's Death In series by the time I finished college, and I remember being sad when I finished the last one because there weren't any more to read. However, it's been so long since I've read the books that I don't remember much about them. Since I was planning a couple of days in Berlin while on vacation in Germany, I thought this would be a good time to re-read this one.

I liked this one, but perhaps not as well as I did the first time I read it. My reading tastes have changed, and romantic suspense doesn't appeal to me as much as it did when I was a young adult. The mystery plot was well done and reads a lot like a Christie novel. The author's husband was briefly stationed in Berlin in the 1950s, and the description of the bombed-out city has an authentic feel. There's an undertone of class consciousness that was uncomfortable for me, and that I didn't remember from my first reading of the book. It seemed odd for the English/British expats to refer to Germans as “foreign” in Germany. They don't realize that they are the foreigners. I suppose that attitude is authentic to the era but it just feels wrong.

3 1/2 stars

95. Suddenly Everything Was Different compiled by Olaf G. Klein
July TIOLI #8 - Author's initials form a commonly used intialism/abbreviation/acronym

This is a collection of oral history transcripts documenting the lives of twelve former East Germans before and after reunification. The individuals whose stories are included in this collection represent a variety of age groups, occupations, and political views. Some had been supportive of the East German government, while others had been opposed to it. They all seemed to agree on one point. Even the interviewees who desired a change in the structure of government wanted their country to remain independent. None of the interviewees seemed to be in favor of reunification with West Germany. They all experienced an identity crisis in various degrees resulting from the loss of their national identity.

Readers of the English translation shouldn't skip the translator's preface. The translator describes some of the loaded German terms used to refer to the transition period and explains her choice of words for the English translation.

3 1/2 stars

96. Finger of Guilt by Paul Grossman
July TIOLI #6 - Has "Boy" or "Man" in the title or author's name

I haven't yet read either of Paul Grossman's Willi Kraus novels, but this short story has bumped the series higher on my wish list. Kraus's role in the story is a bit like Olive Kitteridge. His presence affects the protagonist in the story, but Kraus stays in the background. It was a free download for my e-reader and it still appears to be available as a free Kindle download. It's a nice opportunity for historical mystery fans to try out a new author.

4 stars

97. Berlin Game by Len Deighton
July TIOLI #7 - Book of over 300 pages with a multi-word title

Worried about a traitor in the highest ranks of British intelligence, Brahms Four, one of Britain's most important and most secret East German sources, wants out. Bernard Samson is the only current agency employee who has ever seen Brahms Four, but he's no longer a field agent and he would like to keep it that way. As he is reluctantly pulled deeper and deeper into the crisis, Samson races against time to identify the traitor among his colleagues.

This spy thriller from the early 1980s seems to reflect some of the uncertainties in the Eastern Bloc that would result in revolutionary changes by the end of the decade. I enjoyed reading about Berlin locations that I had visited right before I read the book. The plot was occasionally difficult to follow, and Samson didn't reveal all of his suspicions to the reader. Samson is a likeable hero, and I'll look for more of his adventures when I'm in the mood for this genre.

3 1/2 stars

98. Elizabeth and Her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim
July TIOLI #6 - Title or author's name contains the word "boy" or "man"

This is a book for book lovers. Whether or not gardening is your thing, if you're even a little bit introverted, you'll identify with Elizabeth's longing for the peaceful solitude of her garden. It's a perfect spot for reading (although leaving your books there overnight is a no-no).

My favorite part of the book tells about Elizabeth's uninvited holiday guests. Her friend Irais is the most congenial of Elizabeth's friends and neighbors, and together they entertain themselves at the expense of the unwelcome Minora. (No, this isn't how a hostess should treat her guests, but Minora is so obnoxious that it's hard to see how Elizabeth could have done otherwise!)

This book belongs on every book lover's TBR list. It's fairly short and, thanks to Project Gutenberg, is freely available to anyone with Internet access. It's well worth the time and expense.

4 stars

99. On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle
TIOLI #1 - Book by a new-to-me author comparable to a favorite author

When Clare Cosi agrees to return to the Village Blend as manager and part owner, she hasn't counted on being in such close proximity to her ex-husband. Nor did she count on discovering one of her employees near death after a fall down the basement stairs. Was it an unfortunate accident, or was she pushed? Clare's gut tells her it was attempted murder, and she sets out to prove it. One more thing Clare hasn't anticipated – her attraction to the taciturn detective assigned to the case!

This first-in-series mystery compares favorably to one of my favorite cozy series, Laura Childs' teashop mysteries. It has the feel of a mash-up of Childs' teashop series and her scrapbooking series. It's hard to get the balance right in the first book of a series. Often the mystery plot seems secondary to the introduction and development of the main character(s) and the supporting cast. This one spends more time on the mystery plot and less on character development, and that's the way I like it. I'm sure I'll get to know the regulars better as the series progresses, and I look forward to spending more time with them in the Village Blend.

3 1/2 stars

Currently reading: Hermann Goring and the Nazi Art Collection by Kenneth D. Alford and Suttree by Cormac McCarthy

100. The Arms Maker of Berlin by Dan Fesperman
TIOLI #4 Beginning letter/ending letter matching challenge

When his former mentor is arrested for possessing stolen classified documents, professor Nat Turnbull is called to the rescue. When the FBI makes it clear to Nat that they want him to undertake research on the stolen files and report to them, Nat reluctantly agrees, thinking he'll be helping his mentor, Gordon Wolfe, in the process. The material in the boxes of documents, minus some missing folders, s Nat's focus to war-time Berlin and Switzerland, the activities of Allen Dulles and the OSS, and a German resistance organization called the White Rose with links to Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Nat isn't the only person interested in the files, and he races against competing interests to be the first to locate the missing documents and the secrets they hold. The book alternates between Nat's current day search and two World War II era stories that follow Gordon Wolfe and Kurt Bauer, son and heir of a German arms dealer.

I loved the treasure hunt aspect of the book. Although Nat faces occasional physical threats, the adrenaline rush comes from Nat's race against time as he deciphers Gordon's clues. At times I felt like the historical sections were holding up Nat's progress. The earlier parts of the historical back story didn't have the same urgency as Nat's quest, and I found myself wishing I could rush through those parts to get back to the action. (This wouldn't have been easy to do since I listened to the audio version.) Fesperman did his homework, and the result is a historical spy thriller laced with enough truth to be believable.

4 stars

Next up on audio: Death Comes Silently by Carolyn Hart

I'll probably be starting the new Carolyn Hart mystery in the next week or do, too.

101. Medicus by Ruth Downie
TIOLI #16 - Mostly brown cover

Newly arrived in Britannia after a stint in Africa, medicus Ruso of the Roman army finds himself in increasingly difficult circumstances after he is asked to examine a woman's corpse found in the river. Ruso's questions about the woman's death lead him to a local bar/brothel, but the proprietor and the women who work there aren't forthcoming with answers. Ruso's new slave, Tilla, whom Ruso had rescued from a slave trader, proves herself useful as a source of information about the goings-on at the bar. Will Tilla's knowledge put her in danger, too? Meanwhile, Ruso has to adjust to the hospital bureaucracy in his new posting. His feckless fellow doctor, Valens, is often a hindrance rather than a help in this process.

This novel didn't completely succeed as either historical fiction or a mystery. It has a Flintstones feel to it, as if a Roman dressing has been superimposed on contemporary situations and attitudes. Although Ruso asks a lot of questions, he doesn't deduce anything from them. Most of the answers to the puzzles are revealed through confession(s) by the culprit(s). I'm reading the series out of order, having started with the fourth book, so I know the series gets better. It's worth reading this one just to see Ruso try to keep a handle on Tilla and Valens.

3 stars

Next up: Finding Amelia by Ric Gillespie. Still working on Hermann Goring and the Nazi Art Collection and Suttree

102. Death Comes Silently by Carolyn Hart
TIOLI #15 - "Life" or "death" in title

When Annie's volunteer shift at local charity shop Better Tomorrow conflicts with an event at her bookstore, she asks fellow volunteer Gretchen Burkholt to swap shifts with her. Gretchen calls Annie several times during the shift since she's nervous about being alone with handyman Jeremiah, an ex-con. After the bookstore event is over, Annie heads over to Better Tomorrow to check on Gretchen, who won't have a better tomorrow because she's been murdered with the handyman's ax. Is Jeremiah as guilty as everyone assumes? Or was Gretchen killed because of something she found in the pocket of some donated clothing and described to Annie in one of her telephone calls?

Although Annie takes the lead in the amateur investigation, it's a group effort involving Annie's husband, Max, her friend Henny Brawley, Annie's mother-in-law, Laurel, and local author Emma Clyde. There are multiple suspects and each clue could reasonably implicate any one of them. As usual for this series, references to other mysteries and mystery writers are sprinkled throughout the book, so it will contribute to wishlist bloat for most readers. References to now-popular TV series like Glee and House are probably a mistake that will make the book seem dated fairly quickly. I had a mixed reaction to the audio version. Some characters' voices (like Annie's) worked well, while others sounded wrong (like Max's). I don't think sequence is as important for this series as it is for some, so feel free to jump in any time!

3 1/2 stars

Next up in audio: Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear

#66: I am looking forward to your review of Elegy for Eddie, Carrie. It is one of the books in the Maisie Dobbs series that I have yet to read. I am trying to reread the series while I on my school break.

Hi Stasia! The Maisie Dobbs series is one of my favorites. I was a little disappointed with the last one. I've got my fingers crossed that this one is as good as I hope it will be.

103. Hermann Göring and the Nazi Art Collection by Kenneth D. Alford
TIOLI #17 - First name embedded in the title or author's name (Erma)

I recently read The Monuments Men and was left with a desire to know more about the thousands of works of art that were taken by the Nazis during World War II. Did some of them end up in museums I've visited, and I have seen some of them without knowing their history? Hermann Göring and the Nazi Art Collection addressed some of my questions. Although the works acquired by Göring are the book's primary focus, other looted art works are mentioned in the text. The detailed lists of paintings, sculptures, and other art objects provided in the appendices don't identify the current locations of the listed items, but they do identify Göring's source and the country to which each item was returned following the war.

The quality of the black and white photographs is disappointing. I noticed quite a few grammar errors, as well as spelling errors that wouldn't be caught by a word processor's spell check feature. In a few instances, the same information was presented multiple times in almost identical phrasing. These problems should have been found and corrected during the editorial process.*

This book wouldn't be the best starting point for a study of World War II art looting. Readers with some prior knowledge of the topic will benefit most from this book. The extensive appendices would make the work useful in a reference collection.

*This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. The copy I received appears to be the final, published version of the book. There is no indication that it is an uncorrected proof.

3 stars

Update on Elegy for Eddie: I've listened to a little over 10% of the book, and so far it looks like it might end up being one of my favorite books in the series. I really like Orlagh Cassidy's narration.

104. Finding Amelia: The True Story of the Earhart Disappearance by Ric Gillespie
TIOLI #17 - First name embedded in title or author's name (Les)

What happened to Amelia Earhart when she failed to reach Howland Island on her round-the-world flight in 1937? Author Ric Gillespie, founder of The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), has pieced together evidence from numerous archival collections to recreate Earhart's flight and the subsequent search and rescue operation. At the time of the crisis, no one person/agency had access to all of the information the author has gathered.

Earhart did not finalize communication procedures for her arrival at Howland Island before she set out on her journey. Attempts to contact Earhart en route to iron out details were hampered by the length of time it took to route messages to Earhart, the differences in time zones, and Earhart's constant travel. Sometimes messages reached a location after Earhart had departed on the next leg of her trip.

There were multiple communication breakdowns during Earhart's last flight and the subsequent search for the downed plane. The Coast Guard vessel positioned at Howland Island for Earhart's arrival had incomplete information about the plane's communication system and were not aware that neither Earhart nor navigator Fred Noonan were skilled in Morse code. When it became clear that Earhart was missing, the ship's captain formed a theory of the plane's probable location based on a number of erroneous assumptions. When subsequent evidence seemed to contradict his theory, he forced the evidence to fit his original theory rather than adjusting his theory to the new evidence. Although several agencies were cooperating in the search, for the first few days there was no command and control center. Different agencies formed different theories about what had happened and where the plane might be and acted accordingly.

Gillespie spends a lot of time analyzing radio communications during and after the flight, with lots of technical detail about frequencies and equipment. It appears that Earhart did survive for at least a few days and was able to transmit messages that were picked up by receivers at various locations in the Pacific and even in the continental U.S. Based on the evidence presented in the book, it seems likely to me that Earhart and Noonan might have been rescued if the search had been better coordinated and had the parties involved not been selective about the information they shared with the others.

I had a hard time putting the book down once I started it. The narrative flows well even with all of the technical details about navigation and radio electronics. Gillespie provides enough explanation about the technical details for non-specialists to understand their significance. Even though I knew the search would fail, I kept hoping until the end that the searchers would find Earhart and Noonan.

4 1/2 stars

Next up: The Heart of Danger by Gerald Seymour; still working on Suttree

So, how was your trip to Germany, Carrie? I like how you matched your reading to the locale. Were you in Berlin? We went to Hamburg several years ago, but didn't have time to see Berlin. I read Buddenbrooks on the trip. Surprisingly good...makes me want to read The Magic Mountain.

Donna, we had a nice but too short weekend in Berlin. The weather on Sunday was gorgeous. I'd love to go back. I didn't make it to Hamburg. It would have been a long day trip from where we were staying and the family friend who traveled with me developed severe blisters on her feet that made it difficult for her to walk. We ended up going somewhere closer to make the day shorter.

Oddly enough, the book I read before the trip that best fit what we saw is The Jewels of Paradise by Donna Leon. The historical mystery in the book had to do with an Italian monk/composer who spent a good part of his life in Hanover, and the disappearance of Count Konigsmarck, the lover of Sophie Dorothea, wife of George I of Great Britain (and also Elector of Hanover). All of the palaces we visited in the vicinity of Hanover - near Hamlin, in Brunswick/Braunschwieg, and in Celle - had a connection to this group of people. There was nothing in the book's description that hinted at a connection to Hanover, or even Germany, so it was truly serendipitous. I love it when that happens!

I'm glad you had a good time, Carrie. Hamburg was a lovely city, but Berlin would be first on my list of places to visit. I've got the Donna Leon books on my radar. One of these days...

I interrupted my regularly scheduled reading with this. For some reason nothing I was currently reading appealed to me today. Luckily, this book was close at hand and turned out to be exactly what I was in the mood for.

105. Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
TIOLI #17 - First name embedded in the title (Pat)

Childhood friends Philip Jettan and Cleone Charteris seem destined for each other. Philip adores Cleone, and Cleone loves Philip. She just wishes he was more like the society gentlemen in dress and manners. When Cleone rejects Philip's affection, a hurt Philip vows to become the man she wishes him to be. What better place to acquire social graces than Paris? But will Cleone be happy with the new Philip?

I've read a number of books about women who undergo a makeover to win a man's affection. I think this is the first one I've read where the man undergoes the transformation. Heyer describes men's fashion in the Georgian era in great detail, and it's very different than the mental picture I usually have for a romantic hero. There's a lesson here about character being more important than outward appearance. However, I was uncomfortable with the “helpless female needs a man to protect her from herself” aspect of the story.

3 stars

Still working on The Heart of Danger and Suttree.

Edited to correct numbering!

106. The Heart of Danger by Gerald Seymour
TIOLI #17 - First name embedded in title (Art)

When the body of a young British woman is discovered in a mass grave in a Croatian village, her mother hires former MI5 private investigator Bill Penn to find out what led to her daughter's death. Through his investigation, Penn learns that the young woman was a victim of a war crime. The book was fairly interesting up to that point. Everything past that point was unbelievably stupid. Penn put himself in danger of his own making. There was nothing urgent about the situation. Penn wasn't racing against the clock to prevent something terrible from happening. The crime had already been committed. There wasn't a single likeable character in the book, except perhaps the headmaster of the school in the Serbian village. I'm sure there are better books, probably non-fiction, about the war in Croatia, the plight of the refugees, and war crimes and criminals.

1 1/2 stars

Next up: A Brush with Death by Elizabeth J. Duncan

107. A Brush with Death by Elizabeth J. Duncan
TIOLI #17 - First name embedded in title and/or author's name (Rush; Eli)

While moving into the cottage she inherited from her friend, Emma, Penny Brannigan discovers a decades old mystery. Penny learns that a local artist who painted a picture hanging in the cottage was killed in an unsolved hit-and-run accident. Who killed the artist and why? Penny can't feel at home in the cottage until she finds answers to these questions.

I thought this book suffered a little from sophomore slump. Nothing about it was quite as interesting as the first book in the series. The relationships between Penny and the supporting characters haven't quite gelled. Her new business partner, Victoria, keeps reminding Penny that their business suffers when Penny spends time sleuthing that should be spent working. Penny is still unsure about the future of her budding relationship with DCI Davies.

Possible spoiler: It's not really possible for readers to piece together the clues to form their own conclusions since crucial information isn't available to Penny (or to the reader) until the end of the book. Also, some readers might want to know that the historical part of the book involves a lesbian romance.

I like the location and the characters have the potential to develop into a group of people I'd like to have as friends. I'll continue with the next book in the series and hope it improves from here.

2 1/2 stars

Next up: No One You Know by Michelle Richmond

108. No One You Know by Michelle Richmond
TIOLI #4 - Title starts or ends with same letter as previous title in list

Every story is an invention, subject to the whims of the author. For the audience on the other side of the page, the words march forward with a certain inevitability—as if the story could exist one way only, the way in which it is written. But there is never just one way to tell a story. Someone has chosen the beginning and end. Someone has chosen who will emerge as the hero or heroine, and who will play the villain. Each choice is made at the expense of an infinite number of variations. Who is to say which version of the story is true?

Since her sister's unsolved murder two decades ago, Ellie Enderlin has been living out her role in her family's story. In the months after her sister's death, Ellie had worked through her grief in conversations with a trusted professor/mentor/friend. Her trust was betrayed when her mentor revealed his intention to publish a true crime account of her sister's murder, filled with the details Ellie had shared with him about her family's life and the effect of her sister's death. The book became a best-seller and launched a successful writing career for the professor. In the intervening years, Ellie accepted his account of her sister's murder and the circumstantial evidence pointing to the guilt of a person who had never been charged with the murder. However, an unexpected encounter with the supposed murderer causes Ellie to question what she had believed for so many years, and to launch her own investigation into her sister's death.

This is much more than a murder mystery. It's a reflection on truth and story, on perception and reality. It's a meditation on mathematical conjecture and proof. It's a contemplation of relationships – sibling, parent/child, teacher/student, husband/wife/lovers. It's a beautifully told story that pulled me in from the first page and held me until the last. Even though I couldn't put it down and ending up reading it in just a few sittings in the course of 24 hours, it didn't feel like I was rushing through the story to finally learn “whodunit”. I savored every word. Highly recommended for literary mystery readers, coffee lovers, and math geeks.

4 1/2 stars

Next up: Stamping Grounds by Charlie Connelly

Oooh. Stunning review! And my wishlist grows again!

Thanks, Cindy! I thought her The Year of Fog was very good, too.

109. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear
TIOLI #9 - Book set in a city that has hosted a 21st century Olympics (London)

When a man from Maisie's old neighborhood dies in suspicious circumstances, the costermongers band together to hire Maisie to investigate his death. Eddie Pettit was a simple man who in many ways had never lost a child-like innocence. Everyone, or at least almost everyone, in the neighborhood liked Eddie and felt protective of him and of his single mother, Maud. Maisie's investigation takes her into the newspaper world and into the orbit of a powerful publisher. It also leads to unexpected conflict with James.

This novel captures the atmosphere in England amidst Hitler's rise to power in Germany. Maisie is ambivalent about the future. She sees signs of impending danger, yet she is hopeful that the threat can be averted without another war. Maisie is still adjusting to her newly-acquired wealth. She no longer fits into the world she grew up in, but she isn't comfortable among the wealthy class, either. Her social unease has begun to affect her relationship with James.

Maisie continues to intrigue me. She manages to resolve her cases at a crossroad in her life, leaving readers wondering what direction she might take next. Unfortunately, I'll have to wait for the publication of the next book in the series to find out.

4 stars

Next up in audio: Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie

110. Murder Past Due by Miranda James
TIOLI #18 - Title/author's name includes a monetary unit (Rand)

After inheriting property from a beloved aunt, librarian Charlie Harris has moved back to his hometown in Mississippi, where he works part time in the archives and rare books collection of the local college. Charlie is surprised when a former classmate, now a successful thriller writer, shows up in his office. He's even more surprised when he discovers his classmate's dead body in his hotel room later that day. Godfrey Priest seemed to have more enemies than friends, so there are plenty of people with a motive for murder, including jilted girlfriends, jealous husbands, and angry relatives. Charlie tries to straddle the fine line between helpfulness and interference as he attempts to provide just enough useful information to Acting Chief Deputy Kenesha Berry (daughter of his housekeeper, Azalea). Fortunately, Charlie's Maine Coon, Diesel, can usually find a way to ease a tense situation.

The book would have benefited from more careful editing prior to publication. I spotted one or two continuity errors as well as several spelling errors that wouldn't be caught by a word processor's spell check feature. At one point in the story, there's a question of who has keys to Charlie's office in the archives, and Charlie talks in terms of individuals who had a key. Charlie's boss wasn't one of them. That seems odd to me. I think it would be more common for administrators to have a master key (not a “set” of keys) that fit all of the locks in their administrative area. However, minor problems such as these are fairly common in this genre, and this book is an average representation of the genre. Charlie's constant companion, Diesel, is the lure that will attract cat-loving cozy readers to this series.

3 stars

Continuing with: Stamping Grounds by Charlie Connelly

I've been distracted from reading this morning by poking around on Ancestry looking at my Stout line. It's been a while since I actively worked on this line. I hit a brick wall at my ggg-grandfather in Indiana. Since I last looked, several members have added parents for him in their family trees. I still have to verify the information, but if it turns out to be correct, then Rex Stout is my 3rd cousin 3 times removed. I had heard a family rumor that we were related, but I hadn't been able to prove a connection.

What a great find, Carrie! How lovely to be related to such a renowned author — and a man of many other talents from what I've read. He's one of my very favorites.

111. Stamping Grounds by Charlie Connelly
TIOLI #13 - Book about a sport played in summer (soccer/football)

If, like me, you like to root for the underdog, you'll enjoy Charlie Connelly's sports/travel narrative about his year following Liechtenstein's national soccer team. Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in Europe with a population of just over 30,000. The team is realistic about their chances against teams from much larger countries with lots of professional players to choose from. However, their goal is to improve the quality of soccer in their country and the skill level of their young players, and playing in the qualifying rounds for the World Cup is a means to achieve that goal. The plan is already working by the time Connelly comes along. The team he follows through the qualification matches for the 2002 World Cup includes a handful of professional and semi-professional players, as well as several amateurs.

I became a Liechtenstein fan in the course of reading the book. I was impressed by the character of the players and by their outlook on life. Even the professional players realized that there's more to life than soccer, and they all had goals for life beyond soccer. They all seemed to be aware of the incredible opportunity that being on the national team gave them to play against some of the best players in Europe. While they might be a little star-struck, they weren't intimidated, and their defensive style of play forced the other teams to work hard for each goal.

Connelly seems to have had a genuine admiration for most of the people he met in his travels to Liechtenstein. His humor is just as often at his own expense as anyone else's. His frequent trips gave him plenty of time to see all the country has to offer, and his book is as much travel narrative as sports journalism. Highly recommended for both sports fans and readers of travel literature.

4 1/2 stars

Next up: The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny

Enjoy the Louise Penny........I so envy you having that to look forward to. I read it back in May as an ARC, and now want to read it again....and again....and again.

Tina, I'm suffering from withdrawal now since I finished the book last night. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to get an ARC of the next one so I won't have to wait so long to find out what happens next.

I still have to wait until the library orders our September shipment and until it arrives. I'm looking forward to it though.

>88 thornton37814: Or I can add my copy to your pile.

112. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
TIOLI #9 - Title/author includes a word with 9 or more letters

Here was a community of men who communicated all day, every day. Just not with words. The smallest gesture took on a meaning and significance that would be lost in the hurly-burly of the outside world.

Would be lost on him, Gamache knew, if he wasn't careful. How much had he already missed?

Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvior are called to investigate the murder of a monk in a remote Quebec monastery. The monastic order had been thought extinct until very recently, when the monks became an international sensation following the release of a recording of their chants. Things haven't been the same at the monastery since, and the monks seem to be divided into two factions. Did disagreement among the monks escalate to murder, or was there another, hidden motive that led to the prior's death?

The residents of Three Pines are missing from this installment, as is Agent Lacoste. This is very much Jean-Guy Beauvoir's book, just as Bury Your Dead was Gamache's. Beauvior has never been one of my favorite characters – he's often brash, and he lacks the charisma to get away with it. I've developed a sympathy for him over the course of the last three books in the series, though, and I'd like to see things work out well for him.

I think it would be possible to read this as a stand-alone, but I don't recommend it. While a murder case is solved within each book, there are other plot threads that develop over the course of the series. There's a storm brewing within the Sûreté, and it grew much bigger in the course of this novel. Somehow I'll have to find a way to live with the suspense until the publication of the next book in the series next year.

4 1/2 stars

113. Sad Cypress by Agatha Christie

This is a somewhat typical country house murder with a typical cast of characters – a wealthy invalid with stylish young relatives who live a bit above their means, a beautiful but penniless neighbor, a handsome young doctor, a couple of private duty nurses. There's also a love triangle (or is it a rectangle)? What's atypical for this series is that Poirot isn't called in until a trial is imminent. Since he wasn't at the scene of the crime, he has to rely more than ever on his little gray cells to sort out truth from falsehood as he interviews witnesses.

I don't think this structure suits Poirot very well. There's too much distance between Poirot, the evidence, and the suspects. Since a lot of the evidence is presented in the courtroom, the reader doesn't get the benefit of Poirot's cryptic comments on the significance of some apparently trivial clue or bit of information. He has to save it all for his summing up. While this doesn't rank among Christie's best, in my opinion, it's still better than the best of many other mystery authors. Readers who already have a few Poirot novels under their belts might enjoy the change of pace.

3 1/2 stars

Next up in audio: Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

114. Snow Angels by James Thompson

In the days leading up to Christmas, the disfigured body of a Somali immigrant actress is discovered in a Finnish field. Inspector Kari Vaara and his team are on the puzzling case. Is it a sex crime, a hate crime, or both? As the evidence is unearthed, it points closer and closer to Vaara's circle of family, friends, and community. Is it possible that person who committed this horrible crime is someone Vaara knows?

The book gets off to a promising start, but it begins to fizzle somewhere near the middle. The author tried to do a bit too much with this first-in-series novel. It seems like he introduced more suspects and clues than he was able to handle. I liked some aspects of the book. It was interesting to read about the dark days of winter when the sun never rises above the Arctic Circle and the psychological effect this has on the people who live there. I also learned about a conservative Lutheran sect I'd never heard of before, the Laestadians. However, the excessive use of coarse language is a turn-off for me, and it's enough to put me off of the rest of the series.

3 stars

Next up: Sins of a Shaker Summer by Deborah Woodworth

I am glad to see that you ended up enjoying Elegy for Eddie so much. I am looking forward to reaching that point in the series.

I am adding Finding Amelia to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation of that one!

Hi Stasia! I don't think Jacqueline Winspear is capable of writing a bad book. The Maisie Dobbs series just keeps getting better and better.

Hope you enjoy Finding Amelia whenever it emerges from the BlackHole!

Well, it would be really helpful if my local library had Finding Amelia! Since it does not, it is going to be a while before the book comes out of the BlackHole.

OK, you've added to my TBR list -- Finding Amelia (my library doesn't have it either) and No One You Know, which our library does have.

The Beautiful Mystery is already at the top of my list.

Great reviews!

Thanks Terri! I had looked forward to the new Louise Penny for so long that I hated to finish it so quickly. At the same time, I wanted to rush through it to see how it ended.

115. The Notorious Elizabeth Tuttle by Ava Chamberlain
TIOLI #5 - Book includes a diagram of a family tree

Even if you've never heard of Elizabeth Tuttle, you've probably heard of her famous grandson, Jonathan Edwards. The Edwards family and its progenitors were used by proponents of eugenics to support their theory. When eugenics' critics discovered the skeleton in the family closet, Elizabeth Tuttle, they used her to discredit the theory. The characterization of Elizabeth Tuttle Edwards as a promiscuous, mentally defective woman continues to find acceptance among modern historians and Edwards biographers.

Chamberlain uses the lens of microhistory to examine the life of Elizabeth Tuttle. Her marriage to Richard Edwards began under the cloud of pregnancy and the birth of a child less than seven months after the marriage. Although a court determined that Richard Edwards was the reputed father of the child, he never acknowledged paternity. The marriage ended in divorce some twenty years later. However, none of the documents that have survived record Elizabeth's voice.

The surviving evidence from the two court cases at the beginning and end of the Edwards-Tuttle marriage raise questions about the accepted characterization of Richard Edwards as a long-suffering husband and Elizabeth as his rebellious and promiscuous wife. Richard wasn't a saint; he admitted to premarital sex with Elizabeth while denying he fathered her child, and he had an affair with a younger women before he petitioned for divorce. While Elizabeth had her faults, she probably wasn't the promiscuous woman she is portrayed to have been.

Through Chamberlain's examination of the historical records documenting the lives of Elizabeth's close relations, a whisper emerges from Elizabeth's silence. Chamberlain's research and analysis may serve to restore the reputation of this much-maligned Puritan woman.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

4 stars

Continuing with: Sins of a Shaker Summer by Deborah Woodworth

116. Sins of a Shaker Summer by Deborah Woodworth
TIOLI #17 - Book with a season in the title

Something isn't right in the North Homage Shaker community, and it seems to have something to do with the Medicinal Herb Garden and the recently transferred Shakers from a sister community. The new residents in North Homage mainly keep to themselves. What secrets do they harbor? And did one of those secrets eventually lead to death? Sister Rose Callahan's recent appointment as eldress doesn't stop her from pursuing her own investigation, just as she did when she was the community's trustee.

This is another enjoyable installment in a Depression-era cozy series set in a Kentucky Shaker community. While the mystery is a bit slow to develop, the characters and setting will sustain most readers' interest until the suspense starts to build. The medicinal herb aspect of the plot should appeal to cozy readers with an interest in gardening. While I enjoyed spending time with characters I had come to know through the first two books in the series, there's nothing about the plot that would require reading the previous books first. Recommended for historical cozy fans.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: Town in a Blueberry Jam by B.B. Haywood

117. Town in a Blueberry Jam by B.B. Haywood
TIOLI #10 - Book by an author who commonly publishes using his/her initials

When Cape Willington's Lothario falls to his death from a cliff on the shore, some locals have their suspicions about the circumstances. Then the new Blueberry Queen and gossip columnist Sapphire Vine is found dead. Blueberry farmer Candy Holliday is distressed when she learns that the town handyman has been taken into custody as a suspect in Sapphire's murder. Ray is a gentle soul, and Candy is convinced he isn't capable of murder. Since the police aren't looking any farther for the killer, Candy undertakes her own investigation with a little help from her father and her best friend, Maggie.

The small-town Maine setting may remind readers of Jessica Fletcher's Cabot Cove. However, the first book in the series leans a little more toward the Perils of Pauline than toward Murder, She Wrote. (Or maybe, as the characters themselves suggest, toward Lucy and Ethel in I Love Lucy.) I don't like it when characters put themselves in needless danger, when they withhold evidence from the police, or when they rationalize illegal behavior. Candy did all three in the course of her investigation. I did enjoy the setting and the charming cast of characters, so I'll probably make at least one more visit to Cape Willington.

3 stars

118. Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

“A coincidence is just an explanation waiting to happen.” If you can't buy into that philosophy, the Jackson Brodie novels probably aren't for you. Kate Atkinson is a master at stringing together coincidence after coincidence into a suspenseful narrative. Coincidence usually results in a predictable plot, but the Jackson Brodie novels are anything but predictable. As the coincidences accumulate and seem to point in one direction, the story will take an unexpected turn and go somewhere most readers wouldn't guess. Even though Jackson Brodie goes to some pretty dark places, including within himself, there's quite a bit of humor, and even joy, within the pages of this novel. And a dog and a cute kid. What more can a reader ask for? I think Courtney would give this one two thumbs up. Who is Courtney, you ask? You'll have to read the book to find out!

4 stars

Next up in audio: An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd

The dog was definitely a bonus to the great-as-usual Atkinson prose!

119. The Wrecker by Robert Louis Stevenson and Lloyd Osborne
TIOLI #14 - Work written & set in the Victorian era

The Wrecker is different from other Robert Louis Stevenson books I've read. For one thing, he wrote the novel with his stepson, Lloyd Osborne. Also, Stevenson and Osborne seemed to be experimenting with form:

We had long been at once attracted and repelled by that very modern form of the police novel or mystery story, which consists in beginning your yarn anywhere but at the beginning, and finishing it anywhere but at the end; attracted by its peculiar interest when done, and the peculiar difficulties that attend its execution; repelled by that appearance of insincerity and shallowness of tone, which seems its inevitable drawback. For the mind of the reader, always bent to pick up clews, receives no impression of reality or life, rather of an airless, elaborate mechanism; and the book remains enthralling, but insignificant, like a game of chess, not a work of human art... After we had invented at some expense of time this method of approaching and fortifying our police novel, it occurred to us it had been invented previously by someone else, and was in fact—however painfully different the results may seem—the method of Charles Dickens in his later work.

At the time Stevenson and Osborne wrote the novel, the mystery genre was still in its early days. In many ways, the novel is more like the sensation novels of the Victorian era than 20th century (or later) mysteries. Of course, it also has a strong element of adventure typical of Stevenson's better-known works. While the premise is interesting, the structure isn't entirely successful. The setting shifts between Scotland, Paris, San Francisco, Midway Islands, and Australia. The mystery isn't introduced until about halfway through the book. The suspense builds once the wreck of the Flying Scud enters the story. Why is the wreck so valuable? What secrets does it hold? Why does its captain behave so strangely? The first-person narrator, Loudon Dodd, is perceptive enough to question many of the circumstances, but not perceptive enough to piece together an explanation without a revelation from another character.

I wouldn't have discovered this book had I not been looking for something with a Midway Islands setting. It was a mildly entertaining read, and I learned a little about some unfamiliar occupations and parts of the world. Since I downloaded it free on the Internet, it didn't cost me anything but time.

3 stars

Next up: Treason's Harbour by Patrick O'Brian

120. An Unmarked Grave by Charles Todd
TIOLI #6 - Series book by an author with fewer books in it than another of the author's series

While nursing in France during World War I, Bess Crawford learns of an extra body in the place where those killed in battle have been gathered. Although the body bears no identification, Bess recognizes him as an officer from her father's former regiment. He appears to have been murdered by someone who may still be in the area. Before she can alert the matron, she falls ill with influenza. Her memory is vague when she recovers. How much is real and how much did she dream in her illness? When more murder victims turn up, Bess realizes that her own life is in danger. The killer isn't leaving any witnesses alive, and Bess may be the only person left who can identify him.

The premise for the murder is similar to Ellis Peters' One Corpse Too Many. However, it's a plot that works well in a war situation. Bess had a good reason for trying to find the killer since her own life was in danger. Most of the way through the book I felt like it was shaping up to be the best book in the series, but the ending was a little disappointing. It relies too much on coincidence.

I'm curious about where Bess's relationship with Sergeant Major Simon Brandon might be going. It's a bit strange. Bess treats him like part of the family, and he seems like an older brother, or even a third parent at times. This book introduces a new potential suitor for Bess who seems more age appropriate. He is clearly jealous of Simon and thinks of him as a rival for Bess's affection. At the rate things are going in this series, we might not find out where Bess's feelings lie until somewhere around book 10!

3 1/2 stars

Next up in audio: Threadbare by Monica Ferris

I too am curious about the relationship with Sgt Maj Brandon....it fact, it is probably the only thing that will keep me reading another in this series. Getting too dull without some romantic spice.

Maybe it's awkward to write romance with your mother? It seems like this was the book where something should have happened. Even if neither one declared their feelings, under the circumstances at least one of them should have realized there might be something more than friendship or brotherly affection there.

121. Threadbare by Monica Ferris
TIOLI #9 - Title or author's name includes a word with 9 or more letters

When the bodies of not one, but two homeless women are discovered in the snow in Excelsior, MN, the local police suspect that the women died from something other than exposure. Coincidentally, both women have relatives in the area who are customers of Betsy Devonshire's needlecraft shop. When both customers fall under suspicion for the murders, Betsy agrees to look into the deaths.

One of the things I enjoy most about this series is spending time with characters who seem like old friends. A new character steals some of the scenes in this installment. In the course of her investigation into women's shelters, Betsy befriends a homeless woman, Annie. Annie turns out to be a helpful ally in Betsy's investigation. The two even go on a rail journey together. I really liked Annie and I hope we'll see her again.

This installment has a little more depth than many of the other books in the series. As she investigates the murders, Betsy (and her readers) learn about the problem of homelessness. Readers new to the series shouldn't be distracted from the plot by references that only make sense if you've read earlier books in the series. The author provides just enough of the back story for the series to make sense to new readers without giving away major spoilers for earlier books.

4 stars

Next up in audio: The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith

122. Powers of Arrest by Jon Talton
TIOLI #6 - Series book by an author with another series that includes more books than this one

Cincinnati Detective Will Borders has been on desk duty since he returned to work after having a tumor removed from his spine. When the department is under pressure to solve a high profile case involving a female police officer, Borders is placed in charge of the investigation because of his clearance record during his time in homicide. Meanwhile, nurse Cheryl Beth Wilson, now an adjunct nursing professor at Miami University in Oxford, is pulled into the investigation of a double murder of some coeds. Both victims as well as the prime suspect were in Cheryl Beth's class. When it appears that the Oxford murders and the Cincinnati murder are connected, Cheryl Beth and Will are soon reunited, having met in a previous case. Something had sparked between Will and Cheryl Beth in their earlier meeting, and it doesn't take long for the pair to become more than friends.

I was drawn to this book by the Cincinnati setting. I'm a little familiar with the city since I travel through the area regularly. The book includes plenty of local color with its references to neighborhoods such as Over-the-Rhine and Price Hill and local chains like Skyline Chili and Graeter's. I also enjoyed the musical aspect of the book. Will is a season ticket holder for the symphony, and his investigations bring him into contact with musicians. I have a fairly low tolerance for profanity and explicit sex, and this was the only real downside of the book for me.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

4 stars

123. Treason's Harbour by Patrick O'Brian
TIOLI #4 - The word "patience" appears within the 1st 5 pages of chapter 1

Treason's Harbour finds the crew of the Surprise in Malta while the ship undergoes repairs. Malta is crawling with spies, keeping Stephen Maturin particularly busy with espionage and counter espionage. Orders send Captain Aubrey and his crew on missions that could be compromised by leaked intelligence. Will the combination of Aubrey's nautical skill and Maturin's sharp mind keep the Surprise and its men from falling into a trap?

I've wanted to try this series for a while because I've heard so many good things about it. Normally I wouldn't start in the middle of a series, but I picked this one up because I needed a book set in Malta. Enough of the series back story is included so that I didn't feel like I was missing information crucial to the plot. I thought the ending was rather abrupt, leaving some major plot threads unresolved. I liked it well enough to want to read more in the series, but I'm torn between continuing from this point in the series so I can find out what happens next or going back to the beginning of the series.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King

124. A Lack of Temperance by Anna Loan-Wilsey
TIOLI #7 - JASPER memorial (A)

When secretary Hattie Davish arrives in an Arkansas resort town, she is surprised to learn that her new employer, Mrs. Trevelyan, is the president of a national temperance organization. The organization's annual meeting turns violent as some of the women, led by Mrs. Trevelyan, destroy one of the local saloons. Hattie has difficulty locating Mrs. Trevelyan to receive instructions for her work, and when Hattie finally does find her, it's too late. She's been murdered. When the police focus on a single suspect, Hattie realizes that there are several other possible suspects with motives just as strong. With the help of a handsome young doctor and a pair of elderly sisters who take her under their wing, Hattie conducts her own investigation into her employer's death.

I really enjoyed this first in a new series historical mystery. The elections of 1892 anchor the historical setting, with an incumbent Benjamin Harrison, sympathetic to the cause of temperance, running against Grover Cleveland. Temperance issues are also on the local ballot. The book also has a strong sense of place, with the spas, mineral springs, and hotels providing natural locations for the characters to run into each other. The number of credible suspects and red herrings kept me guessing up to the end. However, there were enough clues for me to figure out the identity of the murderer at the same time Hattie figured it out. I'll be keeping an eye out for the next book in the series so I can find out where her next secretarial job takes Hattie and what mysteries wait for her there.

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

4 stars

Continuing with: Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King

I've long wanted to try the Patrick O'Brian books so I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it. However, I'd undoubtedly start with Master and Commander.

Linda, I think I'm going to read the next book in the Aubrey-Maturin series, then watch the movie since it seems to be based on that book. Then I'll go back and start at the beginning of the series. I remember someone on LT (maybe lorax?) suggesting that readers start with book 3 and go back and pick up the earlier books after reading several books in the series. Maybe the first couple of books aren't as characteristic of the way the series eventually develops? However, I probably would have started with book 1 had I not been looking for the Malta setting to fill in my Europe Endless challenge.

125. The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith
TIOLI #1 - Random tag generator ("Read but unowned")

Three years after the events of Child 44, former MGB agent Leo Dimidov is working for a homicide unit in Moscow, the only one of its kind. Leo and his wife Raisa are doing their best to provide a good home for their two adopted daughters, who came with psychological and emotional baggage. Khrushchev has succeed Stalin as head of state, and the circulation of a speech he delivered in congress is turning the Soviet Union upside down. In his days with the MGB, Leo had been a willing participant some of Stalin's atrocities, but he had rejected that life before Stalin's death. When one of Leo's victims from his past sets out to exact revenge, Leo's fragile family may pay the price.

I didn't find this book quite as suspenseful as Child 44. It got off to a slow start for me. The plot involved a lot of stage setting in regard to Khrushchev's speech, the gulag system, the vory criminal network, and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The pace picked up noticeably somewhere around 2/3 to ¾ of the way through and it became a page-turner. The villainess in the story reminded me of a character you might encounter in an action comic, and it probably wouldn't have surprised me if Superman or Batman had made an appearance. Even without super powers, Leo somehow manages to survive to return again in one more installment in the trilogy. How much more can one man endure? I'll have to read the last book in the trilogy to find out.

3 1/2 stars

Next up in audio: Poe's Detective: the Dupin Stories by Edgar Allan Poe

126. Leonardo and the Last Supper by Ross King
TIOLI #3 - Old/New challenge

Despite its iconic status, I knew very little about Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper before reading Ross King's book. I know a lot more about it now. This isn't a dry analysis of Leonardo's technique. It's an informative and entertaining look at Leonardo da Vinci's life, particularly the years spent in the court of the Duke of Milan. King puts the work into its historical context within Leonardo's career, the Renaissance art world, and the political climate in Milan in the late 15th century.

After reading about Leonardo's trail of unfinished projects leading up to The Last Supper, I think it's a wonder that he completed it. Since Leonardo didn't use the typical fresco technique, he had a wider range of colors available to him. Unfortunately, the painting began to show signs of deterioration even within Leonardo's lifetime. After centuries of well-meaning but disastrous preservation and restoration efforts and near-destruction from a World War II bombing, it's amazing that there's anything left to see. My bucket list now includes a trip to Milan to see what's left of the mural in person. I wish I could have done that about 500 years ago!

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: Given Up for Dead: America's Heroic Stand at Wake Island by Bill Sloan and Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal

Now that sounds quite interesting! I believe I'll have to put that da Vinci book on the wishlist.

I think the release date is October 30 so it will be available at the end of the month.

127. Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
TIOLI #3 - Old or New challenge

Maggie Hope has come a long way since her days as a typist for Winston Churchill. She's been in training with MI5, but she's struggled with the physical aspects of the training. However, it's her mathematical skills that result in her first assignment. There are concerns that the Germans may have plans to harm Princess Elizabeth. Maggie will pose as her math tutor while she tries to identify the enemy who may have infiltrated the king's household.

I didn't have trouble suspending my disbelief regarding the royal characters and the Windsor Castle setting. I ran into problems with the openness of the characters among relative strangers. Maggie doesn't need to be particularly observant since everyone she meets seems to freely share personal information with her. Despite everything she's told, Maggie still manages to miss obvious clues. She isn't a very good spy. She's sometimes suspicious of people she should trust, and she often trusts people she shouldn't. She's overconfident and prone to let her emotions determine her actions. I might have liked the book more if I hadn't read any of Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs novels. Maggie suffers in comparison to Maisie.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

2 1/2 stars

128. Poe's Detective: The Dupin Stories by Edgar Allan Poe
TIOLI #8 - Book by a dead author

This compilation includes Poe's three Auguste Dupin stories rounded off with a non-Dupin story involving a mysterious murder. Even though I'm pretty sure I hadn't previously read any of the stories, I was familiar with the plots of the Dupin stories from adaptations, cultural references, etc.

Once you know the solution of “The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, it's hard to forget it as you read/listen. Dupin's endless description of his reasoning process is then more tedious than suspenseful. “The Mystery of Marie Roget” is even worse. After listening to an hour's worth of Dupin's inferences about the case, I thought I had missed his solution. I found a copy online to check what I'd missed and discovered I hadn't missed anything. The story (based on a real-life unsolved murder) stops abruptly without reaching a satisfactory conclusion.

“The Purloined Letter” is the most successful of the three Dupin stories. It's certainly the shortest, and thus it doesn't suffer as much from Dupin's long-winded monologues. The plot is both simple and clever. I also enjoyed “Thou Art the Man”, a non-Dupin story about the mysterious disappearance and death of a wealthy man that ends with an interesting twist.

I couldn't help comparing Dupin with Sherlock Holmes since their characters are so similar. I think the Holmes stories work better because of Dr. Watson. Neither Dupin nor Holmes are particularly personable, but Watson provides readers with a sympathetic character.

3 stars

Next up in audio: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

129. Eleven Pipers Piping by C. C. Benison
TIOLI #3 - Old or New challenge

As chaplain of the local bagpipe group, vicar Tom Christmas has been invited to say the Selkirk Grace at the group's annual Burns Supper. Unfortunately, only eleven of the pipers are able to make it to the dinner when a heavy snow falls on the village. The even dozen turns into thirteen at dinner when a stranded traveler shows up at the inn where the banquet is taking place. Thirteen proves to be an unlucky number when one of the banqueters goes missing and is eventually discovered dead. With Tom's housekeeper under suspicion for causing the death, Tom is compelled to sort through the confusion to discover what really happened that fateful night.

This second mystery set in a Devon village is even better than the first. Several characters from the first book reappear in this one, and they're already beginning to seem like old friends. Each character contributes to the advancement of the plot in some way. Because of his role as a vicar, Tom keeps getting drawn into the events that follow the death, whether by breaking bad news to the family of the deceased, providing hospitality to strangers, making pastoral visits, or delivering a sermon that addresses what's on everyone's mind. Just when I was sure the plot was headed to one conclusion, it took a surprising turn and went in an unexpected direction. My only major complaint is that the resolution relies too much on coincidence.

It should be obvious that the next book in the series will involve “ten lords a-leaping”. The author laid the groundwork for it in this book. It will involve an activity I'd very much rather watch than participate in myself, and I'm already looking forward to reading about it.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

4 stars

Next up: Where Death Delights by Bernard Knight, as well as continuing with Given Up for Dead by Bill Sloan

You've really whetted my appetite for this Fr. Tom Christmas series. I was able to request the first one ILL in audio. Can't wait.

Tina, I liked but didn't love the first book in the series. It took a while to introduce all the characters. I'm glad I stuck with the series because I think it's one I'll continue to enjoy whenever I'm in the mood for a village cozy.

I liked the first one by Benison and am looking forward to the second one. I haven't done net galley for forever and wish I'd seen this one.

Linda, I think it's still available for requests at NetGalley.

Thanks for letting me know. It couldn't hurt to try.

ETA: I hadn't been to net galley in over a year. All remodeled. I got a book on basketball history, automatically. It looks like the selection is far better than it was. Thanks again.

Oh thanks for letting us know about it being on Net Galley.....I just requested....we'll see if they approve. Do you think I need to read the other one first tho?

I think it would help to read the books in order. Lori (thornton37814) read a NetGalley copy of the second one without having read the first one and I think it might have made a difference in her experience of the book. She didn't like it nearly as well as I did.

I need to thank Linda for introducing me to this series. I added the first book to my TBR list after she reviewed it on one of her threads last year.

130. Given Up for Dead: America's Heroic Stand at Wake Island by Bill Sloan
TIOLI #9 - Book about survival

Before reading this book, I was vaguely aware that a World War II battle had taken place on Wake Island at some point during the war. I didn't know that it was the first U.S. Engagement of the war, or that it began just hours after Pearl Harbor was bombed. It was likened to the Alamo at the time, yet unlike Pearl Harbor, it's rarely mentioned today.

When the war started, the Americans were behind in preparing the island's defenses. Marine and Navy personnel were outnumbered by civilian construction workers. When the Japanese bombing started, undermanned military units recruited civilians to help defend the island. When there weren't enough weapons available to arm all of the civilians, some of them carried ammunition, filled sand bags, and performed other vital support functions. One group of civilians was quickly trained and put to work manning a three-inch gun under the leadership of a Marine. The gun would otherwise have sat unused since there weren't enough Marines to man it.

Based on various histories of the battle and interviews with survivors, Sloan pieces together a day-by-day account of the battle for Wake Island. The skill and determination of the defenders is still as inspirational as it was in 1941. It was heartbreaking to read of the controversial decision to surrender at a point when a U.S. victory still seemed possible. It was even more heartbreaking to read about the treatment the military and civilian personnel received as prisoners of war. These brave men deserve to be remembered for their perseverance and ingenuity in overcoming innumerable disadvantages in the fulfillment of their duty.

5 stars

Next up: Journey to Portugal by Jose Saramago; Where Death Delights by Bernard Knight

131. Childhood Pleasures: Dutch Children in the Seventeenth Century by Donna Barnes and Peter G. Rose
TIOLI #3 - Old or new challenge

Since I have ancestors who lived in the Netherlands in the 17th century, I'm interested in books that will help me learn about my ancestors' daily lives. I've always been attracted to Dutch and Flemish art from the 16th and 17th centuries. I was thrilled to find a book that combines both of these interests. Barnes and Rose have selected art works depicting Dutch children's lives in the 17th century. Brief essays accompanying each art work analyze the images of childhood, including food, clothing, toys, games, pets, and holiday activities. Introductory essays on childhood toys and games and on children's food set the context for the art selections. The book includes several recipes for typical food from the era, including some of the foods depicted in the art works.

I learned what I hoped I would learn about how my Dutch ancestors lived in the 17th century. The depictions of family life and children's games brought back happy memories of my own childhood. The authors' stated hope is that the book will be enjoyed by families and will provide an occasion for parents and grandparents to share their childhood memories with their children and grandchildren. This is just the sort of book my grandmother would have loved. I always headed for her bookshelves soon after arriving at her house, and I would have been drawn to a book like this. It's a book that can be enjoyed repeatedly, whether by looking at a painting or two or by preparing one of the recipes. It's one I'll be purchasing for my permanent collection. Highly recommended.

This book is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

4 1/2 stars

Oh well, I got turned down on my net galley request for the second Benison mystery. I still intend to read it soon after it's published.

Linda, I'm sorry you didn't get the NetGalley ARC. The book is due out next week so you won't have to wait too long to read it.

132. Where Death Delights by Bernard Knight
TIOLI #11 - Word associated with a cemetery in the title (Death)

It's 1955, and forensic pathologist Richard Pryor has recently returned to his native Wales from Singapore. Angela Bray has decided to leave her job at the Metropolitan Police lab in London after a broken engagement. After meeting at a conference, Richard and Angela decided to go into business for themselves. They've just set up shop in a house Richard inherited from an aunt. An old friend of Richard's serves as a coroner in the area and he starts throwing business their way. Their cases include a contested identity claim that will involve an exhumation and the drowning death of an expert swimmer.

This is one of those books that just doesn't live up to its promise. The plot gets lost in the details. The author was himself a pathologist who got his start in the same era. This seems to be more of a liability than an asset, since he includes a lot of irrelevant details. Instead of focusing on just one case, the author includes calls for Richard's examinations of several corpses that end up being open and shut cases. It was a little like reading about James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small, except the “patients” were human remains rather than living animals. What we're told of Richard and Angela's personal lives seems more adolescent than adult. They're both living in the house where they set up shop. The young lab technician, the widowed housekeeper, and Angela all seem to be interested in Richard to some degree and, consequently, all jealous of each other to some degree. I'll leave them to sort things out on their own. I'm not interested enough in this series to continue with it.

2 stars

Next up: Grave Consequences by Dana Cameron

I noticed that coincidentally this message number matches my book number!

I'll probably start Grave Consequences tomorrow. It will probably take tonight to finish my current read!

133. Grave Consequences by Dana Cameron
TIOLI #11 - Title/author includes a word associated with a cemetery (grave)

Emma Fielding should have sensed something was wrong when her friend, Jane, failed to pick her up at the airport on her arrival in London. Emma has arranged to spend a couple of weeks with her friend and fellow archaeologist while she's in the U.K. for research. Jane is directing an excavation of a ruined abbey, and Emma is looking forward to helping out at the dig without the usual pressures that come with being the project director. It's soon apparent to Emma that things aren't going well. Jane and her project face opposition from some of the local residents, including a local builder/developer and a Wiccan who believes the site has pagan connections. Jane and her husband seem to have hit a rocky patch in their marriage. Emma is disturbed by the lax work standards in comparison with digs in the U.S., particularly evidenced by the unexplained absence of several team members. When the murdered body of a missing team member is discovered, Emma feels compelled to do what she can to clear her friend from suspicion of murder.

This is one of those books that doesn't quite live up to its promise. The archaeological aspect of the plot is under-emphasized. Emma spends much more time away from the site than on it. A couple of suspicious characters drop out of the action without explanation. The plot relies too much on coincidence. Emma doesn't need to deduce anything since other characters helpfully confide their secrets to her. I think it was probably a mistake to move Emma out of her home territory and her usual role of project director in the second book of the series. I liked the first book in the series well enough to give it another chance. If there's no improvement in the next one, I doubt I'll read any more in the series.

2 1/2 stars

Next up: Passage to Ararat by Michael J. Arlen

134. Passage to Ararat by Michael J. Arlen
TIOLI #7 - Jasper memorial

Michael J. Arlen's father, Michael Arlen, rarely talked about Armenia or Armenians. By the time young Michael was born, his father had traded his Armenian name for a more English sounding name. Arlen thought of himself as English, then American after the family moved to the U.S. and he became an American citizen. Armenians were something “other”, not a group he felt he belonged to.

Who are the Armenians, and how did they become what they are today? A couple of decades after his father's death, Arlen set out to discover his Armenian roots. He talked to Armenian Americans such as writer William Saroyan. Finally, Arlen and his wife traveled to Soviet Armenia. Arlen spent is days seeing the country with local guide Sarkis and spent his nights reading histories and reference works.
Arlen struggled with his reaction to what he learned about and saw of Armenian history and culture, particularly the Turkish genocide that has shaped Armenian identity since the beginning of the 20th century. His father never spoke of this, so Arlen hadn't internalized this event that shapes a particularly Armenian worldview.

It was difficult to read about the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenians and the suffering of those who survived. It was chilling to realize that the Germans had a presence in Turkey during the First World War, and that the things they witnessed and heard about might have influenced what the Nazis did to the Jews of Europe. Arlen's position as an “outsider” allows him to write somewhat dispassionately about the events. The bare facts are overwhelming enough.

My only disappointment with the book is that, although Arlen mentions a number of histories and quotes extensively from some of them, there isn't a bibliography to help interested readers dig deeper into Arlen's source material. Recommended for readers interested in family history, Armenia and Armenians, and memoirs.

4 stars

Next up: What Matters in Jane Austen? by John Mullan

135 A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park
TIOLI #10 - Book with average rating between 4.00 and 4.50

Tree-ear is an orphan who lives in a 12th century Korean village known for its pottery. He spends his days searching for food for himself and his friend, Crane-man, and he always stops to watch the potter, Min, as he works. Min is the best potter in the village, and Tree-ear dreams of learning to make pottery as fine as Min's. When Tree-ear accidentally breaks one of Min's works, it provides him with an unexpected opportunity to become Min's assistant in order to work off his debt. Tree-ear is gradually given more responsibilities. When he is called on to make a long journey on Min's behalf, Tree-ear must remember all he has learned from living with Crane-man and from watching Min in his work.

Some years I wonder what the judges were thinking when they selected the Newbery Medal winner. Not this time. Every element of the story works – plot, character, historical detail, and educational value. It could be used as supplemental reading for social studies or art. It will provide opportunities for discussing values such as honesty, patience, courage, kindness, respect, and friendship. Since the book transcends traditional childhood concerns and themes, it can be enjoyed equally by adults and children. Highly recommended.

5 stars

Next up: Land of Green Plums by Herta Müller; continuing What Matters in Jane Austen?

136. What Matters in Jane Austen? by John Mullan
TIOLI #15 - Book with "who", "what", "where", or "when" in the title

Readers just getting to know Jane Austen's works or those who have been reading and rereading her for years will discover new depths to her work in the essays in this book. While the book includes background information on manners and customs of Austen's day, its primary aim is to analyze how Austen made such details serve a purpose in her work. Each chapter poses a question and answers it with numerous examples from Austen's oeuvre. “How much does age matter?” “Why is it risky to go to the seaside?” “Why is the weather important?” “Which important characters never speak in the novels?” “What do characters say when the heroine is not there?” “What do characters read?”

The essays in this book have given me a deeper appreciation for Austen's skill as a novelist. I've learned new ways to approach her books as a reader. The book is suitable for both academic and general readers. Although each chapter can stand on its own, many readers will want to read the book from cover to cover. Readers who take the latter approach should be aware that there is some repetition between chapters, as some of the same passages are used to illustrate different points in different chapters. Highly recommended for all Austen enthusiasts.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

4 1/2 stars

Currently reading: The Land of Green Plums by Herta Müller

137. The Land of Green Plums by Herta Müller

Because we were afraid, Edgar, Kurt, Georg, and I met every day. We sat together at a table, but our fear stayed locked within each of our heads, just as we'd brought it to our meetings. We laughed a lot, to hide it from each other. But fear always finds an out. If you control your face, it slips into your voice. If you manage to keep a grip on your face and your voice, as if they were dead wool, it will slip out through your fingers. It will pass through your skin and lie there. You can see it lying around on objects close by.

The unnamed female narrator paints a picture of life in Romania under a dictatorship. The narrator and three male friends, all college students from provincial villages, come under surveillance for an unspecified reason. The four are aware that they're being watched, and their fear and paranoia increase with the passage of months and years as they await their uncertain future. Their friendship disintegrates as the few freedoms they have are gradually taken away from them.

This wasn't an easy read. The author uses a lot of symbolism, and I'm sure I missed plenty of it. It probably didn't help that I was reading the English translation, my only option since I don't speak German. I suspect that this was a difficult book to translate because of the nature of the book. Language seems to be an important aspect of the book, and the author most likely used words for a specific purpose for which there isn't an exact English equivalent. More experienced readers of this kind of fiction will be able to appreciate this novel more than I did, particularly if they're able to read it in its original German.

3 stars

Next up: Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley

I think we've just had an earthquake here. I felt the house shake for about 20 seconds. I can't find any news reports yet - I guess it's too soon - but I just called Lori, who lives about an hour away, and she felt it, too. It seems to have been stronger here, though.

ETA: The earthquake was centered in Kentucky about 150 miles away from me and about 130 miles from Lori. It's listed right now as a 4.3.

I keep awaiting an aftershock. Maybe that will be post-game instead since it happened right before it.

Getting shaken around is never a pleasant experience, I'm glad it was a mild one. We had another one here on the west coast the other day as well, again this one was out of my range being north and west - off the coast of Vancouver Island.

138. Speaking From Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
TIOLI #9 - Title has a Scrabble value of more than 6 (10)

Spring has arrived in Bishops Lacey, along with Easter preparations at the village church. Since the church organist has mysteriously disappeared, Flavia de Luce's oldest sister, Ophelia (“Feely”) will have the honor of playing for the Easter services. Also in the works is the exhumation of St. Tancred, who is buried in the crypt. Naturally, Flavia manages to be at hand at the opening of the saint's tomb and the discovery of something that doesn't belong there. Meanwhile, the de Luce family's financial situation is getting worse. Will Flavia's father figure out a way to hold on to the family estate, or will the family be forced to leave Buckshaw forever?

This entry in the series leans more toward adventure novel, or perhaps treasure hunt, than detective fiction. Flavia is easily distracted from her investigations. However, her exploits and her encounters with various personalities in the village and its surrounding areas are entertaining enough to carry the plot. At this point in the series, my feelings for Flavia are much like Flavia's feelings for Inspector Hewitt's wife, Antigone. It's a privilege just to be in her presence. I'm already eagerly anticipating Flavia's next outing. Maybe I'll even brush up on my high school chemistry to pass the time while I wait for the release of book six!

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

4 stars

Next up: Early Reagan by Anne Edwards

Soooo happy to see your review for the latest Flavia installment Carrie! Now, I just have to calm down and wait for the darn thing to publish....

Lori, I think it will be worth the wait!

139. Early Reagan by Anne Edwards
TIOLI #1 - Book with mention of a fruit (apples)

Although Ronald Reagan had a life-long interest in politics, he was not a career politician. He was in his fifties when he first ran for public office. Anne Edwards' biography covers Reagan's life from his childhood to the beginning of his political career. Since this amounted to over half of Reagan's life, the book stretches to almost 500 pages.

The most interesting part of the book for me covered Reagan's pre-Hollywood years. I was very interested in his family background, his life in small towns in Illinois, his religious background, and his radio years in Des Moines, Iowa. Three of my grandparents were very close in age to Reagan – about the same age as his older brother. Two of the three were raised in small Midwestern towns. Like Reagan, these three grandparents were members of Disciples of Christ churches and were involved in the same kinds of youth activities. These three grandparents attended Disciples colleges at about the same time as Reagan. One of my grandfathers attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where just a few years later Reagan became a popular local radio personality. My other grandparents lived in Iowa after leaving college, where my grandfather was a Disciples minister. It's not inconceivable that they could have crossed paths with Reagan, and they most likely heard him on the radio at some point.

Reagan's early years in Hollywood also made for interesting reading. My interest in the book faded a good bit as the emphasis shifted to Reagan's involvement with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). The significance of the issues addressed by the SAG board is often lost among all the details of the meetings and side-notes about the personalities involved. It also seems like the author lost some of her objectivity in this part of the book. I sensed an undercurrent of disapproval in her description of Reagan's positions and decisions and her account of his activities during his years on the SAG board.

The book shows evidence of thorough research in archival sources and through personal interviews with many of Reagan's relatives, friends, and associates. As another reviewer has mentioned, the 2012 paperback edition includes footnotes that do not apply to this edition, such as the reference to the cover photo of the original hardback and an appendix with excerpts of Reagan's speeches that isn't included in the paperback edition. Since the book's tone is basically neutral, it should appeal to both Reagan's admirers and his critics. It's a good choice for readers interested in Reagan's life before the launch of his political career.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: The Search for Major Plagge: The Nazi Who Saved Jews by Michael Good

ETA: This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

140. The Search for Major Plagge: The Nazi Who Saved Jews by Michael Good
TIOLI #4 - Title or author's name includes "good", "better", or "best"

After examining many survivors' stories, I came to a new realization: that each Holocaust survivor represents a miracle of life and that almost all survivors owe their lives in small or large part to someone else's kindness, bravery, or courage. Thus, for many survivors of the holocaust and their descendants, an examination of the war does not necessarily lead only to the bloody horrors that mankind is capable of: it can also point to the ultimate triumph of good over evil.

Dr. Michael Good's book started out with a family trip to Vilnius, Lithuania, with his parents, wife, and children. Both of Dr. Good's parents were among the few Vilnius Jews who survived the Holocaust. During the trip, Dr. Good's father was reunited with two local families who gave him shelter during the war at great personal risk. When Dr. Good's mother told her story, she attributed her survival and that of her parents to a Nazi officer in the German army who made an effort to protect the Jews in his work camp. Major Plagge is credited with the survival of 250 Jews, almost 25% of those assigned to his work group. Overall, less than 2% of Vilnius’s Jews survived the Holocaust.

Dr. Good became intrigued by this German army officer who was spoken of so highly by his mother, grandfather, and other Holocaust survivors. What happened to this man after the war? Did his descendants know of his actions that resulted in the survival of so many Jews? After returning home, Dr. Good began making e-mail inquiries to archives, genealogical groups, and other organizations that might be able to answer some of his questions. As his e-mails spread to a wider network of colleagues and acquaintances of the original recipients, Dr. Good began to receive offers of assistance. Eventually, an official working group was formed, consisting of both survivors of Major Plagge's work group and Germans with archival skills or specialized knowledge of the German army and the post-war denazification process.

Once I started reading this book, I didn't want to stop. Major Plagge's story is revealed little by little in the same order that the research group made its discoveries. It's both a deeply moving and an inspiring account. By insisting on the humane treatment of the Jews, Poles, and other defenseless prisoners under his care, Major Plagge didn't just save many of them from certain death. He also restrained the Germans serving under him from committing acts of cruelty that would surely have haunted at least some of them for the rest of their lives. Although I pray that we'll never again see anything like the Holocaust, it's impossible to know what the future might hold. Stories like that of Major Plagge are important to remember as an example and an encouragement to choose good and resist evil.

4 1/2 stars

Next up: A Freak of Freedom by J. Theodore Bent

I'm almost finished with the Endless Europe challenge and my 50 states U.S. territories mini-challenge. While I don't want to tackle the entire world, I decided I'd like to do one more geographical challenge. Starting in 2013, I'm going to challenge myself to read one book set in or about each of the Commonwealth countries. Since these nations are scattered over several continents, it will give me a sampling of each one. If there's enough interest I'll set up a challenge group. Otherwise, I'll probably keep track of my progress on a wiki page.

I'm impressed that you've covered so much territory with the Europe and US challenges. I started the Endless Europe one early on but keep forgetting to go back and update my progress, which is very slow indeed. The commonwealth would certainly open up other parts of the world nicely, without taking on the whole world!

The geographical challenges have expanded my reading horizons. I've read some outstanding books (and a few duds as well) that I otherwise wouldn't have read if i hadn't been searching for a book to fit the challenge.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! No traveling for me this year. I've been invited to two dinners tomorrow, one at noon and one in the evening. I just made my favorite Jello salad for the first one - black cherry Jello, Bing cherries, pineapple, nuts, cream cheese, & Coke. I'm planning to take sweet potato pudding to the second one. I'll do what little prep work is needed in the morning, then try to make sure I get home from the first dinner in time to mix everything together and put it in the oven. I've been listening to The Good Earth while I work in the kitchen. I'm already past the part about the famine. I don't think I could have listened to that part of the story while cooking.

141. Tania: Memories of a Lost World by Tania Alexander
TIOLI #19 - Book borrowed from the public library

Tania Alexander's memoir is supposed to be about her childhood in Estonia between the world wars. However, Tania's mother, Moura Budberg, somehow dominates the story. Moura came from a wealthy Ukrainian family, and, as the youngest child, was spoiled by both parents. Tania's father was a member of the Baltic aristocracy in Estonia and the heir to a large estate. Although Tania was born in Russia, after the Revolution, she and her older brother went to Estonia with their father, while her mother remained in Russia. Tania's father was murdered not long after their move to Estonia. Tania and her older brother, Paul, continued to live in what had been the summer home on their father's estate with various cousins, aunts, uncles, and household help that included an Irish nanny.

Tania didn't see her mother again until 1921. From that point on, Moura made twice yearly visits to Estonia to see her children and family, but she continued to live apart from the family, first in Russia and then Italy as the secretary and mistress of Maxim Gorky, then in England as the mistress of H.G. Wells. Tania's childhood memories include a visit to Italy to visit her mother and Gorky and H.G. Wells' visit to Estonia with her mother.

Alexander and her mother didn't appear to have a strong mother-daughter bond. Alexander refers to her mother as Moura throughout the book, never as “mother” in any of its various forms. It's clear from Alexander's description of her mother that she had a difficult personality. Moura always needed to be the center of attention, and she seems to have been a pathological liar. I think it's to Alexander's credit that this book is not, like so many memoirs of children of celebrities, the story of how her mother's behavior ruined her life. Alexander seems to have accepted her mother as she was, and she writes of her with affection.

Alexander addresses the widespread claim that her mother was a spy. She explains why she doesn't believe these claims are true, and she offers evidence to contradict some of the stories told about her mother. Alexander acknowledges that her mother's propensity to lie and to make up stories about her past had fueled the rumors that circulated about her.

Although Alexander spent her formative years in Estonia, she seems to have had little contact with Estonians. Her Baltic uncles had all married Russian women, and it was the women who had the most influence in the household. Tania thought of herself as Russian. A surprisingly small percentage of the book is actually about Estonia. Alexander writes as much, if not more, about her mother's time in Russia and Italy and their years together in England after Tania finished school. While Moura certainly led and interesting life, I would have preferred more about Estonia and less about her.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: The Best Cellar by Charles A. Goodrum; still working on A Freak of Freedom by J. Theodore Bent

I read some of Goodrum's books years ago. I seem to remember liking them because of the book angle more than for the mysteries themselves.

I think this is the first one of his that I've read. Maybe some of the other ones are better plotted?

The one I remember is Dewey Decimated. I'd say it was probably about a 3 by my current ratings. I think the mystery was weak but that I liked the book angle.

I think there were four Goodrum books. Dewey Decimated was the first one, I believe. I read them when they first came out and enjoyed them.

Linda, I think I would have liked it better if I had read it when it first came out. The discussions about librarianship are interesting from a historical perspective, but practices have changed quite a bit in the last 25 years!

143. A Freak of Freedom by J. Theodore Bent
TIOLI #9 - First letters of title words have a Scrabble value higher than 6 (10)

If you're curious about the history of the Republic of San Marino, a tiny country in the middle of Italy, this is one of the few English language options you'll find. Fortunately, it's fairly readable and, thanks to Google's digitization of works in the public domain, it's easy to access. The author repeatedly refers to documents in San Marino's archives, and it appears that these documents were the author's main source of information, supplemented by secondary histories in various languages referenced in footnotes scattered throughout the text. The book is more than a century out of date, so if you want to know what effect the wars of the 20th century had on this tiny nation you'll need to look elsewhere. The OCR software didn't seem to handle the typeface well, so if you read the Google version, you'll need to be prepared to see “Eimini” for Rimini and “Eomagna” for Romagna, etc. I finally figured out that the abstract illustrations that appear on many pages were the left-hand fingers of the person holding the book in place as it was scanned. Since San Marino has such an unusual history and form of government, the book might be of interest to political science students, as well as to travelers headed for northern Italy.

3 stars

Still reading: Black Flower by Young-ha Kim

144. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
TIOLI #4 - Title or author's name includes the words "good", "better", or "best"

Pearl Buck is one of those authors I've been meaning to read for years. I finally did, and I'm glad I started with The Good Earth. The story seems both familiar and strange. The book addresses universal themes of family conflict, poverty and wealth, wisdom and folly, love and hate, but its setting in provincial China in the early 20th century is very different. It was jarring for the female sex to be referred to as “slaves”, yet that's how the women were treated even in wealthy households.

One of the most curious passages in the book is Wang Lung's encounter with Christian missionaries in the city. They provide much-needed assistance for the poor when conditions are bad, but seem to abandon them to their fate when conditions are at their worst. They distribute literature that the uneducated Wang Lung can't understand. He can't read the letters, and the pictures don't make any sense to him. The family puts the papers to good use, but not in the way the missionaries intended. Knowing that Pearl Buck was the daughter of missionaries, I can't help but see this as a commentary on the futility of the work of Western missionaries.

The story is well-suited for audio, and Anthony Heald's reading is delightful. I'm not sure I would have liked the book quite as well if I had read it rather than listened to it. Warmly recommended.

4 stars

145. Black Flower by Young-ha Kim
TIOLI #12 - Book I didn't finish for a previous month's TIOLI challenge

I've read a lot of non-fiction books that seem like novels. This may be my first novel that seems like non-fiction. It tells the story of the thousand-odd Koreans who left Korea during the Russo-Japanese War. They were headed for Mexico's Yucatán in the belief that it offered better opportunities than Japanese-occupied Korea. When they arrived, they discovered that they had been tricked into signing contracts for indentured servitude on henequen plantations. The novel follows several of the Korean immigrants from Korea to the plantations and through the Mexican Revolution.

There would have been little to hold my interest had the book been set in a different location. I would have preferred to read a non-fiction historical work on this topic, but apparently documentary sources are scarce. The novel included content I usually avoid in fiction, including supernatural elements such as demon possession as well as a few brief but graphic descriptions of sex. The novel also reminds me a bit of the few magical realism works I've read, but I don't think that element is strong enough to appeal to fans of that genre. I think this book will appeal most strongly to readers interested in Korean, Asian, Mexican, and/or Central American history.

3 stars

Next up: The Race to the New World by Douglas Hunter

ETA: This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

146. The Race to the New World by Douglas Hunter
TIOLI #6 - "R" in Christmas

The Race to the New World alternates between the story of Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Caribbean Islands and John Cabot's lesser-documented voyages across the northern Atlantic to Labrador and Newfoundland. Hunter takes a fresh look at primary documents (or in some cases, new translations of primary documents) and offers some new interpretations of the documentary evidence.

Readers familiar with this era will likely react differently to Hunter's work than I did. Before I read this book, my knowledge of this topic was limited to little more than the rhyme my 8th grade social studies teacher insisted we memorize: “In fourteen hundred and ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue.” Needless to say, I learned a lot from this book. It's as much a story of Renaissance politics and finance as it is of exploration. Hunter's explanation of the circumstances surrounding the Columbus and Cabot voyages extends to the pretender Perkin Warbeck's challenge to Henry VII's reign in England and, more familiar to me, the Italian Wars pitting Charles VIII of France against the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, and the League of Venice.

Although Hunter includes detailed notes on his sources and a fairly lengthy bibliography, the absence of footnotes/endnotes indicates that the book is targeted to a popular rather than a scholarly audience. Nevertheless, both the source notes and the text include enough details for interested researchers to follow his bibliographic trail. Recommended for all readers with an interest in the Renaissance era and/or the Age of Discovery.

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

4 stars

ETA next up: Guantanamo: An American History by Jonathan M. Hansen

147. A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas; illusrated by Trina Schart Hyman
TIOLI #1 - Tag round robin (Wales/classic)

Even if you've never been to Wales, this book will evoke feelings of nostalgia for the happy, carefree Christmases of childhood. The illustrations by Trina Schart Hyman draw you into Dylan Thomas's childhood world. They're worth lingering over. My favorite picture is the Useful Presents. It's priceless. The story leaves me feeling a little melancholy, straining to catch “the distant speaking of the voices I sometimes hear a moment before sleep.” Highly recommended.

5 stars

148. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
TIOLI #1 - Round robin tag challenge (African Americans/biography)

It's impossible to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks without thinking about the issues surrounding medical research, human subjects and informed consent, medical ethics, and the doctor/patient relationship. In one way, Henrietta Lacks probably wasn't any different than hundreds of other patients at the time. It seems clear that doctors had been taking tissue samples from patients and attempting to grow them for quite some time. Henrietta's were different because they didn't die, but continued to grow.

I admired Henrietta's daughter, Deborah's, persistence in trying to find out what happened to her mother's cells and what this meant for her family. I also sympathized with some of the medical professionals who, it seems, with good intentions tried to provide an explanation. Deborah and many of her relatives lacked the formal education that would have provided the foundation for that understanding, and most of the scientists couldn't seem to explain cell biology in lay terms. (I have less sympathy for those who were too impatient or arrogant to try to communicate with the family.) Deborah's life-long effort to educate herself about her mother's cells is inspirational.

Rebecca Skloot alternates between first and third person in telling Henrietta's story and placing it within the context of medical research and ethics. Her use of first person made me uncomfortable. I felt like the author was inserting herself into Henrietta's story. It has the appearance of one more person exploiting the family for personal gain. There is so much of Deborah's voice in the story that I would have liked to have seen her credited as a co-author.

Although the book caused me to reflect on the issues it raised, it didn't change my opinion about the issues involved. I tend to side with medical research. I want medical science to advance so that future generations may benefit from cures for cancer, Alzheimer's, AIDS, and other diseases that impact so many families. If tissue samples taken during medically necessary procedures can help to advance medical science, I want my tissue to be used for that purpose. Current protocols seem adequate for preventing experimentation on human subjects without their consent, either by introducing pathogens or withholding treatment. Given the difficulties of convincing third-party insurers to pay for medically necessary procedures, it would be extremely difficult to convince them to pay for an unnecessary medical procedure for the purpose of extracting tissue or organs for research. Since medical advances often raise unanticipated ethical questions, it's important that we continue to examine and re-examine issues affecting patient rights. It's books like Skloot's that keep this important conversation going.

3 1/2 stars

Is anyone else having trouble updating their ticker? I haven't been able to update mine for the last couple of days.

I don't use a ticker, but a number of folks have reported issues on various threads.

I think I'm glad I've never tried to do a ticker! Everyone has been complaining of them the last few days.

149. A Christmas Secret by Anne Perry
TIOLI #19 - Book set in a country beginning with a vowel (England/UK)

Anne Perry's A Christmas Secret is currently my favorite of the ones I've read in this series. It features two characters introduced in her Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series. Dominic Corde and his wife arrive in a village just before Christmas. The vicar has been called away suddenly and the bishop has appointed Dominic to fill in during the vicar's absence. The couple begins to suspect that something isn't right with the vicar's absence, and their suspicions are soon confirmed. Their discoveries raise questions concerning sin, repentance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. These theological reflections are the other reason I liked this book so well. They are fitting subjects to contemplate during the Christmas season. Potential readers should be aware that the book includes spoilers for Brunswick Gardens.

4 stars

Next up in audio: The Spy Who Came for Christmas by David Morrell

150. Cathedral Windows by Clare O'Donohue
TIOLI #4 - Short work featuring a character who also appears in a novel

Nell Fitzgerald doesn't believe it when Archer's Rest's new third grade teacher, a recently returned veteran of the war in Afghanistan, is accused of arson just days before Christmas. Her sheriff boyfriend doesn't want to believe it, either, but all the evidence points to Charlie's guilt. Can Nell figure out who was really responsible for the fire in time to save Charlie's Christmas. With help from her grandmother, Eleanor, and her quilting customers, she just might pull off a Christmas everyone will remember.

This is a heartwarming Christmas story that focuses on community and belonging. Although a mystery is at the heart of the story, it's not a murder mystery. A death would have diminished some of the book's holiday charm. While many of the characters are regulars in the Someday Quilts series, it's not necessary to have read any of the series books before reading this novella. It can be enjoyed equally by series fans, quilters, and readers looking for an uplifting seasonal story.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reader's copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter; also continuing with Guantanamo: An American History by Jonathan M. Hansen

#163: I had a similar reaction to yours when I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It was a fascinating story, but raised a lot of issues. I'm off to investigate the Anne Perry series now...

Hope you enjoy the Anne Perry Christmas books, Susan!

151. Guantánamo: An American History by Jonathan M. Hansen
TIOLI #5 - Book I've been meaning to read all year

I completed this year's literary tour of U.S. territories with Guantánamo: An American History. I hadn't heard of the U.S. base there until it became a detention center for enemy combatants and suspected terrorists after 9/11. However, that's only the latest news in the bay's long history.

Starting with Columbus, Hansen tells of the discovery of the bay and how it changed hands through its history, ending up with its permanent lease to the U.S. for use as a military base. Cuba is strategically located at the meeting point of the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. Guantánamo Bay is near the southeastern point of the island, a part of the island that was historically underpopulated, making it vulnerable to invasion. It became a destination for groups fleeing other island nations in the region, particularly African slaves and French Haitians.

The U.S. acquired its base at Guantánamo following the Spanish-American War in the late 19th century. Hansen then follows its history as a base, from the prohibition era, where military personnel could enjoy the alcohol that was unavailable to them in the U.S., to the rise of Castro, when access was cut off to the rest of Cuba.

I found the first two thirds of the book much more interesting than the last third of the book. The last two chapters cover the period in which the base was used to house and process Haitian refugees in the late 1980s/early 1990s and its current use as a detention center for enemy combatants and suspected terrorists in the War on Terror. The book lost its focus on Guantánamo at this point and became a political commentary. The author's bias is evident in this section of the book. He explains one side of the controversy very well. Readers wanting to delve into both sides of these complex issues will need to look elsewhere for a balanced approach.

3 stars

Next up: Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter

152. Holmes for the Holidays edited by Martin H. Greenberg, Jon L. Lellenberg, and Carol-Lynn Waugh

I like Christmas stories and I like Sherlock Holmes so this seemed like a collection I would enjoy. My instinct was right. As with all collections, some stories were better than others, but all were good. My favorite story in the collection is probably “The Adventure of the Canine Ventriloquist” by Jon L. Breen. It's a story about a young man who had everything going for him the previous Christmas but whose fortune had steadily declined during the year as he experienced some unexplained phenomena that raised questions about his mental state. I also liked “A Scandal in Winter”, narrated by a young girl who was the only witness to a murder that had taken place a year earlier at the same hotel. The only mystery with a predictable solution was the first one in the collection, written by Anne Perry. I like to read mystery short story collections occasionally to discover new authors whose books I might enjoy. This collection has added a few more names to my list of authors to try.

4 stars

I've had quite a bit of time to read during my travels. I'm not going to write reviews until I'm reunited with my computer at home. I thought I'd better make a list somewhere of the books I've finished so I don't forget any of them!

The Spy Who Came for Christmas by Davud Morrell - 2 stars (TIOLI 6)
A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer - 4 stars (TIOLI 19)
Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter - 3.5 stars (TIOLI 6)
Moon Over Water by Debbie Macomber - 1.5 stars (TIOLI 18)
The Alto Wore Tweed by Mark Schweizer - 3.5 stars (TIOLI 6)
Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan - 3.5 stars (TIOLI 10)

Hi Carrie - Stopping by to wish you a happy holiday season and all the best in the new year!

172: Carrie, I'm going to try to remember the Holmes for the Holiday collection for next December. I have done no seasonal reading this month and I miss it. I have a short book I plan to ready today while I do last-minute Christmas prep...things like looking for the place where I hid my husband's stocking stuffers! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Lori and Donna! I have just a few presents left to wrap. My SIL's family will have their big meal around 10 p.m. tonight. They usually exchange presents then, but they have decided this year to do the gift exchange tomorrow. My SIL really wants to go back to Cenote Azul, hire a boat, and exchange gifts on the boat. I'm not sure if this is feasible. We'll see!

153. The Spy Who Came for Christmas by David Morrell
TIOLI #6 - Rolling Christmas challenge

On Christmas Eve in Santa Fe, undercover spy Paul Kagan is on the run from members of a Russian Mafia gang he's infiltrated. He's trying to save the life of a baby the mafia is trying to kidnap. Kagan is able to elude his pursuers long enough to seek refuge in a home of a battered woman and her twelve-year-old son. They're on their own if Kagan's pursuers find them since the home is cut off from all access to the outside world.

The story alternates between the events of the present Christmas Eve and Kagan's back story (and to an extent the back story of the family who live in the house where Kagan finds shelter). I've listened to other audiobooks that jump back and forth in time without any problem, but this one was difficult to follow. It didn't help matters that the reader's delivery is rather uninspired. A reimagining of the Christmas story from the perspective of the wise men is at the heart of the story. The story might work for readers who don't accept the miraculous events in the biblical accounts of the Nativity. Readers at the evangelical/conservative end of the Christian spectrum will probably find it as difficult as I did to suspend their beliefs in order to accept the premise at the heart of the plot.

2 stars

154. A Rumpole Christmas by John Mortimer
TIOLI #19 - Stories set in England/the UK

I came across this collection of Rumpole Christmas stories while browsing my public library's ebook collection. I read and enjoyed the author's Summer's Lease a few years ago but I had never tried the Rumpole series for which he is most famous. This collection is a great appetizer for the series. It gave me a taste for characters and situations that appear to feature regularly in this series, such as Rumpole's wife, known as She Who Must Be Obeyed, his legal colleagues the Erskine-Browns, private eye F.I.G. Newton, and the Timson family who live on the wrong side of the law. There isn't a bad story in the bunch. I particularly enjoyed the hat tip to P.G. Wodehouse with the identity of the victim in one of the stories: Honoria Glossop. I look forward to spending more time with Rumpole and his clients and associates.

4 stars

155. Immoveable Feast: A Paris Christmas by John Baxter
TIOLI #6 - Rolling Christmas challenge

Although author John Baxter was born in Australia, it's France that he calls home. He moved to France in the late 1980s to live with the woman who is now his wife. Cooking is his avocation, and somehow he ended up as the official cook for his wife's family's Christmas dinners. This short memoir intersperses his plans for the current year's Christmas menu with reminiscences about earlier events in his life, including his first Christmas dinner with his wife's family. He's a good storyteller and finds humor in many of his experiences. The main downside of the book for me is that he sometimes shares more than I care to know about the very personal details of his life. Recommended with reservations for readers who enjoy literary travel or food.

3 1/2 stars

156. Moon Over Water by Debbie Macomber
TIOLI #18 - ISBN challenge

I don't usually read romance novels, but I downloaded this one on a whim before a trip to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula since I like to read books set where I travel. I should have known better. The book could have been a lot shorter if the characters didn't intentionally lie to each other. For their own good, of course.

I have to wonder if the author has ever traveled in this part of Mexico. I've been to Mérida a couple of times and it doesn't look anything like the author's description. (My first visit was 8 to 9 years after the book's time setting, but I don't think it could have changed so drastically between 1998 or 1999 and 2007.)

With billowing exhaust and much grinding of gears, the bus finally pulled into the station. Jason had been right to warn her about its likely condition. The rattletrap of a vehicle looked as if it'd been on the road since the Second World War. Its color was no longer distinguishable and half the windows were missing...

The bus was one thing, her fellow travelers another. The minute the bus rolled into the yard, people appeared from every direction. Adults and children and caged chickens. One man was hefting a pig under his arm.

I've ridden both city buses and intercity buses in Mérida and none of them looked anything like the author describes, nor does the bus station look like the dilapidated structure Macomber describes. Mérida is a modern and attractive city.

Lorraine, the book's protagonist, needs a new map. Her map “showed that El Mirador was about seventy-five miles north of Mérida”. I spent last Christmas near Progreso, almost exactly 23 miles due north of Mérida. Go any farther north and you'll be in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.

Fans of Christian fiction might be interested to learn that this book is dedicated to Liz Curtis Higgs, a popular Christian speaker and author of Christian fiction. This might lead some readers to infer that this is a Christian romance novel. It isn't. Although the main character does attend church, the book includes sexual content that would not be found in Christian fiction.

1 1/2 stars

157. The Alto Wore Tweed by Mark Schweizer
TIOLI #6 - Rolling Christmas challenge

Hayden Konig is the police chief in the small town of St. Germaine, North Carolina, somewhere near Boone. He's also the part-time organist and choir director at the Episcopal church. He also an aspiring hard-boiled crime novelist. He does his best to undermine the interim priest, a feminist activist. Konig's professional worlds collide when a body is discovered in the church's organ loft. The resulting mayhem is highly entertaining.

Readers with a slightly warped sense of humor who aren't offended by politically incorrect humor will enjoy this fun mystery. Here's a taste:

Being the staff member in charge of the worship service, I thought I had acted in the best interest of everyone concerned when, during Herself's inaugural Sunday, she decided that she'd like the congregation to sing Kum-Baya as the post-communion hymn.

After considerable back and forth:

I'll tell you what, I said, looking around in my most Grouchovian conspiratorial fashion. “I'll give you a chord and you start the song. Then I'll pick up my banjo and the choir and I will join in on the chorus. We'll just follow you.” I was mugging about so much that with a cigar in my mouth and a comb under my nose, this performance would be worth of A Night at the Opera.

I thought surely she would see I was being wholly sarcastic. Certainly the other two committee members knew it. She just smiled smugly and ticked the task off her to-do list. No. 3—Emasculate the choirmaster. Check.

“That will be great,” she said, grinning at me like the possum that just ate the nightingale. “Everyone will love it.”

“Yes, you keep saying that,” I added as the committee's collective eyeball size went from ping-pong ball to saucer.

What I forgot to tell her was that I don't play the banjo. At least not in church.

What she forgot to tell me was that she was not a singer by any stretch of the definition.

And the Bishop missed the whole thing.

The mystery was weak and I was disappointed in its resolution. However, the book was so much fun that I didn't care. Best of all, it's the first book in a series. If the rest are as funny as this one, I have a lot to look forward to!

3 1/2 stars

158. Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan
TIOLI #10 - Book with a photograph on the cover

Although Last Night at the Lobster is set a few days before Christmas, it isn't a feel-good Christmas story. It's the story of an ending – of the closure of a Red Lobster in suburban New England, of the last day its employees will spend together, and of the final chapter in the aftermath of an affair between the manager and one of the servers. The tone feels like a melancholy New Year's Eve. It's also a story of labor vs. management, and its main character, “Manny”, could be viewed as an Everyman. Although Manny is the restaurant's manager and could be viewed as middle management, he feels closer to the laborers he spends his days with than to the faceless corporate bureaucrats in a remote location. This behind-the-scenes look at the restaurant industry left me wanting to be a more generous tipper (and I'm not particularly stingy in that respect). It also reminded me of all the reasons I like to support locally-owned businesses.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: A Christmas Garland by Anne Perry

The Rumpole-series sound like fun. I'll look for them in the library.
Your review of Moon over Water made me chuckle. Isn't it weird to notice that some authors don't even bother to do just a little research?

I've already added one of the Rumpole omnibuses to my Amazon wishlist. In fact, I received an Amazon gift card for Christmas and I can't think of a better way to spend it!

Maybe the author doesn't know how to read a map? My brother is the one who spotted the discrepancy in the distance north of Mérida. I read some of the most absurd bits of the book aloud to him.

This meme has been floating around on several threads. Using the titles of books I read in 2012:

Describe yourself: My Name Is Not Angelica

Describe how you feel: Fever, 1793 (I really do have a fever today!)

Describe where you currently live: The Solitary House

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The Land of Green Plums

Your favorite form of transportation: The Wrecker

Your best friend is: No One You Know

You and your friends are: Sworn to Silence

What’s the weather like: The Cold Light of Mourning

You fear: The Witch of Blackbird Pond

What is the best advice you have to give: Don't Look Back

Thought for the day: Childhood Pleasures

How I would like to die: For Liberty and Glory

My soul’s present condition: A Lack of Temperance

159. A Christmas Garland by Anne Perry
TIOLI #6 - Rolling Christmas challenge

After a prisoner escapes from prison, killing a guard in the process and then causing an ambush that killed several soldiers, an investigation rules out all suspects but one. Young Lieutenant Victor Narraway is ordered to defend the man, mainly because Narraway is a new arrival to the post. Narraway is not haunted by memories of the recent siege and its atrocities, and he can't later be accused of bias in his conduct during the trial. Although it's obvious to everyone that the accused man must have committed the murder, it's also important that he be seen to receive a fair trial. Narraway's superior insists that Narraway provide some reason for the crime at the trial. He has less than 48 hours to come up with a defense since the trial must be over before Christmas. What possible explanation can there be that makes any sense?

War and massacres of innocent civilians may seem like an odd topic for a Christmas novel. Perry forces readers, through her characters, to consider theological questions regarding God's existence, good and evil, mercy and justice. Narraway (and Perry) look into the darkest aspects of humanity and see a glimpse of hope revealed in the meaning of Christmas and its celebration. As always with her Christmas novellas, it's possible to enjoy this one without reading any of the previous books in this series or in the Thomas & Charlotte Pitt series in which Narraway is a minor character.

This review is based on an electronic advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

3 1/2 stars

Next up: White Eagles Over Serbia by Lawrence Durrell

160. White Eagles Over Serbia by Lawrence Durrell
TIOLI #5 - Book I've been meaning to read all year

Although he's supposed to be on vacation, Methuen agrees to a reconnaissance mission in Serbian territory in Yugoslavia. One agent has already died trying to discover the meaning behind recent activities in the area. Unlike the dead agent, Methuen speaks the language well enough to pass for a native. Will he be able to find out what's going on and get back to the safety of the British Embassy? Even more important, will he be able to indulge in some fly fishing in the rivers he remembers so well from his earlier visits?

The story leans more toward adventure/survival than espionage. The plot is fairly simple, yet it leaves some weighty questions unresolved. At the time the story takes place, Tito had not yet broken ranks with Stalin. Would the British government side with the resistance movement or with Tito's Communist government? The book would make an entertaining evening escape for readers who enjoy spy or adventure novels, as well as anglers.

4 stars

Next up: The Secret of the Nightingale Palace by Dana Sachs

161. Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke & Leslie Meier

When Hannah Swensen finds her neighbor dead in his condo, she has a perfect excuse for snooping into the police investigation. Mike, her sometimes beau as well as a police officer, asks her to prepare snacks for the crime scene investigators. She goes all out and fixes an entire meal, figuring she can eavesdrop while they eat. All of the evidence is circumstantial, and when the police believe they have enough to make an arrest, Hannah is convinced they've got the wrong person. With the help of her other boyfriend, Norman, will Hannah be able to find the true murderer?

In another novella, part-time journalist Lucy Stone is upset when a cute 4-year-old boy is kidnapped right before Christmas. She has a soft spot for little Nemo. When she finds little Nemo's father's body in his car, with evidence that Nemo had been with him, she becomes very alarmed. Is Nemo still alive, and if he is, can she find him before Christmas?

The Hannah Swensen mystery isn't bad if you ignore the fact that Hannah and her sister tamper with police evidence, as is their habit. It's a wonder that Mike and Hannah's brother-in-law, Bill, still have jobs with the police department. They'd be in a heap of trouble in real life. The Lucy Stone mystery wasn't as well plotted as others I've read in this series. However, I really like Lucy and her family and I like to check in on them occasionally. I'm quite upset with her son, Toby, and his in-laws. What kind of son plans to take his parents' only grandchild on a Christmas cruise for the first Christmas he's old enough to appreciate? The families live close enough that, if the in-laws had stayed home, they could have all seen little Patrick on Christmas day. And to wait until just days before Christmas to tell your mother you won't be home? Well, that's just thoughtless.

I decided not to read the third novella in this collection. I haven't cared for the other Jaine Austen mysteries I've read. Why make myself read something I probably won't enjoy? Usually I'd feel compelled to read it anyway. This time I was able to talk myself out of it.

3 stars

162. The Secret of the Nightingale Palace by Dana Sachs

Anna Rosenthal reluctantly responds to her grandmother's request to drive her from New York to San Francisco. Although Anna hasn't forgiven her grandmother for the horrible things she said about Anna's choice to marry her husband, Ford (now deceased), Anna is persuaded to go when her grandmother explains that she wants to return a set of Japanese prints to its rightful owner. Anna loves the prints. She remembers happier times when she and her grandmother built a fantasy world around the prints. The prints are partly responsible for Anna's career as a graphic artist. Will the road trip be the beginning of healing for Anna and Goldie's relationship, or will it drive them even farther apart?

I wanted to like this book, but it was difficult when I didn't like either of the main characters. The book suffers from too much telling and not enough showing. I didn't have to wonder about the motives behind the characters' actions since I was told in great detail why they behaved the way they did. One thing I didn't understand was why Anna and her grandmother have to share hotel rooms on their trip. Goldie is very wealthy. They're driving a Rolls Royce across country. They spend all day together in the car and they're not getting along very well. Surely she can afford two rooms so that they can have some personal space at night? Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet deals with many of the same themes with better effect.

This review is based on an advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

2 1/2 stars

That wraps up 2012! See you over on my 2013 thread!