DeltaQueen's 2012 Reading - Part 7

Welcome to my autumn thread. This is my favoritie time of the year, deep blue skies, crisp apples, crunchy leaves, a faint smell of smoke in the air. This cooler weather also makes it a great time to curl up, sip a glass of wine and get lost in a good book.

Currently Reading:

How I Rate Books:

2.0 ★: I must have been dragged, kicking and screaming, to finish this one!

2.5 ★: Below Average but I finished the book for one reason or another.

3.0 ★: Average, a solid read that I finished but can’t promise to remember

3.5 ★: Above Average, there’s room for improvement but I liked this well enough to pick up another book by this author.

4.0 ★: A very good read and I enjoyed my time spent with this story

4.5 ★: An excellent read, a book I will remember and recommend

5.0 ★: Sheer perfection, the right book at the right time for me

In order to give myself a little more flexibility in rating, I am going to be using a decimal system this year, as I find there can be quite a difference between a 3.3 book and a 3.6 book.

I am not a professional reviewer, both my ratings and reviews reflect how a book resonated with me personally.

Symbols

♫ ♫ = Audio Book

† † = E-Book

2012 Books Read

January

1. The Dead by Charlie Higson - 4.1 ★
2. Nemesis † † by Agatha Christie - 3.6 ★
3. Seven Days In June by Howard Fast - 3.6 ★
4. Iron House† † by John Hart - 4.2 ★
5. The Thirteen Treasures by Michelle Harrison - 3.4 ★
6. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh - 5 ★
7. Mrs. Mike by Benedict Freedman - 4.3 ★
8. Sweet Tooth Vol 2: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire - 3.6 ★
9. A Free Man of Color by Barbara Hambley - 3.3 ★
10. Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah - 3.5 ★
11. Cheyenne Autumn by Mari Sandoz - 4.2 ★
12. Zoo City†† by Lauren Beukes - 3.4 ★
13. Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger - 4.0 ★
14. Skeletons On The Zahara by Dean King - 4.5 ★
15. The Last Sunrise by Robert Ryan - 4.1 ★
16. The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley - 3.7 ★
17. Dancing With Colonels by Marjorie Havreberg - 3.0 ★

February

18. White Nights by Ann Cleeves - 4.2 ★
19. Soulless by Gail Carriger - 3.8 ★
20. The Peacock Spring by Rumer Godden - 4.5 ★
21. Great Expectations †† by Charles Dickens - 3.6 ★
22. Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran - 3.8 ★
23. The Sandman Vol 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman - 4.2 ★
24. When the Astors Owned New York by Justin Kaplan - 3.2 ★
25. Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers - 3.7 ★
26. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray - 4.0 ★
27. Pale Immortal †† by Anne Frasier - 3.4 ★
28. Where The Buffalo Roam by Michael Zimmer - 3.6 ★
29. The Spies of Warsaw by Alan Furst - 4.6 ★
30. The UnTied Kingdom†† by Kate Johnson - 3.3 ★
31. Island of Ghosts by Gillian Bradshaw - 4.2 ★
32. Two Corinthians†† by Carola Dunn - 3.5 ★
33. Blankets by Craig Thompson - 5.0 ★

March

34. Shadow Valley†† by Stephen Barnes - 4.6 ★
35. Christine Falls by Benjamin Black - 3.2 ★
36. March by Geraldine Brooks - 4.4 ★
37. Remember Me, Irene by Jan Burke - 3.2 ★
38. Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Speare - 3.4 ★
39. Enclave by Ann Aguirre - 4.2 ★
40. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin - 5.0 ★
41. Countdown by Deborah Wiles - 4.3 ★
42. Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum - 3.7 ★
43. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi - 4.5 ★
44. Down the Long Hills†† by Louis L'Amour - 3.7 ★
45. Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn - 3.3 ★
46. Yesterday's Dead by Pat Bourke - 4.0 ★
47. The Night Following by Morag Joss - 4.8 ★
48. One Under by Graham Hurley - 4.0 ★
49. Jeannie: A Love Story by Derek Tangye - 3.4 ★
50. A Winter Kill by Vicki Delany - 3.0 ★
51. Lazybones by Mark Billingham - 4.0 ★

April

52. April In Paris by Michael Wallner - 3.6 ★
53. David Copperfield†† by Charles Dickens - 4.3 ★
54. The Running Vixen by Elizabeth Chadwick - 4.0 ★
55. The Dead and the Gone†† by Susan Beth Pfeffer - 4.1 ★
56. All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie - 3.7 ★
57. The Moon Is Down♫♫ by John Steinbeck - 5.0 ★
58. Hey Canada by Viviene Bowers - 4.2 ★
59. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry - 4.3 ★
60. Fables Vol 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham - 3.6 ★
61. Gentlemen of the Road by Michael Chabon - 3.7 ★
62. Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork - 4.7 ★
63. The Holy Road by Michael Blake - 4.3 ★
64. The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance & Survival by John Vaillant - 4.4 ★
65. War For The Oaks by Emma Bull - 4.4 ★

May

66. Lennox by Craig Russell - 4.2 ★
67. The White Russian by Tom Bradby - 4.5 ★
68. Rose In Bloom†† by Louisa May Alcott - 3.2 ★
69. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths - 4.2 ★
70. Russian Fairy Tales by Aleksandr Afanasev - 3.3 ★
71. The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan - 4.5 ★
72. Zoo Station by David Downing - 4.2 ★
73. Blackburn by Bradley Denton - 4.0 ★
74. Warrior Daughter by Janet Paisley - 3.2 ★
75. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen - 5.0 ★
76. Hombre†† by Elmore Leonard - 3.7 ★
77. Blue Skies & Gunfire by K.M. Peyton - 3.4 ★
78. Hatter M: Volume 1: The Looking Glass Wars - 3.3 ★
79. The Goose Girl†† by Shannon Hale - 5.0 ★
80. Dead Man's Footsteps by Peter James - 4.3 ★

June

81. Venice Noir edited by Maxim Jakubowski - 3.7 ★
82. Divergent by Veronica Roth - 5.0 ★
83. Remembrance by Theresa Breslin - 4.1 ★
84. A Sickness in the Family by Denise Mina - 4.2 ★
85. Trust Nobody by June Hampson - 3.8 ★
86. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - 4.5 ★
87. Life ♫♫ by Keith Richards - 5.0 ★
88. The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner - 3.5 ★
89. Fearless: A Novel of Sarah Bowman by Lucia St Clair Robson - 4.2 ★
90. River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh - 5.0 ★
91. Hollowland†† by Amanda Hocking - 2.0 ★
92. Revolution†† by Jennifer Donnelly - 3.7 ★
93. The Forgotten Legion by Ben Kane - 3.5 ★
94. Thrush Green by Miss Read (Dora Saint) - 5.0 ★

July

95. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan - 4.0 ★
96. Box Nine by Jack O'Connell - 4.3 ★
97. The Ox-Bow Incident - 4.5 ★
98. Mr. Monster by Dan Wells - 3.7 ★
99. Sixpence House by Paul Collins - 2.8 ★
100. The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland - 4.3 ★
101. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier - 3.9 ★
102. Emma, Volume 1 by Kaoru Mori - 3.6 ★
103. Playing With Bones by Kate Ellis - 4.3 ★
104. The Black Angel by Cornel Woolrich - 4.0 ★
105. Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie - 4.5 ★
106. The Lotus Eaters†† by Tatjana Soli - 4.2 ★
107. Montacute House†† by Lucy Jago - 2.8 ★
108. Secrets in Burracombe †† by Lilian Harry - 3.9 ★

August

109. The Cotton Queen by Pamela Morsi - 3.8 ★
110. 22 Accessible Road Trips by Candy Harrington - 4.0 ★
111. King of the Streets by John Baker - 4.3 ★
112. Tall Poppies by Louise Bagshawe - 3.1 ★
113. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss - 4.0 ★
114. Harp of Burma by Michio Takeyama - 4.2 ★
115. A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey - 4.0 ★
116. The High Crusade by Poul Anderson - 4.1 ★
117. The Legate's Daughter by Wallace Breem - 3.9 ★
118. Stone Song: A Novel of the Life of Crazy Horse by Win Blevins - 5.0 ★
119. Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm†† by Kate Douglas Wiggin - 3.0 ★
120. Tooth And Nail†† by Craig DiLouie - 3.5 ★
121. Murder on the Links†† by Agatha Christie - 4.0 ★

September

122. Resolution†† by Robert B Parker - 4.0 ★
123. Enna Burning†† by Shannon Hale - 3.0 ★
124. Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson - 4.1 ★
125. Bad Boy by Peter Robinson - 4.3 ★
126. The 9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation by Sid Jacobson - 4.5 ★
127. Breed by Chase Novak - 4.1 ★
128. The Heart of the Family by Annie Groves - 3.8 ★
129. Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak - 4.0 ★
130. At The Crossing Places by Kevin Crossley-Holland - 3.1 ★
131. Sweet Tooth Vol 3: Animal Armies by Jeff Lemire - 4.0 ★
132. The Pearl by John Steinbeck - 4.0 ★
133. Faithful Place by Tana French - 5.0 ★
134. The Land of Summer by Charlotte Bingham - 1.5 ★
135. A Cafe On The Nile by Bartle Bull - 4.5 ★
136. Apocalypse of the Dead by Joe McKinney - 3.8 ★
137. A Superior Death♫♫ by Nevada Barr - 3.6 ★

October

138. Watching Jimmy by Nancy Hartry - 4.0 ★
139. Doc by Mary Doria Russell - 5.0 ★
140. Aya by Marguerite Abouet - 3.7 ★
141. Fashions of a Decade: The 1950s by Patricia Baker - 3.4 ★
142. French Milk by Lucy Knisley - 3.4 ★
143. The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith - 4.1 ★
144. Land of a Hundred Wonders by Lesley Kagen - 3.7 ★
145. This World We Live In†† by Susan Beth Pfeffer - 3.8 ★
146. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien - 4.3 ★
147. October Skies by Alex Scarrow - 3.5 ★
148. Dracula†† by Bram Stoker - 4.5 ★
149. Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride - 4.4 ★
150. The Giver by Lois Lowry - 4.2 ★
151. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - 4.7 ★
152. One Grave Too Many by Beverly Connor - 3.1 ★
153. The Swiss Family Robinson by Frank Blandford (Campfire Graphics) - 3.5 ★
154. Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George - 3.8 ★
155. Northlanders Vol 1: Sven the Returned by Brian Wood & Davide Gianfelice - 3.6 ★

November

156. Burma Boy by Biyi Bandele - 4.1 ★
157. War Party by Louis L'Amour - 3.6 ★
158. The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas - 4.3 ★
159. We Band of Angels by Elizabeth M. Norman - 5.0 ★
160. The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley - 3.8 ★
161. Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story by Michael Allin - 3.6 ★
162. Changeless by Gail Carriger - 4.0 ★
163. The Grand Sophy†† by Georgette Heyer - 4.5 ★
164. Journey To Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida - 3.7 ★
165. Feed by Mira Grant - 3.0 ★
166. Henrietta's War†† by Joyce Dennys - 4.0 ★
167. The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going - 3.1 ★

This is the Pumpkin Patch that I go to every year, it's on Westham Island which is a short drive from my place.

At the Pumpkin Farm with my granddaughter, Camille, about 4 years ago:

Hi Judy- Congrats on the new thread! Hope you have a great weekend.

Hi Mark, welcome to the new thread. Appropriately dressed up for Fall.
I am having a great weekend, started Doc by Mary Doria Russell and after only 18 pages, I'm hooked!

You made me laugh when you implied starting the new thread to get rid of the ugly cover at the bottom of the other one.

I like the opening picture!

Nice new thread, Judy! Love the pictures and the thread topper! This is my favorite time of year, too.

Love the pictures! You really live in a beautiful place. And your granddaughter is a cutie. :)

Checking in! Will be lurking about. Happy reading

Lovely new thread!

Camille is a real cutie Judy - were you hiding inside one of those giant pumpkins?
Congratulations on your latest thread. I share your love of autumn - it is a shame I don't get to see much of them anymore.
Have a lovely weekend.

What a lovely print to begin your thread. Aren't grand daughters just lovely! Some of my favorite memories are of taking my grand daughter to a local cabbage patch!

I was busily putting together my new thread and suddenly realized that I should be cooking dinner! Luckily it went together quickly and didn't even taste like I threw it together. Tomorrow we will be celebrating my youngest daughter's birthday, and having gotten smart in my old age, I've talked my husband into preparing his spagetti sauce so I don't have to do as much of the cooking.

#16 - Hi Lori. That cover is pretty ugly and I didn't want my first cover on my new thread to be quite that horrendous so it worked out well to start a new thread after I posted about that book.

#17 - Welcome, Rachel. I had another picture in mind originally, but when I saw the combinations of birds, books and fall, well, how could I resist?

#18 - Hi Mamie, we have been having some fantastic weather, but it is very dry here and I am actually ready for some rain. Only trouble is that on the west coast is once it starts to rain, it often doesn't know when to stop!

#19 - Hi Pat. The picture of the pumkin field shows how flat the land around here can be. If those big clouds parted a little, and the view shifted to the left a little, we would be looking at Mount Baker in Washington State. Then if the view swung a step or two towards the left, you would see the Coast Mountains that loom over the city.

#20 & 21 - A big welcome to Melis and Roni!

#22 - Paul, it would have to be an awfully large pumpkin for me to hide in it! Yes, Camille is a doll, and she's very funny as well. The family comedienne.

#23 - Hi Linda, yes, the grandchildren are just about the best thing in our lives. They are growing up so fast, but we have enjoyed all the time we have been able to spend with them.

Judy: What wonderful pictures. I see you're reading Nevada Barr -- the one set in my part of the world. Enjoy.

Checking into the new thread, Judy. Love the photos!

OMG, Doc!! What a fantastic read. Enjoy!

Doc is now on the TBR list!

Loved Doc! I think you will, too, Judy.

#25 - Hi Beth, I like the quick read that Nevada Barr gives, also I love the different National Park settings.

#26 - Big wave to Katie

#27 - Mark, I am so loving Doc, this is a great read!

#28 - Linda, I think you will love Doc as well.

#29 - Julia, I do love Doc. To quote the back cover, "riveting and realistic".

137. A Superior Death ♫♫ by Nevada Barr - 3.6 ★
September Series & Sequels
12 in 12 Category: I Will Follow



A Superior Death by Nevada Barr is the second in the Anna Pigeon series. Anna is a National Park Ranger and in this book she is stationed at Isle Royale National Park, located off the coast of Michigan on Lake Superior.

These mysteries are light reading but give you the illusion of visiting a National Park which is the number one reason why I enjoy these books. Because Isle Royale is a well known deep-water dive site, with many famous wrecks nearby, the mystery involves diving the frigid waters of Lake Superior. Anna herself is a very likeable character whose internal dialogue is often amusing and shows her to be a sensible, straight forward kind of gal. The setting is well described and the mystery was just tantalizing enough to keep my attention.

A quick read but rewarding in it’s description of this wilderness park along with it’s native flora and fauna. I will certainly be following Anna Pigeon to her next posting.

I know Westham Island! We used to take our kids their to look and feed all of the birds at the Reifel Sanctuary. A lot of fun! We should go again! Of course, these days we get so many birds right in my part of town. Not right now -but I guess it's more a spring thing. Great picture on top of your thread and I love your pix of the pumpkin patches!
You are one amazingly fast reader!

Oh, I loved Doc! Great book! I listened to it on audio, and the narrator was something special.

I've never delved into the Nevada Barr series (and I'm not about to start another new series right now!) but I think I would really like them. Sigh. Might as well add it to the wishlist, eh?

Oh, that pumpkin patch looks lovely! I'm excited that I've just found out about one near to us, and I can't wait for Tomm and I to take Charlie there soon.

#33 - Hi Terri, I think I remember you reading Doc, making you another reason why I knew that I was in for a treat with this book.

#34 - Julia, I know what you mean about not needing another series. I use the Nevada Barr series as a filler between longer books, they are short, easy to read, and I enjoy the various National Park settings.

#35 - Hi Amber, Pumkin Patches are great places to go on an autumn day. Colorful and full of photo opportunities. The kids seem to love picking out their own personal pumpkins as well.

138. Watching Jimmy by Nancy Hartry - 4.0 ★
12 in 12 Category: Young At Heart
TIOLI #3: Old or New



Watching Jimmy by Nancy Hartry is a heart-felt story of one little girls’ love, concern and caring. Carolyn and Jimmy are very close friends and neighbours, in fact, Carolyn spends a lot of time at Jimmy’s while her mother works shifts. Jimmy’s Uncle Ted visits once a week, and Carolyn knows that Ted is not the nice man every one thinks he is. One day, Uncle Ted decides to teach Jimmy a lesson, leaving Jimmy changed forever. Ted tells everyone that Jimmy fell from the swings and hit his head. Carolyn knows different, she saw what Ted did to Jimmy.

This moving story is told through the words of this brave, resilient little girl who makes it her mission to now protect Jimmy from danger, ridicule and mostly from Ted. Set in the 1950’s when life was pretty black and white for single mothers, this story of both Carolyn and Jimmy’s mothers rings true. Carolyn, ever watchful but scared to tell the truth, eventually finds the courage to expose Ted for the monster that he is.

Watching Jimmy has won quite a few awards, including The Canadian Library Association’s Book of the Year for Children. I strongly agree that children need to be taught about both physical and mental abuse. I would, however, like to think that this book would be best suited for group reading and discussion. Watching Jimmy is a powerful story dealing as it does with such dark issues as abuse and brain damage, and, one that I think would be best suited for Grades 6 and up.

I read A Superior Death several years ago (pre-LT, that's for sure), and I remember it very well. Good plot, and great writing. I should read more Nevada Barr--thanks for the trigger!

Karen O.

Hi Judy! Happy New Thread! I missed quite a lot on the last one, but will have to at least catch up with a few of your reviews; I see you enjoyed Breed, which I was hoping to get to last month, but now have put off indefinitely (just because there are so many other books calling my name!) AND that 4.5 rating on Café on the Nile! I've got that one on the tbr too and looking forward to it!

Love the pumpkin patch photo. And that's a very sweet photo of Camille. Lovely name too.

Wow Watching Jimmy is added to my wishlist that sounds amazing!

Watching Jimmy sounds great dear Guru. Must add it to my hitlist pronto.

Great review - onto the wishlist it goes!

It's another beautiful sunny day here on the west coast, we are going on almost three months now without any rain to speak of. I've never seen it so dry.

I am killing time right now, putting off having to sit down and do my husband's business books for last month. Accounting is not my idea of a fun way to spend the day, but I do plan on going shopping tomorrow so I must work for my pin money.

This coming weekend is our Thanksgiving, but it looks like it's going to be a quiet one for us. Both daughters are working and husbands have made plans to spend the day with their families. I will be cooking a turkey dinner for two.

#38 - Hi Karen, you're welcome (for the trigger). I like having series like the Anna Pigeon one to fall back onto, easy to pick up, easy to read, and yet, pretty much a guaranteed good read.

#39 - Hi Ilana, that's the up side to having a huge TBR - there's always a book to fit our moods. When you are in the mood for a great adventure or escape to an exotic locale, the Bartle Bull books are great ones to reach for. I love the name Camille, a name most are familiar with but it's still different enough not to be found everywhere. My daughters husband has a French background and they wanted to use his grandmother's name of Annette as a second name, Camille just fit perfectly.

#40, 41 & 42 - Susie, Paul and Amber, with it's difficult subject matter, Watching Jimmy isn't a book to wish enjoyment of, but I do hope you all appreciate the read when you get to it.

Judy, those are great pumpkin patch pictures. What a delightful companion you had that day. Has Camille outgrown a trip to pick out a pumpkin with Grandma?

I wish our Thanksgiving was in October in the U.S. it's my favorite holiday and it seems to keep getting crowded out by earlier and earlier preparations for Christmas. Sheesh.

Love your review of Watching Jimmy, Judy. This is definitely one for my obese wish list and a few copies might even make their way into Christmas stockings for a couple of my younger nieces.

Happy Almost Birthday To You!

I hope tomorrow is as special as you are!

Ohh is it your birthday tomorrow?! Hope you have an awesome Birthday!!

Nate has to work this weekend so I don't have to cook a Thanksgiving dinner. (Which is good because Easter dinner didn't go so well hehe) Maybe I'll try turkey again at Christmas!

Happy Birthday soon!

Have a wonderful birthday, Judy!

What a nice surprise to come back here today and find so many lovely messages!

#44 - Hi Donna. This year I feel like Thanksgiving is coming early. I don't know why unless it's because we have been having summer weather up to about a week ago. Every year I tag along with my daughter and the two kids to the pumpkin patch. I don't know if Clayton will still want to be seen in public with us this year (he turned 13 in May) but I am sure Camille will be up for it.

#45 - Hi Caro and welcome to my thread. I would love to know what your nieces think of Watching Jimmy if you are able to get copies for them.

#46 - Thanks for remembering, Linda. I am planning a "Me" day tomorrow, going shopping and, of course, taking along my book gift certificates. We are just going to order something in for dinner and relax tomorrow night as I will be exhausted from shopping. For some reason shopping tires me out more than just about anything.

#47 - Thanks Chelle. I hope you have a nice, peaceful and turkey free Thanksgiving. Thank you for the birthday wishes.

#48 & 49 - Thanks Melis and Pat

Just in time to check out your new thread and wish you the happiest of birthdays, Judy! :)

139. Doc by Mary Doria Russell - 5.0 ★
12 in 12 Category: Home On The Range
TIOLI #16: ISBN Has Two or More 4's



Separating the man from the legend, Mary Doria Russell’s Doc is an extraordinary read about John Henry Holliday, better known as Doc Holliday. This book kept me glued to its pages for days. Taking the information that is known, she builds a story that rings with conviction and passion. The plot is concentrated mostly over the year of 1878, the year Holliday met the Earps, and with the part-time prostitute who was often by his side, Kate Harony, lived in the notorious Dodge City, Kansas.

First and foremost, this is a story of loyalty and friendship. The care and camaraderie between the Earps and Doc Holliday is exceptional. As Morgan once states about Doc, “He didn’t have any brothers of his own, so we took him as one of ours.” The contrast between Wyatt Earp, a masculine, strong and willful man to the frail, weak, slowly dying Holliday is beautifully drawn and highlights the charismatic nature of both men.

This is far from a rip-roaring, lead pumping western. Doc is a beautifully drawn, character-driven story that is told with wit and skill. A secondary plotline featuring the murder of a coloured boy, helps to define the nature of these interesting men and, brings us a clear, sharp picture of the dirty politics that were behind the way Dodge City was being run.

I found Doc to be a deeply moving story, and one that I will remember for a long, long time. Highly recommended.

.

Great review of Doc, Judy! I agree with everything you wrote.

Finally made my way to your new thread Judy. I agree, this has been an unusually dry and sunny summer/fall for us. I am enjoying the cooler morning and the crispness in the air.

Great review of Doc. I am still trying to dodge that book bullet. Resistance is starting to appear futile.

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving weekend. I have been guilted into preparing the full meal this year. Someone in my house is going through turkey withdrawal. *sighs*

..... and before I forget, Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to you! :D

Happy Birthday!!

Judy! Great review of Doc and a well-deserved 5 stars. What a perfect birthday read!

Have a great birthday, Judy! I hope you get some wonderful new books on your shopping trip.

Happy Birthday!Hope its a great one! Also adding Doc to my wishlist!

Good morning and Happy Birthday!! Hope you have a good one.

I am having a lovely birthday. Woke up to see that I had a "Hot Review", went shopping and now I am relaxing at home waiting for hubby to bring some take-out home for dinner.

I did manage to visit a bookstore today and picked up the following:

The Passage by Justin Cronin
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry
The Wind Up Bird by Haruki Murakami

This is the first time I have been in a "real" bookstore in some time, doing most of my purchases on-line. I noticed that the store had more sales like 2 for the price of one, and in general the prices seemed lower. I guess they are feeling the competition of on-line shopping.

#51 - Hi Valerie, we must have posted at the same time last night. Thanks for the birthday wishes.

#53 - Thanks, Julia. I can't wait to get my hands on another Mary Doria Russell book.

#54 - Hi Lori, I hope you have a great Thanksgiving, and don't have to work too hard at preparing the dinner.

Thanks to Lori, Rachel (my birthday twin), Amber, Mark, Donna, Susie and Ronnie for the birthday wishes - Here I am another year older, but I have a feeling no wiser.

A very happy birthday, Judy, and, one hopes, the start of a great year.

I loved The Wind Up Bird, but will have to re-read it at some point, as it's a challenging book.

Great review of Doc, by the way.

Hi Gail and thank you. In the 2013 Category Challenge, I am planning on a category for authors that I have been afraid to try. The Wind-Up Bird will definitely qualify as Haruki Murakami is one I have been nervous about trying.

140. Aya by Marguerite Abouet - 3.7 ★
12 in 12 Category: Every Picture Tells A Story
TIOLI #17: Read a Contemporary Book That is Set in the 1970's



Aya by Marguerite Abouet is a simple, non-political story of young girls living in the Ivory Coast of the late 1970’s. This was a time of relative prosperity and peace, and the story reflects the carefree and simple life as we follow the three main characters and their families who live in the working class neighbourhood of “Yop City”. These three girls are long time friends and now, at age nineteen they stand on the brink of womanhood and can see their lives changing. Aya, wants to make a difference and become a doctor. She studies hard and tries to avoid the complication of having a boyfriend. Her two friends, Adjoua and Bintou know they are at the peak of their beauty and are interested in dancing, having a good time and, most of all boys.

This isn’t a book about war-torn, strife ridden Africa but rather, the author appears to be stressing the similarity of these teen’s live with teens around the world. The author introduces various characters, from studious Aya, her easy-going friends, their interfering families, and the various boys that come and go in their lives. Written in a slightly sardonic, humorous manner Aya is a refreshing look at the private lives of working class Africans.

The author uses lively, slang filled writing which is accompanied by the bright and colourful drawings of Clement Oubrerie, and the two merge to present a joyous and energetic look at this corner of Africa in the 1970’s.

Judy, I just finished Mary Doria Russell's first book, The Sparrow. It is just about as far from Doc as you can get in terms of setting (it's science fiction about traveling to another planet and meeting ETs — no, really!) but I loved it. I need to get that review written soon before I forget all the little touches that impressed me.

Happy Birthday Judy! I hope you like Ready Player One as much as I did.

I'm not sure why, but The Sparrow was a difficult book for me to read. It still haunts me.

#68 > Linda, I completely agree about the "haunting" part. I find myself still thinking about it and puzzling through some of the larger issues it raised about ET contact, religion, and what makes someone "good" or "bad". I just found out there is a sequel, which I need to seek out.

Ive been meaning to read The Passage. :) Hope you like it.

I agree that The Sparrow was a tough one, but I *loved* it. I really need to get round to Doc at some point.
It sounds like you had a lovely birthday, and picked up some nice new books!

Good book haul, Judy! I loved 3 of the 4, not familiar with the Maberry. RPO is so much fun! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday, Judy. Many happy returns. Enjoy your books.

Happy Birthday. That was a great book haul an reminds me that I should read Rot and Ruin.
I also enjoyed Aya.

#66 - Hi Julia, The Sparrow is one of the books I am looking at closely for my next Mary Doria Russell read, the other one is A Thread of Grace. Ill have to come by and check out your thoughts on The Sparrow

#67 - Thanks Caroline, I am looking forward to Ready Player One. I have it on good authority (Mark's) that it is a fun read. ;)

#68 & 69 - I think that's a good sign, a book that stays with you and makes you think - they can be few and far between.

#70 - Hi Melis, The Passage has been on my radar for a long time. It will fit one of my 12 in 12 catagories, so this might be a book that doesn't sit on the TBR self too long.

#71 - Hi Amber, The Sparrow is sounding more and more intriguing!

#72 - Hi Mark, I'm looking forward to all these books, of course time to fit them all in is another thing! Being overbooked is actually the way I prefer to roll, I couldn't imagine saying "I have nothing to read"! The Maberry is the second in a YA zombie series. i loved the first book.

#73 - Thanks, Beth.

#74 - Kerry, I thought Rot and Ruin was a great read (for those of us who are into zombies) and I am really looking forward to continuing on with the story.

141; Fashions of a Decade: The 1950s by Patricia Baker - 3.4 ★
12 in 12 Category: True Colors
Reading Through Time Monthly Challenge: 1950s
TIOLI #14: Title Includes Both Letters and Numbers



Fashions of a Decade: 1950s by Patricia Baker is mostly slanted towards North America, where the 1950’s were a time of peace and prosperity. These easier years in turn gave women more freedom and the luxury of time and money to spend on fashion. This book barely skims the surface of the various fashion trends of the 50’s, but certainly touches on the best known milestones.

The book explains how many of the inventions that came out of the war were now being applied to daily life and that fashion was no exception. The introduction of many man-made fabrics such as Nylon, Rayon and Orlon changed how women dressed and cared for their clothes. Both movies and the actors in them had much influence. Marlon Brando’s black leather jacket, Carol Baker’s baby doll pyjamas and Marilyn Monroe’s famous halter top dress in Seven Year Itch, all became fashion icons.

I enjoyed this book but wished it was both longer and gave more details. But if you are in the mood for a quick stroll through the fashions of the 1950’s, then put on your little black dress or your grey flannel suit, mix up a batch of martini’s and give this book a try.

Judy, I'm glad you liked Doc so much. I thought it was magnificent. It has stuck with me in the months since I read it. I want to read The Sparrow, too.

Hi Judy - what a great new thread! I like the sound of Doc but my library only has the author's Dreamers of the Day, so I might add that to my list as it sounds interesting,

Belated Happy Birthday Judy! A great review of Doc too - I've had Mary Doria Russell's books on my wishlist for a while now so I'll be interested in your thoughts on her other books when you get to them.

#77 - Hi Ellen, nice to see you as I know you have been very busy with RL these days. I know that more Mary Doria Russell is in my future, I just need to work them into the schedule somehow.

#78 - Susan, Dreamers of the Day is one of hers that I don't know much about, but I just read the blurb about it and it sounds really good. Another one for my wish list!

#79 - Thanks Heather. Just don't hold your breath waiting for me to get to more Mary Doria Russell, it will happen, but as you know, it takes time to get around to planned reads. ;)

142. French Milk by Lucy Knisley - 3.4 ★
12 in 12 Category: Every Picture Tells A Story
TIOLI #16: ISBN Has Two Or More 4's



In 2007 Lucy Knisley and her mother spent five weeks in Paris together and French Milk is the resulting graphic novel of this time. I doubt very much that I will ever travel to Paris, but this fun little book with it’s details on museums, parks, art galleries and restaurants made me a very happy armchair traveller. Lucy comes across as a sensitive soul in her twenties which of course means a fair amount of internal drama which unfortunately she mentions only marginally. Lucy is not about to bare her soul or even delve into details about her relationship with her mother which was a bit of a disappointment as I found her mother an interesting character and I would have liked to have gotten to know both these women better.

Drawn in black and white, with real photographs scattered throughout this travel journal is fairly self-indulgent, but still enjoyable as a light read. I really can’t say that I will take anything from this book, or that it will linger in my mind in any way, but nevertheless, I enjoyed it for it’s light, trivial look at Paris.

Hi Judy. This looks like a lovely little book.

#82 - Hi Beth, I had a lovely afternoon, leafing through French Milk.

143. The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith - 4.1 ★
12 in 12 Category: Thriller Night
Reading Through Time Monthly Challenge: 1950's
TIOLI #1 - Random Tag Generator



The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith is his second novel revolving around Leo Demidov. Although broader in scope than his first book, I found The Secret Speech lacked some the pacing and didn’t quite resound with the same atmospheric tension.

This book delves into both Leo and his wife’s personal family life as well as their backgrounds. Leo must learn to forgive himself his past misdeeds as one of Stalin’s secret police. Raisa has her own issues from the past to work through. These two agree that the most important thing is their family which consists of two sisters, whose parents Leo was responsible for arresting. From the past, someone has surfaced who is seeking vengeance against Leo, and this vengeance puts his whole family at risk.

The story is delivered with plenty of action and suspense. Smith writes with conviction and the plot is original and imaginative as Leo and Raisa meet the challenge and fight to keep their family together. While for me, not quite reaching the creative heights of Child 44, this is still a very good read and I will certainly be moving on with this series.

Judy reading your review of the fashions of the 1950's brought back memories! I was born in 1952. Alas, my mother followed the trend of mother/daughter dresses.



When my sisters and my mother walked into church on a Sunday morning, we all looked like baby ducklings follow the mama in the lead.

ugh.....

Oh, my gosh. Those matching apple dresses are so over-the-top they are kinda cute.

I think I'd like that 1950s fashion book, Judy. Watching Mad Men has made me realize how much I like the styles of the 1950s and 1960s. I guess I was just born a little too late.

Oh, I feel that same way as Julia about 50's and 60's fashion - I love it, and I have a drawer full of 'retro' patterns that I'd love to make for myself, but, alas, those projects always get pushed back in favor of others, and now I feel that I'm getting too old to galavant around in costume apparel. Sigh.

#84: I loved Smith's first book but have not yet made it to The Secret Speech. I need to check to see if my local library ever got a copy. Thanks for the reminder, Judy.

Morning Judy- I'm with Stasia, I've had The Secret Speech languishing on a shelf for nearly 2 years. I NEED to get to it. I'm glad you were a fan.

How did I fall so far behind, Judy? Happy Belated Birthday!

I liked your reviews of Doc and Aya, and I'm another one who thought Ready Player One was a lot of fun. Oh, and I liked French Milk, too. Mark might like that one.

And I found The Sparrow haunting, too. Her follow-up book, Children of God, for me wasn't quite as good, but lends some interesting perspective on the events in the first book.

Hello everyone, today is the final day in our long weekend. We are going to my younger daughters' for dinner tonight and then tomorrow I am off to Vancouver Island for a visit with my Mom and siblings.

#85 - Linda, you have my sympathies on your 50's styling! My Mom dressed my sister and I quite similar but my sister always got the blues and greens being more of a redhead than I, and I got the reds and pinks. I think matching was big in the 50's!

#86 & 87 - I enjoy looking at the 50's fashions, but I wouldn't go back there for anything. I am old enough to remember the scratchy crinolines we had to wear under our full dresses, and the all too often wrinkly fabrics. Todays casual styles are much more comfortable. Although (and here is my age showing) I don't like the way some young girls are dressing with midriffs and/or underwear showing.

#88 & 89 - I loved Child 44, a five star read for me. The Secret Speech was very good and certainly filled with tension, but not as good as his first. Now I have been warned that the third, Agent 6 is a bit of a letdown. I will eventually get to it, but am in no hurry now.

#90 - Hi Joe, thanks for the birthday wishes. Don't worry about falling behind, it can happen so easily. I will be away from my computer next week and I know how behind I am going to be when I get back! Keep a stool warm for me at the cafe.

The great thing about making 'retro' clothing today is that you can use the new-fangled, non-wrinkling, non-itchy fabrics to make them!
And I'm with you on the midriffs and underwear. Sheesh.

glitter-graphics.com

Hi, Judy! I'm way behind on a lot of threads. Belated birthday greetings!

Enjoy your trip to Vancouver Island Judy!

Yay for Vancouver Island!! One of my favorite places. Enjoy.

144. Land of a Hundred Wonders by Lesley Kagen - 3.7 ★
12 in 12 Category: Go Where You Wanna Go
TIOLI #17: Read a Book Set in the 1970's



Set in rural Kentucky, Land of a Hundred Wonders tells the story of Gibby. She is a young woman of twenty, who was involved in a horrendous car accident a couple of years ago that took the lives of both her parents and has left her, in her words, NQR (not quite right). She lives with her grandfather, helps out at his restaurant and single-handedly puts out the local newspaper, a single sheet of mostly local gossip. Of course the bulk of her time is spent in trying to become QR (quite right) so that she can regain the parts of her memory that are missing and learn appropriate behavior which she doesn’t always manage very well.

Gibby has made an important discovery which is the body of the man that many have pegged as the next governor of Kentucky. She resolves to solve the murder and write up the story, feeling that this accomplishment will go a long way in making others see that she is becoming QR.

This is a story that takes turns in being both sweetly poignant and at others rowdy and boisterous. Filled with wonderful characters and many laugh out moments, this book came very close to a great read but, for me, the deeper I got into the story, the more the plot unraveled. I enjoyed the interplay between the characters and loved the language the author used however, and the book totally kept me involved.

The author, Lesley Kagen has crafted a moving and heartfelt story told from the viewpoint of a unique and unforgettable character.

I just finished Land of a Hundred Wonders, too! My review wasn't nearly as complimentary. But your review lines up better with what other people are saying. I guess it just wasn't for me!

Hi Judy, I hope you're having a wonderful visit with your mother. I'm glad to hear that Child 44 was a 5-star read for you as it is on my TBR list for this month. My husband read and liked it, and he is very picky about books because he doesn't have much time to read. Poor guy.

Adding that last read of yours to my wishlist - sounds like a good one!

Adding Land of a Hundred Wonders to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation!

LoHW sounds like an interesting read. Thanks for the review Judy. Onto the list it goes. :)

Hope you are having a great trip on the Island!

Hello everyone and thanks for visiting my thread while I am away. I get very little computer time while I am here, but will be home in a couple of days and I'm looking forward to getting caught up with everyone. Of course I have found some reading time, and currently I'm reading Dracula and I have been quite surprised at how much I am enjoying it.

#97 - SugarCreekRanch, I loved the character of Gibby, and many of the other characters as well. and so, found myself willing to overlook some of the weaker parts of the story. I can see that this wouldn't be a book for everyone, in fact I have passed it on to my Mom and I'm not sure if she will like it as much as I did.

#98 - Hi Donna, Child 44 was one of those books that I knew very little about when I picked it up randomly. I then found myself totally absorbed in the story and setting.

#99, 100 and 101 - Hi Amber, Stasia and Valerie, as I said above, it was the character's that I really loved in this book and felt, in particular, Gibby was very well done. There are some story weaknesses, but still, for me, an enjoyable read.

145. This World We Live In†† by Susan Beth Pfeffer - 3.8 ★
12 in 12 Category: For the Young At Heart
TIOLI #9 - Read A Book About Survival



This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer is the final volume in her “Last Survivors” trilogy, and this book brings characters from both books together and gives the readers some sense of closure. I have seen where many people felt quite disappointed in the ending of this series, but I personally felt she wrapped things up as much as she could while still staying true to the situation that the characters were in.

Overall I have found this a very believable story and although written for a YA audience, the author neither sugar-coated the events nor talked down to her audience. Miranda was realistic and compelling, and the family relationships flowed in a natural way. I was less convinced by the Alex/Julie brother and sister storyline, and felt that they were included simply to tie up loose ends.

The ending, while slightly ambiguous certainly keeps the door open for a future for both the characters and the world in general, which, really is all one can hope for in a book of this nature. I enjoyed all three volumes and felt the author’s concept was nicely played out in these three books.

All three books are sitting on my shelves! Really, really, need to read them soon. Thanks for the review and reminding me that I have no excuse (except for 800 other books) to not pick up the series. :)

Nice review, Judy. I've had this trilogy on my list since you first reviewed it. I've got to start this.

Hi Valerie and Beth, I hope you both enjoy this trilogy when you get around to it. I think having 800 other books is an excellent reason, Valerie, and one that I know all too well...

Got home today, after a rather long period of waiting for ferries. My house is all topsy-turvy as we've been having the "popcorn" ceilings removed from downstairs, and now are having the painters in. Other than a bit of laundry to catch up on, I won't be able to do anything around the house tomorrow. Sigh, I guess I will just have to fill my time in by reading!!

Speaking of having too many books, I still managed to bring home a bag full from Victoria. Some from the family, and some from a visit to a second hand book store. I've listed the books brought home below:

Lord Grizzly by Frederick Manfred
Layer Cake by J.J. Connolly
Faithless by Karin Slaughter
The Complaints by Ian Rankin
Birthdays for the Dead by Stuart MacBride
Dead Man's Grip by Peter James
Shooting In the Dark by John Baker
Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie
Traitor's Purse by Margery Allingham
Cargo of Eagles by Margery Allingham
Tether's End by Margery Allingham
The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
Strong Poison by Dorothy Sayers
Five Red Herrings by Dorothy Sayers

Most of these books are part of the many series that I am reading.

146. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien - 4.3 ★
12 in 12 Category: Soldier Boy
TIOLI #15: Read a Book From the ALA's 2009 List of Banned Books



I found The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien to be at times an uncomfortable read, and at others an inspiring read. At all times however, this is a superbly written story of what it really felt like to be a young combat soldier in Viet Nam. Not a straight forward story as it has very little to do with plot, but rather the random reminiscing of a young man sent to a strange, foreign country to fight in an unpopular war.

At times I forget that most wars are fought by the young. The boys in this book were, in many cases, not even in their twenties, and their immediate leaders were only a year or two older. As an older woman, looking back on this, and thinking of all the other boys that are serving their countries even today, I feel such compassion for both them and their families.

Tim O’Brien, like so many others, has been haunted by his experiences in Viet Nam, and I hope by penning this fine memoir, he has been able to lay some of these ghosts to rest. I would recommend that anyone who wants to get a real feel for what Viet Nam was like for American soldiers that they read both The Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes and The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.

147. October Skies by Alex Scarrow - 3.5 ★
12 in 12 Category: Calendar Girl



October Skies by Alex Scarrow is a thriller that certainly kept me guessing and reading to the end. The story jumps back and forth in time, in the present day, a documentary film maker and his partner stumble upon the remains of a long lost wagon trail that disappeared in the wilderness 150 years ago. They find a well preserved journal in a trunk. We are then drawn back to the past to the last days of this wagon train as terror and horror are unleashed among them. The evil doesn’t seem to be confined to the past either, as suddenly people in the present are dying in brutal ways. Exactly what was out in the woods that continues to work it’s evil today?

Fast paced and riveting, the author grabs you right from the start and pulls you into his story. Mixing wilderness survival, Indians, and religion with a hint of the supernatural to give the reader a story to enjoy being scared by. At times a little over-the-top and, unfortunately the ending was predictable, but overall this was exactly the kind of story I was looking for to curl up with on a chilly autumn evening.

Desperately disappointed to have missed your birthday dear guru largely in truth due to computer woes this past week which were only sorted a day or so ago. Happy belated anyway.
You celebrated nicely with 15 titles many of them familiar to me - I particularly like Stuart MacBride.

I also enjoy the novels of Alex Scarrow. Have a lovely weekend. x

Hi Judy- Hope you had a nice trip. We missed you! Nice book haul. That should keep you busy. I LOVED The Things They Carried. Enjoy your weekend.

Thanks for putting October Skies on my wishlist! :)

Hi Judy: I love Tim O'Brien. If you ever get a chance to see him talk, he's a great speaker, too. The Scarrow book sounds good as well. Great haul -- it reminds me I wanted to get to Allingham again.

Hi Judy.

#102 "currently I'm reading Dracula and I have been quite surprised at how much I am enjoying it." Dracula is one of my favourite books so I'm really pleased to hear you're enjoying it. Perhaps all the cheesy horror films have given it a bad reputation?

#106 Ooh, a bookhaul with Allinghams, Christies and Sayers! I hope you enjoy them - I haven't got to any of those Allinghams yet.

#109 - Hello Paul, don't feel bad about missing my birthday, at my age, I wouldn't mind missing it either! I love Stuart MacBride, but I always hesitate when recommending him as he does add a lot of violence and gore to his books.

#110 - Hi Mark, I am so far behind that I will probably end up spending the whole day here on LT. I dread to think how many of your threads I have missed - not to mention Paul's!!

#111 - Hi Carol, October Skies is a thriller with a different setting. I think anyone who is interested in the American West would enjoy the wagon train aspect of it. The modern part was a little predictable, but it kept me interested to see how it was all going to fit together.

#112 - Hi Beth, I can imagine Tim O'Brien would be an excellent speaker, The Things They Carried felt so personal that I felt I was just sitting and listening to this vet talk about his war experiences.

#113 - Hi Heather, you would have laughed at me when I was in the second hand store. I grabbed all the Margery Allinghams that they had on their shelves. Of course when I got home and sorted them, I realized that one was re-titled and I had already read it under it's original name.

I have probably seen every Dracula movie ever made, and I believe of them all, only one really followed the book exactly. This is my first time reading the story, I think I expected it to be a harder read due to it's age, but perhaps it helps being so well-acquainted with the story. Mina, in particular, has been a pleasant surprise, she is much more forthright than I expected.

I am now off to begin to try and catch up on everyone's thread.

Oh Judy, I missed your birthday - bummer. Hope it was a good one. Lots of great reviews here - I was excited to see that you gave Doc 5 stars as that one is on my WL. The Tim O'Brien book looks good, too. I always find lots of treasures over here! Nice book hauls, too! Wishing you a lovely weekend full of fabulous.

Hi Judy, The Things They Carried must be a very well liked book. We always sell it when we have it in the store. I don't think I could read it though. The thought of naive young men going off to war upsets me. I can't watch war movies either. Such a waste.

Thank you for the review of October Skies. It will have to go on my wish list.

Belated birthday wishes, Judy!

I loved your review of The Things They Carried. If I didn't already have it in my obese wish list, I would have had to add it based on your review.

I did get hit by October Skies though .. that sounds like a book I think I'm going to enjoy. So it's off to the obese wish list.

I missed your birthday, too, Judy. Jeesh. Happy Belated Birthday!

I'm glad The Things They Carried was a good read for you. You're right, it makes a good pairing with Matterhorn.

Happy Belated Birthday!

I loved The Things They Carry it is beautifully written and very haunting.

Judy, I just bought The Things They Carried at the little bookshop here in Newport. I look forward to reading it. Your review helped. :-)
And I own Matterhorn and it has been on the TBR pile for too long......

Did you go to Amy's Bookshop in Victoria? Or the one in the main shopping district?

Hi Judy. I always enjoy your reviews. I read The Things They Carried so many year ago, I really ought to re-read it now that I've read Matterhorn. The other book by O'Brien that I loved was In the Lake of the Woods which combines a mystery and the repercussions (sp???) of the Vietnam War. Have you read that one?

I'll probably pass on October Skies because it actually sounds a little too scary to me.

Glad you're back!

I had such a lovely day today. Way back in the 1970's & 1980's I worked in an office and four of us co-workers formed a life-long friendship. Today the four of us got together for a long lunch and a tiny bit of shopping, then off to a coffee shop for more great conversation and catching up. We haven't all been in town at the same time in over four years so there was lots of catching up to do.

#115 - Hi Mamie, I am so behind here on LT and I have yet to get to your thread. I am looking forward to hearing about your move and (hopefully) highly successful relocating. I just know you will love Doc when you get to it.

#116 - Caroline, I understand your feelings about war books though I do read quite a lot of them. It seems the drama of life and death, coming of age and even romance is often set against the backdrop of war. I will never understand it, but I keep reading books about it in the hope that one day I will.

#117 - Hi Caro, I hope you enjoy October Skies when you get to it. I hope to have a mosey over to your thread this evening and get caught up there as well.

#118 - No worries, Joe. Perhaps a free coffee and a slice of chocolate cake when I get over to the cafe next??

#119 - Hi Linda, I believe The Things They Carried will be a book that will stay with me for some time. My husband read it first, and he kept putting it down and telling me he didn't want to read it, but he also kept picking it up again too!

#120 - Hi Ellen, I can't believe that there is a bookstore in Victoria that I don't know, but I have never heard of Amy's Bookshop. We shopped at Russell's Book Store on Fort Street. There is a new book section and then, outside and up some stairs, they have a huge selection of used books.

#121 - Hi Pat, I haven't read anything else by Tim O'Brien, but you can be sure that Lake of the Woods is now on my radar. And talking about scary ... I just finished Dracula (review follows)

148. Dracula†† by Bram Stoker - 4.5 ★
12 in 12 Category: Monster Mash
TIOLI #3: Old or New



Reading the classic Dracula by Bram Stoker was an eye-opening experience. I was expecting a slow moving, stodgy, old fashioned story but instead I was delighted in this dark, romantic tale of evil vampires overcome by a band of unlikely heroes. The story jumped right into Dracula’s castle and other than a small slow down in the middle part of the book, kept up the quick pace of a modern day thriller. The ending was particularly well done and I closed the book feeling a great satisfaction that this, the grandfather of all vampire reads, is truly a worthy read.

I won’t dwell upon the plot as it is quite well known, but as I mentioned above this was my first read, and there were details that were quite new to me. The character of Mina was a particular surprise as I was expecting a wan, wispy girl, and, in fact, found a forthright, interesting heroine who, even when fighting for her own immortal soul came off both strong and interesting.

If you have yet to give Dracula a try, I would encourage you to do so as it is truly both intriguing and mysterious and, if you are a fan of horror, it is wonderful to see where so many of the vampire clichés originated.

Catching up with old friends is one of life's greater things, no? So glad you had the chance to do so! And that you enjoyed Dracula!

>122 DeltaQueen50: Hah! You bet, Judy. Just remind us. :-)

Glad you enjoyed Dracula so much. Great review! If you post it, I'll thumb it.

I'm reading Dracula right now and the creepy and and ominous mood is absolutely perfect!

Hi Judy- I have also been planning to read In the Lake of the Woods for several years now. Very Bad Mark!
I've never read Dracula either! What kind of a reader am I anyway?

I see you are starting the Giver. I DID read that one a couple months ago. It was very good.

#124 - Hi Amber, you are so right, catching up with friends - both RL and LT ones are one of the great pleasure of life!

#125 - Thanks for the thumb, Joe!

#126 - Hi Valerie, I was surprised at what an easy read Dracula is, often when you read a classic that was written over a hundred years ago, you expect difficulties in relating to the language but with this book, it mostly flowed along like a modern day thriller. Of course, there were some slower parts in the middle that dragged a little, but overall, a very approachable read.

#127 - Mark, I know exactly what kind of a reader you are - a very busy one!! That's the great thing about books, they are very patient in waiting their turn. So far, The Giver is living up to the hype, I am enjoying this read and wondering where exactly it's going to take me.

Hi, Judy! Thinking of you tonight, because we are geographically close and we have both just finished Dracula!

Hi Judy - I have never read Dracula, but your review has made me add it to my list.

You picked a good book for this time of the year, Judy. Wonderful review. I've watched a few Dracula movies but none have done justice to the character in Stoker's book.

#129 - HI Roni, I hope you are enjoying your trip, I am sorry that we are supplying such dreary weather, but I guess we could hardly top the sunny California weather you are used to!

#130 - Hi Susan, I hope you enjoy Dracula when you get to it. I certainly recommend it for this time of year, it's very atmospheric.

#131 - Hi Caro, I am really glad that I finally picked Dracula up. A very overdue read for me, who loves a good horror story.

149. Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride - 4.4 ★
12 in 12 Category: I Will Follow Him
TIOLI #16: ISBN Includes two or more 4's



Life is not going at all well for DS Logan McRae in Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride. In this, the 6th entry of the series, McRae is dealing with being passed over for promotion, and seeing an incompetent co-worker in a superior position. Having to work for him and even call him “Sir” is almost more than he can stand. Being called on the carpet for having a bad team attitude, juggling too many cases, being threatened with a lawsuit for police brutality, and still having to deal with the difficult DCI Steele, who herself is not in the best of moods these days is causing him to wonder if being a policeman is worth all the aggravation. To top is all off, his girlfriend is one of many who think he is drinking too much, so to prove a point he’s going cold sober, which isn’t helping his mood.

Having been called upon to baby-sit released violent rapist, Richard Knox, who has decided to settle in Aberdeen, McRae isn’t totally surprised when Knox manages to savagely beat his caretakers and disappear. To make matters even worse, a high ranking visiting policeman, a sworn enemy of Knox’s, has been abducted from his hotel.

Fast paced, humorous, and violent, this series just keeps the entertainment high and the plot rolling. After six books the reader knows the characters and can anticipate how they are going to react, but this in no way takes away from the overall enjoyment of the story. The author delivers an intricate plot with great style and verve. These books are ones that I know I can rely on for a gritty crime story that will absorb me totally, and all I can say is bring on number seven!

Judy, that last one sounds good. Nice review. I have the first in that series on my list.

Lovely review, Judy - I have the first in that series firmly in my TBR thanks to you.

Hi Terri and Mamie, I love the Stuart MacBride series but please be prepared for some fairly graphic violence, for me the characters, dark humor and overall great stories more than make up for the gore.

150. The Giver †† by Lois Lowry - 4.2 ★
TIOLI #15: Read a Book From ALA's List of Banned Books



The Giver by Lois Lowry is a dystopian story of a world that has settled for being safe. There are no such thing as choices, free thinking or strong emotions. Love, desire, even real anger are not permitted, and the people are trained or medicated to suppress these strong feelings. Being different or unusual is frowned upon and those that are deemed to be so are sent from the community, much as the elderly, after a short retirement are also released. Within this life of calmness and safety, one member of the community holds all the memories of what came before and now it is time to pass these memories on to a new Receiver. Jonas, the twelve year old main character, has been chosen to be the Receiver of Memories.

Without giving away too many plot details, this is a story of what it would be like to eliminate individuality, and while not as bleak as some dystopian works, the story is nevertheless chilling. As Jonas is given the memories he experiences new emotions from joy to pain, and with these new feelings comes a decision that he must leave the community in order to save a small child that has been scheduled for “release”. Thus opening the way for a truly ambiguous ending that is open to reader interpretation.

Lois Lowry has written a true gem with The Giver, a small book that delivers maximum impact. Extremely clever, the story starts calmly but slowly the reader starts to feel the troubling undercurrents, and alarm bells begin to go off. I can see the value of this book in the classroom as it would generate much discussion. The Giver is an amazing story and one that I would recommend.

Nice review, Judy! I read that with the kids for our homeschool several years ago and all of us really liked it. I think all these new dystopian YA books that are so popular lately owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Lowry for setting the stage. I thought it was wonderfully done.

#138 - Mornin' Mamie, thanks, this was a hard book for me to write a review on without giving away too much.

Great review of The Giver, Judy. I just read the book myself, and it's still lodged in my brain--I'm sure I'll be thinking about it for a while. Chilling, indeed.

Karen O.

p.s. Are you planning to read any of the other books in the series? I would love to put them in next month's TIOLI.

The Giver was required reading for my son's English class, I think in 7th grade. Our library currently has the whole series displayed, as so many readers who loved The Giver don't seem to realize that there is a series. And "Son" (no touchstone yet), the fourth book set in that world, has just been released this month!

ETA to fix "required" reading, not "retired" reading!

Hi Judy: Nice review of The Giver. I just picked up Gathering Blue, the second book of the series. I see the fourth book of the "trilogy" has just come out :)

Great review of The Giver, Judy. That one generated a lot of discussion in our family, as our kids had my wife and me read it because it had such an impact on them.

Judy- Good review of the Giver! I share the love with you.

Judy - looks like you have had three winners in a row. Read the first two and will now surely get round to the third. By the way glad to see you keeping up with old friends. My best friend has been my closest friend since we were both four and we still keep closely in touch across the miles. When we do meet up it is like we have never been apart.

Good evening, I have been rearranging furniture today and in the process of doing so, I opened an old cedar chest and found 2 unfinished afghans that I had started at one point and then forgot about. Suddenly I have been bit with the crochet bug and spent the remainder of the afternoon trying to work out the pattern for one. It's fairly simple, relying on color variations and I think I've managed to pick it up. Good news as this one I had started for my grandson's room, probably about six or seven years ago, and now would like to finish while he still has those colors in his room!

#140 - Hi Karen, I am definitely planning on continuing on with the series, but I know I won't be able to fit them in next month. I am dedicating November to (fingers crossed) finishing my 12 in 12 Category Challenge. I would love to finish next month and have December as a free reading month before starting in again with the 2013 Category Challenge.

#141 - Hi Terri, of course it wasn't written when I was still in school, but I would love to have been able to read The Giver in school. I can just imagine the lively discussion that this book could generate. I guess your son had it as "required" reading while I got to have it as "retired" reading! ;)

#142 - Hi Beth, I have to admit, I am eager to find out where the author takes us with the next book. It's funny how satisfying a read The Giver was given how many unanswered questions remain.

#143 - Hi Joe, I think it's great that your kid's introduced you and your wife to this book. Did everyone in the family love it? I saw a review of this book by a teacher that has taught it to her Grade 8 class for the last 12 years and she said the kids find something new to her about the book every year!

#144 - Hi Mark, another great read that I wouldn't have ever found without LT!

#145 - Hi Paul, I've been finding lately that good books seem to come in groups, although I really can't complain, most of the books I read are decent reads. I think true friendship is like that, you can go for years without seeing one another and then just pick up where you left off.

I'm skipping your review of The Giver, as it's coming up on my Newbery list soon, but I gather from skimming the comments that it's one to look forward to...

Yay for the crochet bug!

151. Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - 4.7 ★
12 in 12 Category: Heard It Thru the Grapevile - recommended by Anders (GingerbreadMan), Eva, Claire (Cfisha), Pete (Psutto), Dave (Wolfy) and Lori (Ikernaugh)
TIOLI #7: Tribute to Jasper



Perdido Street Station by China Mieville was a highly anticipated read and has fully lived up to my expectations. Part fantasy, part sci-fi and all original. With the invention of the city of New Crobuzon, Mieville has created a sprawling, complex and completely satisfying world. He has peopled his world with some of the most bizarre creatures I have ever read about. Yet these various beings go about their daily existence, eating, sleeping, working and reacting with each other in absolutely plausible ways. His city is build with inventive architecture, every nook and corner accounted for, and all areas have their own details that are fantastic to read about.

The story revolves around a male human, Isaac Dan der Grimnebulin, an eccentric scientist and his artist girlfriend, Lin, who is a bug-like creature known as a Khepri. It’s not surprising that Mieville has created this wondrous couple, but what is surprising is how fully fleshed out these characters and many others in the book are. But always remember that in Perdido Street Station the strange and repulsive, the sickening and dangerous are often lurking, just around the corner. Is this book a romance? A thriller? Or is it a highly charged, emotional tragedy.

At times Perdido Street Station was a difficult read with it’s dense and complicated prose studded with strange languages and scientific terms. But at the same time, this was also part of the lure of this book. This was my first China Mieville book, but I can assure you that it won’t be long before I pick this author up again.

Ahhhh, I have this one on my shelf and will have to get my hands on it soon. The only other Mieville book I read was Un Lun Dun and I can already tell he will probably be on my list of favoured authors. What an imaginative guy!

Just heard about the earthquake in British Columbia tonight, and hoping that you and your family are safe, Judy!

Hi Judy - I've never read Mieville, either. It sounds like I should give him a try. I hope you and yours are OK.

Judy - I liked your review of Perdido Street Station. It makes me want to run out and pick up a copy! I have not yet read anything by China Miéville, but I do have The City and The City waiting in my TBR.

#149 - Hi Valerie, I don't know yet which Mieville I will go for next, I may stay with the New Crobuzon series or try something else by him. He does have quite the imagination, and even better, the ability to draw his readers into his imagination.

#150 - We are safe and sound, Julia. The earthquake was a fairly big one, measuring 7.7, but it was quite a bit north of us, centered off the Haida Gwaii Islands. I believe it was felt in Prince Rupert, Bella Coola and even on up into Alaska, but not this far south.

#151 - Hi Beth, learning about authors like China Mieville is one of the best things about LT. Some of the people over at the Category Challenge have been reading and raving about him, and I just couldn't resist picking him up. Hard to believe, but three years ago I was reading very little, if any fantasy or sci-fi, but because of LT they are now two of my favorite genres.

#152 - Good morning, Mamie. He's different, he's unique, and I really loved his writing. Now I have to pick up a copy of The City and The City as well.

152. One Grave Too Many by Beverly Connor - 3.1 ★
12 in 12 Category: Thriller Night
TIOLI #11: Read a Book a Title Word Associated with a Cemetery



One Grave Too Many by Beverly Connor is the first book in her series about Diane Fallon, a forensic anthropologist who, at the beginning of the book has decided to start over as the director of the Rivertrail Museum of Natural History. On the day of the museum’s grand opening, her former boyfriend, Detective Frank Duncan comes to her for help with a human bone found in the woods. Even though she has vowed not to get involved in this type of work again, it isn’t too long before she is helping Frank to hopefully clear the surviving member of a murdered family.

Along with this mystery, there is also something going on at the museum, someone is obviously trying to make Diane appear incompetent. A number of board members are pushing to have the museum moved as there is interest in developing the land into a golf course resort. Also Diane has not recovered from her last forensic job that had her working on mass graves in a small South American country.

It took me awhile to get into this book as the author juggled various plotlines and I wondered exactly where the story was going but eventually all the threads were gathered and entwined together. As the characters never really grabbed me and I actually found the academic politics more interesting than the murder plot, I doubt that I will be continuing on with the series.

For me, One Grave Too Many was a quick, light read that just didn’t quite satisfy.

Judy- I'm so glad you enjoyed your first Mieville! I agree, it was a difficult read at times and it kept it from being an exceptional read for me. I was more satisfied with The City and The City. He is a very interesting author though.

I'm glad you enjoyed Perdido Street Station. You're right, he's a great worldbuilder. That was the first one of his I read, and it got me hooked, too. I loved The City and the CIty, too. Embassytown is also challenging, but rewarding.

Judy - I don't see me adding One Grave Too Many to my hitlist although China Mieville seems to be extremely popular over here and I noticed Embassytown was on the bestsellers list here. Considering some of the rubbish that tends to be poopular here I'm not sure whether that clinches it one way or the other! Hope your weekend has been wonderful.

My husband and I celebrated 34 years of marriage yesterday and went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. Spend most of the day quietly with reading and crochet work.Today, being Monday, we are having my grandson for dinner and I'm looking forward to catching up with him.

#155, 156 & 157: Hi Mark, Joe and Paul, I hope you all had a great weekend. I am happy that I have a Fantasy Category planned for next year's Category Challenge, that way I know I can work in at least one China Mieville. Paul, I am always amazed at which books make the Best Seller's Lists, thank heavens for LT which, for me, gives me a much better idea of what books I should be adding to my library.

Congratulations on 34 years! We've got 25 years coming up next year.

153. The Swiss Family Robinson by Frank Blandford (Campfire Graphics) - 3.5 ★
12 in 12 Category: Every Picture Tells a Story



This classic tale of adventure is a perfect story to place in the graphic novel format with it’s exciting story and colourful backdrop. When their ship strikes a reef and they are abandoned by the crew, this family manages to survive the storm and salvage many necessary ingredients to their survival on a isolated tropical island. In fact not only do they survive, they manage to thrive and create a wonderful colony that eventually, when they are discovered, lures more people to join them.

With four sons in the family, it is a given that there will be adventures galore. Sharks and jaguars, tree houses and caves, all are drawn in great detail, and this book, originally published in German in 1812 springs to life on these pages.

Although simplistic and somewhat abbreviated , this graphic version is a wonderful introduction (or re-visit) to the classic original, especially as it cuts down somewhat on the dated religious views and overly sentimental family values that are strewn throughout the book. Published by Campfire Graphic Novels, this is just one in a large series of classics such as Kim, Prisoner of Zenda, Gulliver’s Travels and many more. Re-visiting The Swiss Family Robinson was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

Oh gosh.... you're reading some really tempting books, Judy. Great reviews. I've still to read a China Mielville but I've heard good things about them. I'm going to need to step up my efforts in getting the first one.

Congratulations on 34 years of marriage! I love that your grandson has his own night for dinner - what a wonderful tradition to establish!

Nice review of the GN for The Swiss Family Robinson - we have a very nice collection of GNs thanks to my children (we also taught with some of them), however, I have not read many of them. This is something I am hoping to change next year which is why Abby and I made it a category in our Lucky 13 challenge. Hoping to find some wonderful ones thanks to you and Joe and Mark and others who read and review them.

Congrats on 34 years, Judy! That is a huge milestone and one worthy to be celebrated as you did! :)

Did you feel anything in Vancouver with the quakes? I had a couple of friends say they saw their curtains shake, but nothing really scary other than that. Hope you guys are all ok!

Stopping by to send my somewhat belated congratulations Judy. 34 years of marriage is beautiful to see!

Congratulations on your anniversary, Judy!

A belated happy anniversary, Judy!

Oh, happy anniversary!!

Happy Anniversary!

Hi there, Judy amd Happy Anniversary! Looks like you're hard at work on your 12 in 12 challenge.
I,m so glad you enjoyed Dracula. The slow portion in the middle probably reduced my rating from a 4 to 3.5. Definately worth a reread. Although I read most of it on my Kindle I have a great B&N edition with footnotes which I referred to often.

A belated happy anniversary Judy - 34 years is quite an achievement :-)

I fell in love with Mieville when I read Perdido Street Station a couple of years ago but strangely I have been quite slow to pick up his other books since then. Perhaps partly because I know to expect the unexpected with his writing?

Hello everyone and thanks for the Anniversay congratulations. My brother probably said it best with "Congratulations to you on 34 years of wedded bliss, and condolences to Ken (my DH)".

#161 - Hi Caro, I think you would love China Mieville's books, he is really top rate at fantasy-sci-fi.

#162 - Hi Mamie, I'm looking forward to following your 2013 Challenge. There is a huge variety of Graphic Novels out there - they range from the very serious subject matter, to humorous, or inventive and even experimental.

#163 - Hi Valerie, we didn't feel anything from the quake. First thing we knew about it was a phone call from my brother-in-law from Washington State to check up on us.

#164, 165, 166, 167, 168 - Waving to Lori, Susan, Carrie, Amber and Rachel - I really find it hard to believe that 34 years has passed since we got married. More than half my life!

#169 - Hi Lynda, I am trying to finish my 2012 Category Challenge in November, leaving me December for free reading. I have about 14 books to go which should be doable. I plan on getting myself a hard copy of Dracula because I can see re-reads in the future.

#170 - Hi Heather, I am hoping to fit a China Mieville into my fantasy category next year. LT is such a wealth of inspiration that it is hard to get to all the authors and books you want to explore.

154. Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George - 3.8 ★
12 in 12 Category: Do You Believe in Magic?



This charming fantasy, based on the fairy tale of Cinderella, is the second in Jessica Day George’s series “The Princess of the Midnight Ball”. Of course, in Princess of Glass, she has cleverly twisted the tale using the elements of the fairy godmother, the glass slippers, and the handsome prince to tell her own unique version of the classic story.

Princess Poppy, one of the original twelve dancing princesses, is recovering from her own magical ordeal, but while visiting the kingdom of Breton, discovers a new curse being worked on someone else, a servant girl named Ellen. As she realizes that this curse is also directed at the handsome Prince Christian of Danelaw, whom she is slowly developing a close friendship with, she vows to break this magic spell and release the victims.

I really liked how the author reworked this fairy tale and enjoyed the strong willed, competent Princess Poppy who sets out to right the wrongs and in doing so wins the slightly hapless but nevertheless charming Prince Christian. As in all fairy tales there is a happy ending and in this case we have three young couples finding their “happy ever after”. A light and frothy story chock full of magic, humour and romance.

155. Northlanders Vol 1: Sven the Returned by Brian Wood & Davide Gianfelice - 3.6 ★
12 in 12 Category: Every Picture Tells A Story



While Northlanders Vol 1: Sven The Returned was not my favourite graphic novel, it nevertheless told a passable story and I will be continuing with the series for at least one or two more because after all it’s about Vikings!. While I am far from a prude, I found there was a little too much explicit sex, and even though somewhat expected, there was an abundance of gore and violence.

A familiar tale of a returned heir, coming home to find his birthright taken over by a greedy uncle who has no intension of letting the wealth or lands out of his control. Sven finds himself an outsider, lurking on the edges of civilization, trying to find a way to defeat his uncle. Finally getting his chance to meet in open warfare, things suddenly change when a new invader appears on the scene.

I would have preferred more information on the Norse way of life, and less on the amount of blood that was scattered across the pages. I never warmed up to Sven, so I wasn’t overly invested in his characters. The end of the story seemed a little forced, and maybe too neatly wrapped up, but I will be interested in seeing where this series goes. I did like the artwork, very much in the comic book style, and felt it matched well with the action of the story.

Happy (belated) Anniversary!! Wishing you another 34 years of wedded bliss :)

Happy Anniversary!!!

I note you read The Giver by Lois Lowry. She is one of my favorite authors. If you haven't read these, I highly recommend them

The Silent Boy, Bless This Mouse, Crow Call, Looking Back: A Book of Memories and, one of my favorites Number the Stars.

I'm always late guru but it is better than never - Happy Anniversary.

Happy belated anniversary. Hope it was a great one. :)

#174, 175, 176 & 177: Thanks so much, I still can't believe 34 years have gone by!

Linda, I have taken note of those Lois Lowry books you've listed, I know Number the Stars is on my wishlist, I'll have to check out the others.

156. Burma Boy by Biyi Bandele - 4.1 ★
12 in 12 Category: Soldier Boy
Reading Throug Time Challenge: Monthly Category - Asia
TIOLI #13: Read A Book That Has An Adolescent As A Main Character



Deep in the jungles of Burma, during World War II a select group of soldiers called Chindits, plied their method of warfare against the invader. Several of these troops were made up of African soldiers, mostly from the country of Nigeria. Their average age was somewhere between sixteen and nineteen, although some were a lot younger. In fact the main character of Burma Boy, was barely fourteen, a fully fledged member of the Thunder Brigade whose basic orders were to exist behind enemy lines and create havoc.

Author Biyi Bandele based his book partly on the stories passed onto him by his father who served in Burma during WW II. Patrolling jungle trails, setting ambushes, and living in defended strongholds, these Chindits fought the Japanese in hand-to-hand combat, killing and being killed. It was a very personal war for them and they relished their chance to fight for King Joji {King George).

I believe the author caught the elements of warfare accurately. The story veers between the downtimes when the soldiers joke, laugh and sometimes argue with each other while they catch up on sleep and eating. Then the action begins and the characters are tossed into tense, terror filled situations against a ruthless enemy who never surrenders. Added to this is the setting of hot, humid Burma where it’s torrential rains and/or burning sun creates additional stress and exhaustion. A fascinating look at a small corner of World War II that I had previously known nothing about. And although at times I found the author’s style a little aimless, overall he managed the contrast between the light-hearted banter of boys to the grim life and death situations they had to face admirably. I did, however, have a slight problem with the abrupt ending, feeling that so much more could have been told of this soldier’s story.

First, Congratulations on 34 years of being married, Judy! That's terrific. We're heading for our 30th next year, and I know how unbelievably hard, I mean wonderful, 34 years must be. (My wife and I have an ongoing joke that the first (anniversary minus one) years are the hardest).

A Swiss Family Robinson graphic novel? Debbi and I love S-F-R! I'll have to look for that.

What a great variety of books you're reading. I like Brian Wood a lot, especially his Local. I've thought about reading Northlanders, but haven't been able to get up for gory, explicit tales of the Vikings.

Just adding my congratulations to all the rest, Judy! Quite an accomplishment.

Hi Joe & Roni, we are thrilled with 34 years. As you know, it can be hard work at times to keep everything flowing along nicely. Of course, we have a big test coming soon when hubby finally, officially, retires and starts spending more time at home with me.

Joe, I really enjoyed the graphic for The Swiss Family Robinson, I think it really helps if you have read the book first as it certainly skims the story, but for me, it was a wonderful re-visit.

Congrats on 34 years together!

#183 - Thanks, Terri!

157. War Party by Louis L'Amour - 3.6 ★
12 in 12 Category: Home on the Range
TIOLI #6: Title Relates to a Card or Board Game



War Party by Louis L’Amour is a collection of 10 short stories. L’Amour generally writes in a terse yet action filled way and this sparse prose shows to great advantage in his short stories. I originally picked up this book as I am reading the Sackett Family series and one of the stories involves this family. As with most short story collections, not all are of the same quality, but in War Party, I really can’t say there was a particularly weak one. The ones I most enjoyed were “One For the Pot”, ‘War Party” and the original inspiration for the John Wayne movie, “Hondo” called “The Gift of Cochise”. These stories may have been my favourites as they all featured women as the main characters.

While L’Amour’s characters don’t vary much, his women are usually the good, strong, helpmate or the frivolous, duty shirking flibbertigibbet although sometimes they start out as one and grow into the other. His men are the strong, silent yet righteous types with the bible in one hand and a gun in the other, or the dirty, low-down back-shooting bad guy. Of course these types of characters fit perfectly in the western genre.

While War Party will not blow the reader away with it’s literary acrobatics, it is nonetheless a good sampling of why Louis L’Amour was one of the foremost western writers of his day and why his writing remains so popular today.

Judy, I can't find Amy's Bookshop on line, but I swear I have been there (I have the canvas tote to prove it). It is in the neighborhood near the White Heather Tea Shop..... which I also recommend.

ETA: Oak Bay, that's the name of the neighborhood.

Judy - I haven't read any Louis L'Amour for a while but he is a reliable read for lovers of the genre. Have you read any of the books by Terry C. Johnston?
Have a lovely weekend.

#186 - Ellen, I know of Ivy's Bookshop in Oak Bay, could you mean Ivy instead of Amy?

#187 - Hi Paul, yes, I have read a lot of Terry C. Johnston's books, i loved his Mountain Man trilogy of Carry the Wind, Borderlords and One Eyed Dream, and his Custer trilogy as well.

158. The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas - 4.3 ★
12 in 12 Category: Home on the Range
TIOLI #9: First Letter of Title Words Have a Scrabble Value of 6 Plus



The Chili Queen by Sandra Dallas is a fun, colourful and engaging story peopled with some of the most colourful characters that I have read about in some time. Re-inventing oneself was an easy thing to do out west in the late 1880’s, people didn’t ask a lot of questions and were prone to accept what they saw and heard at face value. There were many reasons to take on a new identity, some were simply discarding a used up life, others were concealing their true identity out of concern for family left behind, and many were simply on the run from the long arm of the law

As Addie French travels from Kansas to New Mexico, she meets a meek mail-order bride on the train. Being far from meek herself, she surprises herself with the protective instinct this Emma arouses in her. When Emma’s prospective bridegroom refuses her, Addie takes her under her wing and into her home which happens to be the local brothel. Wanting Emma to think the best of her, she tries to disguise the nature of the house, and introduces her lover, wanted bank robber, Ned Partner, as her brother.

As Emma settles into Addie’s home, it isn’t long before secrets are unveiled and schemes are hatched. Soon we have Ned and Emma riding off to rob a bank in another town, and all of them, including Addie’s outspoken black housekeeper, working on a plan to con Emma’s brother out of her rightful inheritance that he is keeping from her.

The Chili Queen is an unforgettable, humorous, and extremely readable story of love, friendship and loyalty. With it’s many twists and turns the story pulls you along and you find yourself slowing putting the pieces of the puzzle together, but always remember, re-inventing yourself was an easy thing to do in the old west.

Judy- It's always nice to see Louis L'Amour mentioned. I grew up reading him and hope to get back to reading him again, at least occasionally.
Enjoy the rest of your week.

Judy, I have been meaning to read The Chili Queen for awhile will have to bump it up on the list!

>182 DeltaQueen50: I had that fun kind of re-visit experience recently with the A Wrinkle in Time graphic novel, Judy.

Nice review of The Chili Queen.

#190 - Hi Mark, I agree it's always good to re-visit with Louis L'Amour. I wouldn't want a steady diet of him by any means but his simple, pared down stories are a welcome change every now-and-again.

#191 - Hi Susie, The Chili Queen was a fun read and, for me, rather a surprise as I found it quite different from the other two books I have read by Sandra Dallas (I always want to call her Stella!). She has become a go-to author for me as I find I can rely on her to deliver a great story.

#192 - Good morning Joe, I've now enjoyed a couple of classics-done-graphic-style and I really enjoy them. When I was a child, my sister and I often spent our allowance on a series of comic books that were based on classic stories. These comics were my introduction to books like The Last of the Mohicans and Around the World in Eighty Days, that I went on to enjoy at a later age. I definitely plan on reading more these graphics.

159. We Band of Angels by Elizabeth M. Norman - 5.0 ★
12 in 12 Category: True Colors
Reading Through Time Challenge: Monthly Theme - Asia
TIOLI #10: Read a Books that has an LT Average Rating of 4.0 to 4.5



On the same day the Japanese launched its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, it also struck American bases in the Philippines. Following the air strikes with a massive landing, the Japanese were poised to take control of these islands. In We Band of Angels author Elizabeth M Norman tells the story of the American Military nurses that were serving in the Philippines at that time. There was no escape, they worked at their hospitals as long as they could, they were then moved, some immediately to the island fortress of Corregidor, but many to the peninsula of Bataan.

On Bataan, they helped to carve out hospitals from the jungle and nursed the sick and wounded there, until the Japanese were threatening to overrun them. They were then moved to Corregidor and worked in the underground tunnels, again dispensing medical assistance to the sick and wounded. Long after General MacArthur left, these remarkable women soldiered on, under constant bombardment, until the American forces had to surrender in early May of 1942.

At this point the nurses were moved to the prison camp of Santo Tomas in Manila. There they put their nursing abilities to work until they were liberated in early February, 1944. Life in the prison camps was a life of misery, starvation and sickness.

Compiling her book from personal interviews, letter, diaries and journals, Elizabeth M. Norman writes an extremely comprehensive story. So much information is packed into these pages that at times, I felt overwhelmed by all the details. To read of what these women endured, told in their own words was both humbling and emotional. We Band of Angels is an inspiring story of women who helped, cared for and supported each other, yet remained professional, and never forgot to include a little humor as they lived through these horrific years of captivity. I highly recommend We Band of Angels both for it’s sheer readability and as a great source of information on the Pacific Theatre of World War II.

I have been working away at an afghan that I had started years ago and them put away unfinished for some reason. I have now finished it. It's for my grandson whose room is decorated in a beach-y manner. I can't resist posting a picture.

160. The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley - 3.8 ★
12 in 12 Category: Heard It Thru the Grapevine - recommended by Lori (Ikernaugh)
Reading Through Time - Monthly Theme - Asia
TIOLI #1: Culinary Fruit on Cover or Mentioned in the Text



“I understand that there are two kinds of women,
those who give up the adventure of their lives to
live safely and well thought of, and women like me
who live as we choose, whatever the price.”

These words of Eastern Jewel reflect her thoughts on life, and in The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel by Maureen Lindley, we read of her adventures and the choices she makes that give her a very adventures life indeed. Disgraced at the age of eight and sent from her home in China to be raised by strangers in Japan, at a very young age she learns how it feels to be abandoned, ignored and unloved. She grows to adulthood vowing to create her own opportunities, an outwardly strong, confident woman who knows how to seduce men and use them to advance her interests.

Based on the true story of Yoshiko Kawashima, a Chinese princess who became a Japanese spy during World War II, this book outlines her controversial life as she develops into a woman who manipulates all who come into contact with her. But really, who is the victim here? Eastern Jewel is far from a likeable person but one can’t help but feeling a little sad for her as she mistakes her exploitation as a type of freedom.

I enjoyed this book, and in particular, I enjoyed the fact that Eastern Jewel was never an innocent, never a nice person and was always on the lookout for whatever she thought would be the best for her at the time. She makes no apologies and accepts the consequences of her choices. I found this a fascinating character study of a woman who tries to live her life on her terms only.

Love the afghan, Judy--so glad you posted it!

That is a great afghan... I love the colours you chose!

ETA: Too focused on the afghan to comment on the book review so here is a re-post of what I left on your 12 in 12 thread: Nice review Judy! Agreed, Eastern Jewel is anything but likeable but she does present a rather blunt, in your face and honest viewpoint that one cannot just brush off and ignore. It's not all a bed of roses.

Beautiful afghan, Judy and a book bullet for me as well. I love the variety that LT has to offer..haha! :)

Judy, that afghan is gorgeous! I've added The Chili Queen and We Band of Angels to my list. Great reviews!

That's a beautiful afghan, and it looks like a perfect fit for a beach-y themed room!

Oh, what a beautiful afghan! I love the colors! Thanks for sharing.

Hi Judy - Love the afghan and We Band of Angels has been added to the list. Great review.

#197 - Hi Roni, I'm sure you know how great it feels to see something you have worked on all finished and ready for use. Seeing everyone's creative works here has inspired me to pick up the handiwork again.

#198 - Hi Lori, Eastern Jewel was quite the character! Although the book itself dragged at times, the author's characterization remained constant and it's always fun to read about a truly self-serving character.

#199 - Hi Valerie, I was over at your thread last night and took a book bullet there as well. I had always thought that I didn't want to read The Life of Pi but after seeing the movie trailer, and reading yours and Sandy's (sjmccreary) reviews, I've definitely changed my mind. I hope to get to it next month.

#200 - Hi Susan, both those books are excellent. Hope you enjoy them when you get to them.

#201 - Hi Carrie, I'm just glad that I finished the afghan before the decor was re-done. I had packed it away and then forgot about it for a few years before discovering it again. Of course now I have to do one for my granddaughter as well.

#202 - Hi Amber, this one was quite easy to pick up and finish as the patter was so simple. I also found a deep burgandy afghan that has a much more complicated pattern that I am not sure I will be able to pick up. I will probably just pick another pattern and start over. The color is also a bit of a problem for my eyes, I can only work on it in the brightest of lights.

#203 - Thanks, Beth. I think you will find We Band of Angels to be an excellent and informative book.

161. Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story by Michael Allin - 3.6 ★
12 in 12 Category: True Colors
TIOLI # 9: First Letters of the Title Words Have a Scrabble Value of 6 Plus



Zarafa: A Giraffe’s True Story from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris by Michael Allin tells the story of this giraffe’s remarkable journey from her birthplace in the Sudan, far down the Nile River, to Paris, France in 1827. She was presented to Charles X by Mohamed Ali the Viceroy of the Ottoman Empire in Egypt as a good will gesture. Although Charles X would have to abdicate four years later, the giraffe won the hearts of all who saw her and lived her life out in relative comfort and security. Upon her death in 1845, she was then donated to a museum in La Rochelle on the west coast of France.

Zarafa was the first giraffe to set foot in France, and after sailing her from Alexandria to Marseilles, she was then walked to Paris. This walk of some 550 miles took over two months and became much more like a grand parade as people thronged to get a sight of this unusual animal who was nicknamed “The Beautiful Stranger”. She became a celebrity and soon women were styling their hair “a la giraffe” and children were eating giraffe shaped cookies.

The author uses the opportunity of Zarafa’s story to impart both history and geography lessons. Although at times I felt he was using this information as filler to his story, it was well researched and certainly gives the reader a fairly accurate picture of how this politically motivated gifting came about. Overall I enjoyed the book, but felt that it bogged down a number of times and didn’t flow smoothly. Perhaps so much information on facts and figures are included, that the reader isn’t given a chance to get lost in the story.

Lovely reviews and a beautiful afghan! Wow! Lucky grandson! Adding We Band of Angels to my WL and I will check to see if the library has The Private Papers of Eastern Jewel because that looks so interesting. Hope you are having a great Friday, Judy!

What a great reading week as always Judy. Superb mixture of stuff - a great take on Westward Ho!, japanese bombs, japanese spies and giraffes taking over France (what better neighbours they would make than the French)
Have a wonderful weekend dear Guru.

Love the afgan Judy! Looks so nice!
I started knitting Nate a blanket in camo colours when he joined the military and I think it's only the size of a scarf right now ... I should work on that ;)

Nice afghan, Judy! We Band of Angels sounds really good, and onto the tbr it goes. My wife read Zarafa, and probably would give a similar review. She enjoyed it and found the story fascinating, but the telling of it didn't wow her.

One week later, yes, it's Ivy's Bookshop in the Oak Bay neighborhood. Silly me.

I will be interested to see what you think of Life of Pi. I liked it a lot after much resistance to reading it.

Spent the day out and about yesterday enjoying the last of the sunshine that we are expecting for some time. Today is cloudy and the rain is expected to start sometime later today, and here in the Pcific Northwest, once the rain starts, it doesn't know when to stop.

#206 - A big wave to you, Mamie, I'll be dropping by your thread soon to be sure all is well in Mamieland.

#207 - Hi Paul, had a lovely day yesterday and today I'm going to be devoting some time to reading, so yes, I am having a very nice weekend. I'm wishing the same for you, although by now, I guess your weekend is over and you are starting another busy work week.

#208 Hi Chelle, working on Nate's blanket could be a great winter project for you, and as the blanket gets bigger, a great way to stay warm. As if you need more to do, you busy girl, you!

#209 - There was a great story in there in, Joe, but I certainly was left wishing for more from Zarafa.

#210 - I have shopped at Ivy's a few times, Ellen. It is right in the heart of Oak Bay (which prides itself on it's English heritage), and I have always found it a great place to find those hard-to-find English authors that aren't in the mainstream stores yet. I am definitely adding Life of Pi to my library list for next month.

I hope everyone has a lovely Sunday, I am going to spend an hour or so here on Lt, and then after lunch I plan on alternating reading with some crocheting.

162. Changeless by Gail Carriger - 4.0 ★
12 in 12 Category: Do You Believe In Magic?
TIOLI #18: Book Cover Features a Character Wearing a Hat



The second in her Parasol Protectorate series, Changeless by Gail Carriger is a fun romp through alternative Victorian times with soulless Alexia Maccom and her very masculine, werewolf husband , Conall. Better known as Lord and Lady Woolsey, Alexia is now serving Queen Victoria as the third member of the Shadow Council, which advises the Queen on all policies involving the supernatural. Conall is both the alpha male of the Woolsey pack and also holds a very important position with the Bureau of Unnatural Registry.

Although still very much newly-weds, something has come up that requires their immediate attention. There appears to be a strange illness that causes both vampires and werewolves to lose their immortality and ghosts to disappear altogether. As this plague appears to shift locale and now appears to be heading to Scotland toward the home of his old pack, it isn’t long before Conall is on his way north. Packing her new parasol and assorted friends and relatives, Alexia follows.

Carriger continues her series in fine form, Changeless is a fun read, part fantasy, part romance, a little steam punk and always, a comedy of manners and morals. The author gives you an entertaining story played out by characters that are varied and interesting, spouting dialogue that is both engaging and humorous. Although Changeless had a very definite cliff-hanger ending, it was such an enjoyable read that I don’t mind the extra push to pick up the next book quickly.

Your afghan is absolutely beautiful, Judy!

Nice review, Judy! I had the first in the series out from the Indiana library, but I didn't get to it before we moved. I need to check to see if the library here has it - thanks for the reminder!

#213 - Thanks, Terri.

#214 - Hi Mamie, it's a fun series and I really like that the author is clearly having a lot of fun writing these books and doesn't mean to be taken too seriously.

163. The Grand Sophy†† by Georgette Heyer - 4.5 ★
12 in 12 Category: Romeo & Juliet
TIOLI #3: Read a Book Set in the Regency Period



The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer has now joined the ranks of other of Heyer’s Regency Romances that I have greatly enjoyed. Truly Sophy Stanton-Lacy is the most outrageous, assertive, likeable Heyer heroine yet. Her exuberance practically jumps off the pages as she leaps into the affairs of everyone yet remains extremely likeable and compassionate.

Twenty year old Sophy has been left by her father with her Aunt’s family while he pursues a diplomatic mission to Brazil. Sophy finds the household of her Aunt and Uncle in a muddle. Her cousin, Cecilia has just announced that she cannot possibly marry the suitable man her family approves of, as she has fallen in love with a poet whose work most find quite unexceptional. Meanwhile, younger cousin Hubert obviously has problems and needs to confide in someone, and eldest cousin, Charles, who holds the household purse strings, is counting pennies and has engaged himself to the strait-laced, prim and exceeding boring, Eugenia Wexford. Sophy decides to fix all their problems, and embarks on some major meddling.

Georgette Heyer has carefully crafted her story, keeping Sophy fresh and spontaneous, yet still well within that society’s strict boundaries. Her respectability is never in question, except by the odious Miss Wexford. I found the story engaging and humorous, and when Charles and Sophy are in the same room you can practically see the sparks fly. With the Heyer trademarks of superior supporting characters, accurate historical detail and sizzling dialogue, The Grand Sophy is truly a grand read.

The Grand Sophy is one of my favourite Heyers ever. I've reread it so many times!

Judy- My wife is a big fan of Parasol Protectorate series! I read the 1st one. I liked it but it's a bit "lite" for me. I like dark & gritty.

I'll have to look out The Grand Sophy as I don't recall reading that one, I enjoy reading a few Heyers from time to time.

Glad you enjoyed Changeless--that is such a fun series--and The Grand Sophy is deservedly one of Heyer's most popular Regencies. Whenever a group of people vote for their top 5, Sophy always is there.

#217 - Hi Rhian, I think The Grand Sophy will probably be my top Georgette Heyers as well. Sophy is such a great character!

#218 - Hi Mark, yeah, the Parsaol Protectorate is on the light side, but nevertheless, a great escape read. I can see it wouldn't be quite up your alley, instead of trying to tear you from limb to limb, these werewolves are more likely to ask you to dance.

#219 - Hi Kerry, I spent most of my reading life avoiding Georgette Heyer's works, but after I kept seeing raves about her here on LT, I finally tried one of hers and now I am hooked. She's become a go-to-author when I need something that I know I will enjoy. If you haven't got to The Grand Sophy yet, you have something to look forward to.

#220 - Hi Roni, you are most definitely one of the ones that have helped steer me towards Georgette Heyer. I have fallen in love with her writing and I now have the goal of eventually reading all her books.

Hello Judy - Enjoyed your review of The Grand Sophy. I have that one on my Kindle and it might just hit the spot when I finish up my current read, which is very melancholy. I need something a little lighter and fun!

Have a great weekend!

Judy, you review reminds me that I need to put the Protectorate Series on hold at the library. I also picked up 2 Heyer books at the bookstore in the discount bin, but I have no idea when I'm ever going to get to them. But, I'm sure you are familiar with that story. ;)

Spent a long day without electricity as due to the age of our house the insurance company demanded a total rewiring to bring us up to current standards. Being without computer or television had it's upside as I mostly spend the day reading and crocheting. Managed to polish off a YA book and I'm now halfway through the zombie infected Feed.

#222 - Hi Katie, that's exactly what I like about Georgette Heyer, her books are perfect to pick up when you need a light, fun read. She's guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

#223 - I certainly am familiar with that story, Valerie. Someday when you need something light, frothy, and romantic, pick up a Georgette Heyer. You'll be in for a treat.

164. Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida - 3.7 ★
12 in 12 Category: Bonus Read - Calendar Girl (November)
TIOLI #11: Read a Book Whose Title Contains a Gemstone



Journey To Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida is a YA story of the experiences of an 11 year old Japanese-American girl and her family from the bombing of Pearl Harbor and their eventual evacuation and incarceration at Topaz, Utah. There are probably many books that detail these events in much greater detail, but considering the target audience, I think this book would have a lot of impact on the younger reader by the fact that it simply tells the story of one girl and what happened to her and her loved ones.

I thought that Yuki came across as a typical eleven year old, she really had no understanding of why Japan attacked or how this was going to impact her life. First the FBI show up on their doorstep, just hours after the bombing and take her father away. Then Yuki, her mother and brother are uprooted from their Berkeley, California home and temporarily housed in a horse stall at Tanforan Racetrack while more permanent arrangements could be make for the thousands of West Coast Japanese. As bad as conditions were at the Racetrack, they get even worse when they are relocated to the harsh desert climate of Topaz.

Yuki’s story is both thought-provoking and interesting as it explores it’s theme of racial prejudice with insight and dignity. The author based her story on her own family’s experiences and as she put it, “We were told to demonstrate our loyalty by doing as our country asked, we had no choice but to trust our government leaders. We did not know then, as we do now, that they had acceded to political and economic pressure groups and imprisoned us with full knowledge that their action was not only unconstitutional, but totally unnecessary.” I believe Journey To Topaz would be a good introduction to this period of history for 10 to 12 year olds.

Dance? No thank you! My wife will though. She loves it. Have a great weekend.

Hi Judy. Adding my compliments on the Afghan - I'm also guilty of putting knitting projects on hold but it's such a good feeling when you do finish something! Glad you enjoyed Changeless and I also enjoyed your review of The Grand Sophy. I realised that was a Heyer I already had on my wishlist but I've added your name to the recommendation too (perhaps that will prompt me to get a copy...)

Hi Mark and Heather, I hope you are having a great weekend. We are deluged with rain but, hey, this is the Pacific Northwest and winter here means rain and lots of it!

Mark, I am struggling with Feed. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it just isn't flowing very smoothly for me. One thing that is driving me crazy is how repetitious the author is with certain phrases!

Heather, I am crochetting like a fiend right now. Almost finished my 2nd afghan and already have bought the wool for another one for my granddaughter. If this keeps up, I will be looking for some audio books to listen to - hmm, I wonder how A Tale of Two Cities would be in audio format?

I listened to A Tale of Two Cities read by Simon Prebble a few months ago. It's very well done.

Judy- I felt the same way! Grant could have used better editing. A much tighter story would have helped.

Judy, you are amazing. You read like a maniac and you find time to crochet afghans!!
My hat is off to you.

Oh! What a hassle! Having to re- do your home wiring! I bet that is not cheap. Was it aluminum wiring? I remember when we lived in the Delta area aluminum wiring was a problem in a fair number of homes. I guess at one time that was to code.

Great looking afghan! My grandma used to make those for me and our kids. So nice to snuggle up with and you choose gorgeous colours!

*delurking* to add my compliments to your Afghan. It looks beautiful! Being a knitter and crocheter myself I know how much work a large blanket like that involves.

Have a nice Sunday!

Judy - Stopping in to wish you a lovely Sunday. Your review of The Grand Sophie makes me want to snag a copy for December - sounds like great fun! I have several Georgette Heyers that I got in a book sale because I loved the covers so much, but I have yet to read them. Need to make that a priority for next year, since this one is rapidly slipping away.

Hi Judy...Happy Sunday to you!
I read Zarafa: A Giraffe’s True Story from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

I've added The Chili Queen to the ever expanding tbr pile.

I am having a lovely Sunday. First we slept in and then my husband decided he would get up first and make breakfast. Then when I arrived at LT, I found Mark had left me a message as to who I am gifting for the Secret Santa Swap, and then I come to my thread and find all sorts of messages. Lovely.

#230 - Hi Carrie, I was sort of joking when I mentioned A Tale of Two Cities as there is going to be a Group Read of it in December, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed a great idea so off I went to Audible.com and now it's sitting on my Kindle waiting for me to plug in the headphones.

#231 - Hi Mark, Feed certainly did need an editor, I am working on my review right now and will be posting it later. I know it's a very popular book, but it never quite got "there" for me.

#232 - Good morning, Ellen. Maniac does kinda describe me. ;) The joys of being retired means lots of time to fill, hopefully doing things you like to do. I like to keep busy but I sure wonder how I ever managed to fit a full time job in.

#233 - Hi Deb, I'm not sure if it was aluminum wiring, but it sounds likely. They had to rewire every fixture, switch and plug in and around the house, then we get a piece of paper to state we are up to code to pass on the insurance company. In our damp climate, afghans are perfect to snuggle into, expecially as we like to keep the heat down in the evenings so it isn't too warm for sleeping, so wrapping up in a blanket is the way to go.

#234 - Hi Bianca, I hope you are having a nice Sunday as well. Yes, it takes time to do an afghan, but at least it's straight forward with no sizing to worry about. Once the pattern is locked into your head it becomes pretty robotic to just keep repeating it over and over. Are you working on anything right now?

#235 - Happy Sunday to you Mamie, I bet you're curled up watching football and rooting for your favorite team. Just about any Georgette Heyer will be a fun read, I haven't been disappointed in her yet.

#236 - Hi Linda, I guess I was hoping for more giraffe and less history with Zarafa. I ended up liking it but not loving it. I do hope you enjoy The Chili Queen when you get to it.

165. Feed by Mira Grant - 3.0 ★
12 in 12 Category: Monster Mash
TIOLI #10: Read a Book with a LT Average Rating of 4.0 to 4.5



I have been anticipating reading Feed by Mira Grant for quite some time, and perhaps my expectations were a little too high as I quite frankly struggled with this book. The idea of following a presidential campaign through a zombie infested America was intriguing but somewhere along the way, I felt the book bogged down. For me, the story picked up again towards the end which allowed me to complete the book..

Most people who enjoy and read “zombie” books are looking for page turning excitement and a story that keeps your eyes glued to the page. World War Z had proved that this can be done and still produce a book of merit, and this is what I hoped for with Feed. Unfortunately I didn’t find the writing lived up to what I had hoped for. The author fell back on repetitious phrases that just about drove me crazy. If I had had to read the phrase “poking dead things with a stick” one more time, I truly would have thrown the book across the room.

This book is a unique take on the zombie genre and full of thought-provoking ideas. The author’s explanation of how the infection came about and was spread was interesting and convincing. The moral decisions such as whether to destroy all the infected or isolate them, the laws that had to be changed and enforced from the death penalty to the keeping of large pets made the political situation viable and plausible.

I think the book suffered due to it’s length and as I stated above, too many repetitions. Pages and pages could have been cut if we hadn’t had to read about the main character’s eye affliction over and over again, also one or two descriptions of blood sampling surely would have sufficed. At almost 600 pages, Feed was far too long. So although this book had much to interest the reader, it didn’t do a lot to hold that interest. I know this is the first of a trilogy, and I may just pick up the next book just to see if the author has learned the value of ’least said the better’.

Judy- Good review of Feed. We felt very similar on this book. I wanted to like it more but it doesn't look like I will continue the series. I felt the same way about the Strain.

Nice review of Feed, Judy. It's on my "borrow from the library" list; I remember Mark's similar critique of the book, but there is something about that premise that I can't let go - it still sounds fascinating :)

Judy - Good review of Feed. It sounds like you're having a good day despite a not-very-good book. I hope the next one is better.

#239 - I had heard so much about Feed beforehand that I was surprised by the lack of quality in the writing. I think I actually liked The Strain a little more, but then I didn't have quite as high an expectation level for it as I did for Feed.

#240 - I know, Katie. I liked so many of the ideas in Feed, the author really thought about what a zombie infection would do to America and how it would change everything - so many interesting ideas. I think this could have been a great book if only someone had reined the author in a little.

#241 - Hi Beth, we had a quiet but nice weekend, and I never really worry too much about a disappointing book, there's always another one waiting to be picked up!

166. Henrietta's War †† by Joyce Dennys - 4.0 ★
12 in 12 Category: Soldier Boy
TIOLI #6: Title relates to a Board or Card Game



Joyce Dennys wrote a series of articles during World War II for Sketch Magazine. These articles, based on her own life, were in the form of letters written to her childhood friend, Robert. Through her character of Henrietta, she voiced the daily affairs, frustrations and trials of keeping a doctor’s house running though the changes that war inevitably brought.. With humor, verve and grace, Henrietta and her friends spring to life and everything from tea parties to their fears of Nazi invasion are covered. Many of these “letters” are accompanied by black and white line drawings that add to the overall amusement.

Henrietta lives in a small coastal village in Devon. Her articles are peopled with quirky, endearing characters and actually give one a fairly accurate picture of upper middle class life in Britain during the war.
From worrying about her children, one a soldier and the other working as a nurse to worrying about what to put on the dinner table, Henrietta appears to be a rather mild woman but nothing much gets past her, and she has plenty to say about her friends and neighbours, painting a vivid picture of village life.

Extremely clever, optimistic and, at times laugh-out-loud funny, Henrietta’s War was a fun read. This book covered the years 1939 to 1941, and there is a sequel called Henrietta Sees It Through that covers the remaining war years.

Hmm...I'm still curious enough about Feed to give it a try at some point, but definitely not in any rush. I might take Katie's cue and just borrow it from the library. :)

244 - Hi Valerie, I can see from all the various reviews of Feed that many agree with me about the writing, but there are a lot of people that loved the book just the way it is. I'll be interested in what you and Katie think of it.

Well, I thought I knew what library books I was going to be reading for December so I decided to order them now. I guess since the movie is due out any day, Life of Pi has suddenly gotten popular and I am 32nd on the waiting list. I also wanted to read The Fault in Our Stars and I am 59th on 30 copies for that one. Heck, I am even on a waiting list for Call of the Wild! Good thing I got my order in early!!

Good reviews, Judy. I'm going to take a pass on Feed. I do think The Fault in Our Stars is well worth your time.

I haven't read Feed but have read a lot of reviews similar to yours. What always interests me is that Mira Grant is Seanan McGuire, whose Toby Daye urban fantasy series is one of the best out there. I think she wrote the YA trilogy earlier--maybe she's learned her craft better now?

Hi Judy :) > 238 I have several knitting projects going at presents. I usually have several building sites and move the projects around. Currently I am knitting a shawl for my mom (60cm by 2m), a dress and a jumper for myself, a baby blanket and a hooded scarf for my sister :)

I had very high expectations with Feed and then I just didn't like it. I thought it was a great concept, but it just didn'd deliver for me. I abandoned it 1/2 way through.

Hi Judy - It looks like you'll have to move your library reading back :) Nice review of Henrietta's War. I have that one sitting around somewhere - it sounds like I should pick it up soon.

I am having one of those rare days where I have nothing that I have to do so can spend all day playing. That means a good chunk of the day will probably be spent here catching up with everyone.

I am currently reading my last book for my 12 in 12 Category Challenge and I look forward to a month of free reading before I start the 2013 Category Challenge. I am a complusive list maker and I enjoy planning my reading out, I keep my categories fairly broad so I can fit most of my preferred reading into the challenge.

There is going to be a group read of A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, most will be reading the book in December, but I am going to set the thread up today in case anyone wants to start early. If you care to join in, I will post the link to the thread here and at various other places around the 75 Challenge site.

#247 - Good morning, Joe, I've had The Fault of Our Stars on my radar for quite some time and I am looking forward to it.

#248 - Hi Roni, you are the second person to mention how good the Toby Daye series is. Perhaps I will have to check out that series instead of her Newsflesh Trilogy.

#249 - Hi Bianca, your knitting projects all sound interesting and I bet they keep you busy! Speaking of a great concept, I am currently reading Ready Player One and this one really works for me. I am loving it.

#250 - Hi Beth, I find the library's waiting list hard to decipher. Sometimes I can be first in the lineup and it will still take a couple of weeks for the book to get to me, while at other times I can be far down the queue yet still get the book in quite a timely fashion. I guess it all depends on how slow the readers in front of me are. I think you will enjoy Henrietta's War when you get to it.

167. The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going - 3.1 ★
12 in 12 Category: Do You Believe in Magic?
TIOLI #1: Culinary Fruit



In The Garden of Eve by K.L. Going we find eleven year old Eve, who, having lost her mother a year ago is now being moved across the country to an apple farm in upstate New York. She has to leave her home, her friends and her mother’s final resting place. When they arrive, they find an orchard of blighted trees, a half dead town and a crumbling farmhouse. They say the area is cursed and Eve hears of a lost girl, and meets a boy who claims to be dead and strangest of all is the gift of a mysterious seed.

Suddenly finding herself caught up in a fairy tale, Eve learns to believe in life and love once again. This YA fantasy is about dealing with grief, connecting with family and opening yourself up to life. A little too sentimental for my taste, but as it’s target age would be nine to twelve year olds, the sentimentalism is probably not as overdone as it appears to my jaded self.

Bearing in mind who the author is directing her words to, I think she has managed to write an allegorical story filled with imagery and magical realism. Although a little juvenile for my taste, The Garden of Eve sends a hopeful message about life and holding onto one’s dreams that I think would appeal to the younger reader.

When I was reading your review of The Garden of Eve, I kept thinking of Bridge to Terabithia. I saw the movie while on my honeymoon years ago, but have never actually read the book yet!

Hi Judy. What fun that you have a whole day to play. Henrietta's War sounds interesting and you remind me that I want to read Ready Player One.

I got my copy of A Tale of Two Cities yesterday. I'm not sure when I'm going to start just because I'm currently reading 4 other books but if the GR gets going soon, I'll probably throw caution to the wind and jump in!

I have set up the first thread for a December Group Read of:

A Tale of Two Cities

Please feel free to join in on the reading, discussion and/or questions.

Oh, I enjoyed Ready Player One immensely! Glad you are too.

Yah, for Ready Player One! I'm so glad you are getting to this one. It's such a blast, from beginning to end. Enjoy!