SuziQoregon's 2014 Reading and occasional other nonsense (part 2)

Hi! Thanks for stopping by - grab a chair and a book and stay a while

This is my first year with the 75 Books group and I'm having a blast so far.

I'm an avid reader and blogger (at Whimpulsive). I live in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon with The Hubster and two very spoiled cats.

I read a mix of audio, paper and ebooks. I tend to read mysteries and thrillers more than other genres. I also read a lot of graphic novels.

I'm making an effort this year to make sure that in addition to the latest library books and purchases I'm also getting to the books on the bookshelves upstairs and books hidden in my ebook library.

I'm going to keep track to make sure that I'm routinely reading books from each of these categories.

• Review book (ARC or e-galley)
• Library book
• Book from my bookshelf
• Book from my ebook library
• Graphic Novel
• Section of a Chunkster

2014 Reading List

January
1. Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield (e-galley)
2. Y: The Last Man Vol 7: Paper Dolls by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)
4. The Gates by John Connolly (Library)
5. Shovel Ready by Adam Sternbergh (e-galley)
6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (Bookshelf, Review Book)
7. The Making of the African Queen: Or How I Went to Africa With Bogart, Bacall and Huston and Almost Lost My Mind by Katherine Hepburn (Library)
8. The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith (Review Book, Audio)

February
1. Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan (Bookshelf)
2. Y: The Last Man Vol. 8: Kimono Dragons by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell (Bookshelf, Review Book)
4. The Expats by Chris Pavone (Bookshelf)
5. Persuader by Lee Child (Bookshelf)

March
1. The Black Country by Alex Grecian (Bookshelf)
2. 100 bullets: Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call by Brian Azzarello (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters (Audio)
4. Y: The Last Man, Vol. 9: Motherland by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
5. Y: The Last Man, Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
6. The Unwritten Vol. 8: Orpheus in the Underworld by Mike Carey (Library, Graphic Novel)
7. FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics Vol. 1: Paradigm Shift by Simon Oliver (Library, Graphic Novel)
8. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (ebook library, Chunkster
9. The Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters (Audio)
10. Jack of Fables Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)

April
1. A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante (Review book)
2. Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire (Library, Graphic Novel)
4. Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan (Library, Graphic Novel)
5. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Audio)
6. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood (Audio, Library)
7. The Accident by Chris Pavone (Review Book)

May
1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (Review Book)
2. Fables Vol. 9: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham (Library, Graphic Novel)
3. The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson (Library, Audio)
4. Empress of the Night by Eva Stachniak (Review Book)
5. No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige (ebook)
6. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (Review book, ebook)
7. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell (Library, Audio)
8. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor (ebook)
9. Sweet Tooth Vol. 2: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire (Library, Graphic Novel)

Currently Reading





Currently Listening To

My Rating Scale

I realize that I've gotten a bit sloppy with assigning ratings over the past couple of years. This year I have resolved to make more thoughtful ratings. This has been my rating scale as posted on my blog since 2009 but I'm posting it here not only as information for others but as a reminder to myself to look at this carefully before assigning a rating to books I read.

- No stars – I couldn’t even finish it

- 1 star – I didn’t like it but I managed to finish it. I probably finished it out of some sort of misplaced sense of obligation due to having the book on a challenge list.

- 2 stars – It was OK. Not good, but seriously just OK. I probably kept reading hoping I would like it better or there was some plot point I had to know the answer to even though getting to that answer was maybe more work than pleasure.

- 3 stars - I liked it. I didn’t think it was great, but I thought it was good entertainment. Many of the series books I read are in this range – they’re enjoyable, but not great literature. These are books I might recommend, but only if I really know that your reading taste meshes with mine or if you already have an interest in the subject.

- 4 stars – I really liked it. I really think you might like it too. These are books I’d recommend but maybe with a caveat that ‘it’s not for everyone’. Many of these I pass along to The Hubster. I’m more comfortable recommending these books to a wide audience.

- 5 stars – It was amazing. I’d recommend this to just about anyone. These are the books that really made an impression and I’ll remember them for a long time. I’ve probably handed my copy to someone or said “you really should read this”.

2014 Challenges

The What's in a Name Challenge is a challenge I've participated in since the very first one 6 years ago. This year it's hosted by Charlie at The Worm Hole.

The challenge is to read a book whose title fits each of the categories during the year. These are the categories for 2014

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets):

A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After)
A position of royalty Empress of the Night
A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)
A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)
A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain)
A school subject (The History Boys,Angelology, Mastering The Art Of Soviet Cooking)

Reading Bingo
I've decided to sort of unofficially participate in Reading Bingo this year. I'm not going to seek out any books but will just read what I want and see what happens.

I'll be using both cards but not limiting the second to YA books



Regular Bingo
More than 500 pages:
Forgotten Classic:
Book that became a movie:
Published this year: While Beauty Slept
Number in the title:
Written by someone under 30:
Book with non-human characters:
Funny Book:
Female Author:
Book with a mystery:
One-Word Title:
Book of short stories:
Set on a different continent: The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon
Non-Fiction:
First book by a favourite author:
Heard about online: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Best-selling book:
Based on a true story:
Book at the bottom of TBR pile:
Book my friend loves:
Book that scares me:
More than 10 years old: Persuader
Second book in a series:
Blue cover:



Not Necessarily YA Bingo
Book with female heroine:
Book set in a high school:
Last of a trilogy:
Book with 'color' in the title:
First book in series:
Book set in the future: Shovel Ready
Book with a break-up:
Book without a love triangle:
Book that became a movie:
Book set in Paris:
Book set in the past:
Book with magic:
Book set in summer:
Book with a dragon:
Book that made you cry:
Graphic novel: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Book based on a myth: Sea of Monsters
Classic YA:
Book with a Lion, Witch or Wardrobe:
Book with an incredible fight scene:
Book heard about online:
Book set in another world:
Book with epic love story:
Book with music:

Just saving this one last space for now in case I decide I need it.

Hi Julie- Congrats on the new thread. I hope one of those chairs are for me? I have still not tackled Outlander, although I would like to one of these days.
Good to see you reading the Black Country. I have not read this series yet, although I've had The Yard on my To-Read list for eons.

De-lurking to say happy new thread, Juli!

>3 SuziQoregon:
Juli, I'm so far behind on the Outlander series, it will be like reading a new one when I get started up again!

And I love the picture at the top.

Juli, congrats on your new thread. I love the photo. I've read a lot of Gabaldon's and Peters' books and I enjoyed the reading.

Happy New Thread, Juli!

Happy New Thread, Juli!

I could spend days in one of those chairs in the topper! Lovely.

>7 msf59: Thanks. Of course one of those chairs is for you! I'm enjoying The Black Country so far. Both The Hubster and I liked The Yard. This one's different but it's starting to come together now that I'm about 2/3 of the way through.

>8 katiekrug: Thank you!

>9 AuntieClio: This is my 3rd or maybe 4th re-read of Outlander. I decided I wanted to re-read it before the TV show this summer. I only got as far as Drums of Autumn before so maybe I'll make if further in the series this time.

>10 Ameise1: Thanks - I took that photo on a weekend we spent over at the Oregon Coast in January with some friends.

>11 scaifea: Thanks for stopping by

>12 connie53: So could I. Unfortunately we only rented the house for the weekend. Now we have to wait until next year to go back.

Time to do some catching up on what I've read.

I finished The Expats by Chris Pavone right before we left for vacation.

We spent 6 days in Mexico and much of that was spent reading on the beach. It was wonderful.

I read a good chunk of Outlander which was nice. I'm reading that one part at a time and then reading something else before I move on to the next part. It's a good way for me to get through chunksters like this.

I read Persuader by Lee Child. It had been way too lond since I last read a Jack Reacher book. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

I started The Black Country by Alex Grecian. It's the second in his Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series.

I need to put together reviews for The Expats and Persuader but not tonight.

Hi Juli. Six days reading on the beach in Mexico this time of year sounds lovely! Well, it sounds lovely for any time of year, but.....

I haven't read a Jack Reacher in a while. I need to add one to the list of spring reads.

I hope you have a great week!

>13 SuziQoregon: You actually stayed in the house with the chairs in your topper? WOW, I thought you found the picture on the internet somewhere.

Welcome home, Suzi, belatedly. A vacation of reading on the beach sounds marvelous!

>15 EBT1002: it was wonderful - this time of year I crave warmth and sunshine.

>16 connie53: Yes we did. It's a great little house on the Oregon coast. A weekend there with friends has become an annual tradition for us.

>17 rosalita: Thank you - I highly recommend a beach reading vacation to all.

OK - time to catch up on a couple of reviews . . .

The Expats by Chris Pavone



Oh this was a fun roller coaster of a ride. It was so twisty turny that I think it had a couple of loops and a U-turn or two.

I’m reasonably sure that following along as Kate told the story and being able to guess her big secret before it was revealed was just there to lull me into a sense of security about what I thought I knew. I’m not going to say much more about the story or what happens because it’s wonderfully complex and fun and exciting. It’s a slow building of suspicion and suspense with secrets upon secrets.

The setting and time frame alternates back and forth between present day and two years ago. This provided hints but also added to the questions as I guessed and changed my mind multiple times about what the truth might be. It’s international intrigue, financial cybercrime, espionage with a dose of marital suspicion and deception.

I’m putting this one on The Hubster’s shelf because I think he’ll enjoy it as much as I did. I’m looking forward to reading Pavone’s next book.

Persuader by Lee Child.



How can I have let 4 years go by since I last read a Jack Reacher book? I cannot let that happen again. This has been sitting on my shelf and even though The Hubster has read two more of the series than I have I just haven't picked this one up. I'm so glad I grabbed it for my vacation reading stack.

I love me some Jack Reacher! This one was all the things I like about these books. Plenty of action, plenty of surprises and twists and Reacher kicking ass.

I liked the way that the present day story was interspersed with the events from ten years earlier. Reacher is up against some seriously bad guys in this one. I enjoyed the fact that Reacher wasn’t the only one ‘off the books’. It was good to see him working with the DEA agents but at the same time it felt right that they were all operating unofficially.

It was probably good that it had been a while since I read any of this series. As with most series, they can be a bit formulaic so reading too many of them too close together probably wouldn’t work well. The break was good and after reading two or three more I’ll probably be ready for another break but in the meantime I’m having a blast being back with Jack Reacher again.

Hi Juli and welcome back to the Pacific Northwest! It's been raining cats and dogs up here in Seattle.

>18 SuziQoregon: "...this time of year I crave warmth and sunshine." Amen to that. As I may have mentioned, I will never again go a whole winter without a vacation to somewhere sunny. I feel lucky that I can say that and pretty much mean it.

>18 SuziQoregon: WOW, I can imagine you want to go back there every year!

>21 EBT1002: no kidding - we've had record rains here this week.

>22 connie53: Exactly what we thought after the first year and why it's now an annual tradition.

Finished up The Black Country by Alex Grecian the other day. I had definite mixed feelings about it. Will probably give the 3rd book in the series a try but if it's not better than this one, I'm done.

I'm back to my re-read of Outlander and on to Part Four.

I also went back and restarted the graphic novel I'd started before vacation. I ended up re-reading it from the beginning. 100 Bullets vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call by Brian Azzarello is pretty interesting. The concept of offering consequence free revenge makes for all kinds of moral dilemnas and ambiguity.

Love that thread topper! Like Connie, I thought that you snagged it from the internet, but no, you stayed there!! Even better! And your beach vacation sounds like just the ticket! I have added The Expats to my WL - sounds like one I would really like. You are also reminding me that I need to get back to Jack Reacher - I have only read the first one, but it was just so fun.

Hoping that your Thursday is full of fabulous!

The Black Country by Alex Grecian



Both The Hubster and i enjoyed the first book in Grecian's Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series. The Yard was an interesting blend of police procedural and historical fiction.

This entry in the series takes the major characters out of London to investigate a missing (and likely deceased) person case in a mysterious coal mining town. The plot soon becomes too complicated with too many storylines that take too long to intersect (and in some cases do so only peripherally).

I felt like it was trying to be too many books at the same time with bits of historical fiction, crime story, psychological thriller, gothic mystery, natural disaster story, revenge based suspense, etc.

Despite all that it was an OK book. I still enjoy the banter between Inspector Day and Sergeant Hammersmith and I like the recurring characters. I just didn't find much actual crime investigation in this one. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first and it certainly wasn't great but there were enough things I liked that I'll give the third in the series a try.

I read The Expats for the Europe Endless Challenge two or three years ago. I enjoyed it too.

Hi Juli- I also had a lot of fun with the ExPats. I snagged an ARC of his latest, The Accident, which I am trying to make room for, not easy with this massive log-jam of books.
BTW- I picked up Red Light Properties from the library. I've been reading my GNs very slowly, so it might take a bit, before I get to it.

Congrats on a new thread, Juli. What a great place this is. I enjoy thinking about renting that same cottage, just before or just after you! Sweet. It is fun to read about good books to read, books for the wishlist, and books for the to be read piles, and then we can read about vacations, food, movies, music, oh my!

Have a great weekend.

Juli,

>27 thornton37814: I enjoyed it a lot. I think The Hubster will too.

>27 thornton37814: I also have an egalley of The Accident. I hope to read it soon. I ordered Red Light Properties from Powells. but it hasn't come in yet. That's probably OK though because I have a significant stack of GNs out from the library right now and need to go on a GN reading binge.

>29 maggie1944: Thanks! We have a couple of rental houses on the Oregon coast that we've used over and over again (we think of them as our version of a Time Share). The one in the topper is an annual weekend with friends and the other is a place down in Yachats that we spend a week at every summer.

>30 Ameise1: Thank you! I hope so too.

Finshed up another Graphic Novel the other day.

100 bullets: Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call
by Brian Azzarello



A mysterious man arrives with a briefcase containing a gun, 100 untraceable bullets, and proof of who it was who did you wrong. Would you use the bullets or not?

That's the premise in this series. The first volume contains two primary stories and a an additional short.

In the first a Latina gangster newly released from prison is told who killed her husband and baby in a drive-by shooting.

In the second a down on his luck bartender finds out who sent the kiddie porn to his computer that ruined his life.

The ongoing story is who is this Mr. Graves and why is he giving these people the guns, ammunition and information?

This volume concludes with a short episode of an elderly woman trying to confess to a killing (assisted by Mr. Graves) but none of the cops believe her.

The artwork, language and violence make this a gritty noir-ish tale but occasionally there are moments of humor. It's cliche filled but I'm intrigued. I'll be getting volume two from the library soon.

It reminds me of a very early TV show, 30 minutes once a week, named "The Millionaire". An anonymous, never seen on screen, rich man gives $1,000,000 to different people each week and the show is about what they do, don't do, succeed or fail. Fun. Really 1950s.

>33 maggie1944: I remember hearing about that show. Never saw it though.

I finished my audiobook while out walking in the rain this morning. Serpent on the Crown is the penultimate book in the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. I went straight into the final book Tomb of the Golden Bird. I've enjoyed the audio editions of this series and will be a little sad to finish it.

I am also becoming a good deal more attached to audio books. I've started Cress which is the third book in this Lunar series. Fun.

>36 maggie1944: Any time I'm in the car by myself I have an audiobook going. I also listen a lot when I'm out walking.

I still working on getting all the pieces of hardware figured out. I now have a little speaker for my kindle and I can use that in the car as well as by my bed at night. Not so useful for walking. I need to see if I can get the ear buds to work, too. So much techno stuff, so little brains for figuring out all the permutations!

Love Garfield!

>38 maggie1944: Good for you - hope you can get all the technology working together.

>39 thornton37814: me too!

The Serpent on the Crown by Elizabeth Peters
Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat



This is the 18th and penultimate book in the Amelia Peabody series. After listening to Barbara Rosenfelt expertly perform the audio editions of these books over several years I'm actually a bit sad to have started the final book immediately after finishing this one.

In The Serpent on the Crown the Emerson family finds themselves involved in a mystery regarding a beautiful gold statuette that is supposedly cursed. They know the alleged curse is ridiculous but when the person who brought them the statue is found murdered and someone tries to steal the statue, the Emerson family members are in danger and on the case again. Who killed Mrs Petherick? Who is trying to steal the statue? and where (and when) did the statue come from?

I thoroughly enjoy the mix of historical fiction interspersed with real people (Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon), and plenty of humor. Barbara Rosenblat's narration really brings the stories to life for me. I've been binge listening to this series for the past few months and am already enjoying The Tomb of the Golden Bird.

Had myself a bit of a graphic novel binge

I finished Y: The Last Man, Vol. 9: Motherland and Y: The Last Man, Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores by Brian K. Vaughan. That finishes off that series for me. I need to ponder these final two a bit before I write up a review.

I also read The Unwritten Vol. 8: Orpheus in the Underworld by Mike Carey. I have enjoyed this series and all the literary references.

I started a new series with FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics Vol. 1: Paradigm Shift by Simon Oliver

"Physics is broken. Gravity failures, entropy loops and wandering wormholes are the norm. But it's no longer front-page news, and Federal Bureau of Physics' resident slacker; Agent Adam Hardy is about to get a harsh reminder of why he joined the bureau.

"Prevent and protect" is the FBP motto, because if only one thing's for certain in this upside-down world, it's that "the impossible is always possible."

Juli- I like your GN roll! I really want to get to "FBP". I just heard it recommended over on the BOTNS podcast. I was crazy about the Y-the Last Man series.

Hi Juli,
I tried Elizabeth Peters (Crocodile on the Sandbank) many years ago and thought it was so-so. I wonder if audio is the way to go for these....

I had a lovely walk home yesterday evening. The sun was out (until after 7pm!), the early plums and pears are blooming, the daffodils are at peak.... spring in the northwest -- there is nothing better. And we all know it will last for about four months!

Hi Juli, there was a time when I read one book after another one by Elizabeth Peters. You could say I was addicted to her books. I loved them very much.

Juli, I wish you a lovely weekend

Barbara: thank you for the adorable flowers! Hope you're having a lovely weekend too

Just popping in and reading the posts I've missed. Have a nice week, Juli.

Historical fiction with a bit of sass aplenty over here, Juli.

I must say that you have fitted very seamlessly into the group this year and are totting up the posts at a fair rate of knots.

Have a lovely Sunday.

>43 msf59: Mark I had a few busy days so really didn't have a chance to dive in to FBP until last night when I just decided to start over from the beginning. I'm definitely intrigued. So far it feels like a buddy cop show except that the laws they're enforcing are the laws of gravity and physics. Fun so far.

Also I finally got my copy of Red Light Properties at Powell's yesterday so I'm looking forward to reading that one soon.

>44 EBT1002: I think the Amelia Peabody series like a lot of the light or cozy series can be a hit or miss. I've only listened to the aucio versions and I'm sure they wouldn't be nearly as entertaining to me in print. That said, I nearly stopped at the second or third book because I was annoyed by a couple of characters. I had friends encourage me to continue with the series and I'm glad they did. However as with anything - everyone likes different things.

>45 Ameise1: Did you ever read any of her Vicky Bliss series? Now that I'm nearly done with Amelia Peabody I might start those.

>48 connie53: Thanks!

>49 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul. I'm really having a great time with the group and I'm glad I took the plunge. I think I was extremely fortunate to be able to attend a meetup and meet some folks in person early on in my 75ers life. It's been fun getting to know folks. I've even started using a "75er Recommendation" tag to flag books I heard about here. I think next year that might develop into a personal reading challenge for me.

Y: The Last Man Vol. 9: Motherland



and Y: The Last Man Vol. 10: Whys and Wherefores



by Brian K. Vaughan

These are the final two volumes in the series so my thoughts more about the series as a whole than these two particular books.

Overall this series has been a fun and interesting ride. Set in the near future, it’s full of political and social commentary pertinent to our current time. It takes place over essentially a 5 year time frame beginning with a sudden plague that kills all the male mammals on earth with the exception of a young man and the pet capuchin monkey he was training to be a service animal.

Their journey beginning in the chaos of the initial disaster in the US, takes them around the world as a new social and political world develops. The changing gender roles and the various political and military (also pseudo military) factions make for an interesting backdrop to the storylines that are the ongoing thread through the series. Dr. Mann is searching for the answer to what caused the plague and why. Agent 355 is trying to keep Yorick safe and alive. Yorick’s goal is to reunite with his fiancée who was in Australia when the plague hit.

Along the way there are several groups of characters and storylines that intersect and entwine with the three major characters. Along the way there were some I cheered for and some I was happy to see end or fade away.

Did it all wrap up neatly? No. There were some threads that didn’t really get explained or resolved and there were others that wrapped up a bit too neatly or conveniently for my taste but overall I think the final outcome made sense in the context of the series as a whole. The final epilogue section had both some of my least favorite moments as well as some of my favorites.

The artwork throughout the series was good. Characters changed but remained consistent. There was a variety of settings and moods to portray along the way and Pia Guerra’s work impressed me.

Through the ten volumes of the series it had both great moments and moments that annoyed the heck out of me but all in all it was pretty darn entertaining and inventive.

>50 SuziQoregon: Juli, no, I haven't read them, so I can't give some suggestions. I wish you a lovely evening.

Life in general seems to be getting in the way of my reading lately which while not necessarily a bad thing is still a bit annoying when I realize I'm still reading the same books that have been in my 'currently reading' for way too long.

I reached the point in my Chunkster (less than 300 pages to go) where I'll go ahead and finish Outlander before I move on to my next book.

I ended up feeling like my reading time for FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics Vol 1: Paradigm Shift was so chopped up that I started over and I'm glad I did. I'm enjoying it. It's feeling at this point like a bit of a buddy cop story except for the fact that the laws they're enforcing are the laws of gravity and physics. I'm curious to find out where the story will go from here (I'm about halfway through). If my day goes as planned I will go home and finish it up tonight.

>19 SuziQoregon: Juli I have The Expats on my wish list but now it is moved up the list. Your review makes me want to dump the 6 library books for it but I will be good. :-)

>26 SuziQoregon: I have The Yard waiting patiently for me. I started it late last year but put it aside for library books. It makes me leery when the author takes the characters out of their environment for a case. It either works brilliantly or fails spectacularly. The Rivers of London/Peter Grant mysteries next installment will be in the country and I am disappointed because for me London is the charm of the series.

Juli- I liked your thoughts on the concluding Y- The Last Man books. I loved that series as well.

I have a library copy of Red Light Properties, which I should get to soon.

>54 luvamystery65: Oh I definitley recommend The Expats. I have an egalley of his second book and hope to start it soon.

Both The Hubster and I enjoyed The Yard quite a bit but I'd recommend passing on the second in the series. I'll give the third book in the series a try mostly because it's back to being set in London but I'm not committed to finishing it if it doesn't grab hold of me quickly.

> Yeah - it was a fun series. Back to Fables for me for a bit now so it might be a while before I actually start Red Light Properties.

The Unwritten, Vol. 1: Orpheus of the Underworlds by Mike Carey



This is a fabulous series for booklovers. The series is about stories and how stories and real life co-exist and are dependent on each other. It's filled with appearances by familiar and not so familiar characters from literature and myth. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride & Prejudice makes quite an interesting appearance in this volume.

The main storyline in this volume is Tom's continued effort to find and rescue Lizzie Hexam. Along the way a few characters from earlier volumes reappear. Some are much more welcome than others.

Tom's journey through the underworld is contrasted with the efforts of his friend Richie Savoy to help detective Didge Patterson investigate a gruesome series of murders. Zombies, and troubled young boy and a vampire (who is the good guy this time) and a character from earlier in the series are all involved in this break from Tom’s story.

The artwork is interesting and well done and continues to be a strong part of the story. The unreal settings give the artists some freedom to create some fabulous settings and characters.

I'm torn between eagerness for the next volume and wanting time to read much more of the Fables series before the crossover.

I highly recommend this series. If’s a great graphic novel series that everyone, but particularly booklovers can enjoy.

Hi Juli!

>58 Ameise1: Awww - thanks! you too!

:-)

Finished up FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics Vol. 1: Paradigm Shift by Simon Oliver the other day. I mostly liked it and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of the series. Need to put together a review.

Back to Fables for me. I'm at the point where I'm reading the Jack of Fables spin-offs. I've heard from quite a few folks that these aren't as good as the main Fables series so I my expectations are tempered. I'm partway through Jack of Fables Vol. 1: The Great Escape at this point.

I'm also hoping to finish up my re-read of Outlander this weekend but there won't be much reading time today.

I have a long walk on the agenda today because it's chilly but beautiful and sunny out there. That will get me some audiobook time. Maybe I'll have some photos to post when I get back. Then this afternoon we're off to check out a Taproom with friends for some beer tasting and finish up the evening with pizza and cards while watching the Oregon basketball team.

Have a great Saturday!

Juli, how I used to love long walks in the springtime in Yorkshire on Sunday mornings. The crispness in the air, the smell of rain on the wind, either promised or near departed, the fields and glades in bloom, the ducks and swans out on the water and responding eagerly to crumbs of bread set upon the their liquid table.

No seasons, little delight in long walks in tropical Malaysia when a trip in the undergrowth may make you permenantly late for work on Monday!

How a lovely Sunday. xx

Hi Juli- On the GN front, I finished Blue Is the Warmest Color, which was very good. I loved the artwork. I am going to start Red Light Properties next.
Are you joining us for Atwood April or the Toni Morrison Group Read?

The Black Country got mixed reviews. I read and enjoyed it -- although, not wowed by it. Then again, I haven't read The Yard as yet.

Hope life is treating you well!

This is my first year with the 75 Books group and I'm having a blast so far., Hang in there it gets better and better. I've been with the group since inception in 2008. This is indeed a wonderful group of people. And, it is nice to have you with us!

>62 PaulCranswick: well I went 11 miles on Saturday and it was lovely and a wonderful time spent with my audiobook too. Glad I took the opportunity to get out there when I did because rain is back in the forecast for tomorrow.

>63 msf59: I'm probably going to hold off on Red Light Properties until I finish all the GNs I currently have out from the library but I'm looking forward to hearing what you think. I'll have to check out Blue is the Warmest Color once I'm ready for a fresh stack of library GNs. I'm probably going to pass on Atwood April this year and any group reads for a while. I've got a bunch of egalleys I need to get through in the next couple of months.

>64 michigantrumpet: I'm glad you enjoyed The Black Country. I thought The Yard was stronger but without that as a precursor I might have liked The Black Country more. I've got an egalley of the third in the series so I'll be giving it a shot.

>65 Whisper1: It IS getting better and better. The more I get to know folks the better I like it around here.

So - from my weekend . . .

Didn't finish any books but I'll finish Outlander today.

The weather was just fabulous and I enjoyed seeing Spring in bloom while I was out there.



For the beer lovers out there, we went to the Breakside Brewery and Taproom with some friends on Saturday.


Put this place on your agenda when you're in Portland.



May I introduce you to Bergamot Special Bitter by Breakside Brewing . . .

They describe it as:

English style golden ale with very light bitterness, brewed with lemon peel and then cold conditioned on Townshend’s Earl Grey tea leaves.

We all described it as absolutely delicious and left with a growler filled with more of it.

FBP: Federal Bureau of Physics Vol. 1: The Paradigm Shift written by Simon Oliver with art by Robbi Rodriguez and Rico Renzi



I knew going in that this would be different and I’m glad I gave it a try. It was fun and interesting and left me with some storylines wrapped up but enough intrigue and unknowns to keep me on the lookout for more in this series.

The first page starts with:

Physics is broken. Gravity failures, entropy loops and wandering wormholes are the norm. But it's no longer front-page news, and Federal Bureau of Physics' resident slacker; Agent Adam Hardy is about to get a harsh reminder of why he joined the bureau.

"Prevent and protect" is the FBP motto, because if only one thing's for certain in this upside-down world, it's that "the impossible is always possible.

It starts out as a bit of a buddy cop story except that the laws they are enforcing are the laws of gravity and physics. The mix of science fiction and cop story is fun and because of the premise open to pretty much anything happening.

Adam is mostly likable but he’s got his flaws. The story of how and why physics is broken isn't answered in this volume but there are hints of history to be explored for both Adam and a new FBP agent named Rosa Reyes.

I’m not exactly in love with the artwork but it’s growing on me. It’s got an unfinished feel to it and the style is quite different from what I've seen in my other graphic novels. There are some inconsistencies in the way characters look and that always bothers me but I’m hoping that as the series continues that will resolve. The artwork tells a lot of the story in the background of dialog in many of the frames and the style does fit the fast paced action oriented feel of the story quite well. As the artist says in the additional notes at the end:

When Simon and Mark asked me how I see the book, I replied “it should be blue collar sci-fi”

I’d have to say he achieved that.

This is likely to become a series that rather than waiting for collected trade paperback editions I'll just subscribe to the digital format and read the issues as they are available on my tablet.

I finished my re-read of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon yesterday. Even after multiple re-reads I still enjoy this story.

I picked up Jack of Fables again and since it had been a few days since I'd read any of it and I wasn't very far I just started it again.

This morning on the train to work I started reading A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante. I enjoyed her first novel Turn of Mind and I've heard good things about this one so I'm hopeful.

I need to decide which Chunkster on my shelf is next. I've discovered that breaking up lengthy books into sections to read between other books and GNs works well for me and my often short attention span.

Juli, These lovely spring days in Oregon and Washington are SO WORTH the gray, dark days of winter.
I love the four-month-long spring!

>70 EBT1002: me too but I could do without today's rain.

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon



When I first read it 13 years ago when I bought this copy I fell in love with Jamie and the entire book.


I told everyone I knew to read it because I thought it was that good. I still think it’s one of my favorite books of all time. It was so long between the subsequent books in the series that I ended up re-reading it before moving on to the next book at least a couple of times. I’ve only read as far as the fourth book in the series (Drums of Autumn) because the wait between books was so long I decided to just let her write a few more and then start over. I also felt that by the fourth book the overwriting and repetitiveness were becoming more problematic. I will probably continue re-reading and move along in the series but in all honesty it’s probably downhill from here. It’s a matter of I need to see it through.

I still think this is a wonderful book and highly recommend it. Historical fiction, romance, adventure and a fascinating period of history make it fun. Claire is an intelligent heroine and Jamie still get me all twitterpated. Yeah I have issues with some of the writing and some of the plot but I still like it.

With every re-read I find myself liking the character of Jamie's sister more and more. Jenny has become my favorite female character in this book and the series.

I’m planning on watching the TV show when it airs this summer. I’m expecting it to be a mix of fabulous and horrible but I doubt I’ll be able to look away.

I fully admit that my feelings about this book after re-reading it again are completely tainted by the nostalgia of how much I loved it the first time.

Last night I finished listening to The Tomb of the Golden Bird by Elizabeth Peters. I'm kind of sad to be at the end of the Amelia Peabody series but it's been a fun adventure over the years. I'm going to wrap it up by getting Amelia Peabody's Egypt from the library and reading that. A friend of mine who recently finished listening to the series said it was a fun mix of fiction and non-fiction that was a nice companion to the series.

My new audiobook is The Wonderful Wizard of Oz narrated by Anne Hathaway. I picked it up a few months ago as a free Audible download and a quick short audio is just what I was looking for after listening to a few longer ones.

I'm still reading both Jack of Fables and A Circle of Wives. If my weekend goes the way I want I might be able to finish up both of those before the end of the month.

Juli, I loved to read Outlander. You gave me a kick to put at least one of Gabaldon's book to the TBR list for this year.

With this rainy, it should be a great weekend for reading! FBP sounds really interesting. I

Have a great weekend. I'm planning on doing lots of reading since the rain and chill outside will not be encouraging a lot of outdoor activity. Indoor reading: yup, that's the plan!

Juli,

>74 Ameise1: they are fun to revisit occasionally. Love my weekend image.

>75 banjo123: Yes it's downright dreary out today. We have to get the weekly shopping done but once that's over with I plan to curl up with hot tea and books. FBP was fun!

>76 maggie1944: Agreed - definitely not a weekend for outdoor activities.

Hot tea and book? That's my kind of day!

Happy Weekend, Juli! I hope you are enjoying yourself and getting some reading in. I have not yet read Outlander but I plan on it, one of these days...

I like the sound of Breakside Brewery!

>Juli, I agree with you, The Outlander is a marvelous book. A co-worker raved and raved about the series and bought all the books for me. He is a great guy!

Oh yes, we passed those, as we called them, Scottish sex books around the staff room years ago. (not to be confused with the prehistoric sex books by Jean Auel, also good reads!)

completely tainted by the nostalgia of how much I loved it the first time.
This describes why I am enjoying Mad About the Boy - the third Bridget Jones book. I can't help it, I still love Bridget.

Hi Juli, I love De reiziger and the rest of the series. And I am patiently waiting for part 8 to be published and translated and I even have all the 'Lord John' spin off's (and read them all). I never thought about them as being repetitiv but I've read them only once and with lengthy spaces in between.

>67 SuziQoregon: Place duly pencilled in for Portland visit. I am a little worried though that my dance through Powell's may be financially disasterous for me and mine if full of english bitter somehow concocted from lemon peel and earl grey tea. Intrigued in the extreme!

>79 michigantrumpet: It was a wonderful way to spend a rainy afternoon

>80 msf59: thanks Mark - it was a great weekend. You would love Breakside Brewery!

>81 Whisper1: I'm not sure I'll ever get through all the books but it was fun to revisit this one and I'll see if I can manage to get through re-reading what I've read so far and if I continue.

>82 raidergirl3: LOL :"Scottish sex books" that cracks me up.

>83 connie53: It was the lengthy time between books that made me stop with Drums of Autumn. Maybe with re-reading that far and not having to wait years for the next one I'll continue with the series.

>84 PaulCranswick: Trust me the Bergamot Special Bitter was wonderful. Probably best after a Powell's spree than before though.

So the rainy weekend was good for reading on Saturday and the weather imporved in time for us not to get drenched while we were out on Sunday.

Cirque du Soleil is in town with their show Totem and we went to see it on Sunday. Lucky for us they seem to make Portland a regular stop on their tours. This is now the eighth of their shows we've seen here. If you ever get the chance to see one of their touring shows in "The Grand Chapiteau" it's an experience. A feast for the eyes and ears with the music, costumes, lighting and performances.

The Grand Chapiteau:


I finished the first Jack of Fables over the weekend. I'm enjoying A Circle of Wives a lot. I didn't get much audiobook time over the weekend so it was nice to get back to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz I'm pretty sure I read this as a kid but I don't remember details of how it differed from the movie so it's fun to listen to. I'll have to admit though, the Tin Man is kind of a whiner.

I was pleased to find out this morning that I'll be getting Birdmen from the March Early Reviewers batch. This one really looks interesting.

>86 SuziQoregon:
Oh coool! I loved Totem so much that I bought the CD. Cirque du Soleil is truly amazing.

I, too, am a great fan of Cirque du Soleil.

We seem to have the beginnings of some better weather up north here near Seattle. I hope it extends to your neck of the woods, too.

Hi Juli- Congrats on snagging the Birdmen. That does sound good. It was an excellent ER selection this month. Watch April's be dry as a stone.

>87 AuntieClio: I need to get the music. I have the music from most of the Cirque du Soleil shows we've seen. Always interesting.

>88 maggie1944: Yes - better weather is on the way after another dose of rain of course.

>89 msf59: Agreed - the ER batch this month was great. I'm looking forward to reading Birdmen and I think The Hubster will be interested too,

Jack of Fables Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape written by Bill Willingham with art by Tony Akins



I've heard from folks I know who have read much more of the Fables series than I have that the Jack of Fables spinoff series is not as good as the original. I'm going to read them anyway because the stories do come back together down the road in The Great Fables Crossover and I want to know what's going on when I get to that point.

I'll admit that Jack was not one of my favorite characters from what I've read of the Fables series (the first 8 volumes). I was not sorry to see him disappear from the primary story lines.

This spinoff series is interesting enough at least so far with this first volume but nothing in it really makes me like Jack any better. Yes he's funny and witty but he's really just kind of a jerk. I'll be curious to find out if he (or my opinion of him) changes as the series progresses.

I do enjoy the humor and wit in the conversations between characters in this one. I also enjoyed the reappearance of Goldilocks (last seen as a gun-toting revolutionary). I also enjoyed the introduction of new characters not previously seen in the main Fables books. The idea of forgotten or lesser known fictional characters being locked up in the 'retirement home' until the mundane world forgets about them was interesting. As always with the Fables books, in the busy scenes it's fun to study the images to see who I can pick out.

The artwork in this series is done by a different team than the main Fables books and while the characters and feel of the scenes is different it's also similar enough to not be a jarring change.

It's hard to be enthusiastic about a series focused on a jerk of a main character but I thought this one was OK and added some interesting elements to Willingham's Fables world and I'm curious to see where it all leads.

I hope you enjoy Birdmen when you get it. I'm getting the one about the Titanic so I hope I like that one too.

Juli,

*lurking*

>92 thornton37814: - I'm really looking forward to Birdmen. Hope you enjoy the one you got.

>93 Ameise1: Awww thanks!

>94 maggie1944: I see you there ;-)

Finished up A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante last night. I liked this one but I need to think about the ending a bit before I put together my thoughts. I think I liked her first book Turn of Mind a bit better but I'll definitely be watching for more from this author.

I'm started one of the GNs I have out from the library Hawkeye: Little Hits by Matt Fraction

I may try to get through a couple of GNs before I start another novel.

On audio I'm nearing the end of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz narrated by Anne Hathaway. I like her as an actress but her performance as a narrator is beginning to bug me. She's trying so hard to create a unique voice and accent for each and every character that it's become distracting.

I have a road trip tomorrow so I'll finish that up and move on to another audio book while I'm driving. I think I'm going to listen to Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood. I've heard good things about this series and audio production.

I had a great reading weekend!

After finishing up A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante Friday night I needed to let it simmer in my head a bit before starting another novel.

On Saturday I read three graphic novels and made a dent in the stack of books I've got out from the library. I read

Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits by Matt Fraction

Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire

and Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan

Sunday was road trip day. I have a couple of friends who live north of Seattle and we periodically meet up at a pub in Olympia that's halfway between and me and the one who lives farthest north. That meant 5 hours of audio book time for me on the road.

I finished listening to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz narrated by Anne Hathaway

I started listening to Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood narrated by Stephanie Daniel. This is the first in the Phryne Fisher series and I'm enjoying both the main character and the 1920's Australia setting.

Tomb of the Golden Bird written by Elizabeth Peters narrated by Barbara Rosenblat



Elizabeth Peters planned all along to have this series end with the discovery of the tomb of Tutenkhamon by Howard Carter working on behalf of Lord Carnarvon. Since her characters could not actually ‘discover’ the tomb without significantly altering history she manages to have them close to the events surrounding the discovery and the beginnings of the process of clearing the tomb.

As with the rest of the series it’s a mix of mystery, historical fiction, humor and real people and events. The series spans nearly 40 years of both real and fictional history. Amelia and her family and circle of friends have grown throughout the series and the multiple generations of family and friends have become well known friends to me. I will miss them.

Thanks to my good reading weekend I've got a bunch of reviews for here and my blog to work on.

I'm enjoying my current reads. On my ereader I'm reading The Accident by Chris Pavone and in the car I'm listening to Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood

I stopped at the library yesterday and picked up a couple of GNs to replenish the stack at home. I got Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham. It's the next in the Fables series for me. I also grabbed the second Sweet Tooth book by Jeff Lemire.

Hi Juli- I love all the book juggling. My kind of reader. LOL. I hope you liked Sweet Tooth. They keep getting better and darker. I'll have to request the 2nd Hawkeye book. I really liked the first one.

I also really liked Red Light Properties, thanks to you and I also enjoyed the Fifth Beatle.

>86 SuziQoregon: Hello there Juli! Big fan of the Cirque du Soleil music. So glad you enjoyed the show.

The Tin Man is whiner? That's a disappointment ... he was my favorite from the movie!

Hope you are having a good week.

The tin man IS a whiner. So he had all his limbs chopped off--can't he just get over it? The scarecrow was always my favorite--aI am a sucker for a good dancer.

>100 msf59: I did like Sweet Tooth enough that I picked up the second in th series at the library on Monday. I'm glad to hear you liked Red Light Properties that's on my shelf but I've got a couple more that I need to read from the library first.

>101 michigantrumpet: I agree about Cirque du Soleil's music. I have a lot of it on my ipod. Yes he's a whiner and the voice that Anne Hathaway uses for him makes it worse in the audio production,

>101 michigantrumpet: LOL

Still haven't written up reviews for either here or my blog for the books I finished last weekend. Really should work on that tonight but I'd rather read more of The Accident.

I did pick up a couple of new books yesterday. Now that I've listened to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz} I'm looking forward to reading Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige a friend and fellow blogger recommended ths one so I stopped by Powell's and picked it up yesterday. I also got the prequel novella No Place Like Oz which is available as an ebook to read first.

A Circle of Wives written by Alice LaPlante



A dead man is soon found to have had three wives and the investigation into his death becomes both complicated police work and an examination of the women and relationships in his life.

While Dr. John Taylor is the common thread this book is about the women. It's about the young detective investigating his death and about the three women who were married to him.

Almost no one in this book is telling the whole truth. Lies and deception are as much a part of the current situation as they were a part of Dr. Taylor's life.The twists and turns of the case as Samantha Taylor tries to determine who killed Dr. Taylor are interesting and along the way Samantha begins to question her own relationship.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Samantha Taylor and each of the wives. They were all unlikable in their own way and I had a little trouble believing that someone would put up with the conditions their mutual husband put on their lives and communication. Despite the parts of this that I found a bit unbelievable it was an interesting story.

The ending felt abrupt to me. In fact I wondered at first if the egalley I was reading was missing a section. I had to let the ending simmer a bit in my head before I could decide how I felt about it.

For me this was one of those books that I liked but at the same time there were things about it that I didn’t like. I think it would be a fabulous book club selection because there is plenty to talk about and I’m curious to hear what other folks who have read it think about it.

Hi, Juli! I've missed so much on LT while I've been away that I can't hope to catch up. But your latest review sounds like an interesting premise but uneven execution.

Juli, I wish you

Just skimming through, Juli! Happy reading!

Hi Juli, I'm very late to the party, sorry about that.

You're reading Cocaine Blues now, so I mention this without knowing what you think of it: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, an Australian series based on the books, is available on Netflix for streaming! I was not a fan of the books, but I *dote* on the TV show. Just love it.

Hope all's well and chirpy chez vous!

>106 rosalita: - just glad you're back and yes that just about sums up my thoughts on this one perfectly.

>107 Ameise1: Thank you! and it was ;-)

>108 connie53: Thanks for stopping by Connie - I'll be doing that skimming and catching up myself today.

>109 richardderus: No apology necessary - nice to have you for a visit. Thanks for the info about the TV show. I did enjoy listening to Cocaine Blues and will likely listen to more since the library has them. I had seen info about the TV show but hadn't checked Netflix. Now that I know it's there I'll add it to my list.

It's been a few days so I've got some catching up to do. It's a day for reading and catching up on threads once I post an update here.

This past weekend was busy with not a lot of reading time but I did get a bit of audiobook time on Sunday and finished listening to Cocaine Blues. I enjoyed it and since the library has most of them I'll likely listen to more. I enjoyed Phryne Fisher and the 1920's Australia setting.

I finished listening to the book will completing my first (mix of walking and running) half-marathon. I've done lots of shorter races but it was nice to accomplish a half-marathon. The Hubster ran it in about half the time I took but it was fun and I beat my goal of finishing in under 3 hours by 8 minutes. The weather was near perfect and the part of the race that was around this lake in Vernonia was quite pretty.



I'm still reading The Accident by Chris Pavone but I just haven't had a lot of time in the past week or so to do much print reading. Maybe this week will be better.

I did start a new audiobook yesterday. After a binge listen of the last few Amelia Peabody books it was time to return to another of my favorite audio series. I'm now listening to The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson which is the 5th book in the Walt Longmire series. I'm glad to be back in Wyoming with Walt.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum and narrated by Anne Hathaway



This is one of those reviews that serves as a fair warning about this particular edition . . .

When I got the email from Audible that they were offering this free I downloaded it. When I decided I wanted to read Danielle Paige’s Dorothy Must Die I decided to listen to the original book first.

I’m sure I read this as a kid but I sure didn't remember much of it. I remembered it being quite different from the movie but the details have faded.

The book itself is an odd story. The interpretations of it as political and social allegory are well known but whether Baum really intended as that may or may not be true and honestly I don’t care. I was interested in the story and how it differed from the movie and to hear Anne Hathaway’s reading of it.

If I had a recommendation at this point it would be that if you want to revisit the original Baum story go the the library and pick up a print edition. Skip this audio version.

The story was quite different from the movie. The Wicked Witch of the West is almost a minor character. As in the movie there is a fair amount of violence for a children’s story. I really didn't remember the Tin Man being such a whiner. I also didn't remember that both the good witches make an appearance. Each area of Oz has a distinct population and is ruled by one of the witches. The munchkins from the movie are only a quarter of the story.

As for the audio production it started out OK and while I like Anne Hathaway fine as an actress but I will never listen to her narrate another audiobook. She seemed to try way too hard to give each and every character in the book a distinct voice and accent. There are far too many characters for that in this book. The Tin Man might have seemed like a big whiner to me because of the way she did his voice. The Scarecrow sounded exactly like Marge Simpson. Before Dorothy and her companions were falling asleep in the field of poppies Hathaway lost me completely. When the stork sounded like a Valley Girl out of the early 80’s I’d had enough. At that point Hathaway’s increasingly odd voice characterizations became a complete distraction from the story. The Guardian of the Gate in the Emerald City sounded like Daffy Duck and the Wizard himself sounded like an elderly Southern lady.

I only finished it because it was so short.

Finished another book last night. I really enjoyed The Accident by Chris Pavone.

This morning I started All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr I read a review in Shelf Awareness last month and it sounded quite intriguing. I only read a few pages on the train ride into town today but I'm looking forward to lunchtime so I can read more.

How sad that the Anne Hathaway became the focus of the audio book rather than the very original story and the interesting and creative characters.

Juli, I wish you and a long weekend full of reading.

Happy Easter, Juli!

>114 maggie1944: Yeah it just became too distracting for me.

>115 Ameise1: Aw thank you! That's adorable!

>116 Crazymamie: and Happy Easter to you too!

It's been a crazy week and I haven't been reading threads much. I hope to get some time this afternoon to skim, catch up a bit an toss out a few greetings.

I am really enjoying All the Light We Cannot See It starts out in St. Malo just as the allies are bombing it in 1944 and has now gone back to 1934 to visit the prior history of the two main characters introduced in the first section. One is a blind French girl and the other is a young German boy with an aptitude for radio and electronics. The writing is beautiful. I hope to be able to spend some quality time with this today once the chores and errands are done.

Yesterday was my 2nd race in 6 days. I'm not a runner but I do a mix of running and walking. Yesterday was a 5k up near the airport and along the Columbia River. The sunrise over Mt. Hood and the airport as we arrived was beautiful.

Happy Easter, Juli! I need to squeeze in the Accident. I've had it on shelf for a couple of months now. All the Light We Cannot See sounds really good. Have a great day.

Beautiful pic!

>118 SuziQoregon: Juli, I'm impressed. It's a gorgeous photo you took. I hope you'll have a lovely day.

I love the picture!

>119 msf59: so far I'm really enjoying All the Light We Cannot See. Yes you do need to pull The Accident off the shelf soon!! Don't make me nag.

>120 drneutron: , >121 Ameise1: and >122 connie53: Thank you - not bad for a phone photo, huh?

Just got an email that makes me happy. I'll be getting The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport from Bookbrowse. I'm a total sucker for anything Romanov so I'l did a little happydance when I read the email.

" Don't make me nag." LOL. I don't know if you have participated before but I have been hosting a May: Murder & Mayhem thread, for the past few years, so the Accident might fit in well for that, among the other several dozen I have waiting in the wings.

Juli, I hope you have a lovely week so far. *waves*

>125 msf59: ;-) While it's not a direct sequel there are a couple of characters from The Expats who make appearances in The Accident. I think you'll enjoy it.

Oh "May: Murder & Mayhem" sounds right up my alley!! I'll be watching for the thread.

>126 Ameise1: thanks - so far, so good ;-)

Cocaine Blues written by Kerry Greenwood and narrated by Stephanie Daniel



Phryne (Fry-nee) Fisher, bored with late 1920's London Society agrees to go to Melbourne to check in on the daughter of an acquaintance but soon find herself in full on Private Detective mode.

This was a fun first in a series. I liked Phryne from the very beginning. She's a bit of a rebel and very independent and intelligent. Her history is that she was born in Australia and had a fairly poor childhood until she was twelve when "three people between father and the Title died". She and her family moved from Australia to England and lived in luxury.

When Phryne arrives in Melbourne to find out what is really going on with the daughter of Colonel and Mrs. Harper. They fear that their dear Lydia has married a reprobate and that Lydia's recurring illnesses are symptoms of mistreatment.

Before Phryne can even begin to learn what is going on with Lydia she is soon involved in helping track down a brutal abortionist who may be responsible for multiple deaths. Then the Russian dancers talk her into helping them track down the cocaine dealers responsible for their mother's death.

It's a lot to pack into a short book but Phryne is fun and she's clearly gathering a cast of recurring characters that have me looking forward to continuing with the series.

I've never listened to a book narrated by Stephanie Daniel but I enjoyed her work. I never felt like I wanted to shift my audio player into the higher speed to move things along. She's good with the voice characterizations without if sounding forced.

There is an Australian Television series based on these books called Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries. It's available on Netflix and I might check it out once I listen to a few more in the series.

This was a light fun introduction to a series of relatively short audiobooks that are well-narrated. The combination of a fun main character and an interesting setting and time frame means I'll be continuing with the series.

I've watched the Australian series and really enjoyed it. There aren't very many of them, at least on Netflix. I'm going to add the books to my TBR list. I love series mysteries!

Great review, Juli. I love the cover art, too.

>128 SuziQoregon: I really enjoyed the Phryne Fisher series on TV and miss the shows now that the second season is over. I have been tempted to read the books but they seem to be based on the same mysteries as the programs so I don't know if it will be a let down to already know the story and maybe remember who the murder is.

>131 Familyhistorian: I envy your getting to watch the Fisher mysteries on TV. I've watched the first season on Netflix but you have to wait quite awhile for the next season. Good point about the programs closely following the books. Maybe I'll just wait for the second season. I do love the clothes!

The next season of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is available on Acorn TV, along with about a zillion other good series.

>129 Oregonreader: good to hear you've enjoyed the series.

>130 michigantrumpet: me too!

>131 Familyhistorian: from what I can tell of the TV episode descriptions they do seem to be fairly close to the books.

>132 Oregonreader: and here's Richard just in time with your answer ;-)

>133 richardderus: Oooh - excellent! Good to know!

The Accident written by Chris Pavone



A manuscript of an unauthorized biography of a media mogul could get anyone who reads or knows about it killed because of the secrets it reveals.

I love a good twisty turny suspense story and the fact that this one was wrapped around the business of the publishing industry just made it all that much more fun for me.

The essential events of the book take place within a single day but there are multiple flashbacks to events from the past. The one day time frame and international scope of the story means that a whole lot of STUFF happens in 24 hours.

There is a huge cast of characters and the setting shifts between many different locations. Pavone manages to keep the tension high from the very beginning. For me there was one crucial "Holy &*#!" moment that made me want to drop everything and finish the book in one sitting. Unfortunately I was at lunch at work when that happened and my boss wouldn't have been too thrilled. Nevertheless, I did finish the book that day. It was a wild ride.

It's not necessary to read Pavone's first book The Expats, before reading this but be aware that there are some characters from that book who make an appearance in this one and some plot elements of The Expats are casually mentioned.

The bottom line is that I highly recommend both of Pavone's books and I cannot wait for him to write more.

>135 SuziQoregon: Juli, any book/writer that makes us have that "Holy &*#!" moment is well worth pursuing. Hence, the book bullet. :-)

Juli, I wish you a fantastic weekend.

>133 richardderus: Just signed up for Acorn TV and you have become my new best friend! Not only did I find Phryne Fisher, I also found one of my all-time favorite British mysteries, *Pie in the Sky*. This could seriously cut into my reading time.

>135 SuziQoregon: Yay! I hope you like it.

>137 Ameise1: I look forward to your weekend treats

>138 Oregonreader: Yay!

I'm still reading the same two books. Been too busy both at work and at home to get much reading time.

We did get down to southern Oregon over the weekend to see a couple of plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland. We saw The Tempest and The Comedy of Errors. Both productions were better than the last time we saw them down there. Lots of fun.

I'll be gone all next weekend too so maybe in May I'll be able ramp up my reading a bit.

Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits written by Matt Fraction with art by David Aja



Superhero comics aren't my normal thing but for some reason I really enjoy this new Hawkeye series. Barton doesn't have special powers he's just the best archer EVER. He's also a bit of a smartass.

It's a little bit of the Marvel Universe that I enjoy outside of the movies. This is not an Avengers thriller. This is all about what Clint Barton is up to when he's not working with the rest of the Avengers gang. I really enjoyed the section of this one told from the perspective of Clint's dog.

Hi Juli,

I just found your thread when I did a search on All the Light We Cannot See - I'm just over halfway through it at the moment and loving it. Like you I am not getting a lot of reading time but have been avoiding housework to read a bit more of it.

I am resisting the lure of the Phryne Fisher series... too many unread crime series already on the go!

>142 cushlareads: I am LOVING All the Light We Cannot See !!!!

Hi Juli- Just checking in. I decided to read The Accident as part of M & M and I should get to it soon. Glad you were a fan. I NEED to request Hawkeye Vol. 2: Little Hits from the library. I really liked volume one.

Happy Friday! Hope you have something wonderful planned for the weekend.

Happy Friday, Juli! The Accident looks quite promising. Onto the wishlist it goes!

Juli, I wish you a Happy Weekend full of reading.

Struggling to catch up Juli, but I'll get there.

Superheroes are not my bag also but unfortunately Kyran, Mokmin and Yusef (Yassie's boyfriend's little brothers) love Spiderman and we are off to make his acquaintance.

Have a great weekend.

xoxo

Juli, wishing you a wonderful Mother's Day.

I'm Baaaaaack . . . . Did you miss me? I missed you!!!

I was in San Antonio for a long weekend with a great bunch of girlfriends last weekend and despite having a horrible cold (thanks to The Hubster who is in the doghouse for that) I had a blast. The weather was perfect. We had fun both as a group and individually. Plenty of time to walk along the Riverwalk, chat, have fun etc. All in all just a wonderful weekend. The lack of sleep and the cold really caught up with me by the time I got home though and I've spent the rest of the week with a blend of cold, flu and bronchitis. I have improved to a status of "less awful' and plan to do as little as possible today in an attempt to reach 'closer to healthy' tomorrow.

Reading wise it hasn't been such a fabulous week because my attention span seems to have been the sickest part of me.

I did manage to finish All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr and I loved it. I also read Fables Vol. 9: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham and of course it was wonderful. I'm now reading The Empress of the Night by Eva Stachniak and hope to spend some quality time with that one today.

On audio I finished listening to The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson. This is one of my favorite audio series and this one included an interview at the end with narrator George Guidall and the author.

For my new audiobook I opted for a major change of pace. I started How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell it's narrated by David Tennant and I'm LOVING it!! I did pick up the book at the library too so I could scan that for the illustrations as I listen to it. Such fun. Fortunately my library seems to have 8 of this series narrated by Tennant and they're all just 3-4 hours long. I sense a binge listen in the works.

I'm gearing up for a week long readathon starting tomorrow. The Bout of Books is a week long low stress readathon that happens three times a year. This will be my third time participating and it's been a lot of fun every time.

I need to do some skimming and catching up with folks threads after being absent for over a week.

I also need to get caught up on reviews I need to post here so expect those over the next couple of days.

And since we have no Moms or kids I'll post this is in honor of Mother's day.



Ducklings!!!

Ahh, so cute!

Glad you are back, Juli, and did have such a good time with your girlfriends! It sounds like you all had a lot of fun. Having a cold is a pity though! Get better soon.

Welcome back, Juli! I missed you. I also enjoyed the Dark Horse and that was a great interview with Johnson, at the end.

Cute duckies!

>153 connie53: thanks - I spotted them on the riverwalk when I was in San Antonio.

>154 msf59: I didn't realize you were listening to The Dark Horse the same time I was. Love that series. Do you watch the TV show? I enjoy it because it's not simply a retelling of the books and while mostly true to the characters takes some different directions than the books.

Today my focus is finishing Empress of the Night. It's turning out to be a bit of a disappointment but I do want to finish it because it's a review book. I predict skimming will occur.

On the other hand, listening to How to Train Your Dragon continues to be a delight.

I finished Empress of the Night last night. Definitely some skimming involved in that one. I only finished it because I owe reviews to Early Reviewers and NetGalley. I was happy to finish and move on.

I started a novella. No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige is a prequel to Dorothy Must Die. I'm only a couple of chapters in but I'm intrigued. Even though I hated Anne Hathaway's audio of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz I'm glad I listened to it before diving into Paige's novella and book. She definitely references the book version of the original and not the film.

Welcome back, Juli! Spending time with 'the Girls' can seem such a treat. I've never been to San Antonio, but it seems like a place I would definitely enjoy. Hope the week is treating you well.

>157 michigantrumpet: San Antonio is a great place to visit. We stayed right on the Riverwalk so pretty much anything we wanted to do for the weekend was within walking distance.

Last night I finished No Place Like Oz the prequel novella to Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige. It was fun and definitely has me interested in reading the book. The novella tells how Dorothy went back to Oz and how things have changed both for her and in Oz. An intriguing premise . . .

I started The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin last night and this morning I was extremely annoyed that I had to go to work instead of staying home to read more of it. I got sucked in again at lunchtime and now I'm counting the hours until I get home from work and can dive in again.

I seriously need to catch up on posting some reviews here.

Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Deep Woods by Jeff Lemire



This was both gritty and charming all at the same time. In a post-apocalyptic North America the young part deer, part human child Gus has an innocence that seems extreme but fits with his isolated upbringing. The big man he meets up with may be good but I'm not completely sure. He does save Gus from bounty hunters but can he be trusted?

The story is interesting and the artwork while a bit rough in places fits the mood and theme of the story.

I'm looking forward to continuing with this series.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr



This was a beautifully told story and a book I highly recommend. I was enchanted by the prose and the characters of Marie-Laure and Werner from the very beginning.

The book opens as the allies are bombing Saint-Malo in August of 1944 in an effort to rout the Nazi soldiers holed up in the ancient walled city. Marie-Laure and Werner are both there. Then the story shifts to 1934 and begins to fill in their parallel stories. There are time and location shifts throughout the book in short chapters that shift back and forth between the two main characters and their stories that will eventually intersect.

The story is a complex one with a broad scope. Werner’s story is that of the young boys and men of Hitler’s empire and how they were indoctrinated and used. Marie-Laure’s story is that of the civilians of France as the German occupation and Allied invasion changed their home and lives. Marie-Laure’s father’s story is that of a man trying to keep his daughter safe and also do his part to protect the treasures of the Louvre from the greedy hands of the Nazis.

It’s charming, beautiful, tragic and hopeful all at the same time. Don’t miss this one.

Fables Vol. 9: Sons of Empire by Bill Willingham



In the last volume of the series The Adversary was dealt a blow. This time around he's gathering his forces and making plans.

Back in New York the Fables are enjoying a peaceful time but are a bit unnerved when an envoy from the Adversary shows up. Hansel is clearly not a nice guy.

Bigby Wolf, Snow White and thier kids visit Bigby's Father and chaos and conniving follow.

I love this series and it just gets better and better. This volume is a good mix of action and setting the stage for future storylines. The final section is a series of short stories answering fun questions from readers of the series,.

If you haven't started this series you should.

Hi Juli- I am so glad you enjoyed Sweet Tooth. I think the books keep getting better, so you have that to look forward to. Good review of All the Light We Cannot See. That one sounds very good. I've been seeing it pop up here and there lately.

ETA- I did not know you had a blog. How very cool. I've been toying with creating one for awhile, but I am just not sure I could give it the time it needs.

>163 msf59: I've got the next two volumes of Sweet Tooth out from the library and hope to read them soon.

I definitely recommend All the Light We Cannot See!

And yes, I've had a blog for nearly 8 years (in July). It started out as an online reading journal that would allow me to give friends and family a link when they asked for book recommendations. I had no idea that book blogging was such a thing and was shocked when people I didn't know started commenting. I've met some great friends over they years through blogging. It's still primarily a reading journal but it's expanded and I now use it for sharing photos and other randoms stuff. It IS a lot of work but I enjoy it.

The Dark Horse by Craig Johnson



It's been a while since I listened to a Walt Longmire book. It was nice to be back in Wyoming with Walt and having George Guidall narrating.

I enjoy this series so much and it's one of those that to me is perfect blend of author, characters and narrator. This audio edition includes an interview with the author by the narrator.

I knew that people made noises in jail, whether they were conscious of it or not. Angry sounds, boisterous sounds, sad sounds--some even sang--but as she continued, I could hear it was the wounded sound, the tone that caused the stillness in my hands and the cooling in my face.

The one I couldn't stand.

This time around there is not much presence from the usual supporting cast. Even though some of it is set on home turf in Durant, much of the action takes place in a small town where Walt is working undercover for the first time in his career. It's a different role for him and a tough one to do when you're the well known sheriff from a neighboring county.

Nevertheless it's a well done story. It alternates present time with flashbacks from several days earlier and chronicles both Walt's initial interactions with murder suspect Mary Barsad and his foray into working undercover to prove her innocence.

As a long time reader (listener) of the series I trusted Walt's instinct that Mary wasn't a cold blooded killer but as for who set her up there were plenty of suspects to choose from.

Along the way there was the usual moments of humor that I love in the way the character of Walt tells the story. There was also bits of insight into Walt's past which has gradually been filled in a little bit at a time as the series has progressed.

I missed some of the home town folks who had less of a presence in this one but it was still an excellent book.

So impressed with people like yourself who can maintain a long term blog. I have a hard enough time keeping up with LT!

Happy Friday!

>166 michigantrumpet: it's a lot of work but it's also fun and I've become friends with so many booklovers because of the blog.

So yesterday I finished The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin and I LOVED it! This is suck a lovely little book and full of great quotable moments for folks who love books and reading.

I started Just One Damned Thing After Another because of . . . well . . . pretty much everyone here!

Empress of the Night by Eva Stachniak



I did enjoy Stachniak's first book The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great.

In that one the life at the Russian court and the early years of Catherine the Great's life there was explored through the eyes of a palace servant. I had been looking forward to the author's second novel about Catherine ever since. Unfortunately this one was a disappointment.

The servant from the first novel (Varvara) does make some minor appearances in this book but it's not told from her perspective. In this one Catherine tells her own story.

It opens with Catherine suffering the stroke that would take her life. As she struggles to understand what is happening to her and as she receives medical treatment she flashes back to her life and experiences.

The result is a choppy and disconnected series of scenes in which names and nicknames are tossed out, often without context. It would be difficult for a reader who is not already familiar with Catherine's story to follow and make some of the connections. It is also frustrating for a reader who is familiar with Catherine to have the book focus on the events and parts of Catherine's life that the author has chosen to highlight. While much of Catherine's effort to find a lasting love is chronicled, it is done in a way that seems distant and aloof considering that Catherine is supposed to be telling her own story. Also much of her political rather than personal life is ignored or glossed over.

While I do still recommend Stachniak's first book, this one just didn't work well for me.

Nice reviews! I am going to look for All the Light we cannot see

Ugh! Too bad about the latest Catherine the Great book!

Thought you'd like to know about a new thread called Friends of Nancy P.

Part therapy for for the completists in our group, and part a safe haven to blow off some steam about those books you want to throw against the wall. Kudos to Steve the Curmudgeon for setting it up!

>169 banjo123: Oh I hope you like All the Light We Cannot See it's just a lovely book

>170 michigantrumpet: Honestly if I hadn't owed reviews to both Early Reviewers and Netgalley I would have DNF'd it. Thanks for the heads up about the thread - I need that.

Well I had just a fabulous reading day yesterday. I finished listening to How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell narrated by David Tennant It was so much fun. I think I'm going to make The Hubster listen to it on our next road trip. In the meantime I started listening to the second book in that series this morning.

I also finished what seems to have become the Official 75 Books Book of early 2014 and thanks to Richard and the rest of you for telling me to read Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be passing it along to The Hubster and getting my hands on the next one.

Finally I headed to my graphic novel stack and read Sweet Tooth Vol. 2: In Captivity by Jeff Lemire. Again I have the folks here to thank for telling me about this series. It's so good. I'm glad I have the third in the series out from the library and ready to read soon.

I decided it was time for some non-fiction so I started Birdmen: The Wright Brothers, Glenn Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the Skies by Lawrence Goldstone. I was happy to get this one from Early Reviewers and have been looking forward to reading it.

This morning I started Purity of Vengeance by Jussi Adler-Olsen I've heard that this is not as good as some of the other Department Q books but I've got to read it. He's kind of alternated excellent with average in the series so far for me.

Looks like it's about time to think about starting a new thread. I need to browse my photos because for me the most important part of a new thread is picking which of my photos to use for the topper ;-)

Hi Juli, just passing through. I had a stressful time. Wishing you a wonderful week.

Hi Juli- I love following your reading life. I am glad you enjoyed Just One Damned Thing After Another. I did too and I have the ebook of the 2nd one but I just snagged the audio of it too. I bet it plays well in that format.
Glad you are enjoying Sweet Tooth. I need to find out, when the next one comes out. I liked The Purity of Vengeance, but felt it was a bit over-stuffed. His books are long but this felt unnecessarily so.

>173 Ameise1: thank you!

>174 msf59: Thanks. I'm so glad I joined this group this year. It's been fun and broadened my reading horizons.

Thank you for encouraging me to read Sweet Tooth.