DeltaQueen Plays Authors: 2013 Category Challenge - Part 4

Still loving my categories and don't expect to make any changes during the year. But I do confess that I have been mulling over my planned categories for next year and I am already getting excited for that!

I based my 2013 Challenge on the card game called “Authors”. I have picked authors to represent each category, but I will not necessarily be reading those authors, instead I will read books that are similar in genre or have some connection to the theme.

I will set a goal of at least 10 books per category (including the bonus category) for a total of 140 books for the challenge. I may read more in some of the categories, but will consider my challenge completed with the 140 book total.

I am trying to focus on my TBR piles and will read as much as possible from my own shelves and my Kindle which seems to be growing books on a daily basis!






Audio books = ♫♫

E-Read Books = ††

How I Rate Books:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Categories:

1. Edgar Rice Burroughs: 10 Tales of Adventure and Daring

2. Virginia Woolf/Graham Greene: 5 Authors I Have Been Afraid of Trying & 5 Authors I Have Been Meaning to Try

3. Kate Atkinson: 10 Crime Stories by Women

4. Lawrence Block: 10 Crime Stories by Men

5. Arthur Conan Doyle: 10 Classic Crime/Mysteries

6. Henning Mankell: Around the World in 5 Crimes / Ariana Franklin: 5 Historical Mysteries

7. Pierre Burton: Non-Fiction

8. Xinran: 10 Books Set in Various Countries Around the World

9. J.M. Barrie: 10 Books to Keep Me Young (YA’s & Children's Lit)

10. Patrick O’Brian: 10 Historical Fiction Stories (To Be Determined by the Reading Through Time Challenge)

11. Hans Christian Andersen: 5 Tales of Fantasy and Magic / George Orwell: 5 Dystopian Stories

12. H.P. Lovecraft: 10 Tales on the Dark Side - Horror, Monsters, Creepy Crawlies

13. Dora Saint (Miss Read) - 10 Books I Want To Read Just Because

I also have plans to participate in the Sandman Graphic Novel Group Read but forgot to set aside a category for it, so I will treat graphic novels as refreshers that I will read between other books:

14. Neil Gaiman: Graphic Novels

1. Edgar Rice Burroughs - Stories of Adventure and Daring



"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open."
Jawaharial Nehru

Books Read

1. I Was Amelia Earhart†† by Jane Mendelsohn - 4.0 ★
2. A Long and Winding Road†† by Win Blevins - 3.1 ★
3. The Count of Monte Cristo†† by Alexandre Dumas - 4.4 ★
4. Zorro by Isabel Allende - 4.5 ★
5. King of the Khyber Rifles†† by Talbot Mundy - 3.8 ★
6. Butcher's Crossing by John Williams - 4.7 ★
7. Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell - 4.5 ★
8. The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson - 4.7 ★
9. I Am Algonquin by Rick Revelle - 4.0 ★
10. The Bounty Hunters by Elmore Leonard - 3.6 ★

COMPLETED

2. Virginia Woolf/Graham Greene - Authors I am Afraid to Try/Authors I Want to Try



"Curiosity will conquer fear more than bravery will."
James Stephens

Books Read

1. Brighton Rock by Graham Greene - 4.5 ★
2. Penrod by Booth Tarkington - 3.2 ★
3. Skippy Dies by Paul Murray - 5.0 ★
4. The Enchanted April†† by Elizabeth von Arnim - 3.3 ★
5. Alias Grace†† by Margaret Atwood - 4.1 ★
6. Memento Mori by Muriel Spark - 4.5 ★
7. What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn - 5.0 ★
8. Trainspotting †† by Irvine Welsh - 5.0 ★
9. An Ice Cream War by William Boyd - 5.0 ★

3. Kate Atkinson - Women Authors of Crime



"Women are like tea bags, they don’t know how strong they are until they are in hot water."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Books Read

1. The Missing by Jane Casey - 3.7 ★
2. The Armada Boy by Kate Ellis - 4.0 ★
3. Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie - 3.6 ★
4. Hocus by Jan Burke - 3.3 ★
5. Red Bones by Ann Cleeves - 4.0 ★
6. The Red Dahlia by Lynda La Plante - 4.2 ★
7. Almost the Truth by Margaret Yorke - 4.0 ★
8. The Hours Before Dawn by Celia Fremlin - 4.3 ★
9. Still Missing by Chevy Steven - 3.8 ★
10. Sob Story by Carol Anne Davis - 4.0 ★

COMPLETED

11. Indelible by Karin Slaughter - 3.5 ★

4. Lawrence Block - Male Authors of Crime



"Real heroes are men who fall and fail and are flawed, but win out in the end because they have stayed true their beliefs and ideals."
Kevin Costner

Books Read

1. Tilt-A-Whirl by Chris Grabenstein - 4.0 ★
2. Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville - 4.1 ★
3. Cold Light by John Harvey - 4.3 ★
4. Kindness Goes Unpunished†† by Craig Johnson - 4.5 ★
5. Flood by Andrew Vachss - 4.1 ★
6. Nineteen Seventy Four by David Peace - 2.5 ★
7. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin - 4.3 ★
8. Walking With Ghosts by John Baker - 4.2 ★
9. The Cleanup by Sean Doolittle - 3.5 ★

5. Arthur Conan Doyle - Classic Mysteries



"Murder is always a mistake - one should never do anything one shouldn’t talk about after dinner."
Oscar Wilde

Books Read

1. The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie - 4.0 ★
2. Fright by Cornel Woolrich - 4.0 ★
3. Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy Sayers - 3.8 ★
4. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie - 3.7 ★
5. The Plague Court Murders†† by John Dickson Carr - 3.2 ★
6. The Crime At Black Dudley by Margery Allingham - 4.0 ★
7. Fer-de-Lance†† by Rex Stout - 3.8 ★
8. Murder At the Vicarage†† by Agatha Christie - 4.1 ★
9. The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey - 4.5 ★
10. The Unpleasantness At the Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers - 4.0 ★

COMPLETED

11. Laura by Vera Caspary - 4.3 ★

6. Henning Mankell/Ariana Franklin International Crime Stories & Historical Mysteries



"The world is a book and those who do not travel, read only a page."
St. Augustine

"Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters."
African Proverb

Books Read

1. Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith - 4.1 ★
2. The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill - 4.5 ★
3. The Witch Doctor's Wife by Tamar Myers - 4.0 ★
4. Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent - 3.8 ★
5. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch - 4.0 ★
6. The Firemaker by Peter May - 4.5 ★
7. Million Dollar Baby by Amy Patricia Meade - 4.2 ★
8. A Beautiful Place To Die by Malla Nunn - 4.1 ★
9. The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen - 4.5 ★
10. The Leopard's Prey by Suzanne Arruda - 3.8 ★

COMPLETED

7. Pierre Burton - Non-Fiction, Memoirs & Bios



"Truth is the most valuable thing we have, so I try to conserve it."
Mark Twain

Books Read

1. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell - 5.0 ★
2. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah - 4.4 ★
3. A Year In the Life of the Cotswolds by Beata Moore - 3.3 ★
4. Under An Afghan Sky by Mellissa Fung - 4.4 ★
5. Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe by Charlotte Gill - 4.4 ★
6. Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne - 5.0 ★
7. Rowboat In A Hurricane by Julie Angus - 4.4 ★
8. Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - 4.0 ★
9. Getting Stoned With Savages by J. Maarten Troost - 3.2 ★
10. The Spy Who Never Was: The Life and Loves of Mata Hari by Julia Keay - 3.6 ★

COMPLETED

11. At The Mercy Of The River by Peter Stark - 4.2 ★

8. Xinran - Stories Set Around the World



“In the middle ages people were tourists because of their religion, whereas now they are tourists because tourism is their religion.”
Robert Runcie

Books Read

1. An Irish Country Girl by Patrick Taylor (Ireland) - 3.8 ★
2. Black Mulberries by Caitlin Davies (Botswana) - 3.6 ★
3. Daughters Who Walk This Path by Yejide Kilanko (Nigeria) - 4.5 ★
4. My Enemy's Cradle by Sara Young (Netherlands/Germany) - 3.4 ★
5. Sky Burial by Xinran - 4.5 ★
6. The Blue Notebook by James Levine - 4.0 ★
7. The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh - 3.2 ★
8. The Lady of the Decoration†† by Frances Little - 3.8 ★

9. J.M. Barrie - Children's Literature and YA



“Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional.”
Chili Davis

Books Read

1. Hunter by Joy Cowley - 4.3 ★
2. Insurgent by Veronica Roth - 4.1 ★
3. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore - 5.0 ★
4. The Scorpio Races†† by Maggie Stiefvater - 2.0 ★
5. Rules by Cynthia Lord - 4.0 ★
6. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - 5.0 ★
7. Anne of Green Gables†† by L.M. Montgomery - 5.0 ★
8. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster - 3.8 ★
9. Anne of Avonlea†† by L.M. Montgomery - 4.5 ★
10. A Thousand Shades of Blue by Robin Stevenson - 3.8 ★

COMPLETED

10. Patrick O'Brian - Historical Fiction



"Any fool can make history, it takes a genius to write it.”
Oscar Wilde

Books Read

1. The Smile by Donna Jo Napoli - 3.3 ★
2. Dissolution by C.J. Sansom - 4.2 ★
3. Outlaw by Angus Donald - 4.0 ★
4. The Persian Pickle Club†† by Sandra Dallas - 4.5 ★
5. The Winter Prince by Cheryl Sawyer - 3.3 ★
6. Midwife of the Blue Ridge by Christine Blevins - 3.8 ★
7. The Shadow Patriots by Lucia St Clair Robson - 3.6 ★
8. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer - 4.1 ★
9. Dragonfly in Amber†† by Diana Gabaldon - 5.0 ★
10. Henrietta Sees It Through†† by Joyce Dennys - 3.7 ★

COMPLETED

11. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier - 4.1 ★
12. Where Earth Meets Sky by Annie Murray - 3.0 ★

11. Hans Christian Andersen/ George Orwell - Tales of Fantasy and Magic/ Dystopia



“A well-composed book is a magic carpet on which we are wafted to a world that we cannot enter any other way.”
Caroline Gordon

Books Read

1. Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden - 4.2 ★
2. Ice Forged by Gail Z Martin - 3.1 ★
3. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa - 4.0 ★
4. Ashfall by Mike Mullin - 4.7 ★
5. River Secrets†† by Shannon Hale - 3.4 ★
6. The Eleventh Plague†† by Jeff Hirsch - 3.0 ★
7. Boneshaker by Cherie Priest - 3.1 ★
8. Ashes, Ashes†† by Jo Treggiari - 2.0 ★
9. A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz - 3.8 ★
10. The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch - 4.2 ★

COMPLETED

11. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin - 3.4 ★

12. H.P. Lovecraft - Dark Fantasy



“I love zombies. If any monster could Riverdance, it would be zombies.”
Craig Ferguson

Books Read

1. Domain of the Dead†† by Iain McKinnon - 3.5 ★
2. Dark Matter†† by Michelle Paver - 4.5 ★
3. Dust And Decay by Jonathan Maberry - 4.5 ★
4. Day By Day Armageddon by J. L. Bourne - 4.3 ★
5. American Elsewhere by Robert Jackson Bennett - 3.0 ★
6. The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan - 2.7 ★
7. Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan - 4.2 ★
8. The Fear by Charlie Higson - 4.0 ★

13. Dora Saint (Miss Read) - Reader's Choice



“For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude"
William Wordsworth

Books Read

1. Double Crossing†† by Meg Mims - 2.0 ★
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - 4.3 ★
3. Winter In Thrush Green†† by Miss Read (Dora Saint) - 4.2 ★
4. Once Upon A River by Bonnie Jo Campbell - 4.4 ★
5. Plainsong by Kent Haruf - 5.0 ★
6. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney - 3.2 ★
7. Shards of Honor†† by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.1 ★
8. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 5.0 ★
9. Jalna†† by Mazo De La Roche - 3.9 ★
10. News From Thrush Green by Miss Dead (Dora Saint) - 4.2 ★

COMPLETED

14. Neil Gaiman - Bonus: Graphic Novels



"Socrates should have written comics."
Mark Waid

Books Read

1. Sandman Vol 2: The Doll's House by Neil Gaiman - 4.5 ★
2. Sandman Vol 3: Dream Country by Neil Gaiman - 4.0 ★
3. Sandman Vol 4: Season of Mists by Neil Gaiman - 4.2 ★
4. The Walking Dead Vol 15: We Find Ourselves by Robert Kirkland - 4.0 ★
5. The Sandman Vol 5: A Game of You by Neil Gaiman - 4.5 ★
6. The Storm In The Barn by Matt Phelan - 3.3 ★
7. The Sandman Vol 6: Fables & Reflections by Neil Gaiman - 4.3 ★
8. A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori - 4.1 ★
9. The Sandman Vol 7: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman - 5.0 ★

6 Month Category Challenge Recap

1. Edgar Rice Burroughs - Adventure Stories
Completed: 6/10
Average Rating: 4.0
Male/Female Author Ratio: 4/2
Best Read YTD: Butcher's Crossing by John Williams

2. Virginia Woolf/Graham Greene - Authors I am Nervous To Try & Authors I am Curious To Try
Completed: 7/10
Average Rating: 4.2
Male/Female Author Ratio: 3/4
Best Reads YTD: Skippy Dies by Paul Murray & What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn

3. Kate Atkinson - Female Authors of Crime
Completed: 7/10
Average Rating: 3.8
Male/Female Author Ratio: all female
Best Read YTD: The Red Dahlia by Lynda La Plante

4. Lawrence Block - Male Authors of Crime
Completed: 6/10
Average Rating: 3.9
Male/Female Author Ratio: all male
Best Read YTD: Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson

5. Arthur Conan Doyle - Classic Crime
Completed: 7/10
Average Rating: 3.7
Male/Female Author Ratio: 3/4
Best Read YTD: All 7 have been very good.

6. Henning Mankell & Ariana Franklin - Global Crime & Historical Mysteries
Completed: 7/10
Average Rating: 4.1
Male/Female Author Ratio: 5/2
Best Reads YTD: The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill & The Firemaker by Peter May

7. Pierre Burton - Non-Fiction
Completed: 7/10
Average Rating: 4.4
Male/Female Author Ratio: 3/4
Best Reads YTD: My Family & Other Animals by Gerald Durrell & Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne

8. Xinran - Global Reading
Completed: 6/10
Average Rating: 3.9
Male/Female Author Ratio: 2/4
Best Reads YTD: Daughters Who Walk This Path by Yejide Kilanko & Sky Burial by Xinran

9. J.M. Barrie - YA & Children's Literature
Completed: 7/10
Average Rating: 4.2
Male/Female Author Ratio: 1/6
Best Reads YTD: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness & Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery

10. Patrick O'Brian - Historical Fiction
Completed: 6/10
Average Rating: 3.8
Male/Female Author Ratio: 2/4
Best Read YTD: The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas

11. Hans Christian Andersen & George Orwell - Fantasy & Dystopia
Completed: 8/10
Average Rating: 3.4
Male/Female Author Ratio: 3/5
Best Read YTD: Ashfall by Mike Mullin

12. H.P. Lovecraft - Dark Fantasy
Completed: 6/10
Average Rating: 3.7
Male/Female Author Ratio: 5/1
Best Reads YTD: Dark Matter by Michelle Paver & Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry

13. Dora Saint - Reader's Choice
Completed: 7/10
Average Rating: 3.8
Male/Female Author Ratio: 1/6
Best Read YTD: Plainsong by Kent Haruf

14. Neil Gaiman - Graphics & Mangas
Completed: 8/10
Average Rating: 4.1
Male/Female Author Ratio: 7/1
Best Reads YTD: All the Sandman Volumes by Neil Gaiman

My challenge is going along smoothly, I am reading pretty evenly among the categories and I can see that I will definitely get 10 books in each category completed. I will probably simply continue with these categories up to year end as I can fit pretty much all my reading in these categories.

I have migrated over to your new thread, Judy and agree, you have done an amazing job keeping your category reading balanced!

Jumping onto the new thread. :)

Happy new thread and happy Canada Day! :)

Yes - I was going to comment about it looking like you'll have no trouble reaching your goal.

Happy new thread!

Happy Canada Day. We are actually having very warm temperatures and I have spent most of the day sitting outside in the shade. I picked up a copy of Nancy Pearl's Book Lust and have been absorbed in that most of the day. My wishlist has been growing my leaps and bounds.

96. Murder At the Vicarage†† by Agatha Christie - 4.1 ★
Category: Arthur Conan Doyle - Classic Mystery
TIOLI #2: Book Was Listed Under a Previous TIOLI Challenge



Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie is the first of the Miss Marple mysteries. We are introduced to the village of St. Mary Mead and it’s various inhabitants. Among them is the Vicar, Len Clement, who narrates the story during which a secondary character, the incomparable Miss Marple is introduced. The murder of Colonel Protheroe, who apparently was heartily disliked by everyone he knew, has the village turned upside down and it only gets more confusing when various suspects step forward and confess to the murder. Miss Marple with her observing ways and knowledge of human nature is the one who is finally able to put the pieces together and solve this mystery.

I was particularly engaged by the vicar and his wife, Griselda. On the surface he appears to be the perfect village parson, proper and earnest, but his inner thoughts revealed a sense of humor and a knowledge of human foibles. And while she totally lacked the decorum that one would expect the vicar’s wife to have, Griselda was charming, forthright and fresh. Agatha Christie always seems to people her books with characters that are on the verge of becoming stereotypes yet they still ring true and are fun to read about. In the small village of Saint Mary Mead, we have an assortment of village busybodies and residents’ daily routines are well known and any variations, however slight, are noted and commented on.

In typical Christie fashion, the reader is offered many suspects, lots of clues with a few red herrings scattered about and a final reveal with a slight twist just to keep things interesting.

97. Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - 4.0 ★
Category: Pierre Burton - Non-Fiction
TIOLI #16: Less Than 300 Pages



Book Lust by Nancy Pearl is more of a catalogue, listing as it does some of her favorite books on just about any subject, both fiction and non-fiction. I have spent the last couple of days absorbed in scanning her cleverly titled lists and making some lists of my own. I admit to at least two trips to the Kindle store.

Ms Pearl, a Seattle librarian, has an obvious love of books that goes right back to her childhood. In the last week I have also gone through her children and YA recommendations called Book Crush. One thing I have found is that Ms Pearl and I have many books in common. Nancy Pearl is also famous as being the creator of the Pearl Rule, understanding as she does that not all books are right for all people and that there is nothing wrong with trying a book and discarding it as not being the right book for you.

I suspect any book lover would enjoy Book Lust whether to get ideas for new books or simply as a trip down memory lane, being reminded of past books that had an impact in your life. I will definitely be picking up her More Book Lust as apparently there is always room for more books on my wish list.

Uh-oh, I sense my resistance to Book Lust (noooo! not MORE book bullets!) is weakening ;)

You are doing very well in the challenge, aren't you! Book Lust is going on my list too, but I'm scared of what it'll do to my wishlist... :)

#30 & 31 - I actually took fewer hits than I thought I would. I think that just goes to show how people here on LT are already passing on the bullets on many of the book Nancy Pearl mentions. I did find one author (KhushWent Singh) that intrigued me so much that I bought a collection of three of his books for my Kindle, and I downloaded the complete Father Brown Mysteries as well.

98. Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan - 4.2 ★
Category: H.P. Lovecraft - Dark Fantasy
July AlphaCat: G & T
TIOLI #4: Currently the Last Book In a Series or Trilogy



Talulla Rising by Glen Duncan is the continuation of the saga started in The Last Werewolf, and I would caution that this book is not for the squeamish. This is the continuing story of Talulla, the female werewolf as she carries on without her partner Jake and is about to give birth. I don’t want to spoil the plot for anyone so I won’t go into any details. I would suggest however that one should read The Last Werewolf first.

As this is Talulla’s story, it is told in her voice, and rightly so. But oh, I did dearly miss the world-weary cynicism that Jake brought to his tale. The voice of Talulla is less caustic and the overall result is more of a straightforward story with less high camp and satire. As Talulla is a much newer werewolf, acrimony has not yet settled in and she spends much of her time questioning herself, her life, and her existence. She struggles to find a way to marry the monster side of herself with the mother side.

Talulla Rising is a werewolf story and as such there is lots of action and a fair amount of blood and guts. Glen Duncan manages to to tell a genre story and still gives his reader much to ponder upon. Although I enjoyed this book a little less than the first, I am still eager to read the final volume in the trilogy when it comes out.

Glad you enjoyed Talulla and I agree totally that it doesn't quite hit the heights of The Last Werewolf but still not bad for a middle book. Looks like the release for book 3 has been pushed back to February 2014 but at least I still have a couple of others of his to read in the meantime.

Belated Happy Canada Day!
Nancy Pearl also has a book of YA recommendations, Book Crush. I added more books to my wish list from that book than from both Book Lust books combined.

Hey Judy, it's a great feeling to be up to date with a series (your werewolf book). I have been doing much better with series since another LT member told me about Fictfact (I can't remember who it was though).
I too have had my interest stirred with Book Lust. That is such a great title. I am going to see if they have it at my library.

Nice review of Talulla Rising, I think I am going to wait for the third and see what people think. Plus I did like Jake very much, I might start sulking without him :)

#34 - Hi Dave, finding a good "monster" book is difficult as best, so it is great that Glen Duncan gives the reader an intelligent, well-thought out book that isn't dumbed downed in any way. I have yet to tackle any other Glen Duncan book, but after this series is done, I must have a look at his back catalogue.

#35 - And a belated Happy 4th to you! I actually started with Book Crush as my granddaughter asked me to help her choose some of her books for her summer reading program. That book led to the next, and now I am eager to get to the third one. Your right, I think I may have taken a few more hits from Book Crush than I did from Book Lust, I did also get a lengthy list of books for my granddaughter and I to hunt down this summer.

#36 - Hi Ro, I use FactFiction to help track my series as well. I am still woefully behind, but better organized! The sheer number of series that I currently am following is ridiculous and it's pretty much impossible not to keep adding new ones!

#37 - I know, Claire, I missed Jake, his tone was so perfect in the first book. It will be interesting to see how the author ties everything together in the final volume. Of course that's assuming it is the final volume and not one of those ever expanding trilogies!

Hi, Judy! I'm just catching up the end of your last thread and start of this nice new one.

What Was Lost was already on my radar, but your review just made it a higher priority item. That one sounds right up my alley!

Hi Terri, I hope you enjoy What Was Lost when you get to it.

99. The Sandman Vol 7: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman - 5.0 ★
Category: Neil Gaiman - Graphic Novels
Yearly Group Read of The Sandman Series
TIOLI #16: Less than 300 Pages



I know I am sounding like a broken record as I read through this series, raving as I do after each one, but truly, The Sandman Vol 7: Brief Lives is something special. The book tells one story, and what a story. This is a comprehensive look at the dysfunctional family of the Endless as youngest sister, Delirium, approaches her siblings to find someone to accompany her in a search for their missing brother, Destruction. This brother opted to drop out of the family and his responsibilities over 300 years ago. Dream is the only sibling to agree to accompany her. He goes not because he wants to find Destruction, but simply to take his mind off a failed love affair.

My chief delight in this book was the character of Delirium. She brought to mind a hyper-active three year old with every thought that goes through her head popping out of her mouth. She is charming, humorous and I imagine rather tiring to be around after a while. And although her thoughts are scattered and seemingly random, every now and again she utters a simple truth with clarity and depth. She was the perfect foil to Dream with her spontaneity and child like wonder against his controlled quietness.

From rundown strip clubs to ancient Greek temples, this story carries you along and all the while you are absorbing Gaiman’s philosophy on life, change and the gods that we hold above all. I have noticed in his work a recurring theme on these patterns of life and what happens to gods when they are no longer needed. Is immortality actually for forever or does it fade in the wake of non-belief?

The Sandman Vol. 7: Brief Lives is quite simply a masterpiece and I can’t even begin to imagine what will follow. But I definitely have my fingers crossed for more Delirium and more Barnabas, another favorite character from this volume.

@38, Judy, I'll look forward to seeing what you think of Glen Duncan's other work as and when you get to it. You know that I've become a big fan of his and will be picking up one of the two remaining books that are on my tbr shelves shortly. Hope that his older stuff resonates just as well for you too.

100. Getting Stoned With Savages by J. Maarten Troost - 3.2 ★
Category: Pierre Burton - Non-Fiction
Commonweath Tour: Vanuatu
July RandomCat: Book Travel
July AlphaCat: G & T
TIOLI #16: A Book With Less Than 300 Pages



Getting Stoned With Savages by J. Maarten Troost is one man’s view of life on the islands of Vanuatu and Fiji. Written in the form of a journal, I found this a rather ho-hum read. The author tries to be amusing, but the key word here is try. I found that instead of being funny, it felt a little forced.

It was interesting to read of these places and I wish he had given more details of the land and the lifestyle, but there was a little too much attention spent analyzing his own thought processes rather than describing scenery. I will give him credit in that if his aim is to discourage visitors to these places than he has accomplished his goal. A chapter on one evening in Fiji has him almost robbed, in fear of being raped by a group of cross-dressers, and accosted by various prostitutes.

In short, I felt this book with it’s descriptions of cyclones, giant centipedes and sharks needed a little more on the plus side in order to fully describe these exotic places. Getting Stoned With Savages was an ok read, but left me feeling that I still know very little about these islands.

Great review of Brief Lives - *thumbing* I do love Barnabas, he's just so wonderful!!

#44 - Thanks for the thumb, Eva. I am so loving this series, and reading them this way, approx. one a month, seems to be perfect timing. I retain my thoughts on the last one while still feeling ready for a fresh, new story. I wish I could read all my series like this!

101. A Beautiful Place To Die by Malla Nunn - 4.1 ★
Category: Henning Mankell - Global Crime (South Africa)
July AwardCat: 2010 Edgar Award Novel Finalist
July RandomCat: Travel Places
TIOLI #27: Personal Name Mentioned in First Line of the Book



A Beautiful Place To Die by Malla Nunn is set in South Africa during 1952, shortly after the Apartheid laws had been passed. Detective Emmanuel Cooper, an Englishman is sent to the small town of Jacob’s Rest to investigate the murder of the police chief, William Pretorius. In this mostly Afrikaner town, he is an outsider and between the murder victim’s powerful family and the black people’s suspicions, getting information is far from easy. Things take a decidedly turn for the worst when a couple of National Security bullies show up to take charge of the investigation. They are keen to give this murder a political slant and are looking for black communist dissidents to charge. Cooper feels strongly that this murder is much more personal and so launches his own shadow investigation.

This book delivers a complex plot, rich characters and an interesting and intriguing setting. I knew very little about what it must have been like to live under these unnatural laws yet through her powerful story telling, the political and emotional tensions are captured and one can see how deep and dangerous the rift between the races was.

A Beautiful Place to Die is not first and foremost about the mystery, the author keeps many things back and lets her story unfold slowly. Secrets are the engine that move this book along, and I believe Malla Nunn has many more to offer in future books.

I appreciated your review of A Beautiful Place to Die. I'd picked up this book several years ago, when I was hoping to read more novels set in Africa (still would like to do so), but for some reason, it's been just sitting on my bookshelves since. It sounds like I need to move it up in my TBR list!

Paulina, I really enjoyed A Beautiful Place to Die, it started slowly for me, but it didn't take long before I was quite absorbed.

lots to catch up on here - great review of Sandman! mark me down as another awaiting the third book by Duncan to see if I'll continue with the series, without Jake not sure there's much to grab me

#49 - Hi Pete, having gone ahead and read the second book, I am now looking forward to the third to see how he wraps up the trilogy. Jake is missed though. :(

102. Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster - 3.8 ★
Category: J.M. Barrie - YA and Children's Literature
TIOLI #13: From the List of Most Popular TIOLI Books



I was expecting to find Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster a light-hearted, sentimental read that would barely hold my interest. Well, yes, it is both light-hearted and sentimental but I also found an element of creepiness in the relationship that Daddy and Judy had. Starting out as a benefactor to an orphan by paying for her to go to college, his lurking in the background, pulling the strings and almost shaping this young girl into his future wife was rather disturbing. However, now that I have voiced my concern, I do have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Daddy-Long-Legs is presented in a letter format as Judy is instructed to write to her benefactor and keep him up to date on her life. She calls him Daddy-Long-Legs as she only ever saw a quick glance at him from behind and remembered him mostly for the length of the shadow he cast. She dutifully writes him, and here lies the charm of this book. Her letters are fun, breezy informative chat-fests. She is an open book and tells all, establishing a relationship with this shadow figure who continues to hide his identity.

Over the course of the book we discover that Judy isn’t the meek and mild orphan that she appears to be, she has backbone and an inner strength and when she wants to she knows how to stand up for herself. By the book’s end, it is clear that Judy will have a wonderful life with her Daddy-Long-Legs, and in a romantic tale such as this, this is the happy ending that was hoped for.

if you liked Daddy Long Legs, there's a sequel called Dear Enemy which is also done as a series of letters and is about Judy's friend Sallie McBride. It's fun as well.

Oh, I have Daddy-Long-Legs as an option for my Epistolary category. Now that I am forewarned about the creepy aspect of the relationship, I will probably be in a better position to read it, if I get around to it, that is. Lovely review, Judy!

I had a similar reaction to Daddy-Long-Legs...found it a lovely read despite the slight ick factor. I'd love to read Dear Enemy as well!

#52 - Thanks, I will definitely keep my eyes out for Dear Enemy.

#53 - Lori, I think that the relationship between Judy and Daddy-Long-Legs probably only seems creepy from a modern point of view. The book was set, I would say in the late 1800's/early 1900's when women had little rights and men made the major decisions. I will be interested in what you make of it.

#54 - Christina, we cross-posted! I just picked up Dear Enemy for free on the Kindle!!

103. Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan by Robin Maxwell - 4.5 ★
Category: Edgar Rice Burroughs - Adventure
July AlphaCat: T
July RandomCat: Travel Books
TIOLI #27: Personal Name In First Line of Book



For an reader of adventure stories, some of the most stirring words are perhaps, “Me, Tarzan. You, Jane”. The story of the ape-man who was an English lord, and his mate, Jane, a young woman on safari is one that I have always been a huge fan of. From comic books to movies, the Tarzan legend has always been a favorite. Now, Robin Maxwell has written, Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan, telling the myth from the female point of view. I found this a great story, a thrilling adventure that is rooted firmly by the author’s research into both the setting and the history of the area.

The release of this book was timed for the centennial year of Edgar Rice Burroughs classic tale, and has the approval of the author’s estate. Her use of the original author as a character in her story, made for a cohesive and intriguing plot line. The ending of this book is also a homage to the original “pulp fiction” aspect of Tarzan. I have a feeling that Edgar would approve.

The only petty criticism I can offer is that the book had a slow start, perhaps a little too much time was spent in giving us Jane’s background and showing her to be a modern woman in a era that is on the brink of huge change. Once the book had launched the Parkers on the expedition, the storyline picked up and the action was pretty much non-stop.

For me Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan was a perfect blend of an electrifying adventure with a spellbinding love story, a winning combination.

That sounds like a great book! I like the idea of showing the events of Tarzan from Jane's perspective. Do you think it would be helpful to read the original Tarzan story first for background?

Nice review of Getting Stoned With Savages. After reading both of Troost's Island books I was left with the image of the islands devastated by atomic testing, with no native fruit or nut trees, unable to feed themselves without outside intervention, lagoons full of garbage and human waste, large,dangerous insects and nothing to do. Definitely not places to visit. Maybe Fiji.
Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan looks interesting.

#57 - I think that the legend of Tarzan is so well known that you don't have to have read the original Tarzan at all. I have heard that some people are a little upset at the few things that she changed from the original, but I don't agree, Tarzan was written for the masses, originally published in a magazine and I think the author himself would have approved of this version.

#58 - I also didn't think Troost went out of his way to make these places sound like great vacation destinations, but I felt it had more to do with his writing style than the actual places. But I agree, Fiji came off sounding a little more like the tropical paradise that I was picturing.

#56 Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan sound great! Thank you for the review.

Hi Judy. It sounds like you enjoyed jane: Woman who loved Tarzan as much asI did. I agree with your review, however I didn't mind the intro to Jane. I liked getting to see her in her usual environment, before being immersed in the jungle.

#60 - Hi Caroline, Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan is a fun read, the perfect escape from the every day routine.

#61 - Ro, this was the first Robin Maxwell book that I have read, and now I am adding her to my "authors to watch for" list. I really liked this Jane and the author connected the story together flawlessly.

Jane: The Woman Who Loved Tarzan looks very interesting. I read a bunch of Tarzan comics when I was a kid, but I've never read the original book since, as you say, the story is so familiar.

The whole Tarzan/Jane thing is pretty ingrained in our culture, it would be pretty hard to have avoided bumping into it at some point. I finally got around to reading the original just last year, and it was such a familiar tale that even though I knew I hadn't read it before, it felt like I had.

Have you seen the movie, Greystoke? From what I understand, the first half is very faithful to the book (but the second half is completely different). The original is on the to-be-read list - at some point in time... :)

I did see Greystoke and I quite liked it, even though I am a diehard Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan fan. I don't get too riled up with changes that are made to Tarzan plotline as it was originally a pulp fiction piece and I think the author would be open to some fiddling about with the story. Heck, I even shelled out money for the Bo Derek Tarzan movie which was pretty awful.

104. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin - 4.3 ★
Category: Lawrence Block - Male Authors of Crime
July AwardCat: 2011 Edgar Award Nominee for Best Novel
July AlphaCat: T
TIOLI #9: Read a Book Recommended by The Book Browser



I was immediately drawn into Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter both by the author’s descriptive power and his ability to convey conversations that flow easily and have a strong feel of reality. This book shone on so many levels with it's excellent, multi-layered plot, and characters that you immediately take to heart and care about.

Set in Mississippi the story jumps back and forth in time. In the present, Larry Ott is 41 and has spend years being the town weirdo, designated as “Scary Larry”, he is still the number one suspect in the disappearance of a girl that went out on a date with him and was never seen again. We visit the past and meet a young Larry, a quiet boy who has reached out in friendship to Silas, a young black boy who lives in a shack with his mother on Larry’s father’s property. Although these boys come from different worlds, they do bond and form a friendship of sorts. Then comes the time that Larry takes a neighbourhood girl to the drive-in, and when she doesn’t come home, both Larry and Silas find their lives changed forever. Now Silas is a police constable and Larry an outcast and, when a young women again goes missing, many people are pointing fingers at Larry.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin is much more than a simple mystery, this atmospheric story touches on the underlying racism that is still very prevalent today and tells the story of two men of different races that share a past and secrets that are about to come bubbling to the surface.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter has been on my wishlist for a while. Must see about actually picking it up one of these days.

I have it on one of my piles. Must try and find it.

#68 - I may have let this one simmer on my wishlist a little longer, but it fit the AwardCat this month, giving me a reason to read it now.

#69 - I'll be looking forward to seeing how you like it, Mamzel.

105. The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson - 4.7 ★
Category: Edgar Rice Burroughs - Adventure
July Group Read
July RandomCat: Travel Books
TIOLI #19: Published by the New York Review of Books



The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson is set during the 10th century AD and tells the life story of Orm Tostesson, known as Red Orm. This is a lusty Viking tale of adventure with much roaming, many battles, blood-feuds and a treasure hunt. Orm undertakes three major voyages during his life, two of which comprise the first half of the book, and the third which closes out the story. There is also a period between the first two voyages and the third when Orm builds his home in the wilderness, marries and raises a family.

This saga of Red Orm is told in great detail and we learn of the various power struggles that were ongoing at the time, On one of his voyages he goes a Viking to England and brings home some very rich plunder. He also plays a part in some of the intrigues of various Scandinavian kings, and comes into contact with the might of the Christian church. Eventually he and his family become Christians and strive to help the church convert more people away from the old gods even though there was a great reluctance by the people to do so. At the best, Orm would be what I would call a pragmatic Christian.

Although this story is told in a frank and straight forward manner, the author often uses humor to advance the plot. Orm is far from a saint, but even though he robs, plunders, takes slaves and murders, he does so in the spirit of the times. Overall, I found The Long Ships a fun, well written novel that tells a great yarn of lusty men and their strong willed women.

I'm not far into this book yet but I am looking forward to it. So glad to hear you enjoyed it.

Excellent review! *thumbing*

"what I would call a pragmatic Christian"
LOL, very much so! :)

#72 - Mamzel, The Long Ships was exactly the kind of read that I was hoping to find when I designated a category to adventure this year.

373 - Ha, that was my polite way of putting it, Eva!! He certainly had a way of encouraging converts.

Avoiding review as I have just started but glad you enjoyed it!

#75 - Have fun with The Long Ships, Claire.

106. The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh - 3.2 ★
Category: Xinran - Global Reading (Viet Nam)
July AwardCat: Independant Foreign Fiction Prize - 1994, Viet Nam
TIOLI #16: A Book With Less Than 300 Pages



During the Viet Nam War, Bao Ninh served in the Glorious 27th Youth Brigade of the North Vietnamese Army, and of the five hundred members who went to war in 1969, he is one of ten that survived. This author knows the pain of war, the hopelessness of war, The Sorrow of War. Yet, I found this a difficult book to become overly connected to. The writing is beautiful and the emotion runs deep, but is elusive. It’s non-linear style required my concentrated attention, but that also had a disconnecting effect. The basic story is about Kien who now that the war is over, is responsible for the retrieval and identification of the fallen but comes across more as a series of reflections or flashbacks about the horrors that he experienced during the war.

As if through a veil we are given glimpses of a survivor’s guilt as we learn of the events that Kien lived through. At times very dark and bleak, but at others you get a glimpse of the black humor that helped these soldiers hold it together. And through it all runs the remoteness and distance that enables a person to go on when the terror and violence seem never ending.

The Sorrow of War was an uncomfortable read yet this book does a good job of pointing out that soldiers everywhere share these feelings regardless of politics, religion or race. As this short and powerful book ably points out no one survives a war intact.

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter and The Long Ships both sound great. I have got them on my book radar now.

Both great reads, Ro. I hope you enjoy them.

107. Trainspotting †† by Irvine Welsh - 5.0 ★
Category: Graham Greene - Author I am Curious To Try
Commonwealth Tour: Scotland
July AlphaCat: T
TIOLI 15: One of the Main Characters Has A Condition Mentioned in the DSM-5



More of a collection of loosely connected short stories than an actual novel, Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh can be a difficult and depressing read but it can also be highly rewarding as well. I use the term read loosely as I actually listened to this book as read by Tam Dean Burn in a thick Scottish accent. His voice was perfectly suited to convey these stories of a group of young people in 1980’s Edinburgh who are either hooked on heroin or move in the same circles as the heroin users. I can’t praise this audio version enough, the reader totally made the book come alive. I laughed, cringed and cried my way through the life experiences of these characters.

Each chapter is narrated by a different character and it isn’t long before they are recognizable by their speaking patterns. The various characters all have their own well established identities and while Spud is the most vulnerable and likeable, Begbie is a violent sociopath, acts the hard man and is downright scary, Rent comes across as having the most intelligence in that he can see the downward spiral they are on and often thinks about kicking his habit but he can also be the most frustrating as he likes to philosophize on his problems and Scotland’s place in the world, yet does little to change things. Then there is Sick-Boy who has his own reptilian charm. He is totally amoral, openly displays contempt for women and yet women seem drawn to him. He often holds hilarious internal conversations with himself in the voice of Sean Connery and can display an effortless charm, but he is also the most shallow and callous of the group.

I can tell that this is going to be a book that stays with me, it’s unconventional style is one that I found captivating. Trainspotting was brutal, terrifying and, at times both heart breaking and very funny. Author Irvine Welsh has reached an almost cult-like status and this book is a good example of how this came to be.

Excellent! I am so pleased you enjoyed it!!! Tam Dean Burn is the perfect reader for this, isn't he.

Eva, I loved this book so much that I am having trouble getting into my current reads. And I am really glad that I went with the audio, I don't think I would have enjoyed it as much if the inner voice had been mine.

108. Shadow Patriots by Lucia St Clair Robson - 3.6 ★
Category: Patrick O'Brian - Historical Fiction
Reading Through Time Monthly Theme: 1770 - 1790
TIOLI #18: Set In One Of The Original 13 American Colonies



Shadow Patriots by Lucia St Clair Robson is a novel set during the American Revolution. Kate Danby is a Quaker and although they are against war and most choose not to take sides, Kate sees her brother, Seth run off and join Washington’s army at Valley Forge. Throughput that difficult winter she often visits her brother in his quarters bringing food and clothing for his squad. She finds herself drawn deeper and deeper into the conflict and eventually she cannot deny her patriotism and joins her brother in spying on the British.

Loosely based on a the life of an unknown female spy known only today as 355, the author fills her story with historical details that are well researched and authentic. The story unfolds in an episodic manner and conveys a great deal of information on the Revolution from July 1776 to the early spring of 1781. You get a real feel for the hardships that so many had to deal with.

Lucia St Clair Robson is a author that I can rely on for good historical fiction, and although this book wasn’t my favorite, she still delivered a good story that held my interest and was informative.

Stories of female spies during the American Revolution fascinate me. Since I love a good historical fiction it looks like I will be checking out Lucia St Clair Robson's books!

Hi Lori, I usually love anything by Lucia St Clair Robson but this one just didn't grab me. It could just be that I was having trouble concentrating on anything after being so involved with Trainspotting. I seem to be in the minority as most people rate Shadow Patriots quite highly.

Great review of Trainspotting! I'll have to add this to my wishlist.

->82 DeltaQueen50:
It is quite brilliant, isn't it. The good news is that Skagboys just came out in unabridged audio and it too is read by Tam Dean Burn.

#86 - Paulina, I don't know if you do audio books, but if you do, I highly recommend the audio version of Trainspotting.

#87 - Thanks Eva, Skagboys just went to the top of my wishlist!

109. Walking With Ghosts by John Baker - 4.2 ★
Category: Lawrence Block - Male Authors of Crime
July AlphaCat: G
TIOLI #6: Summer Arches



Walking With Ghosts by John Baker is his fourth book featuring PI Sam Turner and his crew. In this one, most of them are dealing with serious issues and massive changes that are coming to their lives. Sam is living through his wife Dora’s last days as she succumbs to cancer, Marie is learning how to move on after her husband’s death and has met a man, while Geordie is facing parenthood. At the same time they have also been hired by an insurance company to look into the death of India Blake who was apparently kidnapped, held for ransom and then never returned. Originally the police figured she and her lover scammed her husband and disappeared, that is, until her body turned up 3 months later.

Although the police suspected the husband, Edward, was involved, it couldn’t be proven and now that he is claiming the insurance, Sam and his group have been asked to look into this case one more time before payment is made.

I have enjoyed each one of the Sam Turner books and this one is no exception. The characters are endearing, the relationships between them ring true. The story grabbed me right from the start and the interludes where the characters personal lives were delved into was poignant and gave a real sense of depth to the book.

I've got the first of the Sam Turner series on my tbr shelves (based on your previous recommendation). I should try and get to reading it at some point. Nice to know the series holds up well though.

I've been meaning to read Trainspotting for quite a while (pretty much since the movie came out), and it sounds like its worth reading.

Shadow Patriots also sounds like a great read. Female spies are awesome, especially historical ones.

Finally catching up. You've had a great reading summer so far!

I first read Daddy Long Legs as a young teenager and loved it. A recent reread did have me noticing the age difference more than anything else. And Dear Enemy is fantastic. It's much more a meeting of equals, although the psychology bits are outdated. Way outdated. But it did get me googling the cases mentioned.

I loved Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, although it took me awhile to pick up my mail without looking into the box first!

#90 - Dave, this series is really impressing me. The author makes you feel as if you are reading about friends, and he is well able to mix light humor with sharp observations and doesn't shy away from the violence. My biggest problem is tracking down the books - not always easy to find.

#91 - I feel like I am preaching to the already converted, but, yes, do read Trainspotting, if you loved the movie then I am positive you will love the book.

#92 - Hi Kay, I think the whole age aspect is probably much more apparent today than it was when the book was originally written, but it's hard to ignore. I have Dear Enemy waiting on my Kindle, just have to slot it in at some point.

Yeah, getting the mail would definitely be one of those chores I would hope my husband would do, I would freak out at the surprise they offered in Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter!

110. The Hours Before Dawn by Celia Fremlin - 4.3 ★
Category: Kate Atkinson - Women of Crime
July AwardCat: 1960 Edgar Award for Best Novel
TIOLI #16: Less Than 300 Pages



In The Hours Before Dawn, author Celia Fremlin uses the clever idea of a mother’s sleep deprivation to built her story upon. Louise Henderson has a very full plate indeed. Caring for three children, one a baby that cries incessantly every night between 2:00 am and dawn, dealing with a husband that expects a quiet nights sleep and a well run house, and now taking on a lodger to help stretch the budget. Is this lack of sleep causing Louise to be psychotic, or is there something seriously wrong here. Why does she have such apprehension toward the lodger, who appears to be a respectable schoolteacher?

Originally published in 1959, this Edgar Award winning novel is a real page turner. The author builds her suspense slowly, a slight movement out of the corner of the eye, the sound of footsteps in the hall, an intercepted malicious gaze. Is there really something wrong here or is the mother driving herself crazy. As the dazed Louise struggles to understand what is happening to her family, the chills and overall creepiness builds to a exciting conclusion.

The Hours Before Dawn was a tidy thriller that also gives great insight in what it was like to be a homemaker in the 1950’s.. Although an older book I thought this was a very fresh idea. The author did a great job of plotting out a storyline that many parents can identify with.

Good review of the Fremlin. I read it last year and had exactly the same impression. The author makes you feel the exhaustion that taking care of small children causes you.

#95 - When people talk about the fashions, music and media of the late 70's/early 80's I draw a big blank, I was caught up in raising children and running a household and trying to get some sleep. There was a sentence in the book about how she still loved her husband, but for now that love was put away in a drawer which I thought rang true.

I'm off to visit my family for awhile, I wish it was under happier circumstances. My sister has been diagnosed with cancer and I want to be with her. They are not operating, have decided to use radiation, so I am hoping that this means they expect a positive outcome. I will have limited access to a computer, but I will try to keep my thread updated.

My prayers are with you. I've been in your sister's place and I know just how harrowing it is.

Sending good thoughts for your sister.

Great review of The Hours Before Dawn, Judy. On the future reading list it goes.

Very sorry to read about your sister. Sending positive thoughts to both of you for the treatment and recovery. Have a safe trip.

Judy, so sorry to hear of your sister's diagnosis. Safe travels to you, and best wishes for healing for your sister!

->90 AHS-Wolfy:
Me too! I went to add it to the wishlist, and lo and behold, it was already on Mt. TBR thanks to Judy's 12-in-12 thread.

->97 DeltaQueen50:
Sending all my thoughts to your sister - hope the treatment is effective and doesn't wear her out too much.

#97 by @DeltaQueen50> So very sorry to hear that, but will hold thumbs for a positive outcome for her!

Sorry to hear about your sister, hope the treatment goes well.

#94 This sounds like a great psychological thriller. Thank you for the review.

#97 I'm sorry to hear about your sister. Sending you and your sister good thoughts. Take care.

sorry to hear about your sister! hope things go well

Sorry to hear about your sister. I wish her the best and hope for a full recovery!

Judy, I wish your sister the best! I hope everything goes well.

Hoping for the best for your sister.

Best of luck to your sister.

Sorry to hear about your sister. Hope the treatment goes well for her.

Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family!

Thank you everyone for the healing thoughts and prayers. This is a very difficult time and I am not really ready to discuss it yet. I have been reading, looking for light, positive stories, that are easy to pick up and put down often.

111. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer - 4.1 ★
Category: Patrick O'Brian - Historical Fiction
July AlphaCat: G
Reading Through Time Quarterly Challenge: 17th Century
TIOLI #20: Purchased Book While Travelling



The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer was the perfect book for me at this time. With it's light, airy plot I found it a relaxing read and one that was easy to carry-along with me. This is an author I can rely upon for a positive outlook and a happy ending, exactly what I need right now.

I will eventually get to a few more Georgette Heyer books. I just have so many books ahead of them.

You and your family are in my thoughts. Cancer sucks.

I just introduced a friend to Georgette Heyer. Still finding fans after all this time!

#115 - Lori, Georgette Heyer has become a go-to author for me when I am in the mood for light and positive.

#116 - Thank you so much.

#117 - Heyer seems to stand the test of time and like Agatha Christie, her books seem to still draw a large readership.

112. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee - 5.0 ★
Category: Dora Saint - Reader's Choice
Group Read
TIOLI #7: Title Includes the Name of A Bird



I am not going to write a review for To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee as this must be one of the most reviewed books of all time. This was a re-read for me and although it's been well over thirty years since I last read it, it still remains one of my top favorites reads.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a book that has, and will continue to stand the test of time. An amazing story. Very happy see it remains one of your faves..... its remains one of mine!

I only read To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time a couple of years ago (it wasn't part of the curriculum in Sweden when I was at school...) and I completely understand why it's become such a classic.

Harper Lee is an interesting person too, a bit of a recluse, only ever written the one book, great book & the Gregory Peck film adaptation is good too

She had some influence with Truman Capote (her cousin, right?).

Not her cousin, they were neighbors when they were growing up and became lfriends throughout their adult lives. When he went to Kansas to work on In Cold Blood she went with him because she knew he would have trouble being accepted and she could help bridge that gap.

I'm visiting your thread for the first time in a couple of weeks. Some great reads and some sad news. Hope your sister gets through all right. Don't forget to take care of yourself.

Too many BBs to count, and some positive energy/thoughts/prayers sent to you and your family. Keep on reading happy-making books, your brain needs a break every once in a while! (((hugs)))

Catching up on a month's worth of posts here.

Very sorry to hear about your sister. Here's hoping everything goes well.

Enjoying many reviews here, thumbing Trainspotting for sure. I once wrote an essay at university why this could be a future classic, and it still seems a good choice to me. You make want to re-read it, especially now with Skagboys out!

It's a real break for me to come and visit here. I am going home tomorrow and as much as I long for home, a big part of me wants to stay here. It's been a tough couple of weeks, but we now have a diagnosis and a plan of action which helps. My sister is a fighter and has a lot to fight for so hopefully that will help her get through these next few months. I am very concerned about my mother as she, rightfully so, is very worried and upset. She's 92 and all this stress is taking a toll. In a large way though my Mom is why my sister is putting on such a brave face, she also does not want to upset her more than she can.

We are a family of readers and books are playing a big part as well. My sister and I went to the second hand book store last Friday so she could stock up on books to read while going through kemo treatments.

113. The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey - 4.5 ★
Category: Arthur Conan Doyle - Classic Crime
TIOLI #2: Cover Shows a Blurry Sky



The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey is a great example of a classic mystery. It is original, interesting and enjoyable. Added to that is the fact that it is both expertly plotted and written. This is considered part of the Alan Grant series, but it can well stand alone.

Alan Grant is merely a side character in this story, and the main character is confirmed bachelor, lawyer Robert Blair, whose life gets turned upside down by his involvement with two women who are accused of a particularly nasty crime. Blair, whose normal business is wills and investments, finds himself the defense lawyer in this complicated case.

Josephine Tey is an author that I know I can rely upon to provide a very good story and The Franchise Affairwhich harkens back to a quieter, gentler time, is, for me, one of her better ones,

Just catching up here. Sending my best wishes to your sister.

Thanks for posting the update, Judy. Continuing to send positive thoughts and best wishes to your sister, you and your family during this difficult time.

I have The Man in the Queue sitting on the wishlist on account of you and it sounds like I should get to it sooner rather than later. Also, of course, continued well-wishes to your whole family!

I am back home now and again, I truly want to thank everyone for keeping my thread going. I am currently reading Anne of Avonlea and listening to Dragonfly in Amber, both re-reads. I seem to be reaching for books that are old friends right now. At 39 hours, I could be listening to Dragonfly in Amber for quite some time!

Best of wishes to your sister.

Thanks, Cindy. She has been put on a cycle of steroids and has been booked for kemo treatments starting on August 14th. We will be keeping our fingers crossed and praying for some positive results.

114. Anne of Avonlea†† by L.M. Montgomery - 4.5 ★
Category: J.M. Barrie - YA and Children's Literature
TIOLI #19: Read A Book That Is A Comfort Read



In Anne of Avonlea we follow Anne Shirley through the two years she spends teaching school and ends with her about to embark upon her university years. Anne’s sphere is a little wider in this book, instead of concentrating on her home, Anne is now both the teacher of Avonlea’s young, and a member of the community, taking part in many activities and events.

Anne is growing up and showing signs of the mature, thoughtful woman she is to become, but, there are flashes of the old Anne where her impulsiveness and her fiery temper lead her into some terrific scrapes. Anne and Marilla open Green Gables to a pair of orphaned twins, she meets some new “kindred” spirits to spend time with along with her much loved best friend Diana and other friends. Gilbert and Anne are enjoying their new found friendship and are growing closer as time passes.

This is a delightful read encompassing the passing seasons of this peaceful rural community and although I freely admit to being biased, I highly recommend the Anne books as great comfort reads.

I agree that the Anne books are excellent comfort reads, and Anne of Avonlea is one of my favourites.

Best wishes to your sister. I hope the treatment goes well.

I love the Anne books, too, but Anne of the Island is my favorite.

My favorite is Anne's house of dreams

I'm looking forward to working my way through the whole Anne series, actually I have all of L.M. Montgomery's works on my kindle so I will eventually get to Emily of New Moon, and Pat of Silver Bush etc., books I did read as a child but have very little memory of.

Hi Judy, just catching up here after a long break from LT, it looks like you've had several great reads lately.

So sorry to hear of your sister's diagnosis, my best wishes for a successful course of treatment and speedy recovery. I know from experience how hard this situation also is on the family, especially if you don't live nearby.

Hi Judy: Good to see you back, aand I hope all goes well with your sister.

Hi Alana and Lisa, and thanks for your good wishes. We are awaiting the results of several tests that she had to see if the cancer has spread to other parts of her body, I hope and pray it has not.

115. The Cleanup by Sean Doolittle - 3.5 ★
Category: Lawrence Block - Male Authors of Crime
TIOLI #4: A Word in the Title or Author's Name Describes Big or Small



The Cleanup by Sean Doolittle was a good solid thriller about corrupted cops, domestic violence and missing mob money that plays out in Omaha, Nebraska,

While the main characters are likeable and there’s plenty of unsavoury villains, overall the characterizations felt a little cookie cutter. The story of good intentions going awry was a little familiar but the author was smart in his choices and didn’t overwrite or moralize.

I did appreciate the fast pacing, the cleverness of the plot and the nuance of humor and I would definitely read another Sean Doolittle thriller in the future.

I really liked The Cleanup when I read it. The main character was so interesting -- flawed and down on his luck, but who enjoyed bagging groceries for people. He was just so likable, despite his short-comings.

Kay, he was a likeable character and I also thought the author dealt well with the characters feelings about his divorce, with the slow realization that he had come to a resolution and was now able to move on. The Cleanup showed plenty of promise and I'm looking forward to reading something else by this author.

116. A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz - 3.8 ★
Category: Hans Christian Andersen - Fantasy
TIOLI #5: Title Contains At Least Two Sets of Letters That Follow Each Other in the Alphabet



A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz is a clever re-working of several of the Grimm Brothers fairytales. Using Hansel and Gretel as his main characters, he has them wander through their own story and then on into several other Grimm inspired tales. Along the way the reader encounters not only an edible house and a nasty flesh eating witch, but also talking ravens, evil warlocks, and of course, a fierce dragon.

The author hasn’t forgotten the moralistic tone of most fairy tales and as Hansel and Gretel search far and wide for examples of good parents, there are lesson to be learnt. The author writes with wit, humor and adds a good smattering of gore to keep things interesting. But like all fairytales, you can look forward to a “happy ever after“ ending.

I thought this was a very interesting take on today’s sanitized fairy tales as the author harkens back to the days when these stories were told not as bedtime stories to help children sleep, but as life lessons meant to scare children into good behavior. A fun, imaginative read.

A Tale Dark & Grimm sounds most fun! I do love fairy tale retellings, so I'm definitely down for this one. :)

Seconding Andrea's comment and adding A Tale Dark & Grimm to the future reading list!

Count me in too - I'm thirding!

I like the sound of this too! (And just out of curiosity: I don't get how this fits into the mentioned TIOLI. Explain, please!)

Good morning, A Tale Dark and Grimm is a fun, quick read. I readily admit that I also love reworked fairy tales, and this one is quite clever. I hope everyone enjoys it.

Anders, I found this challenge a little confusing at first as well, as I thought the letters were supposed to be together in the title like:

Still Missing - ST, LM

but after looking at the entries that other people posted I realized that the title just had to contain at least two groups of letters that follow each other in the alphabet, hence:

A Tale Dark & Grimm

Using the highlighted letters from the title, I arrived at DE, KLM

We try not to repeat our challenges at the TIOLI Challenge, (although we do sometimes), so we are stretching ourselves to be creative and come up with new ones all the time.

117. The Spy Who Never Was: The Life and Loves of Mata Hari by Julia Keay - 3.6 ★
Category: Pierre Burton - Non-Fiction
AlphaCat: H
TIOLI #6: Read A Book About World War I



The Spy Who Never Was: The Life and Loves of Mata Hari by Julia Keay, opens with her execution in October of 1917 and then travels backward to her childhood in Holland where she was born Margarethe Zelle. Married at 18 to a much older man that she had only known for a month and a half, they immediately left Holland for his posting in Java. She was too young to settle down and became restless in the marriage and after the death of their son and their return to Holland, the marriage was over. Her husband took custody of their daughter and divorced her under a morals clause. She then travelled to Paris and reinvented herself as Mata Hari an exotic, sultry dancer from the mysterious Orient.

She was to remain cagy about her origins throughout the remainder of her life. She comes across in the book as an ignorant, greedy, self-indulgent woman who wanted to live the high life and had very little regard for the consequences of her actions. When the war broke out in 1914, she was in Berlin trying to revive her fading career. Her remaining furs and jewels were confiscated and she had a difficult time trying to travel back to France. Unknown to herself, she was a marked woman from the very beginning of the war, as she drew the wrong kind of attention wherever she travelled and had made a lot of enemies over the years. The Germans did make an offer for her to spy for them and paid her 20,000 francs. She took the money but claimed that she never passed any information along, but felt justified in taking the money in compensation for the jewels and furs that they had taken from her.

The truth of the matter appears to be buried in the mists of time. I was left feeling unsure whether I had met the real Mata Hari in the pages of this book as, although the author had lots of information, facts and figures, I never felt she broke through to the real woman behind the façade. Ultimately I believe this woman lost her life due to the fact that she chose to live outside the accepted morals of her time.

The above book is my 10th non-fiction book and so completes my first category of the year.

Mata Hari sounds like an interesting woman, even if most of who she is is self-constructed myth. The book sounds interesting, even if the author never breaks through the facade.

Woo hoo, completed category! :)

Congrats on the completed category! The Mata Hari book sounds interesting, even if it leaves some questions unanswered.

Feels good to finish that first one, doesn't it?

#155 - I think she was a very interesting woman, or perhaps I should say a woman living through very interesting times. Unfortunately I still don't know if she had a political agenda or was simply a manipulator of men for her own personal reasons.

#156 - Yes, I can actually see that I will soon complete the challenge successfully. Good timing as I see talk of next years challenge being posted soon.

#156 - Thanks Lori. I think Mata Hari is a fascinating woman, but I felt that the author had her own idea of what made this woman tick and the book was slanted to reflect this.

#158 - Hi Betty, it does feel good. I have already got my 2014 Challenge planned but I am trying not to get ahead of myself and hope to stay involved in this years challenge.

Congrats on the completed category! And, the non-fiction one as well - if it were me, that'd be the last one finished (unfortunately). :)

Hi Eva, up to a couple of years ago I had read next to nothing in the non-fiction genre, except for some biographies. Through recommendations from other LTer's I have discovered some really excellent books and now I am in the habit of trying to read at least one non-fiction book a month.

118. Dragonfly in Amber †† by Diana Gabaldon - 5.0 ★
Category: Patrick O'Brian - Historical Fiction
Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme: 18th Century
TIOLI #19: A Comfort Read



Dragonfly in Amber is the second book in the Outlander series which tells the story of a young woman who stumbles through a porthole that takes her from 1948 back to the Scottish Highlands of the 1740s. Make no mistake, Dragonfly in Autumn is a historical romance, but be assured that the author has not put the romance ahead of the history. The sheer amount of research that she must have done is simply overwhelming. Chock full of details that range from the political situation, medical treatments, the fashions, foods and amusements of daily life in the 1740’s, nothing is overlooked, bringing this story to vivid life.

The romance angle is rather special as Claire and Jamie, who found each other in the first book, Outlander, now find their love growing as they battle the circumstances that are threatening to tear them apart. One of the most sympathetic and endearing couples I have ever read about, it’s impossible to read these books and not cheer them on through their difficulties.

I first read this book about 20 years ago and have decided to visit this series for a second time. This time I chose to listen to the audio version which is excellently narrated by Davina Porter.. Her performance had a great deal to do with my with my overall enjoyment, and five star rating, of this book. She excelled in mastering the various Scottish, French and English accents, and nailed the various character, in particular Claire, perfectly.

I have the audio version of the next book and am looking forward to setting some time aside to once again follow the fortunes of Claire and Jamie.

I may have to give that Outlander series a try. I like historical books, but I'm not as much into time travel or romance. However, if the romance takes a back seat to the historical elements, I'm sure I can deal with it that way. The question is if I can stand the time travel part.

Lori, I am unsure of how to advise you on this. The romance is a huge part of these books, but the history is there, accurate and well researched. I'm not all that comfortable with time travel either but the story grabs you pretty quickly so you learn to live with the time travel part. The fact that Claire has a modern mind set helps the book avoid that pitfall that many historical novels fall into when characters that lived in the past think like modern people. It is more believeable for Claire to want to brush her teeth or even to be less subservient than women were in the 1700's.

Perhaps the best thing would be if you could borrow The Outlander from the library and give it a try. I think you would know within a chaper to two whether these books are for you.

Judy> Library would be my first choice! It's all about spending money only on those things one can't find at the library.

->161 DeltaQueen50:
I do want to read them, especially since I keep buying them(!), but it doesn't come naturally to me, unfortunately. I've had non-fiction categories in past challenges and will have one next year for sure.

Judi - I've had my theme for 14 almost from the time I set up 13. Still refining and narrowing categories, but basically all set.

When I read the Gabaldon series years ago, I lost interest in either the 3rd or 4th book - I can't say why without giving something away, but I really liked the ones before that.

#166 - For purely selfish reasons I am glad to hear you are going to have a category of non-fiction next year, Eva, so I can look forward to getting hit by some book bullets!

#167 - I did the same, Betty, I read the first four of the Outlander series and then didn't read anymore. This time I am determined to work through the whole series.

The following book completes the second category in my 2013 Challenge.

119. A Thousand Shades of Blue by Robin Stevenson - 3.8 ★
Category: J.M. Barrie - YA and Children's Literature
Commonwealth Tour: The Bahamas
TIOLI #5: Tltle Contains at Least Two Sets of Letter That Follow Each Other In the Alphabet



A Thousand Shades of Blue refers to the many and varied hues of the ocean in and around the Bahama Islands. In this idyllic setting the author, Robin Stevenson tells the story of Rachel, a sixteen year old girl who is trapped on a sailboat with her dysfunctional family for a year of extended “family time”. Things haven’t been going smoothly for her family and Rachel is both resentful and angry at being pulled away from her home, school and friends while her parents try to patch things together.

Beneath Rachel’s anger there is also fear and uncertainly. She harbours secrets and memories that she is afraid to discuss hoping that by ignoring her problems they will vanish. The author does an excellent job of portraying this fragile family on the verge of disintegrating.

I loved the setting of the Bahamas and the vivid pictures the author made of sand, sea and sky. I wish there had been more time taken to develop this part of the story, but overall this tale of a family breakdown rang true. I found A Thousand Shades of Blue to be a engaging story and I appreciated that, even though this is a YA book, there was no simple answer or pat ending.

120. The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen - 4.5 ★
Category: Henning Mankell - Global Crime (Denmark)
TIOLI #15: A Book With Murder At It's Heart



The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen interested me right from the start, the author allows the story to build slowly but as the tension mounts I found the pages turning faster and faster. This is an excellent thriller with dark undertones, a combination of painstaking detective work alongside a ticking clock as the readers become aware that there is a definite timeline at work here.

Merete Lynngaard is a well known political figure in Denmark and her disappearance in 2002 was a huge story. But by 2007 when this case becomes the first cold case to be investigated by the newly formed Q Department,, it had quietly faded. Detective Carl Morck was positive she was long dead, probably a suicide. As the pieces are slowly put together, a truly horrifying picture emerges and soon Morck and his assistant, Assad, are in a race against time.

The author has delivered a top-notch, original story and peopled it with vivid characters. Both the damaged Carl Morck and his mysterious assistant Assad have a lot more to reveal and, with the quality of this story to go by, I can see that this is a series I will enjoy following.

Great review! The title seemed familiar so I took a look through my TBR pile, turns out my mother-in-law gave me this book earlier this year. She really enjoyed it and wanted to pass it along. Glad to see another strong recommendation. Time to move this up the reading list.

I really liked The Keeper of Lost Causes when I read it, too.

Oh Judi (sigh) - I'm so tempted to take a BB on this, but do I need another series? And with almost 1200 books in my TBR and at least that many on my wishlist and all the series I have started - I'll have to live to be at least 150 to finish everything :) I think I'll still put it in my "Recommended by LT" collection just in case...

But..... but..... but, I have to finish the books I am 'not' reading at the moment before I can dive into The Keeper of Lost Causes.

Darn it, Judy.... couldn't you hate the book? For me? Please?

The Department Q series has already found a place on the wishlist so no new BB for me this time around.

Yey! I was hoping you'd like it - I know we like similar characters, so I did think Carl and Assad would appeal to you.

Apologies to everyone who doesn't want to add a new series to their list, I know what that feels like, but I gotta say, The Keeper of Lost Causes is excellent and well worth anyone's time. Hey, what's one more series! :)

Speaking of having too many books on your plate, right now I am juggling three books at once and I still have quite a list of books that I was hoping to complete for August. My husband and I are heading out next week on a 10 day trip to Saskatchewan so I was hoping to get most of my August books finished and only take September books, but I can clearly see that I will not get through all of August's planned reads.

Have a great trip! I can't believe we're this close to September already.

Thanks Eva, I'm looking forward to the break but I hesitated as to whether this was a good time to be away. I've been assured by all family members that I should go and I could tell that my hubby didn't want to go by himself.

I've never regretted going on a trip, I must say. I have regretted turning trips down, though, so whenever anyone hesitates, I'm the first in line to urge them to go! :)

121. I Am Algonquin by Rick Revelle - 4.0 ★
Category: Edgar Rice Burroughs - Adventure
Early Reading Program
TIOLI #8: Author's Name Is Also a Verb



I found I Am Algonquin by Rick Revelle to be a fascinating look at the life style of the Algonquin Indians during the 14th century. The story follows a war leader called Mahingan and his small tribe as they hunt game, meet and make peace with their allies of the Nippissing and Huron nations, and battle their fiercest enemies, the Iroquois.

Told in a straight forward, factual style the reader gathers a lot of information about this tribe whose territory consisted of large parts of the eastern woodlands that today make up Ontario and Quebec. Unlike the Iroquois who lived in large towns and raised crops, the Algonquin were nomadic and most of their time was taken up in hunting and gathering supplies for the winter. But their strong family bonds come across during the telling of the story, and they did take time out for enjoyment and laughter.

I was a little disappointed with the abrupt ending of the book as it left the reader hanging, but I suspect the author plans on writing further books about this warrior and his family. I Am Algonquin is a YA historical fiction story that I think would appeal to anyone who is interested in the North American history.

122. Still Missing by Chevy Stevens - 3.8 ★
Category: Kate Atkinson - Women Authors of Crime
August AwardCat: Best First Novel, 2011 Thriller Award
TIOLI #5: Title Contains 2 Sets of At Least Two Letters That Follow Each Other In the Alphabet



Still Missing by Chevy Steven tells the story of Annie O’Sullivan, a Vancouver Island realtor who is abducted during a routine Sunday open house. The man who takes Annie drugs her and when she wakes up she spends a year in nightmare captivity.

Her story unfolds during the course of her sessions with a psychiatrist and not only her story of abduction is discussed. Unable to feel safe, Annie needs to work through her anger, belligerence, and alienation from others. But then things start to happen, a break-in at her home, a man in a van trying to grab her from the street. Is it starting all over again? What is behind Annie’s ordeal?

The pages were flying past as I absorbed the story of both her agony with the stranger and her difficult homecoming. I did at times find the plot rather unbelievable, but that is often the case in thrillers where the action and events are bigger than life. So I shelved my feelings of disbelief and settled down to enjoy the ride provided by this top notch thriller.

Wow Judy, you read Still Missing pretty quickly! It was the same for me too, the pages kept flying as I became engrossed in the story.

Lisa, I found Still Missing a fairly quick read with it being divided into separate therapy sessions. It's certainly one of those books that you have to find out what's going on!

You liked Still Missing quite a bit more than I did. I just found many of the events and her reactions to them to be utterly implausible. It did keep me reading, though.

Hi Kay, I have a problem with most books that are classed as 'thrillers' as the events and characters reactions can be very unbelievable, and this one was really no exception. I just decided to let go and read it just for the "thrills" and as it was quite the page turner, that helped the book work for me.

Although I did have to really shrug and look the other way when at one point Annie talks about how frightened she is to be alone, how she has to check the locks on the windows and doors again and again, how she has to sleep in the cupboard to feel safe .... but then she goes out for long runs in the woods with only her dog for company!!

123. Jalna†† by Mazo De La Roche - 3.9 ★
Category: Dora Saint - Reader's Choice
August RandomCat: Families Matter
TIOLI #13: Dedicated to One or Both Parents



Jalna is the first book that author Mazo De La Roche wrote in her series about the Whiteoaks, a Canadian family who live in Southern Ontario. Set in the years between the two great wars, this book introduces the family and follows the drama of two new brides that are brought home to Jalna.

Chronologically, Jalna would be the seventh in the series and although this book gives one a good feel of what the series is about, I do think it would be better to read the series in the chronological order. One of the most interesting characters was the matriarch of the family whom we see turn 100 in Jalna. I am looking forward to reading of her early years when she and her husband first came to Canada and built the house.

The series consists of some 16 books and covers the time period of 1853 to 1953. I am looking forward to reading about Canada during these years, and about this feisty family with their tensions, squabbles, drama and love which the author delivers with equal amounts of humor and pathos. Once one has sat around the dinner table with this family and their various pets, it would be hard not to want to continue on.

Sounds like an interesting series! I wonder whether the author had the family's entire chronology mapped out in her head before she started and just decided to start writing in the middle, or whether she had the idea for the first book only and decided to go back later to fill in the blanks.

I must have heard of the Jalna series when I was growing up but for some reason I thought it was set somewhere tropical. I hadn't pictured Ontario!

#188 - I think it is going to be interesting, a bit of a soap opera, but I am looking forward to reading about the Canadian History. I'm not sure how she envisioned the series, I think Jalna was such a success that she was encouraged to fill in the blanks.

#189 - It's not surprising that the name Jalna makes you think of the tropics, Rhian. The original couple met in India while he was serving in the British Army. They named their house Jalna after the place where they met and fell in love.

Thanks for the reminder of the Jalna series, Judy. Lovely review! Now I am even more interested to track down the books. Still need to ponder if I want to read them in publication or chronological order, but you are convincing chronological be the best way to approach this series.

Hi Lori, I've seen where others say that Jalna is the best book to start with, but I like my stories to follow a timeline so I am looking forward to going back to the beginning and reading forward from there.

I was going to set up my 2014 Thread this afternoon, but decided that instead I should continue to concentrate on this thread so I elected to spend some time reading, and I've closed off another category.

124. Henrietta Sees It Through†† by Joyce Dennys - 3.7 ★
Category: Patrick O'Brian - Historical Fiction
Reading Through Time Monthly Theme: Communication
August AlphaCat: H
TIOLI #5: Title Contains At Least Two Sets of Letters That Follow Each Other in the Alphabet



Henrietta Sees It Through by Joyce Dennys is the sequel to Henrietta’s War, and written in the same epistolary style, picks up right where the other book left off. This volume covers the years of 1942 through to the war’s end. Both these books were complied from magazine articles the author wrote for Sketch Magazine during the war.

Henrietta is writing to her childhood friend, Robert, who is away fighting the war, She keeps the letters light in tone and includes many humorous moments that occur in the rural village that she lives in. There are some truly touching moments as well, but her obvious motive is to keep up a cheerful face in spite of the rationing, shortages and fear that are a part of British daily life in these years.

Peopled with the same eccentric characters that were introduced in the first book, I found the stories becoming a little repetitious in nature, but overall this is a delightful addition to the first book. The author enhances the pages with her line drawings that help to bring the characters to life. A quick and enjoyable read.

"instead I should continue to concentrate on this thread"
Well done, showing such restraints. :)

>193 DeltaQueen50:-194
I agree with Eva, well done. ;)

Also, yay another category completed!

#190 They named their house Jalna after the place where they met and fell in love. - Ah - that would explain it!

Hurray for completing another category. There's definitely plenty of time to set up next year's thread later :)

#194, 195 & 197 - I'm trying to concentrate on completing this challenge, but it's hard to resist the lure of a new challenge! If I can just hold out for a few more days we will be off on our road trip. Hopefully, I will then set up my 2014 thread when I get back.

#196 - Glad I could set your mind to rest, Rhian. ;)

125. Sob Story by Carol Anne Davis - 4.0 ★
Category: Kate Atkinson - Women Authors of Crime
TIOLI #1: Title end with the letter Y



Sob Story by Carol Anne Davis was both a dark and disturbing thriller that I found quite riveting. Not a perfect read, there were some flaws, but over all I was quite impressed and would definitely read another book by this author.

Amy is a shy, socially inept young woman who is away from home attending university. As many of her problems stem from her being on the verge of anorexia, she avoids any social gathering where food is being served. Being lonely, she jumps at the chance to become pen-pals with a young man who is serving a prison term, she doesn’t even take the time to consider that a seven year prison term for a act of violence against a woman is quite serious and could have repercussions. Of course Jeff, the prisoner, is writing to Amy and telling her exactly what she wants to hear, all the while making plans to visit her upon his upcoming release.

The author imparts a fair amount of information about eating disorders and at times this abundant information causes the story to bog down, but it does help the reader to understand Amy and her motives. In the same way, we learn a great deal about the prison system and Jeff‘s background which also helps to explain his deviant behaviour. In the end this book was not the action packed read I thought is going to be but it was a convincingly creepy psychological thriller that I found quite gripping.

Catching up and congrats about finishing another category.. its the only downside with not having a limit.. I never finish :)

Hi Claire, although I am marking the categories Completed after 10 books, I am intending to just keep reading these categories till year end. They are broad enough that pretty much everything I read fits somewhere.

126. News From Thrush Green by Miss Read (Dora Saint) - 4.2 ★
Category: Dora Saint - Reader's Choice
TIOLI #7: Author's Name is Also a Verb



Set in the 1960‘s, News From Thrush Green takes the reader to a lovely small village in the Cotswolds and there we observe the passing the year and the activities of the residents. All the familiar characters from the first two books are there, but we can see that time is catching up with frail Doctor Bailey and the elderly, cantankerous handyman, Albert Piggott. The empty house called Tullivers has been fixed up and the village welcomes a new resident, a young woman and her small son. Of course village gossip runs wild as to why there is no apparent husband in residence.

Miss Read, herself was a country woman and enjoyed the passing of the seasons. In News From Thrush Green we are carried from early September through to the following May, and she provides her readers with many picturesque passages that illuminate rural life. These beautiful descriptions combined with a lively story of village life are what make these book perennial favourites of mine.

When I am in the mood for a bit of nostalgia I like to turn to these gentle, charming books.

I love the Miss Read books. I need to read another one this year. I haven't done as well on my re-run category as I'd like to do.

I've been wanting to try Jussi Adler Olsen, so glad to see your very positive review of the first book in her series.

I had also found Still Missing mostly unbelievable but still totally engrossing. I've been meaning to pick up Chevy Stevens's next book but haven't gotten around to it yet.

#203 - Hi Lori, it's hard to be looking at re-reads sometimes when there are so many new, shiny ones calling out to us. That said, at times there is nothing like the comfort of an old friend.

#204 - It's hard to resist that ol' "damsel in distress" story, pulls me in every time - whether or not it's believable! BTW, Jussi Adler Olsen is a he, in fact he's pictured at the top of Roberta's (luvamystery65) current thread, quite a striking man.

I went back up to the top of your thread and, WOW are you making great progress with your challenge, Judy! 5 categories completed and a couple more just one book shy.... You will have some 'free' reading time before this year is out!

edited post to fix typos!

Hi Lori, hurrah for free reading time! Although, I already know that most of the books I choose will still fall into one of my 2013 categories!

I remember reading the Jalna books. The author didn't take it easy on his characters. I got tired of the non-stop sadness and called it quits. Love Miss Read though!

Hi Cindy, I will probably read one or two more of the Jalna series and then decide if I will read on.

My husband and I are on our road trip and tonight we are in Southern Alberta in Lethbridge. Tomorrow we will head south across the border to Montana and take a scenic drive through Glacier National Park. We were really looking forward to this but the weather forecast is calling for rain. :(

:( bah holiday is rubbish. Fingers crossed for you!

Hey, I've been to Lethbridge! Enjoy your vacation.

I love the drive through Glacier National Park! Beats the rather boring drive through southern Alberta in to Saskatchewan any day.

When my family went to Alberta, the most boring part was the drive between Edmonton and Jasper (I think). Just rocks and trees and trees and rocks.

Hope the weather forecast improves!

Bad weather on holiday is better than good weather on a workday. :) Hope you're having a great time!

Hi everyone, tonight we are in Spokane, Washington and watching the skies as thunder storms are rolling in. Our weather through Glacier Park was beautiful and the drive was as breathtaking as always.

This has been a productive trip for my reading as I have finished three books and am starting a fourth one tonight. I find I like to read in the motel rather than watch TV.

I am looking forward to getting home and setting up my 2014 Challenge (does that sound obsessed?)

Glad to hear your holiday is going well and the weather has been great. I look forward to seeing your new thread when it is ready. I am planning on waiting until I reach my targets for this year before I think of 2014 - excellent motivation to get on with it maybe (for me, that is).

Glad you have been making good progress on your books. I've made a little progress this week but not as much as I would like. I'm extremely tired this evening because I didn't sleep well at all last night so I'm not sure how long I can keep my eyes propped open.

#216 - Ro, I was originally going to hold out until I had finished this year's challenge, but I don't think I will. I've got my challenge set in my mind and now I want to put it together and see how it will work.

#217 - Lori, I hope you are getting caught up on your sleep. I used to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime but the last few years have seen me battling some sleepless nights and I know how horrible it can be.

127. The Fear by Charlie Higson - 4.0 ★
Category: H.P. Lovecraft - Dark Fantasy
TIOLI #10: A Book You've Had Since 2012 and Starts or Continues A Series
September Series & Sequels



This YA series by Charlie Higson is one of my favorites for sheer escapism and fun. The Fear is the third in his series that features rotting, diseased people who, like zombies, want to feast on the flesh of the living. In this case the flesh of children as everyone over the age of fifteen caught this strange disease that either killed outright or left the patient as a zombie-like creature.

Each book has dealt with a different band of children as they come together and fight for survival in the streets of London. By this, the third book, we have a groups of children scattered throughout some very interesting places in London. From Buckingham Palace to the Tower of London, each enclave has it’s own leader and each group feels that they are the ones who should have the most power. What they are slow to see is that the diseased are slowly evolving and although they still crave flesh, they appear to be getting smarter, stronger and faster.

A word of warning, each book has some extremely graphic, grisly moments and the author shows no compassion toward his main characters, as he randomly kills off some and saves others. I rather like this crap shoot atmosphere as it lends a quality of realness to the story. The Fear, like all the other books in this series, has plenty of blood-stained action and likeable although not necessarily long-lived characters.

For those who enjoy zombie stories, I would recommend this series starting with The Enemy as an stimulating variation.

128. Indelible by Karin Slaughter - 3.5 ★
Category: Kate Atkinson - Women Authors of Crime
September Series & Sequels
September AlphaCat: I
TIOLI #10: A Book I Have Had Since 2012 and Starts or Continues A Series



I admit to having mixed feelings about Indelible by Karin Slaughter. This is the fourth book in her Grant County series and this one delves into both Jeffrey’s past and the beginning stages of Sara and Jeffrey’s relationship. The story jumps back in forth from a present day hostage situation to the past. My main quibble is that it seems this author cannot help but give her characters rather sordid pasts. I found it difficult to believe that Sara, with her own difficult memories, would have stood by and accepted Jeffrey’s antics. Overall I felt the part of the book that was set in Jeffrey’s home town felt forced and the story didn’t seem to flow naturally,

Of course, that difficult past of Jeffrey’s was brought home to roost in the part of the book that was set in the present and I thought the whole hostage situation was well done, and suspenseful.

After now having read four books in this series I will definitely continue on with the series as I do, on the most part, want to see what these characters get up to.

>219 DeltaQueen50: That one does sound interesting and I'll put it on the list. Thanks for the review and I hope your having fun-the Northwest would be perfect this time of year.

# 221 - Hi Jennifer, we had an interesting drive yesterday as we ran into lots of varied weather, from thunder storms to bright sunshine. I managed to pick of a cold along the way and so we pushed right on home last night. It was great sleeping in my own bed last night.

129. The Lady of the Decoration†† by Frances Little - 3.8 ★
Category: Xinran - Global Reading (Japan)
TIOLI #1: Type of Apple Variety In the Title



I was pleasantly surprised by The Lady of the Decoration by Frances Little. I didn’t have very high expectations for this book, which I purchased mainly as it completed a year in my Century of Reading List.

This is the story of a young American widow who goes to Japan in 1901 to teach kindergarten under the auspices of a missionary society. Told in the form of letters written to her cousin, the story is interesting, informative, and although slightly dated with a few racial references, her descriptions of Japan and the Japanese people were interesting and insightful.. Through her letters a picture of young woman who made a few wrong choices, including that of her deceased husband, comes to life. Not trusting herself to choose the right path for herself, she signed a contract to teach in Japan for five years.

She was in Japan for the build up to and the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904. The Lady of the Decoration was published in 1906, but her comments about the Japanese people and their blind faith in their emperor along with the soldiers robot-like manner and their dedication to fighting to the death gives one a glance of the future Japan of the 1940’s.

A refreshing and engaging story both of a young woman finding herself and a country that is just beginning to emerge as a power in Asia.

130. The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch - 4.2 ★
Category: Hans Christian Andersen - Fantasy
TIOLI #10: A Book I Have Had Since 2012 that Starts or Continues A Series
September Series & Sequels



The Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch is a fun mix of fantasy, police procedural and historical fiction and as these are three of my favorite genres you can be sure that I loved this book. A light read that surprises the reader at every turn of the page with magical encounters, a ghost or two, and a dysfunctional family of mythical deities. The main character, P.C. Peter Grant is likeable and, considering the subject matter, quite believable. The supporting characters are fantastic, and I can’t wait to read more about them, including Toby the dog.

The star player, however, is the City of London, as this urban fantasy travels around that great city the author makes great use of many well-known locations. The original title of The Rivers of London should never have been changed for the North American market to Midnight Riot, as the many rivers of London play a key role in this story.

Peter’s take on magic, his apprenticeship to the suave wizard, Nightingale, and his awkward efforts at romance kept this book fresh, original and endearing. I have made a new friend in Peter Grant and I look forward to spending more time with him in future books.

Hurray! I love the Rivers of London. Nightingale is my favourite character. Glad you liked the book as well :)

Hi Judy! This is the second favorable review I have read for The Rivers of London. It will have to go on my wish list. Thank you for the review.

I don't think there has been anyone who disliked this series so far. Glad you enjoyed it also.

#225 - Hi RP, I loved Nightingale as well. I didn't mention in my review how humorous this book is which is a large part of it's charm.

#226 - Hi Caroline, I owe Roberta (luvamystery65) for encouraging me to pull this book down from my shelves and start reading! It's definitely a light, fun read.

#227 - Hi Dave, the only downside to this book is that it is the start of another series! But when you are following some 200 series, I guess one more hardly matters!

131. The Bounty Hunters by Elmore Leonard - 3.6 ★
Category: Edgar Rice Burroughs - Adventure
TIOLI #1: Type of Apple Variety in the Book's Title



The Bounty Hunters is the first published novel by Elmore Leonard, one of my favoritie authors of westerns. It is apparent immediately that this author can really spin a tale, and although I would say this one is not one of his best, it definitely shows the potential of the talent that he was eventually to showcase.

The Bounty Hunters was somewhat muddied by too many bad guys, at times it was hard to keep them all straight. In fact, even the main characters had to stop and try to figure our which group were the biggest threat. That said, there was plenty of action, from fighting bounty hunters, evading Apaches, or facing down a vindictive killer.

Over the years the author learned to pare down his storyline and present well drawn, conflicted characters. The main character in The Bounty Hunters, Dave Flynn, is pretty much a straight shooting hero that gets the job done. Still, The Bounty Hunters had enough grit and western flavor to keep the pages turning.

More good words for The Rivers of London - good thing it's already on Mt. TBR. Although my edition is called Midnight Riot. *grumbles about titles changing depending on country - and in this case, LOTS of grumbles about the cover changing*

Rivers of London sounds fun! I also love fantasy, police procedurals and historical fiction, so this is a great mix. Also, thanks for pointing out earlier that Jussi Adler Olsen is a male, not a female. Oops ... embarrassing mistake on my part!

#230 - It's always a relief when you already know you have the book on your TBR waiting for you. I really don't know why they didn't leave the title alone, Rivers of London matches the story and the cover is way cooler!

#231 - That mix of fantasy, crime and historical fiction was what drew me in as well. Although the historical fiction is more in the discussions that the characters have about the past, the book is supposed to be in modern day London. Sometimes it's hard to tell about names, luckily Roberta posted the picture of when she met him.

I've not got around to picking up any of Elmore Leonard's westerns as yet. I've read a few of his books but they all seem to be of the crime genre. Perhaps I'll give one of his later books a try rather than his debut offering.

#233 - I definitely think you would get a better feel for his westerns by trying one of his later books, Dave. His first book is still a pretty good western, but he improved a lot on his style and his characterizations,

132. Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin - 3.4 ★
Category: George Orwell - Dystopia
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #9: Read a Book by a LT Author



Even though I absolutely loved the first book in the trilogy, this second book, Ashen Winter by Mike Mullen, just didn’t quite work for me. I found that the book consisted of a series of action sequences with very little plot or character development. I am hoping for more from the third entry.

In this volume, Alex and Darla leave the relative safety of his uncles’ farm in order to try and find Alex’s parents. Unfortunately, things are pretty hairy out in the real world and the two young people get involved in a battle between a rural town and a party of cannibalistic bandits called Peckerwoods. During the battle, Darla gets wounded and falls into the enemies hands. The rest of the book consists of Alex trying to get Darla back, and even his finding and rescuing his parents is secondary to his quest to save Darla.

There were a few good things about this book, first off it is still a real page turner, with the characters getting into trouble at the end of just about every chapter, there is plenty of motivation to keep turning those pages. I also appreciate the depth of maturity and the reliability of Alex and Darla’s relationship. These two are committed to each other and after what they have lived through this makes sense. I am hoping that the third volume will advance this story and offer some hope for the future of these young people.

133. An Ice Cream War by William Boyd - 5.0 ★
Category: Graham Greene - Authors I am Curious About Trying
September AwardCat: 1982 Short List for Man-Booker Award
September AlphaCat: I
TIOLI #16: Set in a British Commonwealth Country Before 1950



This was my first book by William Boyd and it has immediately won him a place on my favorite author’s list. An Ice Cream War is a beautifully written story that delves into a corner of World War I of which very little has been written. Set in Tanzania, Kenya and England, the story follows a number of people of various nationalities whose lives are impacted by the war and who, during the course of the book, come to share unique connections with each other.

I found this a wonderfully readable story, both dark and humorous at times. The portions of the book that were set in England introduced one of the most dysfunctional families I have read about in some time. The American and German were both farmers and neighbours that were destined to end up on opposite sides, but they also shared in the stifled coldness of their marriages. One had a wife who never raised her head out of a book, while the other escaped both literally and mentally to her home in Germany. So many excellent characters were scattered throughout this book, including the unforgettable Wheech-Browning, a upper class British dolt whose appearance always brought disaster to someone.

An Ice Cream War is an excellent mix of satire, humor, pathos and great story telling. Both the multiple plot lines and the well developed characters made this a five star read for me. I am so glad that I have finally picked up a book by this author and I look forward to discovering more of his works.

Great review and Ice Cream War sounds like a fantastic book.

Hi Andrea, I really loved An Ice Cream War, it was one of those book that I didn't want to end!

Thank you for your review of The Ice Cream War. I read Waiting For Sunrise last year and really enjoyed it. William Boyd seems to be the go to author for books set in World War I.

Now you've renewed my interest in William Boyd. I have a book by him on my TBR. I'll have to go see if I can find it.

I've read a couple of his books and have a few more on the tbr shelves but not that one unfortunately. Good review, thumbed!

Cathing up a bit here. Gladly jotting down The enemy series - I really like the idea of following different enclaves in the same city in different books! I've never heard of An ice cream war but you make it sounds brilliant. Thumb!

Great review, and now I want ice cream! (I know that's not the point of the book, but I am very suggestible when it comes to mentions of food.)

Well, I survived my weekend with the grandchildren and even got some reading done! Actually, having the kids for the weekend was fun and at age 9 and 14, they really didn't require much looking after.

#239 - Hi Caroline, I am looking forward to trying other William Boyd books. Both Restless and Brazzaville Beach sound interesting to me and I will probably chose one of them for my next Boyd try.

#240 - So many authors, some to try for the first time and some to return to. I guess that's a pretty nice problem to have. :)

#241 - Thanks for the thumb!

#242 - I am really enjoying the Enemy series, it's pretty much what I think good zombie books should be. And another thanks for the thumb!

#243 - My granddaughter kept picking up An Ice Cream War, she thought that it was about ice cream and was a disappointed when I told no, it was mostly about war. I believe the title came from a letter written from British East Africa that suggested that the soldiers could melt like ice cream because of the heat.

134. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier - 4.1 ★
Category: Patrick O'Brian - Historical Fiction
September RandomCat: An example of Lablit
TIOLI #16: Set in the British Commonwealth Before 1950



Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier is aptly named both because of the two interesting women it is about and because of the fossils they discovered that were to change the way science looked at the past. That these two met and become friends is remarkable, even though there was some twenty years of age difference between them, their strong interest in the remains of long dead creatures drew them together.

Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot both were living in Lyme Regis and both were avid fossil hunters, scouring the beaches and cliffs in the area for specimens. The Annings were a poor family and enhanced their income by selling the curiosities that they found. Elizabeth Philpot was spinster and an avid collector, and possibly would have been a natural scientist is she hadn’t been bound by Victorian society’s conventions as to how a woman should conduct her life.

The author takes this real life situation and breathes life into two long forgotten characters. By telling their story, she also shines a light on the religious and political views of the day. These characters come up against prejudices about class and gender time and time again. I thought Elizabeth and Mary practically jumped off the pages, very real and fully formed. The downside is that in writing of real people and their lives, there was perhaps not as much excitement and romance as could have been added to a novel with imagined characters. But overall, I found Remarkable Creatures a well-written account of the lives of two very intriguing women.

Remarkable Creatures has been on my future reading list since it came out. Great to see another very positive review for it, Judy!

It' a fascinating read, Lori, and an interesting look at what life was like for unmarried women in Victorian times. I think this was a time period that was very difficult on any woman who didn't abide by society's rules.

135. The Leopard's Prey by Suzanne Arruda - 3.8 ★
Category: Ariana Franklin - Historical Mystery
Henning Mankell - Global Mystery
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #10 - A Book I've Had Since 2012 that Continues or Starts a Series



The Leopard’s Prey by Suzanne Arruda is the fourth Jade Del Cameron mystery. The series is set in British East Africa (Kenya) in the early 1920’s. Jade is an American who grew up on a ranch in New Mexico and chose to drive ambulances in France during the war. She craves adventure and is very capable of looking after herself. She is now based in Nairobi working as a photographer and travel writer. Of course, what seems to occupy most of her time is solving murders.

I had put this series on the back burner for a couple of reasons, I didn’t care for the way each plot was relying upon African myth and magic. One book of this was fine, but after three books, I was ready for a break. My other minor objection was the character of Jade. She is described as beautiful, accomplished, and efficient. And she is all of that, what I find lacking is humor and humility. She is a little too perfect, I would like to see some human flaws addressed that would make her seem more like a real person.

I am happy to say that my first quibble was addressed in this book. The Leopard’s Prey was a straight forward mystery with very little mumbo-jumbo involved. As for Jade, well she is still as perfect as always, so I still haven’t warmed to her. Luckily, the author surrounds her main character with a number of well rounded supporting characters. At the end of this book, there was distinct crack in Jade’s iron-clad competentance and she actually had to call for help. As there are still a couple more books in this series, I have a tiny hope that Jade Del Cameron will show a softer, more human side. Also the author left a piece of the plot hanging at the end so I need to read on to find out what happens next.

136. Where Earth Meets Sky by Annie Murray - 3.0 ★
Category: Patrick O'Brian - Historical Fiction
Reading Through Time Monthly Theme: Edwardian Time Period
TIOLI #16: Set in a British Commonwealth Country Before 1950



Where Earth Meets Sky by Annie Murray is a sweeping epic that encompasses Edwardian England and the British Raj. Lily Waters is a young woman who is left alone and destitute after her guardian dies. She obtains a position as a Nanny for the Fairford family and travels to the military post of Ambala to take up her duties in 1902. While working for the Fairfords she meets an falls in love with Sam Ironside, a motor mechanic. Unfortunately, he forgets to tell her that he has a wife back in England. She sends Sam away and tries to carry on with her life, but Sam is the man she is destined never to forget.

Although I enjoyed the setting of this book, the story of Lily deteriorated into a story of a woman who was so beautiful that men couldn’t resist her. Where ever she went or who ever she worked for, sooner or later the man of the house was begging her to become his mistress. Eventually she gives in, but she never forgets her first love, Sam.

I enjoyed the descriptions of India, but the story just didn’t hold my interest at all.

I have 2 Tracy Chevalier books in the TBR but not Remarkable Creatures so I'll be taking a BB on this one and adding to to my wishlist.

@ 249 -- Too bad about Where Earth Meets Sky, DQ! The premise sounded really interesting from your review, but now I won't bother.

Ugh. I hate books where everyone is in love with the protagonist.

#250 - Hi Betty, I hope you enjoy Remarkable Creatures.

#251 - I know, Christina, I was really hoping for one of those epic stories that sweep you away, but there were a number of flaws and having every man that came into her sphere was a little too much!

#252 - Me, too! :)

137. The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers - 4.0 ★
Category: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Classic Crime
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #12: First Published Before 1950



The Unpleasantness At The Bellona Club by Dorothy Sayers was both an engaging and intriguing read. The unpleasantness in the title refers to the discovery of the body of ninety-year-old General Fentiman sitting in a chair in this gentleman’s club. Luckily Lord Peter Wimsey is also a member and he is on hand to investigate.

This is a very layered mystery, at first the goal is simply to ascertain the time of death, as the inheritance of over a half-million pounds relies on knowing this important fact. But as the investigation gathers momentum it is soon clear that some very nasty business has taken place and it is up to Lord Peter to discover and reveal the truth.

This was one of my favorite Dorothy Sayers, both entertaining and humorous with a fascinating plot. It was interesting to see how the solution was arrived at in this time before detailed forensics and scientific analysis had advanced beyond the mere basics.

Agree with you absolutely about the Dorothy Sayers title. Loved Lord Peter in this one. I wanted him to compose a dinner for me.

Catching up! You've done some great reading lately. Now, I just have to decide which ones to add to the TBR list and which ones that I'll probably never get around to reading.

And here I was thinking I had a couple of Wimseys on Mt. TBR, but there's nothing there, so I'm guessing it's a BB for me. :) I've seen the Edward Petherbridge TV-series, though. :)

#255 - Hi Beth, dinner with Lord Peter would be a dream come true, especially if he brought Bunter along as well!

#256 - Lori, I've had to try and be a little more discerning with my book bullets as well. At first I was taking hits right, left and center and before I knew if my wishlist was in the thousands, and my TBR shelves are well over 500! Now I try to really think about what book bullets I am allowing through my armour.

#257 - I haven't seen a televised version of Lord Peter. Sure would like to though!

138. At The Mercy Of The River by Peter Stark - 4.2 ★
Category: Pierre Burton - Non-Fiction
British Commonwealth Challenge: Mozambique
TIOLI #6: Title or Author's Name Contains a Landform



I have always been in awe of people that can set out upon the unknown, take themselves into the wilderness and survive, and At The Mercy of the River delivered all these things and then some. Peter Stark writes of the fifteen day expedition when he and four others set out upon Mozambique’s Lugenda River on a kayaking trip. Their goal was to be the first party to make the first descent of this unpaddled river.

They succeeded in their goal, and his written account relates both the good and the bad. His descriptions of this unspoiled wilderness and the wildlife they encountered along the way painted a picture that brought this land to vivid life. The river itself was a force to be reckoned with as they contended with rapids, waterfalls, and gorges that would try all of their strength and endurance. Travelling with five strong personalities meant that there were clashes, and the author battled with both control issues and his own insecurities.

Being aware that they were caught up in an adventure much like the African explorers that went before them, the author often found himself contemplating on the stories of some of the greatest African explorers. Throughout the book, he sprinkled tales of Vasco de Gama, Mungo Park and David Livingstone along with others which helped both himself and the reader to better understand the “hows and the whys” of exploration.

At The Mercy of the River is a well written adventure story that is riveting and informative. This was a life changing fifteen days for all members of the party and is a book I highly recommend.

>258 DeltaQueen50:: I've enjoyed the televised series with Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter. I'm a big fan of the books too!

I haven't read anything by Dorothy Sayers yet, at least that I can recall (or since being on LT, for sure). I must give her a try.

#260 - I don't know how I have missed the televised version of Lord Peter - was it shown on PBS?

#261 - Hi Terri, I think you would enjoy the Lord Peter series, they are light, witty, humorous and immediately place you in those "years between the wars".

139. Laura by Vera Caspary - 4.3 ★
Category: Aruthur Conan Doyle - Classic Crime
September AlphaCat: V
TIOLI #12: A Book Published Before 1950



Laura by Vera Caspary is a great murder mystery which unfolds through the viewpoint of four of the main characters. This novel has elements of mystery, psychological drama and romance mixed together in a very readable story. Unfortunately it has been overshadowed by the 1944 film that remains a classic.

I readily admit that I have trouble separating the novel from the movie as I am a huge fan of the Otto Preminger film. The differences between the film and the book lies mostly in the way Laura is portrayed. Caspary describes Laura Hunt as a “modern” woman, a career orientated, ambitious woman in her early thirties who has great charm and vulnerability when it comes to men and love. Preminger’s Laura was younger, more seductive, elusive and mysterious. I was surprised that although the film is considered a prime example of film noir, the book really has none of the noir elements in it’s structure.

Nevertheless, I still found Laura to be a spell bounding read and the author’s homage to The Woman in White shines through each page, from the four character narration to Waldo Lydecker, who bears not a small resemblance in either features or character to Count Fosco, and of course, to the use of the name Laura.

Overall, I recommend that one indulges in both the book and the film of Laura, as each are classics and well worth the time spent investigating.

I was going to make this thread last till the end of September, but as I am going away and won't be back for a couple of weeks, I will go ahead and set up my next thread now.

There! All set up and ready for visitor, please drop by.