Morphy's 2013 Reading Journal

As with last year, I'll post links here to my thread in the 75 Books group: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147588

I'm also doing the 13 in 13 challenge: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147584

And group reads from our Green Dragon lists - Morphy's Mighty Monthly Reads: http://www.librarything.com/topic/146136

I have you starred.

I've already starred your 75 books group thread, but I check GD messages first so this will be a useful heads-up.

January 20th Update:

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147588#3830764
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147588#3852987

Read
Foreign Correspondence by Geraldine Brooks
Betrayal in Death by J. D. Robb
Valley of Silence by Nora Roberts
Waldo & Magic, Inc. by Robert Heinlein
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

And some rereads by Mercedes Lackey with no comments.

January 28th Update:

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147588#3853062
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/147588#3871570

Read
Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
Into the Woods by Kim Harrison
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Maigret and the Old Lady by Georges Simenon
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

More Mercedes Lackey rereads

My mom says one of her favorite mystery writers is Simenon, but I don't like him at all. I wonder if there is a translation issue? Or were they written in English? Anyway, not my favorite.

I looked it up in Wiki and the original titles seem to be in French, but I couldn't really tell.

Simenon would have written all his books in French. My wife is a great fan of his novels and I have enjoyed any TV adaptations I've seen, both English and French. My favourite is the French adaptation with Bruno Cremer playing Maigret.
It gives a great insight into life in France.

"It gives a great insight into life in France"

And that might be my problem in a nutshell. I don't have anything intentional against France. Love their food and all. But when it comes to their culture and humor, it just leaves me mystified and flat. Husband loves it, not me.

#9 it just leaves me mystified and flat.

I would say you are correct. If one has no love of a place or subject one is hardly likely to be enthusiastic about books that focus on it.

As you may have picked up from various posts on LT my wife and I love France and spend as much time there as we can. I would never try to convince someone of the merits of something when it does not hold some interest for them.

February 3rd Update:

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3887791
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3888050

Read
Envy by J. R. Ward
Eona by Alison Goodman

More rereads by Mercedes Lackey

February 17th Update:

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3888116
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3921928

Read
The Chronicles of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Inconvenient Duchess by Christine Merrill
At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost
The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Deerskin by Robin McKinley

More rereads by Mercedes Lackey

February 25th Update:

Weight Loss: 188 pounds

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3922430
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3936501

Read
Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
Deathless by Catherynne Valente
Fifty Shades Freed by E. L. James

More rereads by Mercedes Lackey

13: Wow! That weight loss is astonishing. Over what time period? Congratulations. That's a major achievement and must be having a tremendous effect on your life.

Hope you're feeling better soon! Congrats on the days challenge and the weight loss!

Can I ask a silly or naive question? Why does googling "Days ##" bring up photos of cervices? Someone on the other thread said it made sense, but not in my world? You can answer me privately if it is too intense! :)

Meredy, it's over 3 or 4 years. So it's been a slow process.

MrsLee, it's number of days of the menstrual cycle, I believe.

Oh, hmm. Huh. Thanks :)

Hope your cold goes away soon, and congrats on the continuing weight loss!

March 3rd Update

Weight Loss: 190

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3936522
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3949548

Read
Shadowheart by Laura Kinsale
The Twelve by Justin Cronin
Casa Grande by Jude Deveraux
Real Murders by Charlaine Harris

More rereads by Mercedes Lackey

Congrats on the 188 pounds, Morphy. Amazing progress you're making! :o)

Glad to see you didn't hate The Twelve. I have to get to that one soonish.

Good for you! In more ways than one. When I first started going out with my husband, who was 190 pounds, I was very fit and used to be able to piggy back him across the gym and back. That's a lot of extra weight to have to carry around. Can you feel the benefits yet, of having lost all that weight?

>20 clamairy: Thanks, clam!

>21 sandragon: I wish I did! That's a very frustrating part so far. I'm just not feeling it physically. I wish I had more endurance.

I know the endurance can be slow to come. Even people otherwise fit can have a hard time with endurance (like one of my brothers who works out all the time but doesn't have any endurance). But I do believe that your endurance will improve bit by bit as you continue to lose weight. And with the determination you've shown to lose the weight and to do what exercises you can, I can definitely see you succeeding!

March 11th Update

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3949856
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/149117#3966691

Read
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn
A Country Doctor's Casebook by Roger MacDonald
Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara
Seduction in Death by J. D. Robb

More rereads by Mercedes Lackey

You're doing great with the weight loss, Morphy. *applause*

Great job Morphy! Keep it up!

March 28th Update

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/151388#3969712
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/151388#3999815

Read
Ever After by Kim Harrison
The Aviary by Kathleen O'Dell
Blood Crime by Kim Harrison
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan
The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
Written in Red by Anne Bishop
Earthborn by Orson Scott Card
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Much Ado About Magic by Shanna Swendson
A Tangled Web by Mercedes Lackey
Unlocked by Courtney Milan
Oh Myyy! by George Takei

More rereads by Mercedes Lackey

April 16th Update:

Part 2 Thread:

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/151388#3999865
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/151388#4008447

Read
Insomnia by Stephen King
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire

Part 3 Thread:

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/153154#4048104
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/153154#4048117

Read
The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
Gift of a Letter by Alexandra Stoddard
Wing Commander: Freedom Flight by Mercedes Lackey
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs
Passage by Lois McMaster Bujold
A Bone to Pick by Charlaine Harris
Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich

More rereads by Mercedes Lackey

I was a month behind so I did a short version of reviews in two posts.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/153154#4102685

Happy to see you liked Seraphina. I've been toying with the idea of snagging a copy for my daughter. There are quite a few people on here who seemed to enjoy it. In fact I think it made a few 'best of the year' lists.

May 27th Update:

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/153154#4102722
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/153154#4102722

Read
Until We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis - 4 (out of 10 stars)
Elemental Magic by Mercedes Lackey - 5
Blood Wyne by Yasmine Galenorn - 6
California Girl by T. Jefferson Parker - 7
The Dark Hunters, Vol 1 by Sherrilyn Kenyon - 6
Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith - 8
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger - 6
Gulp by Mary Roach - 6

More rereads by Mercedes Lackey

I'm so glad you keep us in the loop here. I don't always have time to check out the other thread, but today I did. I always find it uplifting and inspirational. Even when you share your struggles. Especially when you share your struggles. You give me strength.

Thanks, MrsLee. That made me feel good.

June 9th Update:

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/154802#4122348
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/154802#4122348

I don't know if it's the closest update since I've started a new thread, but I doubt you want to go back and forth, so it's the newest thread.

Parasite Rex by Carl Zimmer - 5 (out of 10 stars)
Imitation in Death by J. D. Robb - 7
The Last Llanelli Train by Robert Lewis - 2 (yes, that's right)
Angel's Ink by Joceylnn Drake - 6
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding - 4
Kosher Chinese by Michael Levy - 6
How Reading Changed My Life by Anna Quindlen - 6
These High, Green Hills by Jan Karon - 6

More Mercedes Lackey rereads

***

Okay, I had to add a few from the old thread because I'm proud of myself: http://www.librarything.com/topic/153154#4121155

The Sonnets by William Shakespeare - 5 (took a year!)
Rose Madder by Stephen King - 8
The Dark Hunters, Vol 2 by Sherrilyn Kenyon - 6

June 30th Update:

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/154802#4139336
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/154802#4143503

Read

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff - 9 out of 10 stars
The Witches by Roald Dahl - 7
Menagerie Manor by Gerald Durrell - 6
Embroidered Truths by Monica Ferris - 7
Three Bedrooms, One Corpse by Charlaine Harris - 5
The Great Influenza by John Barry - 5
The Spell Sword by Marion Zimmer Bradley - 6
Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews - 7
Cursor's Fury by Jim Butcher - 7
Velvet Song by Jude Deveraux - 5
One Grave at at Time by Jeaniene Frost - 8
Until Proven Guilty by J. A. Jance - 6
Ravished by Amanda Quick - 6
The Pillars of the World
Shadows and Light
The House of Gaian by Anne Bishop - 7, 7, 6
Steadfast by Mercedes Lackey - 6
Battle Circle by Piers Anthony - 7
Farmer in the Sky by Robert Heinlein - 6
Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout - 6
Remember When by Nora Roberts - 7
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters - 4
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson - 5
Help Thanks Wow by Anne Lamott - 7
Plum Spooky by Janet Evanovitch - 5

More Lackey rereads

ETA:

The Man Who Sold the Moon by Robert Heinlein - 6

July 14th Update:

Thread 4:

Chat*: http://www.librarything.com/topic/154802#4173126
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/154802#4173126

*Pictures of 23rd anniversary included somewhere in there

Read
Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh - 6 out of 10 stars
Divided in Death by J. D. Robb - 7
Desperation by Stephen King - 5
Affliction by Laurell K. Hamilton - 6

Thread 5

Chat: http://www.librarything.com/topic/156336#4187764
Books: http://www.librarything.com/topic/156336#4187819

Read
First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost - 6
Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood - 4
Zoo City by Lauren Beukes - 6