tymfos sails through even more books in 2012 -- Voyage 8: Autumn Adventures

Welcome to my space! This is part eight 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)
93. Shut Your Eyes Tight by John Verdon (E-BOOK)
94. A Winter Haunting by Dan Simmons


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Books Finished in October:
95. Christine by Stephen King (AUDIO)
96. Book of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff.
97. Fearless by Max Lucado (devotional - E book)
98. Open Season by C.J. Box (e-book)
99. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (AUDIO BOOK)
100 Blindness by Jose Saramago
101 The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry E-BOOK
102 The Dead Zone by Stephen King
103 Gallows View by Peter Robinson AUDIO
104 The Empty House and other Ghost Stories by Algernon Blackwood (E-BOOK)
105 The Haunting of the Presidents by Joel Martin

currently reading:
A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller (devotional)
The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish by Elise Blackwell (AUDIO)

Suspended reading, at least for now:
Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella (fiction)
The Passing of the Armies by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (non-fiction, historical memoir)

With September Series & Sequels going on, I've taken a stab at listing series I'm actively working on, or that I really want to try. This list keeps evolving, and I try to include what volume comes next and if I know where to find it.

A. Series that I'm actually caught up/finished with!!!
Elm Haven series by Dan Simmons (read both)
Fever Devilin series by Philip DePoy (have read all six published to date)
Flap Tucker series by Philip DePoy. (have read all five)
Rev. Claire Ferguson series by Julia Spencer Fleming (have read all to date)

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

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:
Alexandra Cooper series by Linda Fairstein. Next:Hell Gate, #12 of 14 (library)
Alex Cross series by James Patterson. Next:Cross Country, #14 of 20 (library)
Aurora Teagarden mysteries by Charlaine Harris. Next: A Bone to Pick, #2 of 8 (owned)
Benjamin January by Barbara Hambly. Next: Sold Down the River, #4 of 11
Blindness by Jose Saramago. Nexct: Seeing, #2 of 2
Charlotte & Thomas Pitt series by Anne Perry. Next: Callander Square#2 of 27
Commissario Brunetti series by Donna Leon. Next: Death in a Strange Country, #2 of 21 (at library; I own #3)
Crumley mysteries by Ray Bradbury. Next: Graveyard for Lunatics, #2 of 3
Dave Gurney series by John Verdon. Next: Shut your Eyes Tight Let the Devil Sleep, #3 of 3
David Ash series by James Herbert. Next: Ghosts of Sleath, #2 of 3 (at library)
Dr. Siri series by Colin Cotterill. Next up: Disco for the Departed, #3 of 8Anarchy and Old Dogs, #4 of 8
Dublin Murder Squad series by Tana French. Next: Faithful Place, #3 of 4 (CLP download)
Eden Moore series by Cherie Priest. Next: Wings to the Kingdom, #2 of 3 (I own #2 & 3)
Emily Locke series by Rachel Brady. Next: Final Approach Dead Lift, #2 of 2 (CLP download)
Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Next:The Devil's Star The Redeemer
Ian Rutledge series by Charles Todd. Next: Wings of Fire, #2 of 15 (library)
Inspector Banks series by Peter Robinson. Next up: A Dedicated Man, #2 of 20
Inspector Erlendur (UK publication order) by Arnaldur Indrudason. Next: Silence of the Grave, #2 of 8 (county Library)
Joe Pickett mysteries by C.J. Box. Open Season Next up: Savage Run, #2 of 12 (owned)
John Ceepak series by Chris Grabenstein. Next: Mad Mouse, #2 of ? (own e-book)
Kate Burkholder by Linda Castillo. Next: Breaking Silence, #3 of 4 Gone Missing, #4 of 4 (CLP download)
Kurt Wallander series by Henning Mankell. Next: The Dogs of Riga, #2 of 10 (library)
Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear. Next: Pardonable Lies, #3 of 10 (borrowed)
Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews. Next: No Nest for the Wicket, #7 of 14 (county library)
Merrily Watkins series by Phil Rickman. Next: A Crown of Lights, #3 of 11 The Cure of Souls, #4 of 11
Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin. Next: The Serpent's Tale, #2 of 4 (owned)
Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths. Next: The Janus Stone, #2 of 4 (CLP download)
Samantha Kincade series by Alafair Burke. Next: Close Case, #3 of 3
White House Chef series by Julie Hyzy. Next: Hail to the Chef, #2 of 5 (owned)

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

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)
Blood Detective series by Dan Waddell. Blood Detective (OneClick download)
Bryant & May by Christopher Fowler. Firstup: Full Dark House, #1 of 10 (FLP download)
Cemetery of Forgotton Books by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Shadow of the Wind, #1 of 3 (FLP downloads)
Deborah Knott series by Margaret Maron. First up: Bootlegger's Daughter, #1 of 18 (library)
DS Alex Morrow by Denise Mina. First up: Still Midnight
Guido Guerrieri series by Gianrico Carfiglio. Involuntary Witness, #1 of 4 (CLP download)
Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. First up: The Black Echo, #1 of 18 (library, library downhload)
Homer Kelley series by Jane Langton. First up: The Transcendental Murder, #1 of 18 (FLP download)
Inspector Silva series by Leighton Gage. First up: Blood of the Wicked, #1 of 4 (CLP download)
Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. First up: Killing Floor
Jack Sawyer series by Stephen King. First up: The Talisman
Kathryn Dance series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Sleeping Doll
Laszlo Kreizler series by Caleb Carr. First up: The Alienist, #1 of 2
Lincoln Ryme series by Jeffery Deaver. First up: The Bone Collector
Lynley/Havers series by Elizabeth George. First up: A Great Deliverance
Matthew Shardlake series by C.J. Samson. First up: Dissolution, #1 of 5 (FLP download)
Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larsson. First up: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, #1 of 3
Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. First up: Odd Thomas, #1 of 6 + novellas
Rizolli/Isles by Tess Gerritsen. First up: The Surgeon
Shakespeare Secret series by Jennifer Lee Carrell. First up: Interred With Their Bones
Steve Vail series by Noah Boyd. First up: The Bricklayer, #1 of 2
Strange & Quinn series by George Pelicanos. First up: Right as Rain
Tea Shop mysteries by Laura Childs. First up: Death by Darjeeling
The Sparrow series by Mary Doria Russell. First up: The Sparrow
Thora Gudmundsdottier series by Yrsa Sigurdardottir. First up: Last Rituals
Tradd Street series by Karen White. First up: The House on Tradd Street, #1 of 3
Trilogy of Fog by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. The Prince of Mist, #1 of 3 (CLP download)
Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson. The Cold Dish, #1 of 8 (OneClick download)
Wine Country mysteries by Ellen Crosby. The Merlot Murders #1 of 6 (FLP download)
Women's Murder Club by James Patterson. First up: First to Die

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

H. Recommended series, not readily available:
Antique Print Mysteries by Lea Wait. Shadows at the Fair
Books by the Bay Mysteries by Ellery Adams. First up: A Killer Plot
Chief Inspecter Adamsburg by Fred Vargas. The Chalk Circle Man
Donut Shop mysteries by Jessica Beck. Glazed Murder
Emily Tempest series by Adrian Hyland. Moonlight downs
Inspector Challis by Hal Disher. The Dragon Man
Jack Frost by R.D. Wingfield. Frost at Christmas
Jack Taylor series by Ken Bruen. The Guards
Joe Faraday series by Graham Hurley. Turnstone
Joe Plantagenet by Kate Ellis. Seeking the Dead
Kyle Murchison Booth by Sarah Monette The Bone Key
Logan McRae by Stuart MacBride. Cold Granite
Matthew Bartholomew series by Susanna Gregory. A Plague on Both Your Houses
Max Tudor by G.M. Malliet. Wicked Autumn
Mike Bowditch by Paul Doiron. The Poacher's Son
Nathan Active series by Stan Jones. White sky, Black ice
Novel Ideas series by Lucy Arlington. Buried in a Book
Sam Turner mysteries by John F. Baker. Poet in the Gutter
Sigrid Harald by Margaret Maron. One Coffee With
Sister Agnes series by Alison Joseph. First up: Sacred Hearts, #1 of 9
Tom Thorne series by Mark Billingham. Sleepyhead
Torie O'Shea series by Rett MacPherson. Family Skeletons
Underhill/Maiden series by Will Kingdom. The Cold Calling

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:
Ballad novels by Sharyn McCrumb
D.D. Warren series by Lisa Gardner.
Elizabeth MacPherson series by Sharyn McCrumb
Faith Fairchild mysteries by Katherine Hall Page (I own some unread)
Harmony series by Philip Gulley (first in County Library)
Kate Shugak series by Dana Stabenow (I now own first book in that series)
Michael Kelley series by Michael Harvey (read 2nd; own 1st)
Mickey Rawlings series by Tron Soos
Penn Dutch Inn mysteries by Tamar Myers (I own some unread; library has some I've not read)
Richard Christie series by Kathleen George (read 4th of 4 from library)
Skip Langdon series by Julie Smith
Tess Monaghan series by Laura Lippman (own & 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)


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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).

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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 60 books from my shelves this year.




Books acquired this year, with an attempted limit of 65, 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.)

I'm not good at resisting temptation; I've already had to raise my quota for the year, because I'd exceeded it!

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): 50

regular? 46
e-books? 4
audios?

pre-2012? 33
ER? 5
others? 11

Books Acquired 2012: 65

Ratio BOMBS read/total books acquired: 59/65

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more stats

Borrowed Books Read: 54

Library 52
Friends 2

regular:18
e-books: 12
audios: 24

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Total books read: 105

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Fiction: 74
Non-Fiction: 40

US authors: 77
non-US authors: 28

male authors: 67
female authors: 37
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:
AUDIO fiction E-BOOK, non-fiction E-BOOK, fiction
From my solid bookshelf:
Devotional
From my virtual bookshelf:

From the library shelf:

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:

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Hahaha Terri what a good way to climb into the top 20 in the thread posting league! Congratulations on your new thread and I trust that you will have a lovely weekend.

Personally, I don't consider thread posting to be a competitive sport . . .

Love all your stats and updates on what you have read. And the one for good measure. Do you count books off your shelf towards your 75 for the year or are they separate? Either way, you sure read a lot!

Hi, Paul! No matter how elaborate I make my thread, it will never come near the number of posts on yours . . . :)

Hi, Kim! The 75 challenge includes EVERYTHING I read from Jan 1 to Dec. 31 of this year, for any challenge, from any source, in any format. About half my books this year have been off-the-shelf; about 1/4 of my books this year have been audio books, which let me read when I'm doing other things.

The one for good measure just became a welcome graphic. Give me a few more minutes, and I'll have a photo at the top of the thread, too.

Settles into her chair to wait happily for new photo... : ) Like the Welcome Glitter graphics....and the covered bridge!

Thanks, Kim. LT was being rather uncooperative this evening as I set this up. I really had to fiddle with it.

You have conquered the ill-tempered LT! It all looks great and you can rest easy now. : )

I think it's time to sign off for the night . . .

And I'm just checking in first thing in the morning. Nice new thread! Where is the covered bridge photo taken? I first learned about covered bridges on Lucy's (sibyx) thread a year or two back.

Good morning to you ! Beautiful thread, as always :)

Hi, Genny! That covered bridge is in Pennsylvania . . . somewhere in Somerset County, I think. Not sure which one.

Good morning, Kath! Thanks for the kind words.

I've been busy starting a new thread over on my 12 in 12 challenge this morning. So odd for both challenges to max out threads at the same time, but since we're starting Autumn, it seemed an especially good time for fresh threads.

Nice new thread, Terri! Love how you arranged your series info - so interesting to look through!

Hi Terri, I love how you have arranged and listed your series. As Mamie says, very interesting to browse through. You are so organized, these days I am relying on Fact.Fic to keep my series semi-organized.

Thanks, Mamie!

Hi, Judy! I've heard of Fact.Fic, but am afraid to try it for fear of spending even more time online dealing with my books . . .

*waving* at Terri

#8: I want those shelves!! and the ladders too

Aren't those shelves (and ladders) something? I want them too, Stasia!

Hi Terri- Congrats on the new thread! Hope you are enjoying your weekend and are your current books are treating you well.

Images like the lovely book shelves that you posted above, confirm my belief that while kindles and nooks may be ever so great, still, I think book lovers truly want to hold a copy of a book.

It may sound very weird, but I get great joy in seeing my books on the shelves. I don't get great joy in looking at the nook.

Thanks, Mark! Current books are good, thus far.

I get great joy in seeing my books on the shelves. I don't get great joy in looking at the nook.
So very true, Linda!

Nice new thread Terri; very flashy indeed. I agree with you and Linda---even though I have about 70 books on my iPad I still prefer the real thing and looking at my overloaded shelves. It just feels so much better.

Hi Terri! Just dropping by to make myself all nice and comfy on your new thread. I had to chuckle at your series because it puts mine to shame! Isn't it nice to get it all sorted out or organized so you know where you stand at least?!? :)

Thanks, Bonnie! Yes, there's something about turning the pages of a real, paper-and-ink book that an electronic gadget will never match. And I love to see shelves full of books!

Hi, Valerie!
Isn't it nice to get it all sorted out or organized so you know where you stand at least?!? :)
Yeah. Then I visit a few threads, read reviews for series I never heard of, and start adding them to the wishlist. . . ;)

Oh, good. Someone there is with more series on their list than I have (BTW, my library has the Bryant & May series on audiobook--FABULOUS).

(BTW, my library has the Bryant & May series on audiobook--FABULOUS).

Ooh, Terri, I'm glad you mentioned that! I just checked, and our district library's download system has the later installments of that series available for download from Recorded Books. AND I just looked in the Free Library of Philadelphia's digital system (I have a card there), and they have some of the earlier ones for e-book download. Yeah!

You are a brave woman. Starting in on another series? It's good to work in a library :) surely that helps?

Hope your weekend was good :)

I still need to get started on the Bryant & May series! One of these days. . .

Brave, Kath? More like foolish, methinks. Weekend was OK. How is Corey?

I don't know when I'll get to it, Stasia, but at least I know where to find some of it . . .

I started listening to the audio of Stephen King's Christine. I knew it was about a car, which is cool. I did NOT realize until I started it that it was set around Pittsburgh. He is definitely drawing me in. Not too much scary to start out -- but, oh, the little details that draw the reader into the story. Even minor characters who are so colorful and dead-on believable. I'm just puzzled why he made the Pittsburghers in the story Phillies fans. Mind you, as a transplant to Western PA, I'm a Phillies fan, too, from way back when I was further east . . . but that is not the norm at this end of the state -- was even less so in the late 70's when this book takes place and the Phillies & Pirates were both in the same division and had a really strong rivalry.

I need to finish up my e-book from the library, which is set to expire in a few days. Shut Your Eyes Tight, by John Verdon, is the second in his Dave Gurney series -- and nearly as good as the first, which I found outstanding for a series opener. He seems to specialize in cases with impossible elements. Sure has me scratching my head again, like he did with the first book.

Today's my day off work. Not 8 a.m. yet and I've sent my son off to school, I have muffins baking in the oven, and have a load of clothes through the wash cycle and drying in the dryer.

I am worried about my dryer. After almost 20 years of virtually flawless Maytag function (only had to replace one drive belt a few years ago) it is not doing the job as well as in the past. So far, the washer (same make and vintage) still soldiers on without complaint, having never had a single visit from the Maytag Man. (knock on wood -- don't want to jinx the thing!)

Today I plan to mop floors and vacuum, and maybe get around to some cleaning of the basement -- which is sorely in need of some care -- while listening to my audio book of Christine. I definitely want to flush the boiler and see that the water level settles to the proper level. It's getting cold in here! We're going to be needing heat.

So what do you folks have planned today?

Wow, busy day for a day off Terri!..... Humm, sounds almost like some of my weekends, minus sending someone off to school and baking. Here is hoping your dryer is not giving up the ghost.

Well, the dryer made it through the laundry I did last night, though it took forever.

This week is Homecoming at my son's high school, and they are having Spirit Week. Each day there's a "theme" to dress. Monday they were all supposed to be "nerds," which suited my boy just fine. (I'm not saying that he's a nerd, but he does tend to get classified as one by some of his peers.) He didn't tell me Tuesday's theme until too late -- it was "camouflage," which he lacked.

So he came home from school yesterday and asked if we could go buy a necktie, as today's theme was for the kids to dress like teachers and the teachers to dress like kids. You can't wear a necktie with a t-shirt or turtleneck or even the polo shirts he wears when he dresses up -- and it turned out that he'd outgrown his dress pants -- so we headed out to do some shopping. While we were out, we picked up some take-out Chinese food. Then we came home to eat and to wash what we'd bought, to soften it up a little.

The fly in the ointment is that he doesn't know how to tie a necktie (with his motor skills issues, it took years for him to master basic shoe-tying) and my husband has been out of town this week (he'll be back this afternoon). And I sure never tied one. You-Tube to the rescue! I found a video there, How to Tie a Tie on someone you love:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZBXmlju_Tw

After a few tries, we got a passable result. We loosened it and slipped it over his head, so this morning he could just slip it on and adjust it. He really seemed to like the result. He said he'd wear the new duds for the church dinner Sunday, and for his grandparents' anniversary party next month.

I must say, he looked marvelous leaving home this morning.

LOL @ the necktie problem :) I learned to tie one years ago. Not that my boys wore them often, but Dan was never one to help out a lot... I used to be able to do it pretty well... but it's been years. Theme week sounds fun and annoying.... but it also sounds like he got a great new outfit which will get a lot of use.

Nothing much happening here... dullness resides... and that is fine.

Have a good one today :) What;s tomorrows theme?

What's tomorrow's theme? I was wondering that myself, Kath. I meant to ask him before he left today. Usually, toward the end of Sprit Week, they lean toward school colors and/or school-logoed clothes, which he has in abundance. Well, maybe not abundance, but adequate to get by.

Wow Terri.....this thread is a show-stopper!!! I'm finally catching up after weeks of skimming through. Yours is definitely a star, and there are so many similarities to the way we "read", the books we like etc, that I've promised myself I'm never getting behind here again.

I too like the look and feel of a personal library full of books, but I also really appreciate the Nook which is helping me keep my ARCs from publishers from overrunning the other guys. Now if I could just get to the other guys.

Never had to deal with the necktie issue. Bob happened to be home from sea when my son Matt started Catholic school (necktie required every day). They tied three (you never know when you're going to spill catsup or mustard) so he'd always have a spare. Bob is great at tying from the front too - says they used to practice fixing roomates ties at the Naval Academy. And when I was in the Navy (back in Lord Nelson's days LOL) the women wore a tie that was more of a bow/scarf kind with a square knot - ala the old Girl Scout neckerchief tie, so I never had the problem. But I'm so glad you found it on YouTube - I'd have never thought of that!

BTW....I just got John Verdon's 1st one Think of a Number on audio. I've been wanting to read that one and my name finally came up on the list!!

I don't know how to tie a tie either...better watch that youtube video in advance! :)

Hi, Tina! Thanks for the kind words. And don't think I don't enjoy my e-books. Yes, I love the look and feel of the paper ones, but e-books can be very, very handy. And I do a lot of audio books, too.

I had to laugh, Valerie. Of all the times for the kid to need a tie, they'd pick the one week his dad was away.

Hubby's back home now, arriving a few minutes before I got home from work. His late birthday present arrived from Amazon today -- a newly-issued DVD set of The Ring Cycle performed by the Metropolitan Opera. After exchanging greetings, he took over the living room to watch Das Rheingold at full volume, and I retreated to relative quiet of the back upstairs bedroom to finish my e-book -- today was the last day of the library download, and they really do become un-readable when they expire.

75 Challenge Book #93
Title: Shut Your Eyes Tight E-BOOK
Author: John Verdon
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2011
Subject: solving mystery of bride decapitated on her wedding day
Setting: New York State
Series: Dave Gurney #2
Dates Read: finished 9/26/12
Number of pages: n/a (e-book, varies with format/type size)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?:NO, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: What's Goin' On?
How does it fit the category? Mystery
Alternate category any mystery or series category
Why did I read this book now? liked first in series, this was available for download
My Rating: 3.7 stars
Notes:

I thought the first book in this series, Think of a Number, was very clever and well-written; so when this second volune became available for download from the library, I grabbed it.

Retired ace NYPD homicide detective Dave Gurney is is asked to "consult" on a gruesome crime -- a bride decapitated on her wedding day. Supposedly, the gardener did it, and all they need to do is find him, according to the police. But Dave begins to suspect there's more to the crime than meets the eye. His wife Madeline wishes he'd turn down the case and just stay retired. But, of course, there wouldn't be a book if he did that. And he's drawn in by the puzzle. Is this an isolated crime of passion, or are there other bodies to unearth?

Verdon seems to specialize in crime stories with a seemingly impossible element. This one is a complex tale that had me on the edge of my seat with a kind of pull-push effect, making me want to read on while afraid of what would come next. I found the ultimate solution a little implausible, but went back and read carefully and can see how the original crime might have been pulled off that way.

I didn't like this one quite as much as the first one for a variety of minor reasons (that probably had more to do with what "pushes my buttons" than the actual quality of the book) but it was a good, complex mystery/suspense outing.

I just realized that I forgot to post my September "reading plan" on this new thread! Here it is, with progress/changes noted:

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) --DONE
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

I used to have to tie a tie every day, because it was part of our school uniform. We all hated wearing them, so it's hard to imagine children voluntarily dressing up in them as a treat! English school children have perfected a variety of ways of subverting the tie, either by wearing them very very short with a big knot, or extremely long and thin, or loosened and sloppy-looking rather than tightened up to the collar, or pushing the knot to the right or left for the asymetrical look! Strict teachers were always telling people to 'put that tie on properly'!

I hope your son enjoyed his day dressed like a teacher, and you manage to find appropriate costumes for the rest of the week - it must be quite a challenge when they come home and suddenly let you know they need x or y for tomorrow, and expect you to rustle it up out of thin air!

Well, today is 1980's day at the school. I can't for the life of me think of one thing memorable about clothing in that decade. Nada. And I was in college part of that decade! Seems to me we lived in clothes very similar to what students wear now -- jeans & t-shirts, sweat pants, etc. Maybe I just didn't hang out with a fashionable crew.

Big hair? That stands up in front? But otherwise, you're right... nothing much.

Kath, Yeah, a pretty boring decade. Wonder why they picked '80's?

49 Genny, didn't mean to ignore you! I think he enjoyed his day, and he looked good in the group photo posted on the High School web page. But by the end of the day, he came home rather un-tied and un-tucked -- definitely ready to be liberated of his fancy duds and changed into something more comfy! And, yes, it's rather challenging to have these special dress-up days thrust at one. Not so bad for us, as I could manage to afford a trip to the store; but must be awful for families who don't have any spare funds.

51 Kath, you were spot on! Today's "1980's Day" photo on the school website is most notable for the girls' wild hairstyles. Leggings seemed to be popular among the girls, too. They hardly bothered to put any guys in the photo. There's just a couple hanging out on the fringes in shorts and t-shirts.

Well, late 80's I was a tech for an optometrist. I have vivid memories of trying to do fields testing with bangs that stood up six inches... fields machines were different from todays.. they were those very big half circle things that you put your forehead agains something... difficult. Very.
What's tomorrow?

Tomorrow is school colors. We're all set for that.

Funny story about neckties. I took my sons to the Symphony one evening when they were doing a Halloween show (great fun--the musicians all dressed in costumes, and they played some of the great classical spooky music!). My son asked if I would buy him a great-looking tie in the gift shop with drums on it, so I did. As we sat in our seats at intermission, we realized that neither I nor my sons knew how to tie it! I tapped the shoulder of the gentleman in front of us, and asked him if he could show my son how to tie a necktie. He was gracious enough to teach him, and later he taught his brothers.
We don't need no stinkin' man at our house....

I triple love your story TLo!
You GO!!! nice guy, huh?

Hi Terri!

Hi Terri. You Tube to the rescue. It has been a big help to me with many things computer related. I get tired of asking my daughter to bail me out as I'm not so good at following directions long distance.

Have a great week end!

56 Terri, that's a really great story!

57 Hi, Kath!

58 Donna, I never cease to be amazed at what can be found on You Tube!

I'm really enjoying my audio book of Stephen King's Christine. I have a few little quibbles with the narration -- he referred to the state highway dept. as Penn D.O.T., pronouncing the letter names of the last three initials, Dee, Oh, Tee -- whereas nobody here in PA says it that way, it's PennDOT -- "DOT" said as an acronym, as in the word "dot." "Pen-Dot." Otherwise, the narration is generally very good.

I still can't figure why the only baseball references in the book are to the Phillies, when it's set in Pittsburgh -- not a word about the Pirates. Yes, there were Pirates in Pittsburgh in 1978, when the book is set, and even long before. And King is a baseball fan -- he wrote a book with Stewart O'Nan about the Red Sox, for gosh sakes, so it's not like he doesn't know the sport. Could the Pirates have said they didn't want to be in his book?

I wanted to refer to the printed edition to double-check a few things, but our library's copy is MISSING. . . GRRRRR. . .

Anyway, I finished another book, comments to be posted below. Currently in progress:

Christine by Stephen King (AUDIO)
Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella
The Passing of the Armies by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Fearless by Max Lucado

75 Challenge Book #94
Title: A Winter Haunting
Author: Dan Simmons
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2002
Subject: Time, memories, failure, depression, & the nature of reality
Setting: Duane McBride's old farm outside Elm Haven, Illinois, at the turn of the new millenium
Series: "Elm Haven" -- sequel to Summer of Night
Dates Read: finished 9/29/12
Number of pages:303
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, from County Library
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Spooky
How does it fit the category? pretty creepy
Alternate category ?
Why did I read this book now? Sept. Series & Sequels and Surreal September
My Rating: 3.74 stars
Notes:

Dale Stewart, one of the main characters in Simmons' novel Summer of Night, has been through a lot since the summer of 1960. He's grown up, married, become a college professor & professional writer -- and thoroughly messed all that up by having an affair with one of his college students. Now he's taken a "sabbatical" to hole up at the old McBride farm -- where his friend Duane was killed in a freak "accident" with a farm combine machine -- and write his next novel.

But what is going on at the farm? What is in the sealed-up 2nd floor of the farmhouse? Are all the people he encounters who/what they appear to be? And what about the black dogs that keep showing up around him?

This book was well-done, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Summer of Night. For one thing, I didn't like the adult Dale nearly as much as I liked his younger self and friends. I detested his girlfriend Clare, who showed up in passages describing events leading up to Dale's return to Elm Haven's environs. There was at least one sexual scene I could have seriously done without. I didn't like or particularly understand the role of the dead Duane in the telling of the story. And as I read -- up until the very end, when Simmons pulled a sly trick -- I was confused that Dale's memories of the infamous Summer of 1960 were so vague and seemed to lack recall of VERY key events. But Simmons did keep the surprises coming, kept ratcheting up the suspense, and left the reader room to interpret some aspects of what is described.

Hmmm, Summer of Night looks interesting.

Terri - agree with Kath and your goodself that the 80's ought not to be on the top of priorities for celebrating culture at its best! Music took half a decade to recover from the synthesised nonesense that was foisted on us during the decade.

Love your reviews and especially the details you provide with them but your rating system fascinates me. How do you manage to calculate such accurate scores - 3.74 stars for A Winter Haunting as opposed to 3.70 for the book that preceded it - how did it justify the extra 0.04 marks?

61 It is, Rachel! ;)

62 Ratings system, Paul? Well, I seem to have forgotten to post the details of that on my thread this time . . . but this is part of what I say on my profile page:

A word about my ratings system: I don't have one. It's all a knee-jerk, flying-by-the-seat-of-the-pants effort. Each time I go through my library and note relative ratings of one book to another, I realize how arbitrary I am in granting stars.

I think the 3.74 for Winter Haunting reflected that I wasn't quite willing to make it a 4-star read -- and at 3.75 I would have had to round up to 4 stars in the regular LT ratings scheme; whereas this way it would be a 3.5-star. But I wanted it as high as it could be without being a 4 star. Shut Your Eyes Tight was solidly in the upper 3.5 range, but not at the very, very border.

But, as explained above, it's all very arbitrary. And it's totally subjective.

Love arbitrary and subjective Terri because it follows my own method exactly. So pleased that you didn't think my question as being facetious as I was genuinely interested and noticed that Lori was discussing similar issues on her thread.

Love arbitrary and subjective Terri because it follows my own method exactly.

Great minds think alike? ;)

Yep - me, too! How's your weekend going, Terri? You have been doing some very impressive reading over here!!

Hi Terri, I totally agree with you re: ratings. I could no sooner explain why I rated a book the way I did than could the man in the moon. And on a different day, the book might well get a different rating.

Mamie, my weekend was OK, except for a meeting Friday night that left me a little unhappy. I've surely had a good reading month.

I'm nervous this week -- have to have a colonoscopy this Tuesday. Tomorrow afternoon I get to start drinking all that chalky gunk. Yum. :(

And on a different day, the book might well get a different rating.
Absolutely, Bonnie!

I'm behind in reading threads, and not sure how much I'll be online the next few days. Cannot keep up with LT!

Oh Terri, you poor baby! Sorry you have to have a colonoscopy - my brother-in-law just had one, and he said that the prep was the worst part. The actual procedure was a walk in the park compared to preparing for it. Sending positive mojo and sympathetic thoughts your way.

Thanks, Mamie! Yeah, everyone says the prep is the worst part. I tell myself that, at my age, if that's the worst I have to deal with on the health front, I'm a very lucky person. I scheduled the test for a Tuesday so that I wouldn't have to miss work . . . then I have to leave work early tomorrow anyway to start the prep. I also had a dentist appointment scheduled for late tomorrow, but was able to swap that over to my husband, who is overdue for a checkup. (That's one way to get him to the dentist . . .)

Good luck on Tuesday, Terri! The procedure's nothing because you're not really conscious--when they find a way to keep me knocked out during the prep, then I'll be ready to do it again!

Hi Terri, also want to extend my good wishes for your procedure on Tuesday. I think I will be facing the same procedure at some point this year.

I found your review of A Winter's Haunting very interesting as you read the two books quite close together. I read Summer of Night years and years ago, and then just read A Winter's Haunting last year. I didn't remember a lot of the details of the first book, so wasn't able to make any comparisons between the two.

Hi, Terri and Judy! Thanks for the good luck wishes. I've done OK so far with the prep -- seems like the worst is over now. Just needing to stay in close proximity to my most recently remodeled room. They called and asked me to come to the hospital tomorrow earlier than originally scheduled . . . which is fine with me. The earlier I get this over with, the earlier I can have some real food to eat again. ;)

OK, after another trip to the Series & Sequels thread, I finally caved and registered for FictFact. I need something tedious to do this evening to take my mind off of the procedure tomorrow.

I've only entered one series so far, and already found three obvious LTers listed as following it. Small world.

Terri - Wishing you luck with your prep and testing. ANd how nice that you recently had that room remodeled since you will be seeing so much of it!

I found you on FictFact - there are a bunch of LTers over there, and most of them are using their same usernames as here, so it makes it easy to find people. Or just wait til they find you and then follow them back!

I'm finding FictFact very annoying. It's telling me that the next book in the Three Pines series that I need to read is Brutal Telling, even though I marked it read. And it refuses to mark any of the Inspector Sejir series as read, to be read, etc. Perhaps it doesn't like that I haven't read the very first, which only now is becoming available in English. Sorry that I don't read in Norwegian.

Hi, Mamie! We cross-posted. Yes, I saw your name over there already. I haven't done anything about following other members there yet. I'm still trying to get it to list my series books . . . it is being cranky.

Terri... I think you might like the book I'm reading... The Tale of Halcyon Crane

I already read that one, Kath. I got it as an ER book. I gave it 4 stars and I think I sent it on to a new home. . . memory fails me on the details . . .

Terri - Mark the first book as "Skipped" and see if that works.

Thanks for the suggestion, Mamie, but at first it didn't even want to let me do that . . . I finally noticed that when series pages displayed, sometimes there was a green button to click to "follow" the series. If that was there and I clicked it, everything would work fine. If that didn't display, often nothing on the page worked. But if I went out of and back into the page -- or sometimes if I hit refresh -- then that "follow" button would appear and I could click it and then everthing worked fine. I think it might be a browser issue on my end, that some pages weren't loading completely.

Anyway, I managed to get a good start listing the series I've already started that I'm serious about working on. I'm not ready to start listing series I haven't started yet, no matter how eager I am to try them. That can come a bit later. I'm kind of tired now.

Good luck tomorrow Terri!

Okay, good. Glad you figured it out - I hate when things don't work the way you want them to - especially computer things. I have no patience for that!

Thanks, Bonnie & Mamie!

I got through my procedure and I'm home now. Still a bit woozy from the sedation. The doc removed one small polyp for biopsy as a precaution, but doesn't really expect it to be even pre-cancerous. Odd thing, talking to the doctor before the procedure -- he's originally from a town just a few mile from my own hometown. Small world.

Hi Terri: Glad to hear that your colonoscopy went ok.

I need to have one every 5 years and, oddly enough, just this morning scheduled mine for next Tues (Oct 9) morning. This time, I have to take a "split dosage" of liquid (at 5 pm the day before and 3 am the day of). Last time, I took pills but they said that they don't do those anymore.

I was kind of hoping to do it in a month or so but I'll be glad to get it over with!!

Terri - So glad that it went well, and that now it is over! WahHOO!!

Hi Terri, I'm now one of your followers on Fict.Fact. I sometimes find it a little tempermental as well, but I haveto admit I enjoy playing around with it.

85 Yes, having it over with is good, Linda. Good luck with yours!

86 Thanks, Mamie!

87 Hi, Judy! Nice to have you as a follower over there. "Tempermental" is right. Has anyone here tried FicFact's mobile site? I saw a link for it on the main site. But when I surfed to FictFact on my iPhone, I could log in OK on their regular site (which is hard to maneuver with the small screen) but when I tried to move over to their mobile site, it rejected my sign in -- and I'm sure I got it right. I thought if it was easy to use, it might be useful when book-shopping. (Though, given the size of my TBR pile, maybe I'm better off NOT using it.)

Anyway, after resting and dozing a good part of the afternoon and evening away, I'm now wide awake.

I've been trying to read Shoeless Joe, the book Field of Dreams was based on. But it's just not working for me. Maybe I'm just not fanciful enough. Or maybe because it's October, I want darker reads for my Halloween season. My non-fiction book, an account of the surrender at Appomatox penned by Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, isn't working for me right now, either, though I eventually want to read it. So I think I'm going to put them aside for now.

Anyway, I've started Book of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff, as an alternate to Sokoloff's The Unseen which is on the Halloween Read list this year. I'm about 100 pages in. It started out gruesome, and now it's starting to get creepy.

Soooooo. . . . . I'm really over-committed with reading material, even with dropping a few books I was reading. I have a bunch of stuff I want to read for the Halloween thread, I'm doing a group read in the 12/12 Category group of Jose Saramago's Blindness . . . soooo of course an e-book I put a hold on in mid-August, hopeing to read it for September Series & Sequels, is NOW available for me to download . . .

Why does it always work that way????

I am having the same trouble getting to books I want instead of books I must read. Bummer.

Well, Kath, it's not so bad for me. I just dropped a few books that I'm not in the mood for, and I am enjoying what I'm reading. It's just a bit of a juggle. I really wish this one library e-book had been available last month for the Series & Sequels thread. But I do want to read it. And it doesn't look like it's too long. It's Open Season by C.J. Box

BTW, Book of Shadows is really, really getting creepy. And my new audio book is The Phantom of the Opera.

I've finished Christine. Comments to follow below.

75 Challenge Book #95
Title: Christine (AUDIO)
Author: Stephen King
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1983
Subject: A furious 1958 Plymouth Fury
Setting: "Libertyville, PA" in the Pittsburgh area
Dates Read: finished 10/4/12
Number of pages: n/a (audio)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: King of the Road
How does it fit the category? Author King and Road Warrior Car
Alternate category Spooky
Why did I read this book now? getting in the mood for Halloween
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes:

Meet Christine -- a 1958 Plymouth Fury. It's thoroughly appropriate that she is that particular model. Fury. A furious Fury.

Arnie buys her -- and then she owns Arnie. And soon people who cross her path begin to feel her wrath.

OK, I admit, one must suspend disbelief for this one. It's not so much an issue of the paranormal stuff -- one expects that to be incredible -- but also for some basic stuff about how the world works -- the world where certain actions get people into big trouble with the police or mental health folks or those whose property they've damaged.

Having said that, I think this is one dynamite story. I was pulled in from the start. I grabbed every excuse I could to listen to it -- housework, driving -- and sometimes just sat listening because I couldn't stand to turn it off. King uses the details of everyday life to ground his story in its place and time. And on that very solid platform; he creates realistic, complex, memorable characters; and then he uses them to weave nightmares. Mind you, it's not just the major characters that are so real. The redneck family so posessive of the parking place in front of their house who unwillingly "hosted" Christine on her debut drive with Arnie is just so laghably real you almost want to punch them. King picks just the right details to bring characters and their settings into sharp focus.

If you want everything in a book to make total sense in that logical part of your brain, this book may make you crazy. But if you're ready for a ride on the wild side of horror, Christine is just the right vehicle.

ETA to fix typo

So glad to hear your procedure went smoothly, Terri!
Rest up and read lots. :)

Thanks, Valerie!

75 Challenge Book #96
Title: Book of Shadows
Author: Alexandra Sokoloff
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2010
Subject: ritual killings
Setting: Boston, Massachusetts; and Salem, Mass.
Dates Read: finished 10/5/12
Number of pages: 309
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes, purchased at the Book Barn, Niantic CT several years ago
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Spooky
How does it fit the category? one creepy book
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now? Halloween-time reading
My Rating: 3 stars??
Notes:

OK, what shall I call this? Paranormal police procedural? Boston homicide detective Adam Garrett and his partner Carl Landauer are called to a landfill where a body has been found -- missing its head and left hand. They quickly zero in on a suspect, and make an arrest. They are approached by a woman, Tanith Cabarrus, a witch who owns a shop in Salem called Book of Shadows, who insistes that they have the wrong man -- and that there have been and will be more victims. Garrett -- who is markedly attracted to Tanith -- consults her as to the meaning of some of the evidence relating to the murder. The killing appears to be linked to satanic rituals -- some evil person is apparently trying to summon forth a powerful demon.

Is Tanith really trying to help? Or is she somehow involved in the killing?

This book was a bit out of my comfort zone as far as the details of the perpetrator's demonic rituals and some of the witchcraft Tanith uses, as well as some sexual scenes. I will acknowledge that it's a clever story with lots of twists and turns, and it kept me turning pages to see what was going to happen. Sokoloff seems to have a knack for writing horror stories that are a little unusual, and appear to be well-researched as to particular types of beliefs and practices.

But it gave me nightmares. No more like that one for me.

It did offer a clear warning for kids who are bored or longing for power not to go messing with black magic that can tangle them up with dangerous powers beyond their control or comprehension.

75 Challenge Book #97
Title: Fearless
Author: Max Lucado
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2009
Subject: how God can help us conquer fear
Dates Read: finished 10/6/12
Number of pages: n/a (e-book; varies with formatting)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Spirit in the Sky
How does it fit the category? spirituality
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now? became available at library
My Rating:3.5 stars
Notes:

Talk about contrast! It's hard to think of a greater contrast than my last horror novel and this devotional book. A fear-filled book of shadows followed by a fear-banishing book reflecting the Light of the world.

This book didn't really say anything new that I hadn't already read or heard dozens of times in the course of my spiritual life. But Lucado sometimes has a way of telling the old, old story in ways that are new; some of his illustrations granted some small bits of new insight.

But there was at least one place, though, where a Bible quote was used in a way that I didn't like, as though to imply that those with faith would never be lacking the food they need. There are plenty of Christians in the world who don't have enough food on their tables. It's not their lack of faith that leaves them hungry; it's, perhaps, a result of the lack of faithfulness of other Christians in the world (myself included) who enjoy more than our fair share of the world's resources.\

So I have mixed feelings about the book; but there was enough good to cautiously recommend it.

I have been waiting for your review of Book of Shadows... and now I am wondering if I would like it or?
hmmmmm Well, at least I know that I don't need it, not right now :P good review

Kath, you might like it. Not sure.

Lucado is among one of my favourite Christian writers, but like you I don't think he says anything really new or revolutionary. I just appreciate his easy to read style and every so often, he throws in a magnificent one liner. :)

Tell hubby my furnace story... maybe it will inspire him :) good luck..

Terrific review of Christine Terri. I read it eons ago when I read a lot of King's books. Glad to hear your colonoscopy went well.

*waving* at Terri

Book of Shadows sounds pretty darned creepy.

Busy Terri day in RL I think?

Hi, just stopping and finding lovely messages! I love it when I have visitors!

101 Kath, no point -- he won't listen.
102 Thanks, Bonnie!
103 "waving" back at Stasia!
104 It definitely was, Rachel!
105 Pretty busy, Kath, a little time to breathe now. Just made some coffee, I think it's ready, going to put my feet up for a few minutes and enjoy!

ooooh coffee.. great idea!

I never make coffee in the afternoon, but I do have that one cup doo dad on my coffee maker, so I believe I will make one... you are brilliant!

Brilliant? Moi?

No, just tired and in need of caffeine . . . .

Brilliant I say!

Whatever, Kath!

Currently reading:
Blindness by Jose Saramago
Open Season by C.J. Box (e-book)
The Haunting of the Presidents by Joel Martin
The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (AUDIO)
A Praying Life by Paul E. Miller

Blindness is well-done but very depressing. Open Season looks like it will be a decent mystery. The Haunting of the Presidents has a rather dry and awkward writing style -- a topic this interesting should be a more enjoyable read. The Phantom of the Opera is just so darn melodramatic. A Praying Life is a mixed bag -- some good insights, some parts not so helpful.

Nothing that I'm reading really rates very high in the "joy factor" for reading. Or maybe it's just my mood. It's a gray, cold day and my back aches.

Hi Terri!
Glad your colonoscopy went smoothly - they really are an excuse for me to nap. When they tried to wake me up after it was over, I really just wanted to be left alone... but I think they wanted to go home lol.

I have to say, I agree with you that Blindness was extremely well written and I think creative - but I hated it. I rated that one more on its literary merits than how I really felt about it. I wanted to like it, but it just got worse as I read on.

Hope the sun comes out tomorrow and your back feels better.

Hi Terri: I was doing the liquid diet today for my colonoscopy tomorrow. Then, about 20 minutes before I was to drink the prep liquid, the doctor's office called to postpone it. For some reason, the dr wants to do it at the hospital and not at her endoscopy center.

It didn't kill me to have a liquid diet today but I would've been pretty unhappy had I taken the prep and then had it cancelled.

Terri- Good to see you enjoying the early King books. I was a fan of most of his 80s books.
Glad you are getting through Blindness. It's not an easy read but for me it was amazing. I liked the 1st 2 Joe Pitt books.

Hi, Cee! Funny, it was after my EGD (upper GI scope) last year that I just wanted to sleep and sleep. My memory was fried until into the next day -- couldn't remember what the doctor said after the procedure, hubby kept telling me and I kept forgetting. I didn't even remember getting dressed to go home. I actually came out of the anesthesia really easily after the colonoscopy, and maintained my memory of all that happened once I woke up in the recovery area. I remember the conversation with the doctor clearly, and even that he showed me photos of the polyp he found. After my experience with with the EGD, I was really surprised.

Oh, Linda, I imagine you would indeed have been unhappy if they'd cancelled after the prep! So when is the reschedule?

Mark, I think King does a superb job of grounding his books in terms of solid settings and characters. He includes the darndest details to set the scene and make it real. I think that's why he can effectively tell such far-out stories.

I found myself in a mood more for music than books tonight -- a varied selection including Leslie Gore, Kenny Rogers, John Denver, Neil Diamond, the Rolling Stones, and Alice Cooper, to name a few artists.

Just one of those nights.

Just a good morning visit... hope today's a good one. I think I found a book to read... not sure..

Hope you like your book, Kath! What is it?

Not sure of when I'll have it, Terri.

However, I do recall that I once woke up during a G.I. procedure (ERCP) and fought off the dr, several nurses, and an aide (I was barely conscious but thought I was being mugged). They had to repeat it the next time and another dr said he gave me so much sedation that he "scared the nurses."

I recall telling this gastro dr I did not want to wake up. I'm assuming that better monitoring of the sedation is the reason for her switching it to the hospital. In fact, when they didn't schedule it at the hospital, I questioned it.

Anyway, felt like I got a big reprieve. However, it was such an emotionally tiring day that I went to sleep about 9:30.

Mine was done in a hospital, Linda. I think that's better, if you've ever had issues with anesthesia.

Today has been a glorious fall day. I did errands this morning -- really enjoyed the driving, took some of the back roads to enjoy the fall folliage. This afternoon I've done a little of this and that -- in the house, a little vacuuming, a little tidying, and some laundry; and in the yard, little weeding, a little trimming -- trying not to overdo any one thing so maybe my back won't punish me for my efforts.

Alas, with a little of all this and that, I got not one bit of reading done, except for a quick scan of the newspaper. Didn't even listen to my audio book during the driving or the chores. It's just too pretty a day for that dreary, foolish The Phantom of the Opera. I wanted music!

My son and I are going to a free history program at the library tonight. Hubby may join us if he gets home in time.

Was a pretty day here today, too.
I'm wondering if the drive to Canada on Friday will show nice colors or be past prime?

Hope you all made it to the history program and enjoyed.

Hi, Cee! Son and I enjoyed history program. Hubby collapsed on the sofa at home and watched the ballgame. I hope you have a lovely drive to Canada!

I've decided to be daring, and try something new. A local restaurant hosts cooking classes in conjunction with the area's community college. I've signed up for one -- "Girls' Night Out: Bourbon Street" which promises to expose me to Cajun cuisine and culture.

Oh, that class sounds super great!
When we traveled to New Orleans (before Katrina), Ron and I took a cooking class at one of their culinary schools. So fun and yummy!
Good luck with yours :-)
Maybe you will share recipes???

"Girls' Night Out: Bourbon Street" which promises to expose me to Cajun cuisine and culture.

Our guys group at church is having a chili cook-off Monday night. I'm making Louisiana chili (aka gumbo). :)

Cooking classes sound super fun and the best part is that the recipes go with you so if you enjoy them, you can keep making them over and over again! My friends who travel a lot, always try to sign up for local cooking classes where ever they go so that they can experience the "local" food. The only hard part is trying to find the same ingredients when they come home to replicate the dishes.

I can't wait to hear about your class... it sounds really good :)

Cee, that must have been really cool, actually taking that class in New Orleans!

Jim, that sounds yummy!

Valerie, I know about those recipes from classes that are "keepers." I still use the peanut butter cookie recipe from my 8th grade Home Economics class!

Kath, I just hope the class takes place. I was worried if there'd be room in the class; the person who responded to my inquiry at the college is worried about having enough students for the class to be held!

It's another absolutely gorgeous day today.

We had a meeting at school today, what's called "circle of support" which is a standard part of our school's dealing with kids on the autism spectrum. We had all good reports today! My son's teachers all seem to be very happy with him, both his behavior and his academics. His lowest grade is a B-minus in biology.

Perhaps the most surprising thing is how well he's doing in his Journalism elective. My son has always struggled with both oral and written communication as a result of his autism. But he has always been fascinated with newspapers, from a very young age -- preschool, even. So an advisor suggested we use that fascination as a motivator for improving his communications skills. It has worked beyond our wildest dreams! He has a 99 -- that's ninety-nine -- average so far in the class. The teacher says he's doing very well both in class and in his work on the school newspaper. And his work in this year's required English course shows improvement over last year. I'm really amazed!

ETA to add A number of years ago, I attended a talk by Sean Barron, a young man with high-functioning autism whose book, There's a Boy In Here, written with his mother Judy Barron, I read long ago. He said he eventually went into the field of journalism because it required him to grow in the areas where he was most challenged because of his autism -- communication and social interaction. Something to ponder . . .

I read that book... and he went on to write a book with Temple Grandin, I believe? I donated both of them to where I worked. Silly me. Similar to The book Born on a Blue Day, in some ways as all were an interesting look into the way some others see things..

Hi Terri, I hope your class does take place. It sounds really good. The class I originally signed up for was cancelled because only 4 other people signed up for it. That was disappointing.

#128: Kudos to your son and how well he is doing, Terri! I know you must be thrilled and extremely proud!

Terri...Many thanks for sharing the story of how very well your son is doing and how his pursuit of journalism has opened many doors.

Congratulations to your son and to his wonderful, patient, supportive parents.!

Kath, you're right; he also co-authored that book on Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships with Temple Grandin.

Bonnie, I hope so too!

Thanks, Stasia!

Linda, I asked my son how he liked working on the school newspaper. He said it was hard at first, but now it's good. His teacher, the newspaper advisor, says he is working very well with the other students and is quite diligent in researching his assignments. This is the kid who, at age four, howled inconsolably because the local newspaper gotten the issue number wrong on the front page one day (they repeated the previous day's issue number). As I said, fascinated by newspapers from a very early age!

I was all ready to go to bed when I realized I'd better check to see if my son had clean clothes for school tomorrow. Alas, a load of laundry was needed! So I'm up waiting for it to be finished.

That's wonderful news about your son, Terri, and also very interesting to see the connection between him doing well in something that is also challenging and difficult for him. If anything, success in that can only boost his confidence and strengthen skills that don't come as easily for him. All great stuff! :)

Valerie, he keeps surprising me. I'm really beginning to think that someday he's going to be OK living independently. There was a time when that didn't even seem to be a remote possibility.

I think you might be VERY impressed by how capable a young man your son will be. I have good feelings about him.

Thanks, Kath. You generally have good intuition.

Ah, I yielded to temptation (and a pretty good discount offer) and bought an e-book. The Sandburg Connection by Mark de Castrique, is the third (and most recent, as far as I know) in the Sam Blackman mystery series.

Lovely day here.

Hello! I had to delurk and give you a wave!

I was on my way to the workshop today and realized that I had only a book on my phone...
so I stopped at a used bookstore to get one.... because I never put a new car book in after the last one. Whew! I had the extra time... so? I have a new car book. To be honest.. it was such an incredible day, I don't remember what I bought...

*waving* at Terri

Congratulations to your son Terri, for surpassing your expectations. I hope he finds something to do with his life that makes him happy.

141 *waving back* at Stasia!

142 Thanks, Bonnie!

75 Challenge Book #98
Title: Open Season
Author: C.J. Box
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2001
Subject: murder, wildlife, endangered species
Setting: Wyoming
Series: Joe Pickett, #1
Dates Read: finished 10-16-12
Number of pages: n/a (e-book; varies with formatting/font size)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Magical Mystery Tour
How does it fit the category? mystery
Alternate category any mystery or series category
Why did I read this book now? available from library, have next book in series on my TBR shelf
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Notes:

This is the first in a series featuring Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett. It took me a while to get drawn into this one, as I slowly got to know the characters and the setting. There were a few plot elements that annoyed me (just a matter of what pushes my buttons, not of writing quality). But toward the end I couldn't put it down. In fact, I finished it before the other novel I'm reading that I expected to finish first.

The setting is a new and interesting one to me, and I like the central character. To my way of thinking, there's nothing spectacular in the writing here -- just a good, solid story well-told. Sometimes that's just the ticket. I'll definitely read the next in this series, as I already have it on my shelf from a used book sale. Who knows? This series may spark my interest in Wyoming the way William Kent Kreuger's series has inspired my fascination with the northwoods of Minnesota.

As always, your reviews try to send me off to get one for myself...
restraining myself..

Hi, Kath. Probably good to restrain yourself. You might like the nature aspect of this. But remember the main character is a game warden, so some of the people he deals with are not nice to animals (nor to people, either). . . not just talking about run-of-the-mill hunters here, either.

Today is my day off. I'm going to be home getting the house ready for a visit from in-laws. Also, we have decided to part with some furniture, and I'll be waiting for the Salvation Army to pick it up sometime today.

HALLELUJAH! I finally finished this audio book.

75 Challenge Book #99
Title: The Phantom of the Opera (AUDIO)
Author: Gaston Leroux
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1911
Subject: "ghost" falls in love with opera singer
Setting: Paris
Dates Read: finished 10/16/12
Number of pages: n/a (audio)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Spooky
How does it fit the category? creepy
Alternate category color my world (set in Paris)
Why did I read this book now? who knows?
My Rating: 2 1/2 stars
Notes:

My, what a convoluted, melodramatic mass of hogwash! OK, maybe that's a little harsh. But I really can't see how this book managed to become so famous, and get made into plays and movies and musicals.

But I've read it. And at the end, managed a tiny bit of admiration for how such an outlandish plot could actually be tied together at the end in a way that sort of made sense.

I think the "popular" works I've seen based on this left out some of the more bizarre details.

The only thing I know about the Phantom of the Opera is what I've seen on TV/movies. Is it close to the book interpretation? The music is good though... :)

Honestly, I don't know that I've seen a whole lot of what's been done with it, and what I saw was long ago. But there were elements in the book I don't recall at all from any movie . . . I never saw the musical, though I like some of the music.

I saw the musical.. we took the kids.. I thought it was very enjoyable... but not sure I would read the book.....

Stick with the musical. I really didn't enjoy the book, Kath.

Well, after not finishing any books for ten days, today I finished three! All were near the very end by last night, of course.

75 Challenge Book #100
Title: Blindness
Author: Jose Saramago
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1995; English translation 1997
Subject: a blindness epidemic
Setting: nameless city in nameless country, full of nameless people
Series: There appears to be a sequel called Seeing
Dates Read: finished 10-16-12
Number of pages:326
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, from public library
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Winner takes it all
How does it fit the category? Author won Nobel Prize for literature
Alternate category color my world or help
Why did I read this book now? group read
My Rating: 4.5 stars
Notes:

An epidemic of blindness strikes a nameless city, and the authorities take draconian measures to try and contain the contagion. This book is grim, as many people yield to fear and selfishness. And yet there are those who manage to work together and still care about others, even as society rapidly collapses all around them.

I rarely read dystopian works, but I thought this one really was amazing.

I'm having a hard time figuring out what to say about this book. I found it powerful. The writing style is somewhat unconventional, but pulls the reader along.

I do wonder what actual blind people would think of this story, and some of what Saramago says about the nature of sight.

ETA to add thoughts and to upgrade my rating, as I am still thinking about this book -- which is the mark of a good one!

Odd. Without thinking about it, I managed to download from the library an e-book and an audio (two first-in-their-respective-series books) with the oddly related names of The Cater Street Hangman and Gallows View.

And then, I started The Dead Zone, which sounds like where you might wind up after encountering a hangman at Gallows View . . .

So glad to see you like Box. I'm behind on the series, but I've been to Wyoming a few times and am familiar with the areas in the novels. They really aren't that far from where my nephew lives. I have enjoyed all the ones I've read.

Terri- I read and enjoyed the 1st 2 Joe Pickett books. I prefer the Longmire books. I also liked Iron Lake and hope to get back to that series.
I LOVED Blindness. I did a group read of that one a couple years ago. It's a brutal read at times but like you said very powerful.
Dead Zone has always been one of my favorite King books. Enjoy!

The Dead Zone is one of my favorite King books Terri. There's a good movie too. I must get to Blindness which is staring at me from its spot on the shelf.

152 Lori, I always think it's neat to read books set in an area with which I'm familiar . . . and also to visit areas I've read about. This summer, when we visited Michigan, I'd just read a Cork O'Connor mystery that had him spending time in that area. I know I took note of things that I would never have noticed if not for my reading.

153 I have the Longmire series on my radar, Mark, and definitely plan to continue Kreuger series.

154 So far, liking The Dead Zone!
I do think you would appreciate Blindness, Bonnie. As Mark said very well above, it's a brutal read at times; but it is very well done.

I feel like I saw Blindness on the shelf awhile back, but never picked it up to see what it was about. It was made into a movie?? Will have to check it out now. Thanks for the review, Terri!

Do check it out, Valerie. I've expanded my comments a little today while upgrading the rating. I'm still thinking about that book, and it's offering enough food for thought that I have to rate it higher than I did originally.

I do really wonder how actual blind people would respond to some of the things Saramago says about sight and blindness in that book, though.

Just catching up with you :)
Blindness does sound intriguing...
I am still reading Destiny of the Republic.. it's a wonderful book.. and slow going only because I have been busy and fidgety. And angry. Garfield was a good man. Things like that make you wonder what would be different in this country "if". As with Kennedy.. what if he had lived? What if another president hadn't . . .

Kath, Blindness is a really intense read, and a thoroughly brutal one at times. I'm not smart enough to recognize/understand all the literary devices Saramago used. But someone posted a link on the group read thread to the the old threads from the group read Mark led two years ago -- where they had spoiler threads and could actually talk about plot elements after everyone had read the book -- and I found some of the comments there very helpful.

I really must get to Destiny of the Republic, as it sounds like my cup of tea. I think I'll be angry, too, Kath. I know they made a mess of his medical care. What if he'd lived? Or JFK? Or Bobby Kennedy, and he'd been elected? As I get older and look back, some of those "what ifs" really bug me.

ETA to add NBC news aired an interview with Ethel Kennedy, Bobby's widow, last night. To this day, she can't bear to talk about his death.

The Kennedy's ... so much sadness in their lives.. and that one family impacted the country so much, and could have impacted it much more. Too bad we will never really know how.

I have no desire to read Blindness right now..

As for Garfield, when I got to the part where he was shot.. I had to put the book down and walk away. I wil pick it up later ... have to take care of Dunkers.. he needs to have his ears cleaned and be pampered for a little...

The Dead Zone is my favorite Stephen King book.

I imagine the interview with Ethel Kennedy was powerful. I confess that she is not one of my favorite people.

I really liked Blindness too! My dad hated it because of the punctuation style, but it didn't really bother me once I got into the groove. :)

I'm hooked on the Joe Pickett series, Terri. I've liked them all, and now am waiting on the next one. If you find your interest in Wyoming sparked, you might like the Walt Longmire ones, too.

My, we had an absolutely gorgeous "Indian Summer" day today! It was a good day in other ways, as wellL
1. About a dozen very overdue library books (which I'd almost despaired of ever seeing again) arrived at the library with a family of library patrons.
2. The cookware set I ordered arrived today, the earliest possible delivery date they gave me. I love it!
3. The storage bench that I ordered has been shipped
4. The cafe next to the library had my favorite lunch as their special today
5. It was generally a hassle-free day at work
6. I'm reading several books I'm enjoying, and one that I'm really enjoying!

160 I hope you and Dunkers have a good day, Kath!

161 Hi, Linda! The Dead Zone has drawn me in to the point that I was reading it after work and ignoring the playoff game. . . hated to put it down to go do yardwork, but on such a lovely day here, I needed to take advantage and get some outdoor work done before the sun set.

162 Rachel, yeah, I eventually "got into the groove" with his punctuation style. (Great way of putting it!) It seemed to carry me right along.

163 Joe, the Longmire series is on my list to track down!

ETA to fix unintended Yoda-like grammar

Hi Terri, it doesn't sound like you need any more encouragement, but I too would recommend the Longmire series by Craig Johnson. So far I have only read the first of the Joe Pickett series, but I plan on continuing with that one as well.

I hope your Indian-summer weather is continuing. There's nothing like a bright sunny autumn day to raise the spirits!

Terri - I struggled manfully with Blindness a few years ago and found it very heavy going in truth. Saramago was a fantastically inventive writer and the premise is brilliant but the narrative style was tough to get through for me but parts of it were still awe inspiring. Have a lovely remainder of your weekend.

Terri - Lots of good stuff to be found over here! I was thrilled to read about how well your son is doing - well done to both of you! Those moments just take your breath away, don't they - all the hard work and effort and suddenly for a moment all is right with the world. SO fabulous!

You have been doing some great reading, and I have added to my enormous WL because of you. Joe had recently mentioned that I might like C. J. Box's Pickett series, and then I come over here and you have a review of it all ready for me - perfect timing! I would add to those voices recommending the Walt Longmire series - I ADORE those! SO far I have read the first two in the series, and they are fantastic - love the quirky characters and the setting.

LOVE your list of things that made your day wonderful!

165 Hi, Judy! Yes, I definitely see the Longmire series in my reading future . . .

166 Paul, it's not an easy read, from any angle that you look at it. But, as you said so well, "parts ofit were still awe inspiring."

167 Hi, Mamie! Thanks for the kind words. I hope the new home is getting comfy. I've hardly been around on LT the past few days or so. I've probably missed tons of news.

The past few days have been hectic, with little time for LT or reading. We're having a visitation from my in-laws. Last (Saturday) night was a dinner at a restaurant in Pittsburgh, honoring their 55th anniversary! They arrived here at our house today (Sunday) while we were in church. I adore them and love having them here, but I did want the house to look decent for their arrival. And they did decide, last night, to come this morning instead of later this afternoon, which altered my last-minute cleaning schedule a bit . . .

Then this evening my son had computer issues, and I spent almost the whole evening troubleshooting wayward programs. Gaaah!

As a result, this will be one more day without much LT time (though I did do some reading while various troubleshooting and maintenance programs were running on my son's computer this evening).

Taking a moment while I eat lunch to write up this book. I had some reading time last night waiting for a quilt to dry in the clothes dryer, and managed to finish it.

75 Challenge Book #101
Title: The Cater Street Hangman
Author: Anne Perry
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Subject: series of murders on/around Cater Street
Setting: Victorian London, England
Series: Charlotte & Thomas Pitt #1
Dates Read: finished 10/23/12
Number of pages: n/a (e-book -- pages vary with format)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: No, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Magical Mystery Tour
How does it fit the category? A mystery -- and I have room in that category
Alternate category any mystery or series category
Why did I read this book now? available from library; wanted to try series
My Rating: 3.24 stars
Notes:

I can't quite decide what I think of this book. I think it was probably well done. I was slow to get into it, and almost gave up on it several times. Parts of it drew me in, especially later in the book. The plot involved a lot of issues of social strata, which annoyed me. I just don't get into all that, though I know it's historically accurate. I'll probably try the next book, as some of what bugged me about this is probably resolved. This clearly functioned as a first-in-series, to establish the characters and how they came to be in the situations they'll be in going forward. I did think the ending was rather abrupt.

I read The Cater Street Hangman a couple of years ago. Something bugged me about that one - although off the top of my head I cannot remember what - and I ended up giving it 3.5 stars, similar to your rating. I haven't made it further into the series and may give teh series a second chance, but I am not rushing out to do so!

Hope you are having a great week.

Hi, Lori! I'm having a great week, just very busy. Hope you week is good, too.

Apparently, there has been a major security breach of customer credit/debit card data at 63 Barnes & Noble bookstores. Card reader/pin pads were hacked.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-pin-pads-hacked-at-chicagoar...

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/24/business/hackers-get-credit-data-at-barnes-nob...

Supposedly, their databases for online purchases & Nook are not affected.

Thanks for that info Terri! Carry on having a great week :)

Thanks, Kath! You have a great week, too!

Bummer! There weren't enough registrants for the Cajun cooking class, so it's been cancelled. They called to say they're sending back my registration check (with a brochure for other course offerings, of course . . .)

oh no :( I'm sorry... it sounded like an interesting class :(
I guess you have to find something else!

The "One Click" audio home page (an audiobook download service our district library offers) shows the covers of the newest additions; beneath them, they list as much of the title as will fit, with the author's name on the line beneath.

The book cover indicates that one book is Bees in the Butterfly Garden. But there wasn't enough room for all that on the line below.
The title is abbreviated as "Bees in the Butt . . ."
Is that a little like the old saying "ants in his pants?" ;)

The mystery section of "One Click" has a lot of books by the following authors, none of whom I've read. Any mystery fans care to comment on their merits?

Nancy Bell (Biggie series)
Nevada Barr
MC Beaton
Susan Wittig Albert
Cara Black
Lawrence Block
Jan Burke
Tim Dorsey

I've intended to give the Cara Black series set in Paris a try. I love M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series but not her other one (Agatha Raisin). I read a book or two from the Nancy Bell Biggie series probably 15-20 years ago. It was ok. I've read a few of the Nevada Barr books. OK but not well enough to systematically read through that series.

Don't know Nancy Bell
Really Enjoy the Nevada Barr books - set in National Parks with protagonist a female park ranger...each has a different setting and a different issue that park rangers have to deal with. Well written and fun.

MC Beaton - what Linda said - love the Hamish MacBeth (especially good in audio) but can't stand Agatha Raisin.

Susan Wittig Albert - a good solid cozy series- I've only read a few, but they're worth picking up.

Don't know BLack, Block or Burke,

Absolutely can't stand Tim Dorsey - features an "anti=hero" I find juvenile, raunchy, and in extremely poor taste.

Just my two cents................

I love the Susan Wittig Albert China Bayles Books, very enjoyable cozies. Inhave read quite a few.

Good morning, Linda, Tina, and Kath. Thanks for your input!

I've started another e-book, downloaded from Project Gutenberg: The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories by Algernon Blackwood

I'm tired this afternoon. Back pain kept me awake much of last night. I came a bit too close to dozing off behind the wheel this afternoon. No more driving for me today! Part of the problem is, I've misplaced the lid to my travel mug, and thus couldn't carry with me the coffee that I brewed this morning. I warmed it up and am drinking it now that I'm home.

I found some nice cod at the market, and plan a baked fish dinner tonight.

I hope to get some serious reading done this evening if I can keep my eyes open long enough.

Hi Terri, sorry to hear about the back problems. I have read a couple of Nevada Barr books. As tututhefirst says, they are set in different National Parks as the main character is a Ranger. I enjoy them mostly for the setting. I also have read quite a few Jan Burke's, her series is built around Irene Kelly, a newspaper reporter and her husband, a detective. Set in Southern California. I got involved in the series when I read the 8th and 9th books first and loved them. I then went back and started the series from the start. Actually didn't care much for the first couple, but the series has been steadily improving - I am now up to about #6.

Sorry to hear about your back pain Terri. That can wreak havoc with your sleep I know. Hope it's not long lasting and you're back to normal ASAP.

HI, Judy! Thanks for the info. I'm not sure yet if I'll try either series, but it helps to have opinions from someone whose reading tastes are familiar to me. So many books, so little time!

Thanks, Bonnie! I've made an appointment with my chiropractor, but I have a bit of a wait.

Reading plan:

for remainder of October:
Finish
The Dead Zone by Stephen King (fiction) FINISHED
The Haunting of the Presidents by Joel Martin (non-fiction)
The Empty House and other Ghost Stories by Algernon Blackwood (E-Book)
Gallows View by Peter Robinson (AUDIO)

and if possible a book for the October 12 in 12 "month"ly sub-challenge (doubtful I'll manage that)

On tap for November:
11/22/63 by Stephen King
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin (for a group read)
Purple Cane Road by James Lee Burke (11th in series)
The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths (e-book)
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny (for New Novels November)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (for New Novels November)
and other books to be determined . . .

eta to fix typo and again to add book that became available for download from library and books for New Novel November

Hi Terri, Hope your back is feeling better soon. I read Blindness a while back in the group read Mark mentioned. It's a brutal read but it has stuck with me. I think I like it more now that some time has passed. Not for everyone though.

I've read a few of the Joe Pickett books - I need to get back to them sometime...

Oohh, nice reading lists! I LOVED 11/22/63 - so fabulous! ANd I will be doing the Team of Rivals GR also!

Sorry to hear about your back, Terri. Sending healing mojo and sympathy thoughts. Hang in there.

Joanne, Blindness wasn't an easy read, but lots of food for thought.

Hi, Mamie! I've heard such good things about 11/22/63, I can hardly wait to start it!

The back isn't quite so bad today. We had a nice, relaxing evening attending Movie Night at church. I came home to LT a bit, but I think I'm going to shut down the computer and do some reading.

I have 11/22/63 on my shelf and have been wanting to read it for so long, but of course the sheer size of it is intimidating and it feels like I've been reading a lot of chunksters the last little bit. I do want to read Cloud Atlas and The Life of Pi before the end of the year since the movies are coming out, not that I necessarily want to watch the movies, but reading the books at least gives me the option. :)

Hope your back feels better soon! Mine has been on the fritz since being pregnant, but I am going for my first chiro assessment next week so hopefully that is the beginning of my recovery.

I echo Mamie's post on 11/22/63. It's a really good read, and a quick one. It may look intimidating, but it goes really fast. I'm glad you're planning on reading it .. actually I can say mostly the same thing about Team of Rivals. It wasn't quite as quick a read, but it was excellent!

I haven't read for days.. things keep coming up to prevent it. Maybe today? I need to do some cooking to prepare for going back to work. The timing isn't the best for me. Dan is working 7 days this week and so I have to figure out 2 meals a day for him to have, one for home and one for work. Believe me, he won't do anything for himself ( or me ). I don't know what hours I have to work for Halloween, normally Dan would be off.. but not this time.. so I hope I will be home.. I have a load of stuff to pass out... :-/ frustrating. Timing is everything. Having said that I am looking forward to Monday, with anticipation and trepidation. :P

Hope your back is feeling better.

Valerie, I hope the chiropractor gives you some relief for your bad back.

Kath, with all that's going on in your life, it's not surprising that you've not had much chance to read. Sorry your husband is so unwilling to do for himself when you're working.

Today was our borough's "trick or treat" time, and we had not one single visitor. Nobody wants to climb our hill, I guess.

Oh you guys hand out the candy on a different day?

Terri, I have noticed over the years that the amount of people actually going door to door is slowly dwindling. I remember when I was growing up, the neighbourhoods were filled with kids running around, going door to door. Each year it seems the tradition just dies a little bit and of course somewhere there is some person who does something horrible, ends up on the news, and scares even more people from letting their kids out the following year.

It seems as though door to door trick or treating is becoming a thing of the past. I noticed our neighbor's son all dressed up in his costume this afternoon heading somewhere with his dad More and more seem to gravitate to the events being put on in the malls and community centers.... it is sad in way to see that my fond memories of Halloween are not going to be the same memories for these young ones.

Valerie, around here, each locality sets the day and time for Trick or Treat. In our borough, it was Saturday from 4-6 p.m. this year. Only kids under 12 from our school district are allowed to trick or treat, and they have to register and get a badge in order to go from house to house. In my opinion, it is entirely over-regulated.

Lori, we have plenty of kids participating, but since the time is limited, they stay down in the main part of town where they can visit the maximum number of houses/businesses with a minimum of hill climbing.

I almost gave up on my Haunting of the Presidents book. The co-authors are big into conspiracy theories, and I almost pitched the book when they were discussing the JFK assassination. I decided to just skip a few pages and pick up the next chapter. A bit better.

Meanwhile, I did finally finish this:

75 Challenge Book #102
Title: The Dead Zone
Author: Stephen King
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1979
Subject: man emerges from coma with serious case of "second sight"
Setting: New England (mostly Maine and New Hampshire)
Dates Read: finished 10/27/12
Number of pages: 402
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: no, from county library
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: KIng of the Road
How does it fit the category? author named King
Alternate category Spooky
Why did I read this book now? Part of Halloween Read
My Rating: 4.2 stars
Notes:

This was a good, suspenseful read. King makes John Smith and his experience seem very real.

Toward the end, I really didn't like the direction I thought the story was obviously going. But I wound up liking where it wound up.

I think The Dead Zone is one of King's best. How appropriate to read this book during the time of a presidential election.

I'm sorry your back is hurting.

Hi, Linda! So nice to have you stop by.

How appropriate to read this book during the time of a presidential election.

Indeed! It also "fits" in a way with my non-fiction read, The Haunting of the Presidents, as part of that book deals with premonitions about elected leaders.

And my back issues are trifling compared with what you've been through, Linda!

Terri... yikes! That is a crazy way to go about trick or treating! What happend to spontaneity ?
Here it used to be like that.. each town chose. But then we had the cruisers who would go from town to town.. so recently.. a year or two ago.. they decided to go with having it on the same day. Apparently the 31st, as long as it doesn't land on a friday. (H.S. Football day)

Looks like good reads :)

still not reading...

Morning Terri- I'm glad you liked the dead Zone. Like Linda, I think it's one of his best and quietest novels. I hope you enjoy 11/22/63. It's another King gem and it proves he still has the chops.
As far as your unknown mystery writers go: I read and liked a couple of Nevada Barr's books but I highly recommend Lawrence Block, especially his Matthew Scudder series.
Hope you are having a good weekend.

What happend to spontaneity ?
My sentiments exactly, Kath!

Hi, Mark. Thanks for stopping by. I'll have to give Lawrence Block a try. Hope you've had a great weekend!

We are watching the approach of Hurricane Sandy AKA "Frankenstorm" with anxiety. I have more worries for friends and family near the coast than for us, though we've been warned that we are likely in for flooding rain and/or snow and high winds, more or less, depending on the storm's track as it comes ashore. Garrett County, Maryland (a stone's throw south of us) is under a blizzard warning!

Our roof is on its last legs. I hope this doesn't do it in. (I knew we should have done the roof before we remodeled the stupid bathroom . . .)

My November reading list has an addition. The e-book of The Janus Stone, the 2nd Ruth Galloway mystery by Elly Griffiths, is now available from Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. Wow, I didn't have to wait too long after placing that hold!

ETA to add I have more additions as the November theme of New Novels November has been posted. That's my excuse to read the new Louise Penny, and Gone Girl, and maybe something else that I've been eyeing at the library . . .

My problem is that not one book I have planned for November so far will count towards my Books off My Bookshelf (BOMBS) challenge . . . so many books, so little time . . .

hi terri!
i'm so glad to hear how well your son is doing!
celebrating the passion with which your son has connected is a good feeling for Mom! if only all kids could be as well directed.

sorry your class was cancelled - bah. Anything else you might be interested in?

Time out for lecture:
pls, pls be careful! driving tired is the same as driving drunk. you were smart to get off the road. get more rest! no more washing at midnight! geesh!
ok. done.

fingers crossed your roof is stronger than you think and holds up well... especially the part over the new bathroom.

blindness - written by a brilliant author. no argument.
could not abide the violence with attitude and the heavy feeling of filth everywhere. still shuddering.

Hi Terri, I find the regulations for trick or treating in your neighborhood to be scarey as in Big Brother. Who came up with this ridiculous idea and what are the reasons for such stringent rules? I would be one upset parent!

I hope you're able to escape the worst of the storm. It's the same wish I have for us:)

Classes at Lehigh are cancelled tomorrow and Tuesday...This is very rare! I'd like to celebrate two more days to rest and recover, but I learned that from tomorrow 8:00 a.m. - later in the evening we are slated for 45-75 mph winds.

I celebrate your son...and you..and your husband!

Cee, I'm doing late laundry again while watching the end of the World Series . . . but no driving tomorrow, so no need to worry about that. (And I had a long nap this afternoon.)

Bonnie, as I recall, the regulations came into play after a young girl from a nearby town was abducted (not while trick-or-treating, but around that time of year, I think -- and the abductors were not caught). I don't remember anything nearly as stringent before that. Also, it calms some of the seniors who were spooked by some of the older "kids" who would go around in masks for trick-or-treat. With the kids registered and badged (and vetted for age and residency) there was less fear of opening the door to someone who might be up to no good. I still think it's overkill. They do have a nice party at the community center after the trick-or-treat time, I think.

Linda, school closings for tomorrow are being displayed on the TV this evening here, too. Our kids were already scheduled to have tomorrow off, as it's a teacher training day; I wonder if the teacher training will be cancelled? No word about Tuesday yet. We are under a flood watch starting early Monday morning, and a high wind warning starting at noon. I am scheduled to work 10-3 tomorrow, within walking distance of home, but not sure I want to be walking home in a hurricane . . . our library has parking issues, so driving is pointless -- can't get a space without a 2-hour limit much closer than where I live!

Everyone stay safe with this weather . . .

Congrats to the San Francisco Giants for winning the World Series!

Terri - I would second Marks recce on Lawrence Block - Matt Scudder is one of my favourite series. Stay safe in the dodgy weather.

Thanks, Paul!

Our library is closing at 3 p.m. today (which is when I would have finished work anyway) and we're not planning to be open tomorrow. Our library consortium's catalog/circulation system is already down and will remain so until post-Sandy (it's headquartered in Philadelphia, which will get more of the brunt of the storm), so there's not much we can do work-wise except shelf-reading, putting things in order. Not a lot of people coming in, though a number have called for renewals. Since we'll be closed tomorrow, though, people will get some grace if their books are a little late anyway.

Terri - Thinking of you, and hoping that you stay stay - fingers crossed that your roof stays right where it belongs.

Stay safe, Terri. We are starting to get the serious rain and wind here. It's scary to think that the hurricaine hasn't come ashore yet. We are expecting flooding tomorrow and the winds are supposed to be terrible. Stay safe!

Thanks, Mamie!

You stay safe too, Carrie. So far, so good. We still have power, phones, and internet. We have some snow mixing in with the rain now, and the wind has really picked up. I spoke by phone with my brothers, both further toward the coast. They sound as ready as possible.

My boss gave me a lift home in her SUV. Having a ride, I loaded up checking out books & DVDs. (The old-fashioned way -- we were writing every transaction on paper today with the circ system down!) Even if we lose power, the laptops will work for playing DVDs for a while. Without power, we won't have internet, so there's little reason to save the power in the computer batteries.

Terri... I thought about you a hundred times today.. while working...
Then got home and thought of you .. hoping you are safe and well..

Thanks, Kath. I was thinking of you, too, at work. I saw your post on your thread, and it sounds like it was a busy and somewhat overwhelming first day on the job, but good. I always think that when we have new workers, we throw too many different things at them to learn at once.

I'm curious what circulation/catalog system your library uses. Our system was down today state-wide (pain-in-the-neck), so you obviously use a different one than we do, since you were checking books out/in.

We're starting to hear reports over the scanner of flooded roadways and basements. We're starting to get a little water in the back corner of our basement . . . not unusual . . .

weather report for here: currently sustained winds around 30 mph with higher gusts.

More reports of street flooding over the scanner. We still have all our utilities.

And now the county Emergency Management Services has declared "storm mode" operations, whatever that means.

Thunder!! Snow! -- a good dusting already.

Thundersnow!

Millennium... not on the state wide yet...it's really easy

I am hearing of issues with power lines and a few fire calls...
not meant to get crazy here til after midnight..

We used to have Millennium . . . I wish we still did.

With the snow, we're hearing lots of emergency calls for car accidents. Just heard one for an accident with entrapment . . . vehicle in a pond. That sounds very scary.

Wow, crazy weather in your part of the world, Terri! Keeping you and yours in my thoughts and I'm glad you don't have to go into work tm. Take care!

Thanks, Valerie, but don't worry about me. We're fine here in the house, and no need for us to go out on the roads. I'm worried about folks who are out in the mess, and especially about folks closer to the coast. (That includes my brothers, one in NJ, one in the Washington DC suburbs.)

I think I'm going to sign off LT, as we're starting to get some power glitches.

Everyone stay safe!!

Hi Terri, just wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you and hoping all goes well with you and your family.

Thanks, Judy!

Good morning, everyone. I'm considering myself very lucky. The house is fine, we have all our utilities. We were without internet for a while, but never lost power for more than a few seconds at a time. The little water in our basement could be handled with a wet vac.

I talked briefly with my brothers, and they are OK. One got his power back as we were speaking, the other had power when I called.

My thoughts are with those who saw massive flooding and wind damage and/or are experiencing extended power outages.

Oh good! My daughter got her power back this morning, too... ( MD)
It looks like NJ and NY took the brunt... I imagine it will take a day or two to assess it all.

Glad to hear the good news, Terri!
Watching all the footage and news reports sure makes me all nervous for you East Coasters.

Glad all is well, Terri! So happy that your roof stayed where it belonged.

Glad to see you made it alright Terri. There are a lot of trees down and some minor flooding but we are solucky compared to some.

Thanks, Valerie, Mamie and Carrie! Glad you're OK, too, Carrie!

I was so preoccupied with the storm, I forgot to post my most recent audio book:

75 Challenge Book #103
Title: Gallows View (AUDIO)
Author: Peter Robinson
Copyright/Year of original publication: 1987
Subject: Tracking down a "peeping Tom," burglary ring, and murderer (are the crimes related?)
Setting: Village of Eastvale, Yorkshire, England, UK
Series: Inspector Alan Banks #1
Dates Read: finished 10/28/12
Number of pages: n/a (audio)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Surce?: NO, library download
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Color My World
How does it fit the category? takes place in England
Alternate category any mystery or series category
Why did I read this book now? available, sounded good
My Rating: 3.9 stars
Notes:

This was a good, solid British police procedural with a likeable protagonist. Inspector Alan Banks is faced with a mini crime wave in the small Yorkshire village of Eastvale, whose police force he recently joined after leaving London hoping for a quieter pace. A "peeping Tom" has the "womens libbers" up in arms because they think the police aren't taking the crimes seriously; a series of home invasions & burglaries have people on edge; and the murder of an elderly woman may be related or not to either series of crimes.

As an added distraction for Banks, his superior has brought in a very attractive female psychologist to work with Banks in an attempt to "profile" the Peeping Tom (and to quiet the local feminist group), and the chemistry between them is threatening to derail Banks' fidelity to the wife he loves.

The very beginning was a bit creepy, as it was told from the POV of the peeper, but as the story moved on to follow the police investigation, I became more comfortable with the story and quickly came to like Alan Banks as a character. This is a solid and plausible mystery that made sense and had enough complexity to keep me guessing.

I definitely plan to read more in this series.

Thundersnow!

Wow - that is some crazy weather! Happy to learn that the brunt of the storm is over and that all is well with you Terri.

Thanks, Lori!

I feel so bad for folks back on the coast.

75 Challenge Book #104
Title: The Empty House and other ghost stories
Author: Algernon Blackwood
Copyright/Year of original publication:
Subject: short stories/ horror
Setting: varied
Series: no
Dates Read: finished 10/31/12
Number of pages: n/a (e-book, varies with format)
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes (virtual shelf), download from Project Gutenberg
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: not sure
How does it fit the category?
Alternate category
Why did I read this book now? Halloween
My Rating: 4 stars
Notes: Download available for free from Project Gutenberg

This is a marvelous collection of good, old-fashioned quiet horror. Not all the stories are exactly ghost stories, but they are all chilling and mostly quite original. A great Halloween read!

I'm adding The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories to the tbr pile.

I think you may like it, Linda.

BTW, I just downloaded We Shall Not Be Moved from the library, as it became available. I'm also listening to an interesting audio, The Unnatural History of Cypress Parish, which involves a man on the eve of Katrina remembering the 1927 floods.

Love the description of thundersnow Terri and like even more not being close enough to experience it first hand. Pleased that you liked the first Inspector Banks. It is a good series and I am almost 20 books in if I'm not mistaken.

Hi, Paul! Glad to hear another testimonial to the continued quality of the Alan Banks series. I must read on in that one!

Finished off the last of my Halloween reads:

75 Challenge Book #105
Title: The Haunting of the Presidents
Author: Joes Martin & William Birnes
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2003
Subject: supernatural events surrounding the White House, US Presidents, other places they lived, and other sites in Wasington, DC
Setting: Washington DC and other presidential locations
Series: no
Dates Read: finished 10/31/12
Number of pages: 400 + appendix
Off the Shelf? (pre-2012 or ER?) Source?: Yes, purchased used some time ago
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: American Pie
How does it fit the category?
Alternate category Spooky
Why did I read this now? Halloween read
My Rating: 2 stars
Notes:

I was disappointed in this book. Much of it was written in a very dry style. The writers insisted on including their pet conspiracy theories in the mix. Sources included lots of "anonymous" folks, tabloids, and other questionable witnesses. There was a lot of speculation about how certain words and actions of people might suggest a supernatural experience of which they'd not spoken. I found the chapter on Nancy Reagan's astrologer absolutely boring, and the one about Hillary Clinton "channeling" Eleanor Roosevelt silly -- sounds like she was simply engaging in an imaginative exercise of WWED (what would Eleanor do?). Then there was the final chapter about the mediums "channeling" the presidents -- not my cuppa.

Oh, and then there was some questionable organization. For instance, the chapter titled "Presidential Birthplaces" included a lot of sites that were not presidential birthplaces, and very few places where presidents were actually born. There was also a fair amount of repetition between the different sections.

Within the dross, there were a few pearls of stories that appeared to have some documentation. I enjoyed those, but not enough to make it worthwhile slogging through 400 pages of this stuff.

I was too far behind to catch up, Terri. BUT! I'm very pleased to hear how well your son is doing especially with his journalism. Glad you and yours are well enough from that dreadful storm. I echo Paul's evaluation of the Banks. I think they get better and better although maybe never as good as R. Hill's Pasco/Dalziel series. And I preferred Anne Perry's Monk series to the Pitts almost from the beginning. I think that about covers it from me!

Hi, Peggy! Thanks for stopping by, and for the kind words offered.

Funny, I tried the first Monk book, on audio, and it drove me crazy. I couldn't finish it. I'll have to look into Hill's series. That's one I haven't tried.

OK, I've got a new thread started. Just follow this link or the thread continuation link below:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/144171