LittleTaiko (Stacy's) Broadway Bound 2014 Reading Challenge

Hello!

I'm back for another year of challenge reading. For probably the only time I actually have a theme. Granted, it covers some basic category types but at least it's a way to combine two of my favorite things - musicals and reading! My only rule was that I had to have seen the musical and also own the song that I'm referencing.

I won't officially start the challenge until January 1st but just couldn't wait to set up my thread.

Let the show begin!




Ratings:

1 Star - Didn't like at all or did not finish
2 Stars - It's okay but not something I would recommend.
3 Stars - I liked it but may or may not recommend it
4 Stars - Really liked it and am happy that I spent time reading it
5 Stars - Loved it and the whole world should read it too

I'm also participating in the unofficial Alpha Cat challenge. My personal rules are that most of the books I choose need to be books I own (X is an exception since let's face it, it's a hard letter to do). The letter will either be in the title or authors name.

A (Jun) - Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
B (Dec) - Murder on the Ile Saint-Louis by Cara Black
C (Jul) - Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
D (Jan) - Bleak House by Charles Dickens - 01/26
E (May) - Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri - 05/17
F (Aug) - Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
G (Nov) - Neuromancer by William Gibson
H (Feb) - Murder as a Second Language by Joan Hess - 02/02
I (Apr) - Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson - 04/13
J (Sep) - The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
K (Oct) - Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
L (Mar) - The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munroe - 03/18
M (Mar) - The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell - 03/03
N (Oct) - The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
O (Sep) - Oh Danny Boy by Rhys Bowen
P (Apr) - No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym - 04/08
Q (Jun) - Cold Quarry by Andy Straka - 06/06
R (Feb) - I Will Repay by Emmuska Orczy - 02/09
S (Nov) - Dissolution by C.J. Sansom
T (Aug) - Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
U (May) - Up Jumps the Devil by Michael Poore - 05/18
V (Jan) - Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne - 01/06
W (Jul) - Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
X (Dec) - Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaolong Qiu
Y (Dec) - What You Wish For by Janet Dawson
Z (Dec) - On Beauty by Zadie Smith

A Chorus Line - "I Hope I Get It"

Books that are on my Wishlist by the end of 2013

1. Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett February - 3 stars
2. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers May - 3 stars
3. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty May - 4 stars
4. Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham May - 3 stars
5.

Possibilities:

Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaolong Qiu
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan
The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson
Dancer by Colum McCann
A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes
A Killer Read by Erika Chase
Blind Assasin by Margaret Atwood
I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira

Les Miserables - "Bring Him Home"

Library books

1. Tenth of December by George Saunders January - 4 stars
2. River of No Return by Bee Ridgway March - 3 stars
3. Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan April - 3 stars
4. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler May - 1 star
5. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler May - 2 stars

Priscilla Queen of the Desert - "It's Raining Men"

Books written by male authors

1. How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid January - 4 stars
2. Headhunters by Jo Nesbo April - 2 stars
3. The Greater Journey by David McCullough May - 4 stars
4. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger May - 4 stars
5. Cold Quarry by Andy Straka June - 3 stars

Possibilities:

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (1001 books)
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Whiskey Rebels by David Liss ebook ROOT

The Scarlet Pimpernel - "Where's the Girl?"

Books written by female authors

1. Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie January - 3 stars
2. I Will Repay by Emmuska Orczy February - 3 stars
3. The Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell March - 4 stars
4. Murder in Three Acts by Agatha Christie April - 4 stars
5. Flowers for the Judge by Margery Allingham May - 3 stars

Wicked - "Popular"

Recommended books - from book reviews, LT, friends, etc...

1. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell February - 4 stars
2. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett March - 4 stars
3. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg April - 5 stars
4. In the Woods by Tana French June - 2 stars
5.

Possibilities:

The Passage by Justin Cronin

Book of Mormon - "Making Things Up Again"

Fiction

1. Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes March - 2 stars
2. No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym April - 4 stars
3. Slammed by Colleen Hoover May - 3 stars
4. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri May - 4 stars
5.

Possibilities:

Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - "Nothing is too Wonderful to be True"

Non-fiction

1. The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne January - 4 stars
2. James Buchanan by Jean H. Baker March - 3 stars
3. Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink April - 4 stars
4. Mortality by Christopher Hitchens May - 4 stars
5.

Possibilities:
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Capital by John Lanchester

Bonnie & Clyde - "This World Will Remember Us"

Classics

1. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne (1001 Books) January - 3 stars
2. Bleak House by Charles Dickens January - 4 stars
3. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson April - 4 stars
4. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens May - 5 stars
5.

Possibilities:

Moll Flanders (1001 books)
David Copperfield
Brothers Karmazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1001 books)

Jekyll & Hyde - "Murder, Murder"

Mysteries/Thrillers

1. Tonight I Said Goodbye by Michael Koryta - January - 4 stars
2. The Walled Flower by Lorraine Bartlett - February - 3 stars
3. Murder as a Second Language by Joan Hess - February - 2 stars
4. Mrs. Jeffries and the Merry Gentlemen by Emily Brightwell - March - 4 stars
5 The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell March - 4 stars

Possibilities:

The Maltese Falcon (1001 books)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1001 books)

Hairspray - "New Girl in Town"

Books published or purchased in 2014

1. Missing You by Harlan Coben March - 4 stars
2. The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott March - 3 stars
3. Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber March - 3 stars
4. The Burry Man's Day by Catriona McPherson April - 3 stars
5. Gluten for Punishment by Nancy J. Parra May - 3 stars
6. Gone West by Carola Dunn June - 3 stars

Chicago - "I Can't do it Alone"

Book Club or Group Reads

1. Oedipus the King by Sophocles January - 3 stars
2. The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem February - 2 stars
3. This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett April - 3 stars
4.
5.

Candidates:

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Catch Me if You Can - "Christmas is My Favorite Time of Year"

Christmas Gifts - from any year, sadly I still have some books given as gifts from a few years ago still on my TBR pile.

1. The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman February - 3 stars
2. The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell March - 3 stars
3. The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro March - 2 stars
4.
5.

Candidates:

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong by Terry Teachout
Extraordinary, Ordinary People by Condoleezza Rice
A Gentle Madness by Nicholas Basbanes
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer
Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon
Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks
Big Fish by Daniel Wallace
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Phantom of the Opera - "All I Ask of You"

Books picked for me to read by other people. Feel free to look at my TBR library and make suggestions.

1. Cocktail Time by P. G. Wodehouse - selected by mstrust - February - 5 stars
2. Brainiac: Adventures in the curious, competitive, compulsive world of trivia buffs by Ken Jennings - selected by Kathryn (non LT) - February - 4 stars
3. Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie selected by Carrie - May - 4 stars
4. Up Jumps the Devil by Michael Poore - selected by Phil (SO) - May - 3 stars
5. Woman in White by Wilkie Collins - selected by Judy

Anything Goes - "Anything Goes"

Random category challenge!
1. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery February - 5 stars
2. Favorite Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow April - 4 stars
3. Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson May - 2 stars
4. Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie June - 4 stars
5.

Yay for "The Scarlet Pimpernel" musical! I heart that soundtrack.

Cool theme!

Ok, so I totally completely LOVE this!

Wow, I didn't know Bonnie and Clyde and Catch Me If You Can were musicals! Great theme and nice song choices :)

Love the categories and the theme. I love musicals and might steal this theme for 2015.

Brilliant idea. I never would have thought of challenge theme any more creative than geographical. Still geographical, but maybe I should do a tour of the solar system, since I'd like to read more SF again. (I consider myself a science fiction reader above all else, but recent years' lists show I'm reading more fantasy, young adult, etc. these days.)

Love the musical themed category titles! Such fun!

Great theme!

Great theme. I've never seen a musical and didn't know half of these one. Jekyll & Hyde really !?

I went to see the Jekyll &Hyde musical. I thought it surprisingly well done.

Excellent theme. I've seen both of the Priscilla Queen of the Desert films but I bet the musical would be wonderful.

>25 majkia: must check this one, there is a video on YT :)

Christina - I love the Scarlet Pimpernel soundtrack too! My favorites are "Madame Guillotine", "Where's the Girl?", "Falcon in the Dive", and "The Riddle".

Rabbitprincess - Bonnie and Clyde was a short lived musical from the end of 2011. We were lucky enough to be in New York during it's last week. Catch Me If You Can just toured through our city this year and was very entertaining. I think I liked it better than the movie.

>24 electrice: & >25 majkia: - Jekyll & Hyde is quite good - I've seen it twice now. Fascinating how they handle some of the staging.

Judy - The musical is fabulous if for nothing else than the absolutely amazing costumes! It's incredible what the costumer came up with for this show.

@ 28 -- I also love "Madame Guillotine" and "Where's the Girl"...and also "The Creation of Man" and "Into the Fire"!

Very cool theme!!! I adore the Priscilla pic - such fantastic outfits in that one.

Great theme and great songs to go with the categories. Love "Bring Him Home" for library books!

I actually saw Scarlet Pimpernel on Broadway. I loved it.

I'm not really a fan of musicals but like the idea of using them as categories

Nice categories! Fun way of naming them. You're ready for another year.

You've got some great categories lined up! I'll be following along to see what books you choose to fill them.

Great theme! I had no idea some of the books I love have been turned into musicals - Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde for instance.... I need to see if a film of the musical exists! Same goes for Bonny and Clyde.

Sadly, I've never seen a musical. Great categories!

Love the Broadway theme!

now I'm humming in my head!

So, one of my categories is All I Ask of You - books selected for me by other people. I'm looking for three volunteers to select a book from my To Read shelf. Thanks in advance for helping whittle down my TBR stack!

I looked at your To Read list - how could a person pick ONE? You have some very good reads there!

Now you know why I'm asking for help!

If you still need volunteer pickers, I'd be glad to pick one from your TBR collection.

Great theme this year! I looked at your To Read list and can say that you can't go wrong with P.G. Wodehouse. I thought both The Inimitable Jeeves and Cocktail Time were very funny. I can also recommend Alias Grace, The Woman in White, In The Woods and The Big Sleep. All excellent.

Carrie - I still need volunteers so I'd love it if you made a selection.

Jennifer - Thanks for all the options! I do agree that you can't go wrong with Wodehouse. I think I'll take your Cocktail Time recommendation as I know I've had that book for a couple of years but just haven't read it yet. Something to look forward to!

My top pick for you would be Come, Tell Me How You Live. If you want a couple of other options, #2 would be The Woman in White and #3 would be Dissolution.

I was going to suggest Watership Down but I noticed over on the 2013 Category challenge that you are going to be reading it next month.

I would certainly second both The Woman in White and Dissolution.

Great choices!

Carrie - I'd forgotten about Come, Tell Me How You Live and would love to read it.

Judy - I am determined to read Watership Down in 2013 so will go with The Woman in White since it has now received three nominations. Looking forward to this section go my challenge for next year!

I'm glad to see I'm not the only Scarlet Pimpernel musical fan. My favorite songs include "Where's the Girl" (both the main one and the reprise) and "The Riddle".

Also, great challenge! I look forward to seeing what you pick...

I just love your categories! Great idea and good luck with reaching your goal. I'll be checking up on your accomplishments

What a fun category theme.

Set up my own Alpha Cat challenge for next year. Most of the books I selected were books I already own that are languishing on my TBR pile. Looking forward to finally reading them.

Made a small tweak to the Anything Goes category - this will be for Random Cats now. Hopefully books I already own, but it's not a requirement.

Great theme & categories, love it!

I love the theme! Though, instead of reading, I'm now tempted to listen to the soundtrack of Jekyll and Hyde or Chorus Line...

I love musicals. I don't often get to see one though. Wicked is one I dearly wished to see, but the place and time it was performed in the Netherlands was just not feasible.

Dropped a star and will be by during the year to see what you're reading.

Thanks! I do love musicals and am fortunate to live in a city where we have a nice selection come through every year as part of their national tours.

Book #1

Book - Tonight I Said Goodbye by Michael Koryta
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Jekyll & Hyde - "Murder, Murder"/January Mystery Cat - The Detective Novel/ROOT

This was an enjoyable old-fashioned PI story involving two retried police officers, Lincoln Perry and Joe Pritchard who are now the owners of a fairly new investigation agency. Nice witty banter and plenty of back stories that slowly come out throughout the book that give you a better idea of who they are. They are hired by an older man to prove that his son didn't commit suicide but was in fact murdered and to find out what happened to his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Despite misgivings, they take the case and soon find themselves crossing paths with the Russian mob as well as a powerful real estate developer in Cleveland. I will definitely look for more books in this series or by this author.

Well I am late for Christmas and New Years greetings but just in time for Epiphany! I hope you have an amazing year filled with blessings and wonderful books.

Thanks Roberta! Hope you have a great year too!

Book #2

Book - Oedipus the King by Sophocles
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Chicago - "I Can't do it Alone" (Group Reads/Book Club)/ROOT

Almost everybody is familiar with the story of Oedipus and his doomed fate. However, until now, I never really knew how the story unfolded. Amazing how in the course of one afternoon his whole world gets upended.

Book #3

Book - Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Bonnie & Clyde - "This World Will Remember Us"/Random Cat - January/Alpha Cat V/1001 Books/ROOT

This book proves that not all classics are stuffy. Really didn't know what to expect when I decided to read about Fogg and his crazy scheme to travel around the world in eighty days. What I got was fun, entertaining novel that moved quickly. He utilized all sorts of forms of transportation while accompanied by the good intentioned Passepartout.

>61 LittleTaiko: I read that one last year and loved it! It is amazing how much tragedy can be squeezed into that short amount of time.

>62 LittleTaiko: Hi Stacy, Le Tour du Monde en 80 jours is one of my favorite of Jules Verne. Glad that you liked it :)

Great reads for the start of the year. Oedipus is a great lesson in story structure, and Around the World in 80 Days is a lot of fun. :)

62 > That book is my favorite of Jules Verne. I love it to bits.

@ 62 -- I also really liked Around the World in Eighty Days! Were you surprised that there was no travel by hot-air balloon?

Three books already finished... what a great start to your challenge!

Love your Broadway theme! Puts me in the mood to listen to all of my cast recordings. The Michael Koryta book sounds interesting. Every time I see his name I feel like I should be reading his books, but have never gotten around to it for some reason. I should give him a try.

>63 mstrust: - Yes, it is a crazy amount of tragedy and disturbing revelations packed into a short time. We had an interesting discussion regarding fate versus free will during a book club meeting recently. Also, the question came up as to whether he was a bad guy or not.

>64 electrice: - It was great fun, I can see why it would be a favorite.

>65 andreablythe: - Yes, Oedipus really does help set the structure for the elements that a tragedy needs to be effective. Nice to follow that up with something fun like 80 Days.

>66 Samantha_kathy: - How are his other books? I would definitely like to read more by him if they are all as good.

>67 christina_reads: - I did feel a little surprised by the lack of a hot-air balloon. They managed to use almost every other means of travel, why not that?

>68 lkernagh: - Thanks! I've hit a bit of lull since I'm currently reading Bleak House as well as another longer than normal book. Hope to wrap those up soon so I can get back to all the other books I want to read.

>69 staci426: - Thank you! Do you have any particular favorite musicals or cast recordings? I do recommend Michael Koryta or at least his first book if you like the mystery genre.

They managed to use almost every other means of travel, why not that?

Probably because he'd already covered that extensively in Five Weeks in a Balloon ;)

Book #4

Book: Tenth of December by George Saunders
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Les Mis - "Bring Him Home" (Library Books)

I'm really going to have to stop saying that I'm not a short story fan - apparently I am, especially when they are as interesting and delightfully odd as these stories were. This collection really gets into the minds of the oddballs among us as well as the very human trials that we suffer. Some of these stories made me think about things a different way which is never a bad thing.

> 70 - Sounds like my reading at the moment which is Bleak House and The Luminaries, luckily both are e-books given their page count!

Wow! I'm so impressed you've selected all your Alpha reads for the year. That's what I call organized. Plus, your off to a great start.

Stacy Tenth of December sounds intriguing. Off I go to find it.

> 70. Right now I only have two complete recordings, Les Mis and Cats. I really enjoy both of them, but Les Mis is my absolute favorite. I listened to that one almost non stop when I first got it back in high school. I do enjoy a good mystery and have added Koryta to the wish list.

Just noticed you have In the Woods in your mystery category. I'm planning to read that one as well.

Have you read any of her other books? I know I read one a few years ago and liked it but don't remember much about it at the moment. I'm planning on reading In the Woods in June for the police procedural Mystery Cat challenge.

Book #5

Book: Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective by Agatha Christie
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Scarlet Pimpernel - "Where's The Girl?" (Female Authors)

Nice little collection of stories featuring Parker Pyne, though I wouldn't classify him as a detective. His line of work is more geared towards helping people find happiness. In fact, there were only a couple of murders in this set of stories. Parker Pyne reminded me of a much more straight forward Poirot, using his brain to look at the psychology of a situation to best determine how to help someone.

Haven't tried anything by her yet but am looking forward to it. My family and I are supposed to be going to Ireland this year, so I'll be reading her for local colour before we go :)

>79 LittleTaiko: I thought Parker Pyne had an almost supernatural quality, like that Twilight Zone episode where the guy keeps saying, "I know what you need."

Oh so woefully behind on posting reviews. Here we go:

Book #6

Book: Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Bonnie & Clyde - "This World Will Remember Us"(Classics)/Alpha Cat D/TBR Challenge/1001 Books/ROOT

I do love a good Dickens novel and Bleak House proved to be no exception. The story of a very convoluted law case, Esther, Mr. Jarndyce, and a cast of colorful characters, though when is a Dickens novel without colorful characters? A lovely story where everything makes sense in the end even if takes a while to get there.

Book #7

Book: The World's Strongest Librarian by Josh Hanagarne
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - "Nothing is Too Wonderful to be True" (Non-fiction)

This was such a surprisingly delightful book. The true story of a book loving, Mormon leaning, Tourette's suffering librarian who also happens to be extremely tall and lifts weights. His sense of humor, human insight, and honesty take you through his rather interesting life. It's a story of faith, suffering, and strength. I recommend it for anyone who loves books and stories of overcoming the odds.

The Worlds Strongest Librarian sounds quite good.

Book #8

Book: How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Priscilla Queen of the Dessert - "It's Raining Men" (Male Authors)

Loved this book and am happy that it's an entrant in the Tournament of Books. This is written under the guise of being a self help book. Love the fact that it's told in second person and always directed at 'you'. In this case you is an Asian male and we see his life unfold from an early age through death. Each chapter is a self help book directive and the ever elusive pretty woman flits through most of the chapters. It's an honest look at what it takes to survive in an up and coming nation. While the protagonoist isn't really the most sympathetic of characters you can't help but feel for him on his journey. I rarely quote from books but a couple of passages really stood out to me.

But when you read a book, what you are seeing are black squiggles on pulped wood or, increasingly, dark pixels on a pale screen. To transform these icons into characters and events, you must imagine. And when you imagine, you create. It's in being read that a book becomes a book, and in each million different readings a book becomes one of a million different books...

We are all refugees from our childhoods. And so, we turn, among other things, to stories. To write a story, is to be a refugee from the state of refugees. Writers and readers seek a solution to the problem that time passes, that those who have gone are gone and those who will go, which is to say every one of us, will go. For there was a moment when anything was possible. And there will be a moment when nothing is possible. But in between we create.

Book - Did Not Finish #1

Book: Hill William by Scott McClanahan
Rating: 1 star
Category - None - did not finish

Really wanted to like this book based on the reviews and description. However, it really wasn't anything like I imagined and I stopped reading almost halfway through (that's not saying much since this book is really short). Normally I like authors with really short, meaningful sentences, but not this time. Too repetitive, boring, and depressing. It's an entrant in the Tournament of Books but not one that I will be rooting for.

>84 andreablythe: - Andrea, it was really good. Such an interesting man. I couldn't help but get caught up in his story. Loved the fact that he used the Dewey Decimal System for his chapter titles too.

That's awesome. I love when authors are creative with their chapter heads and other non-story aspects like that.

>83 LittleTaiko: Seems like a nice way to learn more about Tourette's Syndrome and Mormonism. On the BB list :)

I had forgotten about the Tournament of Books, now I'll have to see how many I can get my hands on and shoehorned in (but probably not Hill William) before the Tournament actually starts.

Oh, and I'm about 2/3rds done with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena and really enjoying it - well not the right word considering the subject matter. I'm 90% sure I picked it up based on your recommendation, so thanks! Luckily Tenth of December is already in my queue, so I only picked up 2 BBs this visit...and the Tournament list ; )

Discovering the Tournament of Books has been quite dangerous to my planned reading this year. Really had hoped they would have selected books I had already read. :)

So happy that you're enjoying, for lack of a better word, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. It is hard to find the right word to describe reading it isn't?

Happy reading!

LittleTaiko

I love both your categories and your books. You have combined my two favorite things, Broadway musicals and books. My IPod Nano always contains both. I usually have about thirty novels (way to long a TBR list) and a few hundred broadway songs. I even had my first IPod engraved as "Barbara's Books and Broadway".

Since I was born in New York and still live in the tri-state area I was lucky enough to see ten of the shows you listed. I am actually going to the city on Wednesday to see Motown: the Musical.
Meanwhile I am deep into the TOB books.

I did finish Hill William and while it wasn't a favorite I found it interesting. However, even though I finished it less than a month ago, I had to reopen it to remember what it was about. That just isn't me. I usually remember what I read; so the fact that it made so little an impression makes me reassess the read and rate it on the bottom of the TOBs.

My favorite TOB so far is A Tale for the Time Being. I also loved How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. I have finished ten of the seventeen but have definitely slowed down with two of the longest The Luminaries and The Son still to go. I am currently working on Long Division but I am also having trouble building enough enthusiasm to finish the other four: The Lowland, At Night We Walk in Circles, The Tuner of Silences, and Woke Up Lonely.

Good luck with your great catagories and the TOB.

Barbara

Hello Barbara! So happy to see another musical loving, book reading person here. Very envious that you live close enough to see shows live on Broadway. You'll have to tell me what you think about Motown as I know that's one that will be touring here as part of the 2014/2015 season.

I'll have to try to get to A Tale for the Time Being since it is your favorite so far. The only other ones that I have read are The Dinner, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia, The Lowland, Life After Life, and of course my attempt at Hill William. I started reading The Son last December but didn't get to finish it, not because it was bad, but it was during the holidays, we were moving, and the book was due back at the library. Just didn't have enough time. What I read was good and I'm wondering how it all tied together later on. I have The Tuner of Silences on my ipad so I might be able to get to that soon too.

Thanks for stopping by.

Stacy

*waves* at Stacy!

Book #9

Book: Murder as a Second Language by Joan Hess
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Jekyll & Hyde - "Murder, Murder" (Mystery/Thriller)/Mystery CAT (Feb)/Alpha Cat H/ROOT

This was a bit of a disappointment. Until now I've been a loyal fan of the Claire Malloy series but may have to rethink continuing with the series. Claire is happily married and her daughter Caron is getting ready to graduate, however Claire has way too much free time on her hands now that she has hired someone to handle running her book store. This seems to mean that she has absolutely nothing else to do besides drive around town asking people all sorts of nosy questions. While that is fairly par for the course with ameteur detective stories it becomes a bit much here. The murder of a student at the local literacy council catches Claire's attention since she has been roped into being on the board and Caron and Inez are now volunteering there, teaching English as a second language. Claire seems more sarcastic than usual and the "humor" in this book just didn't work for me. In fact, it seemed downright insensitive at times, since most of the humor seemed to be related to the fact that the students who were trying to learn English sometimes mangled the language. There were enough flashes of the old Claire to keep me reading but overall this wasn't one of her better books.

Book #10

Book: The Walled Flower by Lorraine Bartlett
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Jekyll & Hyde - "Murder, Murder" (Mysteries/Thrillers)/TBR Challenge/Mystery CAT (Feb)/ROOT

This is the second in the Artisan Alley series. Katie is still sad that the mansion she wanted to turn into a B&B will never be hers somebody else has purchased it and is currently renovating it. The remains of a person are found holed up in the wall during the renovations. The remains are most likely the niece of Katie's friend Rose which sets her off on a mission to try and discover who may have killed the niece. Lots of other side stories almost threaten to overtake the story, but it does give a nice sense of place and character. Katie is a bit of a pushover and I found myself wishing she would actually be more assertive at times, but understand her need to make everybody happy. This was a solid mystery and I'll most likely read the next one in the series at some point.

Book #11

Book: Cocktail Time by P.G. Wodehouse
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Phantom of the Opera - "All I Ask of You" (Books Chosen by Other People/TBR Challenge/Wodehouse Month/ROOT

The Jeeves books are the Wodehouse books that I'm familiar with so it was fun to read one that not related to them. Apparently, this is related to the Blandings Castle books with a couple of the characters from that series popping up here. This had all the usual Wodehouse elements - romantic misunderstandings, humor, situations that only Wodehouse characters could find themselves in. Loved it!

Book #12

Book: Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Anything Goes - "Anything Goes" (Random Cat Books)/Random Cat - YA Books/ROOT

I had forgotten how much I loved this book. While I could totally understand Marilla and her exasperation with young Anne (honestly - her monologues just went on and on), you can't help but love Anne. I'm looking forward to eventually reading the rest of the series as I'm pretty sure I've only read this and Anne of Avonlea.

Two great reads in a row! Makes me nervous for my next book - hard to keep that trend going.

Indeed, that's a very lucky book streak! Also that reminds me I really need to read Rilla of Ingleside soon.

I'm happy to see you liked How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. That's one of the TOB books I hope to get to. Too bad Hill William wasn't to your liking. I've not read it yet and I've seen very mixed reviews. The Goldfinch is my favourite of the TOB books I've read so far.

I'm rereading Anne of Green Gables now and hope to reread the others in the series as well.

I'm trying to patiently wait for by turn with The Goldfinch at the library, but there are just sooo many other people in front of me. I may cave and buy the book. Next year, I'm going to have a TOB category so I can happily catch up on all the nominees.

Book #13

Book: The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett
Rating: 3 stars
Category: A Chorus Line - "I Hope I Get It" (Wishlist)

This was engaging, entertaining, though slightly predictable tale of a grieving widower who is trying to get his life back on track. He attempts to resume his career as a book collector/seller when he stumbles across an old painting tucked inside the book. The woman in the picture looks exactly like is dead wife. As he digs into the history of the painting he comes across a rare book that may or may not have William Shakespeare's notes in the margins from when he was writing one of his plays. If you are into the various Shakespeare conspiracies regarding whether he really wrote everything attributed to him or if you like book collecting and restoration then you should enjoy this book.

Book #14

Book: I Will Repay by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
Rating: 3 stars
Category: The Scarlet Pimpernel - "Where's the Girl?" (Female Authors)/TBR Challenge, ROOT, Alpah CAT - R

While not as good as The Scarlet Pimpernel, this was still a fun, fast read that I couldn't help but get caught up in. Shed some more light on the dreadful times of the French Revolution as well. The book opens with a duel between a young boy and a slightly older man. The boys death causes the emotional collapse of his father who makes the boy's sister promise the seek revenge on the other man. From there, the book takes us on the girl's journey as she tries to wrestle between the solemn oath she swore to her father and what her heart tells her to do. The Pimpernel plays a small but important part towards the middle and end of the story. The story just seems to pick up pace and energy when his character is involved.

I really enjoyed the Scarlet Pimpernel, so I Will Repay sounds like quite a lot of fun, especially with a female protagonist. I'm going to have to pick up this one for sure.

I have I Will Repay on my Nook...thanks for reminding me to get to it this year! :)

Little Taiko,
Just a short report on my week on Broadway as you requested. As typically seems to happen, I haven't seen a show since the summer and I saw three this week.

Motown the Musical was very good. The resemblance of the actors to the Motown characters was amazing. My husband commented that the actor playing Smoky Robinson looked more like Smoky than Smoky! The music was all the famous and familiar Motown hits and they were well integrated into the story. One complaint I heard from some who saw it was they did not always sing the entire song. As the shortened versions fit so well with the flow and dialogue I had no problem with it and thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Show two which I highly recommend was After Midnight.
This time there was no dialogue, just an occasional aside from the Moderator, Dule Hill. Other than that it was a nineteen thirties Harlem nightclub, with 24 separate song and dance numbers. It was ninety minutes of pure joy! Everyone in the theater had shining eyes and big wide smiles. Great!

Last but not least, we went to 54 Below, the new cabaret in the theater district and saw the nineteenth anniversary reunion of the cast of Smokey Joe 's Cafe and sat in awe as the recreated their original roles.

Great week!

Sounds like a very fun trip! Nice that you could get three shows in. I'll keep your recommendations in mind in case I find myself in New York anytime soon. Sadly, nothing is currently planned but you never know.

Book #15

Book: Brainiac by Ken Jennings
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Phantom of the Opera - "All I Ask of You" (Books Picked by Others/TBR Challenge, ROOT

This book was such fun to read, especially if you have any interest in trivia, game shows, and a love of learning things. Ken Jennings is a surprisingly entertaining author who not only tells the story of his record breaking run on Jeopardy but on the history of trivia and the various forms you can find it in throughout the world.

Book #16

Book: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Wicked - "Popular" (Recommended books)

It's always so hard to review a YA book as an adult, especially one about first love and difficult families. Eleanor and Park are two misfits (well, she's definitely a misfit, he seems fairly well-adjusted) who get stuck sitting next to each other on the school bus. Eventually, they begin to bond over comic books and next thing you know they are in a full blown teenage romance. I really enjoyed the back and forth narrative as I love seeing how the same scene can be viewed through each participant's eyes. The author does a good job of capturing the angst and uncertainty of that first love.

I really enjoyed Eleanor and Park. Glad to see you liked it too.

Book #17

Book: The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Catch Me If You Can - "Christmas Is My Favorite Time of Year" (Christmas Gifts)/TBR Challenge/ROOTS

This is the first in Hillerman's Navajo mystery series. It's not a mystery exactly as you know halfway through the book who the killer is and instead it becomes more of a thriller. It was an overall enjoyable book but I probably won't go out of my way to read more in the series, but that has more to do with my lack of interest in books set in the southwest.

Book #18

Book: The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Chicago - "I Can't Do It Alone" (Book Club)

This is a challenging book to review. While overall this wasn't for me, I can see hints of why others might be so enthusiastic about it. One of my biggest problems is with the extreme wordiness of the book. This really shouldn't have been over 500 pages, 200-300 would have been just fine. The superhero aspect just didn't work for me. Every time I thought Dylan was starting to mature, this stupid idea of being a superhero resurfaced. I'm looking forward to hearing from other members of my book club as to what they thought as it might help me understand this book better. I know this book is now a musical which added to my general befuddlement as well. Really curious as to how this story will be adapted.

So woefully behind on my reviews...unexpected trip last weekend provided ample reading time but not much reviewing time as I've been playing catchup at work and home. Okay, enough whining, on to the recaps.

Book #19

Book: The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Jekyll & Hyde - "Murder, Murder" (Mystery/Thriller)/ROOT/Mystery CAT - March

Lovely to revisit the Trixie Belden series. I remember loving these books when I was younger but didn't remember much about the book themselves. The first of the six books sets up the series as Trixie meets Honey, the rich girl who just moved into the house next door. While this is technically a mystery, it's more than that as it's about learning to face your fears, becoming friends with someone different, and helping others. Granted it seems easy to do that when you have the perfect family who seem to let you do almost anything. Couldn't believe that this book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger.

Book #20

Book: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Wicked - "Popular" (Recommended Books)/Group Read

I was excited when Bel Canto was recommended as a group read this year as for a while it seemed like I was the only person who hadn't read it yet. The premise does seem odd - various foreign dignitaries gathered for a birthday party where the entertainment is an opera singer. The festivities are interrupted by a large group of would be kidnappers. On the surface this seems like a crazy setup that shouldn't work, but somehow it really does. I didn't realize until after I had finished the book that it's loosely based on a true story which made it more interesting. Looking forward to discussing it later this month with the group.

Book #21

Book: The Maid's Version by Daniel Woodrell
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Catch Me If You Can - "Christmas is My Favorite Time of Year" (Christmas gifts)/Alpha Cat M

I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. The premised is interesting - a mysterious explosion at a dance hall kills a large group of people. Who was responsible? One member of the town seems to know and eventually over the course of the book, the reader does too. My main problem is with how the story unfolded in a very non-linear fashion. Sometimes that works, but here it made it really difficult to get into the story or to develop a connection with the characters.

Book #22

Book: Mrs. Jeffries and the Merry Gentlemen by Emily Brightwell
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Jekyll & Hyde - "Murder, Murder"

How I missed this book coming out last year around the holidays is beyond me. I'm just glad I found the latest book in the Mrs. Jeffries series. It's the typical setup where the Inspector gets the case and the staff helps solve the murder. Still really enjoy this series and appreciate the character growth that occurs even if it is ever so slowly.

>116 LittleTaiko: Glad you liked it! I need to finish a book and then I'll be starting on Bel Canto. It's a reread for me, but I sure don't remember much.

Book #23

Book: Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Book of Mormon - "Making Things Up Again" (Fiction)/Random Cat - March/ROOT

Having been a big fan of Me Before You and really enjoying Last Letter from Your Lover and The Girl You Left Behind, I was eager to seek of more book by Jojo Moyes and found one of her earlier works Peacock Emporium. Sadly, this does not come close to being as good at the others. There are flashes of what she's capable of, but it gets lost along the way. The primary problem for me is that the main character Suzanna has got to be one of the most unsympathetic people in the whole story. She is selfish, immature, unpleasant, and just plain annoying. Most of the supporting cast doesn't help much either with the exception of Vivi and Jessie. I'll still read other books by Moyes, but may just stay away from some of the earlier books.

Book #24

Book: The Red Trailer Mystery by Julie Campbell
Rating: 4 stars
Category: The Scarlet Pimpernel - "Where's the Girl?" (Female Authors)/ROOT

The second book in the Trixie Belden series was another fun, quick read. Definitely dated, but a sweet mystery as Trixie and Honey search for Jim and along the way get entangled in another mystery involving a stolen red trailer. Love the fact that these preteens were quoting "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe.

Book #25

Book: James Buchanan by Jean Baker
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - "Nothing Is Too Wonderful to be True" (Non-fiction)/ROOT/TBR

Widely hailed as the worst president ever, it's tempting to feel a bit sorry for the man except he probably does deserve the title. His siding with the south regarding slavery alienated so many people, the northern states where he was from, his whole political party, and the territory of Kansas as they tried to join the nation. He may have fared better if he had been president at a different time when he could focus on foreign policy, but he was elected when domestic issues dominated the agenda. Interesting and brief look at this life and presidency.

One of my book clubs also did Bel Canto and it makes for very good discussion.

I loved reading Trixie Belden as a child! I've never done a reread as an adult, though. I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it.

There's a group discussion later this week on Bel Canto if you'd like to join in. Trixie is great - not sure if I'll reread all of them but I do have the first six so I'll start there. Something fun to work in every once in a while.

Book #26

Book: The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Catch Me if You Can - "Christmas is My Favorite Time of Year" (Christmas Gifts/ROOT/Alpha - L

Ever since she won the Nobel Prize last year, I have wanted to read one of her books, sadly this collection reminded me why I'm usually not a short story fan. Rather vague characters doing annoying, disturbing, or sad things - in general making a mess of their lives. However with the short story format you don't get much information regarding how their lives ended up the way that they did. The last story "My Mother's Dream" is the only one that worked for me.

Leaving tomorrow for the Left Coast Crime. Guests of honor include Sue Grafton and Louise Penny. Can't wait!!

Have a great time! Enjoy seeing Louise Penny! :D

That's too bad that you didn't like Munro more. I read Dear Life recently and really liked it, but then I like short stories.

Sounds like a bookish and fun trip!

>126 LittleTaiko: Oooh, have fun!!

>115 LittleTaiko: and 121- Yay, for a Trixie Belden re-visit. I went straight for the 2nd book, skipping the first. The 2nd and 10th books are my favorites. They are dated, but I didn't notice anything too glaringly obvious. The last time I read a Nancy Drew book the story included Nancy paying for lunch and ice cream sundaes for three people, filling the gas tank on the car and then paying for all of these things with a $20 bill. They thought she was a bank robber. That one seriously needs to be updated.

>126 LittleTaiko: Have fun!

Guests of honor include Sue Grafton and Louise Penny.

Jealous! Have a wonderful time!

Finally back and getting caught up on threads, reviews, and other book stuff. The Left Coast Crime was quite a lot of fun with many authors and fans coming together to discuss mysteries. Needless to say I ended up bringing back way too many books. Wait, is that possible? Let's just say it more than covers this years Thingaversary as well as all prior years when I didn't buy anything. List of books acquired is below.

Free - books given as gifts to registrants

Mission to Paris by Alan Furst
The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley
Infernal Angels by Loren D. Estleman
What You Wish For by Janet Dawson
Mixed Signals by Jane Tesh
Dove Season by Johnny Shaw
The Suspect by L.R. Wright
Zoo Station by David Downing
Death of an Englishman by Magdalen Nabb

Free - given by the authors whose table I sat at during the awards banquet
Dead Harvest by Chris F. Holm
A Cold and Lonely Place by Sara J. Henry

Purchased
Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet
Board Stiff by Kendel Lynn
The Burry Man's Day by Catriona McPherson
Pagan Spring by G.M. Malliet
Gone West by Carola Dunn
Cold Mourning by Brenda Chapman
The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson
Braking Points by Tammy Kaehler
Fit to Be Dead by Nancy G. West
Whose Body? by Dorothy Sayers
Gaudy Night by Dorothy Sayers
The Thirty Nine Steps by John Buchan
Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle
Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay
How to Dine on Killer Wine by Penny Warner
Joy in the Morning by P.G. Wodehouse
Gluten for Punishment by Nancy J. Parra
Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay
A Killer Read by Erika Chase
The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott
Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber

Holy smokes, what a haul! :) Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on all of those!

Wow, great haul! It sounds like a fun event!

Some great books on that list!

Fortunately April will be a quieter month for me so I'm hoping to read some of these as well as others that I already had planned.

Book #27

Book: Missing You by Harlan Coben
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Hairspray - "New Girl in Town" (Books Published or Bought in 2014)

There is quite a bit happening in this book, Kat's friend signs her up for an online dating site. As she's browsing the bios she stumbles upon the picture of her ex-fiancee. As she tries to reconnect with him, other events keep getting in the way. A teenage boy comes to Kat when his mom disappears for a few days. On top of that, Kat is continuing to look for answers regarding her father's death several years ago. As I said, quite a bit happening and if it weren't Harlan Coben writing the book it may have been a bit too much. While not quite the fast paced page turner some of his other books have been, this was still a well told story that kept you reading.

Book #28

Book: The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Hairspray - "New Girl in Town" (Books Published or Bought in 2014)

This is the first book in A Book Collector Mystery series. Jordan Bingham is in need of a job and what better way to put her English degree to use than to help a wealthy, eccentric person track down a rumored Agatha Christie play that may or may not exist. I loved the fact that Jordan's relatives aren't the most respectable of people even though they have hearts of gold and are willing to help Jordan at any cost. A solid first book in a series that I would definitely like to read more of.

Book #29

Book: Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Hairspray - "New Girl in Town" (Books Published or Bought in 2014)

Set in a coastal California town, this is the first book in the Cookbook Nook mystery series. Jenna Hart has moved back home to help her aunt open a cookbook shop and cafe. When her friend and celebrity chef is murdered right before the grand opening, Jenna finds herself as a suspect. While I didn't warm to Jenna completely, she's a bit too emotional and illogical for my tastes, I couldn't help but enjoy the book. There is potential for this series as long as Jenna stops acting like she's playing some sort of Jump to Conclusions game.

Wow, what a huge number of books to bring home with you! It sounds like you had a great time mixing with famous authors. Good for you!

Well, fortunately they do offer shipping services so most of them were shipped back. It was lots of fun!

Wow!! That's an awesome number of books!

I am very impressed by all the great books you were able to bring home and I am looking forward to all the book bullets I will probably take when I read your reviews of them!

Book #30

Book: The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Les Mis - "Bring Him Home" (Library Books)

I'm a sucker for time travel books so the premise of this book definitely drew me in, Nick jumped forward in time from The Napoleonic War to modern day and finds himself in the care of The Guild. Julia remains in the past and discovers that she has the ability to manipulate time. When the Guild asks Nick to go back, his path crosses with Julia and all sorts of complications ensue. This book could have been a bit shorter as there seemed to be quite repetitive conversations involving the river of time, etc...Also, as a warning the author intends for there to be at least one sequel so this book really doesn't end.

Thanks for your comments on The Christie Curse. That's definitely one book I want to get to, sometime soon.

I quite liked The Christie Curse as well. :)

I checked and saw that The Christie Curse is already on my wish list. At least the black hole (as Stasia calls it) didn't get bigger.

>144 LittleTaiko: Thanks for your review of The River of No Return! The concept seems right up my alley, but I'm a bit perturbed by the lack of a real ending. Looks like I'll be getting it from the library instead of spending money on my own copy.

I had a similar reaction to The River of No Return. The book was too long and could have used an editor to parse it down a bit, but a fun concept.

>132 LittleTaiko:
Excellent haul!!

Yes, the The River of No Return really needed a good editor - that was also the consensus of my book club as well. Definitely a library book and not one to spend money on.

Book #31

Book: Murder in Three Acts by Agatha Christie
Rating: 4 stars
Category: The Scarlet Pimpernel - "Where's the Girl?" (Female Authors)/TBR/ROOT

Always nice to read an Agatha Christie book and this book is no exception. When a reverend mysteriously dies during a house party, everyone assumes it was just an accident. When another member of that house party dies under similar circumstances a few months later it seems that a murderer is in their midst. Of course with Poirot involved it's only a matter of time before the guilty party is unmasked. It's a clever story that I enjoyed even though I was fairly sure I remembered who the killer was.

Book #32

Book: Headhunters by Jo Nesbo
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Priscilla Queen of the Desert - "It's Raining Men" (Male Authors)/TBR/ROOT/Mystery Challenge

Such a disappointing book - I had heard such good things about Nesbo that I was eager to finally read one of his books. Apparently I would have been better off reading one of his series books instead of this standalone. While there are absolutely no characters that are remotely likeable, that isn't my problem with the book. The plot is contrived, the reactions over the top, and the twists too ridiculous.

>152 LittleTaiko: That's a really good one anyway, but I can't see that title without linking it to Martin Shaw, since he was in the latest version.

>153 LittleTaiko: Too bad about that one. I haven't read any Nesbo yet, but I have The Snowman on the shelf. Guess I'll avoid this one.

From all accounts the Harry Hole series is supposed to be really good. This book just didn't make much sense.

My goodness i was so behind on your thread. What a lot of good books you have been reading and the Left Coast Crime sounds amazing. The book haul is fantastic!!!

Book #33

Book: No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Book of Mormon - "Making Things Up Again" (Fiction)/Alpha Cat P

Nothing like a lovely Pym book to get you out of a reading funk. Dulcie is at loose ends having recently broken up with her fiancee and ends up at a conference for indexers (not really sure what that is) and other people in the literary world. Soon enough she has made a new friend and is assessing her life. Full of the usual Pym characters and humor, Pym's ability to cut right through to the reality of people is always enjoyable.

Book #34

Book: Favorite Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Anything Goes - "Anything Goes" (Random Cat)/Random Cat - Poetry/ROOT

A lovely, short collection of some of his best works. It does not include some of his longer narratives but it does include "Paul Revere's Ride," as well as two that became my favorites of this collection - "Hymn to the Night" and "The Rainy Day."

Book #35

Book: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Bonnie & Clyde - "This World Will Remember Us" (Classics)/Alpha Cat I/ROOT

Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum! What a fun pirate story full of adventure, double-crossing, and a brave boy named Jim. I had heard of this book before but didn't realize that "Shiver me timbers" and Long John Silver originated with this book.

>159 LittleTaiko: It is interesting that so much of our "pirate lore" originated from this book. Hats off to Robert Louie Stevenson!

What's a pirate's favorite letter?

ARRRRRRRRR!

>161 mamzel:
You'd think so, but it would be the sea.

I've seen a bunch of movie versions, but never actually read Treasure Island - it's on Mt. TBR, though, so hopefully just a matter of time. :)

Is there a movie version you would recommend? I'd love to watch one now.

The 1950 Disney version is a good one, but my personal favorite is the 2012 TV version with Eddie Izzard. Not sure about how faithful either of them are to the original.... obviously. :)

For a non-faithful adaptation, I rather liked the scifi, animated version put out by Disney in 2002, Treasure Planet.

You're reading some good ones! I read No Fond Return of Love just a few months ago and really liked it too. I've only read about four Pyms so far but they've all been excellent.
And Treasure Island is also a favorite. The 50's version with Robert Newton is good. He pretty much stole the show. I haven't seen the Eddie Izzard version all the way through but I need to get on that. It seems like a much darker tone.

Book #36

Book: Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - "Nothing is Too Wonderful to be True" (Non-fiction)

This was not a book I intended to read until my book club selected it - so very glad that they did or else I would have missed out on this very gripping story. The story of Hurricane Katrina and it's impact on the hospitals in New Orleans, especially Memorial Hospital was really hard to put down. I couldn't help but get caught up in the drama of the situation. My heart goes out to the families, the doctors, and the nurses. It was an impossible situation with no easy solutions.

Book #37

Book: Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Les Mis - "Bring Him Home" (Library Books)

Just finished reading Treasure Island for the first time and plan on reading Jekyll and Hyde later this year so it was nice to read this fictionalized tale of Robert Louis Stevenson's life. The story focuses on his relationship with his wife Fanny and their incredibly interesting life. This could have been a really good book, but instead got bogged down somewhere in the middle. Too many descriptions of the various illnesses and then way too much about their life in Samoa.

>168 LittleTaiko: I'm trying to get a copy of this for my library. Since we are in earthquake country it would be a good reminder of how bad things can get after a major event.

I'm finally catching up with your thread and very impressed by your Left Coast Crime haul! That sounds like a great event. I wish we had something like that in our part of the country.

Book #38

Book: This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Chicago - "I Can't Do it Alone" (Book Club)

This is a collection of essays that Patchett has written through the years so readers expecting her standard novel should adjust their expectations. These essays really give you an insight into Patchett and I found the whole collection to be quite interesting. Her essay on writing is recommended for any want to be writers out there. As a dog person, I loved her dog stories.

Book #39

Book: From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Wicked - "Popular" (Recommended books)

Surely I read this book as a child, didn't I? Very glad that I have read it now. Delightful story of two runaways who choose to hideout at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Not sure I would have appreciated what that meant as a child but now that I've been there a couple of times, I love the idea. What fun would it be to roam through there at night.

Book #40

Book: The Burry Man's Day by Catriona McPherson
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Hairspray - "The New Girl in Town" (Published or bought in 2014)

Fun mystery set in Scotland in the early 1920's. Dandy is visiting her friend and attending the annual fair which involves someone dressed as the Burry Man who wanders town all day long taking shots of whiskey. When the Burry Man drops dead at the end of the day nobody suspects anything suspicious but eventually Dandy and her friends realize that nothing is quite as it seems.

Loved the Mixed Up Files when I read it as a ki. It was among my favorites. Seems I was talking about it with someone recently..., so it's nice to see a good review. Makes me want to reread. :)

Woefully behind on reviews - time to catch up.

Book #41

Book: The Greater Journey by David McCullough
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Priscilla Queen of the Desert - "It's Raining Men" (Male Authors)/ROOT

Another fascinating book by David McCullough - this time he takes us to the 1800's when Americans were flocking to Paris to improve themselves as artists, doctors, writers, etc...People like James Fenimore Cooper, Samuel Morse, Mary Cassatt, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and many many more. I'm impressed with out brave these people were as well as dedicated. The chapters about the medical students were my favorite sections as it really opened my eyes to how much we owe the French for our early medical advances.

Book #42

Book: Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
Rating: 3 stars
Category: A Chorus Line - "I Hope I Get It" (Wishlist Items)

The first in the Lord Peter Wimsey series sets up the character nicely though it's by no means a strong mystery. The answer is fairly obvious halfway through the book and instead it becomes more of a psychological study. Definitely dated but overall an enjoyable read once you settle into her writing style.

Book #43

Book: The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Rating: 4 stars
Category: A Chorus Line - "I Hope I Get It" (Wishlist Items)

What would you do if you found a letter from your very much alive husband that says it's only to be opened after his death? That is the problem facing Cecilia Fitzpatrick in this novel. She has a very nice well-organized life that this letter could completely destroy. Not only does this letter impact her life but the lives of a couple of other women she barely knows. I really enjoyed this book as it shows you all the ways small actions can have big impacts.

Book #44

Book: Slammed by Colleen Hoover
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Book of Mormon - "Making Things Up Again" (Fiction)

Definitely a young adult romance which makes it hard for me to objectively rate. I feel confident that as a teenager I would have been caught up in the romance of this book but as an adult I found myself rolling my eyes at the silliness of the instant love at first sight setup and the incredibly selfish behavior of Layken, the heroine of the book. Will's actions were slightly better but still fairly immature at times. However, I still found reasons to keep reading as there were some side stories that weren't expected and added a nice touch to the book. Doubt I'll read more, but then again, I'm not really the target audience either.

Book #45

Book: Flowers for the Judge by Margery Allingham
Rating: 3 stars
Category: The Scarlet Pimpernel - "Where's the Girl?" (Female Authors)/ROOT

One of the Golden Age mysteries featuring Albert Campion. The mystery focuses on a family publishing firm and the mysterious disappearance of one of the relatives. When he is found dead in a locked basement, the family turns to Campion to sort out the problem. Interesting enough book but not a series that I think I'll pursue. Never quite warmed to Campion particularly when he was interacting with his servant.

Looks like your reading has been varied lately, Stacy. Just dropping by as I'm catching up.

Book #46

Book: Come, Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Phantom of the Opera - "All I Ask of You" (Books Picked by Other People)/TBR/ROOT

So happy that someone selected this book for me to read this year. I have long been a fan of Agatha Christie but for some reason have never read her memoir about her time in Syria until now. She has such an optimistic, humorous outlook on life that it's a bit surprising that she ended up writing so many murder mysteries. Then again, she's very pragmatic and not afraid of the realities of life.

Book #47

Book: Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Anything Goes - "Anything Goes" (Random Cat)/ROOT

Rose Mae Lolley has not had an easy life, her mother left when Rose was a child, her father beat her, and she has had several bad relationships. Currently married to Thom who gets great pleasure out of putting her in the hospital on a regular basis, Rose or , Ro as she now calls herself, is trying to remember the girl she used to be. A airport gypsy warns her that she needs to make a choice, her husband or herself. Rose's journey to making that choice becomes complicated by past history and her own demons.

So torn on how I feel about this book. On one hand, I did find myself caught up in the story and wondering what would happen next. But on the other hand, I just could not relate to the main character and didn't find many of her actions believable. For that matter, I had a hard time understanding any of the characters. Also, reading this book would give you the impression that all small southern towns are primarily occupied with abusers, their victims, and a few crazy people on the side.

Book #48

Book: Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Book of Mormon - "Making Things Up Again" (Fiction)/ROOT/Alpha Cat E

Once again I found myself completely engrossed in Lahiri's stories. I do think I prefer her short stories to her novels in that they seem to suit her writing style better. She manages to put so much into so few pages. Her characters come alive for me and seem so very real. There is always a bittersweet note to her books that really captures what life in general is like.

>182 LittleTaiko: I loved that one. She was surprisingly funny, and yes, pragmatic is a good word for how she simply rolled with the problems.

She was definitely made of sterner stuff than me - one night of several mice running over my bed would have been enough. Not to mention the interesting travel situations trying to cross the flooded, muddy areas.

Book #49

Book: Up Jumps the Devil by Michael Poore
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Phantom of the Opera - "All I Ask of You" (Books Selected by Other People)/ROOT/Alpha Cat U

This was a funny and at times thought provoking book that portrays The Devil as a well-intentioned person who has been trying to make the world a better place. Trouble is, he doesn't completely understand humans, though at times he seems to understand us better than we think. He's also nursing a broken heart as his first love, the angel Arden, was scared off by the brutality of Earth and instead preferred to return to Heaven. As part of his world improvement plan, he strikes a deal with a folk group during the 60's and this book details the repercussions for all involved. If you are a fan of Christopher Moore you'll probably like this book.

Book #50

Book: Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Priscilla Queen of the Desert - "It's Raining Men" (Male Authors)

A beautifully told story set during the 60's in a small Minnesota town. Frank is a young boy partaking of typical young boy activities and enjoying life with his family. The book opens with the town mourning the death of one of Frank's friends. There will be four more deaths by the time the book is over but this isn't your typical mystery novel. It's really more of a look at how death impacts people in different ways, small town life, and growing up faster than necessary. Really enjoyed the writing, the relationship between Frank and his brother Jake really felt real.

Book #51

Book: Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
Rating: 3 stars
Category: A Chorus Line - "I Hope I Get It" (Wishlist)

Cute, fun book by Lauren Graham best known for her roles on The Gilmore Girls and Parenthood. This book finds Franny, a struggling actress in New York, desperately trying to become a success before her self-imposed deadline of three years. She only has six months left before she will call it quits and move back home and marry her hometown boyfriend. Franny is delightful though a bit dense at times.

Having a nice day - jury duty, which meant lots of reading time. I didn't get picked so am now enjoying the afternoon rearing and watching Poirot.

Sounds like a good day! :)

It's rare to see the phrases "nice day" and "jury duty" in the same sentence.

Book #52

Book: We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
Rating: 1 star
Category: Les Mis - "Bring Him Home" (Library Books)

Just could not finish this book - it started off interestingly enough, but once I got to the big reveal about halfway through the book, I completely lost interest. I tried to hang in there, but the lack of linear story telling and a rather annoying narrator were more than I could take.

Book #53

Book: Gluten for Punishment by Nancy J. Parra
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Hairspray - "New Girl in Town" (Books bought or published in 2014)

First in a new cozy series set in Kansas, the story centers around Toni Holmes and her new gluten-free bakery, Baker's Treat (yes, I happen to appreciate the play on words). When a local wheat farmer is murdered near her bakery, suspicion falls on Toni. Supported by her crazy grandmother and her best friend Tasha, Toni has to try to clear her name. Overall this was an enjoyable first book and I'd be interested in reading more. I'm hoping that the love triangle dies off soon though as it didn't really add much to the book and seemed a bit cliched. One of my best friends suffers from Celiac's so it was nice to have a book that focuses on the importance of gluten-free foods in their lives.

Book #54

Book: Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - "Nothing is Too Wonderful to be True" (Non-ficition)

When Christopher Hitchens was diagnosed with cancer, he did what he did best - wrote about it. This is a small collection that covers his thoughts on living and dying. It's an honest, staight-forward account that made me laugh and made me think.

Book #55

Book: A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Bonnie & Clyde - "This World Will Remember Us" (Classics)

I first read this book in high school and remember absolutely loving it. It was with some trepidation though that I picked it up again some twenty plus years later. Would I still have the same feelings? The answer is yes, a hundred times, yes. This will probably remain my favorite book by Dickens and I can state that having read almost half of his books. What I appreciate about this book is that instead of his usual cast of hundreds of characters, he focuses on only a handful and weaves a powerful and dark story. To top it off, this book has the best opening and closing sentences of all time.

I loved A Tale of Two Cities when I read it last year, you are so right about both the opening and closing sentences.

Book #56

Book: Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Les Mis - "Bring Him Home" (Library Books)

Maybe I've read too many historical fiction books recently from the point of view of the misunderstood wife, but this just didn't work for me. Neither Scott nor Zelda are particularly compelling people and you really just want them to shut up and go away which based on a couple of other books I've read where they were involved seems fairly par for the course. This book left me with the impression that so much of this story was conjecture. It's hard to pinpoint why, but the thoughts and conversations just didn't ring true for me. For instance, Zelda seems to be hampered from making any change in her life because of her fear in losing her daughter, but nothing in the book shows her to have any maternal feelings at all really.

Sounds like maybe a little Munchhausen syndrome where she garners sympathy because of her daughter.

>187 LittleTaiko: Up Jumps the Devil seems like my kind of book, it'll be worth a good laugh I think. >189 LittleTaiko: Well I can at last reveal my absolute love of Gilmore Girls and the wonderful Lauren Graham as Lorelai, so it's definitely on the BB list. Thanks for the great reviews :)

>200 electrice: Count me in as another "Gilmore Girls" lover! I have all the seasons on DVD. :)

>201 christina_reads: Jealous, jealous, only have season 1 to 3 so far ;)

>200 electrice: - I was a big Gilmore Girls fan too - it was hard not to picture Lorelai in my head while reading the book. Wonder if she voiced the audio version, that would be fun to listen to.

Moving on to a new thread.