Tina the Tutu trundles through the leaves and snowflakes to end 2012 - thread #4.

photo courtesy of photopedia.com

Here's the last quarter of an amazing year. Haven't decided on a "cover shot" yet--will edit when there's time. Also, I'm NOT repeating all the books I've read so far. I'll simply take up the count from where I left of #42 is up next in the SECOND batch of 75 (#117 altogether so far this year.)

I'm trying to decide if I want an autumnal counter, or something more wintery, but I'll probably save the snow until we open 2013.

So welcome to all and stay tuned...I have some chunksters on tap, so I won't be totalling up huge numbers between no and October.

And....I have to edit my high school reunion "yearbook" - which will have to go to the printer in early March, so I'm going to be very busy contacting 65+ classmates collecting pictures and bios. If any of you have any hints for good companies/online software to produce such a tome, do let me know.

Off to get my first soup of the autumn....Mr. Tutu just called me (I'm at the library) to say we were having homemade squash soup, with roasted corn on the cob. I guess I'd best get home before he gives it all away!!!

Later............edited to add the photo. We have a huge quarry on the edge of our property that actually serves as the fire pond for our subdivision and most of this end of the town. I love to watch the seasons change on the pond...the "peepers" in the spring looking for mates, the duck nests and families of babies paddling in late spring, the full leaves surrounding the pond in the summer, providing shade and cool respite for the herons who sit in the trees over the water, the turning leaves, and then in winter the solid iced over skating surface. I never fail to stop the car as I drive by and just take in the quiet and the beauty before coming up the driveway. Let's hope the rest of the year gives us all nothing more harmful than leaves floating on the water.

ETA to add The list of Books read this quarter appears in msg #22.

Wow, Tina, I guess I'm first! I'm impressed that you're over halfway through your SECOND batch of 75. Wishing you an excellent 4th quarter of 2012!

Squash soup ... there's squash soup? Tina, I have a bowl and spoon. ;-)

Will Mr. Tutu share the recipe?

Mr. Tutu cooks like his wife....you start with squash (probably about 2 lbs)- bake till it's soft, scoop it out and put it in big pan with brown sugar (I was impressed - he even used the Splenda blend stuff!!), chicken broth (he used Trader Joes' low sodium), 3-4 Tbsp butter, about 1/2 cup whipped cream cheese and chives, and lett it simmer on the stove. A run through with the stick blender and it was perfect. I would have garnished with parsley and/or a scrunch of freshly grated nutmeg, but it did just fine with cheese sticks (Traders again) and huge mixed green salad with baby heirloom tomatoes.

Yummm....no recipe....just a little bit of this, and a little bit of that.

Love your opening photo--simply gorgeous!

I just read your final review on the old thread. Obviously, you didn't enjoy it. But given what you said, might a reader interested in opera and church politics enjoy the book more than you did? Or was it just plain poorly written?

Good morning, Tina. You definitely made me smile this morning! I loved the picture. I want to go find a pond and take a similar shot. Yes, I do. I think a trip to a hidden pool is on the agenda for today.

Also, thanks for the "recipe" which is like the best of all that Mother taught me: just a little of this, and then some of that, and then taste. Maybe add something else, maybe not. Eat and enjoy good food!

Terri...maybe I should go back and add another comment. I think if you are interested in opera and in church politics and intrigue in that time period, you might be able to follow the research trail enough to enjoy it. It's hard for me to tell.

Karen = do find a pool or pond--they are so relaxing...We are having an exquisite autumn day today - temp in the high 60's, bright sunshine and just a teensy breeze. I'm off to mahjong, but I'm going to be sure to take the seat that faces the window.

Catching up on your last thread and this - so sorry to hear you lost a dear furry friend. I hope that Lightening has settled down to his new role as sole cat, and that he's got his appetite back without regaining too many pounds!

Lots of good reviews too - though I'm sorry to hear the new Cotteril series is not good. Mind you, I've only just started the Dr Siri one, so I've plenty more of those to enjoy thankfully.

Genny....thanks for stopping by. Lightening has indeed settled in, and is becoming more active and affectionate. He is even finally eating - although we had to introduce new food and put in down next to the old. He'd go sniffing back and forth and then finally decide the new stuff was OK. He's also taken to "guarding" the household by hunching down by the slider and yipping at the crows.

Thanks for the encouragement. I did go to the exercise class on Monday. It was lead by a doctor who does an excellent job of pulling and stretching all the good muscles which need it. My left legs is definitely less good than my right and if for no other reason than to strengthen it I'm going back. All packed in my little pretend athletic bag this morning, and got my spirits up!

I think I will also go look at the pool schedule and see if I can find some time to swim a few "laps". My version of laps is to get a small float for my arms and chest, and put flippers on my feet, and paddle from one end of the pool to the other. A swimming instructor who was teaching the toddlers beginning swimming, and who is just awesome in the encouragement dept., suggested such for me. I want to be a little bit more ready for Hawaii. It is just days away (flying out on 11/11)

Hope you are enjoying your Autumnal weather, I know we are. Bracing for the beginning of the rainy cold stuff which usually arrives just about Oct. 31.

My goodness. Read your last thread last night and this a.m.; why do I do that? It always results in more book bullets than I could have imagined.

I'm glad Lightening is calming down and participating in the household, and very, very sorry for the loss of Bruiser. Not many things more difficult than the loss of a fur person.

Love the pic. at the top; I can remember many scenes like that from my childhood. So soothing.

. My version of laps is to get a small float for my arms and chest, and put flippers on my feet, and paddle from one end of the pool to the other.
Karen for the first 3 years I "did the pool" that's almost exactly what I did - I started in a 'baby' arthritis class (mostly stretching and walking from one side of the pool) and then each year went into a class that was a bit more energetic. Then when scheduling started to become a problem, I found that with my own "noodles" I could still get the exercise on my own.

Suddenly tho, at about the 2 1/2 yr point, when we went to Europe on a cruise, I found that my once very weak legs and knees could do regular walking again, and I am now, after 4 years actually able to climb steps like a real person, get down on the floor and back up without having to be lifted etc. It's just slow, steady work. I look forward to my pool sessions - sometimes they're the only 'reading' time I get

So you listen to audio in the pool? How do you do that without frying your hair? (electricity and water and all that)

Karen-- I have an armband pouch that is waterproof. My MP3 (or an Ipod) fits inside. There's jack inside the pouch that goes into the earphone jack. then you snap it shut--it's totally waterproof. There are earphones coming out the side that are also totally waterproof. If you just type in waterproof Ipod case in Google or Amazon (I bought mine about 3 yrs ago off Amazon) you'll see plenty of options. No need to worry about getting fried.

cool

Chiming in with cover photo luuuv.

Happy autumn!

Not much reading tonight.....jammy day in AM (see the blog). but tonite, since the RED SOX have self-destructed this year, and we sure don't want the Yankees to win anything, we are firmly rooting for the Orioles, and the Giants in the National League. Of course who in their right mind wouldn't be happy to see the Nationals have a good post season down in DC. So I guess for the next couple weeks we're glued to the TV.

Hi Tina - read your blog and envy you your jammy day. I had a jammy morning - read for about 2 hours with coffee and kitties. Now it' time to run a few errands and get the house under control.

Good luck to the Orioles and the Giants for you.

Have fun watching the ball games. I've picked up a couple more mystery authors from your last thread, and am adding More than sorrow to my wish list.

I just realized I haven't started the reading list on this thread yet....I'm not going to re- list all the previous books I've read so far. I've finished 116 so far this year...Starting here in October I've read

117. Bury your Dead by Louise Penny
118. The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
119. Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle
120. Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society by Amy Hill Hearth
121. Consider the Fork by Bee Wilson
122. Trick of the Light by Louise Penny
123. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
124. The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber
125. The Joy of X by Steven Strogatz
126. World War I: History in an Hour by Rupert Colley
127. The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny ---not a typo - listened to the audio this time.
128. Glory in Death by J.D. Robb.
129. Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb
130. Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb
131. Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal
132. The Body in the Boudoir by Katherine Hall Page
133. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
134. Cover her Face by P. D. James
135. Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
136. John Quincy Adams by Harlan Giles Unger
137. Twelve Drummers Drumming by C.C. Benison
138. Bad Little Falls by Paul Doiron
139. Faith: A Novel by Jennifer Haigh
140. Singled Out: by Virginia Nicholson
141. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
142. Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
143. George, Nicholas and Wilhelm by Miranda Carter
144. A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
145. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett
146. Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer
147. The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

Thanks for the info about waterproof iPod case etc - I too was wondering how you manage to listen while swimming. I'm hoping to get back to regular swimming myself, I should investigate (though I use my mobile phone for audio listening, which is a bit bigger than ipod/mp3 player, so I might need a different solution.

genny....the ipod pouch I use is actually designed for an Iphone...there are several different sizes and styles, so I don't think you'll have too much trouble finding one that suits. Enjoy. Exercise is so much less taxing when it's accompanied by a good book. There are times I don't even realize my session time is finished, and I stay an extra 10 minutes!

I love the leaves on the pond, but I almost drove off the road the other day when I was presented with this view as I rounded a curve!. THose leaves on the left hand tree are almost white, they're so silver. They are on the famous quaking, quivering aspen tree. Such a contrast to the luscious red across the street. Enjoy

Very sweet scene. I am so glad you stopped to shoot a picture of it!

What an incredible photo!!!!!! How I love Maine.

As I've been listening through the entire Three Pines Series by Louise Penny, I've been struck by how much more I'm enjoying them the second time around. These books have SO MUCH in them that I think it's almost impossible to take everything in at once. At the end of the audio for Bury your Dead, the one I just finished, there is a 10 minute interview with the delightful Louise, in which she shares her vision of living in a French Canadian village, her love for all the people who live in that magical site, and her philosophy of writing mystery stories.

When asked why she doesn't put a map of Three Pines or pictures of the village in the books, she said "I think reading is at least as creative as writing, that I do half the work and.. I trust the readers or the listeners to do the rest of it....to see it in their heads. I think (for me) to take it that next step would be a mistake."

I have to love an author who has so much respect for the intelligence of her readers.

When she was asked if she had ideas for other stories that did not feature Gamache and/or Three Pines, she sighed, and admitted that she doesn't think she'll ever be able to walk away from them. They're so real to her now that she just wants to retreat to Three Pines, all her friends there, and keep writing. Here's hoping she NEVER changes her mind. I think I could read and re-read these forever.

Lovely photo, Tina, thanks.

And how charming of Penny to say they're her friends! Exactly how I feel about them, so I really get where she's comin' from.

#120 Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society



For fans of "southern fiction", and all readers who enjoy stories with strong characters, a bit of history, and a sense of place, this one is a sure bet. This is one of my favorite genres, and debut novelist Amy Hill Hearth, a former journalist and the author or coauthor of seven nonfiction books, including Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters’ First 100 Years, has done a bang-up job of painting us a picture of life as it surely could have been.

The story relates the formation and bonding of an unlikely group of characters in a Naples Florida in the early days of the civil rights movement (1963).  While I wouldn't describe them as "the good ole days", others might. Jackie Hart, a transplanted Bostonian, has landed in Florida with her husband and three children.  This deeply southern, sleepy little town seems like another planet to her sophisticated "Yankee" way of thinking.  She is BORED.  With the help of the local librarian, she forms the Collier County Women's Literary Society to meet weekly at the library to discuss books and ideas.

Members of the group include Dora, a thirty-something divorcee who rescues snapping turtles; Plain Jane, a woman nobody seems to know much about; Robbie Lee, the town's resident homosexual who works at the Sears distribution center helping local housewives pick out curtains; Mrs. Bailey White, recently released from prison having served 11 years for killing her husband; and Priscilla a black maid who has been volunteering at the library.  Together these five, along with Miss Lansbury the librarian, embark on a journey through modern reading, eschewing the old classics in favor of newer, more edgy material.

In the meantime, Jackie is still somewhat stifled by the southern lifestyle and gets herself hired at the local newspaper and as the midnite to 2AM disc jockey on the local radio station.  Not wanting anyone to know he's hired a Yankee, the station manager and Jackie decide to keep her identity a secret and name her MISS DREAMSVILLE.  The town immediately goes into sleep deprivation staying up at night trying to figure out who she is.  The group continues reading and bonding, even through some terrifying moments.

The real story is not the identity of the dreamy voice, but rather the growth of the friendships and relationships formed by the group as they gradually begin to trust, to accept and to open their minds to new ideas, new friends, and new situations.  It's a tear-jerker, a knee-slapper, and a fantastic read.  Be sure to set aside a few hours, because you won't put it down once you begin.  It's bound to be a book-club top discussion pick in the year to come.

Author: Amy Hill Hearth
Publisher-Format: Simon and Schuster, e-galley
Date of publication:  October 2, 2012
Subject: women's roles, racial tension, southern living
Setting: Naples Florida, 1963
Genre: contemporary "southern" fiction
Source: Net galley from publisher

Hi Tina, great review of Miss Dreamsville! I am 100 pages in and love the story and the characters. It is exactly what I am in the mood for right now as it has been foggy and cold for the past two days where I live.

Miss Dreamsville is one of those that is destined to take off as the word starts getting out. IMHO it's right up there with Major Pettigrew, The Help and a few other character based novels. Especially encouraging in that this is the author's first foray into fiction.

Miss Dreamsville is probably one that would not be on my radar if it weren't for the comments here.

I absolutely love the photo, Tina! Such marvelous contrasts!

I loved The Crossing Places, too. I may check out Miss Dreamsville. Doesn't necessarily sound like my kind of novel, but I know the area where it's set because we have family nearby.

#121 Consider the Fork



Quelle fun! This is a delightful traipse through the story of how we prepare, cook and eat our food. Pots and pans : with rice cooker -- Knife : with mezzaluna -- Fire : with toaster -- Measure : with egg timer -- Grind : with nutmeg grater -- Eat : with tongs -- Ice : with moulds -- Kitchen : with coffee.  These are the Chapters in this elegant and very readable journey through the history of our gathering, preparing and consumption of food.  A perfect Weekend Cooking subject.

The author has done quite a thorough job of research and presents us with fun anecdotes about our ancestors and the evolution of cooking vessels, implements, and eating habits. It's full of interesting, little known, and fascinating tidbits.  I mean really!  I never knew that those gigantic medieval roasts on the spits were often turned by a dog running on a treadmill.  I wonder if the poor doggies at least got to gnaw on one of the bones from those juicy roasts?  And I wonder if my dentist knows that up until the mid 1800's almost none of us had teeth aligned in the classic "overbite" formation?

As I read this, I realized what a mix of time frames we enjoy in our "modern" kitchens. It was such a fun read that really got me to thinking about how I approach food prep and eating. I love eating with chopsticks but I also own several sets of more traditional Western cutlery and tableware from sterling silver to stainless steel.

I still rely almost exclusively on my good steel knives for cutting and chopping (although I wield a wicked mezzaluna).  My mandolin sits unused in its box.  I gave away my Cuisinart - it took up way too much room on my kitchen counter.  My little stick blender does a perfect job for my blending needs almost every day.  I measure liquids in a pyrex measuring cup, and solids in stainless steel.  I eyeball at least 50% of the dashes, pinches, tidbits and "to taste" ingredients I use and never realized until I read this that there are exact measurements certified for each of these, but who pays attention to mg or ml?  Except for cake baking, I'm not a scientific "by the book" cook.

I don't own a rice cooker or a pressure cooker, I gave away my breadmaker, but I use an electric coffee bean grinder, an electric ice- cream maker and a big Kitchen Aid mixer to knead dough. My 45 year old electric Farberware rotisserie does just fine on days when I can't grill outside.

I own 5 different coffeemakers from the ubiquitous Mr. Coffee, to an elegant espresso machine.  When the power goes, I still can boil water on the gas or wood burning stoves, so we can use our French press (but I'd better remember to grind an store some beans before the power goes!)  I still squeeze lemons and oranges on a glass squeezie thingie by hand.  I press my garlic with the side of a knife; grate my cheese, zest my lemons, and grind my nutmeg on a series of microplanes;  and prep my apples for pies on a 1854 Green Mountain cast iron apple peeler-corer-slicer.  My Revere copper bottomed pans are all 45 years old. I let my refrigerator make the ice cubes, and my slo-cooker do the boeuf bourginon, pulled pork, and Irish oatmeal.

When we lived in Japan, I was too pregnant to lean over the short little gas stove in our little house, so I bought my first microwave and for 9 months, until we moved onbase and got an American stove again, I cooked EVERYTHING in the microwave.  My daughter and I even baked christmas cookies in "the wave."  We did a Thanksgiving turkey, cupcakes, coffee, baby bottles, popcorn, hot chocolate, meatloaf, noodles, mac and cheese, oatmeal, veggies, and applesauce. To this day, I still soften butter and icecream in it, with hardly an "oopsie." I did use an electric wok for stir frying and tempura.  Now I cook with gas, my electric toaster oven, the slo-cooker, the waffle iron, the Farberware, and my trusty microwave (we're on the third one in 32 years).  When the weather's good, we cook on a gas grill outside, but it took us thirty years to make the switch from charcoal to bottled gas on that one.  Considering some of the evolutionary events described in this book that took centuries to complete, I guess I'm pretty modern.

Here are some more interesting tid-bits from the publishers press release:

THE TURNSPIT DOG: In Renaissance Britain there was a special breed of dog, the ‘turnspit’, whose job was to turn meat as it roasted. Bred to have short legs and long bodies, they were well suited to trundling round and round in a wheel attached to the spit. But there were signs that dogs were too intelligent for the job. One eyewitness recalled that the dogs used to run away or hide when they observed the cooks getting ready to make a roast for dinner. Many households switched to using geese instead, who could be forced to trundle the wheel for up to twelve hours at a time without rebelling.

THE PESTLE AND MORTAR: For most cooks today, the pestle and mortar is a pleasurable utensil, with which we might pound up a green basil pesto for fun.  It’s one of the more desirable and decorative items in any cookware store. But we forget that for most of history, the pestle was associated not with leisure but with servitude, the endless daily grind of producing enough edible nourishment. Female skeletons dating from the Stone Age in the Middle East reveal the strain that the pestle and mortar placed on the human body, with knees, hips and ankles all severely worn down from the pressure of hours of crushing grain against stone.

KNIVES, CHOPSTICKS, AND TEETH: Our choice of eating utensils may not seem a question of great consequence, but the tools we choose to eat with have actually had a dramatic impact on our bodies. The alignment of our teeth in an overbite is very recent: only about two hundred years old in the West. It likely came about because of the adoption of the knife and fork, which meant that for the first time people were chopping food into tiny morsels before chewing, instead of clamping larger pieces between their teeth. In China, the overbite developed much earlier – around 900 years ago – which corresponds to the time when chopsticks were first used.

MRS MARSHALL’S AMAZING ICE CREAM MAKER: In 1885 a great female entrepreneur and cook called Mrs. Marshall invented a hand-cranked ice cream maker capable of producing delicious smooth gelato in just three minutes – much faster than any electrical machine on the homewares market today. Instead of the paddle moving round while the bucket stays still, Mrs. Marshall invented a container that turns round while the paddle stays still. There are a handful of Marshall ice cream makers still in existence and they really do work. It goes to show that not everything in a modern kitchen is better than what came before. Why didn’t Mrs. Marshall’s machine take off? It has one big drawback: the inner container was made of zinc, a poisonous metal, so the ice cream it produces is mildly toxic.

THE GIANT EGGBEATER BUBBLE: Between 1856 and 1920, no fewer than 692 separate patents were granted for eggbeaters in the United States, including the iconic Dover design. Yet not one of these supposedly labor-saving beaters did a better job than the French balloon whisk, which had been around since the sixteenth century. Almost all of these eggbeaters were swept away by the electrical revolution of KitchenAid and Cuisinart in the twentieth century.

Author: Bee Wilson
Publisher: Basic Books
Copyright/Year of original publication: 2012
Subject: Food preparation
Dates Read: October 4-15, 2012
Number of pages: 352 in hardcover edition
Source:  e-book review copy from publisher via Net Galley

>30 tututhefirst: Duly wishlisted. Liberry copies available soon....

>35 tututhefirst: *covetcovetcovet* Sounds fantabulous!

What a great find! I think I may have to look for it at the library, also.

Consider the Fork is due out this week. Based on my e-copy look see, I think it's one I'd prefer in hard copy. Illustrations just don't translate well, although I do think that the publishers aren't doing any great acrobatics to get this e-ARCs into really good E-shape.

I asked for the library to lend it to me. They have multiple copies on order, I guess. Not in the system, yet. But judging from the number of "holds" on it, it is popular!

Tina

Congratulations on reading so many books thus far this year!

#123 Naked in Death

Now so many of you love this series so much, I decided I'd read ONE to see what all the fuss was about. I don't usually like a lot of hot steamy chick-lit romance, and I gave up reading Nora Roberts several years ago, but I gotta tell you, this one has a hook in me. I've already started book #2, although I'm not sure I'd be able to take all 44 of these in a concentrated dose. Maybe one or two a year.

I was surprised at how much I liked the characters- they are strong, well-developed, believable. Eve Dallas, a NYC police homicide detective is a seriously emotionally crippled woman and the first book gives us just enough background to see that handicap and what caused it. Her main love interest and antagonist is a stunning stud called Roark. The on again, off again relationship is one that is going to give rise to lots of sparks in the future I'm sure. The plot was intense, at times scary, and with many possible suspects, it kept me guessing for quite awhile.

The setting, a rather futuristic sci-fi arena, is fascinating, and one I wouldn't have thought I'd like. The year is 2058, and science, food prep, space age weapons, legal acceptance of prostitution, and other exotic methods of travel and communication make the story just bizarre enough to be believable. Not what I expected at all, but I'm definitely going to be reading more.

#124 The Inn at Rose Harbor



I had so much fun last month reading series and sequels, that I continued on with some I didn't finish in September.  I never got into the first Debbie Macomber series (Cedar Cove), but she's a very popular author at our library and has just started a new series.

The Inn at Rose Harbor, the first in a new series, was available via the audio download, so I grabbed it, loaded it on my MP3 and headed to the pool.  This is a very cozy cozy.  There are some interesting characters presented and a delightful sense of place. The writing and dialogue border on the banal. The plot is not brain-taxing, and since I haven't read any of the previous series, I can't tell if any of the story or inhabitants are carry-overs.

Basically, this one is chick-lit without the steamy romance.  Jo Marie Rose, a recent widow uses her inheritance to buy an old but well-managed inn in Cedar Cove Washington.  In this first of what the author promises us are many stories set at the Inn, we are introduced to two troubled people, we meet the town librarian, the resident dog, and a potential romance - although I suspect that won't bloom for at least 4-5 books.  It was a pleasant read.  It won't win any Pulitzers.  It may give some people a sugar sweet overdose, (how do you spell treacle?) but it will certainly be enjoyed by those who followed the first series.  I'm at least willing to read the next two or three to see how the lives of these characters evolve.

#125 The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Math


I was a math major in college. I chose it for a major because the concepts of numbers and the relationships in the study of number theory fascinated me. Strictly speaking, I never had a job where I had to do any higher math, solve a quadratic equation, discuss or teach functions, trig, geometry, etc. But it did strengthen my ability to reason, look at ideas in the abstract and conceptualize a problem in real terms. It certainly helped me a lot in working with software development in one of my previous careers.

I was absolutely thrilled when I got a copy of Strogatz' book. He explains math to the non-math mind in easy to understand tidbits. I often wished I could explain things as easily. This is a book that progresses from simple number theory, e.g., what do we mean when we say we have six of something? to basic arithmetical operations (adding, subtracting, multiplication, division) to discussions of fractions, and percentages. There are chapters explaining basic algebra, and how often we use the theory of solving for X without even realizing it. Next up is Geometry, the theory of infinity, negative numbers--Strogatz covers them all and then marches through integral calculus (here it started to get a bit more difficult ----just like college!!), differential equations, and vector analysis.

The later chapters are definitely more advanced, but if you manage to stick it out that far, you'll be rewarded with an esoteric but lilting discussion of number theory.

While the author would like to think this is not rocket science, it is still deep and requires attention and interest. It should help many motivated adults in understanding what children are now being taught in school, but I'm not sure it will make math aficionados of those who don't want to get it. It's worth a look for anyone who wants to get a better grasp of what the glorious world of numbers is really all about.

Title:The Joy of X, a Guided Tour of Math
Author: Steven Strogatz
Publisher/Format: Houghton Mifflin, egalley
Copyright/Year of original publication: October 2012
Subject: The story of numbers, mathematical concepts
Number of pages: 326
Source?: Net galley electronic ARC

Forgot to add that this is NOT a book to be read in the e= format. Unless the actual book is formatted better in the Epub format it is almost unreadable in sections. Anytime there is a line drawing, a table, an equation that includes fractions, it can only be see as it is designed when the text is reduced to the smallest available, thus making it absolutely impossible to read. The constant need to reduce the page so I could see the illustrations really turned me off.

The book itself is fabulous, and I have no doubt that in paper, or with proper e-formatting it will be a hit.

#126 World War One: History in an Hour



Another NOOK Bargain. As most of you know, I've been reading books about and/or set in World War I all year. When this one popped up for $1, I had to grab it and see if it lived up to it's billing. IT DID.

I wish I had had this one when I began my reading back in January. Colley sets out to give us a bare bones, just the facts timeline of who did what when, and what the consequences (albeit very spartan) were. By leaving out footnotes and esoteric discussions of various battle theories, by omitting chapters and books full of historical background, he manages to give us a clear and naked version of THE WAR and the players. The text itself can probably be read in an hour as advertised. It took me almost two hours, mainly because I kept consulting my trusty historical atlas so I could see exactly where and what he was discussing. I also added some minutes to my read by making several electronic notes (I LOVE E-readers for this very capability) of items I wanted to delve more deeply into.

It is a great little volume, well worth the limited expense. If it had contained one or two maps, it would have been even better.  There are several others in the series that would make good basic introductory reading and fill a need in any library.

Title: World War One: History in an Hour
Author: Rupert Colley
Publisher/Format: Harper Collins, UK  e-book
Copyright/Year of original publication:  2012
Subject: World War One
Number of pages: 80
Source:  Barnes and Noble (my own books)

Oh no. Two book bullets, one right after the other. I may have to indulge.

Now I want "the civil war in an hour" to read along with the Team of Rivals group reading. And I need a good historical atlas. Which one do you have?

Well, my sister, since you gave World War One: History in an Hour such a glowing report and since I will soon (fingers crossed) be getting to WWI in my history pursuits, I figured $1 wasn't too much and went over to B&N to buy it. Surprise, surprise - it's free! So everybody with an Nook race on over to B&N and get it now!

Marvelous reviews as always, Tina. I am almost sold on the Eve Dallas books.

The "...in an Hour" series is a wonderful idea!

Consider the Fork sounds fun, though I think I'll wait for a paperback.

I thought of your thread title today, Tina, as I walked home through fallen leaves and last night's snowfall, the first of this season and unusually early as it's still October!

Genny...I envy your having snow already. It's my favorite weather. I know that is very selfish of me, since I don't have to go anyplace and have no kids who miss school, etc etc. It's just such a peaceful time, because the snow makes everything slow down, quiet down, and even the more monochromatic palette takes some of the "loudness" out of life.

We have battened our hatches for a big non-event...hurricane -weather-buster- "Sandy" which is roaring up the East Coast. I think my Mom in Maryland is really in the bulls-eye, although there seems to be some question that it might be aiming for Richard on Long Island instead. At any rate, it is going to bring us all an enormous tub of rain and wind, but not snow.

Enjoy your walk through the leaves...

stay safe

Chèli....I think you all will get swacked way more than we will. You stay safe with your new windows, etal. Did you get your gas fireplace in yet?

no not yet, darn...

#50 I was rather taken aback with the snow, as it is very rare for it to come so early. My mother was staying, and I had to take her to the airport very early this morning (check in at 6am), and we couldnt' believe it when it started snowing hard about 9pm last night.

But it has warmed up by a couple of degrees, and most of the snow has already melted from my back lawn - the roads were reasonably clear already this morning which was a relief when it came to driving Mum to the airport. I won't be sorry if we don't see any more for another month or two - the other problem with the current cold snap is that our heating is temporarily out of action in the church - should have been fixed two weeks ago but the usual delays with the process of installing a new boiler, so tomorrow we will have some rather frozen and disgruntled congregation members who probably won't believe me when I say that next week the heating really will be back on again!

The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny

I'm in awe! I just finished listening to this one in audio - I read the original in May=June as an ARC. There is so much in this book. Even tho I just finished this with my recent lifetime, there were several incidents/sections I didn't remember happening from my first read! While I did remember the perpetrator, and I did remember the extreme tension that Penny builds as the story develops, I honestly didn't remember how skillfully she takes us to the brink before she pushes us over the edge at the end.

How on earth can we wait for the next installment? Will she return to Three Pines? Will she branch out a bit and develop Jean-Guy's future into a separate book? Will we ever meet these fascinating monks again? I want to pull my hair out with the waiting!

Wasn't the narration almost hypnotic? I couldn't stop listening, and then I wanted to listen all over again. And poor Jean-Guy! i hope he is rehabilitated soon.

Judi...I know exactly what you mean about wanting to listen all over again..and not wanting to stop...Ralph Gosham's narration is absolutely breath-taking. How wonderful it must be for Louise Penny to be able to entrust her story to so talented a speaker.

#128 Glory in Death by j. D. Robb

Pure unadulterated well-written, addictive brain candy. I'm already looking for the next one. Good characters, new ones added this time, good mystery, exciting ending, lots of chick-lit sex, and a rich, powerful handsome stud standing by to rescue the princess cop. What more can you ask for on a rainy afternoon?

I swore I'd not get sucked into reading this series, and I'm sure at some point I'll give up ----there are 44 of these for god's sake!-----but just because I quit smoking 25 years ago, and I don't drink much anymore because it doesn't mix with my meds, and I'm controlling my weight, doesn't mean I don't still have an addictive personality and these are filling the craving for something.....lord only knows what!

You sold me on World War One: History in an Hour. I was able to "purchase" a free copy from Google Play. It will be good background reading for the Maisie Dobbs series, the Bess Crawford series, and Downton Abbey!

Happy Halloween everyone! Our children's librarian has done a bang up job. Our treats for the kiddies include free books!

Want to hit the LIKE button!

LibraryThing does need a LIKE button!

my daughter sent this to me, suggesting that her father and I use to plan a 50th anniversary special. It's funky, but with my luck, the damn thing would cave in on me. and I'd much rather spend that much $$$ on a big cruise to all those places I long to see.



the link to the whole site is http://j.mp/SftDY3

#129 Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb - no # in the series

More brain candy............but I'm fascinated by the sci-fi component (yeah like you read Playboy for the interviews, right?)

I'm listening to #4 now, but with any luck, the library will be backed up on 5,6, and 7. They are actually starting to get a little bland, so I think I'll be ODing very shortly and be able to feed my brain something substantive soon.

Yeah, it's like eating your favorite dessert. After a few extra helpings you need some other nutrition.

#130 Rapture in Death by J. D. Robb #4 in the series....

More of the same. Peabody's character continues to grow, great mystery with ending visible about 80 % of the way through. A tad more sex than necessary for my taste.

I think my taste buds need some meat and potatoes, so I'm diving back into my biography of John QUincy Adams and one of my World War I novels Mr. Churchill's Secretary Also have to read The Art of Racing in the Rain for book club this month, so I'll keep the candy for another time.

But they are addictive....

Wow Tina it looks like I should acquaint myself with J.D. Robb. I could use a little brain candy:)

Abandoned book - lost track of the number Mixed signals: A Grace Street Mystery by Jane Tesh

This was a Net galley ArC.....I gave it 65 pages, but just couldn't figure out who was who and gave up trying. This is #2 in the series, so maybe if I'd read the first one, I might have a different opinion. And the premise of a quivering psychic did nothing for me either.

Oh dear, the Tesh doesn't sound promising. Avoiding with grateful sighs.

Sending smooches Maineward!

More abandonments

I've been reading (or trying to) a lot recently, but have also gotten to one of those periods where I don't want to waste my time if something isn't grabbing me, and I don't give a Tinker's who-who which of you lovely people has told me book A, B or C is fabulous. If it's not singing to me, it's going back to the library, onto the "give it away" pile, or getting deleted from my audio drive.

Here are the latest "why did I bother?" candidates...

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I was looking at this one for a possible BC read, but quickly determined I'd be run out of town on a rail if I asked my group to tackle this one. The premise seemed very interesting, but the writing style and paragraph upon paragraph of minutuiae had me pulling my hair out way before the required 50 pages (I actually got to 60) need to hit the pearled button.

Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen You all know I love mysteries, and we've recently put this one on the shelves of our little library. There is a definite cache of readers who love the Scandinavian writers and find all the horror just luscious reading. I....am....not...one...of...them. I thought I'd give this a try to see if it was any better or worse than others of the genre. Since it starts with the victim being in a totally sensorially deprived pit of darkness, and since I am the most totally claustrophobic person in the entire known universe, I should have known within the first 3 pages this wasn't for me. But, since this was just the prologue, I thought maybe we wouldn't have to visit this poor girl again. WRONG, ---- I gave this one several chapters of white knuckles and racing heartbeats, and then said, NOPE, NOT FOR ME.

For those of you who love juicy terror, go for it!

ETA: The Wettest County in the World by Matt Bondurant

I'd abandoned this one once before, but then saw it in audio, and also saw all the hype about the movie. I so wanted to read and like this book....it's by a hometown (VA) boy from the high school where my husband taught, and the subject (bootlegging in Virginia) is one that interests me. But I just couldn't do it. The prose was dry, boring, and just didn't grab me. Sorry Matt, I'll try again another time. Maybe if I see the movie, it will click??

some time later today I hope to get to the four I have finished and give you at least a few positive thoughts. Until then mon sweets.....keep reading. I'm off to see Caro's latest adventures with drowning her laptop!

Heh. The Imperial Autocracy of America's Librarian General hath spoke.

Must be a day for abandonments - I abandoned my first of the year because it just wasn't grabbing me - 47 pages I tried.

Definitely DO NOT put Keeper of lost Causes on my pile. If you are the most totally claustrophobic person in the entire known universe I will claim 2nd place in the line - must be in the genes, Daddy was the same way.

#131 Mr. Churchill's Secretary

Move over Maisie Dobbs and Bess Crawford. Maggie Hope is here! As many of you know, I'm a great fan of Jacqueline Winspear's "Maisie Dobbs" mysteries, and Charles Todd's "Bess Crawford" series. They both begin in World War I, and segue into the years between the First and Second World Wars.

This new series is set firmly in World War II London with a smart, sassy, gutsy protagonist Maggie Hope. Although she was raised in America, she is British by birth and so is eligible to serve England during the war in a very sensitive and secret undertaking. A graduate of Wellesley, with a degree in advanced mathematics, she abandons her chance to get a Ph.D. in math at MIT in favor of working for the Brits. She presumes her consummate math and code breaking skills will land her a job in that department with ease.

Instead, she finds herself consigned to a seemingly menial job taking dictation and typing for Winston Churchill. The adventures in which she becomes involved are James Bondish in their plausibility, but believable enough to make for a ripping good read.

I have the second book in this series as an ARC from the publisher, but since my sister graciously gifted me with her copy of this one, I decided to read them in order.  Look for a review of #2 before the end of the year.  They're well done, and there's enough meat here for at least 2 or 3 more books in a great new series.

Title: Mr. Churchill's Secretary
Author: Susan Elia MacNeal
Copyright/Year of publication: 2012
Subject: espionage, code breaking
Setting: London during World War II
Series: Maggie Hope
Number of pages: 384
Source: my own shelves (gift from my sister)

#132 The Body in the Boudoir
This series has become a favorite over the past few years, although I've read it in a rather piece-meal fashion. This prequel to the series was published this year, and I was fortunate to win a copy in a blog giveaway back in July. I'm just sorry I didn't get to it sooner.

As Faith Fairchild, the preacher's wife with her own catering business, settles down for a long overseas flight to Europe where she and hubby Tom will celebrate their 10th anniversary, she daydreams about how they met, about their courtship, and about (of course) the mysterious murder, i.e., the Body in the Boudoir discovered just before the wedding.  It's a well-written tale, and fills in a lot of gaps in the background of this relationship we've enjoyed throughout the series.  For fans of the series, it will be a welcome addition.  For newcomers, it's an excellent introduction to an amateur sleuth who provides us with not just good mystery solving, but excellent and yummy ideas and recipes she serves up in her catering business "Have Faith."

There were a few plot elements that seemed a bit contrived, and it seemed to take forever for the body (and mystery) to appear, but all in all, it's a good read and has me hungry to find some more in the series (there are now 20 of them!).  After all, the holidays are coming, and who couldn't use some good party ideas?

Title: The Body in the Boudoir
Author:  Katherine Hall Page
Year of publication: 2012
Genre: mystery - amateur sleuth
Subject: murder, food,
Setting: New York city
Series: Faith Fairchild mystery
Number of pages: 272
Source:  contest win
Why did I read this book now? It's been sitting on the bedside table too long.

I hate to disappoint you in thinking that I was so generous as to give you my copy of Mr. Churchill's Secretary but the publisher accidentally sent me 2 copies so I knew you would enjoy it, so I placed on your pile. So I'm not that generous, I'd have loaned it to you if I only had one. he..he..

#133 The Art of Racing in the Rain


I'm not a dog person, although I don't dislike them, and we had a dog for years, they just don't fit my lifestyle right now.  However..........after reading this one, I can see that I could easily become one again.  This is the book chosen by our local  book discussion group for November's read.  Everyone has already let me know they loved it, can't wait to meet to discuss it, and couldn't put it down once they started.

The premise is quite unusual.  The story is told by a dog, Enzo, who gives us his perspective on life without opposable thumbs, his anticipated reincarnation as a human, his thoughts on human weakness, child-rearing, and most of all car racing.  You see, Enzo belongs to a professional race car driver, so he and his owner spend hours in front of the video screen reviewing races, practicing moves, and devising race strategies.  Let it be said that I am NOT a race car fan at all, but I didn't find the setting off-putting.

Throughout the book, as Enzo watches his mistress dying of a brain tumor, as he observes the power struggle for a child's heart and custody, as he ruminates on various strange human behaviors, he dispenses pearls of wisdom in race car terms.  Denny, Enzo's owner, is one of those hapless individuals who never catches a break, who tries very hard to do right, but whom life seems to want to dump on, no matter what he does or does not do.  Through it all, Enzo remains the one constant in his life.

Set in the lustrous and often rainy area of coastal Washington State (in the Puget sound area), the story follows Enzo as he ages, goes through all the angst of getting older, slower, and having bodily functions less responsive than they were in youth.  It's a marvelous soliloquoy on life, and on life after death. Some of our readers say they found it to be a real tear-jerker.  I simply found it to be a lovely and loving tale of a family, a dog, and how they helped each other cope with everything that life could throw at them.

Author: Garth Stein
Publisher: Harper
Year of  publication: 2008
Subject: life, death, car racing, child custody
Setting: Pacific Northwest - Puget Sound area
Number of pages: 321
Why did I read this book now? My book club chose it.

#134 Cover her Face by P.D. James


This one is a re-read for me...I read almost all the Adam Dalgleish mysteries back when I was a young'un, but since I've had so much fun re-reading Louise Penny, Alex McC Smith, Julia Spencer Fleming, etc, etc., I decided to have a go at P.D. James. This one is the first in the series, and if I read it, it was long long ago and I honestly didn't remember a thing.

James is a great mystery writer. I see lots of Armand Gamache in Adam Dalgleish and found myself wondering if Louise Penny is a P.D. James fan. Detective Chief Inspector Dalgleish is quiet, urbane, cultured, and brilliant. In this opener, the police quietly, calmly go about solving a locked room mystery, narrowing down the list of suspects to find who murdered a young unwed mother serving as a maid in an upper crusty household. There are almost a dozen suspects from jealous women to unexpected fiancees, to aging step-parents and unsavory hangers-on. I'll admit I didn't figure out how, but had my suspicions and guessed correctly who dunnit. After the murderer was revealed, the reader gets an "Of course!!!" moment.

I also liked that James doesn't try to pull all the strings together and wrap up the characters and the story with a pretty bow. There are some boils left to be lanced, and some intimations that some relationships may develop in the future. Which is exactly what the debut of a series should present.

I'm planning to re-read these in order, but not in a concentrated dose. When I finish James, it will be on to Elizabeth George and the Inspector Lynley ones from the beginning. Makes me smile just thinking about all that good reading ahead.

back up to message #44...I'm hooked on Downton Abbey. Series two focuses on WWI. Can you please provide suggestions regarding books to read re. WWI? Somehow in highschool and college, they skipped WWI and focused on WWII.

How is your winter in Maine?

Getting caught up here Tina... oh dear, abandoned books..... well, that happens. Nice to see the rebound with a positive review for Mr. Churchill's Secretary. I have been eying that one so another positive review for it is great to see!

i have seen all the TV adaptations of Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley series and if the books are a good as the shows, you are in for a real treat!

Linda I think the Maisie Dobbs books by Jacqueline Winspear, and the Bess Crawford books by Charles Todd are great fiction for WW I reading. For Non-fiction, I'd definitely recommend The Beauty and the Sorrow by Peter Englund. It looks at all the participants from different countries and gives a birds-eye participants views. Of all the WWI books I read, that one gets my vote for the best so far.

I also read the Guns of August by Barbara Tuchmann, and To End all Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion by Alan Hochschild.

I still hope to get to Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain and George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I by Miranda Carter.

Lori The Lynley books are infinitely better than the TV adaptions IMHO. which is one of the reasons I want to re-read them. The TV show left out so much of the other characters who are so important to Lynley's character and motivation.

You've been typing your fingers to the bone! ENjoying the reviews, though.

I also appreciated your reviews, both the for the Pearled books, and the ones you finished. The holidays are looming and I have at least one friend for whom a book will be under her tree.

I really liked The Art of Racing in the Rain. Glad you did, too!

I, too, have read piece-meal through many of the Faith Fairchild mysteries. This year's volume sounds like a fine addition to the series.

Great reviews!

I'm glad you enjoyed your re read of the first P D James, and have lots more rereading of old favourites lined up. I'm doing the same with Dorothy L Sayers, and eventually the Falco series by Lindsey Davis. P D James for some reason I am not so fond of, though I too read all of them years ago.

Hi Tina, I am trying to help a friend figure out the title of a mystery/thriller short story or novel. Essentially what he remembers is there is a town that writes the message "God is real" or "God exists" on building walls or banners everyday...or the message is already there. Eventually everyone forgets what the word God even means...that's all I've got. Sound familiar to you? I'm asking Cheli as well, since y'all're the mystery ladies!

RD....I'm drawing a blank, but have asked the collective memory of Maine librarians for their input....I'm betting I'll have an answer by the end of the week.

Spiffy! Thank you most kindly, Tina.

The answer I'm getting is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. My library buds state

Joining the family... is an orphan girl, Rebeca, who arrives mysteriously one day and whose origin is unclear. Nevertheless, the Buendías raise her as one of their own children, first conquering her self-destructive habits of eating dirt and whitewash. Rebeca, it soon becomes evident, is afflicted with an insomnia that also causes memory loss. Eventually, the entire town becomes infected with insomnia and the associated amnesia. To facilitate memory, the inhabitants of the town begin to label everything; First they put up a giant sign to remind themselves that god exists, and then dread the day when the labels will have no meaning because the residents will have forgotten how to read.

Another one Pearl-ruled: Island of Vice:Theodore Roosevelt's Doomed Quest to Clean up Sin-Loving New York by Richard Zacks

Good grief.....the writing was as ponderous as the subject was pompous. I gave this over 200 of the 450+ pages, but just couldn't take any more. I learned lots of new facts about Roosevelt, lots of new factoids about New York and it's governing structure, and way too much about how many ways human beings can behave less humanely than situations might call for. If you are a person who sees the world in black and white (or who can tolerate and accept that world view) you will probably enjoy this reading more than I did.

I really did try, but could not continue. Maybe later.

Oh dear, yes, Zacks is no kind of prose stylist, is he? I think my fanboy gush over TR is the reason I spoke highly of the book.

And smooching the entire state of Maine's librarian population for the help!!!!!!

RD...was that the title you were looking for? (or must I say "for which you were looking" or "which you sought?")

Finally catching up, Tina - too many book bullets on this thread, so I'm not going back to see what I missed on the last one. Love your photos - it was a pretty fall here, too, which was a pleasant surprise after the hot & dry summer we had.

>92 tututhefirst: Since none of us can remember, we have to assume so, and the description is precisely like the hazy memory. I've never been a pot-smoker, but this must be how they feel.

Have you read A Year on Ladybug Farm? Charming, charming book. It's made me smile wistfully a half-dozen times.

Thanks for your recommendations Tina. Two of those were already in my tbr pile since 2011...Gesh...I need to get cracking on some of these books that have waited a long time for me to read.

All the best to you!

As we get busy with our stuffing, and chopping, and sipping, and toasting, I give you a special short short story, reprinted on one of my favorite blogs: Leters from a Hill Farm.

Sarah Orne Jewett is one of my favorite Maine authors. If you've not ever read her Land of the Pointed Firs do try it some day. In the meantime, here is her "Night Before Thanksgiving" - enjoy and blessings to all of you.

http://lettersfromahillfarm.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-night-before-thanksgiving-b...

Happy Thanksgiving, Tina!!

Amazing how people can have such 180 degree reactions. I absolutely loved Devil in the White City though I admit it helps that this is a local book. It was one of my favorite books during the year I read it. I want to take a Devil in the White City tour.

On the other hand, I'm not a fan of Katherine Hall Page. I try something from her from time to time but still am not a fan.

I'll have to look for Mr Churchill's Secretary. That one sounds terrific.

Next year, I plan to do a lot of WW1 nonfiction and fiction reading. I've read far more about WW2 but WW1 often was overlooked.

I'm really thinking I'm going to continue my WWI reading well into next year. Then I'm also reading and will continue to read stuff that is tween the two wars, and some WWII. I'm finding it fascinating and there's so much good stuff out there.

Next year will be the 100 year mark of the beginning of WWI so I'm sure there will be lots of new (and hopefully at least some good) stuff coming out.

I think you will love the Maggie Hope (Churchill's Secretary) series. They're definitely overdone on the plot, but still fun.

I've made the stuffing. I've prepped the brussels sprouts with apples. I've got the noxious bird-meat brining in my own souped-up whiskey brine mixture. Yam nastiness baking now. Must roast the sprouts, some white potatoes with garlic, oil and rosemary, and birdie. Sweet potato pie, pecan pie, southern mincemeat pie, and apple pie all done. Life is good, but my knees and feet are killin' me! Happy holiday for you and all those you love.

Happy Thanksgiving, and thank you for the sweet short story. I read it first thing this morning and it did "gladden my heart", as they say.

RD....are you cooking for an entire soup kitchen?

Mr. Tutu and I are having a laid-back Thanksgiving a deux this year. He has baked a real pumpkin pie - no canned pumpkin---the real thing. The turkey is now in the oven smelling heavenly - no stuffing, just a sprig of thyme and rosemary and a lemon inside, some S/P on the skin. We're doing my daughter's tried and true "high heat" method. Will throw a sweet tater and a big white tater (sweet for him, white for me) in the oven in a bit. We have fresh green beans, homemade cran/orange relish, and we'll make some gravy.

We'll throw some ginger ice cream on the pie for dessert, and toast with a good white wine.

Bright sunny day out the windows - Bambi and family just wondered by--logs in the fire and a stack of good books to wallow through.

Candles and good china, and a phoncon later with Grandma, kids, and grandchild. What more could lovers ask for?

Many blessings to all of you.....

and let's try to remember what we already have to be thankful for tomorrow before we go out and batter our fellow human beings in the obscene pursuit of more stuff.

Happy Thanksgiving, Tina!

Sounds like a perfect, lovely day, Tina. Was the meal as yummy as it sounded?

We had eleven for dinner. A few are still here, so I'm hiding until the coast is clear. Had a piece of southern mincemeat pie and some leftover coffee for breakfast at 7, while the rest were still in comas. Heh.

we;ve put the carcass and bones in a big pot to simmer for soup stock while we head out to see "Lincoln" at the movies. We hardly EVER go out to the movies, but this looks like a good way to avoid all the Black Friday crap.

I bet it was. We were thinking of seeing the new Bond film, but it's sold out near us and we're not willing to do any more traveling. So we are being very quiet (Jim, me, sister). Leftovers not being available (ate at my brother's), we may go out to eat, or bring in something later. And read!

Just back from "Lincoln" ---it's fantastic....several Oscar opportunities. Must get my presidential reading in gear so I can devote an entire year to Lincoln.

An entire year of Lincoln, that would be something! I bow to your ambition!

Hi Tina--Hope you are enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend! I lost you somewhere along the way, but now you are found. : ) I love the pictures of where you live--you have quite the eye! Wish-listed Consider the Fork and The Joy of x and have decided, yet again, that I need to read more Penny books; luckily I think I have read all the JD Robb books you listed so no book bullets there! I am excited to hear that Mr. Churchill's Secretary has a sequel coming out because I very much enjoyed that one. And I have to go see Lincoln. Whew! You are a dangerous lady to visit! And no wonder, since you are on your SECOND set of 75 LOL. Enjoy the day. I know you have made mine better.

Hey Kim.....I seem to keep losing you too....Popping over to your thread right now.

Hi Tina! Nothing new to say. Except that if you don't read The Stockholm Octavo you're missing out.

I know that you will read Team of Rivals but I would also suggest Tried by War a good book, of course not the caliber of Team of rivals, but good just the same. It focuses on Lincoln as the Commander-in-chief.

RD....we'll see......but for your good words, Stockholm Octavo would not be climbing onto my TBR pile....

Cheli, noted as to your recs on old Abe....

#135 Princess Elizabeth's Spy


Maggie Hope, who was introduced in Susan Elia MacNeal's debut mystery "Mr. Churchill's Secretary" returns to continue her code breaking/building expertise--this time as a "maths tutor" to young Princess Elizabeth.  Once again the setting is World War II in England.  Maggie has been accepted as an MI5 agent, but has not been able to pass the physical part of the training to enable her to serve as a "spy" behind the lines.  MI5 does not want to insert her via parachute into enemy territory if they can't be sure she has the proper survival skills.  Instead, they send her to guard the young Princess Elizabeth, heir to the throne.  The Princess, along with her sister Princess Margaret Rose, and her governess Margaret Crawford (Crawfie) has been sequestered in Windsor Castle, away from the bombings in central London.

MI5 suspects a plot to harm the princess and wants someone on site.  Maggie is ostensibly there to instruct the Princess in "maths".  When the young lady objects to maths as being dull, and of no use, Maggie teaches her about encoding messages, and shows her how important this is for the conduct of the war.  Later, this information will save the Princess' life. In the meantime, a basket full of suspicious characters appears at the castle to generate different possible dangers (real and imagined) in Maggie's mind.  Since no one knows exactly what the plot involves, or has any idea of who or when, the reader is treated to an entire Greek chorus of possibles.

As with the first book in the series, the characters are well-drawn and give us an insight into what life what like for the British populace undergoing the hardships of bombings, rationings, and worry about loved ones.  The setting shows MacNeal's zeal for detail, and excellent research into the period.  The plot however, still gives me pause.  If the reader can step back and simply accept the story as a good whodunnit, it's loads of fun, with lots of twists, and some thrilling suspense scenes.  But it really took a great deal of suspending belief on my part to accept some of the implausible situations which develop.  The book ends with a satisfactory ending to the current situation, but definitely points to another story coming for Maggie's "next assignment."  The underlying basis for the assignment is the real surprise at the end of the book.  Readers will have to read it on their own.  My lips are sealed.   It's fun, it's a quick read, and it's pointing to more.

I also listened to the audio version I purchased from Audible.; It was delightfully narrated by Susan Duerden whose ability to impart each character with a new voice and accent makes the audio thoroughly enjoyable.

Author: Susan Elia MacNeal
Publisher/Format:  Random House (Bantam Dell) egalley; audio: Random House audio
Narrator: Susan Duerden
Copyright: 2012
Subject: espionage, code breaking MI5
Setting: London, Windsor Castle England
Series: Maggie Hope
Number of pages: 384; 11 hours audio
Why did I read this book now? I enjoyed the first one and this one was available for review.

Enjoyable review!

#136 John Quincy Adams


As I continue my reading of Presidential biographies, I arrived at just the right time in the list to pick up the newest bio of John Quincy Adams by Harlow Unger.  I finished the previous biography of James Monroe also by Unger, and it seemed fortuitous to continue with the same author.  Unger's writing is clean, interesting, well-researched.  It is not over-burdened with footnotes (and besides they're tucked out of the way in the back) and concentrates on looking at the life of his subjects from all aspects.  Numerous illustrations are interspersed throughout the book to add to its interest.  In fact, JQA was the first president to sit for an actual photograph, which picture is included in the book.

Unger is brutally honest about JQA's achievements:  his presidency is acknowledged to be notable for its lack of accomplishment and JQA's refusal to engage in political campaigning or any form of party membership or partianship while in the White House.  Instead his major contribution to the nation he loved was before and after his presidency - in his years of service overseas in diplomatic posts (starting at the age of 15 when he was sent to the Russian court at St. Petersburg).  His various European posts and accomplishments - France, London, the Hague, St Petersburg) are all delightfully portrayed and give us a feeling of affection for someone so young and so talented.

It is however, in his life after the Presidency that he truly shines.  As the only (so far) previous president to serve in the House after his presidency, JQA made a name for himself defending free speech, fighting against slavery, speaking before the Supreme Court, and finally learning the power of the political speech.  He made many enemies, but died a man respected by many more on both sides of the aisle. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this biography.  It gave me the information I needed to understand why his presidency was so non-productive, to see the influences that shaped his thinking, to meet the friends, relatives and mentors who helped him become the truly great statesman he was.  In his last term as a Congressman (he died on the floor of the House while it was in session), he gave a speech that was so memorable about slavery and the need to abolish it, that a young 1st term Congressman from Illinois (one Abraham Lincoln) used his wording when he wrote the Emancipation Proclamation.

Reading facts like that convince me that my decision to read the presidents in order was a good one. I read Andrew Jackson (next in line) last year, but may skim back through it again before going on to Martin Van Buren.  It is an interesting, enlightening, and entertaining reading challenge.  Who else wants to join in?

Title: John Quincy Adams
Author: Harlow Giles Unger
Publisher: De Capo Press (2012), 384 pages
Subject: John Quincy Adams
Genre: biography
Source: Barnes & Noble, purchased for my Nook 
Why did I read this book now? Next president in line for the US Presidents Reading Challenge

I won't take the challenge, thanks though, but this is one fine review of a man largely ignored today. And yesterday. And the day before that.

#137 Twelve Drummers Drumming



With a protagonist named Father Christmas, and a cover touting a line from the famous holiday carol, you'd think this was a Christmas story. However, C.C. Benison has simply used the naming devices to open a delightful British cozy mystery series. Having answered the call to a vocation after an earlier career as a magician, Father "call me Tom" Christmas is still reeling from the recent brutal murder of his wife. He jumps at the chance to move himself and his 8 year old daughter to the quiet rural English countryside parish at Thornton Regis. The story actually opens during the annual May Fayre where the vicar's sister-in-law is introducing a new production of the village teens playing a set of Japanese drums.

When the body of a local teen is discovered inside one of the drums, the Vicar begins suffering from severe "deja vu". He doesn't want his daughter to have to go through more trauma, but there are many very mysterious people and happenings to sort out. The backfill to the story is nicely padded by letters written by the vicarage housekeeper, who has her finger on the village pulse, and who writes her aging and ill mother every morning telling all the juicy details.

Add to the mix the requisite retired British army officer who suffered immensely as a POW under the Japanese during "the war", a Japanese artist married to the local barkeep, a very secretive verger, the sister and her doctor husband whose marriage doesn't seem any too secure, an aging rock star recovering from previous addictions and his crazy ex-wife, and you have a formula for lots of interesting inter-personal exchanges.  You also have lots of suspects and motives and a vicar who won't leave well enough alone. He  is determined to figure out what happened and why.

There's lots to like here for fans of English cozies and there's at least enough to make me want to read another one  in the series.  I actually picked this one up because I have the next one as an ARC from Net Galley, and I wanted to start at the beginning.  So stay tuned for my thoughts on "Eleven Pipers Piping" the next in the Fr. Christmas series.  I wonder though  if Benison can sustain this village and its occupants for 12 volumes.

Title: Twelve Drummers Drumming
Author: C.C. Benison
Pubisher/format Bantam,(2012) paperback 400 pages
Subject: murder in a small village
Setting:fictional British village of Thorton Regis
Series: Fr. Christmas mysteries
Why did I read this book now? Wanted to start the series at the beginning
Source: Public library

#138 Bad Little Falls



Paul Doiron's Mike Bowditch series is a well-researched and rousing set of tales about the Maine warden service. This is the third in the series, and we've now been treated to a view of the Maine woods and wild-life (human and animal) in summer, in autumn hunting season, and now in the dead of winter. We've been to different parts of the state, and met many different characters. And Mike Bowditch still doesn't seem to be able to get control of his temper, his impulsiveness, his rebellion and his propensity for doing exactly what he shouldn't be doing.

The story starts as Mike tries to find a missing man in a snowstorm.  He's been sent to the northern wilds of Maine because he's really ticked off his superiors.  Supposedly this assignment will give him a chance for redemption.The snow scenes in this one are awesome. The tale is well laid out, and the reader has several different red herrings to knock down before figuring out exactly what the mystery is, who the real bad guys are and then who dunnit.

Doiron gives us raw footage, real life, and an anti-hero who is beginning to wear a little thin, at least for this reader. I really almost abandoned this one in the middle when Mike kept making really stupid choices. But I wanted to see how he would handle having his entire life sprayed by a skunk, so I muddled through, and ended up able to label it an enjoyable read. IMHO, it's not pulitzer material, but it certainly has more action, more twists, and more scenery than many of today's mysteries. The sense of place is undoubtedly one of the best features and readers will come away with a good sense of how hard life is in rural Maine in the winter.

I haven't heard whether there are more to come in this series. If there are, let's hope that Warden Bowditch grows up a bit.

Title: Little Bad Falls
Author: Paul Doiron
Publisher/format: MacMillan audio (2012)
Narrator: Henry Leyva
Subject: life of a warden in Maine winter
Setting: Washington County Maine
Series: Mike Bowditch
Why did I read this book now? I enjoyed the first two in the series and wanted to continue it.
Source: public library download

>117 tututhefirst: Thumbs-upped your persuasive appreciation of the book!

>118 tututhefirst: I read the first one. I liked it okay, but I'm not moved to seek more out.

Thanks for a couple of great book reviews to start off my weekend. I am trying to resist putting them on my wish list. I think Ill tuck them in over at the Amazon lists.

It sounds like I probably should have started with Twelve Drummers Drumming instead of Eleven Pipers Piping. I'll have to make sure I read the first one before Ten Lords a Leaping shows up!

#139 Faith: A Novel

The pedophilia scandal in the Catholic diocese of Boston in the early part of this century is certainly one that is well known by everybody who can read or who has a TV set. Jennifer Haigh uses this setting to present us with a story of a family, the McGanns, steeped in the traditions and superstitions and faith of the Boston Irish Catholics of that period.  Haigh has the daughter Sheila tell the story.  Fr. Art Breen,  the oldest son, is accused of pedophilia by a single mom whom he has befriended.  Mike, the younger brother who had been a cop for awhile, assumes his half brother is guilty.  Their mother refuses to believe the accusations, and although the newspapers jump right in, the church refuses to discuss it, Art refuses to hire a lawyer, and it is Sheila who decides she must determine the truth of what really happened.  It is her quest for the truth that allows us to see how different versions of "Faith" can exist on so many different levels.

This is a book that has many stories:

There's the Irish Catholic Boston pedophilia story.

There's the story of priestly vocations - what is it that draws men to this way of life?  How do they live their lives of quiet loneliness?  What kind of training do they get to handle those difficulties?

There's the family story:  how does the mother relate to her adult children? How does the sister reconcile her feelings for the brothers? What impact does this scandal have on the other brother's marriage?

There's  passion play of characters in addition to the immediate family.  The accuser, the supposed victim, the various clerics and officials all contribute to the dynamics of belief, guilt, secret-keeping, forgiveness, and redemption that are the story's hallmark. 

I found the device of using the sister to narrate and drive the story a bit confusing at first, but can't imagine a better way to bring all the divergent views and motivations together.  Therese Plummer does a spot-on job as a narrator in  giving us the Boston Catholic viewpoint and accent. This is a story written compassionately, and with great insight into the many aspects of events that happen when such an accusation is flung into the air.  Jennifer Haigh gives us a caring and sensitive look at the Catholic Church and its struggles over the past decades - going back to Vatican II and working forward.  She gives excellent explanations of rituals, traditions, and a way of life that will be familiar to those who have lived it, and understandable to those looking in from the outside.

What she discovers, and what she does with the information is best omitted here to avoid spoilers. It's a remarkable book that treats a very distasteful subject with objectivity, understanding, and empathy, while allowing the reader to process it from his or her own perspective.  Well worth the read.

Title: Faith
Author: Jennifer Haigh
Publisher/Format: Harper Collins Audio, (2011) 10 hrs, 6 mins
Narrator: Therese Plummer
Subject: Pedophilia, Irish Catholicism
Setting: Boston
Genre: Fiction
Why did I read this book now? The audio was available on sale at Audible, and it was a subject that interested me.

Sounds like the most successful take on the subject one could ever hope for. Kudos for choosing it, despite its squickyness.

RD.... I probably should have emphasized a bit more how good this one is at approaching the subject unemotionally. There are no graphic scenes, no hysteria. Just plain "what is happening? How did this happen? Is it true?" It emphasizes a family relationship, and in particular a feeling of "middle-ness" i.e., the sib in the middle being torn between those on either side of the age divide. It's a splendid family relationship study even more than a pedophilia study.

You'd love it because it doesn't speak too well of the Catholic hierarchy but also doesn't trash the entire body of worhsippers.

Heh. I suspect the hierarchy-trashing would be more to my liking, since I'm so all-fired rebellious (in Mama's memorable phrase).

What a beautiful review, Tina!

Hi Tina--Great reviews here. The 12-11-10 series sounds quite good. : )

# 140 Singled Out: How Two Million British Women Survived without Men after the First World War


Singled Out: How Two Million British Women Survived Without Men After the First World War
Author: Virginia Nicholson
Publisher: Oxford University Press (2008) 328 pages
Subject: women's roles following World War I
Setting: Great Britain after World War I
Genre: Non-fiction, sociology
Why did I read this book now? It was part of my World War I reading challenge
Source: Public Library

The book description tells us "The First World War deprived Britain of three-quarters of a million soldiers, with as many more incapacitated. In 1919 a generation of women who unquestioningly believed marriage to be their birthright discovered that there were, quite simply, not enough men to go round. The press ran alarming stories about the 'Problem of the Surplus Women - Two Million who can never become Wives ...'. But behind the headlines were thousands of brave, emancipated individuals forced by a tragedy of historic proportions to rethink their entire futures. Tracing their fates, Virginia Nicholson shows how the single woman of the inter-war decades had to stop depending on men for her income, her identity and her happiness. Some just endured, others challenged the conventions, fought the system and found fulfilment. "Singled Out" pays homage to this remarkable generation of women who were changed by war, and in their turn helped change society.

The premise was a sound one. The author is an academic who served as a documentary researcher for BBC television. Her research background glows in this book, but for me it simply pulled me down into a quagmire of tons upon tons of details.  If one story could have made her point, she chose to give us three or four examples.  It was like waiting for a train to pull away from the platform--- it just never developed enough steam to hold my attention.  It often rang of the poor dears in DOWNTON ABBEY who just couldn't quite figure out what to do with all these women.  As a result, I found myself reading the first three or four paragraphs of each section, and then skimming.  I also think because I had already started reading Vera Britain's Testament of Youth where the author was experiencing many of these same issues but reporting them in much more elegant prose that I just couldn't settle into this one.

If you are a detail oriented person who needs lots of reinforcement to prove points, this one is for you.  It's an important work in its thesis, and worth at least a look-see.  It certainly covers an important aspect of how this War changed the way women were regarded and regarded themselves. 

#141 Cutting for Stone

Yes again....This is the fourth time I've read this book, and it has certainly now jumped to the top of my all time favorite list. Our book club will be discussing this one in January and I couldn't hold myself back from reading and listening to it again. Both versions are wonderful, and as I read it over the past three weeks, I never once got even the least bit bored. My original review (attached to the book) still says exactly what I'd say today. If you haven't read this one, or you thought you didn't like it when you did, you owe it to yourself to get this one and read it. If I could give it 10 stars I would.

I've got Cutting for Stone on my TBR list. Maybe I'll get to it next year!

Hi Tina, excellent reviews as usual. It certainly sounds like Faith is a compelling read and somehow is just jumped atop my teetering tower.

Both Singled Out and Cutting for Stone are on my wish list. It sounds like the concept of Singled Out is more interesting than its execution.

Singled Out still sounds like something I'd like to read, or at least skim like you did. Unfortunately, the library doesn't have it, so probably I just won't bother. It looks like you are finishing the year strong!

Hi there! I'm a lurker but just had to de-lurk to thank you for your review of Bad Little Falls, the latest Mike Bowditch mystery. I listened to this one on audio just a weeks or so ago and found it very hard going. The narrator DID NOT get the Maine accents right and mispronounced many of the place names in the novel. As a resident of Washington County I found that almost too jarring to move past. I also became frustrated with Mike's poor choices and wonder when, if ever, he will grow up. The book painted a very bleak picture of Washington County residents which put me on the defensive a bit...although I must admit to knowing the character types he describes! LOL

Thanks for another very informative and entertaining review.

#134....I too wondered about the pronounciation of some of the towns, but I tend not to criticize because I didn't grow up in Maine and know that I'm often guilty of slaughtering place names. I've learned now to listen first, then speak, or just plain ask if I'm saying it correctly.

Hi, Tina! Great reviews here. I especially like how you handled the review of Singled Out. Just the right info to let readers know if and how they might want to read it. (I would picture myself perhaps taking the skimming tactic.)

Singled Out sounds good but the other one you mentioned does as well.

I was given a copy of Cutting the Stone in the SantaThing exchange! I am excited.

Sigh. Fine. I will give Cutting for Stone another try. I made it about 100 pages and then...well...But 10 stars if you could, says a lot. So maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind. But I am passing on Singled Out!! You can't get me twice.

Just a note to say I'm still here, --actually in Baltimore. Managed to finish Sins of the Father and Fall of Giants. still working on Vera Britain, but not much quiet time to read. Hope the reading Santa is being kind to all.

Happy travels!

Ya! What Richard said! And happy times back at you.

#142 The Light Between Oceans


Title: The Light Between Oceans
Author: M. L. Stedman
Publisher: Scribner (2012)  342 pages
Alternate format: Audio - Simon and Schuster, 10.5 hours
Narrator: Noah Taylor
Genre: Fiction
Subject: Child stealing, guilt
Setting: Lighthouse off western coast of Australia
Source: public library
Why did I read this book now?  I saw reviews, it sounded interesting and it was available at the library.

A stunning read.  Not only is the story compelling, but the setting is luminous and the character development some of the best I've read this year.  Stedman's prose is crystal clear, crisp, and often has the reader gasping at it's beauty.

The story itself is heart-breaking. Tom Sherbourne returns to his native Australia from fighting in World War I where he witnessed and participated in  incredible carnage.  Determined to make up for his part in all the killing, he joins the lightkeeping force, and trains as a lightkeeper.  Eventually, he takes his young and vivacious bride Isabel to Janus Light, 100 miles off the western shore of Australia where they are the only human inhabitants of the island.  As the months, and then years pass, Isabel suffers several miscarriages, and the couple begins to lose faith in their chosen life.

Suddenly a baby washes ashore in a boat....where did the baby come from?  What should Tom do about reporting this to the authorities?  Can they possibly hope to keep the babe for their own?  The story is too deep, phsychologically intense, and ultimately emotionally draining for me to spoil it by telling how it progresses from there.

Stedman's story-telling keeps the reader glued to the book.  His descriptions of the vast ocean scenarios, the loneliness of life on the island, and the weather events are spectacular.  The decisions faced by all the characters involved are morally complex and take the reader on a roller coaster of emotions.  It will be a popular book club discussion choice.  Ultimately, there are no good answers to many of the questions, and no character escapes the angst resulting from decisions made. 

One of my best of the year reads.

I've wanted to read this one too. Maybe I'll get it in 2013.

I, too, saw this book as stellar! I was completely swept away by the story and loved how much this author was able to capture how people are, how they think and act, and how the unintended consequences of actions are so impartial in their affects (or is it effects?) on people.

Happy Holidays Tina

It was so great to meet Cheli this year. I hope I can meet you in 2013! Thanks for the recommendation and the link regarding The Night Before Christmas.

I was able to obtain a copy of the Light Between Oceans and I hope to read it over the Christmas break.

Blessings to you and yours!

Glitterfy.com - Christmas Glitter Graphics

I want to wish you a glorious celebration of that time of year when we all try to unite around a desire for Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward All. Merry Christmas, Tina!

Happy Holidays, Tina!


glitter-graphics.com

#143 George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I


Title: George, Nicholas, and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I
Author: Miranda Carter
Publisher: Vintage Books, division of Random House, 2009, 498 pages
Alternate format: Audio, Books on Tape, 21 hours, 10 min
Narrator: Rosalyn Landor
Genre: History, biography
Subject: Influence of monarchs who participated in World War I
Setting: Europe, approx 1870-1920
Source: my own book, audio from public library download
Why did I read this book now? It was part of my World War I reading challenge.

Most of my World War I reading this year has been either straight history - the story of the various political chess moves made by the principal governments involved and the often devasting impacts those players set spinning across the world- or historical fiction as told through a variety of genres- romance, mystery, fictional agents.  In this book, Miranda Carter takes an in-depth look at the three nominal rulers of the most powerful entrants into the war arena.  In each case, they emerge as befuddled, impotent, and thoroughly under-educated figure-heads who were unable or unwilling to take steps that may have averted the disaster that was World War I.

In my mind, much of the blame can be laid at the feet of their grandmother and aunt - Queen Victoria, who felt that royalty was sufficient unto itself, needed no education, and was simply there to be obeyed and waited upon.  Unfortunately, many of her subjects disagreed with her.  Victoria's dictates about what was proper dress, behavior, food, language, etc, conspired to ensure that these three men (George and Wilhelm her grandsons, and a cousin married to her grand-daughter) were rigid, unimaginative, severely un-educated, and almost clueless about the social, economic, religious, and labor issues boiling in their respective countries.

This is a fascinating study of the three men whose governments pushed them aside, ignored them, or in Wilhelm's instance, tried to work around his pomposity to win a war that should never have been started.  I have this book in both audio and print formats.  The print book was especially useful for the family trees and photographs and it was wonderful to have the audio to be able to continue "reading" while I was driving, baking cookies, or working out.

#144 A Child's Christmas in Wales

One of my favorites.....I read it every year the way many people ready Clement Moore. This year I downloaded an audio of Dylan Thomas reading it himself, along with several other poems.....masterful, and really put me in the holiday spirit. I listened to it as we drove from Maine to Virginia to see our family.

Late in posting, but not in wishing you all the best for 2013. i'll probably be over on the 2013 75er challenge, but with many many big events going on, I doubt I'm going to be reading or posting or lurking too much next year.

#145 Fall of Giants


Title: Fall of Giants
Author: Ken Follett
Narrator: John Lee
Publisher: Books on Tape, audio - 30 hrs, 38 min
Genre: Historical fiction
Subject: World War I and social/political issues of the times
Setting: England, Russia, Germany
Series: Century Trilogy  
Source: purchased from Audible
Why did I read this book now? It was part of my World War I reading challenge.

This was an exceptionally enjoyable read especially since I read it immediately following the George, Nicholas, and Wilhelm biography reviewed in 149 .  After seeing  the war from the perspective of the high rulers,  it was quite a turn-around to read  Follett's story of the era from the perspective of working class participants:  the soldiers who slogged through the mud and trembled in the trenches,  the peasants who starved in the frozen acreage of Mother Russia, the ruthless ne'er-do-wells who used the circumstances to better their own lives while trampling on others, and the mid-level aristocracy who saw their world of privilege crumbling and could do little to stop the disintegration of their way of life in spite of their seemingly heroic efforts.

Follett chooses the coal miners and upper class gentry of Wales to tell Great Britain's story.  He shows us Russia from the point of view of two brothers, disillusioned peasants, who had witnessed the brutal murder of their mother while the Russian aristocracy stood watching stonefaced.  He shows us German and American aide-de-camps working at upper level government  jobs gathering intelligence, trying to shape opinion, and ultimately trying desparately to stop a war before it got started. 

Women characters play large roles in the story, fighting restrictions designed to bind them to men (either fathers, brothers or husbands). From a parlor maid seduced by the master of the household, to an upper-class Englishwoman fighting for peace and women's rights, to war widows, maiden aunts, and de-throned Russian royalty, they all must face changing social mores and paradigms. There are appearances from actual historic figures (e.g., Winston Churchill) as well as a host of fictional personalities who bring the troubles of the era to life.

This is a long book....over a 1000 pages in print, and 30 hours in audio.  Like all of Follett's works, it can get a bit long-winded in parts, but the story is well told, extremely well researched, and ultimately enjoyable.  I especially found the sections on the Russian revolution very enlightening.  Not only did I enjoy the read, I learned a lot about the various factions and causes of the many different aspects of that country's government(s) during those years.

This one was a great way to tie together the other 14 books set around and about World War I which I read throughout the year.  The carnage that mankind can inflict on itself was well documented, and told in chilling detail, but the fictional characters who told their stories (through John Lee's masterful narration in the audio version) kept it interesting and left us wanting to get on with life after the war.  I also purchased the 2nd in the trilogy, which begins  with Hitler's coming to power in 1933.  I hope to read it early in 2013. 

#143 mark for me please, hopefully I can get in Saturday!

Ken Follett really delivers the goods...historical novel equivalent of Stephen King, and I mean that as high praise.

Much much smooching on you!

#149 and #151 both look good - book bullets are flying tonight!

abandoned book: City of Women by David Gillham

I really tried, but could not get into this book. It came as part of the ER program. I read as far as pge 104, then got the audio and tried to get into it, but couldn't past the third of 10 discs. I found the characters very flat, two dimensional, and just wondered if we'd ever get out of the bedroom.

Very disappointing.

#146 Sins of the Father


Title: The Sins of the Father
Author: Jeffrey Archer
Publisher: St Martin's Press (2012), 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Subject: World War II, family dynamics
Series: Clifton Chronicles
Source: Barnes & Noble (Nook)
Why did I read this book now?  I enjoyed book #1 in the series and wanted to see what happened next.

Sins of the Father is book #2 in this family saga, and picks right up where the first one, Only Time will Tell, left off.  It covers both American and British involvment in World War II, seen from the point of view of aristocrats and working class. It's not great literature, but it is an enjoyable read. I'd put it in the cozy category of family war sagas. Archer has a knack for leaving the reader hanging at the end of each chapter, and then really leaves the reader hanging at the end of the book. It's the only reason I'll get #3, Best Kept Secret, when it comes out because I can't stand not knowing what the answer is to #2.

Sorta of a wimpy Winds of War series....Herman Wouk's work is much much better.

WOW! What great reading, and such incredible reviews!
I've read so much of Russian History and am fascinated by Nicholas and Alexandra.

How very sad it was that the royal family could have been saved, but England turned their back!
I own a copy of George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I. I have to find it somewhere in the masses of books scattered throughout the house.

Your review is wonderful.

Tina - I'll definitely skip your ER book.

#147 The End of Your Life Book Club



Will Schwalbe's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in her early 70's. An activist all her life, she embraced a fairly aggressive treatment regimen in an attempt to lengthen the quality days she had left.

Her son Will, recently retired from a publishing job as Editor-in Chief at Hyperion Publishers, often volunteered to accompany her to various doctors appointments and medical procedures during the almost 2 years she lived after her diagnosis.  As they rode buses and subways, and sat in waiting rooms or "treatment booths", they found themselves not only following their life-long habit of reading, but also trading books and discussing their impressions, likes and dislikes of various books.  As they discussed the books, stories of their previous adventures in life became intertwined and personal details were allowed to percolate to the surface.

I chose the book for the book club related subject matter.  In the end however, I discovered a treasure of a tribute to an emancipated woman, a loving mother and a courageous family.  It was heartwarming without being maudlin, and gives the reader a glimpse of a rich and varied reading life that both of them enjoyed.  Even MaryAnn's penchant for always reading the end of the book first, a habit I normally find abhorrent, did not produce a negative feeling toward her.  The appendix gives a complete list of books   the two discussed - as you can see, the range was wide, deep and eclectic.  There were quite a few I had read, and several other that popped right up as candidates for our local book club.  It was an exceptionally good ending to a great reading year and a loving tribute to an incredibly well-read woman.

Title: The End of Your Life Book Club
Author:  Will Schwalbe
Publisher/format: audio from Books on Tape, 9 hrs, 37 min
Narrator: Jeff Harding
Genre: Memoir
Subject: end of life, books
Source: Public library
Why did I read this book now? The subject intrigued me

The bibliography is very interesting. It might be worth reading some of those books in parallel with the text, especially those I haven't gotten to yet.

The End of Your Life Bookclub sounds like a winner. Great review!

Nice review! I think my RL book club has it on its 2013 list, too! Looking forward to reading it.

I just bought The End of Your Life Book Club with a B&N gift card yesterday. Your review makes me excited to get to it! Happy New Year, Tina!

End of Year Wrap

Well I didn't quite make the full second set of 75 but I think 147 for 2012 is pretty ok with me.

I had a wonderful year reading about World War I - 16 in all. I'm also 1/2 way through my 17th - Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain. I'm not picking up another print book until I finish this one. It's excruciatingly beautiful and heartbreaking. I can see why it is considered a classic. A wonderful read my daughter insisted I read. ( I raised a very intelligent daughter)

I definitely proved that I am more comfortable with electronics than I ever thought I'd be. But if listening to audio books is what it takes to keep me healthy and working out three to four times a week, I may become the best read person in town. My totals don't always add up because several books I read in both audio and eye format (either print or Nook/Kindle) but here's the break down:

37 Print
79 Audio
36 E books

118 Fiction (80 mysteries)
27 Non-fiction (16 WWI, 12 Bio or Memoir)

95 came from the library
43 came off my shelves (both wooden, audio or electronic)
29 were ARCs

Best of year FICTION:

Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
Light Between the Oceans by M. L. Stedman
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Pocketful of Names Joe Coomer
Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

Best of the year : NON-Fiction
The Beauty and the Sorrow
Destiny of the Republic
To end all Wars
The Guns of August
The End of Your Life Book Club

And yes, I'm planning to put up a thread on the 2013 challenge, but I'm not thinking I'm going to be too too active, or doing too much organized reading because in 2013 I have the following challenges to take up my time:

1. Edit, and supervise printing of a memory book for our HS 50th reunion scheduled for April 20th. Gathering information and pictures from 67 women (over 1/2 of whom don't even have an email address far less good competency on a computer) is going to be a huge challenge.

2. Plan and execute a WEST COAST (central California) family reunion for Mr. Tutu's 70th birthday this summer. Remember I live in Maine, and have to round up family from Virginia, Oregon, Washington State, Maine, and California and find a spot we can alll (or most) afford that is w/i driving distance of Modesto (remembering again that majority of participants aren't into any kind of electronic communication.)

3. Shameless pimping here Help Mr. Tutu with marketing of his first book due out in April. Stay tuned for more details, but Tutu actually likes it!!!

4. Do the annual reports for the library (worse than any tax return IRS or Congress ever designed), find and start training a replacement during the later part of 2013 (I'm retiring from this job in spring of 2014).

5. Juggle other travel to two different ship reunions in April and October.

Somewhere in there, I'm supposed to find time to read??????

Many best wishes to everyone for a wonderful 2013. I'll be checking in periodically to see how you all are doing.

What a terrific 2012 you had, Tina! I hope 2013 is just as high-quality, if somewhat lower quantity doe to your busy busy year.

Happy New Year to All!!!

Happy New Year Tina!! You certainly have a lot on your plate for 2013, but I look forward to whatever time you can spend here on LT. Best wishes for a great 2013.

Happy new year Tina.

Happy New Year to you, Tina! Wish you all the best for 2013!

Happy new year, Tina. Looking forward to your reviews and sharing great reads in 2013.

Here's to a great new year ahead, Tina! Best wishes for all those challenging endeavors.

I wish for you that you will have whatever you wish to have, do whatever you wish to do, and be who ever you wish to be this new year! Happy New 2013!

Happy New Year, Tina. Wishing you a wonderful 2013.