Clue 2014

2013 was the first year I participated in this challenge and I've got a better handle on categories for 2014 I think. The plan is 7 categories with either 14 or 7 in the category for a total of 70 read. Still keeping the plan simple.

1. Mysteries and Thrillers (14) - COMPLETED 10/9

1. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear (Jan Mystery CAT)
2. Dead Cert by Dick Francis
3. By A Slow River by Philippe Claudel
4. A Play of Issac by Margaret Frances
5. Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
6. Shadows At The Fair by Lea Wait
7. State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy
8. Roseanna by Maj Sjowall
9. Masquerade In Venice by Velda Johnston
10. The Summons by John Grisham
11. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
12. Double Booked for Death by Ali Brandon
13. The Partner by John Grisham
14. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

2. General Fiction (14) - COMPLETED 9/14

1. Longbourn by Jo Baker
2. The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles by Katherine Pancol
3. Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
4. Henrietta Sees It Through by Joyce Dennys
5. The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fanny Flagg
6. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
7. A Good American by Alex George
8. Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen
9. The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
10. The Foundling by Georgette Heyer
11. Mrs. Lincoln's Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini
12. The Island by Elin Hilderbrand
13. Her Own Place by Dori Sanders
14. Delicious! by Ruth Reichl

15. Lucky Us by Amy Bloom
16. The Promise by Ann Weisgarber
17. China Dolls by Lisa See

3. Oh! I've Been Meaning to Read That! (14)

1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
2. The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas
3. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
4. Civil War Hospital Sketches by Louisa May Alcott
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
6. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
7. Silks by Dick and Felix Francis
8. Thornyhold by Mary Stewart

4. Next In A Series (14) COMPLETED 10/12/14

1. A Trick of the Light by Louise Penney
2. When Gods Die by C.S. Harris
3. Death of a Dustman by M.C. Beaton
4. Death of a Cad by M.C. Beaton
5. The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley
6. Death of an Outsider by M. C. Beaton
7. Death of a Perfect Wife by M.C. Beaton
8. Chapter and Hearse by Lorna Barrett
9. Hail to the Chef by Julie Hyzy
10. Death of a Hussy by M.C. Beaton
11. Death of a Snob by M.C. Beaton
12. Death of a Prankster by M.C. Beaton
13. A Venetian Reckoning by Donna Leon
14. Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy

15. A Highland Christmas by M.C. Beaton

5. Rereads (7) COMPLETED 12/22

1. Mrs. 'Arris Goes To Paris by Paul Gallico
2. Mrs. 'Arris Goes To New York by Paul Gallico
3. The Paper Chase by John Jay Osborn, Jr.
4. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
5. A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg
6. A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
7. The Christmas Tree by Julie Salamon

6. Memoirs and Biography (7)

1. A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London, and New York by Angelica Huston
2. The Death of Santini by Pat Conroy
3. My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
4. Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez
5. Margarita Wednesdays by Deborah Rodriguez
6. Wild: From Lost To Found On the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
7. Crazy Horse by Larry McMurtry

7. Other nonfiction (7) (COMPLETED 12/20)

1. Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr.
2. What Makes Olga Run? by Bruce Grierson
3. Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon
4. An Auctioneer's Lot by Philip Serrell
5. Wheat Belly by William Davis, M.D.
6. Maeve's Times by Maeve Binchy

Clue, only 7 series you're reading?? Seriously?? I admire your restraint. Have a great year!

Welcome back for an other fun year of challenge reading!

Great categories! Covers everything

Glad you're back! It's amazing to me how my challenge has evolved over time...I definitely learned a lot about my reading habits and what I can (and can't) do in a year.

Welcome back! Good idea to keep things simple. I like your category of "Oh! I've been meaning to read that." Have a great challenge!

Great to see you here - looking forward to following along. I can fill a whole year's reading with "Oh! I've Been Meaning to Read That!," I think. That and bookbullets and I'm set. :)

Glad to see you back for another year and I look forward to following your reading.

I've not had an internet connection in a week so I'm catching up. Have read 6 so far this month. I'm sure Longbourn, (4 stars) which was my first book completed for the year, will be on my favorites list for 2014. I love starting out the reading year with a book I really like! I'm not going to include reviews tonight because I'm too tired, catching up on a week's posts, particularly at the first of the year, is a challenge in itself. Though of course, an enjoyable one!

I have Longbourn lined up for this year so happy to see it ranks highly with you... and so early in the reading year!

Finished Dead Cert by Dick Francis today. This was his first novel and although it isn't the best out of the 40 or so he wrote, I thought the mystery was pretty good. It revolved around a gang trying to control the outcome of horse races and using extortion to get money from small businesses. Unfortunately there was also a romance that was needed to tie the main character to the gang but the romance itself was so silly it was as if two people were writing, one writing the mystery and one writing the romance. Still, it was his first effort and in the end he gave readers many years of entertaining reading.

I'm so glad to hear that you liked Longbourn! It's pretty high on my wishlist and I'd like to read it sometime this year for my challenge. Books with Austen ties can be hit or miss. A couple of years ago I read a retelling of Lady Susan that I really liked - Lady Vernon and Her Daughter.

Completed Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford. I was disappointed in it and I'm glad to move on!

19 - I think you'll like Longbourn, I don't think I've seen any reviews that aren't really good. Although I like the Austen connection, it can easily stand on it's own.

Sad to hear that the latest Jamie Ford book isn't very good as I really liked his first book.

Finished the last two of the month for a total of 10. I usually read 4 to 6 a month but with bad weather and internet outages I've gotten a few more in. By A Slow River by Philippe Claudel is an atmospheric literary mystery that I rated 4.5 stars. The writing is excellent. Three deaths take place in a small village over a short period of time during WWI. A young girl is murdered, a teacher commits suicide and the wife of the village policeman dies in childbirth. The policeman is telling in retrospect what his role in each death and investigation was. Surprises at the end. In Henrietta Sees It Through the fictional Henrietta continues to write letters about village life to her friend Robert who is at the front during WWII. This book is the second in the series and covers letters sent from 1942 through 1945. Both books are charming light reads but of the two I preferred the first.

By a Slow River sounds like something I would like. Onto the wishlist it goes!

>22 clue: First of Henrietta Sees It Through is going on the BB list. I love epistolary novel !

Joining electrice in adding Henrietta Sees it Through as another reader who loves epistolary novels!

#22 and 25 > Henrietta Sees It Through is the 2nd Henrietta. The first is Henrietta's War. You'll enjoy them more if you read Henrietta's War first although they are both good.

First for February is Sweetness At The Bottom of The Pie. I read this a few years ago when I was on strong pain medication after an accident and I don't remember much about the books I read during those weeks. I didn't want to continue the series without rereading I and I'm glad I did. Also serves as mystery CAT. Even though Flavia is a bit precocious for my taste, I still enjoyed it and will continue the series. I rated it 3.5.

I don't always like Fanny Flagg, sometimes her humor is just too silly for me but I did like The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion. "The girls" are the four Jurdabralinski sisters of Pulaski, Wisconsin. "The girls" are also the young women that the Jurdabralinski sisters flew with as WASPs during WWII, ferrying military airplanes around the U.S. to relieve men pilots for the war. Interwoven with the Jurdabralinski history is also the contemporary story of Mrs. Earle Poole, Jr. (Sookie) who learns at 60 that she is connected to the Judabralinski family. Not only is this a good story, it's a good reminder of the contributions women made during WWII that are not always acknowledged. A quick read, it's perfect for snowy, icy, cold day reading.

I'm close to finishing Rose Under Fire which is about an American girl who flew planes for the RAF in the Air Transport Auxiliary, ferrying the planes and pilots around. She ends up in Ravensbrück. Riveting!

Oh thanks, there's a BB, I'll have to read this!

And I think I just got a BB on The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion! I am getting really fascinated by female pilots in WW2. One thing, clue -- do read Code Name Verity before Rose Under Fire if you haven't read it already! RUF is a companion novel, but my understanding is that it spoils CNV, and that is really not a book you want to be spoiled!

#31 - Thanks, I haven't read either so I'll read them both.

Finished Anne of Green Gables yesterday. I had never read it before, it's one of those I always meant to read but just hadn't. At first I wasn't sure I would like it but I couldn't imagine why I wouldn't considering it's immense popularity. Once Anne grew up enough to do less imagining I was fine with it and began to understand why it has charmed so many. I have the whole series on Kindle and will continue on.

>32 clue: Have you seen the TV miniseries with Megan Followes as Anne? I didn't read the books as a child, and I don't think my mother did, either. We both loved the TV series so much that my mother bought all of the books so that we could read them.

Megan Follows is Anne, IMO. I cannot picture anyone else in that role. Whenever I think of Anne, I see Megan. Great TV series!

No, I didn't know about the miniseries, I'll have to see if I can come up with it.

I finished A Play of Issac by Margaret Fraser last night . It was a great pick by my SantaThing Santee. Taking place in medieval England, a group of players have come to Oxford to perform at a festival. They manage to acquire a local patron for the time they are there and will perform for guests at his manor. A mysterious murder takes place while they are there and the players, always considered suspicious by locals, are afraid they will be accused. In their defense one of the players undertakes his own investigation. This is a good well written mystery and I'll continue the series and probably read her other series as well. Ahhhhh, more series!

>35 clue: It's a must IMO, we used to watch it every other years, it's so much fun :) Never read the books though ...

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt was on most Best Books of 2013 lists. I finished it this morning and must say it's a spectacular achievement. It's a big book, over 700 pages, with complex characters that have the depth of actual people. Because the primary character is a troubled person the book isn't always easy to read. There were times I just wanted to get to the end. But the reader that sticks it out won't be disappointed and won't be able to put these characters away as easily as it is to put the book back on the shelf. 4.5

I read A Good American by Alex George over the weekend. This is a family saga that begins with Jette and Frederick in Hanover, Germany in 1904. The book ends 105 years later in Missouri where Jette and Frederick settle after coming to America and where their grandchildren and great grandchildren still live. One of their grandsons tells the story of his grandparents, parents, and siblings, and of the restaurant that Frederick started and is still in the family as the story ends. It's as much fun learning about the transformations the restaurant makes through the years as it is to follow the family members. A really good story! 4.0.

I needed a cozy for reading while my sister was in the hospital recovering from knee replacement. So, I went off to Lochdubh and went through a murder and investigation, (Death of a Cad) by M.C. Beaton, with Constable Macbeth. In this 2nd book in the series of 30, the mystery may have been a little too easily solved by Macbeth, but who cares? It's just a pleasure to be in the company of this unassuming, endearing character.

And I have followed it up with next in the series Death of An Outsider. Here Constable Macbeth is sent to a nearby town to fill in when the Constable there goes on vacation. I could have done without how the body was disposed but otherwise another good cozy.

Completed The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley, the 2nd in the Flavia de Luce mystery series. I thought 11 year old Flavia was a bit too precocious in the first book but she's been toned down here and I'll definitely continue the series.

Three more books in March: Shadows at the Fair by Lea Wait; The Good American by Alex George; and A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London, and New York by Anjelica Huston.

The Good American began as an immigrant story with a young couple coming to America in 1909 from Germany. It extended into a 3 generation family saga with a grandson telling the story. The family stayed in the same town in Missouri through all of those years, making a living in a bar and restaurant that changed with each generation. It is a touching and heartwarming book.

Shadows at the Fair is the first in the Antique Fair Series and is an average cozy. I have two more in the series on the TBR and will continue to see how the series progresses.

A Story Lately Told is a big disappointment with Anjelica Huston sharing events from her life but telling them with no emotion or reflection. It's like reading a calendar with events penciled in.

I forgot Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune by Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell, Jr.

The fascinating story of one of America's richest and least known families. It begins with W.A. Clark who made his fortune during the Gilded Age, but concentrates on his youngest child, Huguette, who died at 105 in May, 2011. During most of her adult life Huguette chose to live as a recluse, seeing only the few people who worked for her and a very few friends. She did not give her phone number to anyone and no one was able to speak to her unless she called them. In 1991 cancers had eaten her face away to such an extent that she had to seek the help of a friend. A doctor came to her Fifth Ave apartment and insisted Huguette go to a hospital. After a fight she chose the private Doctors Hospital, best known for celebrity clients like Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe. Ironically once Huguette was at Doctors she refused to go home again and stayed at the hospital 20 years although there was no medical reason to keep her there. The last chapters revolve around Huguette's estate, the fight over it (the court had not fully resolved the issues in 2013 when the book was written), and the subject of Hugette's competency because she had given large sums of money to selected people during the twenty years she lived in the hospital. To her nurse alone she had given over $30 million. Huguette was a complicated, intelligent woman and there are no easy answers to any of the questions that her many instances of unusual behavior prompted. 4 stars.

I have not posted all month and while I've read in bits and pieces have not read the plan I had in place for this month. My sister has been with me for 8 weeks recovering from knee replacement surgery and with her here there are so many interruptions and distractions (therapist, nurse, her neighbors coming to visit, her church friends coming to visit, my needing to do her driving...) that I've read on the lighter side in March and April. She has done very well and we'll both say that we hope the Dr. releases her this week to go back to her upstairs apartment. April reading:

State of the Onion by June Hyzy
I had a BB on this series and an additional recommendation from a friend. I liked this first book in the White House Chef Mystery series so much I think it will become one of my favorite cozy series. The primary character is Olivia Paras, an assistant chef at the White House. She has a secret service boyfriend, menu meetings with the First Lady, and interactaction with the staff of foreign dignitaries. Plenty of fodder for mystery! On two occasions I have attended seminars with Roland Mesnier, the former White House Executive Pastry Chef. Mesnier worked in the White House 25 years. I've made a few things just for fun from his Dessert University cookbook and also read his amazing autobiography. Hearing his experiences added even more flavor to the series. 3.5

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas 3.5

Still Life With Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen 3.5

Death of a Perfect Wife by M. C. Beaton 3.0

I think I will have Roseanna by Maj Sjowall and The Book Thief finished by end of day tomorrow.

It's great that you've been able to help your sister while she recovers from her surgery. I hope she'll be back to normal activity very soon.

I really enjoyed The State of the Onion when I read it a year ago, and I plan to continue the series at some point. I have too many going to keep up with all of them! I also liked The Persian Pickle Club when I read it a few years ago. The ending was unexpected.

Chapter and Hearse by Lorna Barrett is the fourth installment in the Booktown Mystery Series. I like the recurring characters in the series and a town of bookstores?? Only in my dreams...and this series. 3 stars

I first read Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris and Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York by Paul Gallico when I was in high school and working at the public library in the late 1960s. I have been afraid to reread them because I (and everyone else) loved them so much and I thought they might be very dated. But a few days ago I put my big girl reading glasses on and pulled them off the shelf. I am happy to say they are every bit as charming as they were then. Mrs. 'Arris and her neighbor Mrs. Butterfield are London chars, or daily cleaners (housekeepers). Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris was first published in 1958 and is about Mrs. 'Arris love for Dior. Seeing a Dior dress in the closet of one of her wealthy clients she is stunned by it's beauty and decides she can't live without one, not as a dress, but as a piece of art, something London chars don't have in their tiny basement apartments. The book tells how this lowly but lovely widow acquires a designer gown that is far beyond her reach in every way. In Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York Mrs. 'Arris and Mrs. Butterfield feel compelled to save a foster child living in the apartment between them. Routinely beaten by both his parents and siblings after being abandoned by his mother, the two decide it's up to them to find the child's natural father, an American who was stationed with the military in England during the 1950s. How the two friends get to America, how they smuggle a child on board a ship and into the country, and how they go about finding the father is sometimes funny, sometimes heartbreaking, and an all around great read. 4.5 stars

I'm with you on the Booktown Mysteries - wouldn't that be a wonderful place to live? Aside from all the murders of course...

>OMG, there is a Mrs. 'Arris Goes to New York? Yay! I loved Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris - both the written story and the movie adaptation - so very happy to see there is another book. Did they make the New York one into a movie adaptation like they did the Paris one?

Glad your sister is doing well. It does interrupt the routine, but think of how much you'll appreciate the same old, same old once you get it back.

Looking forward to finding out what you think about Roseanna and The Book Thief.

>46 clue: You got me with a book bullet for Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris!

Scotland has a "book town", called Wigtown: http://www.wigtown-booktown.co.uk/
I was there recently and it is indeed lovely. The whole area is beautiful and worth a visit.

That does it - I'm moving to Wigtown!

>51 rabbitprincess: Thanks for letting me know. I will likely go to Scotland next year and will try very hard to work it in.

It's probably easiest to get to by car, but it is somewhat accessible by public transit -- a bus from Dumfries to Newton Stewart, and then a bus from Newton Stewart to Wigtown would be my suggestion.
Wherever you go in Scotland I hope you have a wonderful time!

>49 RidgewayGirl: I struggled with the rating for Roseanna but finally gave it a 4. The last quarter or so of the book was done so well, I was on edge those last pages! In the beginning I kept wanting to hurry the story along but after I finished it I think the pace is as it should be. I'll definitely continue the series.

>48 lkernagh: There are several more in the Mrs. 'Arris series. I checked FictFact and they aren't listed but I have Goes to Moscow on my shelf and know there are at least 2 more. A friend told me she didn't think the later 2 or 3 were as good as the first 2 but I'll probably read them sometime. As far as I know there was just one movie and I haven't seen it!

I completed The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman last night. I feel sure anyone who likes her books will enjoy this one. The sense of place, New York City and Coney Island in the early 1900s, is wonderful and the writing in general is up to her usual high standards. There were some things I didn't like, the book is told in the voice of 2 characters and also in the omniscient voice which I thought was jarring. There are also so many elements in the book that it seems overcrowded but I've found this true of other Hoffman titles as well. I'm giving it a 3.5 but Alice Hoffman fans will likely consider this one of her best.

>56 clue: - If you do get a chance to watch the movie adaptation of Mrs. 'arris goes to Paris I can highly recommend it. Mrs. 'arris is played by Angela Landsbury, Diana Riggs plays Mme. Colbert and Omar Sharif plays the Marquis Hippolite.

>58 lkernagh: I'll definitely look it up, I'm sure I can find it somewhere.

I spend Friday afternoons working as a volunteer docent at a National Historic Site. With the holiday weekend coming up many people visited yesterday and I didn't sit down or stop moving for 1 minute in 4 hours. I was sooo tired when I got home and my feet were just plain sore so I opted out of pizza night with friends, spent the evening in my easy chair, and read Hail to the Chef, the 2nd book in the White House Chef Mystery series. I finished it up this afternoon and I continue to think this will be one of my favorite cozy series. Here White House Executive Chef Ollie Parras and her team are caught up in preparations for the Christmas holiday season. First one murder and then another cause added stress and long hours to the preparations. In addition Ollie is a little too close to the action and is mugged on her way home because....? Can't tell you without divulging too much of the plot! The annual White House gingerbread house has a part in the story and that alone made this fun for me because I had seen a program on television a few years ago about the baking and "building" of the gingerbread house that year. The behind the scenes action in the White House make this more interesting than many cozy series imo.

Bowing out of an evening's festivities in favor of a comfortable armchair and a really good book is an excellent choice even if your feet are not tired!

I wanted another TBR off of my shelves this month and grabbed Masquerade In Venice by Velda Johnston. This is an older book (1973) I picked up at last year's annual library book sale. I've always been drawn to suspense books of the 60s and 70s, maybe because my mother read them. The plot of this one is somewhat weak, some unlikely things happen, but it takes place in Venice and the sense of place is pretty good. The protagonist is Sara Randall, a 24 year old penniless American. She goes to Italy to her grandmother's ancestral home to become a paid companion to her great aunt though she has never met her. A murder takes place and Sara is the prime suspect. 2.8.

Death of a Hussy by M.C. Beaton

This is a small book. I read almost half of it while I was waiting for my car to get fresh oil and new tires. This afternoon I had a routine appointment with my doctor, here's how ridiculous patients are being treated: I was put in the examining room and sat (with my book thank goodness) for an hour and 15 minutes before I saw the Dr., she was with me less than 15 minutes! Then I came home and sat on the porch for about half an hour to decompress (I was livid not that it does me any good) and finished the book. I didn't get anything else done today but at least I can say I have new tires and another book read.

I completed The Foundling for the Georgette Heyer group read. This is different than other titles I have read because the primary character is a man, Duke of Sale. It is neither a romance or mystery, revolving around the messes the young Duke of Sale gets himself into as he proves his maturity to his uncle guardian. Good but not my favorite of hers.

I'm behind with posting...again. I started this post twice yesterday and got interrupted both times and didn't finish, so here we go again:

The Death of Santini by Pat Conroy
I'm giving this a 3.5 because it's well written and imo much better done than his last book. However, anyone that has read The Great Santini may be disappointed because this is so similar. The Great Santini was a novel based on Conroy's family with a very abusive father. The Death of Santini is a memoir. He says this is his last book based on his family, as all of his novels have been. Should that not be true, this is my last Conroy. Partly because I've had more than enough of the subject, and partly because I was very disturbed by this book. I'm not sure of the number now, and I borrowed the book on my Kindle and can't refer back, but I think the number of his siblings that have tried suicide is 4. In addition to that Conroy himself has suffered from a lifetime of depression and has had at least one major breakdown. Still, he idolizes his father and it makes me so very sad and afraid for his future stability.

Mrs. Lincoln's Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini
The characters in this book were first presented in Chiaverini's book Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker. Here she focuses on the relationship between Kate Chase, whose father becomes the Treasury Secretary under Lincoln, and Mrs. Lincoln. Because her father was a widower Kate served as his hostess and attended most affairs with him including social affairs at the White House. I don't know if this rivalry truly existed although it's been referred to in both fiction and nonfiction, but the Civil War history is solid and I think anyone that enjoys historical novels from this period would like this. 3.5

What Makes Olga Run? is written by science writer Bruce Grierson. You may have read about Olga Kotelko. She became a track star in her seventies and has set many records over almost 20 years. Olga died very recently, I believe she suffered a brain hemorrhage. Here Grierson chronicles the effort to find what made her so extraordinary. Unfortunately, there are no definitive answers but "meeting" Olga was well worth the read. 3.0

Death of a Snob by M.C. Beaton
The fifth in the series takes Hamish to a health resort during Christmas where a murder takes place. This book varied from the usual plot in that he had help solving the murder with an almost romantic interest. Another good one! 3.5

Oh, I need to get started on the Hamish Macbeth-series!

> 66 They are really a pleasure. Short and fun to read.

Finished the first of July. My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor. We know her as a Supreme Court justice but in her memoir she takes us from her childhood to being appointed a federal district court judge. It is an amazing story of accomplishment due to hard work as much as anything else, proving the American dream is alive and achievable . 4

>67 clue: - really enjoyed that book too - though it made me realize how woefully intellectually lazy I am. She is one determined woman.

Today I completed Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess of Carnarvon which was actually meant for a June challenge. Almost everyone has become familiar with the immensely popular PBS drama series Downton Abbey. The series is inspired by an actual estate called Highclere Castle. This book is a nonfiction account of Highclere and the 5th Countess of Carnarvon, who married into the family and became Highclere's mistress in 1895. The story doesn't really focus on life at Highclere, so much as it does on the era in which Almina lived. That includes WWI and the discovery of King Tut's tomb, in which Lord Carnarvon partnered with Howard Carter. I wasn't sure I would like the book when it was given to me but I did very much. 4 stars.

>68 LittleTaiko: I felt the same way, high achiever doesn't begin to describe her.

71 Kabul Beauty School and Margarita Wednesdays both by Deborah Rodriguez

I've put off reviewing these books for a week. My book club had Margarita Wednesdays scheduled for this month but I hadn't read the author's previous book, Kabul Beauty School, so I started with that. In this book Rodriguez, recently divorced, leaves her children with her mother and goes to Afghanistan with an aid group. All of the others in the group are medical personnel, she is a hairdresser. Eventually she decides to leave the group and start a school to teach Afghan women hairdressing and makeup because so many have no husband and no way to support themselves. I think her desire to help is absolutely sincere but that's all the good I can come up with. Among the things she does while in Kabul is marry a man some friends have found for her, supposedly they insist she needs to be married. This perfect man speaks little English and his business is in Saudi Arabia, but after "knowing" him a couple of months they marry (he has to get permission for a second wife since he already has one). Later she complains about how she feels when his first wife, to whom he is still married, becomes pregnant with their 6th (or maybe 7th) child. After a couple of years or so of marriage she says he began working for a warlord and she eventually has to flee Afghanistan, she doesn't explain what happened, only that her life was at stake. Some claims she makes about the things she did while there don't ring true, and if they are, I don't know why a person of her power wouldn't have ended the war. I mean, if you stand up to Taliban and scream at them to leave your neighborhood and they turn and run away carrying their AK47s imagine what you can accomplish!

I put off starting Margarita Wednesdays until the last possible moment, I dreaded reading more. Here Rodriguez tells again about her accomplishments in Kabul as well as the injustices she suffered. After coming back to the US she could barely function and was diagnosed with PTSD. So, she moves to Mexico. The Mexico experiences are told in the most superficial way and I never understood her reason for writing the book. Among the five in my book club that read "Wednesdays" the comments were negative. They ultimately decided the book was boring and the author self centered.

IMO there are many more books about women in Afghanistan that are far superior to "Kabul", and in the case of "Wednesdays", many other books written by expats that are more worthy of the readers time. 2.0 stars for each.

The Island is the first I've read by Elin Hilderbrand. I saw her on CBS This Morning and she was so likeable I included this with some purchases at a used bookstore. Birdie and India are middle aged sisters. Birdie has two daughters, Tate and Chess. Tate is a super savvy computer programmer and Chess is the food editor for a popular national magazine. Birdie has recently divorced the girl's father, a very successful financier. She, her ex, and Chess live in NYC while Tate lives in South Carolina. India was widowed 15 years previously when her husband, a well known and respected artist committed suicide. She has since made a name for herself by managing a nonprofit in Philly that supports up and coming artists. When Chess experiences a devastating personal loss, all four go to the island of Tuckernuck where they have a vacation home. Birdie is hoping a month on the remote island will bring peace and healing to Chess. The characters tell their own stories in alternating chapters, each has a struggle of some sort. Issues are tied up a little too neatly and unrealistically at the end, but this is after all beach reading. I give it a 3.

I think I need a "Lost and Found" category. I was looking through the bookcases for books I could/would donate to the library for the "mostly nonfiction" book sale and hiding behind taller volumes I found Her Own Place by Dori Sanders. I vaguely remember it, but didn't have it my LT library and don't know how many years it's quietly hidden away, but I know it's at least a couple of years old. It's a sweet little book that begins just before WWII when Mae Lee, a young black teenager, is in high school. The story follows through her marriage, the raising of five children and into her senior years. Mae Lee lives in rural South Carolina on a farm most of her life, doing much of the farm work herself, barely making a living for her family. It's a hard life but she is a woman of great spirit and strength. Both funny and sad, it's a quick read, but has depth and good character development. 3.0

An Auctioneer's Lot was written by well known UK antiques appraiser and auuctioneer Philip Serrell. As a young adult Serrell could not find a job in his chosen field of PE, and went to work as an assistant to a rural auctioneer. This was a good training ground for a young person because the auctioneer did it all whether it be real estate, farm equipment, animals, or antiques. As Serrell got a taste of each he discovered he had a special interest in antiques and has carved a career around them now for over 25 years. While the book tells the whole story of his career it doesn't really take off until he is in business for himself. Afterwards each chapter is about a person, their property, and his experience in trying to bring the property to sale. Lots of fun for anyone interested in old things. People and property! 3.5

Tonight I finished The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling. Private Investigator Cormoran Strike goes looking for a missing husband and stumbles upon his body. There is no doubt death came at the hands of a murderer, and it seems quite likely it was a mad person that trussed the body up and violated it. The victim was a B list author who had alienated almost everyone he knew in publishing with his self important attitude. But, murder? Had his taunts and snide remarks lead that far, or was there another reason for this sinister act? The characters are good, the story entertaining, the mystery is indeed a mystery. If Cormoran's formula that evenutally pinpoints the guilty seems a little too pat, I can forgive Galbraith that. 4.0

When I read that a fortieth anniversary edition of The Paper Chase by John Jay Osborne, Jr. was being released I knew I wanted to reread it. It was originally published in 1971, and in addition to being a successful novel, both critically and commercially, it became a movie and one of the most popular television series on air. Osborn had been a Harvard law student and uses that experience to write about the ideals and dreams of a group of law students (all male) and what happens to them as they are subjected to the harsh reality of Harvard Law and one professor, Professor Kingsfield of contract law, in particular. The student we follow is Hart, a Midwesterner, who is awed just by the fact that he is at Harvard, and someone who "wants the class to be a transcendental experience, right now, this instant". Reading the reviews on Amazon I see that lawyers still love this book and credit it with bringing a humanizing influence to the study of law. It also opened the door for the literary fiction by lawyers that we love so well. 4 stars

Two short cozy mysteries this month:

Death of a Prankster by M.C Beaton Not one of my favorites of the series.

Double Booked for Death by Ali Brandon The first in A Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries series and probably the best of the book related cozies I've read.

Completed Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed. Cheryl Strayed was strongly affected by her mother's death at the age of 46. Grief and resentment threw her into turmoil, leading to a separation and eventual divorce from the husband she still loved. She began to live precariously, among her experiences during the separation from her husband was a dalliance with heroin. Knowing only she could save herself, she decided to hike almost 1100 miles alone on the Pacific Crest Trail from Southern California through Oregon. This is her recount of those months along with the backstory of her childhood. I didn't always like the person Cheryl was, but I was always with her, always cheering her to complete the journey. Remarkably, in more ways than one, she did. 3.5

It's been too long since I've read one of Donna Leon's Guido Brunetti mysteries. In A Venetian Reckoning we are, of course, back in Venice. We are back where corruption is rife and the good Commissario is fighting all there is to fight from organized crime to bad wine. In this book he is given the opportunity to solve three murders. On the way to truth he finds human trafficking in women. Riveting. 4.5 stars.

I have a copy of Death at La Fenice on Mt. TBR and ended up with an audio version as well, which I ended up giving away to my mum. And now she's so far ahead of me in the series that I'll never catch up! :)

I read A Novel Way To Die by Ali Brandon for the Sept. random CAT. I like the characters in this series but the writing is a little stilted. Darla is a bookstore owner, James her manager, and Jake (Jacqueline) is the security guard that lives in the basement apartment. Robert, 18 years old, is hired as a part time employee and a part of this book, 2nd in the series, focuses on him. Since this is the Black Cat series there is obviously a black cat and in this case he's Hamlet. Darla is sure Hamlet can solve mysteries but most of her friends roll their eyes when she insists he can. No one can deny though that he saves her life when a 2 time murderer decides to make her number 3.

3 stars.

I was at a meeting at the library and as I was walking by the new fiction shelves Delicious! by Ruth Reichl jumped into my hand. I did not need another unread book in the house so I got right into it as soon as I got home. In Delicious! Californian Billie Breslin hopes to get a job as assistant to the editor of Delicious!, the best of the foodie magazines in NYC. Once she has the job she begins working in a historic mansion with the best food writers and test chefs in the business. She becomes friends with the great purveyors of food in NY and her wanderings through NYC neighborhoods are part of the charm of the book, reminding me of Adriana Trigiani. We know there is something in Billie's past that is not initially revealed, there are charming letters found to chef James Beard written during WWII from a child (would she still be living?), and there are secrets about the building itself. Add in a maybe romance and this becomes the right book for an icky day or sleepless night. As they say in the food business, Enjoy! 3.5 stars.

>82 clue: - I heard her speak earlier this year which was incredibly interesting. I haven't gotten around to reading Delicious! yet, but it's on my list of books to read for next year.

>83 LittleTaiko: I would love to hear her, I'll have to watch for her in this area. I think at least some of her experiences are in the book, I haven't looked this up but presume that she lost her job at Gourmet when it folded. In the book the magazine folds although Billie is kept on by the parent company.

>82 clue:
I've read her Garlic and Sapphires and it put all of her other books on the wishlist! :)

>85 -Eva-: I'm glad to hear you liked it, I've been thinking about trying her others. Onto the wish list this one goes.

The Partner by John Grisham is the second Grisham I've read this year. They were on the TBR pile and had been a good long while so I needed to either read them or move them out of the house. I started reading his books when The Firm was published but got weary of them after awhile. I can't say this is the best mystery I've read this year but it was entertaining enough. The protagonist is a lawyer (could you have guessed?) who has stolen a large sum of money from the firm he worked for and is on the run. Nothing is as it seems however, and the reader could get whiplash from all the twists and turns in the plot. 3.5 stars

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson is my Random CAT read for Oct. I've seen this recommend a lot and one of my friends recommended it as well. So glad I finally read it (thanks to Roro for the random topic that pushed me to it!). Great writing and a protagonist that needs our love! So look forward to reading the others in this series. 4 stars

You have a great series ahead of you. The Jackson Brodie books only get better as they go on.

Agreeing with >89 RidgewayGirl: - that series (and its main character) will only get better.

>89 RidgewayGirl: >91 -Eva-: Isn't it a great feeling to know you have some good reading ahead of you?

Just finished Eggsecutive Orders by Julie Hyzy, the 3rd in the White House Chef cozy mystery series. A quick, fun read perfect for the rainy weekend we have just had. I've completed 3 categories but still have 18 books to go! I think I'll make it though because I plan to read children's classics that I have not read in the Oh! I've Been Meaning To Read category where I need to read 11. Hopefully they will go fast.

The Promise by Ann Weisgarber

The primary characters in The Promise are Catherine, who is coming undone after an inappropriate relationship with a married man, and Oscar, her childhood friend who lives in Texas. Because Catherine has been shunned by Dayton society she writes Oscar in desperation, hoping a previous offer of marriage might still be open. After the exchange of a few letters Oscar, now a widower, offers marriage and motherhood to his 5 year old son. Catherine accepts because she has no other choice. Weisbarger handles the complication beautiful, citified Catherine brings to the remote coastal Texas society with subtlety and restraint. The hurricane of 1900 hits shortly after she arrives and what happens to Catherine, Oscar, his son and the neighbors during and after the great storm had me glued to the page! This will be on my favorite books list of 2014! 4 stars.

>94 clue: - that one is definitely going on my wishlist.

(Check the touchstone for the title.)
This book sounds really good. I was in Texas for the 1961 hurricane, Carla. Texas has always been very vulnerable to flooding. At least with better forecasting people can escape to higher ground in good time. Still there were 46 deaths in 1961. Vast improvement compared to the 8,000+ of 1900.

>95 LittleTaiko:, >96 mamzel: I hope you find it as good as I did. I live in tornado alley so I'm used to that kind of storm but being on a small strip of land when the sea is ferocious and quickly rising and covering more and more of the land is another thing entirely! This storm was beyond anything that even the most experienced had seen. I've decided I don't need to experience a hurricane, certainly not one like this! Thanks, touchstone fixed!

Sounds like a good book that I should look for.

Tonight I finished China Dolls by Lisa See for my f2f club. It takes place during the WWII era and is about three young Asian (or Oriental as they were called then) women who sang and danced on what was known as the Chop-Suey Circuit. The three are from very different backgrounds, and at different times are friends, competitors and enemies to each other. The history is very interesting, I applaud See's efforts to preserve it. It's too long and not my favorite of See's books but still 3.0.

I have finally read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling! Fun reading, that's for sure. I've been behind all month, it's been one of those times (and I have them quite often) when I'm not satisfied with what I had planned. I've probably started and stopped 6 books this month! Now it's going to take a big push to finish the challenge so hopefully I can settle down now and just read!

Harry Potter is one of those that I wish I could read for the first time again!

I haven't posted this month because I've just been too busy. I have completed 6 categories out of 7, being 6 books short in Oh! I've Been Meaning To Read That. It knocks me out that this category wasn't finished, I thought it would be one I finished early! Oh well, maybe next year.