tymfos sails through even more books in 2012 -- Voyage 7: On the lookout for fall

Photos: Point Iroquois Light, Michigan (on Lake Superior)
Pointe Aux Barques Light, Michigan (on Lake Huron); Old Lighthouse in Michigan City, Indiana (on Lake Michigan)




Welcome to my space! This is part seven of my 75 Challenge thread. I consider this my primary challenge. All books I read in their entirety in 2012 will be listed on this challenge! I count all forms of books here -- paper and ink, e-books, and audio books. I've expanded my number of books read dramatically since I've started listening to audios while doing housework, walking, exercising, or driving. (And my house is cleaner, and I get more exercise!)

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Books finished in January

1 Think of a Number by John Verdon (AUDIO)
2 Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter
3 Dixie City Jam by James Lee Burke
4 Iron House by John Hart (AUDIO)
5 Graveyard Dust: a Benjamin January mystery, by Barbara Hambly
6 Sin Boldly: A Field Guide for Grace by Cathleen Falsani
7. Winter Blues by Norman E. Rosenthal
8. The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney
9. Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
10 The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie (AUDIO)
11 The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill

abandoned

Books finished in February
12 He Who Fears the Wolf by Karin Fossum (E-BOOK)
13 The Fitzgerald Ruse by Mark de Castrique (AUDIO)
14 Drowning in Oil by Loren C. Steffy (non-fiction / current events)
15 Birds of a Feather By Jacquiline Winspear (fiction)
16 The Cypress House by Michael Koryta
17 Dead to You by Lisa McMann
18 Between Heaven and Mirth Why Joy, Humor, and Laughter Are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life, by James Martin (E-BOOK)
19 The Great American Gamble: How the 1979 Daytona 500 Gave Birth to a NASCAR Nation, by Joe Menzer ("Speed Weeks" read!)
20 At the Altar of Speed: the Fast Life and Tragic Death of Dale Earnhardt, by Leigh Montville
21 The Civil War: A Narrative, Vol. 2: Fredericksburg to Meridian by Shelby Foote


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Books finished in March
22 Appalachia: a Self-Portrait ed. by Wendy Ewald
23 Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger (fiction -- 2nd in Cork O'Connor series)
24 Red Bones by Ann Cleves (3rd in Shetland Quartet)
25 Butchers Hill by Laura Lippman
26 He Chose the Nails by Max Lucado (devotional)
27 When the Devil Holds the Candle by Karin Fossum
28 Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin (non-fiction -- Spring Training read)
29 The Dirty Secrets Club by Meg Gardiner (AUDIO)
30 The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye
31 And the Angels Were Silent by Max Lucado (devotional, E-BOOK)
32 The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths (AUDIO)
33 Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger


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Books finished in April
34. Sherman's March by Burke Davis
35. Miracles & Moments of Grace: Inspiring Stories from Doctors by Nancy Kennedy
36. The Likeness by Tana French
37. Bag of Bones by Stephen King (AUDIO, mostly with hard-copy backup!)
38. Blood Hollow by William Kent Krueger (AUDIO mostly, with hard- copy backup to finish in time)
39. Voyagers of the Titanic by Richard Davenport-Hines


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Books finished in May

40. Gone, Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane
41. Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet
42. Burning Angel by James Lee Burke (AUDIO and paper)
43. Mercy Falls by William Kent Krueger (AUDIO)
44. State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy
45. The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin (YA)
46. We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews
47. Under a Flaming Sky by Daniel James Brown
48. Waterproof: a novel of the Johnstown Flood by Judith Redline Coopey


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Books finished in June

49. Cadillac Jukebox by James Lee Burke (AUDIO and paper)
50. The Ridge by Michael Koryta (fiction)
51. Behind the Smile: My journey out of postpartum depression by Marie Osmond
52. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
53. The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough (AUDIO)
54. Haunted Foothills by M.A. Mogus & Ed Kelemen (no touchstone)
55. The Devil's Tea Tables: West Virginia Ghost Stories and Other Tales by Mack Samples
56. Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill
57. Doc by Mary Doria Russell (AUDIO)


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Books finished in July
58. The Kindness of Strangers by Julie Smith
59. A Corpse's Nightmare by Phillip DePoy
60. Cujo by Stephen King AUDIO
61. Hurting With God by Glenn Pemberton (devotional)
62. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
63. Roadwork by Stephen King (AUDIO)
64. Sunset Limited by James Lee Burke
65. Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King (AUDIO)
66. The Lost Ones by Ace Atkins
67. Three Months in the Southern States by Arthur J. L. Frematle (E-BOOK)

Books finished in August
68. Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham (E-book)
69. The Body in the Bog by Katherine Hall Page
70. Copper River by William Kent Krueger (AUDIO)
71. Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald (non-fiction)
72. To bless the space between us by John O'Donohue (e-book)
73. Light in August by William Faulkner (e-book literature)
74. The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri (AUDIO, mystery fiction)
75. Summer of Night by Dan Simmons
76. Tilt-A-Whirl by Chris Grabenstein
77. Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante
78. Dead Easy by Phillip DePoy
79. Burning Rubber by Charles Jennings (E-Book non-fiction)
80. Women and the Lakes by Frederick Stonehouse (non-fiction)


Books finished in September
81. A Weekend in September by John Edward Weems
82. The Dead of Summer by Mari Jungstedt (E-Book)
83. I Sing the Body Electric by Ray Bradbury (AUDIO, short stories)
84. Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo (AUDIO)
85. The Indian Bride by Karin Fossum (E-book)
86. Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill (mostly AUDIO, and regular book)
87. A Ghostly Road Tour of Michigan's Upper Peninsula by Jan Langley
88. The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo (AUDIO)
89. The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede
90. A Crown of Lights by Phil Rickman
91. The Healing by Jonathan Odell
92. Final Approach by Rachel Brady (AUDIO)

currently reading:

A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons (fiction)
Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon (E-BOOK)
Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella (fiction)
The Passing of the Armies by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (non-fiction, historical memoir)
Fearless by Max Lucado (devotional)

I'm also doing the 12 in 12 category Challenge. running from 12/12/2011 through the end of 2012.

thread one: http://www.librarything.com/topic/127962#t
Thread two: http://www.librarything.com/topic/136548

Here are my 12 in 12 Challenge Golden Oldies Hit Parade Categories and some ideas as to kinds of books that might fit each category.


1. American Pie - Don McLean (for all things USA)
2. Color My World - Chicago (world literature, world history, and books with colors in titles)
3. Jambalaya (On the Bayou) - Jo Stafford (James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux books will fit here, along with other books set around New Orleans or other bayou areas)
4. What's Goin' On? - Marvin Gaye (Current events and mysteries)
5. Help! -- The Beatles (disaster-related, and maybe some crime-related, books)
6. King of the Road - Roger Miller (Stephen King books would fit here; travel books might work, too; anything about royalty)
7. Spooky - Classics IV (self-explanatory)
8. On and On - Stephen Bishop (for series)
9. Doctor, Doctor - Thompson Twins (for books with a doctor in the house!)
10. Magical Mystery Tour - The Beatles (for more assorted mysteries)
11. The Winner Takes it All - Abba (sports & award-winning books)
12. Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum (religion/spirituality)
and also a catchall for things that don't fit:
Anything at All - The Beatles (miscellaneous)

I've decided to do the "side challenge" on the 12 in 12 category challenge: one book for each month that includes the name (or maybe number) of the month in the title or author (and, in at least one case, I'm probably using a series name).

I'll probably also continue to have monthly themes, or at least give special emphasis to certain topics in certain months. However, I'm incorporating the above-mentioned side challenge into these for variety. Some are themes that a group of us are working on.

I'm almost certain of these ones:

January -- First things First!
February -- Terrible Two's -- and special February occasions!
Marvelous Mystery March (Three M's) Mysteries, March-related books, and 3rd in series. Also Blackdogbooks Spring Training read!
Amazing Autism Awareness April (Four A's) Autism-related reads, April-themed books, and 4th in series
Mark's May Murder and Mayhem -- Marvelous! (5 M's) Mysteries, May-theme books, and 5th in series
June: Fill in the Blanks up to number 6 (12 in 12 Challenge) -- trying to get each category in my 12 in 12 challenge filled up to 6 books read!
July: Finish filling in the blanks!
August: Anything Goes! A vacation from categories and other externally-imposed limits on my reading
September Series & Sequels and Surreal September
Halloween Read for October

These are possible:
November by the Numbers (books with numbers in titles)
December: Holiday Dinners and other Disaster

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I'm also doing the BOMBS (Books Off My Book Shelves) challenge for 2012, with a goal of reading AT LEAST 53 books from my shelves this year.




Books acquired this year, with an attempted limit of 53, and an even more sincere attempt to not get more than I actually read off the shelf this year:


(note the serpent and apple, symbolizing temptation, as in the 3rd chapter of the book of Genesis.)

As you can see, I'm not good at resisting temptation; I've already bought more than my quota for the year!

Books acquired total does NOT include four Thingaversary books. I've been assured that they do NOT count. ;-) "Books Acquired" also doesn't include free e-book downloads; it does include e-books that I pay for.

SOME STATS:

Books Off My (TBR) Book Shelf (BOMBS): 47

regular? 44
e-books? 3
audios?

pre-2012? 31
ER? 5
others? 11

Books Acquired 2012: 64

Ratio BOMBS read/total books acquired: 47/64

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more stats

Borrowed Books Read: 45

Library 43
Friends 2

regular:15
e-books: 8
audios: 22

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Total books read: 92

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Fiction: 63
Non-Fiction: 29

US authors: 69
non-US authors: 23

male authors: 56
female authors: 35
male/female co-authors: 1


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I'm going to try and keep the covers of what I'm currently reading/ ready to read here in this space, as I've seen others do. I don't know if I'll keep it up.

Downloaded from the library:
E-BOOK fiction AUDIO book fictiondevotional e-book

Inter-Library Loan
Fiction

Borrowed book:
Literary fiction

From my solid bookshelf:
sports fantasy fiction Non-fiction (history)

From my virtual bookshelf:

I plan to include most of this info on my book posts:

Title:
Author:
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Subject:
Setting:
Series:
Dates Read:
Number of pages:
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?:
Category for 12 in 12 challenge:
How does it fit the category?
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now?
My Rating:
Notes:

OK, I think I've got things organized now. Welcome to my thread! Pull up a chair, make yourself comfortable, comment as you wish. All visitors are welcome (except spammers).


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Hi Terri!
Fab pics!

Thanks, Kath! I just (finally) got to your current thread, and you have some neat pics there too!

Wow, look at all that organization! *Pulls up a chair*. Here, take a seat and enjoy all that work you put into making this a beautiful and welcoming thread. :)

Thanks, Valerie! :)

Stopping in to say "Hello!" while I can still keep up!

Hi, Terri! I am so, sooo far behind on the threads. During vacation, it was about all I could do to catalog what I bought and keep up my own thread.

Hi Terri! Nice place you got here. I just finished The Shape of Water. Tell me how the audio goes!

Hi Terri, great new thread. I set up the September Series & Sequels thread this evening. Looking forward to seeing what you are planning on reading.

Nice new thread, Terri! Love the photos up top - we have been to your first one, but it was years ago. It's a beautiful area. Glad you are back safe and sound from your travels.

17 Kim, the audio version isn't working real well for me so far -- not sure why. It kinda feels choppy and hard to follow, and the narrator puts me to sleep. Or maybe I'm just sleepy and that's why it's hard to follow.

18 Thanks for the link, Judy. I have the thread starred. I'll be over to post later -- but don't count on an accurate plan as to what I'll read. My reading rarely follows a plan very well.

19. Thanks, Mamie!

No way I will go to any thread that suggests series books. I was just saying that I need another Depoy....
That's bad enough. Sorry for the brevity of my first comment. I was on my ipad and the keyboard had split in half.. took me a while to figure that out, let me tell you. le Sigh.

Brief comments are welcome too, Kath. :) And I'm curious about the split keyboard . . . technology never fails to astound/confound me.

Sorry to hear you are not getting on with the audio of The Shape of Water so far - I read it rather than listened, and I soon got hooked on the series. I hope it improves for you - unless you'd rather not take on another series, of course!

Love the lighthouses!

23 Well, Genny, if it hooked you when you read it, I'll perservere and try to imagine that I'm reading the words off the page.

24 Thanks, Lori!

We just came back from running to pick up my son's new eyeglasses. He broke his old ones at camp, and has been making do with an older pair that is an old prescription and in really bad condition. I was rather upset that the new ones weren't ready before we went on vacation.

I'm still kicking myself for forgetting and leaving that Ann Cleeves book sitting at the bookstore in Chicago. It was the first in a series that I somehow wound up owning the third or fourth book in the series.

With September Series & Sequels coming up, I'm going to take a stab at listing some of the series I'm actively working on, or that I really want to try. This is not a complete list, by any means, as I post it today; it is going to evolve, and eventually include what volume comes next and if I know where to find it. I'm not listing them alphabetically; it's more just how I think of them.

A. Series that I'm actually caught up with!!!
Fever Devilin series by Philip DePoy (have read all six published to date)
Flap Tucker series by Philip DePoy. (have read all five)

B. Favorite Series that I am very actively reading -- high priority to continue and catch up/finish
Three Pines/Inspector Gamache series by Louise Penny (just moved from "caught up with" category with release of new book)
Dave Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke. Next: Purple Cane Road, #11 of 19 (at library)
Cork O'Connor series by William Kent Krueger. Next: Thunder Bay, #7 of 12
Inspector Sejir series by Karin Fossum (English Publication Order). Next: Calling Out for You/The Indian Bride Black Seconds, #5 of 9 (owned)
Sam Blackman series by Mark deCastrique. Next: The Sandburg Connection, #3 of 3
Kenzie/Gennaro series by Dennis Lehane. Next: Prayers for Rain, #5 of 6 (owned)
Shetland Quartet by Ann Cleeves. Next: Blue Lightning, #4 of 4 (owned)

C. Favorite Series I've neglected but really want to get back to:
Temperance Brennan series by Kathy Reichs. Next:206 Bones, #12 of 15 (at library)

D. Other series to continue:
Dave Gurney series by John Verdon. Next: Shut your Eyes Tight, #2 of 3 Downloaded from library
John Ceepak series by Chris Grabenstein. Next: Mad Mouse, #2 of ? (own e-book)
Dr. Siri series by Colin Cotterill. Next up: Disco for the Departed, #3 of 8Anarchy and Old Dogs, #4 of 8
Commissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon. Next: Death in a Strange Country, #2 of 21 (at library; I own #3)
Eden Moore series by Cherie Priest. Next: Wings to the Kingdom, #2 of 3 (I own #2 & 3)
Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman. Next: A Crown of Lights, #3 of 11 The Cure of Souls, #4 of 11
Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. Next: Faithful Place, #3 of 4
Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell. Next: The Dogs of Riga, #2 of 10 (library)
Inspector Erlendur (UK publication order) by Arnaldur Indrudason. Next: Silence of the Grave, #2 of 8 (county Library)
White House Chef series by Julie Hyzy. Next: Hail to the Chef, #2 of 5 (owned)
Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd. Next: Wings of Fire, #2 of 15 (library)
Samantha Kincade series by Alafair Burke. Next: Close Case, #3 of 3
Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. Next: The Janus Stone, #2 of 4
Crumley mysteries by Ray Bradbury. Next: Graveyard for Lunatics, #2 of 3
Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews. Next: No Nest for the Wicket, #7 of 14 (county library)
Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Next: Pardonable Lies, #3 of 10 (borrowed)
Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin. Next: The Serpent's Tale, #2 of 4 (owned)
Aurora Teagarden mysteries by Charlaine Harris. Next: A Bone to Pick, #2 of 8 (owned)
Kate Burkholder by Linda Castillo. Next: Breaking Silence, #3 of 4 Gone Missing, #4 of 4
Benjamin January by Barbara Hambly. Next: Sold Down the River, #4 of 11
Alex Cross series by James Patterson. Next:Cross Country, #14 of 20 (library)
David Ash series by James Herbert. Next: Ghosts of Sleath, #2 of 3
Elm Haven series by Dan Simmons. Next: A Winter Haunting, #2 of 2 CURRENTLY CHECKED OUT
Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Next:The Devil's Star The Redeemer

E. Series to start; own (or was loaned) at least one book in series
Simon Serralier series by Susan Hill. First up: The Various Haunts of Men, #1 of 6 (owned)
Death on Demand series by Carolyn Hart. First up: Death on Demand, #1 of 22 (at library; own #2)
Inspector Alan Grant series by Josephine Tey. First up: The Man in the Queue, #1 of 6 (owned)
Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson. First up: Case Histories, #1 of 4 (owned)
Lacey Flint series by S. J. Bolton. First up: Now you See Me, #1 of 2 (owned)
Coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle. First up: On What Grounds, #1 of 11 (owned)
Loon Lake fishing mysteries, by Victoria Houston. First up: Dead Angler, #1 of 12 (owned)
Booktown mysteries by Lorna Barrett. First up: Murder is Binding, #1 of 6 (owned)
Joe Pickett mysteries by C.J. Box. First up: Open Season, #1 of 12 (county library, library download; own #2 & 3)
Quirke series by Benjamin Black. First up: Christine Falls, #1 of 5 (owned)
Det. Ellie Hatcher series by Alafair Burke. First up: Dead Connection, #1 of 4 (owned)
John Cardinal series by Giles Blunt. First up: Forty Words for Sorrow, #1 of 6 (owned)
Hackberry Holland by James Lee Burke. First up: Lay Down my Sword and Shield, #1 of 3 (owned)
Rosa Thorn series by Vena Cork. First up: Thorn, #1 of 3 (owned)
Hannah Swenson series by Joanne Fluke. First up: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder, #1 of 15 (owned)
Mark Tartaglia series by Elena Forbes. First up: Die With Me, #1 of 3 (owned)
Lake Champlain mysteries by William Kritlow. First up: Crimson Snow, #1 of 3 (owned)
Missing Pieces mysteries by Joyce & Jim Laverne. First up: A Timely Vision, #1 of 4 (owned)
Rebecka Martinsson series by Asa Larsson. First up: Sun Storm, #1 of 4 (library download; own 4th book in series)
Agent Smoky Barrett series by Cody McFadyen. First up: Shadow Man, #1 of 5 (owned)
Emmanuel Cooper series by Malla Nunn. First up: A Beautiful Place to Die, #1 of3 (owned)
Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn. First up: Silent in the Grave, #1 of 5 (borrowed)
Madeline Dare series by Cornelia Read. First Up: Field of Darkness, #1 of 3 (owned)
Bruno series by Martin Walker. First up: Bruno, Chief of Police, #1 of 5 (borrowed)
Buryin' Barry mysteries by Mark deCastrique. First up: A Dangerous Undertaking (own e-book)
Gilded Age mysteries by P.B. Ryan. Still Life with Murder (own e-book)

F. Series I'm eager to start; none owned, but at least first book available at library:
Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd. First up: A Duty to the Dead, #1 of 4 (library)
Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. First up: The Black Echo, #1 of 18 (library, library downhload)
Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron. First up: Bootlegger's Daughter, #1 of 18 (library)
Tea Shop mysteries by Laura Childs. First up: Death by Darjeeling
Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. First up: Killing Floor
series by Caleb Carr. First up: The Alienist, #1 of 2
Kathryn Dance series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Sleeping Doll
Lincoln Ryme series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Bone Collector
Steve Vail series by Noah Boyd. First up: The Bricklayer, #1 of 2
Shakespeare Secret series by Jennifer Lee Carrell. First up: Interred With Their Bones
Lynley/Havers series by Elizabeth George. First up: A Great Deliverance
Rizolli/Isles by Tess Gerritsen. First up: The Surgeon
Jack Sawyer series by Stephen King. First up: The Talisman
Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. First up: Odd Thomas, #1 of 6 + novellas
Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larsson. First up: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, #1 of 3
DS Alex Morrow by Denise Mina. First up: Still Midnight
Women's Murder Club by James Patterson. First up: First to Die
Strange & Quinn series by George Pelicanos. First up: Right as Rain
The Sparrow series by Mary Doria Russell. First up: The Sparrow
Tradd Street series by Karen White. First up: The House on Tradd Street, #1 of 3
Thora Gudmundsdottier series by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. First up: Last Rituals

G. Series to start where first book is at county library
John Madden series by Rennie Airth. First up: River of Darkness, #1 of 3 (county Library)
Harrison Investigation series by Heather Graham. First up: Haunted (county library)
Barker & Llewellyn series by Will thomas. First up: Some Danger Involved, #1 of 5 (county library)
Sister Agatha mysteries by Aimee Thurlo. First up: Bad Faith
Nobody Nowhere series by Donna Williams. First up: Nobody Nowhere
Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin. First up: Knots & Crosses, #1 of 17
Virgil Tibbs series by John Ball. First up: In the Heat of the Night, #1 of 7
Joona Linna sereis by Lars Kepler. First up: The Hypnotist, #1 (only one in English so far)
Jack Daniels series by Joe Konrath. First up: Whiskey Sour
Anna Travis series by Lynda LaPlante. First up: Above Suspicion, #1 of 7
Gregor Demarkian mystery by Jane Haddam. First up: Not a Creature was Stirring
Alex McNight series by Steve Hamilton. First up: A Cold Day in Paradise
Nora Gavin series by Erin Hart. First up: Haunted Ground
Leaphorn series by Tony Hillerman. First up: The Blessing Way
Jemima Shore series by Antonia Fraser. First up: Quiet as a Nun
Duncan Kincade series by Deborah Crombie. First up: A Share in Death
LA Quartet by James Elroy. First up: The Black Dahlia
Jason Kolarich series by David Ellis. First up: The Hidden Man
Bibliophile Mystery by Kate Carlisle. First up: Homicide in Hard Cover
Ray Dudgeon series by Sean Chercover. First up: Big City, Bad Blood
Cackleberry Club by Laura Childs. First up: Eggs in purgatory
Evelyn James series by Elizabeth Becca. First up: Trace Evidence
Emily Locke series by Rachel Brady. First up: Final Approach (Currently Reading--AUDIO)

H. Recommended series, not readily available:
Sister Agnes series by Alison Joseph. First up: Sacred Hearts, #1 of 9
Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams. First up: A Killer Plot
Novel Ideas series by Lucy Arlington. Buried in a Book
Sam Turner mysteries by John F. Baker. Poet in the Gutter
Donut Shop mysteries by Jessica Beck. Glazed Murder
Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. Sleepyhead
Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen. The Guards
Guido Guerrieri series by Gianrico Carfiglio. Involuntary Witness
Wine Country mysteries by Ellen Crosby. The Merlot Murders
Inspector Challis by Hal Disher. The Dragon Man
Mike Bowditch by Paul Doiron. The Poacher's Son
Joe Plantagenet by Kate Ellis. Seeking the Dead
Bryant & May by Christopher Fowler. Full Dark House
Inspector Silva series by Leighton Gage. Blood of the Wicked
Matthew Bartholomew series by Susanna Gregory. A Plague on Both Your Houses
Joe Faraday series by Graham Hurley. Turnstone
Emily Tempest series by Adrian Hyland. Moonlight downs
Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson. The Cold Dish
Nathan Active series by Stan Jones. White sky, Black ice
Underhill/Maiden series by Will Kingdom. The Cold Calling
Homer Kelley series by Jane Langton. The Transcendental Murder
Logan McRae by Stuart MacBride. Cold Granite
Max Tudor by G.M. Malliet. Wicked Autumn
Sigrid Harald by Margaret Maron. One Coffee With
Kyle Murchison Booth by Sarah Monette The Bone Key
Trilogy of Fog by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Prince of Mist
Cemetery of Forgotton Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Shadow of the Wind
Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Samson. Dissolution
Chief Inspecter Adamsburg by Fred Vargas. The Chalk Circle Man
Jack Frost by R.D. Wingfield. Frost at Christmas
Antique Print Mysteries by Lea Wait. Shadows at the Fair

I. Series I started reading out-of-order over the years as I came upon volumes; I'd like to fill in what I missed:
Penn Dutch Inn mysteries by Tamar Myers (I own some unread; library has some I've not read)
Faith Fairchild mysteries by Katherine Hall Page (I own some unread)
Tess Monaghan series by Laura Lippman (own & library)
Alexandra Cooper series by Linda Fairstein (library probably has them all)
Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow (I now own first book in that series)
Richard Christie series by Kathleen George (read 4th of 4 from library)
Michael Kelley series by Michael Harvey (read 2nd; own 1st)
Skip Langdon series by Julie Smith
Mickey Rawlings series by Tron Soos
Ballad novels by Sharyn McCrumb
D.D. Warren series by Lisa Gardner.
Elizabeth MacPherson series by Sharyn McCrumb
Harmony series by Philip Gulley (first in County Library)

Still to be organized:
J. Non-fiction series/collections/trilogies/sets, etc, to be read in order:
The Civil War: A Narrative by Shelby Foote (Have read 2 of 3)

Oh, and that list above is just the tip of the iceberg, I fear. And look at all those series with 20+ books that I've just started! *shudder*

This book thing is really getting a bit out of control. *sigh* I'm going to go read . . .

I just looked at my list of series. It was terrifying.

Split keyboard... I fired up my iPad and the keyboard was in two parts. WTH???
I had to google it... then just drag it together. No idea how it got apart.
One more thing I learned about iPad, though.

I've been meaning to do a list of series as I've seen on several people's threads. It may be an idea to get it done ready for September Series and Sequels, then I'll have a better idea what I'm going to read next! But like you, I fear the list will be long, even sticking to the tip of the ice-berg!

28 Terrifying -- that's the word!

29 They do so add up, don't they?

Well, the nerve! I just got a mailing from the Republican National Committee, addressing me as if I were a R . . . Rrrrr . . .Re . . . (I can't say it!) ONE OF THEM! "Dear Republican Party Member," they said -- addressed to ME! I double-checked that it wasn't addressed to my husband. Repbulican? Me?Where did they get THAT idea?

I took the opportunity to give them a piece of my mind, courtesy of their postage-paid return envelope. It should disabuse them of the notion that I belong to their party or share their ideology.

No offense to those of you who are Republican . . . my husband is one, and I love him anyway. But I am NOT and don't wish to be confused with one.

ha! Give 'em heck Terri!

I simply cannot stand these lying, horrible commercials any more.
GAK! It is NOT ok to lie. NOT !

I HATE campaigns. They are all a pack of lies anymore, every one of them, even for the candidates I support. What an abysmal system we've managed to distort out of the framework of a great Constitutional system -- surely not what the Founding Fathers and Mothers intended by "free speech," lies upon lies upon lies. And this whole notion the Supreme Court has supported of big campaign money as a form of "free speech." Yeah, money talks all right. And the poor have no voice.

Love the lighthouses, love the books that you have read, love the huge library photo and I love your thread!

And I love your view of campaigns and politics!

Thanks for giving my thread some love, Carrie! :)

Agree about campaigns :-/

I need to get off of LT for a while and get some stuff done around the house.

(LT is great for housework procrastination, isn't it? ;)

yep. It is.

It's great for all kinds of procrastination!

>28 mckait: I use the split keyboard all the time when I'm texting Kath. Try it, you'll like it:)

You're right about all the lying politicians Terri. And you're right that it's all of them, all parties. But what bothers me most is that a handful of states determine the winner. In most states, if you don't vote the way most of your state does, your vote doesn't really count. Down with the elec`toral college. Why can't every vote count?

#37 Just one of the many reasons why I like LT! Don't give up on The Shape of Water!

Bonnie, I agree with you about that handful of states thing. The Electoral College seems a holdover from when the elite really didn't trust the masses to select a leader. Seems to me I heard a reasonablie argument about why it's still a good idea, but can't remember what it was. :( Lots of things I can't remember lately . . .

Kath, Genny, Kim, LT is definitely great for procrastination from all sorts of RL chores. My house is chaos from the pre-vacation packing blitz and the post-vacation unpacking debris . . . but my list of series is now relatively organized.

But now I've got a RL commitment I can't put off . . . must go back to work at the library this morning!

30,32: I've been spending evenings organizing garden photos instead of watching political commentary on TV. Much much better for mental health.

What a lot of work on your wonderful thread format!
The opening pictures are beautiful... cloudy and sunny.
Someday I may look more closely at your lists, but I do have to go to bed before midnight ;-) I know a lot of it is carried over - but still... you really get the fever! lol

I am happy to say I am NOT a Republican - nor am I a Democrat! I wish all the parties would dissolve. We have work to do!

43 Much much better for mental health.

Agreed!

44 Cee, I did go a bit overboard. . . especially with that series list. Seemed like the more I did, the more I felt a need to do. I think a lot was, as I said, a matter of procrastination; I simply didn't feel like dealing with the return-from-travel mess, so I organized my list instead. I am slowly restoring order in RL, and tackling the laundry.

For a brief, shining moment before the trip, my fiction TBR bookcase actually had proper room for all my TBR novels, lined up neatly with nothing perched on top of a row or double-depth shelved. Then I hit the bookstores I encountered in my travels, and my bookcase runneth over again.

I actually finished a book this evening! I've been working on this one for several weeks.

75 Challenge Book #73
Title: Light in August
Author: William Faulkner (E-Book)
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1932
Subject: Trials and travails of a group of unusual characters in the South
Setting: Mostly, a small town in Mississippi
Dates Read: finished 8/22/12
Number of pages: n/a (e-book -- varies with text size, format, etc.)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, library loan download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: American Pie
How does it fit the category? famous American author
Alternate category not sure
Why did I read this book now? Needed book with "August" in the title for a challenge
My Rating: literary quality 4 1/2 stars; suiting my personal taste, 2 stars
Notes:

I'll leave the literary analysis of this novel to those more qualified than I in such matters. I know enough to be able to appreciate the book as literature. But I can't say I particularly enjoyed it. Light in August is such a pretty title, but it's a rather dreary story filled with odd and disconcerting characters. It almost seemed like there weren't any normal or sane (whatever that is) characters in the whole story. There's a pregnant girl who can't believe her boyfriend ditched her, and is hitchhiking and walking her way to the next state, convinced that the fellow will be delighted to see her when she finds him. There's a former minister who was run out of his church. There's an uncomfortable lot of use of the "n-word" by characters which is, I understand, accurate for the time, place, and culture of the South of that era but highly unpleasant to read. Race is an important issue in this book; indeed, one character's whole life is totally and permanently altered in a moment, as a child, by the suggestion that he is part "Negro" (or, as some say, that other "n" word).

I found some of the book very difficult to follow, in part because in some cases the people portrayed are not speaking or thinking in a logical or even sane manner. Also, Faulkner goes about telling the story via a rather circuitous route, moving back and forth in time and between characters. As I said, I can appreciate what Faulkner was doing, and how some of the muddiness became clear as different points of view revealed the totality of the story. But, in the end, some of it still made little sense to me at all.

Hi Terri, Wow, that's a LOT of series reading you've got going or planned. Really daunting...but in a fun way!

Love that you sent a letter back to the repubs, paid by them...LOL. Living in a purple swing state like I do, we have been bombarded with TV ads and phone calls for months.

Love the lighthouse pics - thanks for sharing them.

I have been kidding myself for 3-4 days, after making some room on my downstairs bookshelves. I then recalled stashing some books in a basket. AND then Several vine/ publisher request books arrived, too. EEP!
AND I have four boxes packed to give away. ( and if they don't leave soon, I will take some out ) I should be putting a few more in. #NoSuchThing as space on a bookshelf... they are just always in transition.

Hi, Joanne! Daunting to be sure. I think I need to do some prioritizing, as I can't read them all. Glad you like the pics.

Hi, Kath!

NoSuchThing as space on a bookshelf... they are just always in transition.
For us book lovers, for sure!

I just got back from a very long and rather depressing meeting, a bit of a distance from home, and at which I arrived 20 minutes late due to a last-minute phone call and major road construction. Had to stop for gas on the way home, and had trouble with the gas pump. Earlier, my son was having computer problems which still have me puzzled. He has an old, cheap, semi-obsolete second-hand Dell, so what should I expect? It's all left me feeling rather cranky. I'm halfway through a nice glass of wine, and starting to relax a little.

I did finish an audiobook while walking this morning and doing chores later today . . .and while waiting for various computer diagnostics to run . . .

75 Challenge Book #74
Title: The Shape of Water (AUDIO)
Author: Andrea Camilleri
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1994 (original Italian; English translation came later, and audio later still)
Subject: death in a compromising postion; Sicilian political corruption
Setting: Sicily
Series: Inspector Montalbano #1
Dates Read: finished 8/23/12
Number of pages: n/a (audio)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: not sure yet
How does it fit the category?
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now? LTer recommendations
My Rating: 3.2 stars
Notes:

I'm not sure audio was the best format for me to begin the Montalbano series. I kept getting characters mixed up, and might have benefitted from a tree-based copy to look back and see who was who and who was related to who and how. A lot of folks rave about this series, and I frankly didnh't "get" the attraction. I found the whole mystery a bit convoluted, though I kind of liked Montalbano. I went on and finished it because it was short. Maybe I'll try the next in the series in a paper copy if I get my hands on one.

I'll try to remember to download the e-book rather than listen to the audio book of that one from our library. I think I put it down for September Series & Sequels because it's a series I've been meaning to start.

Sounds like a book that would have definitely benefited from some page flipping! Hope your next read isn't as confusing. :)

Just crawling through. I had one of those days yesterday... sorry you had one today.
Today I was just busy and aitch all day. But, onward! another like it coming up tomorrow

Terri- I did just the opposite- I read Shape of Water, (because I had a copy) and listened to the next one. The audio is great, read by Grover Gardner.

Hi, Lori & Valerie! It might just be my tired old brain, but some page-flipping would really have helped.

Kath, it was yesterday that was the icky day for me, too. Today was merely long, just now home from work & getting supper.

Mark, I didn't really have a problem with the narrator. I was just getting characters confused.

I am having a bit of a problem with the narration of I Sing the Body Electric a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury. They just don't pause between stories! One story, the final word got cut off practically mid-syllable and then the title of the next story was being announced, and right on into it. Given some of Bradbury's subtle endings, if you're not listening really carefully, you can not realize you're into another story until you start to think "huh?"

I have raised my goal for the Books Off My Book Shelf (BOMBS) challenge to try to compensate for all the books I bought on vacation.

I Sing the Body Electric... so good!

Bradybury is magic, Kath. But my download from the library somehow got muddled so the segments aren't in the right order -- I have to watch as I move from one to the other, and I have wound up not quite reading them in order. I'm managing to sort it out so I at least get through each story intact.

Last night I tried to pull an all-nighter to finish Summer of Night, a ripping good but very long horror novel. (Elements make me think "Ray Bradbury meets Stephen King," sort of.) But I was too tired -- wound up resting my eyes, dozing off in my chair, dropping the book and losing my place. Have been nibbling away at it as time permits today, with about 75 pages to go I hope to finish it before I go to bed -- whenever that may be.

ETA to add Oh, and an audio I put on hold is available from the Free Library of Philadelphia, where I have a card, much earlier than I expected. Mulling whether to grab it now or release the hold and let someone else have it.

75 Challenge book # 75!!!
Title: Summer of Night
Author: Dan Simmons
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1991
Subject: Group of boys fight Evil (with a capital E) centered in a creepy old school building
Setting: Elm Haven, Illinois, USA, Summer of 1960
Series: Elm Haven #1 (of 2)
Dates Read: finished early a.m., 8/26/12
Number of pages: 600
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes!
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Spooky
How does it fit the category? Classic horror
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now? Seemed like it would be a great summer read.
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

Old Central School still stood upright, holding its secrets and silences firmly within. Eighty-four years of chalkdust floated in the rare shafts of sunlight inside while the memories of more than eight decades of varnishings rose from the dark stairs and floors to tinge the trapped air with the mahogany scent of coffins. The walls of Old Central were so thick that they seemed to absorb sounds while the tall windows , their glass warped and distorted by age and gravity, tinted the air with a sepia tiredness. . . .

By the spring of 1960, Old Central School had come to resemble some of the ancient teachers who had taught in her: too old to continue but too proud to retire, held stiffly upright by habit and a simple refusal to bend. Barren herself, a fierce old spinster, Old Central borrowed other people's children over the decades." (from the first page of Summer of Night)

It is summer of 1960, and Old Central School has completed its last year as an active shcool. A group of friends, most of them having just completed 6th grade, are ready for summer fun. But it's not going to be an easy summer. Something Evil is afoot. A boy has disappeared. A dead soldier is wandering about. The odorous Rendering Truck roams the streets in search of more than dead animals. There are rumors of a cursed Bell. And something is slithering under the ground. . .

I love the writing in this book. I love the warm scenes of ordinary small-town circa 1960s life juxtaposed against vivid descriptions of the dark horror of Evil that is enveloping the town. Simmons takes his time with descriptions that pull the reader back into small-town life the summer of 1960. There are mentions Huntley & Brinkley and the nomination of JFK. There are marvelous passages that bring small town/rural life alive to the reader. Some might say he describes too much -- at 600 pages, this book isn't a quick read. But without being rooted in that solid sense of a real place and time, I'm not sure this story would work nearly as well as it does.

There are also things straight out of the author's chilling imagination. This is a horror novel, populated with the undead and other things that go bump (and slither and scratch) in the night. A certain suspension of disbelief is required of the reader -- not only regarding supernatural things, but also about the actions of these kids in fighting that Powerful Evil. But the author taps into an arsenal of natural childhood fears; fear of the dark, of something in the closet or under the bed; a reluctance to go into the basement, the threat of a menacing truck. Indeed, he does so much with the dreaded, odorous "Rendering Truck" that I wonder if a real-life version of such a truck was part of the writer's actual childhood terrors.

This is a classic Good vs. Evil tale. Some of it's rather gross, and the ending (as with many horror novels) is a bit much. But I enjoyed it.

ETA to fix typo. The bell was "cursed" not "crused!"

That sounds delicious!
I like Dan Simmons.

Terri....if you can get your hands on a Montalbano video (many libraries have them) I will really help you get a handle on who is who. I love the series, and do them almost entirely in audio, but I agree that a paper 'familiarization' is often helpful to newcomers.

Love your thread, love your pictures, love your politics. You Go Girl, cause I'm tagging right along with you.

Kath, a warning . . . some not-so-nice things happen to some cats and dogs . . . it's not really a major part of the story. If you want to read it, I can tell you which parts to avert your eyes.

Thanks for the suggestion and the kind words, Tina! Keep on tagging along!

(Did anyone notice that Summer of night was my BOOK #75? ;)

This afternoon, I've started Tilt a Whirl by Chris Grabenstein, first of his Jersey Shore mysteries. So far, it really looks like fun.

75 Books!!! Congratulations, Terri.

I like the Great Lakes lighthouse pictures you posted. I'm glad you reminded us that not all the scenic lighthouses are on the east and west coasts.

I rather liked Light in August. It helps if you are familiar with Faulkner's circular style of writing. One of these days I'll get back to his books. I think Ray Bradbury has some wonderful titles for his books. I loved Dandelion Wine. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday, Terri.

Hey Terri, congratulations on hitting 75!! I haven't started the Montalbano series yet but I do have the first book sitting on my shelf so theoretically, it could happen at any time.

Thanks, Donna and Bonnie!

I picked up this book when I got home from church, and I've already finished it:

75 Challenge Book #76
Title: Tilt-A-Whirl
Author: Chris Grabenstein
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2005
Subject: Murder on an amusement park ride
Setting: Sea Haven, New Jersey (at the Jersey Shore)
Series: John Ceepak (Jersey Shore mysteries) #1
Dates Read: read 8/26/12
Number of pages: 321
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes, but not pre-2012; Amazon purchase
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Magical Mystery Tour
How does it fit the category? mystery
Alternate category any series or mystery category
Why did I read this book now? Just plain felt like it; summer read
My Rating: 3.75 stars
Notes:

An amusement park ride is the scene of the murder of a billionaire. Reginald Hart was "kind of like Donald Trump, only richer and without the gravity-defying comb-over. Plus now he's dead." The murder throws the barrier island town of Sea Haven into a panic, as tourists flee the area. "This is bad for business, worse than the riptide or pink jellyfish -- even worse than that shark in Jaws because, face it, to avoid the damn shark, all you really had to do was stay out of the water."

On the case are our narrator (1st person, present-tense) Danny Boyd -- a fun-loving 24-year-old summer hire on the local police force -- and his partner John Ceepak, a former Army MP just back from Iraq. Ceepak and Danny couldn't be more different in attitude or experience, though they share a love of Bruce Springsteen's music.

This was a very quick read. As you can see by my quotes, this started off as a fun read, with lots of quirky humor. But, further in, there's a definite serious side, too. The characters seemed a little stereotyped at first, but they grew on me. And having grown up near the Jersey shore, the setting was oh-so-familiar. "Sea Haven" may be fictional, but it's a lot like places I've been. Not highbrow literature, but a great way to spend some hours on a summer Sunday; and the ending packed a surprising punch. I'll almost certainly continue this series.

Congrats on reaching 75, Terri! I can't read spooky/scary/horror at night time because then when I need to get up in the middle of the night to use the washroom, I am so terrified that I end up running to get my business done and then running back to get into the safety of my blankets.

Thanks, Valerie!

I'm that way with some spooky stuff, Valerie, but Summer of Night was "far out" enough that it really didn't bother me. Just don't give me a story late at night where, say, the character looks in a mirror and sees a ghost standing behind them . . . .

Congrats on reaching the 75 book milestone, Terri.

Congrats!

Thanks, Linda and Jim!!! :)

I picked Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante off the shelf last night, just to give it a look-over, and I'm well on my way through it already. I stayed up late (another late-nighter) reading well into it, got up early to read some more, picked it up after work . . . will almost certainly finish before I go to bed tonight.

Congrats on 76 books! (Hee hee)

Thanks, Carrie!

I'm having problems with my downloaded Ray Bradbury audio. In the middle of one story -- mid sentence -- it suddenly kicks me over to a different track, different story. Grrrr . . . Maybe I should completely delete and try downloading again? The Overdrive program allows one to download audios in sections, not all at once, which I did with this one due to time constraints -- but there always seem to be problems when doing it that way.

My son goes back to school tomorrow. We did a walk-through of his schedule at the school this morning before I went to work. I can hardly believe that he's already a sophomore in high school!

Sorry about the audio problems. I am clueless about them. How frustrating it must be!
Congrats on your sons success in school... you must be really proud :)

Congrats on reaching 75, Terri!

Where does the time go? Best wishes to your son starting his sophomore year. I hope his day goes well!

Kath, in the grand scheme of things, the audio issue isn't that big a deal. Minor nuisance, is all.
And I am proud of my boy! I guess, by now, I should say "young man." He's doing really well.

Thanks, Joanne! The time really does fly, doesn't it?

I finished Turn of Mind, and am trying to decide what to pull off the shelf next. I feel like I need something light after that one. Nothing is crying out to me . . .

75 Challenge Book #77
Title: Turn of Mind
Author: Alice LaPlante
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Subject: a surgeon with Alzheimers under suspicion for a murder
Setting: Chicago, IL
Dates Read: 8/26/12 through 8/27/12
Number of pages: 305
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Off shelf, not sure when I bought
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Doctor, Doctor
How does it fit the category? central character is a retired surgeon
Alternate category Winner Takes it All (Wellcome Book Prize winner, 2011)
Why did I read this book now? Not sure
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes: Winner of the 2011 Wellcome Trust Book Prize (celebrating the best of medicine in literature)

Dr. Jennifer White (don't call her Jen!) was a respected orthopedic surgeon, specializing in hand surgery; but now she is spiraling down the long decline of Alzheimer's disease. If that isn't bad enough, she is a "person of interest" in the killing of her friend and neighbor Amanda, who was found dead with several fingers freshly amputated.

This book is written from Dr. White's POV as her mind slowly deteriorates. Sad, scary, maddening, confusing, touching, puzzling -- these are all words that may, in turn, be used to describe this narrative. I questioned the depth of the swings of cognitive ability between the good days and the bad, but what do I know? The book says that such swings can be extreme, though it's hard to picture someone being as lucid and articulate as Dr. White is on her "good days," when hours later she can't recognize her children or remember that her husband is dead.

We struggle right along with her as she tried to fathom friend from foe and what ulterior motives those around her may have. People who seem to have the best of intentions at one moment seem downright sinister shortly thereafter.

This book was hard to put down, and I read it through within about 24 hours of picking it up. It's a quick, absorbing, tragic story told in a unique way; it's hard to believe it's LaPlante's first novel!

Well, my son is on the bus now for his first day of the school year.

This year, our district has gone to a common start time and all grades on all busses. One surprising benefit of this is that the bus stop is actually closer to the house than in recent years. He can catch it where he used the catch the bus when in elementary school. I am glad he doesn't have to walk down the hill any more -- not a big deal in this weather, but treacherous in the winter.

I still haven't decided what book to read next off the shelf.

First day isn't easy for any kid, or their parents. I hope things go well and that he is going to have a happy year. You know, a long long time ago, our district ( Freedom, at the time ) did that with the buses. My kids were among the younger ones on the bus and I protested mightily. The thing is, instead of making it harder for the little kids, the older ones took a protective stance for the younger ones and watched out for them. I learned a lot about wait and see at that time :)

And of course ... that book looks really good!

Kath, this past spring there was a nasty bus accident in a neighboring district that busses k-12 together. The older kids were instrumental in getting the younger kids off the bus quickly and safely. That has been mentioned several times in discussion about the change in our district.

Today's my day off work. Somehow, I think it would be easier to not be nervous over the first day if I were busy at work, and not home doing mindless housework that give me room to worry. I'm listening to an audio as I work to occupy my mind (a mystery, Breaking Silence by Linda Castillo -- I'll deal with the Bradbury download confusion later), and taking some time to actually read, too. I finally pulled Phillip DePoy's Dead Easy off the shelf -- last one in his Flap Tucker series. Then I'll have read all his books in both series, though I think he has a stand-alone or two that I haven't read yet.

Terri! I have barely had time to congratulate you on 75 and you are 2 books past it now!!!
Well - anyway - since it only happens once a year


on 75!!!!

Thanks, Cee!

I know that I will cry the first day I send my kid off to school and it won't even be a full day thing. Probably a half day preschool kind of day, but it will be so sad to think of my baby off in the world...even if it's only for a couple of hours. :)

Hi, Valerie! I guess I'm less sentimental and more just a flat-out worrier. I don't remember tears that very first time. . . of course, it's been a while. I think his happiness over school of any kind, from the start, made it easy to smile.

I stopped by the school today to drop off his medication with the school nurse, and ran into him. He grinned and gave me a hug -- right in the hallway in front of other kids! That's a rarity.

He's home now -- said his day was great, gave me some info I had requested, got a drink of juice, and headed upstairs to his room to "chill" for a while. He was smiling, so I guess it was all good.

YAY! Good on him :) I am relieved and impressed ...and happy, for your sake :)

Thanks, Kath!

I received an "Author Notification" from the Sony Reader store today for the new Louise Penny. I guess I have to officially move the Three Pines series from the list of series I'm caught up with. . . I see from my B&N e-mail that Kathy Reichs has a new one out too?

Hi Terri, glad you enjoyed Tilt-a-whirl as I have that one and at least a couple more of Chris Grabenstein books on my TBR shelves. I read Summer of Night a number of years ago and remember really liking it, and being reminded of Stephen King.

Hi, Judy! The Grabenstein series is one I definitely want to continue. And, yes, Summer of Night reminded me of Stephen King, too. (The detailed writing about the small Illinois town also reminded me of Ray Bradbury a la the recently-read Dandelion Wine -- or perhaps more appropriately Something Wicked This Way Comes.)

I'm a reading machine this week! After struggling through Light in August and finishing the very long Summer of Night while alternating with other books I have started, I've been really focusing in recent days on a book at a time from my TBR shelves, that have been quick reads.

75 Challenge Book #78
Title: Dead Easy
Author: Phillip DePoy
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2000
Subject: Threats, murder, secrets
Setting: Atlanta, Georgia
Series: Flap Tucker
Dates Read: 8/28/12 - 8/29/12
Number of pages: 272
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: YES; bought from Amazon 2010
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Magical Mystery Tour
How does it fit the category? mystery
Alternate category any series or mystery category
Why did I read this now? to finish this series
My Rating: 3.79 stars
Notes:

A package with a human hand arrives at Easy, as well as threats and, eventually, there's a dead body or two (of course, since this is a murder mystery). The relationship between Flap and Dally becomes strained, as they suspect one another of involvement in the mayhem. And then there are Dally's secrets.

I love Phillip DePoy's writing. This final (last since 2000) entry in the Flap Tucker series pushes Flap and Dally into uncharted territory as Dally's past comes back to haunt her.

Oh my poor wishlist. It is so obese and I try and trim it down and then I come here.

*sigh*

I absolutely refuse to start another series by that man. I will not. ONE is plenty... and that is tha. Yes.. it is.

Hi, Carrie and Kath!

*nefarious laugh* Gotcha!

I'm trying to sort of plan for my September reading. Of course, these are only "possibilities." My reading never fits any plan -- and there are library books, waiting lists, and even a couple of ILLs involved, too. At least one may not be available unless I BUY it, which I'm trying to avoid any more purchases for a while . . .

For my 12 Month sub-challenge in the 12 &12 Category Challenge:
A Weekend in September, by John Edward Weems, about the September 1900 Galveston hurricane -- owned DONE
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim Defede (also in commemoration of the 9/11 anniversary) -- owned DONE

For Surreal September, I may read
The Healing by Jonathan Odell -- borrowed & DONE
Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes by Dwight Boyer -- owned
Haunted Lakes by Frederick Stonehouse -- owned
A Ghostly Road Tour of Michigan's Upper Peninsula by Jan Langley -- owned DONE
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern -- at local library

These are ones which will fit both "September Series & Sequels" and the "Surreal September" themes:
A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons (sequel to Summer of Night) --Currently Reading
A Crown of Lights by Phil Rickman (#3 in Merrily Watkins series) DONE
Wings to the Kingdom by Cherie Priest (#2 in Eden Moore series) -- owned
The Gunslinger by Stephen King (#1 Dark Tower series) -- available at local library
Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill (#3 in the Dr. Siri series) -- owned DONE

Some others series I'm strongly considering to catch up on for September Series & Sequels:
Blue Lightning by Ann Cleeves (final book in the Shetland Quartet . . . unless she makes it a quintet, as I 've heard rumors of) -- owned
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny (the latest Gamache mystery) -- at local library
The Sandburg Connection by Mark deCastrique (latest Sam Blackman mystery) -- may have to buy

And some other books to possibly continue favorite series for September:
206 Bones by Kathy Reichs (Tempe Brennan series) -- at local library
The Indian Bride/Calling Out for You by Karin Fossum (Inspector Sejir series) -- library e-book, DONE
Prayers for Rain by Dennis Lehane (Kenzie/Gennaro series) -- owned
Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear (Maisie Dobbs series) -- borrowed
Breaking Silence by LInda Castillo (Kate Burkholder series) -- library audio book DONE

I need to finish from last month:
I Sing the Body Electric (Audio book from library) DONE
The Dead of Summer by Mari Jungstadt DONE (e-book) -- this is part of a series, but one I WILL NOT pursue further

There are plenty of other possibilities, more than I can count, but I'll choose mostly from these. I can't possibly read all of them, really . . .

ETA to add:

Ones I didn't plan:
Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon (library download) DONE
The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo (audio book library download) DONE
Final Approach by Rachel Brady (audio book library download) DONE

The Healing by Jonathan Odell V good
The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim Defede V good
A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons GOOD!

Ao I hope these make the cut... YOU will love the Defede, I think?

Kath, I started The Healing today after work, have read just a bit. I wanted to start it and see if it fit the Surreal September theme, as it seems to perhaps have an element of mystical knowledge/healing involved? I am getting hints early on, references to the spirits and such. It seems very good, regardless.

I also started Women and the Lakes: Untold Great Lakes Maritime Tales by Frederick Stonehouse, as I finished my non-fiction Kindle book, and wanted to read something short off my non-fiction shelf for the rest of August.

I seem to be rolling right along, but this book that I've finished, I've been reading gradually for over a month. It was a good read; I was slow because I'd bought this e-book, and so gave priority to the library downloads that would expire.

75 Challenge Book #79
Title: Burning Rubber (E-Book/Kindle)
Author: Charles Jennings
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2010
Subject: history of Formula 1 racing
Setting: racing circuits throughout the world
Dates Read: 7/25/12 - 8/29/12
Number of pages: n/a (e-book -- pagination varies with settings
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes, but NOT pre-2012 and not hard-copy; new Kindle purchase
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: The Winner Takes it All
How does it fit the category? sports
Alternate category Color My World
Why did I read this book now? recommendation from LTer and my mood, also on sale from Amazon
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

This history of Formula 1 racing was a lot of fun to read. I know some readers have (fairly) complained that it is too biased toward British racing teams (it's written by a Brit) but since I'm a Team McLaren fan, that's OK with me. I was a bit surprised at some of the things that were glossed over (only a 1-line mention of the "technological espionage" scandal involving Team McLaren in 2007, for instance) but it was an enjoyable look at the personalities and machines that have populated F1 over the years.

OK, I bought some Kindle books . . . but I got two for 99 cents each, and three more that were free (one a short story), so I don't think I did too badly.

the next two in the John Ceepak/Jersey Shore mysteries:
Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein
Whack-a-Mole by Chris Grabenstein

also for free:
Dangerous Undertaking by Mark de Castrique
Still Life With Murder by P.B. Ryan
and The Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (short story; prequel to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books series).

Wow, Terri! I am awed by your lists and by the fact that you can make them and still have time to have a real life with reading!
Glad that the first day of school went well - a hug in the hall! That is a rare and beautiful thing! (My students used to know that they could always come by my door at class changes for a hug when they needed one. I often thought of the mothers that I was somehow cheating, but I was there.)
I confess a liking for Dan Simmons too and read Summer of Night long ago. The last of his for me was Drood, and it was way, way too long, but I enjoyed it anyway.

Just keeping up....

Peggy, some of the lists are just copied from previous threads, which I've gotten down almost to a sceince. (Copy from the post in "edit" mode, and then you get touchstones and all.) I then just edit as I finish books. However, I spent way too much time on the series list, though I was able to do it relatively quickly with my thread open on one browser window and my catalog open on another window. Insomnia helps with getting more reading done, too, as does a desire to procrastinate over RL tasks.

Kath, keep keepin' up keepin' up . . . *waves to Kath*

Great that the school year is starting well. Your son is so nice!!

I went to dinner the other night with my sister, niece and nephew. My niece, age 11, informed me that she is no longer giving hugs but would, instead, give me a friendly pat on the back. I pointed out that (1) we were nowhere near her home, (2) none of her friends were nearby, and (3) I'm her auntie, so hugs are allowed. She saw the logic in this and gave me a hug.

Her little brother gave me about 5 hugs.

Hi, Linda! Kids are so funny about those things, aren't they?

I just spent about 20 minutes looking for the book I want to finish tonight. I had taken it to the hospital with me when I went early this morning for labwork; I was very sure I remembered having it in my hands when I left and went to my car, but then I was second-guessing myself . . . I came home and ate breakfast before I went to work, and should have brought it in with me. But where was it? Well, hubby came in and found it in about 30 seconds, under a sale ad. Where I thought I'd already looked . . . :-}

A friend from church just dropped off a big bag of produce from their garden. Tomatoes, squash, peppers, cucumbers . . . and we are barbecuing ribs tonight. Yum!

Fresh eyes can work wonders :)

Indeed, Kath!

One more book for August, short and with lots of photos.

(no cover image available) 75 Challenge Book #80
Title: Women and the Lakes
Author: Frederick Stonehouse
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2000
Subject: maritime tales about women on the Great Lakes
Setting: U.S. Great Lakes
Dates Read: 8/29/12 - 8/31/12
Number of pages: 176, including phtos
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes, purchased used several years ago
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: King of the Road
How does it fit the category? Waterways were the "roads" of the past; these women traveled or lighted (lighthouse keepers) those "roads"
Alternate category American Pie, Help
Why did I read this now? Just visited the Great Lakes; also wanted a short non-fiction book to end the month
My Rating: 3.2 stars
Notes:

This book had some very interesting stories, but the writing didn't appeal to me as much as the other book I read by Stonehouse.

It's been a pretty good week. My son had a good week at school; I got caught up pretty well at work, from my vacation; I got a bunch of reading done; I have a plan (sort of) for September reading. Now if I can just get my housework caught up, I'll be in good shape.

Hi Terri!
Nice to hear about your good week!
My plan for September is to get a plan for September.
Oops... I'd better get started as it is already Sept :}

I'm kinda sad I missed the blue moon last night (due to clouds) as there won't be another one til 2015. I'm a moon nut, I guess.

Hi, Cee! *howling at the moon*

First book done for September:

75 Challenge Book #81
Title: A Weekend in September
Author: John Edward Weems
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1957 (my copy was a 1999 reprint)
Subject: The Galveston hurricane of 1900
Setting: Galveston, Texas, USA
Dates Read: 9/1/12 - 9/2/12
Number of pages: 180 (including acknowledgments & index)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes, purchased used several years ago
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Help!
How does it fit the category? Terrible disaster
Alternate category
Why did I read this now? Needed a "September" titled read
My Rating: 4.2 stars
Notes:

This is the second book I've read about the terrible Galveston hurricane of 1900, which killed an estimated 6,000 people, maybe more -- making it the deadliest hurricane in US history. Having savored Erik Larson's marvelous Isaac's Storm, I had little expectation that this slender volume (180 pages, including index) would tell me anything new, or be engrossing reading. I was wrong. While written in a very different style than Larson's narrative history, this book had appeal all its own.

Published in 1957, many survivors of the hurricane were still alive during the research of this book. Thus it is filled with quotations from eyewitnesses who were interviewed by Weems. This is a traditional historical account, a strictly chronological rendering of the events of the hurricane, divided into chapters with clear temporal boundaries. (Though lacking in formal footnotes, the sources of information are made clear.) As an enhancement of my reading, I chose to read, over the weekend, in increments matching the time-periods being discussed. Thus, beginning at midnight Sept. 1, I read the preliminary chapters and the chapter dealing with Friday night through Saturday morning, 8 a.m.; I read the chapter describing the events of Saturday 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday morning; etc., saving the Sunday/aftermath section for today.

The book contains a number of pages of photographs, indicating what Galveston was like before and after the terrible storm. There is also a map. If I were to make one criticism, I wish the map were a little clearer, especially the panel showing the larger Galveston area. The fact that an opposite contrast scheme was used for the area map from that of the city map (in the city map, the water is dark; in the area map, the land is dark) poses a bit of a cognitive impediment, at least for this reader. Also, so many people's stories were included that I found myself paging back to see, "now who was this?" These are minor complaints. I found the book informative and it held my attention.

Well, just updating all my threads and reporting on various challenges, I've used up my LT time for now . . . off to the grocery store for some needed items!

Hi Terri, it's good to hear that your son has had a good start to his school year. And you are just reading up a storm. I've got the deFede book here on my shelf too and would love to get to it some time soon...

Hi, Bonnie! The reading storm continues . . .

INSOMNIA. Grrrr. But at least I finished another book, for what it's worth. I've been nibbling away at this one for over a month. I don't know why I didn't just "Pearl Rule" it and be done with it long ago . . .

75 Challenge Book #82
Title: The Dead of Summer (E-Book)
Author: Mari Jungstedt
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2007
Subject: murder in a Swedish resort area
Setting: Gotland, Sweden
Series: Anders Knutas #5 (though I didn't know it was 5th in a series when I bought it)
Dates Read: 7/25/12 - 9/3/12
Number of pages: n/a (e-book)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes, owned, but not pre-2012; NOOK download purchase
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Color my World
How does it fit the category? set in another country
Alternate category any mystery category
Why did I read this book now? was B&N NOOK "deal of the day" when I decided to try out my NOOK app
My Rating: 1 1/2 stars
Notes:

I didn't like this book. The characters seemed wooden and unengaging; some of their actions were unconvincing. The mystery was bleh. The writing style felt chunky and amateurish to me. (Maybe it was the translation.) There was one section, near the end, when things seemed like they were picking up as the clues came together. But at the very end, the story took an unconvincing turn with a huge info dump about one of the characters, totally taking the story in another direction altogether. It just didn't work for me at all. I'm not even sure why I finished it. I probably wouldn't have, except I used it as my bedtime book because it wasn't exciting enough to keep me awake at night. Only the ending was so aggravating, it's kept me awake tonight after all, for all the wrong reasons.

Happy Labor Day, folks! My family is all napping at the moment. I'm tempted to nap, too, having not slept well last night. But I have housework to do, and maybe I'll take this time to catch up some chores and finish my Ray Bradbury audio book. I MUST finish it, as the library loan is running out, and I probably can't renew it; I know I had to wait for it, so there are probably other folks waiting in line behind me.

106 BTW, Bonnie, I think I'm going to read the deFede book, The Day the World Came to Town, in a similar way that I read A Weekend in September. It's divided into chapters covering different days; I think I'm going to read a chapter a day, starting September 11.


glitter-graphics.com

OK, I finished the in time; and my house is much cleaner, too!

75 Challenge Book #83
Title: I Sing the Body Electric AUDIO
Author: Ray Bradbury
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Subject: Short stories
Setting: varied
Dates Read: 8/16/12 - 9/3/12
Number of pages: n/a (audio)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: NO, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: unsure
How does it fit the category?
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now? in memory of Ray Bradbury
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

Ah, Ray Bradbury. Master of wordcraft, fount of imagination. Where did he get those outrageous ideas, and how did he manage to do what he did with the English language? All the stories in this collection were vividly original, and masterfully told. Naturally, as to actual content, I liked some better than others. But one can only shake one's head in wonder at how he did what he did, tale after tale, throughout his illustrious career.

As for the audio version I listened to, I felt there should have been more definite breaks between one story and the next, as they ran one into the other with barely a breath taken, and then the next title spoken as the narrator launched into the next tale. Several times, I either missed the transition for a few sentences, or briefly thought that a change of scene within a story was a new tale being started.

My word, Terri, this thread is a very dangerous place! You have been a reading machine. First, congrats on hitting and passing 75 - WahHOO for you!! ALso glad to hear that your son's school year is off to a good start - I will keep him in my thoughts and prayers. Wishing for him a magical year of learning as stress free as possible.

Now, about these book bullets you're hitting me with!! Added Summer of Night, Tilt a Whirl and the Philip DePoy series to my bulging WL. I am pretending not to see the Bradbury.

How can you do that? Read a chapter a day. I couldn't have done that with the Gander book.. not that kind of discipline

Hi, Mamie! The volume of reading recently is due to several factors:
1) several books that I read a-little-at-a-time all getting finished at once
2) several short books
3) audio books, listened to whilst doing other things
4) shorter LT sessions; lurking, skimming, even skipping over portions of threads
5) just-finished vacation
6) holiday weekend
7) INSOMNIA

I hope you enjoy the books that grabbed you!

Kath, I said it was a plan. I didn't guarantee that I'd manage to pull it off. ;) If I do, it will probably be because:
1) too busy to read much, or
2) other books in progress to keep me occupied

LOVE that list! Too funny. I'm having a bit of trouble with #7 myself - the body is tired, but the mind won't shut down.

the body is tired, but the mind won't shut down.

Yeah, I hate when that happens!

Me, too! And it's happening a lot lately.

Hey, with all that's going on in your life these days, Mamie, I imagine it is!

I'm a bit nervous about using a moving company - I have no experience with this.

I have very little experience with movers, either, Mamie.

Today was my day off work at the library. So I went to the library -- to the library in Pittsburgh, Carnegie Library, to renew my library card there. One the way, I finished the audio I was listening to.

I downloaded another audio, one that I also have the book to, but I wanted to be able to start listening to it on the way home. It is one that is "always available" -- so my using it doesn't keep anyone else waiting. Disco for the Departed, 3rd in the Dr. Siri series.

*waving* at Terri

*waving back at Stasia!*

Like I said, I finished listening to this audio driving to Pittsburgh.

75 Challenge Book #84
Title: Breaking Silence (AUDIO)
Author: Linda Castillo
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Subject: Death of an Amish family in the midst of hate crimes against the Amish
Setting: rural Ohio
Series: Kate Burkholder #3
Dates Read: finished 9/4/12
Number of pages: n/a (audio)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: NO, download from library
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: On and On
How does it fit the category? series
Alternate category any mystery category
Why did I read this book now? continue series
My Rating: three stars
Notes:

This is third in a series about a woman police chief in rural Ohio who was raised Amish but left that faith. I loved the first book; I thought the second stooped to some crass sensationalism, though apparently I was in the minority of reviewers for thinking that way. This one had its sensational elements, but wasn't too bad. It had its share of surprises. It was informative for this reader -- I'd never thought about the possibility that there might be hate crimes against the Amish; but, face it, any group that is "different" from the majority is liable to be targeted sooner or later. And I learned a lot about the dangers of manure pits on Amish farms. Who knew????

Anyway, three adult members of an Amish family die in an accident -- or is it? -- in their barn's manure pit. The four children in the household are orphaned. Meanwhile somebody is committing hate crimes against the Amish. Are the deaths related to the hate crimes? Or is something else going on? There are lots of surprises, and this was a pretty good mystery -- though I'm a little weary of Kate's endless introspection. Again, maybe this comes across worse on the audio.

I agree with your thoughts on the first two books of this series. I thought my mom would hate the second but she liked it and was surprised because I didn't. I need to get the third. So many series, so little time.

You are a reading machine lately.. I read not a word yesterday... I hope to read all afternoon though.

What Kath said, but please substitute "evening" for afternoon. Hope you have a good one.

Hi, Carrie, Kath, & Mamie! I hope you all have a great day today -- with some time for reading!

I'd like to spend a little more time with LT and reading, but need to get moving. We have a staff meeting before the library opens today.

I just finished the first one in this Kate Burkholder series. Great story but way too violent. I was saddened to see your remark about her "endless introspection" - i found it tedious even in the first book. I'd love to read the next one to see how a couple of relationships progress, but I'm not sure I can handle any more blood and guts.

Hi Terri- You have been knocking the books out! You go girl. I like your list of reasons you've been reading so much. Even this one: "even skipping over portions of threads". As long as it's not my thread, I like that idea.

Look at all the reading you've been able to do! I guess maybe there is an upside to all the kids heading back to school. ;)

Tina, if the first was too violent for you, you'll definitely have problems with the second. It was gross. I felt this third one eased up on the violence a bit.

Hi, Mark! I take the fifth as to the details of my thread skimming/skipping.

Valerie, lots of upsides to back-to-school. A bit more reading time for me -- and my son is happier, too. Win/win.

This one was rather short, and a quick read.

75 Challenge Book #85
Title: The Indian Bride (also known as Calling Out for You)
Author: Karin Fossum
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2001; English trans. 2005
Subject: Murder of a bride newly arrived from India
Setting: Norway
Series: Inspector Sejir (English Translation order #4; 5th in series)
Dates Read: 8/30/12 through 9/5/12
Number of pages: n/a (e-book; varies with format)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: NO, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Color My World
How does it fit the category? non-US writer & setting
Alternate category any mystery or series category
Why did I read this book now? next in series I want to catch up with
My Rating: 3.24 stars
Notes:

I probably liked this installment of the Inspector Sejir series less than any of those I've read so far. I did eventually get caught up into the suspense, but I felt the ending left too many loose ends and unanswered questions. OK, I understand that life is that way sometimes, but it was not satisfying. The very segment of the very last chapter helped a little, emotionally, but not much.

I need to get back to that series - I have only read the first one so far. I'm amazed at the way you're cranking out both the books and their reviews!

Hi Terri!
An important part of reading a review for me is catching the rating - and you are frustrating the heck out of me with "not sure yet" and "still deciding" comments! Just thought you might like to know...

Happy reading!!! (It keeps us out of trouble - for the most part.)

OK, Cee, I just wrote a huge post, and lost it going back to put in ratings . . .

Personally, I think my ratings are pretty worthless. Looking back at books I've read, I've been wildly inconsistent. I find that seeing what people did or didn't like about a book tells me more about whether I'll like it than what they've rated it, and I'd hate to turn someone off a book that they'd love just because my personal tastes made me stingy with stars (unless it's a real bomb).

I once saw someone on Amazon give a 1-star rating to a book by a Christian publishing house, related to Christian pastoral care. The reason: it was full of religious/God stuff. (Somehow, I don't think that reviewer was the target audience . . . )

Mamie, I do like the Fossum series, for the most part. I hope this roll that I'm on, reading, keeps up. I'm really having fun with books these days.

That ticks me off too, Terri. When someone doesn't rate for the story, but for something like their wild expectations, or the packaging.. GRR

Oh gosh. I feel bad now, Terri.
I swear - there is NOTHING worse than losing a post. And the ones we lose are always the lengthy ones.
But see? If you had put the ratings in when you wrote the review... you wouldn't be going backwards. Anyway, I'm sorry.

OK. Nevermind the ratings. It's just a quick indication for me of good, bad, indifferent. They are highly subjective - but that is part of what I like about them.
I don't trust Amazon ratings at all ... but I feel better about LT cuz I know the group a bit.

*waves* to Kath. Agreed!

Cee, OK, just don't ever decide about a book based on my rating, please!

Morning Terri! It's Friday - you gotta love that! Hope it's a good one.

Just passing though, Terri, to wish you a nice Friday and a great weekend as well.

Hi, Mamie! Hope your Friday has been good, too!

Nice to see you, Judy! Have a great weekend.

75 Challenge Book #86
Title: Disco for the Departed
Author: Colin Cotterill
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2006
Subject: Further adventures of Lao coronor
Setting: Laos
Series: Dr. Siri #3
Dates Read: finished 9/7/12
Number of pages: 247
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: YES -- used book (NON-pre-2012); also used AUDIO to listen to a lot of it, but the book is off the shelf!
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Doctor, Doctor
How does it fit the category? Main character is doctor
Alternate category any mystery or series category; Color my World
Why did I read this book now? want to continue the series
My Rating: 3.8 stars
Notes:

Dr. Siri, coronor of Laos, is investgating a body found encased in a cement walkway. Of course, with Dr. Siri, it can't just be a straightforward murder. The spirit world is involved. I find this glimpse into a totally different culture, worldview, spirituality, etc., quite fascinating. Dr. Siri and his crew are lovable.

Don't worry, Terri.
No one tells me what to do or what to read.
I do my own choosin' in life - then I only have myself to blame if results are less than wonderful. And I'm real good at blaming myself for everything :(

#120: I did not realize that the third book in the series was out already. I will have to see if my local library has a copy. Thanks for the review, Terri!

I'm going to look for A Weekend in September, thanks Terri. I loved Isaac's Storm.

140 OK, Cee!

141 Stasia, there is even a 4th in the series which was released this summer, Gone Missing. (I haven't read that one yet.)

142 Oh, I adored Isaac's Storm (and everything else I've read by Erik Larson). This wasn't quite as good, but it was good to view the same storm from other angles. This week, to mark the anniversary of the Galveston hurricane, Penn State University's public TV show Weather World (a daily 15 minute production of their Meteorology program) had a short segment about Isaac Cline.

Just checking in.. are you supposed to get these storms too? There is a lovely rain out there, now.. but this morning was rough. I hope you just get the rain and cool down.

Yes, Kath, they're talking possibility of severe weather today here, too.

I wanted to get some yardwork done today, but I don't think I will -- it's just too wet! I would say, "Well, I'll just READ, instead . . . but too much needs to be done on the inside of the house, too. Maybe I can listen to my audio book for a bit while I work.

I seem to be on a real roll, getting through books . . . but maybe a little too fixated on my reading, as the house is a mess now. I'm just in one of THOSE moods where I see how many books there are I want to read . . .

Well Terri you've made me want to start the Dr. Siri series ASAP so good job on the review. It was probably this line: I find this glimpse into a totally different culture, worldview, spirituality, etc., quite fascinating. Dr. Siri and his crew are lovable. that got me.

Bonnie, I do find these books fascinating. Funny, I grew up during the Vietnam war, and heard mentions of Laos quite a bit on the news; but I knew next to nothing about the country or its people until I read The Spirit Catches You, and You Fall Down, a non-fiction book about the culture-shock difficulties of a Hmong family with a very sick child who were refugees from Laos, and how the medical establishment in this country simply couldn't seem to deal with them effectively at all. That gave me a little background, anyway. But the Dr. Siri books are a different, fictional, way to get into a different part of Lao culture. I get the feeling that they are well-researched.

My husband hurt his back today moving furniture. Since the furniture moving was my idea, I feel a little guilty about this. So when I went to the store to get ibuprofen (did I spell that right?) for his backache, I also picked up a roasting chicken that was on sale. As I suspected, the idea of a nice roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings made him happy -- he considers that "comfort food."

The chicken and a pan of brownies are in the oven now. (Did I mention that he loves chocolate, too?) Only, I put the brownies in the wrong pan -- not the one I'd greased, but another one that I'd pulled out of the cupboard while rooting around for the pan I wanted. So we shall see how that all works out.

75 Challenge Book #87
Title: A Ghostly Road Tour of Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Author: Jan Langley
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2006
Subject: Spooky stories purported to be true
Setting: Michigan's Upper Peninsula
Dates Read: finished 9/10/12
Number of pages: 158
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: YES, but NOT pre-2012
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: King of the Road
How does it fit the category? "Road tour"
Alternate category Spooky
Why did I read this now? recent trip to Michigan
My Rating: 3.4 stars
Notes:

This book is, in many ways, fairly typical of the "true" local ghost tales genre. The quality of the writing and editing may be a bit better than average. The historical documentation of the stories behind the ghosts is not first-rate. Anyway, overall, I enjoyed the book. The fact that the locations are, for the most part, set up as a "road trip" you can follow around the Upper Peninsula adds a nice dimension. Of course, given the nature of the accounts, enough of the tales are anonymous/"in the vicinity of" stories that you can't actually visit a lot of the sites -- only their locales.

One very concrete location is the Seul Choix Point lighthouse, which I visited while we were recently in Michigan. (No, I didn't see/hear/smell any ghosts while I was there.) The opening and closing chapters involve that lighthouse, because apparently that was the haunting which got the author started in collecting ghost stories.

Here's a photo I took of the lighthouse; and they have a pretty neat bird house, too:

Sorry to hear about the hubby and this back woes, but good on you for trying to give some comfort food. My husband came down with a nasty virus and since his love language is food and he can't eat anything because his throat hurts, I'm at a loss... I guess some gentle hugs will have to do. :)

Sorry your hubby's sick, Valerie. It's always difficult when they're too sick to eat.

Oh wow! That is a great birdhouse!

Yesterday, after church, I wound up spending a lot of time in my favorite comfy chair, watching some tv and dozing a lot. I barely read anything. It's probably just as well, because today has been almost non-stop on-the-go. After work, I worked in the yard. I filled two big lawn-and-leaf bags with weeds and dead plants, and there are plenty more where they came from. Then I got supper ready, did some housework, and then remembered I needed to get to the store. They have a program that helps the local schools, and when you shop on the 10th of the month, the donation is doubled. So I try to do my stock-up grocery trip there on the 10th. So I got home from the store after 10:30 p.m. and had all the groceries to put away, plus a few other assorted tasks.

So now I'm relaxing with half a glass of wine and catching up my threads, and I'm going to go read a bit before I go to bed. Hopefully, I can catch up visiting some threads tomorrow.

So how did the brownies go? Apparently, if they fall apart, you can mix them with icing and make them into cake/brownie balls.. which seem to be all the rage?

Good way to spend your day on sunday. I should have done more of that when Dan was away.. but, even though he is like the Snoopy character Pigpen, and he walks through a room and it becomes messy.. the important core things are done..

Nice of you to shop on the day that your school benefits the most!

Kath, the brownies were a mess. None of us like icing on/with brownies, so we just sort of scraped them out of the pan as we went along, and then I soaked the pan before washing it when we were done with them.

The chicken came out much better, a nice dinner and then a meal of leftovers. I boiled the carcass into stock and am making chicken soup. Only my son ate the last of the chicken for a snack, so I guess it will be vegetable soup made with chicken stock.

I said I was going to read a bit after I signed off LT last night? It was, indeed, just a bit. I wasn't making sense of what I was reading, and started dropping the book, so I hit the sack. For once, I actually got a fairly good night of sleep.

Well, today is my day off from work. I've been on LT since my son left for school, and I've only caught up on a handful of threads (though they included some of the busiest threads with 100+ posts to catch up). I really must get this day going.

I always read a book each September in honor of the anniversary of 9/11. This year, my choice is quite different from those I've read in previous years. I'm starting the book The Day the World Came to Town, about how the people of Gander, Newfoundland extended hospitality to the many air travelers who were stranded there when the US closed its airspace. My plan is to read a chapter section a day starting today, as each chapter section correlates to a day in September 2001. (The last chapter section acutally covers two days, but I'm not going to split it.) Of course, the plan may go out the window if I can't put the book down . . .

ETA to clarify the book structure when I started reading and realized that the book is actually broken into 1-day sections divided into smaller chapters

Think about tossing some V-8 in with the stock.. it gives a great kick to vegie soup ( IMO)
I may attempt a chicken chili tomorrow.. not sure..

Chicken chili - yum! That sounds good, Kath!

Terri - All caught up here! Sorry to hear about your husband's back - ouch! It always takes so much longer for that type of thing to heal than one thinks it should. Sending good thoughts his way. Your chicken meal sounds delicious - and then soup, too - so excellent! It's cracking me up that your son ate the rest of the chicken as a snack because that happens to me all the time - I have a second meal planned with the leftovers only to find out that someone had absconded with them!

Glad to read that you are enjoying Dr. Siri. I just love that man! And I need to get back to Fossum, too. I have a book coming my way, and you will be happy to hear what it is - Devil's Hearth!! Cannot wait 'til it arrives and I can dig in.

Thanks for the tip, Kath. Maybe some other time, but I don't have any V-8 handy.

Vanishing leftovers are a frequent event here, too, Mamie!

As for my soup, I remembered that I'd bought some bags of flash-frozen chicken pieces that were on sale at the store last night. I cooked up some of that chicken to put in the soup.

I started The Day the World Came to Town and see that the one-day divisions of the book are actually sections broken into smaller chapters. So it's a section a day, not actually just a chapter a day. The contents page didn't show the smaller chapter divisions; I encountered them as I started reading.

I didn't have a very productive evening reading last night either. I spent the time after I got home from work trying to download an audiobook from our library's service. It took 1.5 hours (seems that I had an outdated version of the software so I had to download a new one, then I was missing an optional security update that controlled the DRM, then there was an iTunes setting that had to be changed, then I had to download and transfer), and then when I plugged my iPhone in to play it in the car this morning, I discovered that "part 1" didn't install with the rest of the book. I know all seven sections were checked, but I can't find it anywhere. I think I'll read the paperback version after all. I had it out, but I thought this might be a way to get more reading done. Let's just say the 1.5 hours was all the time I had to read before bed.

Lori, that's a bummer! I've had some of those kinds of experiences with downloaded audiobooks. When they work easily, they are lovely; but when there are software hassles, and things that don't work right, they can be a royal pain.

The Day the World Came to Town is one of my favorite 9/11 books.

Today, a FB friend mentioned the little-known story of the biggest-ever boatlift on 9/11. I'd never heard about it before but I'm putting a link on my LT thread, too.

I seem to recall reading something about boats getting people off Manhattan on 9/11, but had no idea of the scope of the effort, Linda. Good of you to post the link!

I'm loving The Day the World Came to Town. It's hard to carry out my reading plan and do a section a day. But I'm going to try to be patient -- after all, those folks needed a lot of patience to get through those days!

I had a productive day, but not so much as I wanted to. I vacuumed, but didn't move much of the furniture. I'm a bit sore from yard work, and with my husband's back hurt, I didn't want to take a chance on throwing my back out, too. The dust bunnies under/behind the sofa, etc., get a brief reprieve until next time. The soup I made turned out fine. I talked to my son's primary physician's office today. We discussed the vitamin D deficiency a specialist had picked up in routine bloodwork, scheduled his annual flu shot, and decided it was time to raise the dose of his asthma maintenance medication for the fall allergy season -- which is shaping up to be a nasty one, I understand. My yardwork yesterday was prompted in part by finding a goldenrod plant growing outside my laundry room window!!! (I didn't recognize it until it started to bloom with its distinctive color.) Yikes!!! Begone, fall pollen! (Don't I wish . . .)

I can't imagine not loving that book! I knew you would too.
It's funny, I didn't look at it as a 9/11 read. I got drawn into it by the wonderful people and the reason for it sort of became a silent thread running through... there, but not the main story.. you know?
I LOVE goldenrod, I always have. Luckily it has no ill effect on me and we have some growing within sight :)

I know what you mean, Kath. It's not a 9/11 read in the sense that books I've read in past years have been. But there's enough of a connection to feel that I'm observing the anniversary.

Our library recently got the book by the FBI agent who says she saw angels at the Flight 93 crash site in the days after 9/11: In the Shadow of a Badge. I think I'd like to read that one.

I have a pot of made-from-scratch spaghetti sauce brewing on the stove, largely due to gifts from friends' gardens. I misjudged the time it would take to put it all together (lots of minced veggies in this one) so it will be a very late dinner. I already fixed something else for my son, but hubby and I are going to wait for the sauce to be done.

My reading has slowed a bit. Except for The Day The World Came to Town, which I am parceling out one section a day, I am slow getting into my other current reads. Actually, I'm almost through my audio book, but haven't done much sit-and-read time the past two days or so.

Home made pasta sauce is awesome. I love the way my hubby makes it since it was a childhood favourite of his that his mom always made. I would totally wait for that, even if it ends up being a later dinner. :)

haha, I love that lighthouse picture combined with the birdhouse. Perfect! :) It makes me miss Michigan.

Funny.....I spent most of yesterday "putting up" homemade tomato sauce...couldn't resist that basket full of ripe tomatoes at the farm stand. Besides, this way I can control the salt and all those goofy spices people seem to think you need to put into a good basic tomato sauce. Hubby just came home with a big eggplant, so I'm guessing, it's melanzani for dinner tonite.

167 Valerie, it turned out well and made a nice dinner -- though the late dinner probably wasn't a good idea for my tummy!

168 Rachel, did you live in Michigan in the past? Lovely state!

169 Sounds like you've got your dinner all sorted out, Tina!

I finished my audio book while getting supper ready:

75 Challenge Book #88
Title: The Devil's Star (AUDIO book)
Author: Jo Nesbo
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003; English translation 2005
Subject: Serial Killings & police corruption
Setting: Oslo, Norway
Series: Harry Hole #3 (English Translation order)
Dates Read: finished 9/14/12
Number of pages: n/a (audio)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Color My World
How does it fit the category? set in Europe
Alternate category any mystery or series category
Why did I read this book now? available from library
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

Let me start by saying that I hate to give this a rating, because the quality of the story/writing is probably higher than my level of enjoyment. This was a complex tale, a bit hard for me to follow on audio. It also had a number of aspects which rather pushed my buttons.

Inspector Harry Hole has been on a bender, and is about to lose his job. But his boss needs him for one last case while almost everyone else is on summer holiday. A woman is murdered in her apartment. Then another woman goes missing. Is there a pattern? What is it? The one other senior inspector on duty is the hated Tom Waaler, so they must work together on the case. But Waaler has plans for Harry -- who is at his most vulnerable.

ETA to add And this is a series that should DEFINITELY be read in order!

> 169 And sugar! my pet peeve is sugar in in everything they sell us. ridiculous..makes me nuts.

Home made from scratch sauce sounds like bliss :) I do love a good sauce. I will be making hot sausage tomorrow,but with canned tomatoes.

>170 tymfos: I got my PhD in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Terri - I would think that The Devil's Star would be very hard to follow on audio. I actually liked the book quite a lot, but thought it was a bit of a slow starter. What I really enjoyed about it was how it made you truly examine the character of Harry Hole and realize that you couldn't wholly predict what he would do in this one.

172 Kath, we had another dose of the pasta sauce this evening for dinner -- this time, I made sweet Italian sausage to go with it.

173 Rachel, it is so lovely up on the UP! I'd like to go back and spend some more time there. We only had one day trip up to the UP from where we were staying.

174 Mamie, I really would have liked to be able to just page back and double-check things now and then. But, yes, Harry was a bit hard to predict in this one, and that was rather a treat. And, indeed, I found it to be a "slow starter" too!

Speaking of slow starts, I'm reading A Crown of Lights by Phil Rickman. I gather from the back cover that there's a killer, but I'm 1/4 of the way through and -- while a couple of people have died, seemingly of natural causes -- there doesn't appear to have been a killing yet.

Terri- I recently listened to Devil's Star. I didn't have any problems with the audio but it did take awhile to get started. And I think Nesbo could use a bit more editing but I still enjoyed the story, I just wish it was leaner.
One thing is worth pointing out: These books should be read in order.

You're right -- they definitely should be read in order, Mark. I may edit my comments above to reflect that. My main issue with the audio was getting certain characters mixed up and not being able to easily check back. I'm terrible with names, so that's not a surprising problem for me. That's why I hate to give it a rating -- if I didn't have that particular issue, I probably would have enjoyed it much more. Though one of the plot lines was of a nature that naturally drives me crazy.

Just checking in... my hot sausage /sauce is smelling mighty good! Happy weekend to you !

Interesting comments on Nesbo and The Devil's Star. I don't listen to audio books (I am too used to books in their traditional form) but I can understand why a single narrator would struggle with Nesbo and his constant shifting of scene. I do like the series quite a lot but Mark is right - he could do with a bit of editing to say in 350 pages what it normally takes him 500 to do.
Have a lovely weekend. x

Hi Terri! Mark and Paul make an excellent point - his books keep getting bigger, anyone notice that? I love his writing style and his plots, (and I adore Harry) but the books could certainly benefit from some well aimed editing. I am really excited about the first one finally being translated into English - it's supposed to be available in October. We'll see - I still can't preorder it which makes me nervous that getting ahold of it in the US could prove difficult.

Hope you have a lovely weekend - the weather here is supposed to be gorgeous, so I'm excited about it.

178 Happy weekend to you, Kath!

179 Hi, Paul! Yes, his books are quite stout, aren't they? And a lovely weekend to you, too!

180 Mamie, his first is finally being translated? Cool beans! I understand Karin Fossum's first in the Sejir series is also finally on the way in English. Hopefully, they will be released here. Have a great weekend!

I think that there is more than one author who could use some editing. If you can fill 500 pages with story, then by all means.. do! But when you drag people through highways and byways that they don't need to visit..seriously, why?

Kath, to argue the other POV, I do think that some of the editing people propose for certain authors might lose some of the sense of place and time, or some of the details of character, that we can rather take for granted as we read. I rather enjoy some of the highways and byways that authors take me along. For instance, Summer of Night was around 600 pages. Some of those pages included details many would view as mundane -- but they were the ones that really settled that book into a sense of Midwest Summer 1960 so that the weird stuff really came off as happening to believable characters in a seemingly "real" place and time. It would have all been way too far out if it hadn't been "grounded" that way, IMO.

75 Challenge Book #89
Title: The Day the World Came to Town
Author: Jim Defede
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2002
Subject: accommodating those diverted on planes from Europe when US airspace was closed on 9/11 and following
Setting: Gander, Newfoundland, Canada
Dates Read: 9/11/12 through 9/15/12
Number of pages: 244
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes, purchased used somewhere, sometime, prior to this year
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Help!
How does it fit the category? In the face of disaster, the people in Gander offered all manner of HELP
Alternate category Color My World, King of the Road
Why did I read this book now? 9/11 commemoration
My Rating: 4.8 stars
Notes:

I absolutely loved this book about the people of the small city of Gander, Newfoundland and the surrounding area, and how they coped with the influx of thousands of airliner passengers forced to land there when US airspace was closed on 9/11.

There was so much to love about this book! Right off, Defede startled me into the realization that the US handed off some of our security nightmare to Canada, which the Canadians accepted without hesitation. After all, the fear was that there were more terrorists lurking on airplanes, right?

The book takes a look at a number of folks whose travels and lives were interrupted by the plane diversion -- including (among others) the parents of a FDNY firefighter at Ground Zero, a couple returning to the US with a newly-adopted daughter, and a US general high up in the Army intelligence community.

And then there are the "Newfies." The people of the Gander area went so far beyond allowing these people to land. They toook them to heart. They stripped their own beds so the visitors could have sheets. They invited strangers into their homes to shower, in those cases were the shelters lacked such facilities. They offered their telephones and internet connections and ears to hear sad stories. They cooked and commiserated. This book was filled with many, many heart-warming interactions between the Newfies and their guests.

And in the process of reading, I learned a lot about Newfoundland, and the history of Gander -- and why in the world so many people wound up there on 9/11.

I can't say enough good things about this book.

Agree... wonderful book!

Ohhhhh And here I sit with that book on my shelf just waiting for me to pick it up. I should make it my next nf read. It's hard to resist those 4.8 stars after all. Great review Terri!

Hey! I have that book too! What am I waiting for?
Great review -with a rating! LOL
Gotta bump this one up.

Bumped that one up on Mt Toobie.....how'd I miss this one before? Too many books, too little time....thanks for the great review. Wanted to thumb but couldn't find it!

Yes, Kath! Hope you're having a good weekend.

Cee -- stop waiting and read it! :) Thanks for the kind words about the review.

Hi, Tina. I've now properly posted the review.

I haven't had any time this weekend to get around and visit threads -- just barely enough time to keep up this one. Maybe when the rest of the household settles down for the night, I'll have some time to lurk and post . . .


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Thanks....officially thumbed!

Very good and enthusiastic review of The Day the World Came to Town Terri and it goes immediately onto my slightly impossible hitlist.

Thanks for the thumb, Tina!

Hi, Paul! I hope you like it.

My plans to do a lot of thread-hopping tonight are fading . . . with my energy level. . . . zzzzzz

Thanks for the review, Terri! My memory of that day is still so clear and vivid, this many years later.

#143: Wow! I am further behind than I thought!

#184: I loved that book too! I am glad to see that it has another fan :)

HI, Valerie! That's a day none of us will ever forget.

Hi, Stasia! Hope school is going well for you.

Good morning! Today is my day off from work, and I planned to get all sorts of housework accomplished. So, naturally, I woke up with severe lower back spasms today. The last time I had spasms like this was after childbirth.

My new cholesterol medication carries a warning to report unexplained muscle pain immediately "or seek emergency help," as it may be "a sign of a serious side effect." So I called the doctor's office, and they've told me to stop taking the medication for a week to see if the spasms "resolve."

I'm wondering if this is a SIGN that I should spend the day READING, instead of housecleaning???

Yes, it is!

I think so too, Mamie. It is a perfect day here for reading -- gray and rainy.

I have a lot going on with my reading:
The Healing by Jonathan Odell -- borrowed, literary fiction
Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon (#2 in the Dave Gurney mystery series) -- E BOOK
Final Approach by Rachel Brady (#1 in the Emily Locke mystery series) -- AUDIO book
A Crown of Lights by Phil Rickman (#3 in the Merrily Watkins mystery series) -- Inter-library Loan
Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella -- fiction/sports fantasy, off the TBR shelf
The Passing of the Armies by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain -- historical memoir, off the TBR shelf

When I finish the Rickman, I have another spooky inter-library loan waiting:
A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons (sequel to Summer of Night)

Hi Terri: I hope you didn't stay up to watch the Cubs/Pirates game last night. It didn't start up 10:45 pm central due to the heavy rain in Chicago. Then, it didn't end til 1:30 am central. Very glad I sold my ticket for last night.

Linda, I heard about that game this morning. No, I didn't try to stay up for it. Frankly, I had seriously doubted that they'd ever get underway.

I liked The Healing and also Winter Haunting.. have fun with those!
I am not familiar with the others.... and I am no way going to even peek at a series book! lol

Sorry to hear about your back, I hope that stopping the meds helps. Back spasms are awful :(

I'd say it's a pretty clear sign you should NOT do any housework and just read! :)

I am always impressed by people who can read multiple books at the same time. Even with one book, often times I'm having to flip back and forth because I'll forget who this person was or what this person did.... I'd be a complete mess with my reviews being absolute nonsense if I tried to read multiple books at once. The most I can manage is one fiction and one nonfiction at the same time.

Oftentimes, I have a nonfiction book going and a mystery going. I can't read two different mysteries at the same time. That'd be too confusing.

Hi Kath, Valerie, and Linda!

Kath, The Healing is very different from anything I've read before. I like it. And I can't wait to get to Winter Haunting, but want to finish the Rickman first.

Valerie, multiple books can be problematic for me, depending on what they are. And I do my share of looking back. But I like having an audio book and an e-book going at all times. I can listen to the audio while driving and doing housework; the e-book is nice to read in bed because I don't need to add a separate book-light -- my Sony reader cover has a light attached, and my i-Phone is backlit. And books on my i-Phone go just about everywhere with me, so I'm not caught waiting without a book to read! But I have to read regular books, too.

Linda, I typically haven't read multiple mysteries at once -- I try to keep to different genres -- but these mysteries are all so totally different from one another that I'm managing to not get them confused. The e-book is a suspense/thriller type with an ex-cop and a brutal murder; the audio is more of a cozy with a woman amateur sleuth snooping around a skydiving club for leads about a missing child; and the paperback one is spooky and features a woman Anglican priest.

Oddly, I don't have anything non-fiction going now. My non-fiction reading has really dropped off this year, and I'm not sure why. I think maybe I need a Non-fiction November or something.

The Healing gets better and better and better... I was thinking ho hum in the beginning.. and loved it by the end.

I've posted my cut at a Halloween reading list, figured you might be interested. It's at http://www.librarything.com/topic/142342

I find that I always have multiple books going at the same time. I like to be able to pick up what I am in the mood for at any given moment. My reading has been a bit erratic at the moment, but I am hoping to correct that after the move.

Terri, guess what arrived today? My very own copy of Devil's Hearth - I had to track down a used copy. Why, I wonder is it out of print? Anyway I have read the first two chapters, and absolutely love the writing style. I had already started reading the second in the series which was easier to get a copy of - The Witch's Grave, which pulls you right in. Now I will have to be good and devour The Devil's Hearth and then return to the second book. When it rains, it pours!!

205 The Healing gets better and better and better
I'm feeling that way too, Kath!

206 Oooh, Halloween list! Fantastic, Jim! I'll stop over shortly.

207 I find that I always have multiple books going at the same time. I like to be able to pick up what I am in the mood for at any given moment.
Me, too! I'm a very moody reader.

Mamie, I'm so glad to hear that you've discovered Phillip DePoy! I love that series.

Just visited the Halloween thread. Great list! Kath, you need to get over there, you usually like scary stuff . . . ;)

I keep meaning to read The Day the World Came to Town. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

And now I see there is a Halloween thread (already!!). I need to check it out...

By all means, Joanne, read The Day the World Came to Town. And check out that Halloween thread!

I'm amazed to see that I'm already over 200 posts with this thread. Oddly, my current thread here and my thread in the 12 in 12 Category Challenge will each stand at 211 messages following this post.

Maybe I can start new threads after work today.

I have to go and look at that list of Jim's too :)

Hope you have a good day at work :)

Thanks, Kath! It was a pretty good day.

I've changed my mind. I'm going to wait and do my new thread on Saturday, when fall begins.

Hi Terri. Whoa, how did it get to be Fall already? I can't believe we are about to head into the last quarter of the year!

Judy, this year has just flown by! I can't believe we're already more than halfway through September.

I am ready for fall... ! It was such a hot summer. I will keep an eye out for the new thread :)

89 Books already! WOW, What an accomplishment.

Today is a crisp, clear fall-like morning in NE PA. The dew on the grass shines and Lilly the sheltie is in heaven, running around the yard, nose in the air, jumping up to try to reach the bird feeder to scare away the birds.

Happy Thursday to you Terri.

I am ready for fall, too, Kath -- it's my favorite season.

Hello, Linda dear, and Happy Thursday to you, too! So good to see you posting here. We have a lovely fall-like day here, too. It's not quite clear, but the sun is shining between the clouds. Wishing you ever-improving health and healing.

75 Challenge Book #90
Title: A Crown of Lights
Author: Phil Rickman
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2001
Subject: Religious tolerance/intolerance; religous syncretism, village secrets
Setting: Welsh/English border
Series: Merrily Watkins
Dates Read: finished 9-20-12
Number of pages: 563
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, inter-library loan
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: On and On
How does it fit the category? series
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now? Fit with Surreal September & Sept. Series & Sequels
My Rating: Patience! I'm still sorting it out! Maybe 3.8
Notes:

Betty and Robin, a young pagan couple, purchase the ruin of a discommissioned church which sits on an old Pagan worship site; Robin is determined to re-dedicate the place to pagan worship. A charismatic priest leads a local effort to drive them away. Merrily Watkins is sent into the fray by the Bishop to try to calm things down; in the meantime, she's drawn into the situation of a man who can't seem to let go of his dead wife's body. And someone has gone missing -- dead, maybe? And is there, perhaps, fiscal corruption afoot, too? And why is there a circle of 5 churches all dedicated to St. Michael surrounding Radnor forest?

Rickman draws such a diverse cast of characters. Merrily, central character in the series, is a fairly young, liberal-minded woman priest involved in Deliverance Ministry; she contrasts nicely with Father Ellis, the charismatic fundamentalist showman-priest who is stirring public hatred toward the pagans and otherwise engaging in some very questionable ministry practices (to put it mildly). The young couple offers its own contrast. Robin is clearly antagonistic toward Christianity; whereas Betty , a gifted psychic, is a most peaceable woman at heart. Then there is the newly widowed Gomer (rather a favorite character of mine), retired former operator of Gomer Parry Plant Hire, full of country attitudes, wisdom, and insight. And Merrily's teenage daughter Jane livens things up by rushing in where angels fear to tread . . .

Rickman delves into the sensitive-but-fascinating subject of how early Christianity appropriated pagan sites and traditions, "baptizing" them to give them Christian significance; and how rural Christianity maintained a closer relationship with pagan tradition than the citified version. It's a complex tale, with good and bad people in both spiritual traditions -- and an evil which may threaten harm to both.

I do think that there are a few too many issues going on at once in this story.

This sounds pretty good! ( shocking, coming from me, I know. ) I just keep thinking that if we were neighbors we could each spend half as much and need half as many shelves.. just share ...lol

#220: I see that the book is number 3 in a series, Terri. Have you read the other books? If so, what did you think about them.

I know what you mean, Kath! :)

Stasia, I liked the first one, The Wine of Angels -- I posted a rather long review of that one on the work's page. The second one, Midwinter of the Spirit, I had mixed feelings about; I never got around to posting a formal review, though I rated it 3 1/2 stars.

I really like the character of Merrily, and how she relates to her teenage daughter, Jane; and how she struggles with questions of faith and faithfulness.

OK, tonight I finished two more books. I finished reading The Healing by Jonathan Odell; I also finished listening to Final Approach by Rachel Brady while I was out for my walk and then later as I did housework.

75 Challenge Book #91
Title: The Healing
Author: Jonathan Odell
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2012
Subject: stories, freedom, healing
Setting: Satterlee Plantation, Mississippi
Dates Read: finished 9/21/12
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: borrowed
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: not sure yet
How does it fit the category?
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now? loaned to me
My Rating: 3.8 stars
Notes:

This book takes place in two different times, as Gram-Gram tells her stories of the past when she was a slave on a Mississippi plantation. This is a story about the power of stories, and the power of womanhood, about freedom and choices and the flow of lives as they touch one another.

75 Challenge Book # 92
Title: Final Approach (AUDIO)
Author: Rachel Brady
Copyright/Year of original publication: ?
Subject: skydiving chemist infiltrates drop zone to catch kidnappers
Setting: Houston, TX
Series: Emily Locke
Dates Read: finished 9/21/12
Number of pages: n/a
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: not sure
How does it fit the category?
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now? available audio
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

OK, I'm not sure why I read this, except that I was trying to find an audio that didn't have a waiting list, and this one actually had a decent rating on LT. I wasn't over-enthusiastic about it, but it actually turned out to be a decent mystery. Like most stories with amateur sleuths, the protagonist did her share of Really Foolish Actions, which always annoy me.

Emily Locke is a chemist with a company in Cleveland. She's asked by a detective with whom she's had past dealings to go to Houston, Texas to help him with the case of a missing child. He doesn't need her chemistry skills; her hobby is skydiving, and he needs her to infiltrate a skydiving drop zone.

Emily has some heavy history that figures into this mystery, and it's revealed gradually through the story.

This is actually pretty well written considering it's not only first in a series, but is apprently the author's first novel. I liked the character of Emily, despite her lapses in judgment. I wonder where her next mystery will take her?

OK, it's after midnight and Fall starts today. I'm going to go ahead and start my new thread over here:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/142470

Come on over and join me!


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