Delta Queen's 2014 Reading - Part Three

We are all ready for Spring! Even though many are still getting snow, I am sure it is not too far off. Here in Western Canada it has arrived with warmer weather, sunshine and flowers blooming.

Going back to my vintage magazine covers:

There is a reason why The Count on Sesame Street was one of my favorite characters, I like to count and keep track of things:

2014 Books Read




2014 Pages Read




2014 Books Read From My Shelves

My goal is to read at least 84 books off my shelves this year.

I am also a big sucker for challenges of any kind and therefore I am working on this Bingo Challenge and for every line I complete I will reward myself with a book purchase:



* B1 - A Book with More than 500 pages = One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (541 pages)
* I1 - A Forgotten Classic = One of Ours by Willa Cather
* N1 - A Book Made Into A Movie = The Tall Men by Will Henry
* G1 - A Book Published This Year = Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
* O1 - A Book With A Number in the Title = The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

*B2 - A Book Written By Someone Under Thirty - Cinder by Marissa Meyer
* I2 - A Book With Non-Human Characters = A Cat In The Window by Derek Tangye
* N2 - A Funny Book =
* G2 - A Book With A Female Author = The Vizard Mask by Diana Norman
* O2 - A Book With a Mystery = The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout

* B3 - A Book with a One Word Title = Ru by Kim Thuy
* I3 - A Book of Short Stories = My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
* N3 - FREE SPACE
* G3 - A Book Set On A Different Continent = Sand Daughter by Sarah Bryant
* O3 - A Book of Non-Fiction = Haven: The Dramatic Story Of 1,000 World War II Refugees And How Tney Came To America by Ruth Gruber

* B4 - The First Book By A Favorite Author = The Overloaded Ark by Gerald Durrell
* I4 - A Book You Heard About Online = Beaufort by Ron Leshem
* N4 - A Best Selling Book = Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
* G4 - A Book Based on a True Story = The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney
* O4 - A Book at the Bottom of Your TBR = Hart of Empire by Saul David

* B5 - A Book Your Friend Loves = Layer Cake by J. J. Connolly
* I5 - A Book That Scares You = The Passage by Justin Cronin
* N5 - A Book That Is Older Than 10 Years - Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie
* G5 - The Second Book In A Series =
* O5 - A Book With a Blue Cover = The Short Life & Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes



* B1 - A Book With A Female Heroine = Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (Cordelia)
* I1 - A Book Set In High School = Citrus County by John Brandon
* N1 - The Last Book of a Trilogy = The Death Cure by James Dashner
* G1 - A Book With A Color in the Title = Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig
* O1 - A First Book in a Series = Never Somewhere Else by Alex Gray

* B2 - A Book Set In The Future = World Made By Hand by James Kunstler
* I2 - A Book With a Breakup = The Food of Love by Anthony Capella
* N2 - A Book Without a Love Triangle = Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
* G2 - A Book That Became a Movie = Wild: From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed
* O2 - A Book Set In Paris =

* B3 - A Book Set in the Past = The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
* I3 - A Book With Magic =
* N3 - FREE SPACE
* G3 - A Book Set In The Summer = Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard
* O3 - A Book With A Dragon =

* B4 - A Book That Made You Cry = Mornings In Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
* I4 - A Graphic Novel = The Walking Dead: Vol 17 by Robert Kirkland
* N4 - A Book Based on a Myth =
* G4 - A Classuc "YA" Book =
* O4 - A Book With A Lion, A Witch or A Wardrobe =

* B5 - A Book With An Incredible Fight Scene = Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry
* I5 - A Book You Heard About On-line = The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
* N5 - A Book Set in Another World = Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
* G5 - A Book With An Epic Love Story =
* O5 - A Book With Music = The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Tracking My Bingo Books

I am rewarding myself one book for every Bingo

Adult Bingo Card:

1. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
2. Broken Harbour by Tana French
3. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos
4. The Twelve by Justin Cronin
5. The Troop by Nick Cutter
6. On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves
7. Cemetery Lake by Paul Cleave
8. Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
9. The Bear by Claire Cameron
10. The Terrorists of Irustan by Louise Marley

YA Bingo Card:

1. Caribbean Chemistry by Christopher Vanier
2. English Creek by Ivan Doig
3. Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L.A. Meyer

How I Rate Books:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2014 BOOKS READ

JANUARY

1. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (324 pages) - 4.2 ★
2. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (541 pages) - 4.5 ★
3. Ru by Kim Thuy (141 pages) - 4.2 ★
4. A Cat In The Window by Derek Tangye (142 pages} - 3.5 ★
5. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott (170 Pages) - 4.0 ★
6. One of Ours by Willa Cather (326 pages) - 4.1 ★
7. The Food of Love by Anthony Capella (310 pages) - 3.3 ★
8. The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout (320 pages) - 3.4 ★
9. The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston (353 pages) - 2.8 ★
10. Haven: The Dramatic Story of 1,000 World War II Refugees And How They Came To America by Ruth Gruber (295 pages) - 4.2 ★
11. The Tall Men by Will Henry (228 pages) - 4.0 ★
12. The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell (175 pages) - 5.0 ★
13. The Vizard Mask by Diana Norman (705 pages) - 4.2 ★
14. The Passage by Justin Cronin (879 pages) - 4.6 ★
15. Hart of Empire by Saul David (337 pages) - 3.1 ★

FEBRUARY

16. The Short Life & Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes (428 pages) - 2.8 ★
17. Mourn Not Your Dead by Deborah Crombie (310 pages) - 4.0 ★
18. Victory by Susan Cooper (186 pages) - 3.3 ★
19. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson (290 pages) - 4.2 ★
20. Beaufort by Ron Leshem (368 pages) - 4.2 ★
21. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (400 pages) - 5.0 ★
22. The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney (256 pages) - 4.3 ★
23. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (166 pages) - 3.9 ★
24. Mornings In Jenin by Susan Abulhawa (352 pages) - 4.7 ★
25. Never Somewhere Else by Alex Gray (308 pages) - 3.8 ★
26. Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold (464 pages) - 5.0 ★
27. Dreams of Joy by Lisa See (349 pages) - 4.5 ★
28. Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry (469 pages) - 3.7 ★
29. Sand Daughter by Sarah Bryant (471 pages) - 2.4 ★

MARCH

30. Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (336 pages) - 4.2 ★
31. Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid (150 pages) - 3.6 ★
32. Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie (228 pages) - 3.7 ★
33. Saving Cascadia by John J. Nance (360 pages) - 3.0 ★
34. Citrus County by John Brandon (248 pages) - 2.0 ★
35. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (635 pages) - 4.8 ★
36. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd (323 pages) - 4.0 ★
37. The Jewel In the Crown by Paul Scott (518 pages) - 4.2 ★
38. The Remains of Company D by James Carl Nelson (324 pages) - 4.1 ★
39. The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (320 pages) - 4.2 ★
40. Daughter of Kura by Debra Austin (302 pages) - 3.4 ★
41. The Death Cure by James Dashner (336 pages) - 3.0 ★
42. Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard (338 pages) - 4.0 ★
43. Layer Cake by J. J. Connolly (309 pages) - 4.2 ★
44. Dear Enemy by Jean Webster (224 pages) - 4.0 ★
45. The Fallen Sparrow by Dorothy B. Hughes (200 pages) - 3.7 ★
46. Railroad Schemes by Cecelia Holland (271 pages) - 4.0 ★
47. Battles At Thrush Green by Miss Read (222 pages) - 4.0 ★
48. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (294 pages) - 4.1 ★

APRIL

49. The Overloaded Ark by Gerald Durrell (303 pages) - 3.7 ★
50. Poetry By Heart Compiled by Liz Attenborough (128 pages) - 3.4 ★
51. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour (336 pages) - 4.1 ★
52. The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen (416 pages) - 4.2 ★
53. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang (520 pages) - 3.8 ★
54. World Made By Hand by James Kunstler (317 pages) - 4.0 ★
55. Cowgirl Poetry Compliled by Virginia Bennett (191 pages) - 3.8 ★
56. The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold (112 pages) - 4.2 ★
57. Bloody Jack; Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer (301 pages) - 4.5 ★
58. The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol (304 pages) - 3.2 ★
59. Me and the Boys by Ellen Recknor - (416 pages) - 4.3 ★
60. Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig (256 pages) - 4.0 ★
61. Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah (408 pages) - 4.5 ★
62. The King's Grey Mare by Rosemary Hawley Jarman (352 pages) - 4.1 ★
63. The Sacrifice by Charlie Higson (456 pages) - 4.2 ★
64. The Bat by Jo Nesbo (425 pages) - 3.7 ★

Books Purchased in 2014

January

1. Burglars Can't Be Choosers by Lawrence Block
2. Ashes by Ilsa Bick
3. Shadows: The Ashes Trilogy by Ilsa Bick
4. Monsters: The Ashes Trilogy by Ilsa Bick
5. American On Purpose by Craig Ferguson
6. Shadows in the Grass by Beverley Harper
7. Footprints of Lion by Beverley Harper
8. Think of a Number by John Verdon
9. Hawk Quest by Robert Lyndon
10. The Bone Garden by Kate Ellis
11. Prey To All by Natasha Cooper
12. A Hidden Affair by Pam Jenoff
13. Scapegallows by Carol Birch
14. The Moon In the Water by Pamela Belle
15. Wintercombe by Pamela Belle
16. Clean Cut by Lynda La Plante
17. Creeping Ivy by Natasha Cooper
18. Die A Little by Megan Abbott
19. The Funeral Boat by Kate Ellis
20. A Few Acres of Snow by Robert Leckie
21. O Pioneers by Willa Cather
22. Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
23. Fault Lines by Natasha Cooper

February

24. Daughters of the River Huong by Uyen Nichole Duong
25. Fields of Grief by Giles Blunt
26. The Officer's Lover by Pam Jenoff
27. Whispers In Autumn by Trisha Leigh
28. Winter Omens by Trisha Leigh
29. Betrayals in Spring by Trisha Leigh
30. Summer Ruins by Trisha Leigh
31. Bloody Harvests by Richard Kunzmann
32. Salamander Cotton by Richard Kunzman
33. Into the Far Mountains by Fred Grove
34. Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George
35. The Ladies Maid by Dilly Court
36. Reality Check by Peter Abrahams
37. Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
38. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
39. The Killing Moon by N. K. Jemisin
40. A Gift Upon the Shore by M.K. Wren
41. God's Own Country by Ross Raisin
42. War Story by Derek Robinson
43. The Getaway by Jim Thompson
44. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
45. Thunder God by Paul Watkins
46. The King's Grey Mare by Rosemary Hawley Jarman
47. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Bingo)
48. The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marion Keyes
49. Tamarack by William Kent Krueger

Books Purchased in 2014 (con't)

March

50. Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
51. Middlemere by Judith Lennox
52. Blood Red Road by Moira Young
53. Broken Harbour by Tana French (Bingo)
54. At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon
55. Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
56. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore
57. Witchlight by Susan Fletcher
58. Night Crossing by Robert Ryan
59. Twilight of Empire by Allan Eckert
60. Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories by Agatha Christie
61. Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
62. Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd
63. How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
64. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
64. The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
65. The Troop by Nick Cutter (Bingo)
66. City of Thieves by David Benioff
67. Amelia's Navigator by James Knepton
68. On The Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves (Bingo)
69. What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris
70. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (ARC)
71. The Murder Wall by Mari Hannah
72. Settled Blood by Mari Hannah
73. Little Girl Lost by Brian McGilloway
74. Gallows Lane by Brian McGilloway
75. Cold In the Earth by Aline Templeton
76. The Darkness and the Deep by Aline Templeton
77. Lying Dead by Aline Templeton
78. Teacher, Teacher by Jack Sheffield
79. Mister Teacher by Jack Sheffield
80. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos (Bingo)
81. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
82. The Man In the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie

April

83. Cemetary Lake by Paul Cleave (Bingo)
84. The Rainbow and the Rose by Nevil Shute
85. The Ghost Door by Pat Barker
86. The Eye In the Door by Pat Barker
87. Pastoral by Nevil Shute
88. The Chains of Fate by Pamela Belle
89. Sand Omnibus by Hugh Howey
90. Shift by Jennifer Bradbury (Bingo)
91. Stolen by Kelley Armstrong
92. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan
93. The Bear by Claire Cameron (Bingo)
94. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
95. Herald of Joy by Pamela Belle
96. The Twelve by Justin Cronin (Bingo)
97. Push Start by Alan Savage
98. The Terrorists of Irustan by Louise Marley (Bingo)
99. Second Star by Dana Stabenow
100. A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow
101. Caribbean Chemistry by Christopher Vanier (Bingo)
102. The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles
103. The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann
104. The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley
105. English Creek by Ivan Doig (Bingo)
106. Who Shot the Water Buffalo? by Ken Babbs
107. Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L.A. Meyer (Bingo)
108. Under the Jolly Roger by L.A. Meyer

I stole this meme from Terri (Tymfos) as I thought it would be a fun one to update throughout the year:

2014 year-in-progress meme

The book that kept me breathless: The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold
The mystery that I enjoyed reading the most: One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
Biggest disappointment: Citrus Country by John Brandon
Book that gave the most smiles/laughs: My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
Book I wish I'd read sooner: The Passage by Justin Cronin
Best Recommended book: Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
The book with the most surprises: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Most thought provoking book: Mornings In Jenin by Susan Albulhawa
Series book that has me wanting the next one NOW!: Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
Best Audio book: ---
Book I am still working on: December Park by Ronald Malfi
Book I'm glad I finished: The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes

Currently Reading



The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott
The Remains of Company D by James Carl Nelson

36. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd - 4.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Is the Age of Emmancipation
March MysteryCat: YA Mysteries
TIOLI #17: A Mystery Written for the YA Audience
Book Bingo: A Book You Heard About On-Line



What absolutely sold me on The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd was the voice of the main character, Ted, a twelve year old boy with probably Asperger’s Syndrome, although it is never defined as such. Ted just tells us that he has a different brain from other people. When Salim, a cousin comes to visit and disappears while riding the London Eye, it is up to Ted and his older sister, Kat to solve the mystery as they blame themselves for the disappearance. By developing theories that then they step-by-step eliminate, along with Ted’s unusual way of looking at things, they are eventually able to put the pieces together. But even then, something is still not quite right, Salim is still missing and as the clock ticks down, Ted and Kat must once again put their heads together and figure this out.

This is a great YA mystery that I think would fully draw in kids between 10 and 12, but it is still an enjoyable read for any age. I think the author’s respect for both her target audience and the mystery genre itself shines through the pages, and she is able to deliver a fresh, dynamic story with a unique narrator.

>12 DeltaQueen50: That one sounds really interesting - wishlisted!

Happy New Thread, Judy!!

Cheers to the new thread!

Hi Judy, Happy New Thread! I saw you building it up last night and almost commented, but you were obviously still needing space for your lists and such. The London Eye Mystery sounds like something I might enjoy. Glad you got Brazzaville Beach from that Daily Deal sale, I got quite a few ebooks that day. BB was one of my favourites by William Boyd, and my first too. Mind you, I really enjoyed the other books I've read by him so far too and there will be more in my reading future. Now I think of it, I think I might have already commented on that on your last thread... sorry to be repeating myself, must be old age creeping up. At least I'm consistent and not contradicting myself, can you imagine? You're almost doing TOO well on the bingo action. What will you do when you don't have that as an excuse to buy books?? I trust you'll find something without too much trouble. ;-)

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread! I'm glad you liked The London Eye Mystery. I listened to the audio version 3 or 4 years ago and really liked it.

Happy new thread Judy!

Happy Thursday, everyone. I really should be reading instead of spending time on LT, the month is slipping away and I am falling behind on the books I had hoped to complete this month. I think I will be moving aong at a better clip after I complete The Jewel in the Crown. I am enjoying the story but finding it a very slow read.

>13 scaifea:: Amber, it's a fun read and I think it would be a great read aloud for you and Charlie in a few years.

>14 katiekrug:: Thanks, Katie.

>15 Smiler69:: Although we both have read different books by him, it sounds that we are both very taken with William Boyd, Ilana. I have plans to slowly work myself through his entire body of work. I doubt I will ever not have a reason to buy a book, as I tell my husband, it's just part of my nature!

>16 Kassilem:: Thanks, Melissa.

>17 cbl_tn:: Carrie, I thought the author did an excellent job with The London Eye Mystery and book aimed at a juvenile audience but with lots of appeal of an older crowd as well.

>18 Thebookdiva:: Thank, Abby.

Judy I love your new thread and I am glad you loved The Three Musketeers. Dumas knows how to weave a story!

Checking in on your shiny new thread!

Hi Roberta and Lori, I am quite taken with the Good Housekeeping magazine cover with the Girl Guides and the Pussywillows. That's a sure sign of early spring for me, I remember going with my Mom and sister to pick pussywillows that my Mom would then place in a vase.

Hi Judy - Congrats on your new thread. I loved Jewel in the Crown; I'll be anxious to hear what you think of it.

Hey, check you out! Compliments on the shiny new thread! Fun topper pics of those vintage magazines. Brings to mind how, when I was a kid, probably between ages 7 and 11, I used to spend Saturday nights at my grandmas. We'd walk a couple of blocks to Gerties, the BEST ice cream parlour in Chicago (maybe the world). I would have a chocolate soda, and she'd have lemon. Then she would buy me a Saturday Evening Post, and we would go home where she'd watch Lawrence Welk and I'd lay on the floor going through the magazine.

>23 BLBera:: Hi Beth, I found The Jewel in the Crown to be an amazing read. It's one of those books that I am always searching for, a story that pulls you in and takes you to another place. It's beautifully written and although I struggled a little, I feel this was a rewarding and educational read.

>24 Storeetllr:: Happy Saturday, Mary! Those vintage magazines have great covers and what I've noticed is how different they are to the glossy ones of today that mostly deal with celebrity gossip. The older ones were often all about the writers and the short stores they contributed. What a wealth of reading they must have provided. I used to have an absolute passion for Lime Sodas. I don't even know where one would go to get a soda today. I wonder if Gertie's is still there today?

37. The Jewel In the Crown by Paul Scott - 4.2 ★
14 in 14 Category: 1492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
Group Read
TIOLI #8: A Book About Injustice



First published in 1966, The Jewel In the Crown by Paul Scott explores powerful themes of racism, class and colonialism in the complex environment of 1942 India. The British Empire is struggling with the war and in holding India under their control. The Japanese have defeated them in Burma, and here in India, Gandhi seeks non-violent non-cooperation in his “Quit India” campaign. The author paints a vivid picture of suspects being interrogated, idealists silenced and dissenters tracked down.

The story captures certain events about people caught in these turbulent times, as a handful of characters react to a vicious attack on an Englishwoman. Miss Daphne Manners was the victim of rape. The event remains shrouded in mystery as the victim does not seem very interested in identifying her tormentors. Of course she has her own personal reason for remaining silent. The story unfolds from various angles, from character to character, from first person to third person, with letters, diaries and interviews all being included.

I found this a fascinating look at an intricate period in time as it explores not only the described chain of events but also the political and social views of the many characters. At times overwhelming but always interesting and educational, I found I had to concentrate intently on the material in order to keep things straight in my mind. The author writes beautifully, but often the length of his sentences made the reading difficult. The Jewel In the Crown is the first book in the Raj Quartet and I found it to be colourful, layered and intense.

Happy New Thread, Judy! I hope your spring reading is lots of fun :-)

>26 DeltaQueen50:: Hi Susan, the early part of the month has been hit and miss for me with my reading, but I think I am now having a stretch of good books. Fingers crossed that the hits just keep on coming!

Currently Reading



The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Remains of Company D by James Carl Nelson

Judy I have so much going on at home with my Mom that I am so behind on my reading but I will just get to it all when I can. I just requested The Jewel in the Crown from the library. I had forgotten I wanted to participate in this read!

I'm listening to The Warrior's Apprentice and I am loving it so far.

Hi Judy- Good review of The Jewel in the Crown. I am not familiar with that title and it looks interesting. I have still not got to Bujold but as soon as I get a chance...

I've been listening to the Winter People. It might be your cuppa!

Just checking in to your new thread, Judy!

>26 DeltaQueen50: I've started reading this; it's interesting, because I've watched the television series so many times, and there's so much more "back story" in the book. So much more texture. That said -- it's slooow. At least, so far.

Almost done with your bingo!

Sunday morning here and a dull, rainy day it is. Last night Hubby and I went and saw "Monument Men", which was good, but not great. We then went for pizza which was excellent. I am about to start some new books and all of them are light, easy reads. After my last couple of books I need some fun.

I decided to order The Twelve by Justin Cronin as my fourth bingo book.

>30 luvamystery65:: Roberta, The Warrior's Apprentice is one of the "fun" books I am treating myself to right now. I am loving it as well. I hope your RL settles down soon and that your Mom is feeling better.

>31 msf59:: Mark, there is a group read of The Raj Quartet going on this year, with one book being read every quarter. The Jewel In the Crown is the first and probably the best known of the four. It is an incredible book although somewhat slow moving. I am looking forward to the next part of the series which we will be reading in June. I have at least one book by Jennifer McMahon on my shelves and pretty much all of the rest of her books on my wishlist. You are right, The Winter People sounds very much like something I would love.

>32 ronincats:: Hi Roni, hope your weekend is going well.

>33 Chatterbox:: I think I've mentioned a few times now how slow The Jewel In the Crown was, but it is jam packed with information and story. Even though I have read other books set in India at this time, hands down I learned more from this book that all the others combined. For me, I found the last part of the book picked up the speed considerably.

38. The Remains of Company D by James Carl Nelson - 4.1 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Points for Reconstruction
TIOLI #5: A Book By Or About Someone Who Served in WW I



When his grandfather died at the age of 101, author James Carl Nelson realized that he knew very little about his relatives’ experiences during WW I even though it was apparent that the year of 1917-1918 had had a tremendous influence. He knew his grandfather was a survivor, that he had taken a horrendous wound and lay for 24 hours in a wheat field along the Paris-Soissons Road before being found and carried to safety. But he knew very little beyond that fact. Deciding to delve into his grandfather’s experiences lead him to discover other stories about his grandfathers companions. These other doughboys of Company D, 28th Infantry Regiment, United States First Division, left America, some to never return, but all had compelling stories of their battles during this last year of the war.

With the help of many of Company D’s descendants, Nelson, using diaries, letters, personal papers and army communications, has delivered a fascinating story (along with detailed maps) about what was awaiting these young eager Americans at the Western Front as he follows these men through their enlistment and training and on to their service in France with particular attention to the three major battles that were fought by this division, Cantigny, Soissons, and the Meuse-Argonne.

From the grimness of the trenches with it’s threats of raids, gas and shelling to the stark horror of “going-over”, crossing into no-man’s land with it’s muck, craters and barb wire, The Remains of Company D describes this horrific war of carnage by telling the story of one group of American soldiers using their own words which gives the book it’s authenticity.

A work that is both heart-breaking and eye-opening, The Remains of Company D stands as not only a tribute to the author’s grandfather, but to all who served.

Currently Reading

It's all about the fun:



The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
Daughter of Kura by Debra Austin
Death Cure by James Dashner

>35 DeltaQueen50: I'm glad to see you give this such a good review. It's on my WWI reading list for this year. I have it penciled in for November. It seemed like a good fit for Veterans Day.

Hi Judy! I love the vintage magazine covers.

Here in Seattle, it is definitely spring. It's raining and raining but there are trees and flowers blooming all over the place. Here's the thing about spring in Seattle: it lasts for a really long time! I remember living in the midwestern US and how folks would talk about how much they loved spring but that it only lasted for about two weeks (three in Wisconsin). It was this lovely little hiatus between the cold of winter and the hot of summer. Well. In the Pacific Northwest, spring lasts for about four months! I love it, although by the fourth of July I am darn well ready for summer.

>35 DeltaQueen50: Great review. My goodness but that war was brutal (I guess they all are).

Judy, I am so terribly behind everywhere these days but didn't want your new thread to pass unnoticed. You have been doing some wonderful reading and your bingos are zipping right along!

>37 cbl_tn: Carrie, I think you will get alot out of The Remains of Company D, he manages to pass a lot of information on about conditions and attitudes as well as the personal stories about the men. There were many times when the lives of these men, many from the central heartland of America, reminded me of the Willa Cather novel, One of Ours.

>38 EBT1002: Ellen, we here are the opposite of most of the country with our very long Springs and Falls, but since those are my two favorite seasons, I'm not complaining. (At least not today - after three weeks of solid rain, I may get a little touchy!)

There does seem to be a extra savagery to WW I conditions, I was amazed to read how many solidiers just disappeared, presumed dead but never found in the mud. Also it was such a period of change, going from bringing horses and swords along for calvary charges (which against machine guns was particular brutal) to the development of tanks and planes. I don't know for sure but I think more civilians were caught up in WW II, but more soldiers died in WW I.

Hi Judy- Good review of The Remains of Company D. Another one for the list. Whew! Hope you are having a fine Sunday.

The Raj Quartet book sounds like it was a winner for you. The WWI book sounded interesting too.

>41 msf59: We seem to be trading book bullets back and forth, Mark. I just took a couple of hits over at your thread!

>42 thornton37814: The Raj Quartet is a series that I have had on my radar for a long time, Lori. I am glad the group read came along this year to give me the push that I needed. I am looking forward to the next one which will be read in June.

Top O'the Morning to everyone. I am dressed in green and planning on raising a toast to the luck of the Irish later on today - which is odd as I don't have much Irish blood in me, being mostly English/Scottish. Oh well, as they say, everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day!

39. The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.3 ★
14 in 14 Category: The Atomic Number of Silicon
Vorkosigan Yearly Group Read
TIOLI #3: A Title Word Begins With A Vowel



The Warrior’s Apprentice is a true space opera featuring interplanetary wars, spaceships hurling through wormholes and much blasting of exotic weapons with names like plasma arcs, stunners and needlers. What made this book stand out for me was how Lois McMaster Bujold created such a great balance between the rollicking adventure story and her superb character development.

In this book we meet the grown, almost mature, Miles Naismith Vorkosigan. He is extremely clever, witty, and in possession of a silver-tongue. He has the ability to talk anyone into just about anything, and yet he is humble and will go out of his way to keep from inflicting pain. Miles is as engaging a character as one would wish, for, heroic, trustworthy and caring. A brilliant strategist, the fact that he stands under 5 feet tall, and his bones are extremely brittle are all that stand between him and entry into the Barrayar Military Service. When he fails the entry level tests, he leaves his home planet of Barrayar and goes to visit his grandmother on the planet of Beltan. Through a series of misadventures he finds himself in possession of a spaceship and then accidentally creates a mercenary army. With the help of his friends and his cousin Ivan, he manages to come full circle back to his home planet.

There are other fully fleshed characters that help move the story along as well. Bothari, the bodyguard that has been at Miles’ side since infancy, his daughter Elena, and the aforementioned cousin Ivan along with the various mercenaries that join up along the way. Sergeant Bothari, an old favorite from the previous books, is a man with a twisted, dark past, of which the character repents of, but carries inside himself with a grave and solemn dignity.

A truly fun story, with moments of laugh-out-loud humor, but also a few moments that can bring one to tears. I was sorry at the end of Barrayar to say goodbye to Cordelia as the main character, but now, having met Miles, I am eager to continue on with him in the drivers’ seat.

Hi, Judy! I'm just now getting to your lovely new threaf with the great thread toppers!

>35 DeltaQueen50: That book sounds fabulous, Judy. Great review!

You did a really good job capturing what The Jewel in the Crown is all about Judy. It taught me a lot too, but I'm always resistant when it comes to politics and my brain refuses to keep things straight, which is why I tend to pay more attention to the interactions between characters on a personal level. This is also probably why I didn't enjoy the novel as much as you did, since there was so much of it that was about the politics, but it was certainly interesting.

>46 tymfos: Hi Terri, thanks for visiting, The Remains of Company D is a great read, really personalizes WW I by telling these stories of men who actually enlisted and went off to fight.

>47 Smiler69: I think I actually liked the information and the politics more than the story, Ilana. I didn't really connect to the characters but the events that were going on around them and the words the author used were fascinating. I am looking forward to the next book, it will be interesting to see what this author choses to show us next.

40. Daughter of Kura by Debra Austin - 3.4 ★
14 in 14 Category: Final Fourteen
TIOLI #1: Title Is In Red Letters



Daughter of Kura by Debra Austin is a story about a prehistoric girl called Snap who lives in a matriarchal society of hunters and gatherers in Southeast Africa. Their lives rotate around the seasons, with important ceremonies such as the Naming being held in the Spring and the Bonding in the Fall. She is the third most important female in her community. However, when her grandmother dies and her mother takes a mate who has strange, new ideas and is forcing these new ideas upon her Mother and the rest of the people, Snap feels her way of life threatened. When her own mate doesn’t return in time for the Bonding Ceremony, a new mate is forced upon her. Unable to accept this final insult to her position, she strikes out on her own.

The author tells an interesting story and although most of the details are speculation, it all flows together well. This is a story of what life might have been like thousands of years ago and I found it an enjoyable read.

>40 DeltaQueen50: "...very long Springs and Falls, but since those are my two favorite seasons, I'm not complaining..."

Amen to that. I feel very lucky.

>50 EBT1002: Ellen, yes! Lucky, blessed and when I read about blizzards and snow storms, a little guilty as well.

41. The Death Cure by James Dashner - 3.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: 13th/14th Floor
TIOLI #2: A Word in the Title Symbolizes The End of Something
Book Bingo: The Last Book of a Trilogy



The final volume (hopefully) in the trilogy, The Death Cure by James Dashner brings the Maze Runner series to a close by bringing the characters full circle and drawing the story to a conclusion. I started off totally enthralled by the first book, then felt quite let down by the second. This third book was an ok read, but really only interesting to those who are following this trilogy.

I listened to to an audio version and while listening, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that the author really didn’t know how to conclude the story. The ending that was finally presented felt like a chapter or two that was quickly pasted together in order to give a satisfactory closing. Personally I was just glad to see the end.

Currently Reading



Layer Cake by J.J. Connolly
Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard

>52 DeltaQueen50: Hm. I was ready to give up after the first book, mostly because the writing was just so awful and it seemed steeeeeeetched out and tedious. Then I saw the library had the trilogy on audio available for download and I thought... why not? Then I saw your latest review. :-|

Glad you loved Miles, Judy. You know, there are 11 more books to go so you might want to up the pace to one every 3.5 weeks (not counting Falling Free or Ethan of Athos, which are not Miles books). ;-)

>49 DeltaQueen50: POW! Another book bullet taken here. I like speculative prehistoric fiction, so it sounds right up my alley.

May I be the first to wish you a very Happy First Day of Spring!!!!

It's Thursday already? It seems like it was just Monday, where does the time go? I have decided to work through my ironing this morning and as I HATE ironing, I tend to let it pile up. My grandkids are on Spring Break and they are coming up in a little while, so I am looking forward to that.

>54 Smiler69: Ilana, I really can't think of any reason why you would want to continue with the Maze Runner series. The first book did catch my imagination and I really enjoyed it, but the second and the third were plods. The writing doesn't improve either. If I wasn't such a completist, I would never have picked up the third one.

>55 ronincats: I can see that I will be reading Vorkosigan books for a good while, Roni, which actually pleases me very much.

>56 Storeetllr: Mary, that is a beautiful picture. Thank you. I hope you enjoy Daughter of Kura. Have you read Great Sky Woman by Stephen Barnes, I really liked that one and it's sequel Shadow Valley.

Happy first day of Spring, everyone!

No, I haven't read the Barnes, but I sure plan to now, based on your "really lik(ing)" it.

Grasshopper here dear guru; trying but struggling to keep up. xx

>58 Storeetllr: I hope you enjoy all these books.

>59 PaulCranswick: Dear Paul, to actually see you admit to struggling to keep up makes me feel better about how much I struggle to do the same. You are practically a superman when it comes to socalizing here on LT. Your thread alone is a full time job!

42. Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard - 4.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Days Paid Vacation
March GeoCat: Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean
British Commonwealth Challenge: Belize
Book Bingo: A Book Set In Summer



Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard is the story of Bria, an 18 year old, newly graduated high school student as she travels to the countries of Guatemala and Belize. As she takes the plunge and leaves the safety of her tour group to take up back packing with brother and sister, Rowan and Starling, why she is traveling alone, her pain about the break-up with her boyfriend, and the reason she has given up her art are slowly revealed.

Although I am far from the target audience for this book, it is a well told story about getting past the curves that life throws at you and about learning to move forward. By jumping off into the unknown, Bria also learns that her feelings of self-worth are not dependant on others, but rather on herself. By healing and absorbing these life lessons, she is also able to guide Rowan forward and they are able to make plans together for the future.

If I had read this book at a young age, I am sure I would have grabbed a backpack and hit the road. The descriptions of Mayan ruins, beautiful Caribbean beaches, and local markets are exotic, Her tales of the back packing life has an authentic ring. Wanderlust was a pleasant surprise with the added bonus of being illustrated by some of the author’s own drawings.

Hi Judy! I am slowing catching up after several days away. Appreciate your comments on the Maze Runner trilogy. I listened to the first and thought it was decent enough. The second is on my library audio list, but I'm thinking I might not bother...

Have a great weekend!

>60 DeltaQueen50: Trouble is Superman wears his underwear outside his trousers and is allergic to kryptonite. My own little package of kryptonite has just awoken from her slumbers and wants to be taken to the shops shortly. Yikes!

Have a lovely weekend, Judy.

Hope you'll have a great weekend, Judy.

Have you read any Bujold other than the Vorkosigan series?

Rather a dreary day here, even though the daffodils and hyacynths are blooming it was very cold with almost a touch of snow mixed in with the rain. Had to be out and about running errands and doing some shopping but I am glad to be home now and intend to spend the evening snuggled under a afghan watching TV.

>62 katiekrug: Katie, I would advise you not to bother with the remainder of the Maze Runner series, it just seems to get progressively worse with each book. Such a shame as I really thought the first book was pretty good.

>63 PaulCranswick: As always, Paul, you bring a smile when you come visiting. I had a day of shopping as well and I even managed to avoid a book store - I wonder if you did?

>64 wilkiec: Hi Diana, thanks for your good wishes and I hope your weekend is going well too.

>65 Morphidae: Morphy, I have read and loved the first two Chalion books by Lois McMaster Bujold, but am holding off on the third as I understand it's not as good as the first two. I am looking forward to continuing with the Vorkosigan series with the Mountains of Mourning novella being scheduled for either late April or early May.

Just stopping by to catch up and say Hi, Judy! Happy Sunday!

Hi Judy- Happy Sunday, my friend. Hope you can get plenty of reading in.

Hi Judy! Happy Spring to you too! I'm learning more and more about the way the earth is structured and how Cleveland got the worst possible pick as far as location is concerned! Boo Hoo, I'm still waiting for the crocus to burst forth and you have hyacinth and daffodil's! Those are late May bloomers for us. sob, sniffle The wind chill has us at 8F this morning. Blaaaaaaaaahhahahahah
sniff, sniff Have a great Sunday!

>67 scaifea: Happy Sunday to you too, Amber.

>68 msf59: Yes, lots of reading done yesterday, Mark. Today we are planning on a little yard work and some family time.

>69 Carmenere: Oh, Lynda, you make me feel guilty! Everyone has their preference and I do enjoy our long springs and autumns. Although we do pay by having short winters and summers.

43. Layer Cake by J. J. Connolly - 4.2 ★
Category: British Fortnight
TIOLI #15: Title Includes Something You May Give Up For Lent
Book Bingo: A Book Your Friend Loves



Layer Cake by J.J. Connolly is the story of an unnamed drug dealer in London. Both utterly smooth and totally savvy in the world he moves in, his plans are to make his money and then quietly disappear before the age of 30. Although he has plenty of money stashed away, he needs the ok from his boss, and he’s only getting that if he will handle a problem. The boss wants him to track down a friend’s runaway daughter, oh, and also there’s this one final deal he would like him to oversee …

I don’t want to know these people or even be anywhere around them, but I do enjoy reading about the London criminal element. They have their own style and flair, their own language and even though they are as brutal as they come, they make for very interesting reading. The author leads the reader step by step, deeper and deeper in this gangland world, peopled by a supporting cast of colourful characters, With wry humor and a real ring of authenticity, Layer Cake is an original, inventive crime story.

I have seen the movie that was based on this book and although it was a number of years ago, I remember also being very impressed by it. Although it took me a chapter or two to be comfortable with the slang terms, this was a great story that had me gasping in horror on one page and laughing out loud on another. Quite violent and not for the overly sensitive but otherwise an excellent work of crime fiction.

Currently Reading:



Dear Enemy by Jean Webster
Railroad Schemes by Cecelia Holland
The Fallen Sparrow by Dorothy B. Hughes

Judy Layer Cake sounds right up my alley.

ETA: Library has the book & audio! Heard a snippet of the narrator and he sounds good.

Layer Cake sounds interesting, Judy.

>73 luvamystery65: I do hope you enjoy Layer Cake, Roberta. I bet it makes an excellent audio, as long as the narrator is British. Although it may take your ears a bit to get comfortable with the slang.

> 74 I did find it interesting, Ellen. There is also a very good movie, starring Daniel Craig. I am planning on treating myself to a night of British crime soon with a re-watch of Layer Cake and perhaps a re-watch of Gangster Number One or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

44. Dear Enemy by Jean Webster - 4.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: Clayton's Choice
TIOLI #3: A Title Word Starts With A Vowel



Dear Enemy by Jean Webster is written in the same epistolary style as Daddy Long Legs, of which this is a sequel to. In Dear Enemy we meet once again Judy’s old room-mate from college, Sallie McBride who has just accepted the position of Supervisor at the John Grier Orphan Asylum. The book is entirely from Sally’s point of view as she writes to her friend, Judy and to the local doctor, who is the “Dear Enemy”.

Sallie is a very likeable character, forthright, honest and fun loving. She often refers to herself as frivolous, but she is far from that. Dedicated and caring she throws herself into the position and before too long has won the hearts of many, including the 113 orphans under her care and, the quiet Scotsman who is the local doctor.

The book was originally published in 1915, so there are some very dated thoughts and ideas, but it is very clear that Sallie and most of the other people that join in to help her, have the best intentions and are trying to improve these children’s lives. The relationship between Sallie and Dr. Robin MacRae develops slowly and with a few bumps and misunderstandings along the way, but it is an adult relationship which I found easier to swallow than that of the one in Daddy Long Legs. Of course, through Sallie’s letters to Judy, we do learn how successful her marriage to Jervis Pendleton has turned out.

Dear Enemy was a nice, light read that brings closure to the lives of these young people that I first grew to care about in Daddy Long Legs.

>75 DeltaQueen50: Judy I love all those British gangster movies so I think I will be just fine listening to it and I can always peek at the book if something doesn't click for me.

>77 luvamystery65: Have fun with it, Roberta. :)

Confession time: I checked the daily deal at Kindle today and bought What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris. Then I heard somewhere (**cough**Katie**cough**) about all these other great deals available on Kindle and I loaded up on another 7, all British mysteries.

The doorbell rang early this afternoon and there was UPS with my ER choice, Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen. This one moves to the top of pile!

Well, I found your review of Daddy Long Legs and added it to the wishlist. I'd never heard of this book before and it seems very popular!

I think I remember preferring Dear Enemy to its predecessor...

I haven't read Dear Enemy yet but I have read Daddy-Long-Legs. I gave it 7 out of 10 stars but wasn't doing micro-reviews then.

>80 Smiler69: I will be interested in what you think of Daddy Long Legs, Ilana. I prefer the second book, both liking the main character better and being more interested in the story. You probably do need to read Daddy Long Legs first as the second book carries on from it.

>81 Chatterbox: You most likely preferred the second book for the same reasons as I did. I always felt slightly icky over how controlled Judy seemed to be in the first book.

>82 Morphidae: Hi Morphy! Even with my misgivings, I still enjoyed Daddy Long Legs and I rated it a 3.5 which would work out to be 7 out of 10 as well.

>79 DeltaQueen50: - You're welcome ;-)

Mmmm, I'd read Layer Cake just because of the title. (Cake is probably my favorite word, as well as, you know, edible thing.)

Congrats on receipt of your Early Review book!

I posted the location of the waterfall on my thread, as a spoiler, so if you want to know, stop by. :)

I loved Daddy-Long-Legs when I read it as a teen. I haven't read Dear Enemy yet, but I will!

Hi Judy - I hope spring has arrived for you. Layer Cake sounds good. On to the list it goes.

>84 katiekrug: One way or another, Katie, you are a great help in loading my Kindle!

>85 Storeetllr: I have to admit, Mary, that I have a fondness for cake of all kinds. I'll be by shortly to find out where that waterfall is!

>86 cbl_tn: I think you will really love Dear Enemy, Carrie.

>87 BLBera: Beth, I was out running errands this morning and I noticed that all the flowering trees have burst into bloom, between those and all the spring flowers, Vancouver is looking particularly lovely right now.

45. The Fallen Sparrow by Dorothy B. Hughes - 3.7 ★
14 in 14 Category: Agatha & Friends
March RandomCat: Type of Bird in Title or on Cover
TIOLI #9: Rolling Challenge Spelling Out Daylight



With it’s dated and outlandish plot, The Fallen Sparrow by Dorothy B. Hughes is best appreciated for it’s style rather than for it’s substance. With it’s key ingredients of Nazi agents, secret treasure and femme fatales, this book is a great example of 1940’s pulp fiction.

The book offers a convoluted plot, a slightly emotionally damaged hero and other assorted and colorful characters ranging from Park Avenue swells to shadowy foreign agents. A very visual story, even the three female leads, the girl-next-door, the cold and glossy heiress and the exotic foreign beauty cry out for central casting.

The Fallen Sparrow first appeared in print during 1942, and the screen version appeared the year after. At this time the popular villains of the day were Nazis and Ms Hughes takes full advantage of this fact in her book While this is not Dorothy Hughes' best effort, it is a fun read chock full of paranoia, suspense, and the flavor of the 1940‘s.

Gorgeous blooms, Judy!

Hi Judy! I love your blooming trees. I would die for some color, about now. I hope the week is going well.

I think we'll be lucky to see trees blooming by June at this rate!

>88 DeltaQueen50: Oh my goodness, that's lovely! Nothing like that going on around here, I'm afraid. *sigh*

>90 ronincats:
>91 msf59:
>92 Chatterbox:
>93 scaifea:

Big waves to Roni, Mark, Suz and Amber. Other than those rare perfect summer days, this is probably the time that Vancouver looks it's best. I am plugging away at my spring cleaning, today's project is my laundry room and computer room. I've cut back on my LT time but I think I will try to do some catching up today. My husband is home today but we don't have any specific plans other than a quiet day at home.

46. Railroad Schemes by Cecelia Holland - 4.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Hands



Railroad Schemes by Cecelia Holland was an enjoyable read, a western adventure novel about a young girl whose father drags her into a life of thievery. When her first excursion outside of the law goes awry, Lily is forced to flee to the small town of Los Angeles with two of the robbers, King Callahan and Pigeye. Finding refuge with a Mexican family, Callahan takes her under his wing, treats her kindly, looks after and provides for her. Their stormy relationship eventually develops into a elder brother/younger sister one. King tries to go straight for the sake of Lily and his Mexican girlfriend, but the idea of one more railroad job lures him back.

Lily is an interesting character, her favorite escape is to disappear into the pages of one of her books. She daydreams about living like one of Jane Austin’s heroines, she even names her horse Jane. Far from perfect however, Lily is also impulsive and quick tempered. She rarely listen to anyone’s council and would often go rushing into trouble through her own sheer pigheadedness.

At the end of the book, it becomes very clear that this is only half of the story. The author has started her story with Railroad Schemes and provided the reader with great characters like Lily and King Callahan. But in order to continue with Lily’s story one needs to pick up the sequel, Lily Nevada. I have decided to do just that, as I really want to know what happens next.

Currently Reading:



Battles At Thrush Green by Miss Read
Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
December Park by Ronald Malfi

Hi Judy!
>26 DeltaQueen50:: Excellent review of The Jewel in the Crown. You remind me why I want to continue the series. I will join in with the group read in June.
Congrats on your "win" of Lost Lake. I really must read one of SAA's books soon to see what all the hoopla is about. I look forward to your comments as I enjoy all of your reviews.

>97 Donna828: Garden Spells is the one to start with.

Happy new thread, Judy! You have made great progress with your Reading Bingos I see. Is it just on the island or have you noticed a pattern of some sunny days during the week and nothing but rainy overcast days during the weekend? Crazy weather this spring. ;-0

>88 DeltaQueen50: - Cherry Blossoms!!!

It's Saturday and the last day of my spring cleaning program. I have also started on a regiment of three types of eye drops, 4 times a day, in preparation for the cataract procedure this Monday. Other than cleaning, I am working on completing my March books and getting April's sorted.

>97 Donna828: Donna, the schedule for the group read of the Raj Quartet is as follows: March - Jewel In the Crown, May - The Day of the Scorpion, July - The Towers of Silence and September - A Division of the Spoils. I will drop by your thread and remind you that the next one is in May.

I do enjoy Sarah Addison Allen's books, and I agree with >98 Morphidae:, Garden Spells which is her first is an excellent place to start.

>99 lkernagh: Hi Lori, you are right, we are having a crazy spring with most of our bad weather falling on the weekends. Today is so blustery that I am afraid all the cherry blossoms will blow away!

47. Battles At Thrush Green by Miss Read - 4.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: Final Fourteen
March RandomCat: Bird in Title or On Cover
TIOLI #4: Predominantly Green Cover



A wonderful comfort read, Battles At Thrush Green by Miss Read (Dora Saint) gives it’s readers a slice of rural British life in the late 1950’s to early 1960’s delving into the affairs of the residents that live in and around Thrush Green.

The battles referred to in the title are small, but nonetheless important to the residents, from the rector’s plan for the much neglected churchyard, to the battle on-going with the three teachers as to who gets which classroom. One resident find herself having to cope with widowhood, and another finds herself in trouble with the law as she attempts to take up driving after getting access to a car after a number of years without.

Through all the various stories, the author details the passing of the seasons through vivid descriptions of both the natural flora and fauna as well as depicting the calendar year through the gardens that the residents are so proud of. Battles At Thrush Green is the 4th book in Miss Reads’ portrait of day-to-day life in this small Cotswold village.

Have a lovely rest-of-the-weekend, Judy, and best wishes for a very successful procedure on Monday!

What Mary said!

What Mary and Roni said :)

^ ditto above! ;-)

Chiming in with more best wishes, Judy!

>102 Storeetllr:, >103 ronincats:, >104 katiekrug:, >105 lkernagh:, & >106 scaifea:

Thanks for the good wishes. I am trying not to think about it too much, I know it's a pretty routine procedure, but I am a little nervous. I am trying to clean up a couple of ARC's today, but I haven't been able to settle on anything for too long. I did have a nice surprise a short time ago as my grandchildren came knocking at the door to bring me some flowers and wish me well tomorrow.

I am off to check out a few threads. I will report back on my procedure as soon as I am able to get on the computer.

Hi Judy- Like Donna, I also have not read Sarah Addison Allen. I'll be curious to hear your thoughts. I know Joe is a fan.
Good luck with your surgery tomorrow. Hugs!

Best of luck tomorrow Judy. You are in my thoughts & prayers for your surgery & recovery.

I didn't get to The Jewel in the Crown this month but I aim to read it in April to be ready for part 2 in May.

Good luck today, Judy. I'm thinking of you!

Judy, I hope everything went OK with your surgery! Warm wishes sent your way for a speedy recovery!

>88 DeltaQueen50: and that photo is absolutely gorgeous!

Hi Judy - thinking of you and hoping everything went well!

Just a quick hello to everyone. The procedure went well and I am doing fine. The two things that are taking the longest to come back are reading and being on the computer. Luckily, I was able to spend some time reading late this afternoon but the computer with it's brightness and jumping from screen to screen still seems to bother me.

I want to post a review on a book that I read for the ER program but I am sure that I will be back to stay in a couple of days.

48. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen - 4.1 ★
Category: Final Fourteen
ER Program
Book Bingo: A Book Published This Year
TIOLI #4: Predominantly Green Cover



I truly believe that the magic in Sarah Addison Allen’s writing lies in her ability to create wonderful female characters that the reader learns to care for, root for, and be happy for when things turn out well, which does seem to happen in this author’s books. Her newest book, Lost Lake is no exception, by the end of the book we are rooting for the women we meet on these pages to find their happy ending.. These deceptively simple yet addictive stories bring real comfort to those of us who delight in their reading.

While not my favorite of her books, Lost Lake nevertheless has all the hallmarks I look for in her writing from the magical realism to the themes of coping with loss and finding redemption. For newcomers to this author I would suggest starting with Garden Spells or The Sugar Queen, but rest assured, Lost Lake is a wonderful addition to Sarah Addison Allen’s body of works, one that is guaranteed to bring a great big smile to your face.

Lost Lake, along with all of her other books, carries her reader south of the Mason-Dixon line and give us a taste of the south. She effortlessly captures the feel of by-gone days and awakens the poignant feelings for those less complicated times.

So glad everything went well yesterday, Judy!

Nice review of Lost Lake. I'm a recent convert (I say "convert" because I started and stopped Garden Spells a couple of times before it "stuck," so to speak, and I was able to finish it), but I think I'll work through her canon in order of publication.

Recuperate!

That's good news about your surgery! Those kinds of things are only routine when they happen to strangers. I hope the healing process continues to proceed well and that you'll be back to doing everything you enjoy very soon.

Oh, I'm so glad to hear that it all went well! Here's hoping for a quick recovery!

Very happy to hear everything went well, Judy! Must feel good to have that behind you :)

Congrats on a successful surgery Judy. A good friend of mine had both her eyes done last year and was really nervous about it beforehand (quite understandable), but she's thrilled she went through with it. Hope you're all healed up real soon!

Judy - Great news about your surgery. Nice review of Lost Lake - I like Allen for feel-good reads.

Hoping the reading skills are back in focus pronto!!!

I am giving myself an hour or two computer time today and I am happy to report that my reading is pretty much back to normal. Happily I am now noticing that the eye that has had the procedure is now my 'good' eye.

>115 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, if someone has read one Sarah Addison Allen book, then they pretty much know what to expect . Lost Lake isn't my favorite book of hers, but it certainly fits in with all her books in style and subject matter.

>116 ronincats: Roni, my biggest problem with recuperating is that I get bored very quickly. I will be glad to have my followup appointment with the eye doctor as I now want to schedule the second procedure and get this over with.

>117 cbl_tn: Carrie, I can see that the hardest thing is going to be getting over my fear that I will jar it loose or accidently rub at my eye.

>118 scaifea: Thanks, Amber.

>119 katiekrug: I will feel much better, Katie, when the second one is done and dusted! I do know now however what a huge improvement this is going to make with my eyesight.

>120 Smiler69: Thanks Ilana. I was very nervous beforehand but seeing such good results already has me very hopeful.

>121 BLBera: Hi Beth, thanks. I use Sarah Addison Allen for feel-good reads as well. The timing of getting this book as ARC was perfect as I needed lots of comfort reading this last weekend.

>122 Chatterbox: - Thanks Suz, it is amazing to me how much clearer my left eye is now. I am really excited to get the next one done, especially as the right eye will be getting a corrective lens which should enable me to give up my distance glasses.

49. The Overloaded Ark by Gerald Durrell - 3.7 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Newsworthy Facts
Commonwealth Challenge: Cameroon
Book Bingo: First Book By a Favorite Author
TIOLI #6: A Word in the Title Suggests Something Bad



Naturalist and author Gerald Durrell writes in an open, friendly manner while still managing to impart a lot of information and his first book, The Overloaded Ark, is a fine example of the style and humor that were to become his trademarks in all his later works. This is the story of his first animal collecting expedition as he travels to British Cameroon in 1947 with ornithologist John Yealland. Their primary goal was in the collecting of birds, reptiles and small mammals that were shipped back to various zoos in Britain.

Although well able to see the funny side of his interactions with both the natives as well as the animals that he came into contact with, I couldn’t help but miss the laugh-out-loud humor that is to be found in his Corfu Trilogy. The difference is his exuberance and delight in poking fun at his family members that was such a big part of the trilogy.

The Overloaded Ark is a delightful, yet somewhat dated read. What does remain fresh is Durrell’s obvious love of nature and his winsome manner in passing these stories on to his readers.

Hi, Judy! So glad all went well.

Have a good weekend.

>125 tymfos: Thanks Terri, it certainly feels good to know I am halfway through the whole thing and that it wasn't as bad as I was afraid it was going to be.

>126 Thebookdiva: Thanks Abby, will definitely be having a very quiet weekend, sticking close to home. I do hope to start visiting other threads and getting back in touch with people soon.

50. Poetry By Heart Compiled by Liz Attenborough - 3.4 ★
Category: Final Fourteen
April RandomCat: Poetry
TIOLI #13: A Genre You Haven't Yet Read in 2014



Poetry by Heart is a collection of poems compiled by Liz Attenbourgh. This is an interesting assortment that ranges from the well known to the obscure, with a wide variety of poets that includes William Shakespeare, Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Louis Stevenson and Chief Dan George. The poems were further enhanced with wonderful illustrations by many different artists

These are meant to be poems that strike a cord and stir your memories. Many were familiar from by-gone days, a few were new to me, but the ones that I will remember best are the ones that painted vivid pictures in my mind. I especially enjoyed the role reversal of having these poems read aloud to me by my granddaughter .

Poetry is not a genre that I am overly familiar with so, wanting to dip my toe in lightly, this collection was the perfect place to start.

>128 DeltaQueen50: Oh, you've already read your first book of poetry for the month. I'll get around to one, I'm sure.

Hi Judy- I am so glad the surgery went well and your eyesight is back to normal. You have a mountain of books to read, so we needed that to happen. LOL.
Thanks for your thoughts on Sarah Addison Allen. I will have to give her a try at some point.
I hope you are enjoying the Absent One!!

>129 thornton37814: Lori, poetry isn't something I very often reach for, but I am glad that it was chosen for this month's RandomCat. It's the perfect thing for me right now, something I can pick up, scan and put down again.

>130 msf59: You couldn't be more correct, Mark - a mountain of books to read is exactly what I have! I am enjoying The Absent One, although I am finding it slow going for some reason. I have a feeling that my reading is going to fall off this month, but I had an excellent March so can't complain too much.

Judy, so glad that you can see better out of one eye now. When will you get the next one done? The drops are a pain, aren't they? I had lens implants in my late 40s so I could see without thick glasses or contact lenses. It's the same surgery as for cataracts. That's something I will never get in my artificial lenses.

Thanks for the Raj Quartet schedule. I am looking forward to completing them this year.

Hi Judy - The book of poetry sounds wonderful. I liked to read poetry to my kids. Now I can look forward to sharing this with Scout.

Just dropping by very quickly to return your visit to my thread. I'm glad the eye surgery went well, and here's hoping the second one goes just as well. Best of luck!

>132 Donna828: Hi Donna. The plan is to get the next one done fairly quickly, I haven't got an exact date yet, but the doctor originally said it would probably be in the first week of May. The eye drops are a pain, as they have to be done four times a day but mostly because of the horrible taste that goes down the back of my throat. Blech!

>133 BLBera: Thanks for dropping by Nina and for wishing me luck. :)

51. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour - 4.1 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Is The Age of Emancipation
Book Bingo: A Book With Music



I enjoyed The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour far more than I actually thought that I would. This YA coming-of-age story is about four friends on their last fling before moving on with their lives. Having just graduated from high school and with plans that will separate them, they go on a week long road trip which includes play dates for their three girl rock and roll band. After their week long trip, Meagan is on her way to Portland to university, her sister, Alexa will be going home to San Francisco for her last year of high school and Colby and Bev have plans to take a gap year and travel through Europe. Colby feels completely ambushed when Bev, who he thinks is the love of his life, tells him that instead of going travelling with him, she is going off to a prestigious art college.

The story is told from Colby’s point of view, the only male on the trip. His voice comes across as fresh and authentic as he tries to come up with a plan to carry him forward in a Bev-less life. Although I thought I was in for a story of teen longing and anguish, there was enough humor and interesting moments to overcome the over-emoting that was going on. Even this excess emotion felt right in the context of the story as, at 18, everything from the lyrics of a song to getting a splinter appears to be significant and symbolic.

For me what raised The Disenchantments up a notch is how the author was able to bring these quirky characters to life, and, by capturing the events in this one week road trip we can see how friendships can evolve and change.

My Top Reads of the First Quarter of 2014

The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell
Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Cinder by Melissa Meyer
One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
The Passage by Justin Cronin

Is it that time already?!? Seems like it was just Christmas, for goodness' sake! Anyway, we share one "top read of the first quarter," Paladin of Souls, and I thought Cinder was good when I read it last year. Disliked The Passage, but that was partly because I listened to it on audio read by Scott Brick whose narration was like nails on a chalkboard to me. I'll have to check out some of the others you listed.

Have a lovely week!

I have to confess I have given up on Department Q. I found the mysteries very good, but the team of cops just really got on my nerves. The final straw was Carl Morck's dripping nose in the most recent book. (Not really a spoiler, as it's just a backdrop to the plot, but one that REALLY grossed me out!!)

Hi Judy- I hope you had a nice weekend. We watched and enjoyed CTM last night and are planning "Game" tonight.
I love your best of list, especially the last 3, which I adored.

I know many of the LTer's aren't very fond of Mondays, but actually it's one of my favorite days. My husband takes Mondays off so we often get to go out and do things together. Unfortunately today it was time to do the accounting for the month. Now he is on his way to the accountants to submit all our paperwork and have them finalize our taxes. This has been kind of nostalgic as he is selling the business in May with plans to totally retire in July.

>138 Storeetllr: I know, Mary, it's hard to believe that the first quarter of the year has passed. The time flies by so quickly. The narrator of an audio book is so important. I am currently listening to a Georgette Heyer book at night but the male narrator (can't remember his name) drives me crazy when he talks like a female, reminds me of the old Monty Python sketches when they dressed and talked like women. Since I am mostly using this to help me fall asleep, I will probably continue on with it.

>139 Chatterbox: Suzanne, at this point I am enjoying the Department Q books, but I am finding this one, the second one in the series, is going slowly. Hmm not sure how I feel about dripping noses, I think I had too much of that when my girls were little, I'll have to see how it affects my reading when I get there.

>140 msf59: Hi Mark, I am a bit of a miser with the shows that I love. For some reason I find myself saving the watching of the recordings. Just knowing I have them makes me happy. I haven't started Call the Midwife yet, perhaps I will watch the first one tonight. I am still savoring my possession of the first show of the 4th season of Game of Thrones, but if I want to avoid spoilers I better not hold out too long.

Oh! Why anyone would use a man to narrate a Heyer romance is beyond me! So few men can do women's voices well, while many women do a great job with men's voices. (I'm thinking of the Amelia Peabody books which were narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, whose rendition of Emerson and Abdullah and other male voices was perfect.)

Hi Judy - I've read all four Department Q books, and the best were the first and third, in my opinion. I was disappointed in the even numbers...

Hi Judy. Making a long overdue visit to your thread.

>12 DeltaQueen50: I like the sound of The London Eye Mystery. I have Bog Child by the same author in my TBR pile.

>25 DeltaQueen50: & >26 DeltaQueen50: I was planning to join in with the group read of The Jewel in the Crown but it wasn't calling to me last month.

>76 DeltaQueen50: I really enjoyed both Daddy Long Legs and Dear Enemy. I recently tried another series by the same author: the first book is When Patty Went to College and the second is a prequel called Just Patty. Patty is quite mischievous but the school stories were fun - probably not as good as the Daddy Long Legs duo though.

>123 DeltaQueen50: Glad to hear your eye op went smoothly and you are noticing the difference already!

>142 Storeetllr: Mary, I personally feel that Georgette Heyer's book pretty much demand a woman narrator. I think Barbara Rosenblat was the narrator of a Nevada Barr book that I really enjoyed, her reading was excellent.

>143 BLBera: Beth, I've noticed that many people weren't very taken by The Absent One. Although I didn't like it as much as the first book, I still found it a compelling read. (Review follows)

>144 souloftherose: Welcome Heather, I am always a little hesitant to sign up for Group Reads as I never know if I will feel like that book when the read comes up. Having said that, I am actually participating in more group reads this year than ever. Next month will be time for the second in the Raj Quartet, The Day of the Scorpion. This is a series that I have long been planning to read so the group read gives me the incentive to get on with it.

52. The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen - 4.2 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Days Paid Vacation - Denmark
April MysteryCat: Nordic Crime
Book Bingo: 2nd Book In a Series
TIOLI #3: Multi Book Backlog



The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen is the second book in the Department Q series and while I personally quite enjoyed the story, I can see why many had difficulties with it. At the heart of this story is man’s cruelty to man, and the perpetrators in this story are particularly heartless and nasty. While there wasn’t much mystery here, as we know right from the start who the bad guys are, the author takes his time with his story, slowly revealing more and more about this group of sociopaths.

The Department Q personnel gets added to with the arrival of Rose, the secretary who Carl discovers has a reputation for being difficult. Assad and Rose hit it off immediately, but Carl and Rose get off to a shaky start. I found Rose a welcome addition to the group and look forward to learning more about her. The author is still continuing to drop hints about Assad’s background which will undoubtedly prove very interesting.

The Absent One was very cleverly crafted with the author less interested in keeping the identity of the perpetrators secret as in slowly revealing cause and motivation. With well constructed characters, light touches of humor and a compelling story-line this second book has made continuing on with this series an absolute must.

Currently Reading:



Wild Swans" Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang
World Made By Hand by James Kunstler

Looks like you are getting lots of good reading done, Judy. Glad the one eye is doing so well--I know you'll be happy when they are both done.

I really liked Wild Swans - gave it 8 out of 10 stars. Hope you do, too.

Hi Judy- Glad you liked The Absent One. I hope to get to book 4 for M & M. I can't believe that's coming up already.

BTW- GOT was excellent. A perfect kick-off.

I confess I am so finished with Department Q. It's not the gritty, tough mysteries, but the overly eccentric-for-the-sake-of-being-eccentric characters within the police department. Details would be too spoilerish, but I found myself wanting to bang Carl's head against a concrete surface about 200 pages into book 4. That's when I realized it would be a DNF!

I had my follow-up appointment with the eye doctor this morning. Everything looks really good and I was able to read the bottom line (20/20 vision) of the eye chart. My next procedure is scheduled for April 30th. I am excited for this one as the lens is a corrective lens so afterward I won't need glasses for distance, only for reading.

>148 ronincats: Hi Roni, yes, I am now looking forward to the procedure instead of being fearful about it. I should be finished and healed in time for lots of outdoor summer reading!

>149 Morphidae: I am just over a 100 pages in to Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, Morphy, and I am finding it very good. The author is telling her story with lots of information yet is keeping it interesting.

>150 msf59: Mark, I finally started Call the Midwife and loved the first episode, I will probably start Game of Thrones on the weekend. The first episode sounds like a good one.

>151 Chatterbox: Suz, after two books I find Carl is the one that I find myself questioning. He seems so uninterested in his son, even though I understand that teenagers live in their own world, I would think Carl, as the resident parent, should be a little more aware. So far I am enjoying Assaud, but I could see that Rose could become an irritating character if overdone. This reminds me of the tv program 'Friends' which I loved but the character of Joey irritated me. When the program began he was not highly educated but he was street smart, very slick and charming, but as the program devloped his character just seemed to get stupid and helpless. At this point I will go with the series and see how these characters affect me over the next couple of books.

>152 DeltaQueen50: Woohoo!

Hi Nina. :)

53. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang - 3.8 ★
Category: 14 Newsworthy Facts
Quarterly Non-Fiction Group Read
TIOLI #10: Rolling Challenge - Matching Tags



Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang is the story of three generations of women and covers most of the 20th Century with all of China’s upheavals and political unrest as it affected one family. These three women include the author herself, who now lives in the United Kingdom, her mother who was a Communist and tried very hard to live her life according to the party line, and her grandmother who, at a young age, was given away as a concubine to a warlord and suffered the shame of this for the rest of her life.

Focusing on these women’s lives, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, tells a unique and harrowing story. Although I had a basic knowledge of many of these events, it was the small, personal things that I found most riveting. This book is densely packed with events, information, names and places. I found both the family tree and the map of China at the back of the book very helpful.

Although I thought this was a very well done book, I can’t help but wonder how biased and/or slanted the stories are. These are one author’s views, but they certainly help pull open the curtain and shed some light on this mysterious country.

All stories are slanted to some degree. What is the saying, the victors get to write history? I guess that saying isn't really true because we are also drawn to the stories of the oppressed as told by the survivors. Victors or oppressed will tell much different stories of the same events.

>156 Familyhistorian: Very true and in the case of Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, I certainly wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as it gives a very clear picture of China in the 20th Century.

54. World Made By Hand by James Kunstler - 4.0 ★
Category: 14 Is the Atomic Number of Silicon
Book Bingo: A Book Set in the Future
TIOLI #15: Author's Initials are the Same or Only One Letter Apart



World Made By Hand by James Kunstler was such a strange read. I found myself thinking I was reading a five star book at one point, then lowering the rating to a 3 at others. I finally settled on 4 stars as the writing is very good, and the story was intriguing. This is an interesting post-apocalyptic story set over the course of one summer in rural upstate New York. Through a series of disasters, nuclear bombs and epidemics there is not much left of the world as we know it. The remaining population live in small communities and have reverted to raising crops and animals, fishing and earning their living by plying their simple trades. A deceptively calm and peaceful life.

It is soon made clear that this is not a utopia, as this small community must deal with both a religious cult that moves into their town and a gang of thugs that have taken over control of the local land fill and sell their scavenging at highly inflated prices. When one of the local trading boats and crew appears to have gone missing it becomes time to act. Law and order needs to be instilled and eventually the main characters are forced to take on more than they can handle.

Although this is a more appealing version of a post-apocalyptic world than that of say The Road, I felt the book suffered from the author’s narrow view of gender and race. There are only white people in this story which I found quite off-putting and his archaic view of women-as-chattels was completely unbelievable. And why is it that so many post-apocalyptic stories have the people reverting to a 19th century manner of speaking. All these points pulled me out of the story, lowered my rating and make me believe that ultimately, World Made by Hand is simply another male fantasy driven story.

Currently Reading



Cowgirl Poetry by Virginia Bennett
Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold
Bloody Jack; Being an Account of the curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer

Ooooh, I hope you enjoy Bloody Jack as much as I did, Judy. It was great fun! Are you by chance listening to it on audio? I'm thinking not because I don't think you do audios...?

Westerns & Bujold, eh? Interesting combination. LOL. Hope you have a nice weekend planned. Glad you enjoyed CTM. It is such a consistently good show.

Judy, I had to stop by to say howdy as I work my way back into the LT groove. I've missed so much, but your last reads look interesting. I've been seeing that Jacky Faber series all over LT but I haven't succumbed yet. Please don't do anything to change that. :)

>160 katiekrug: Katie, I do some audio books, not many. Right now I have a Georgette Heyer book, The Unkown Ajax on the go, but it really has a terrible reader. Bloody Jack is an actual book, although I do think I remember that you enjoyed the audio.

>161 msf59: Hi Mark, I may just treat myself to the second CTM tonight. Quiet weekend planned, sticking close to home, I think. although we will probably go somewhere for Sunday Brunch.

>162 rosalita: Julia, it is wonderful to see out out and about on LT again. I'll try not to warble too loudly about Jacky Faber, although if it's really good I am sure you'll want to know. ;)

Ooooohhhh, I also enjoy reading the Bloody Jack series! Such great fun and interesting historical background, too.

>164 lkernagh: Lori, I am really enjoying Bloody Jack. I would have loved this book when I was young, but there is enough content that I am still finding it an excellent read at my current age. I have definitely found myself another series to follow!

Judy, I'm so pleased to read that your eye operation went well! My father had the same thing the week before I arrived in NZ and he was very pleased with how it went. He'd even taken the lens out of that side of his glasses, as his sight was so good. (As the glasses change colour in the sun, that produced a slightly odd effect with just one eye darkening...). He's getting the other one done in May and will then probably only need reading glasses, like you.

I saw your reference to Daddy Long Legs further up the thread, so that's one I'm adding to my list.

>166 susanj67: Hi Susan, I know exactly how your father feels. My next procedure is going to be on April 30th and I am eager to get it done and leave the glasses behind. Daddy Long-Legs is a very quick, fun and the follow-up, Dear Enemy was even better!

55. Cowgirl Poetry : One Hundred Years of Ridin' and Rhymin' Compiled by Virginia Bennett - 3.8 ★
Category: 14 Hands
April RandomCat: Poetry
TIOLI #13: A Genre You Haven't Yet Read In 2014



Cowgirl Poetry : One Hundred Years of Ridin' and Rhymin' edited by Virginia Bennett is a collection of poems that are written for those of us who remember gazing at the small screen and seeing ourselves as the wife, beside our husband Roy, singing “Happy Trails to You’. Written by an assortment of women who truly lived a cowgirls’ life in the American west.

These are poems of jingling reins, cowboy courting, living free and thunder on the western plains. Mixing both vintage poetry from the early years of the 20th Century with poems that were written during the last decade of the 1900‘s, this is a varied collection, in many different styles yet they all have in common that authentic ring of the true cowgirl.

Don’t bring me roses till I die,
She told him all her life.
I’m more a lilac kind of girl,
A daisy kind of wife.
- Roses for a Cowgirl by Jo Maseberg
Macksville, Kansas

Simple lyrics, direct in nature, this anthology of women’s writings allows us to see the beauty, the excitement, and the hardships of a cowgirl‘s life, be they wives, mothers or daughters.


Out here in the West, where settlers dwelt
On plains as vast as a sea,
Lie the bones of children, buried in sod
In graves you’ll never see.
- Lilac Time by Gwen Peterson
Big Timber, Montana

Hi Judy - Nice, thotough comments on the Kunstler book. I'll pass on that.

I don't listen to many audio books, but the reader really makes a difference.

Judy I'm glad you enjoyed The Absent One. I found the violence and the whole gang very vile but I loved the introduction of Rose and learning a little more about the group. I'm also fascinated about the "Nail Gun Murder mystery." There are some very interesting questions raised about that in book 3. I am planning to read book 4 this month.

I am not looking at your Bloody Jack book. Closing my eyes. Closing my eyes. ;-)

Judy, I've heard lots of cowboy poetry and generally like it. Baxter Black is a favorite of mine. Now you've gotten me interested in cowgirl poetry. Yup, I identified with Dale Evans, too, and wanted to live on a ranch. So glad you have your other eye scheduled for surgery. You will be seeing like a hawk before long! Good luck with your retiring husband. Mine supposedly retired on January 1st and now he is in China for a week on business. He retired from 30 years of being a CPA when he was 55. That lasted less than a year. He's been a small business owner for the past 14 years and will probably never retire completely until the Grim Reaper tells him it's time!

>169 BLBera: Hi Beth, I was disappointed in World Made By Hand as it showed such great promise but I just couldn't get past it's flaws.

>170 luvamystery65: Roberta I am probably a very sick person, but I don't mind the violence and dark stuff - after all I do love my zombie stories! On the lighter side, get ready as I will be singing the praises of L.A. Meyer and Bloody Jack as I am loving this book!

>171 Donna828: I can't actually imagine my husband retiring, and although he still plans on selling the business in May, he has already been asked to stay through to July, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him working until next September. He's going to be 72 next month, but he just can't conceive of not working. Much like your husband, I think he will keep his hand in until they have to carry him out!

56. The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.2 ★
14 in 14 Category: The Atomic Number of Silicon is 14
Vorkosigan Yearly Group Read
TIOLI #5: Title Consists of Four Words



If I hadn’t already fallen in love with Miles Vorkosigan in The Warrior’s Apprentice, then this novella, The Mountains of Mourning would certainly have sealed the deal. This small tale of sorrow and loss, has Miles travelling to a remote mountain village on his father’s estate to investigate the tragic murder of a deformed baby.

This was a quieter, more mature Miles than the jokester we met in the previous book. Considered a mutant himself, this was a case that became very personal to him. There could be no happy ending here, but Miles comes up with a resolution to this event that allows everyone to move forward and gives hope for the future and with the added advantge of giving us a glimpse of the resolute, compassionate man he will become.

Although technically this is a science fiction story, it’s universal appeal doesn’t limit who it’s audience should be. I think most anyone would appreciate this moral, reflective story of dealing with the intolerance of ignorance, no matter what planet it is played out upon.

Hi, Judy ~ Some of my favorite scifi has more to do with humanity than with science, such as is the case with The Sparrow and The Terrorist of Irustan and The Child Goddess. The science might be there, but it is subsumed in the story of people and how they deal with social and ethical issues.

I've reserved The Warrior's Apprentice from the library and am waiting for it to arrive on the hold shelf for me. Looking forward to my first Miles Vorkosigan story (I've just read Barrayar).

Hope you had a good weekend!

I love the Bloody Jack series especially on audio hope you enjoy it as much!

>174 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, and just like that, wham, I've been hit by a book bullet on my own thread. The Terrorists of Irustan caught my attention and I couldn't resist as it was only $6.00 for the Kindle. I think you are in for a treat as I found The Warrior's Apprentice a great introduction to Miles.

>175 susiesharp: Susie, I am finding myself trying to draw out this read as I am enjoying it so much that I don't want it to be over. Are the other books in the series as well done as this one? If so, I know what I am buying with my next Bingo!

Oh! I do hope you enjoy The Terrorists of Irustan as much as I did! Marley only wrote a couple of scifi novels ~ her others are more fantasy and magical realism ~ but those two are pretty amazing!

I felt they were, Judy, by the 9th book it almost feels a little repetitious then the author gives me an ending that had me begging for more! The next book is the last and I will be sad they are over but the whole series has become a go-to audiobook when I get in a slump.

>177 Storeetllr: Mary, I have never hear of Louise Marley, but now I am interested in reading this book and sampling her writing. I have no idea as to when I will fit this one in, but I will get to it eventually.

>178 susiesharp: Susie, this is definitely a series that I want to continue on with so I will probably order the next book as my Bingo bonus.

57. Bloody Jack; Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer - 4.5 ★
Category: 14 Is the Age of Emmancipation
TIOLI #4: Title Contains a Reference to Adventure



Bloody Jack; Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky” Faber, Ship’s Boy by L.A. Meyer is a fun and fascinating story of a young orphan girl who goes to sea disguised as a boy on the HMS Dolphin. The Dolphin is first off to the Mediterranean and then the Caribbean to fight pirates.

Mary has lived the last few years on the streets of London but when the leader of her gang is killed she decides to strike out on her own and when the opportunity to go to sea presents itself, the safety of being fed, clothed and sheltered lures Mary on board. Taking the name, Jacky, she quickly settles in with the rest of the ship’s boys and her "Big Deception" starts.

This is a wonderfully entertaining story, with lots of adventure and plenty of heart. Jacky delivers the right amount of sass. She is courageous and smart, an original main character that one can’t help but root for. Bloody Jack is a rattling good yarn and I look forward to continuing on with her adventures.

Currently Reading:



The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol
Me and the Boys by Ellen Recknor

Well, Judy, you reeled me in with the description of Bloody Jack. Now I just have to track down a copy to read.

Hi Judy, glad to hear all is well with you post-surgery so far. My friend who just had the procedure last year is thrilled with it now, though for some reason she was as nervous for the second eye as she was for the first one. Hope that's not the case for you. I figure once you know what to expect it can't be that bad, but she said it was the longest 1.5 seconds (or whatever) of her life! All to the good now of course.

I've seen other recommendations for Bloody Jack and I think you'll have finally pushed me over the edge. I might even try to get over my repulsion of Katherine Kellgren's histrionic style and try out the audiobook, because that way I can't really lose; if she ruins it for me I can always get my credit back, and hopefully will want to try the next book in print anyway.

Like Ilana, you have pushed me over the edge to seek out the Jacky Faber series. I know a number of folks I visit on LT sing its praises and now you, one of my most reliable recommenders? I am helpless to resist. :-)

Oh, and I really like the cowgirl poetry, especially the first one you quoted. I'm a lilac kind of girl myself.

>182 Familyhistorian: Meg, I have already ordered the next two in the series, I hope you enjoy reading about "Jacky" when you get to the book.

>183 Smiler69: Ilana, I am looking forward to getting the second eye done, not because I loved the procedure but just to get it over and because I am very pleased with the results. I am not familiar with that narrator, but I've seen a lot of recommendations for the audio version of Bloody Jack so hopefully her style of reading suits the book.

>184 rosalita: That particular poem really spoke to me, Julia, as I am definitely a lilac kind of girl! Speaking of lilacs I have a beautiful white lilac out in my front side yard and it's just now coming into bloom. Love the flowers and the scent. I'm sure you will love "Jacky" as much as I do.

>185 DeltaQueen50: When my mum came home after eye surgery (pre-cataract), everything was sharper and she said she didn't realise the house was so dusty! Better warn your family ...

>184 rosalita: Julia I think between Judy's recommendation here and the recent comments I saw on the TIOLI thread (now I think of it, Judy might have been one of those commenters though), I just couldn't resist any more. I think it's a conspiracy... ;-)

Judy, I'm sure you'll be very relieved when the procedure is over and done with. Not having to wear glasses except for reading is good. I wouldn't mind that myself as would cost much less to just have one prescription as opposed to what I have now (what do they call bifocals now? Progressives?), but it seems my general vision has kept stable all my life and just good enough that I can get away without glasses, while my near vision keeps getting worse, which is typical by my age I guess (mid-40s).

I'm sure if Katherine Kellgren's style is appropriate for anything, it would be this series (as well as The Children of Ashton Place, which I also got yesterday). I listened to the sample and it worked for me, so we'll see. I just love that about Audible that you can return any book for any reason, it certainly encourages me to try things I wouldn't otherwise. I try not to abuse the system but they really encourage their good clients to return as many books as they want (of course, I end up buying WAY more than I ever return, goes without saying!)

>186 humouress: Even with only one eye done, I seem to have been bitten by the cleaning bug, Nina. Went on a housecleaning spree today that was started because I noticed how dusty the floorboards were in the corners. I hope I'm not only seeing half of what is there!

>187 Smiler69: I use Audible for my audio books as well and I certainly agree that they seem to be very customer friendly.

58. The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol - 3.2 ★
14 in 14 Category: Fourteen Cats
April MysteryCat: Nordic Crime
TIOLI #3: Multi-book Backlog



I have very mixed feelings about The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol. On one hand, I did find this to be an intense and rather dark thriller, but on the other hand, the lead character Nina (or ninny as I like to call her) was just so unbelievable that the whole book just felt wrong.

A three-year old Lithuanian boy goes missing and his single mother tries desperately to put the pieces together and find her son. Meanwhile, in Denmark, a nurse named Nina Borg finds a small, naked boy in a suitcase. Nina is a Red Cross Nurse, used to dealing with emergency situations and so should be have been quick to respond to the situation she found herself in. Instead of calling the police and ensuring the boy was healthy and safe, she dithers around, driving aimlessly in her car while she decides what to do. Even when she realizes the type of people that she has rescued this child from, she still doesn’t contact the authorities. In fact she makes one bad decision after another and her absolute disregard and neglect toward her own husband and children drove me crazy. I realize that the plot hinged on Nina’s reluctance to call the police, but it was so illogical that I just couldn’t buy into this story.

It’s unfortunate that this plot device ruined the story for me, but since the series continues on with Nina as the main character, I doubt that I will be reading any more of these books.

>113 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, I'm glad your surgery went well.

On a different topic, I've added Lost Lake to the tbr pile. I loved Garden Spells. While
Sarah Addison Allen doesn't seem to write with the magical realism of Anne Hoffman, still, it is worth time and energy reading her lovely tales.

>188 DeltaQueen50: *snerk* Seeing all the dust I've probably been missing with my less-than-eagle-eyed sight may be one reason for me not to get my eyes done.

>189 DeltaQueen50: Yours is the second review I've seen recently that wasn't that thrilled with that book. I know to avoid it.

Happy Easter!

Sorry your latest book wasn't a hit. Then again, I don't know about you Judy, but I'm always sort of relieved when the first book in a series doesn't work out because I think "*phew*, one less series to keep up with!". :-)

(>189 DeltaQueen50: Oi!)

ETA ;0)

Today has been a lovely sunny day here, and since rain is expected for the rest of the holiday weekend, my hubby and I went for a nice walk down along the dike. Lots of people were out enjoyng the sunshine. We are planning on a quiet evening with some reading and probably some tv watching.

>190 Whisper1: Hi Linda, Garden Spells is still my favorite of hers but I am sure you will enjoy Lost Lake as well.

>191 Storeetllr: I am usually pretty good at ignoring the odd dustpile here and there, but every once in awhile it's good to really give everything a shine. I will probably see even more things that need cleaning after the next eye gets done!

>192 thornton37814: Lori, I was quite disappointed as there were some things I really liked about the book, but feeling about the main character as I do, I doubt that I will read another in the series.

>193 wilkiec: Diana, thank you for that cute picture. I copied it and sent it to my granddaughter as one of her biggest wishes is that she could have a flop-eared bunny.

>194 Smiler69: You're right, Ilana, it is a relief to find a series that I can pass on. I am currently following more series than I can count.

>195 humouress: Waves to Nina!

Wishing you a lovely Easter weekend, Judy! I hope it's a good one, rain excepted.

Hi Judy- I had The Boy in the Suitcase on my WL. Maybe, I'll just move it to a back-burner for the time being. I hope you have a nice weekend planned.

>192 thornton37814: I was looking through my wish list earlier today for ideas for a book for a challenge. I removed The Boy in the Suitcase from it.

I hope the sun breaks through for you on this Easter weekend, Judy. I'm glad your world is getting brighter after your eye surgery.

Today is a day for doing chores, reading and getting caught up on LT. We watched World War Z last night and it was an ok movie, but really had very little in common with the book, and of course I prefer the book. Tonight we are having our first Easter Dinner with oldest daughter and her family. It's nice knowing I don't have to cook today.

>197 rosalita: Thanks Julia, wishing you a great Easter as well. I suspect you are on your way to Chicago and Mark's meetup. Have fun.

>198 msf59: Luckily, Mark, there are so many more great Nordic crime books (and series) out there. Enjoy your hosting your LT meetup today, I wish I could be there!

>199 thornton37814: I know that Carrie felt pretty much the way I did about this book, Lori. I think you made a wise decision.

>200 Donna828: Easter greeting to you as well, Donna. I love the vintage Easter Card.

59. Me and the Boys by Ellen Recknor - 4.3 ★
Category: Clayton's Choice - picked because he knows I like Westerns
TIOLI #5: Title Consists of Four Words



Me and the Boys by Ellen Recknor was another fun read set in and around the historic town of Tombstone in 1879-80. The story is told by Gini Kincaid, the fifteen year old fiery redhead as she undergoes a series of adventures while hooking up with some disreputable characters. Along the way she comes into contact with the Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday and a host of other interesting individuals that were drifting around the Arizona Territory at that time. Whether searing for a treasure of gold or fighting off Apaches, Gini lives life to the fullest.

In her own words: “I have strutted the stage in notorious haunts and sought the company of outlaws. I have held in my hands a fortune in stolen gold, loved a gambler and fought for my life against villains.” Gini is a firecracker and her story is irresistible, with plenty of action, humor and adventure.

This is the first book I have read by Ellen Recknor, but her witty writing of the wild adventures of Gini Kincaid certainly encourages me to try and hunt up another one of this author’s books.

Currently Reading



Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah
Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig

And just like that, POW! Another book bullet. Me and the Boys sounds like fun!

Happy Easter, Judy!

I really liked the movie World War Z but I knew going into it that it was VERY loosely based on "idea" of the book, i.e. zombies take over the world.

I loved the book, of course.

Happy Easter, Judy! I have finally caught up with your thread - I have been working at it in bits and pieces as I was so far behind. So thrilled that your surgery went so well, and that your next one is just around the corner - almost through. I would love to have the correction for distance!!

>57 DeltaQueen50:

I tracked you down to thank you for putting Bloody Jack in the April TIOLI challenge! I happened upon it while browsing in the TIOLI thread, and my library happened to have the ebook. It's excellent! I read it in one day, which is always a good sign :-) Then I discovered how many more of them there are. Can't wait to look back through your books and see what other goodies are there :-)

Happy Easter!

I hope you Easter was lovely Judy.

Happy Easter, everyone. Hope you all had a lovely day. We spent the day mostly doing chores and getting ready for the family to descend tomorrow. I am cooking a turkey dinner and for dessert, a lemon cream pie and a chocolate cream pie. With two desserts there is more of a chance that there will be leftovers for hubby.

>204 Storeetllr: Mary, it's a very fun read but I should warn you that it was orginally published in 1995. i picked it up in a second hand store so you may have to hunt around for a copy.

>205 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Those cupcakes look both cute and very yummy.

>206 Morphidae: I loved World War Z the book too, Morphy, but yes, it was a pretty good zombie movie as well, with the added eye candy of Brad Pitt.

>207 Crazymamie: What a great vintage Easter card, Mamie. I am constantly switching my glasses back and forth from distance to reading glasses so I will be glad to get rid of the distance ones. One more week to go.

>208 jennyifer24: Isn't Bloody Jack a great read! I have already ordered the next two in the series. I'm glad you were able to fit it into your reading this month.

>209 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta, the same back to you. I hope your Mom is doing well and you were able to spend some time with her this weekend.

Happy Easter Judy!

1995 wasn't even a decade ago, and it's already not easily available? Wow, life really is speeding up!

I've got Bloody Jack on audio waiting for me to finish my current ear-read (Beauty Queens).

>212 Storeetllr: There are loads of books from the '90s that I'd like to read / re-read / buy to complete a series that are not easily available any longer. :0(

>211 souloftherose: And to you as well, Heather. :)

>212 Storeetllr: Mary, things don't seem to stay around very long these days, do they. I know movies come and go too quickly as well. Often by the time we've decided to go to them they have already often moved along. I remember really liking Beauty Queens when I read it, very funny!

>213 humouress: Hi Nina, I guess book stores have to move their stock along at a fairly rapid rate in order to make any profit. Another reason why I love browsing through the second-hand stores (other than saving money), you never know what treasure you may unearth.

60. Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig - 4.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Steps to Reconstruction
April GeoCat: Eastern Europe - Focus: Occupation
Books Bingo: A Book with a Color in the Title
TIOLI #12: A Book Set in an Eastern European Country Other Than Russis



I had to read Lovely Green Eyes by Arnos Lustig in small increments. This is the story of a young girl caught up in the horrors of Auschwitz and then being forced to choose between the gas chamber or to disguise her Jewish origins and become a prostitute servicing 12 or more soldiers every day. At age fifteen she had already seen the deaths of her mother, father and brother, that she still had the will to survive is a testament to her inner strength and human spirit.

This is a book that I will not soon forget, the story felt so very real and personal. The author is himself a survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald and so knows of what he writes about. The writing style took a little time to adjust to, as it tended to be choppy and jumped around somewhat, but as the story was meant to be told to the reader as if by a narrator who is giving up his memories so it made the work seem all the more life-like.

“That was what it was like, and she know it could not be otherwise because that otherwise meant the gas chamber, the crematorium and ashes.”

The story is overwhelmingly sad and yet my admiration toward these girls who had to use their bodies in order to survive is unlimited. Lovely Green Eyes was difficult to read at times, but never salacious. This is a story of surviving Nazi war atrocities, but is relevant as the horror of sexual slavery is very prevalent in many countries even today.

61. Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah - 4.5 ★
Category: British Fortnight
TIOLI #6: A Word In the Title Suggest Something Bad



Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah is a perfect example of a book that has a very annoying main character yet I was absolutely spellbound by the story. Naomi Jenkins was, on the surface, a total nut case, overly obsessed with her married lover and ready to deliver the most outrageous lies in her desperate need to be with him. But as the story develops and Naomi’s biggest secret is revealed the reader comes to realize this is a seriously twisted, creepy thriller that is both disturbing and gripping.

The second of her Spilling Detective series, this psychological suspense story certainly kept me on the edge of my seat. The author expertly weaves her twists and turns around each character, until all the lies, and coincidences have affected everyone. “Circles within circles, that is what it is”, one character correctly muses. The author is able to develop a real sense of menace as the plots builds momentum and the secrets of both victims and perpetrators are revealed.

Hurting Distance is a stylish, original story dealing with obsessive love, the aftermath of rape, and ultimate betrayal. Excellently crafted, this book kept me riveted to it’s pages, but I offer a slight warning, this is a very dark tale and certainly isn’t for everyone.

Currently Reading



The King's Grey Mare by Rosemary Hawley Jarman
The Sacrifice by Charlie Higson

Hi Judy- Good review of Lovely Green Eyes. I've added it to my WL. I finished This Dark Road to Mercy. I think this will be one you will like. Have you heard of him?

>218 msf59: Hi Mark, I have another book by Wiley Cash on my wishlist, A Land More Kind Than Home which I think I first heard about from Terri (tymfos). This Dark Road to Mercy sounds very good as well, and I am off to add it to the list as well.

Some fascinating books here; but too hard for me, I think. Nice reviews.

>220 humouress: Hi Nina, yes, both my last couple of books have had difficult subject matter which iswhy both my current reads are fairly light, one a historical fiction and the other a YA zombie story.

Hi Judy - Lovely Green Eyes and Hurting Distance both sound good. Nice reviews. Sigh. Two more go on to the LIST.

Just stopping by to say hi and get caught back up.

Hi there, Judy! You have been doing some very interesting reading lately! I fear you scored direct hits with Lovely Green Eyes and Hurting Distance. So thanks, I think. :-)

We had such nice weather yesterday that I decided we (my daughters and I) needed to do something different. We went to lunch by the beach in White Rock and afterward walked out on the huge pier that is a landmark of this area. Sunshine, fresh air and a lovely seafood lunch. What could be better.

Below is a picture I have snagged off the internet of the pier looking back toward the land.



>222 BLBera: Beth, it's amazing how long our LISTS can grow, isn't it. ;)

>223 Thebookdiva: Hi Abby!

>224 rosalita: Hi Julia, wow, who knew I was such a sharpshooter! Both books are excellent in their own way.

62. The King's Grey Mare by Rosemary Hawley Jarman - 4.1 ★
Category: In 1492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
Reading Through Time Monthly Time Period: 15th Century
TIOLI #5: Title Consists of Four Words



The King’s Grey Mare by Rosemary Hawley Jarman tells the story of Elizabeth Woodville who became the wife of Edward the IV and the mother of the two lost princes of the tower. She lived during extremely turbulent times and played a major role in many of the events that have become known as the War of the Roses.

Elizabeth’s capturing of Edward was very good for the Woodville family as they had previously backed the Lancaster side of the dispute, now married to the House of York’s heir, they benefited mightily. Unfortunately some of the House of York’s top players were against this marriage, most prominently was Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, and Edward’s own brother, Richard of Gloucester who went on to become Richard III.

Her life was one of contrasts rising to become the Queen of England, but also sinking to having to beg for sanctuary from the church in order to stay out of grasp of Richard III. She saw her marriage declared unlawful and her children named bastards by Richard, but also saw this act overturned by Henry Tudor and herself and her children declared “Royal” once again. Her daughter married Henry VII and this alliance put an end to the War of the Roses.

I enjoyed this book and found Elizabeth to be a very engaging woman and appreciated all the 15th century details that the author added. I believe the history is accurate and her speculation as to the fate of the two doomed princes was interesting and believable. What I didn’t care for was the hint of witchcraft that I believe was sheer propaganda spread by her enemies and the author used simply to enhance Elizabeth’s mystique. Also I didn't care much for the format, the book was broken into long segments with no chapters. Often years would have gone by from one paragraph to another which was disconcerting.

Overall I found The King’s Grey Mare to be a pretty good blend of fiction and history. It is definitely among the books that I would recommend to anyone wanting to read of this time period, with The Sunne in Spendour still holding top spot.

Hmm, looks like you scored yet another book bullet bulls-eye, Judy! I just can't seem to come visit your thread without being hit! :)

Judy, WOW! 62 books already! I am most impressed.

>215 DeltaQueen50:: Judy, the cover of Lovely Green Eyes is haunting. And then I read your comments. Not sure I'm quite ready for this story. Reading it in small doses is probably the way I would do it too.

>225 DeltaQueen50:: What a lovely setting. I'm glad you got to spend some time with your daughters in the sun and fresh air. I plan to do some reading outside today before the projected storms hit later this afternoon.

Happy Sunday everyone. I have no plans for today other than reading the books I want to finish this month. I just noticed that the May TIOLI Challenges have been posted, so that should fill my day nicely as I run around the house lining up my next months' reads. A day of reading and LTing, what could be better?

Hope you all enjoy your Sunday.

>227 Storeetllr: Glad to oblige, Mary. ;)

>228 Whisper1: I get my second cataract procedure next week, Linda. Just wait till that heals, I hope to be able to really rip through those books then!

>229 Donna828: Donna, Lovely Green Eyes is a book that will be staying with me for a long, long time. This one really spoke to me.

I was very happy to spend some time with my daughters. We are lucky enough to live within 40 minutes of each other but they have busy lives and it isn't often that we all have leisure time on the same day. Lunching with the girls is always fun!

The weekend weather was lovely, wasn't it, Judy? If the weather forecast is correct, we are in for a great week!

Your weekend sounds great, Judy! We had a great weather weekend but the next few days have rain in the forecast each day :0( Late start to spring here. The trees look like they did in January, NO LEAVES! Weeping Willows are just know starting to look like spring. I think my butterfly bush is dead as are the 3 bushes that lead up to our front door! Ugh, brutal winter!
Hope you have a good week planned.

Rain all week here too. The weather man said, "I'm not saying Saturday will be nice. I'm saying Saturday will be less wet." :(

Great review of The King's Grey Mare! Reviews like yours are awfully educational!

>231 lkernagh: We have been very lucky with our weather lately, Lori. We were shopping around at various places today and I was actually too warm with my light jacket on.

>232 Carmenere: Forget spring, you will probably go right into summer, Lynda. That's too bad about losing so many plants over your winter. We have had to replace a few shrubs this year, but they died of old age! We have no idea of how old they were but they were here went we moved in 35 years ago.

>233 Morphidae: Sounds like a good week to plan lots of indoor reading, Morphy.

>234 countrylife: Thanks Cindy. I definitely have a soft spot for this time period in English History.

63. The Sacrifice by Charlie Higson - 4.2 ★
14 in 14 Category: 13/14th Floor
TIOLI #6: A Word in the Title Suggests Something Bad



I always have fun with any of The Enemy series by Charlie Higson, and The Sacrifice was no exception. I guess these books speak to my inner twelve year old. The stories are of children trying to survive in a London where everyone over the age of 14 is diseased and changed into flesh-eating creatures which makes for fascinating reading. The Sacrifice is the fourth book in the series and is both as exhilarating and as yucky as one could wish for.

The books are an on-going story and follows various groups of children. Some have made their headquarters in Buckingham Palace, others in the Tower of London, St Paul’s Cathedral or even an IKEA store. Their many adventures are all based on survival as they must take to the streets to find food and items to improve their lives. Over the course of the last two books, the zombies have been changing from mindless, shambling creatures into something far more crafty and devious. I’m not sure how many more books the author has planned, but it certainly looks as if things are being brought to a head.

Nail-biting action and an abundance of blood and gore drive these books. Certainly not for everyone, but I have become quite addicted to this series and plan to carry on as I am anxious to find out what happens to these kids next.

>236 DeltaQueen50: Ha Judy! I'm safe but you hit my office mate with The Sacrifice. She is cursing under her breath when she read it's a series. :P

>237 luvamystery65: Roberta, tell your friend that if she is into zombies and/or survival books these are excellent. The first book is called "The Enemy" and is full of intense action that makes it a real page turner! The best part is that if you love the first book, you will love the rest as the author has kept the story fresh and exciting through all the books. Tell your work mate that I hope he/she enjoys the books.

Just dropping in to wish you well with your second eye procedure. Are you less nervous this time around now that the first one is behind you and you've already noticed an improvement? I noticed that when my father had his cataract surgeries a few years ago.

Good morning to you Judy! Thanks for the welcome back. :)
Why am I not surprised that the year is not yet half over and you already within reach of 75 books?? You are amazing!

Hi, Judy! Charlie and I are enjoying a cozy day inside listening to the rain patter on the sky lights. I love days like this.

Tomorrow I am getting my second cataract procedure so I won't be around for a few days. Today I am planning on running some errands, including a vist to the library, and getting a start on my May reading.

#239 Hi Carrie, yes, I would say I am definitely not as nervous this time around. That's not saying I am looking forward to it, but I am looking forward to being done with it and expecting great results.

#240 Wow, it's great to be able to wish you a great day as well Valerie. I have been reading up a storm this year, but even with that, my wish list and TBR are bigger than ever!

#241 Morning, Amber. No rain here but it's a little cooler than yesterday. I'm just about off to run my errands and I appreciate not having to dodge raindrops. Enjoy your cozy day.

I will be back later to post my last review for April and probably to set up a new thread for May/June.

Judy I am sending you my thoughts and prayers for your second surgery.

Oh, won't it be wonderful when it's all done?! I wish you a quick and pain-free procedure and ultra-fast recuperation. Guess that means some audio listening for a day or two?

Well, back from my errands and I was wrong, it is actually very warm outside and I felt overdressed.

>243 luvamystery65: Thanks, Roberta. :)

>244 Smiler69: Ilana, I will be so glad to have this done and over with. I realize now that I should have put an audio book or two in my monthly planning. I do still have the Georgette Heyer book that I was listening to when I had the first procedure so will probably go back to it.

64. The Bat by Jo Nesbo - 3.7 ★
14 in 14 Category: N is the Fourteenth Letter
April MysteryCat: Nordic Crime
TIOLI #3: Multi-book Backlog



With a story that was not as powerful as The Redbreast, I still thought The Bat by Jo Nesbo was a good introduction to Harry Hole and laid some interesting groundwork in terms of introducing him, giving us some background and a lesson or two on pronouncing his name (Hoo-leh). This is a younger more naïve policeman, we even get to see Harry falling in love. Many of his past secrets are explained and we can see some of the reasons why Harry becomes the damaged, difficult loner that he is in his later books.

This first book has Harry in Sydney, Australia to assist the local police in their investigation into the death of a young Norwegian woman. This is a very different Harry than the one we meet later in the series, he is brash, he makes mistakes, and he falls off the wagon, big time. The case soon appears to be more than they thought, it now looks like they are on the trail of a serial killer.

I actually appreciate that I have met the older, wiser Harry first and now have gone back to fill in the blanks. Although the pacing of this book seemed a little off and I felt that the story didn’t really start to jell until about halfway through, overall I enjoyed The Bat and felt it definitely showed glimpses of the interesting series that it has become.

Judy, I hope the second surgery goes as smoothly as the first one. You should be able to read twice as fast with your "new" eyes! I wish I had that capability. May has some big books in store for me including the No. 2 book in The Raj Quartet.

>247 Donna828: Thanks, Donna. I have probably "overbooked' myself for May with some big books as well, also including the No. 2 book in the Raj Quartet. I forgot that I may well be limited to audio books for the first week of the month!

New thread is up and open for business. Please drop by.