CBL reads 75 in 2013

I'm Carrie, a librarian in Knoxville, Tennessee. When I'm not working or reading, I enjoy watching sports (currently U. Of Tennessee men's & women's basketball and Denver Broncos football), playing the piano, and researching my family history. I like to visit other places, but the older I get, the less I enjoy the process of getting there. (If anyone knows how to get hold of Scotty, please let me know. I'd love to have access to his transporter.)

I read slightly more than 150 books in 2012. I don't know if I'll hit 75 twice in 2013, but I should be able to do it once.

My first planned read for 2013 is Major Pettigrew's Last Stand for a book club meeting.

Hi Carrie, you're in for a treat with your first planned read. Major Pettigrew is simply delightful.

Welcome back!

I loved Major Pettigrew!

Thanks for the welcome, Jim!

Caro and Liz, Major Pettigrew has been in my TBR stash for far too long. It sounds like a book I'll love. I just haven't been able to fit it into any of my challenges until now.

Thanks to whoever added me to the threadbook. I'm using the iPad for the next few days. While it's possible to copy and paste links on an iPad, it isn't easy!

Stopping by to wish you the best for the holidays!

Hi Carrie.

Merry Christmas and Happy reading!

Hi Carrie - I have starred you. Enjoy Major Pettigrew!

I thought I'd have some fun with the meme that has been floating around on several threads. Using books I read in 2012:

Describe yourself: My Name Is Not Angelica

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

Describe where you currently live: The Solitary House

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

Your favorite form of transportation: The Wrecker

Your best friend is: No One You Know

You and your friends are: Sworn to Silence

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

You fear: The Witch of Blackbird Pond

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

Thought for the day: Childhood Pleasures

How I would like to die: For Liberty and Glory

My soul’s present condition: A Lack of Temperance

Nice meme, Carrie! Can't wait to see what you think of Major Pettigrew. It was one of my favorites a couple of years ago.

Thanks Amy! I'm excited about starting with Major Pettigrew. I've wanted to read it for a long time but it never made it to the top of the TBR list.

I loved Major Pettigrew so I hope you do too, Carrie.

Happy New Year!

Hi Carrie! I loved Major Pettigree too - hope you do.

Hi Carrie, I starred your thread. I'll be looking forward to see what you read.

Hi Carrie, stopping by to star your thread and to wish you a happy new year!

Great Meme - I might steal it later when I'm more awake. I was just checking to see how other people do their 75 threads before I attempt mine.

Thanks Katie! I'll keep an eye out for yours. It's fun to see what books show up on them in everyone's threads.

Happy New Year everyone! I started my first book for the year last night, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. I've been looking forward to this one for a long time. I'm also listening to the audio of A Christmas Beginning.

Sounds like you're getting 2013 off to a great start, Carrie!

Happy New Year, Carrie - Enjoy Major Pettigrew.

Thanks, Julia & Beth!

Happy New Thread from a cold, muddy hole out in Maryville.

I expect it's getting muddier by the minute. I haven't seen any cats and dogs yet, but I think we're getting close to that amount of rain here!

After finishing the Candada challenge in 2010, the Fifty States challenge in 2011, and with just one country left for the Europe Endless Challenge, I decided I wasn't quite ready to put away my virtual suitcase. I've started a Commonwealth Challenge group here: http://www.librarything.com/groups/commonwealthchalleng If you're interested, please join me there!

Happy New Year Stopping by to star you so I can keep track of how life is treating you. Hope the New Year is starting out to be a good one and that you enjoy Major Pettigrew as much as I did.

Thanks Tina! I love Major Pettigrew so far. I think I need to read it with a notebook in hand to write down all the great quotes. Here's my favorite so far:

Many {of the waitresses at the golf club} seemed to suffer from some disease of holes in the face and it had taken the Major some time to work out that club rules required the young women to remove all jewelry and that the holes were piercings bereft of decoration.

ETA: Oops! I forgot that the clarification I added in brackets would be interpreted as a touchstone. I changed the brackets so that they will display.

I started to read Major Pettigrew a while ago, but apparently, I was not in the mood then and stopped after a few chapters. Your quote tells me I really should pick up this book again.

Monica, I'm really enjoying this one so far. It's a light topic but the writing is excellent. The last book I read was probably what you'd classify as women's fiction rather than chick lit and so fairly light, too. However, it wasn't nearly as well written and I thought it was rather dull.

A happy new year, and bookmarking you, looking forward to your thread this year!

Happy New Year! I've got you starred, and will be dropping by from time to time to see what you're reading.

Happy New Year to you, too, Sara & Samatha_kathy!

I've been indexing this morning and came across an interesting interview with Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Color Is Your Parachute?. He tells the story behind the book. If you're familiar with the book, and especially if his advice helped you land a job, you might want to track down the article. Unfortunately it doesn't appear to be available online.

"Vocation and Calling: An Interview with Richard Nelson Bolles". Radix v. 37 no. 1 p. 10-13

Perhaps I shouldn't ask work questions on your personal thread, but I've been thinking about getting a non-resident card for KCPL since it's far superior to Blount County's much more limited resources. Does KCPL loan ebooks? I would guess through Overdrive?

I don't work at the public library, but I think I know the answer to the question. According to the policy on the library web site, out of county borrowers have to pay an annual fee. After you receive your card you can use it to access the databases and downloadable audiobooks. It doesn't mention ebooks, but since they're in the same database I think it would apply. http://knoxrooms.sirsi.net/rooms/portal/page/21532_Library_Cards

KCPL has a pretty good selection of audio & ebooks. My wishlist is growing faster than I can listen/read!

Ohhh, so do you work for an infinitely better secret library I don't know about? Or the University? I'm so nosey. Feel free to ignore me.

Just checking in on the new digs for this year, Carrie. :)

Hi Micky! Happy New Year!

1. Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
TIOLI # 2 - Book by an author I hadn't heard of before LT

It all started with a chance meeting. If the paper boy hadn't been sick the day Major Ernest Pettigrew learned of his brother's death, Mrs. Ali might never have been anyone other than the village shopkeeper. Shared grief soon blossomed into friendship, and then into something more.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is much more than the story of a romance between mature adults. It examines cultural, generational, social, and gender barriers between people, demonstrating that these barriers are sometimes much thinner than we perceive. Sometimes all it takes to break down those barriers is the courage to appear foolish. Major Pettigrew is often naive, and often grants others the benefit of the doubt even when they clearly don't deserve it. His generous nature will see him through the obstacles in his relationships with Mrs. Ali as well as with his adult son, Roger.

I couldn't help being charmed by the Major. I also grew fond of Grace, a woman of a certain age who also risked social censure to bridge cultural barriers. I wish Simonson would write a sequel focusing on Grace. Of course, the Major and his family would need to make an appearance to let readers know what he's been up to since the end of his story. Warmly recommended.

4.5 stars

Next up: The Borgias by G. J. Meyer

# 38 This one seems to be getting very mixed reviews in the blogosphere. I saw comments about it being 'predictable' but that doesn't seem to be your view?

>39 Mercury57: Well, it's a romance, so in that sense it's predictable. There will be obstacles that keep the couple apart during the course of the book. Eventually the obstacles will be overcome and they'll reach a happy ending. I don't read romance novels very often so perhaps I'm not the best judge of predictability in this genre. It seems to have some unique features that set it apart. The story is told in the third person but from the man's POV, the protagonists are middle-aged to late middle-aged, and it touches on different issues involved with interracial/interreligious relationships since the couple is past their childbearing years.

I have to chime in about Major Pettigrew Our book club discussed this one last fall, and while everyone agreed that the plot line was somewhat predictable, the characters' behavior often wasn't what you'd have expected in a regular chick-lit romance. As Carrie points out, the different issues addressed are what makes this a much deeper read than the average romance. it is, in the end, a wonderful feel-good, uplifting read.

Tina, I read this for a book club meeting later this month. There certainly won't be a shortage of topics for discussion!

Hey Carrie -

I found you - nice start to your 2013 thread!

I'm another who enjoyed Major Pettigrew - it's a different sort a romance. I think it's a great choice for a book club - no shortage of topics, indeed!

Great review of Major Pettigrew. It's one of the oldest entries on my WL, really! and I was forgetting why it was there. Hopefully I'll get to it this year!

I'm glad you liked Major Pettigrew, Carrie. I love the idea of a sequel focused on Grace!

Hi Dejah, Katie, & Amy! Katie, do get to Major Pettigrew if you can. I think there is a movie in the works and you'll want to read the book before seeing the movie.

I'm not making much progress in my reading this evening. After reading my first Rumpole stories over the Christmas holidays, I ordered the series via Netflix. The first disk arrived today. I had just enough time to watch one episode before stopping to watch the Tennessee/Memphis basketball game. Tennessee isn't doing so well at the moment, but maybe things will change in the second half.

Okay, okay, I'll cave! Major Pettigrew's Last Stand is going on my tbr list.

I'll chime in and encourage the others to bump Major Pettigrew up. It's a great read!

>47 Samantha_kathy: Great! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

2. A Christmas Beginning by Anne Perry
TIOLI #7 - Book has a B in its title

Sometimes it's difficult to get away from work. Superintendent Runcorn is spending Christmas away from London on the island of Anglesey. While walking in the churchyard, he discovers the murdered body of a young woman. Although Runcorn has no jurisdiction in Anglesey, the local constable recognizes that he needs Runcorn's help to solve the murder since he has more experience with violent crime. He asks for Runcorn's assistance but keeps him at a distance, making sure that Runcorn is aware of his lower social status compared to his own and to the suspects in the case. Runcorn is already acquainted with one of the suspects. He had been involved with one of Runcorn's cases in London, and Runcorn is in love with his widowed sister. It's for Melisande's sake that Runcorn puts up with the scorn of the local investigators.

I found the side story of Runcorn's love for Melissande more interesting than the murder plot. Perhaps Anne Perry did, too. The investigation isn't as well developed as it could have been, and the resolution is awkward. I liked seeing a different side of Runcorn, who has enough self-honesty to recognize that the local constable is treating him in much the same way as Runcorn has treated his colleague, William Monk. It will be interesting to see if this new awareness will affect their relationship in future books in Perry's Monk series.

3.5 stars

Next up in audio: Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith

Apparently today is a race day. I live about 7 miles or so from a race track (stock cars, I think). When conditions are right, I can hear the noise from the track as if it were just a few hundred yards away instead of several miles. If I want to tune it out I guess I either need to turn on the television or listen to an audiobook.

If it's this loud here, I can't imagine how loud it is at the track.

Carrie, I hope you find some peace and quiet! Glad to hear you enjoyed Major Pettigrew :-)

I did manage to drown the race out long enough for a nap. I was getting too sleepy to read. I think I'm going to listen to Agent 6 while I make banana bread to use up some overripe bananas. I dug out my mother's recipe.

I am so glad you liked Major Pettigrew! It felt very real to me in a way many romances don't - precisely because of the layers you describe in your review. And what a fun meme :).

Hi Liz! Is there such a thing as a literary romance? If there is, Major Pettigrew is a perfect example. It was a great way to kick off the reading year.

Agreed!

Hi Carrie. Just getting caught up with your new thread. Believe it or not, I have two unread copies of Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. One I bought and one was a gift. I really need to get to at least one of them!

That's pretty amazing about being able to hear the stock car races 7 miles away. I can't even imagine what it would be like to be there.

Hi Pat! Do read one of your copies of Major Pettigrew. It's a lovely book.

My house is very close to a gap in the mountains. The raceway is also in a valley in the mountains. A combination of the geography and the right weather connections allows the sound to travel so far.

3. Danger Along the Ohio by Patricia Willis
TIOLI #2 - Book by an author I hadn't discovered before LT (discovered via Awards & honors in Common Knowledge)

En route from Pennsylvania to Marietta Ohio on a flatboat in 1793, Amos, Clara, and Jonathan Dunn become separated from their father during an Indian attack at Wheeling, Virginia. Reasoning that, if their father survived the attack, he would look for them in Marietta, the children set out to follow the river south. They face many challenges on their journey, including finding food and evading hostile Indians.

I picked this Spur Award winner because I had ancestors who made the same journey from Pennsylvania to southwest Ohio on a flatboat about 20 years later than the family in this book. Like the best children's literature, the story is educational as well as entertaining, and the informational aspects of the book support the plot without driving it. One of the children, Amos, was troubled by the memory of a tragedy he had experienced before they left Pennsylvania, so he had an additional challenge to overcome during the course of the story. This book would be a good fit for upper elementary aged children with an interest in nature and outdoor activities.

4 stars

Next up: Half of a Yellow Sun as well as continuing to read The Borgias: The Hidden History

I hope you love Half of a Yellow Sun. That's one of my all time favorite books.

Hi Carrie, just wanted to let you know that I've dropped my star here.

#55 Possession by AS Byatt which I just started reading this morning could be considered a literary romance. It's about two literature academics who fall in love while trying to piece together the mystery of a literary romance more than a century earlier. So maybe its a double literary romance??

Hi Judy! I think I've already found and starred your thread, too. I'll check to make sure. I don't want to miss any of your book bullets!

Karen, Possession has been on my wishlist for several years. I intend to read it one of these days. (Unfortunately, I can say that about a lot of books. I guess I need to read faster!) I've got your thread starred so I'll watch for your comments when you've finished the book. I like mysteries with plots revolving around books and literature, so I should like a romance about the same thing.

I'm going to try to do a better job of confessing tracking my book acquisitions this year. I've only added one book since January 1:

Friends for 350 Years: The History and Beliefs of the Society of Friends Since George Fox Started the Quaker Movement by Howard H. Brinton and Margaret Hope Bacon

Carrie, do not hesitate to read Possession - it is one of my favorite books of all time.

That said, I have to admit I know a number of people who didn't finish it. Hmm...ok, so maybe this post won't help you decide to read it after all.

I loved Possession as well. If you like puzzles, you'll probably enjoy it. It's beautifully written too.

You've at least convinced me to put Possession on my short list of books for the September Awards CAT challenge as a Booker Prize winner. I do like puzzles so it sounds like there's a good change that I'll like the book.

Danger Along the Ohio sounds really good. My first book bullet of the year from your thread! (But I'm sure it won't be the last)

>68 sjmccreary: It seems to be fairly obscure so I was pleased to discover my public library had a copy. I kept thinking that if I had been in the same situation as the children I wouldn't have been able to cope for more than a few hours. Of course, if I had lived during that time, I suppose I would have had some of the same knowledge and skills of plants and animals.

This evening I was getting my suitcase ready to put back in my storage shed now that I'm finished with my travels for a while. I couldn't remember if I had put anything in the outside pocket so I checked to make sure it was empty. It wasn't. I found a box of cigars that I didn't buy and I wasn't given. I don't smoke myself, and tobacco products aren't something I would buy for someone else as a gift. The cigars are in a special package commemorating the 2012 Mayan Calendar and the package is still sealed with no evidence of tampering. The box had to have found its way into the suitcase in Cancun. I don't know if someone put it there thinking the bag belonged to someone else or if it was put into my bag on purpose, and if so, why? I guess I'll call this The Mystery of the Mayan Cigars!

Are they Cubans? You can sell those for a pretty penny. Not that I've ever done that. Ever.

>71 leahbird: I honestly don't know. My Spanish skills aren't quite good enough to tell for sure. The packaging says something about Veracruz and Cancun.

Hi Carrie, it took me awhile but I finally made my way to your thread and have it starred now. I thought Major Pettigrew was charming and Half of a Yellow Sun was a favorite from a couple of years ago. I hope you like it too.

Hi Bonnie! I'm off to a good start this year. I'm really enjoying Half of a Yellow Sun. The characters are interesting, and Adichie seems to have an ear for dialogue.

Hi Carrie - I liked Purple Hibiscus even more than Half of a Yellow Sun. I also enjoyed Chinua Achebe's memoir of Biafra that just came out, There Was a Country.

Beth, unless something happens in the last 2/3 of Half of a Yellow Sun to alter my first opinion I'm sure I'll be adding Purple Hibiscus to my wishlist.

Have you read anything by Aminatta Forna? Half of a Yellow Sun reminds me a bit of Ancestor Stones, which was one of my favorite reads a few years ago.

Possession seems to be full of references to other authors and allusions of a general literary bent. Probably a bit too clever for my tiny brain.

Half a Yellow Sun and Pirple Hibuscus have been on my reading list for far too long. Really must get to read them

4. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
TIOLI #14 - Author is commonly known by a 3 (or more) part name

If you want to learn about the short-lived Republic of Biafra, you could turn to a history or reference work for the facts. If you want to know what it felt like to live there, read Half of a Yellow Sun. The novel covers the decade of the 1960s, first in a newly independent Nigeria and then in the Republic of Biafra, which declared its independence from Nigeria in 1967. The story alternates between three perspectives: that of Ugwu, a teenage houseboy newly transplanted from his village to a university town; that of Olanna, a beautiful woman from a privileged background who is in love with a revolutionary university professor; and Richard, an expat from the U.K. who falls in love first with Igbo culture and then with Kainene, Olanna's non-identical twin. Ugwu longs for his master, Odenigbo's respect. Richard longs for Kainene's love. Olanna wants the love and approval of both her lover Odenigbo and her twin Kainene, but it seems like it's not possible to have both at once.

I was hesitant to read a novel about such bleak topics as war and famine, thinking it would be too emotionally and psychologically heavy for me to read. My fears were unfounded. While the characters faced some horrible situations, they were strong and resilient. The conditions they faced during the war exposed both their weaknesses and their virtues. Although the three central characters came from very different backgrounds, they had in common a high value of education and literature. More than anything else, I think the belief in the importance of literature and learning is what connected me to the characters in the book. Highly recommended.

4 stars

Next up: Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman; continuing with The Borgias: The Hidden History by G. J. Meyer

Hi Carrie - Nice review of Half of a Yellow Sun. I haven't read Ancestor Stones, but if Adichie reminds you of Forna, I should pick it up. I will probably like it.

Beth, I liked Ancestor Stones very much. While it's set in a different African country, it also deals with that country's civil war. Off the top of my head, I think the biggest difference between the two books is that HOAYS focuses on both male and female characters while AS focuses primarily on women.

I'm planning to read The Memory of Love later this year as my Sierra Leone book for my Commonwealth Challenge.

Hi Carrie

Found your thread and it is now stared. Thanks for posting the information on my thread regarding Newbery award dates.

Hi Linda! It's good to see you here!

Carrie - Thank you for your review of Half of a Yellow Sun - I've been hesitating to read it for exactly the reasons you mention. Now I feel much better about it - I'll pick it up from the main library branch tomorrow.

BTW, last night I finished rereading the pleasantly entertaining Death in Cyprus - I saw you'd added it to TIOLI #1 and decided to join you. I hope you can get to it this month.

Dejah, I'll definitely get to Death in Cyprus this month. I'm saving it for next weekend since I'm sure I won't want to put it down once I start it. I have to work tomorrow or I'd read it this weekend!

The conditions in Half of a Yellow Sun deteriorate so gradually that you have time to prepare yourself for most of the difficult passages. I'm glad I didn't let my squeamishness keep me from reading it.

5. Mrs. Pollifax on Safari by Dorothy Gilman
TIOLI #2 Book by an author I hadn't heard of before LT (matched read - I read several Mrs. Pollifax novels pre-LT)

Mrs. Emily Pollifax, a New Jersey widow, geranium grower, and occasional spy, has a new assignment from the CIA. An unknown assassin is expected to be among a safari party in Zambia. All Mrs. Pollifax needs to do is take pictures of everyone in the group and the CIA will do the rest. It sounds simple enough until Mrs. Pollifax encounters unexpected difficulties. She’ll have to use all of her considerable resources to get out of the situation alive.

Mrs. Pollifax has the strong personality of an Amelia Peabody combined with the sharp perception of a Miss Marple. The combination makes for entertaining armchair adventures. However, the book isn’t pure fluff. The action in the book takes place after Zambian independence and before Zimbabwean independence. The political situation in Rhodesia and the issue of apartheid form part of the context for the events in the book. There are also oblique references to the political turmoil in the U.S. surrounding the Watergate affair:

Carstairs asked me to tell you very firmly that his department has remained scrupulous to the letter in all its undertakings…At least as scrupulous as can be expected when our business is to gather information by nefarious means, hit troublesome people over the head, and indulge in other interesting forms of skullduggery.

Mrs. Pollifax, recalling certain people that she herself had been forced to hit over the head, did not comment; it was a very modest number, of course, but one of which she was sure neither her garden club nor her pastor would approve.

3.5 stars

Next up: The Line by Olga Grushin; continuing with The Borgias: The Hidden History by G.J. Meyer

I LOVED Half of a Yellow Sun when I read it last year. It really made an impact on me.

Hi Rachel! The details of some books grow fuzzy with time. I don't think Half of a Yellow Sun will be one of those books. I think it will stick with me because the characters seem so real.

I've never heard of Mrs. Pollifax, but I think I'll have to check her out. Thanks, Carrie. I'm picking up a few suggestions here -- just what I need, a longer list.

I will try to get to Forna this year. I've heard so many good things about both her books.

As many mysteries as I've read, I don't recall ever reading a Mrs Pollifax book. I'll have to check these out.

Beth & Linda, be sure and start with the first book in the series, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. Once you've read that one it isn't strictly necessary to read the books in order. There are some small developments in Mrs. Pollifax's personal life, but it's not like some series where her personal life and character growth is a big part of the series appeal.

Linda, it's not a traditional cozy mystery series - more like a cozy spy series. I love all the foreign travel she does. I've always enjoyed books set in tourist destinations or exotic locations. My personal favorite in the series is A Palm for Mrs. Pollifax because of its setting in Switzerland.

Hi Carrie, I see you are well on your way to another year of good reading. Half Of A Yellow Sun was one of my favorites a few years ago. I also loved Purple Hibiscus. Congratulations on attaining the double-75-mark last year!

Hi Donna! I think there might have been a group read of Half of a Yellow Sun last year. I saw several very positive reviews at about the same time and ended up adding it to my wish list as a result.

I like the sound of Mrs Pollifax, Carrie. I'll have to see if we have those here. How is the Borgia book going? That also sounds like my sort of thing.

Susan, I'm still making progress the Borgia book but it's slower going than fiction. I'm about 40% of the way through the book as far as page count. However, I don't know how many pages of the total are filled with end notes, references, etc. I may be farther along than it seems. So far the majority of the book has been about the political situation in Italy and other parts of Europe in the 15th century. I know it's all necessary to understand the Borgias and their actions, but it can be tedious. I've read a couple of other books recently that involve some of the same politicians/rulers (Leonardo and the Last Supper; The Race to the New World) so I'm not coming into it cold, but it is still hard to follow. I'm reading it in small chunks.

I do have a special interest in reading about the Borgias since my brother married one. The Borjas originated in Spain. Part of the family ended up in Italy in the 15th century when a couple of family members were elevated in the church hierarchy, eventually becoming popes Calixtus III and Alexander VI. Borgia is the Italian spelling. My SIL's Mexican family uses the Spanish spelling.

Carrie, what a great family connection! I don't know anything about Europe at that time, really, so it might be beyond me. But I'll look forward to your review.

My weekly confession acquisition list is all free ebooks this week:

The Lord Is My Shepherd: Resting in the Peace and Power of Psalm 23 by Robert J. Morgan (NetGalley ARC)
The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams (Project Gutenberg)
Harriet, the Moses of Her People by Sarah H. Bradford (Project Gutenberg)
Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey (Project Gutenberg)
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois (Project Gutenberg)
The Red Thumb Mark by R. Austin Freeman (Project Gutenberg)
The Case of Jennie Brice by Mary Roberts Rinehart (Project Gutenberg)
The Fortune of the Rougons by Emile Zola (Project Gutenberg)
Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson (Project Gutenberg)

Project Gutenberg is a wonderful thing - hooray for free books, e or otherwise.

I read The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax a long time ago (I think) but never continued with the series. On your suggestion, I've got it requested - and then I may join you in Mrs. Pollifax on Safari. Thanks!

I hope you enjoy it Dejah! I have my grandmother to thank for my discovery of the Mrs. Pollifax series. I inherited a lot of her books when she died and she had several of the Mrs. Pollifax books in her collection. I read a couple of them and was hooked.

I think that's a lovely way to find a new series! I think it's kind of fun to come to a series late - then there are lots of new books to devour without the wait.

>99 Dejah_Thoris: Yes! Also, you won't have to make an effort to stay caught up with the author's publication schedule. Dorothy Gilman is one of the authors we lost in 2012.

That's an excellent freebie haul, Carrie! I may have just downoaded Queen Lucia myself...

>99 Dejah_Thoris:-100

I hadn't realized that Dorothy Gilman was gone - aren't we lucky she written over so many years?

Queen Lucia has been on my radar for a while now. One of these days....

6. The Line by Olga Grushin
TIOLI #2 - Book by an author I hadn't heard of prior to LT

It had appeared in the fall, but unlike other local kiosks, which, regularly and with no secrecy, dispensed cheap cigarettes and vegetables or, on thrilling and brief occasions chocolates and cosmetics, this kiosk had never sold anything at all, not even on those rare days when a fake blonde with a pasty face made surly appearances in the kiosk window. The woman would answer no questions, thereby deepening the general suspicion of some momentous mystery. As weeks went by, speculation and agitation only mounted. Rumors had spread...And the more Anna heard, the more filled she was with a sure presentiment of a change, whether small or boundless she did not know—but in any case, something, she thought, to make her and her family happier, or lend some simple beauty to her everyday life, or perhaps even infuse her entire existence, working into its minute cracks and voids, knitting it into a tighter, brighter, fuller fabric.

To borrow from Seinfeld, which claimed to be a show about nothing, this is a book about nothing. It's about a year in the life of a family—a year they spent waiting in line, at first for an unknown but imagined treat that turned out to be a ticket to a concert by a dissident composer whose music hasn't been heard for decades in the country of his birth. As the wait stretches into days, weeks, months, and seasons, nothing much changes at home where Anna, Sergei, and their son, Alexander, barely speak to each other or to Anna's mother, who lives with them. Yet in the year that their lives revolve around holding their place in line, they are each changed gradually by their experience of waiting and by the relationships they form with the strangers/neighbors who wait in the line with them.

If you crave fiction filled with action, this book probably isn't for you. If you like slower paced novels that develop slowly, give this one a try. It will be time well spent.

4 stars

Next up: Abeng by Michelle Cliff; continuing with The Borgias: The Hidden History by G.J. Meyer

Sounds like an interesting read, Carrie. Glad you enjoyed it. :)

This is what the weather is like outside. According to the most recent reports I've seen, we've had well over 4 inches of rain in the last 48 hours and it's still raining. It might stop raining tomorrow, but we may get more later in the week.

I guess I can be thankful that it's rain and not snow. If the 1 to 10 ratio is accurate for rain/snow amounts, we'd have well over 3 feet of snow on the ground by now.

They say up to 3 more inches. I said the same thing earlier about being thankful it isn't snow. I suspect there would be major issues with rooftops if it were snow. Of course, the folks who are flooded are not having fun.

Did anyone catch An Amish Murder on Lifetime last week? It's a made-for-TV movie based on Sworn to Silence. I didn't find out about it until after it had aired, but I doubt I would have watched it anyway since I think it was up against the season 3 premier of Downton Abbey. I listened to the audio of Sworn to Silence last year and I'd like to see the movie at some point.

I've read another review of The Line. It sounds intriguing, but like you say, not for someone who likes action. There's probably more action in Waiting for Godot.

Came to make sure you weren't being swept away in the deluge. I'm worried that I'm headed that way VERY quickly. Stay safe.

Great review of The Line, Carrie! Sorry to hear about the cats and dogs raining down on you :-) We just have fog.

Thanks Susan! It's still raining here. The local paper says we had an additional 2.75 inches yesterday. The good news is that the rain should stop sometime tomorrow. The bad news is that the reason is because the temperature is supposed to drop low enough to turn it into snow.

Where is this v wet place so I know to try and avoid it?

East Tennessee has been very wet this week, with Knoxville, where I live, being the wettest according to the local media. However, we haven't had to close schools because of flooding like they've had to do in some of the surrounding counties.

>107 cbl_tn: I did see it actually, Carrie. It was pretty decent. Regular fare for Lifetime anyway.

>114 MickyFine: That's good to know! I'm often ambivalent about watching adaptations of books I've enjoyed because they often don't live up to my expectations. I'll keep an eye out for a rerun. The cable networks usually repeat their programming fairly often.

# 113: We're just waiting for the snow storm to hit us tonight. We've had severe weather warnings all day. But we also had torrential rain in December which means the farmers can't get out and plant anything and all the nutrients they've built up over the last year have been washed away

It's finally stopped raining here - only because it's snowing. It's pretty heavy right now and, although the ground is warm, it's starting to stick because there's so much of it. I don't have to drive far to get home so I'll be OK this evening. I'm not sure about tomorrow morning. The temperature is supposed to drop well below freezing overnight and all the water on the roads and sidewalks will probably be ice in the morning.

I waited too long to leave work and now I can't get up the hill to go home. I'm in my neighbors office hoping that I can ride home with them and that her husband's car will make it up the hill. We're waiting on him to come over from his office across the street. I can ride back to work with them in the morning if we ever make it home.

Phone Update from Carrie: She made it home, but her power is out. She's trying to keep the charge she has on her electronic devices. They were only partially charged. Her audiobook device is fully charged so she'll probably listen to one of those while praying that they get her power back on quickly!

I was just coming to check on her (and you Lori). It took mo 3 hours to get home from work. It normally takes 45 mins. I-275 to UT Hospital- about 5 miles- took over 1.5 hours.

Naturally, once I was in Maryville there was no snow. It was trying to come down but it wasn't even making it to the ground.

We got about 4 inches in Morristown before it stopped, Leah -- at least at my house. I think the amounts vary depending on where you live. The east side has heavier snow than we have here, but I've got more than they have at the NWS office where they were measuring because of the higher elevation at my house.

Update #2 from Carrie: She called me again and said she had found out that power will likely be out all night at her home. She was getting ready to read for awhile.

Carrie, so sorry to hear you are stuck in the dark, I hope it isn't too cold or that you have to wait too long for the power to be restored.

Oh no - I'm so sorry about the snow. It's very pretty, but what a hassle. I'm just glad that you, Carrie (and Lori!) are safe. Take care.

Safe travels tomorrow morning. Or, perhaps the roads will be icy and you can stay home and read. I do hope your power returns so that you can be snug as a bug in a rug.

Sorry to hear you lost power, Carrie. I hope they get it back on quickly.

My power came on around 1 a.m. this morning but I didn't have Internet until just before I left for work. I was able to ride back with the neighbors I rode home with last night. Even though I live within walking distance, it was too icy to attempt walking that far.

My laptop was fully charged last night so I was able to watch a movie on DVD before listening to part of the Lady Vols basketball game on the radio.

Here's what it looked like in front of my house shortly after I arrived home yesterday evening:



And looking in the same direction this morning:



You might be able to tell that the snow had already started melting before the temperature dropped below freezing. Today's weather is supposed to be sunny with highs in the 40s so the snow should be mostly gone by this evening.

It's so pretty, but certainly not worth giving up a night's power for me!

Judy, I managed pretty well. The inside temperature didn't drop too much before I went to bed, nicely bundled up, and the power came on during the night to warm things back up before I had to get up in the morning. Between the DVD movie, the basketball game, and reading on the back-lit iPad I was able to entertain myself. One night was enough, though, and I was really glad to have electricity last night!

Carrie, it's good to hear you have power again. I'm lucky enough not to lose it often here, but it freaks me out when I do, even though it's never for more than about an hour. I would have made a very bad pioneer :-)

Carrie, glad to hear the power came back on. Beautiful pictures.

It's amazing that you've had more snow there than we've had in Chicagoland. Not that we're complaining but we've only 1.3 inches of snow all winter. I'm not sure what we should've had by now but I imagine at least 15 inches by now.

Hi Susan and Linda! I'm glad I didn't have to endure more than a few hours without power. The longest I've been without power was during the blizzard of 1993. It started snowing on Friday and the power went out sometime during the night. It didn't come back on until Monday evening, almost 72 hours later. We had 16 inches of snow (almost unheard of this far south) and temperatures in the teens. This was a piece of cake in comparison!

Linda, I hope you get all the snow you want this winter, or at least all the snow you need. This may be all we get this winter. We only get one or two snows each winter, and rarely get an accumulation of more than 2 or 3 inches. Even though Lori is only about 40 miles from me, she's just enough farther north that she gets snow a lot more frequently than I do where I live.

Carrie I'm so glad you made it home safely the other night - I do not miss driving in snow. It's great they were able to get the power back on so quickly. I hope you have a gentle melt and clear roads soon.

Thanks Dejah! The roads are almost back to normal after a sunny day in the 40s. The snow is mostly gone, although there are still patches scattered around.

It's time for my weekly confession acquisitions list. It's a short list this week and it again consists of free ebooks:

Heaven Preserve Us by Cricket McRae
The Calling of Emily Evans by Janette Oke (one of my mother's favorite authors)

Where I live, the snow and ice was finally beginning to go away a bit, but now they're expecting more snow/ice tomorrow :(. I sincerely hope the roads will be non-slippery on Monday, because I have to go into work then.

That's exactly how I like my snow - plenty of it to look at on days I don't have to work, and gone by the time I have to go back to work! I hope it's clear for you on Monday!

Shoot, the free one's don't count!

They're still increasing Mt. TBR, though!

#131 by @cbl_tn> We were without power for TWO WEEKS during the 1993 blizzard. That's what happens when you live in a rural county. There were the 5 of us, our 4 dogs and 2 cats, and some neighbor friends with their dog living in our living room that whole time. We were cooking in the fireplace and storing our groceries in a snow bank on the porch. We had, I think 28 inches here on the hill and a bit more down below. It was nuts.

Wow, reading about your weather in Tennessee is making me thankful for ours, which is frigid but otherwise OK. I hope things start looking up soon for all of you.

Carrie, I'm another huge fan of Half of a Yellow Sun and I read most of The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax last year before I had to take it back to the library. Someone (can't remember who) was reading it for a TIOLI challenge I think and that was the first I heard of it. Glad you also liked The Line which I'm hoping to get to soon.

Two weeks? That's awful!

Even though my power came on during the night, the cable & Internet didn't come back on until after 8 a.m. I listened to one of the local radio stations while I was getting ready for work. I didn't find their instruction to "check our web site" for the list of school closings to be particularly helpful. They were reporting on all of the power outages so you'd think they would realize that many of the people without power wouldn't have access to the Internet. Not everyone has a smart phone.

Wow. That is bad. Local news/radio around here are not the smartest.

7. Death in Cyprus by M. M. Kaye
TIOLI #1 - Book with no repeated letters in its title

Amanda Derington's decision to go to Cyprus on vacation started out as an attempt to assert her independence from her uncle, a wealthy businessman. She couldn't have imagined the danger she would face, starting with the murder of a fellow passenger on the boat that took her to Cyprus. After a second murder and an attempt on Amanda's life, she was afraid to trust anyone except the mysterious but infuriating Steve Howard.

This was a reread for me, but I originally read the book so long ago that I had forgotten everything about it. I had hoped for more local atmosphere, but all of the major characters were either British or American. The few Cypriots who appeared in the book were limited to a few lines of dialogue. The local landscape had a much larger role than the local population. I enjoyed the descriptions of the flowering plants, the coast, and the historic sites. It was fairly easy to figure out who was responsible for the murders and attempted murders, but the motive wasn't obvious. I don't think I enjoyed the book as much this time around, but it was still an entertaining escape to a warmer climate on this cold winter afternoon.

3 stars

I think the only book I have ever read by M. M. Kaye is The Far Pavilions and that was over 20 years ago. One of these days I need to go back to reading her.

I think The Far Pavilions is the only one of her books that I haven't read. I started it once and had trouble getting into it. I loved her Death in... series because of the exotic locations.

Hey Carrie -

I clearly enjoyed Death in Cyprus more than you did - not that I've written a review yet! Kaye, particularly with these early books, is definitely not writing about the native populations of the exotic locales - she's writing about the Brits and the scenery. That's actually part of what I like - it's a window into a lifestyle (20th century Brits frequently affiliated with the military in the waning days of the Empire) that existed for a very few for a short time. She clearly loves her settings, though - I find them fascinating. I think my two favorites of the mysteries are Death in Kashmir and Death in the Andamans. I have to confess that I've never gotten very far with The Far Pavillions either, but I think I've read Trade Wind twice, although it's been years.

One difference between my initial reading of the series (other than the obvious one of age!) is the amount of traveling I've done since I first read the books. One of the things I enjoy about traveling is getting away from tourist areas and meeting people who live in the countries I visit. It's hard for me to imagine traveling to another country and associating only with people from my own country.

I understand - and agree with you. I think it's just that I decided long ago that these books were about the British and reflect the rather self contained manner in which members of the British military and their dependents abroad lived. I have to agree that sh's far better at describing the local scenery than the local populous.

Have you ever read her autobiographical works? I've been meaning to give them a try. I believe she grew up in India.

No, I haven't. I'd like to, though!

Pat, I'm sorry I missed your post earlier. I think we must have cross-posted! Thanks for the good wishes about the weather. I don't think we have any more rain or snow in the forecast for the next few days, but we will have some frigid nights.

I discovered a Mrs. Pollifax movie on Netflix a couple of years ago, based on The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax. I thought it was a lot of fun. I would have enjoyed more.

I hope you enjoy The Line when you get to it!

There's a Mrs Pollifax movie? I used to read a lot of Mrs Pollifax, the ultimate escapist feel good read.

It's called Mrs. Pollifax: Spy and stars Rosalind Russell. It's available from Netflix if you have the streaming plan.

Hi Carrie - You bring back memories with your review of the Kaye book. I read and enjoyed her books years ago. It sounds like maybe they don't stand up well to rereading? Maybe I'll just keep my fond memories of them. It was fun to travel to the exotic locations.

Beautiful snow pictures, Carrie. We are still waiting for a decent snow here in Southwest Missouri. I do hope we keep our power on if we get some bad weather. I still remember camping in the living room and keeping food cold outside during fairly recent ice storms. Those memories tend to linger.

Beth, I've reread two of the Death in... books in the last year and haven't enjoyed either of them as much as I did the first time around. I think part of it is due to my age (the heroines are very young, barely out of their teens) and part of it is the invisibility of characters who aren't either British or American. It's more noticeable to me now that I've traveled internationally. I don't think I'd ever been out of the U.S. when I read the books the first time.

Hi Carrie. Thanks for the mention of the Mrs. Pollifax movie. I have Netflix streaming and sometimes can't think of anything to look for on it.

Glad you're getting a break in the weather. It really sounded bad and after experiencing some major storms when we lived in NY, it's almost like PTSD kicks in when I hear those stories. The worst was just before we moved in April of 2007 when we got 8 inches in one day and spent 3 straight hours bailing out window wells in our basement to keep it from flooding. Boy were we ready to move after that!

8 inches of rain in one day is almost unimaginable to me. I know it happens, but I haven't experienced it. I guess that's one of the advantages of living so far from the coast. The sun is out again today it should melt most of the remaining snow before the sub-freezing temperatures arrive.

I used to hear of storms with that much rain or more in a short period of time and really couldn't understand it. Now I have a reference point! One of the reasons I like Boise so much is it's a dry climate. :)

I'm glad to say it's finally stopped raining, snowing, or anything else here! The only real down side to that is the very cold temperatures that have just arrived. I don't have to spend much time outdoors so as long as the power stays on I should be fine. (For some reason the power went off twice yesterday for a short period each time. There were still scattered utility customers whose power was out because of one of the many trees that fell during the rain/snow, and the repair crew might have intentionally shut off the power while they brought a neighbor's house back on line.)

I finally finished my Borgia book last night. I feel like I've been reading that one forever. I'll post a review later after I've had a chance to process my thoughts about the book.

8. The Borgias: The Hidden History by G. J. Meyer
TIOLI #1 - No letters repeated in the title

The Borgias are one of the most notorious families in history. Just a mention of the name usually makes people think immediately of poison. Author G. J. Meyer looks into the historical record for facts that support the legend and comes up surprisingly empty. Everything you thought you knew about the Borgias is probably wrong. Most of the worst rumors about the family didn't begin to circulate until after their deaths and were passed on as fact by correspondents, diarists, and authors who were not eyewitnesses to the events they recorded. Descriptions of the Borgias left by their contemporaries, many of whom were their opponents if not outright enemies, omit the heinous crimes such as poisoning and incest which came to characterize the family in later generations. Meyer reasonably concludes that if such things were true, their enemies would not have covered up for them.

The Borgias were a Spanish family (Borja) who came to prominence in Italy after Alonso de Borja became Pope Calixtus III and brought members of the extended family to Rome, including his nephew, Rodrigo, who was soon appointed to the College of Cardinals. Calixtus also made Rodrigo the vice chancellor of the church, a position he successfully filled under several popes. Rodrigo eventually became Pope Alexander VI, and just as his uncle had done, he appointed several family members to prominent positions within the church.

Meyer points out that, while Rodrigo kept receiving appointments from Calixtus and from subsequent popes, his finances were always precarious. Rodrigo also kept receiving assignments that required great financial outlays, and he was expected to use the income from his various appointments to carry out the responsibilities given to him. A new assignment was usually accompanied by a new appointment (and thus an additional source of income).

Meyer makes a convincing case that Rodrigo/Pope Alexander was not the father of Cesare, Lucrezia, and their siblings. Their mother was not Rodrigo's mistress; she was his great niece, the granddaughter of Rodrigo's sister Catalina. Her husband, Guillen Ramón Lanzol y de Borja, was Rodrigo's nephew, the son of Rodrigo's sister Juana. At some point after her husband's death in Spain, Rodrigo's niece took her children to Rome, to live under their uncle's protection. Meyer's analysis is worthy of attention and discussion in the scholarly community. If Rodrigo/Pope Alexander VI was not the father of Cesare, Lucrezia, and their siblings, his moral reputation has been unfairly blackened over the centuries.

Casual readers may lose interest in the book rather quickly. Meyer goes into great detail about church politics, Italian politics, and the international situation of the era. The narrative is complicated and difficult to follow. The essays between each chapter include helpful background material, but add considerable length to the work. While Meyer shows evidence of extensive research in secondary sources, the bibliography and notes do not show evidence of archival or other primary source research other than a few translated volumes, the work of other scholars. Perhaps Meyer's work will motivate others in the scholarly community to reexamine and re-evaluate the history of the Borgias.

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

3.5 stars

I'm so relived that it's clear outside too. The cold, I'm not so pleased with but I'd rather be cold than cold AND soaked. Stay warm!

Love the Borgias.... wait.... let me clarify that: I love reading about the Borgias. And now you tell me that it is all probably wrong...... the stuff that fiction writers dream about probably was really dreamed up by somebody.... REALLY!?!?

*wanders off muttering about historians, the importance of facts and starts to question everything else ever taught to me*

It would appear that the sordid tales of incest and poisoning are exaggerations. Cesare was certainly a bad boy, though. Unlike his uncle, Rodrigo/Pope Alexander, Cesare grew up in a privileged atmosphere and was rarely denied anything he wanted. I don't think it was much different than the mudslinging that goes on today (from both sides of the political divide), or from the sensational headlines you see in the tabloids at the grocery store.

Hi Carrie - The Borgia book sounds interesting.

Hi Beth! It was interesting! However, I think it's one I would borrow from the library rather than purchase for keeps.

9. Abeng by Michelle Cliff
TIOLI #1 - No letters repeated in the title

Abeng is a coming-of-age story of a mixed race Jamaican girl in the 1950s. Clare's father is from a “white” family (still mixed race, but lighter skinned) while her mother is “red” (darker skinned and thus of a lower social status). Clare isn't sure where she fits in. She feels closer to her father but is disturbed by his racist views. Clare knows that there is a distance in her relationship with her mother. It troubles her, particularly since she's not sure of its cause. Clare lives in the city but spends the summers in the country with her maternal grandmother. Her playmate is a country girl named Zoe. Clare wants to believe she and Zoe are lifelong friends. She's either naïve or willfully blind to the social inequalities that prevent their relationship from being a true friendship. One mistake changes everything in Clare's world.

The book is structured in disjointed narratives. Clare's story occupies the most space. However, there are also sections about her family history (both sides) and Jamaican history. The symbolism is a bit heavy-handed. Clare's father descends from a white slave owner, and they share his family name, Savage. Clare's mother comes from a poor family descended from slaves; her family name is Freeman. The introductory notes explain that “abeng” is an African word for “conch shell”, and that it was used by the Maroons to reach one another. Throughout the novel Clare is trying to figure out how to connect with others, particularly other women such as her mother and her friend Zoe. The book's themes include Jamaican history, colonialism, adolescence, race, family relationships, friendship, feminism, and sexuality, including an undercurrent of lesbian attraction.

3 stars

Next up: Minaret by Leila Aboulela (fiction) and Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman (non-fiction)

>>#161

Yeah, facts suck! :)

I recently stumbled over the story of Ines de Castro, the mistress of King Pedro I of Portugal (before he came to the throne), who was executed / murdered by Pedro's father. The legend is that after he became king, Pedro dug her up, had her crowned, and made all his courtiers kiss her hand. That's the version that appears in nearly all the artistic versions of the story, so I was very disappointed to learn that it isn't true. (He did have her exhumed, but only to give her a proper tomb.)

What's really frustrating is that I can't find out who invented that story, or when.

Liz, now you have me curious. If you ever track down the source of the story please let me know!

10. Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith
TIOLI #1 - No letters repeated in the title

The final book in Tom Rob Smith's trilogy about Leo Demidov covers the longest span of time, reaching back to Leo's days in the KGB before he met his wife, Raisa. At the time of their first meeting, Leo had been assigned as an escort for visiting African-American singer Jesse Austin, whose character is obviously based on Paul Robeson. Then the story skips ahead to the 1960s, a few years after the events of book 2 in the trilogy. The action centers on New York City and the United Nations, where Leo's wife and daughters are taking part in a cultural exchange concert. Once again, Jesse Austin will be drawn into Leo's life with tragic consequences. The final section of the book takes place several years later, after Leo's failed attempt to discover the truth behind the tragedy that changed his life. He's been sent to Afghanistan as punishment, and a young female trainee for Afghanistan's secret police becomes an ally in his quest for the truth.

Book 2 in the series started out slowly and ended strong. This one started out strong and fizzled toward the end. The first New York section of the book and the Afghanistan section are well developed. However, the final section of the book that ties them together just isn't effective. There were some characters and motives introduced early in the book that I think Smith could have developed to good effect that, for some reason, weren't touched on again. I think he (or his editors) would have been better off cutting those characters and scenes. I thought the ending was too abrupt, particularly since it's also the end of the trilogy. I was surprised to discover that there wasn't any more to it. I don't regret reading books 2 and 3, but I think I would have been equally satisfied if I had stopped with book 1 in the series.

3.5 stars

Next up in audio: King Peggy by Peggielene Bartels

I need to return to the Demidov series. I loved Child 44, but have not gotten to The Secret Speech yet, let alone Agent 6.

Stasia, it's a very solid series. It feels like 3 is enough, though. I think Smith made a good choice in making it a trilogy rather than an open-ended series.

Great review of Agent 6 Carrie. I am glad that trilogy is over as well. It was strange to me how very different the first book was to the other two. I think The Secret Speech and Agent 6 seem to be much more closely linked in theme and style, with the exceptional Child 44 in a class of it's own.

Interesting review of re the Borgias, especially since I was just reading a review of a mystery set in that time. I knew a lot of the stuff re the Borgias - the incest in particular - wasn't true and was more the renaissance version of the tabloids. So no rutting bulls in the cathedral courtyard? That's another spicy one I heard that wasn't very credible. It does sound like Meyer took half the fun out of them. Did he rebut the story that Cesare died because he was half-mad with syphilis and rode out to meet the enemy but his soldiers didn't join him? Actually, I'm still a bit interested in the biography. I'm sure the politics of the time was pretty cut-throat.

Thanks Judy!

Katie, Meyer didn't address the half-mad with syphilis aspect of Cesare's death. (He had mentioned earlier in the book that Cesare had syphilis.) Meyer described the circumstances of Cesare's death and said that it's hard to say whether he did it knowing that he would die or whether he was betrayed by his soldiers.

It was difficult to follow all the changing allegiances between the Italian city-states and the condottieri. It was kind of like trying to keep up with a shell game. You knew the Borgias were in trouble when the rival Orsini and Colonna families were allied against them. It sounds like it might be the equivalent of the Hatfields and McCoys joining sides.

Well, the freezing rain is here. I think I can get to my car but I'm not sure I can get to work. I'm still waiting to hear whether or not I have to go in. If I do, I'm going to take some food and a change of clothes with me in case I get stuck there.

They've just changed our forecast from a freezing rain advisory to an ice storm warning through 7 p.m. this evening. If the power goes out it could take quite a while to get things working again. I'll post updates when I can.

No work for me because of it but my stupid brother-in-law went into work. I wouldn't be on Cedar Bluff in this weather at rush hour!

Carrie, I hope you didn't have to go to work. Please be careful! I hope your power stays on - keep warm!

I made it in to work OK. The roads weren't iced over. It was hard to keep the windshield clear, though. My drive is less than a mile on rural roads so I didn't have to contend with for long. I'm supposed to go to a meeting in another building down the hill from me in just a few minutes. We'll see how that goes.

Well, it's still raining here and icy in spots in my immediate area. The state emergency management agency has declared a state of emergency due to the freezing rain and ice. At least we still have power here.

How did getting to the meeting downhill go? No injuries, I hope?

I made it there and back. I walked in the grass most of the way, but I had to cross the road and cross 3 sidewalks. I was very careful! The trickiest part was getting into the other building. The entrance we use approaching from my direction is the iciest one because it's on the north side of the building.

I made it home! The cupboards are a little bare since I usually do my shopping on weekends. I think I'm in the mood for pancakes and I should have all the ingredients to manage that. It looks like it will be a good evening to stay indoors and read!

Good idea about the reading, Carrie! I hope you can get out OK tomorrow for groceries.

Glad you made it home OK Carrie. And there's nothing I love better for dinner than pancakes!

Susan, it's supposed to warm up into the 40s tomorrow (about 6 or 7 C). There will probably be black ice on the roads in the morning, but if I wait until afternoon to go out it should be fine.

It's funny you should mention pancakes. I was actually thinking about the same thing for supper. A couple of pieces of bacon on the side! YUMMY!

@173 shell game & Hatfields and McCoys sounds about right. & yes, that's the official version of Cesare's death I heard. Either rash or betrayed. He didn't live long after Rodrigo died. Obviously his "father" was much of his power.

11. Minaret by Leila Aboulela
TIOLI #1 - No letters repeated in the title

Najwa is a privileged teenager in Sudan, where her father works for the President and her mother has a good job. Najwa and her twin brother, Omar, are pampered. They both attend university, but neither gives it their full attention. Everything changes when a coup deposes the president and they seek exile in London. Twenty years later, Najwa is on her own, wearing the hijab, participating in women's meetings at the mosque, and working as a maid for a wealthy twenty-something woman and her younger brother. How did this transformation occur?

The novel jumps back and forth between the 1980s and the early 2000s. Islamic faith is the central theme of the novel – fundamental but not radical Islam. Najwa lost her nationality as a result of the coup that changed her country, and she gradually began to view herself as Muslim rather than Sudanese. Najwa's story is told in first person, and it is fascinating to view the world from her eyes. The only aspect of the book that doesn't ring quite true is Najwa's attraction to her employer's 19-year-old brother based on their shared faith. He behaved like a 19-year-old – sometimes an adult, sometimes an adolescent. It's hard to imagine a 40-year-old woman falling in love with a 19-year-old. I think it would be a good topic to discuss in a book group – what did she see in him?

I particularly enjoyed the book's London setting. I lived in London during the earlier part of the book's time frame and I could picture all the places Najwa went. I often passed the mosque in Regent's Park and it was interesting to accompany Najwa inside a place I've only seen from outside.

I'm not sure why such a reflective book was a page-turner for me, but it's a book I didn't want to put down once I started it. With its focus on the tensions between faith, family, friendships, and lifestyle, it's similar to a lot of the Christian fiction I've read, and better written than most of it.

4 stars

Next up: The School at Thrush Green by Miss Read

I actually spent real money on this week's acquisitions:

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain - audio version purchased from Audible
Loverly: The Life and Times of My Fair Lady by Dominic McHugh - purchased with a Christmas gift card

Carrie, I just realised that I didn't comment on your review of the book about the Borgias, which I thought was an excellent review. I think I would fall into the confused "casual reader" category, but I will certainly think twice before believing all the plotting and poisoning tales that people think represent the family!

Thanks Susan!

I haven't read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court in years - what fun! Loverly looks interesting as well, but I think I'll wait and see what you think of if before I spend real money on it; my library system doesn't have it.

Are you a fan of musical theater, Carrie?

Yes, I am. My high school choir did a production of MFL in my junior year. Since I was the accompanist, I was one of the few people who had to be at every rehearsal since I was needed for each scene. I think maybe Henry Higgins was the only other student who was at each rehearsal. it was a lot of fun. I think I could still quote much of the dialogue. I love the music! Our choir director had a lot of stage experience and it ended up being one of the best amateur productions I've seen.

That is very cool, Carrie - it's a great show. The soundtrack is one of MFL is one of the first records I remember listening to over and over and over again. The other was the Eagles' "Hotel California" - go figure

I probably listened to the Eagles in the car on the way to and from MFL rehearsal...

I thumbed your review of 'Minaret', Carrie. I would have said from reading a description of the book that I wouldn't be interested in it, but your review is making me reconsider that.

Thanks Julia! I really didn't know what to expect from Minaret and I was pleasantly surprised by it.

Hey Carrie -

I just wanted to let you know that I've joined you in TIOLI #2 with Danger Along the Ohio, so you've got another shared read. Thanks for suggesting it - it's a nice book!

Thanks for letting me know! I enjoyed it and I'll now be on the lookout for more books by that author.

12. The School at Thrush Green by Miss Read
TIOLI #3 - Book not published by one of the Big 6

It's January in Thrush Green and spinster school teachers Dorothy Watson and Agnes Fogerty decide it's time to retire. It also means they'll be looking for a new home since their present home is owned by the school. It will be needed for their replacements. Meanwhile, the three elderly Lovelock sisters are in desperate need of household help, but their reputation as misers makes it difficult to find anyone willing to take on the job.

Miss Read's cozy novels about English village life are comfort reads. The neighbors are truly neighborly and help each other solve the problems that trouble them, which are often weighty but never unbearable because of the number of friends who step in to share the load. This is only the second book I've read in the Thrush Green series. I didn't like it as well as the first one I read, nor as well as the Fairacre series. Miss Dorothy is too bossy and Miss Agnes is too timid for me to warm to them. In other books I've read by the author, all of the problems are resolved by the end of the book. This one left a few threads hanging, making it seem unfinished. Readers who have finished Jan Karon's Mitford series might enjoy spending time with the villagers of Fairacre and Thrush Green.

3 stars

Next up: The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat; continuing with Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman

I prefer the Fairacre series too!

I love the Thrush Green series, but as Lori and I discussed awhile ago, this was the series that I read when I first was introduced to Miss Read, the Fairacre series came later. I'm planning on reading Thrush Green in Winter this month, and I am looking forward to revisiting one of my favortie places.

Judy, I think this was the second Thrush Green book I've read. I really liked the first one I read, Battles at Thrush Green. The rector/vicar had a larger role in that one and he and his wife are among my favorite characters in the Thrush Green series. I haven't been reading either series in any particular order - just as I get my hands on them.

We were spared the storms and tornadoes that hit other parts of the state today. However, I just heard on the radio that some parts of the local area have had as much as 3 inches of rain today. The only good thing I have to say about today's rain is at least it isn't freezing rain.

Isn't freezing for now... isn't it supposed to get quite cold again tonight into tomorrow?

We got a tremendous amount of rain while I was in rehearsal - there was a lot of water on the roads as I drove home. We need it, though.

Leah, I'm not sure if it's supposed to freeze or just maybe change to snow at the tail end of the system. On the map I saw it didn't look like Knox County was in the area that might get snow tonight. However, we might get some tomorrow night and Saturday night.

Dejah, I'd gladly send you some of this rain to add to your total if you want it! I know you've had below average rainfall for quite a while.

We have been below average for two years now, maybe more. I wish for rain all the time.

I had an unpleasant surprise this morning. When I tried to turn on my iPod Nano to listen to my current audiobook, nothing happened. The power button won't depress. Fortunately it's still under warranty and it wasn't too difficult to find out what I needed to do to send it to Apple for repair. I hope it doesn't take too long to get it back. I use it every day and I'm already missing it.

My TIOLI list this month might end up being too ambitious, but a few of the books I listed are pretty short.

#2 Book about U.S. history: Rosa by Nikki Giovanni (civil rights)
#3 School subject in the title: Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman
#4 Book w/ a common SFF word in title: King Peggy by Peggilene Bartels (audiobook)
#5 Missing vowel in title: A Dish Taken Cold by Anne Perry
The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat
Prince Among Slaves by Terry Alford
ZenZele: A Letter for My Daughter by J. Nozipo Maraire
#8 Washington's Birthday rolling challenge: The Unexpected Miss Bennet by Patrice Sarath
#9 Author shares a last name with a well-known movie star/entertainer: Born in Ice by Nora Roberts (Julia Roberts)
Riding the Bus with My Sister by Rachel Simon (Paul Simon)
#10 Book's author shares a country of origin with a friend: Bachelor Brothers' Bed & Breakfast by Bill Richardson (Canada)
#12 Author's name tied to ancient Greek civilization: Georges by Alexandre Dumas
#17 Dilys Award winner: Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde (audiobook)

209 > That doesn't sound good! I hope you'll get it back soon. Can you listen to your audiobook in a different way until you do?

I really enjoyed Lost in a Good Book when I read it last year. Hope you do too!

>211 Samantha_kathy: I listen to audiobooks when I'm cleaning, working in the kitchen, or driving, and I don't have anything else I can use during those activities. I can listen on my laptop, but it's not nearly as convenient.

>212 The_Hibernator: Rachel, I read The Eyre Affair last year and loved it. I'm looking forward to revisiting Thursday Next and her world - as soon as I get my iPod back!

January recap:

12 books read

9 print
1 ebook
2 audiobooks

2 TBRs > 6 mos.
1 TBR Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Worst: No real duds this month, but of the 3 books I rated at 3 stars I liked Abeng the least.

13. Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
TIOLI #2 - Book about American history

Rosa is an award-winning biography of civil rights hero Rosa Parks for children. It made the Caldecott Honor List in 2006 and also received the Coretta Scott King Award for illustration. The book focuses on one day in Rosa Parks' life – the day she refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery public bus to a white man.

Even though I have long been familiar with Rosa Parks and her famous bus ride, I learned some new things from this book. I didn't know that Mrs. Parks worked as a seamstress. I also didn't know that the part of the bus where Mrs. Parks was seated was a neutral section where either blacks or whites could sit.

The story is necessarily short since it's told in a picture book format. However, there seem to be little details missing from the story that readers seem to be expected to know later in the book. The illustrations are so full of symbolism that children will discover new meaning with each re-reading as they become more familiar with the story. For example, the illustration on the first page shows Rosa's husband reading a newspaper with the word King clearly legible in a headline. Martin Luther King, Jr., isn't introduced until near the end of the book. While the book could be used as a read-aloud, the level of detail in the illustrations makes it better suited for individual reading or one-on-one adult/child reading.

3.5 stars

I also didn't know that the part of the bus where Mrs. Parks was seated was a neutral section where either blacks or whites could sit.

I did not know this either.

Well, that was quick. I just got an email from Apple letting me know that they've shipped a replacement iPod to me. I should have it by Tuesday.

14. The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat
TIOLI #5 - One vowel missing from title

Edwidge Danticat gives a voice to victims of the 1937 massacre of Haitians in the Dominican Republic. Amabelle Désir was an orphaned Haitian on the Dominican Republic side of the river that divides the two nations when she was found and taken in by Don Ignacio and his daughter, Valencia. Amabelle and Valencia were playmates in childhood, but as adults, Amabelle is Valencia's servant. Amabelle is in love with Sebastien Onius, another Haitian refugee who works in the nearby sugarcane fields. Relations in the Dominican Republic between the Haitians and Dominicans are strained during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. As the hatred and violence increase it becomes more and more difficult for Haitians to trust any Dominicans, even those who have been their lifelong friends. Would it be safer for Amabelle and other Haitians to flee back to Haiti or to stay put, trusting their Dominican friends and neighbors to protect them from the soldiers?

This is a novel of unfulfilled desire – Amabelle's desire for an impossible reunion with her long-dead parents, her desire for Sebastien, and most of all, her desire for belonging. She no longer has ties to Haiti, but she's an outsider in the Dominican Republic. No one in Alegría (“joy” in Spanish) is happy – not the Haitian field workers, not Don Ignacio, who is troubled by the actions of Trujullo's government, not Valencia, who shares no love with her husband, and not Amabelle. Edwidge Danticat's prose beautifully captures the pain, sorrow, and longing in a way that doesn't manipulate the reader's emotions. The descriptions of violence are not sensational. Without much effort, readers will become absorbed by Amabelle's story.

When I was a child, I used to spend hours playing with my shadow, something my father warned could give me nightmares, nightmares like seeing voices twirl in a hurricane of rainbow colors and hearing the odd shapes of things rise up and speak to define themselves. Playing with my shadow made me, an only child, feel less alone. Whenever I had playmates, they were never quite real or present for me. I considered them only replacements for my shadow. There were many shadows, too, in the life I had beyond childhood. At times Sebastien Onius guarded me from the shadows. At other times he was one of them.

4.5 stars

Good news about the iPod, Carrie! Your February reading looks like it's off to a good start.

Hi Carrie, just catching up here. Terrific review of the Danticant book and suddenly it's on my teetering tower. I see you also enjoyed The Line. I thought the book had such a haunting quality to it. I want to look for her previous book too.

Thanks, Susan & Bonnie! I did enjoy The Line very much. I'd like to read Grushin's other book, too, as well as more of Danticat's work.

Farming of the Bones was one of the books I had hoped to read in my Caribbean category 12 in 12. I didn't get to it. Looks like I should - sounds like it would make a great companion piece to In the Time of the Butterflies. The passage you quoted is beautiful.

I haven't read In the Time of the Butterflies, but from the book description it does sound like they would go together well if you're exploring literature of the region. The passage I quoted is typical of the entire book. I thought the writing was beautiful. I'll be adding more of Danticat's works to the wishlist.

Only one acquisition to report this week. I received my January ER book on Saturday: The Slaves' Gamble by Gene Allen Smith.

The Slaves' Gamble was one of the books I requested and would have been very happy to have gotten, but the ER algorithm tends to award me science fiction / fantasy if I request it - particularly if the book is later in a series. I wonder if this means I don't read enough nonfiction? Or maybe I don't review enough?

Dejah> If the ER algorithm awarded me sci-fi or fantasy, it would definitely be broken, and I would have been guilty of either not reading the description or being blind to have requested it in the first place.

Grumble, grumble - I have had The Farming of Bones in the BlackHole for a while now and my local library still does not have it yet!

Dejah, I hope The Slaves' Gamble is as good as it sounds.

Stasia, I hope your library gets The Farming of Bones so that you can read it.

Great news that they're shipping you a replacement iPod. I love my iPhone for listening to books when I'm doing brainless tasks. We're currently looking at different phone plans, and I'm afraid I'll have to give up my iPhone for the sake of saving some money. Hope I can make whatever the replacement phone is to work with our library system's ebooks. Like you, I use mine every day!

I got the replacement iPod today! It's not charged so I'll let it charge overnight and reload it tomorrow. I made a note of what segment was "now playing" in my current audiobook so I should be able to pick up close to where I left off.

Congratulations on your replacement - that was pretty quick!

Yes, it was! Especially since it arrived yesterday before noon. It was shipped to my work address but for some reason I wasn't notified that I had received a package. I received a package earlier in the day and had already picked it up before this one was delivered. The afternoon shift probably saw that I had already been emailed by the morning shift and hadn't realized that I had received another package after I picked up the first one. I checked the tracking info this afternoon and saw that it had been delivered yesterday. If I hadn't done that, who knows how long it would have been before I got it!

Stopping by and waving hi. The Farming of Bones is now on my tbr list. LT notes that there is a high probability I will like this book.

Hi Linda! The Farming of Bones is beautifully written and well worth the time it takes to read it.

I'll see if my local library has this book. I didn't purchase any books in January, and I hope I can do the same in February....

15. Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman
TIOLI #3 - Title includes a school subject (history)

In late 1889, faced with declining circulation, the World's editor decided to pursue a story that one of their writers had been unsuccessfully pitching to them. Nellie Bly, one of the few female journalists of that era, had made a name for herself with her investigative reporting. Now she proposed to travel around the world, using only standard transportation available to the general public, in less than the fictional eighty day journey undertaken by Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg. When Bly set out on her journey across the Atlantic, she didn't know that just a few hours later another woman, Cosmopolitan columnist Elizabeth Bisland, would travel in the opposite direction in a race to beat Bly around the world. Bly had only a few days to plan her trip after receiving her assignment from the World. Bisland had only hours to prepare, having received her assignment the morning of her departure.

Alternate chapters describe Bly and Bisland's experiences as they circuit the world, Bly in a race against the fictional Phileas Fogg and Bisland in a race against Bly's time. (For weeks Nellie Bly was unaware that another woman was attempting to beat her time.) Readers are treated to occasional side trips into background information about trains, steamships, or the history of particular locations without losing the momentum of the race against the calendar.

The women had a lot in common, but their personalities were very different. It may be hard for most readers not to pick a favorite. I would prefer Elizabeth Bisland as a travel companion. Nellie Bly had some rough edges to her personality and shaded the truth when it suited her. I would have grown tired of her company long before the end of the journey.

Both women wrote accounts of their journeys, and Goodman used both books as sources for his own account of their trips. However, he also had access to contemporary newspaper accounts and information from archival materials of which Bly and Bisland had no knowledge. In this case, the whole (Goodman's book) really is greater than the sum of its parts (Bly's and Bisland's accounts). Highly recommended for readers with an interest in the Gilded Age, the history of journalism and women journalists, and all armchair travelers.

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

4.5 stars

Isn't it great when you read so many wonderful books back to back!!
I've added Rosa to my tbr pile.

Thanks for your lovely reviews!

I was already looking forward to the release of Eighty Days - now I'm even more excited! Thanks for the great review!

>236 cbl_tn: Ack! I've been hit!

>237 Whisper1: Linda, I've had an exceptional reading year so far. I hope you enjoy Rosa. It's a powerful story with illustrations you could get lost in.

>238 Dejah_Thoris:, 239 It's a great story. After you read about some legs of their journey you'll a) marvel at their survival and b) be very thankful you weren't there with them!

16. Born in Ice by Nora Roberts
TIOLI #9 - Author shares a last name with a movie star/entertainer (Julia Roberts)

After her father's death, Brianna Concannon runs a bed & breakfast in the family home in County Clare, Ireland. Grayson Thane is a best-selling American novelist who writes his books on location. He's chosen to write his next thriller at Brianna's B&B. The mutual attraction between Grayson and Brianna eventually leads to something more, and soon Grayson's characters become almost indistinguishable from Grayson and Brianna. Both of them know from the outset that Grayson will move on as soon as the novel is finished, leaving Brianna behind. Is this how their story is meant to end, or will Grayson find a different ending?

Romance is far from my favorite genre. I picked this one up for a challenge to read a RITA award winner in February. If romance was all there was to this book, I wouldn't have enjoyed it very much. However, there were enough elements of mystery and family secrets to hold my interest. The Irish setting didn't hurt, either.

This is the middle book in a trilogy. The title of the trilogy is a spoiler for one of the plot threads in this book. Brianna and her older sister, Maggie, discover a family secret in this book, starting them on a quest that isn't completed by the end of the book. It's obvious that the thread introduced in this book will be at the center of the final book in the trilogy. I liked the characters well enough and have enough curiosity to read the next book in the trilogy, but I'm not interested enough to go back and read the first book in the set.

3.5 stars

I've read a number of Nora Roberts' books (although I prefer her as J.D. Robb), but never this particular trilogy. I think I'll give it a try! I'll go back and read the first one, Born in Fire first - it drives me crazy to read books out of order or to skip one...

It's probably a good idea to start at the beginning if you want to read all three. Since it seems like there is at least one plot thread that runs through all three books, it's likely that there are spoilers for the first book in the second one. There will definitely be spoilers in the third book for the second book.

I like some of her romantic suspense books. They are not must reads for me, but I've read a few and enjoyed most of them.

>244 thornton37814: The characters seem to have more depth than you find in a lot of romance novels. I just don't enjoy the excessive emphasis on physical appearance and the characters' physical relationship that you find in most romance novels. (I know you don't either.)

I love the sound of Eighty Days, Carrie! I'll keep an eye out for that when it's available.

Susan, it's due out here at the end of the month. I'm not sure if/when it will be released in the UK. I think it would be of interest to UK readers. Although both travelers are American, most of the ports they visit are part of the British Empire and for the most part they travel on British ships.

This week's acquisitions are all free ebook downloads.

From Google Books:
A Flying Trip Around the World by Elizabeth Bisland
A Candle of Understanding by Elizabeth Bisland

From ManyBooks.net:
Ten Days in a Mad-House by Nellie Bly
Around the World in Seventy-Two Days by Nellie Bly
Six Months in Mexico by Nellie Bly

Free Kindle download:
The Twelfth Imam by Joel C. Rosenberg

Once a year a group from our church goes to a local minor league hockey game. Tonight was this year's trip. It was a disappointing loss for the home team. The highlight of the evening didn't have anything to do with hockey. It was the annual wiener dog race between the first and second period. 90 dogs took part in it. It was the third victory for the winning dog.

Oh, my. Do the wiener dogs race on the ice? That must be quite the spectacle!

Yes, they do. They don't seem to slip and slide, either. The ice must not be like what we get outdoors in winter storms. No one seems to have trouble walking on it during the special events between periods.

I have a new thread all ready for visitors.