thornton37814's Adventures in 70s Music - thread 3

Welcome to my 3nd thread for 2014's "Adventures in 70s Music."

Category 1: "We've Only Just Begun" (Carpenters; 1970) - First in series or first time I've read a book by the author
Category 2: "Longer" (Dan Fogelberg; 1979) - Books over 450 pages
Category 3: "Seasons in the Sun" (Terry Jacks; 1973) - Books about the season or weather or with seasonal or weather words in the title
Category 4: "Trying to Get the Feeling Again" (Barry Manilow; 1976) - Re-reads
Category 5: "Baker Street" (Gerry Rafferty; 1978) - British Mystery
Category 6: "That's the Way (I Like It)" (K.C. and the Sunshine Band; 1975) - Mysteries
Category 7: "We Are the Champions" (Queen; 1977) - Sports
Category 8: "Rainy Days and Mondays" (Carpenters; 1971) - Comfort Reads & Children's Books
Category 9: "Hotel California" (Eagles; 1977) - Travel
Category 10: "Sharing the Night Together" (Dr. Hook; 1978) - Shared or Matched Reads
Category 11: "Old Days" (Chicago; 1975) - History
Category 12: "Because He Lives" (Gaither Trio; 1974) - Religion/Christianity
Category 13: "Cheeseburger In Paradise" (Jimmy Buffett; 1978) - Food/Culinary
Category 14: "You're the One That I Want" (John Travolta & Olivia Newton John; 1978) - What I want to read
Abandoned Reads: "Got To Give It Up" (Marvin Gaye; 1977)

I'm going to do what I did last year. No maximum in each category but a minimum of five. I suspect that the last one to be filled will be the re-reads category (just like it is this year) because I really want to read new stuff most of the time!

Category 1: "We've Only Just Begun" (Carpenters; 1970) - First in series or first time I've read a book by the author.

1. The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley - completed 4 Jan 2014
2. Lowcountry Boil by Susan M. Boyer - completed 11 Apr 2014
3. The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic by Hazel Gaynor - completed 12 May 2014
4. Secrets of Hallstead House by Amy Reade - completed 31 May 2014
5. The Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee - completed 6 June 2014

Category 2: "Longer" (Dan Fogelberg; 1979) - Books over 450 pages

1. Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail Adams and Her Two Remarkable Sisters by Diane Jacobs - completed 10 Jan 2014
2. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco - completed 25 May 2014
3. Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink - completed 29 May 2014

Category 3: "Seasons in the Sun" (Terry Jacks; 1973) - Books about the seasons or weather or with seasonal or weather words in the title. ETA: I'm going to be a little flexible with this one. If seasons play a prominent role or something is arranged seasonally, or something similar, I'm going to let it count.

1. The Best of Polish Cooking: Recipes for Entertaining and Special Occasions by Karen West - completed 18 Apr 2014
2. The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe - completed 24 June 2014
3. An Event in Autumn by Henning Mankell - completed 30 June 2014

Category 4: "Trying to Get the Feeling Again" (Barry Manilow; 1976) - Re-reads

1. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery - completed 17 Feb 2014

Category 5: "Baker Street" (Gerry Rafferty; 1978) - British Mystery

1. Among the Mad by Jacqueline Winspear - completed 11 Jan 2014
2. Where Memories Lie by Deborah Crombie - completed 13 Feb 2014
3. Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh - completed 21 Jun 2014

Category 6: "That's the Way (I Like It)" (K.C. and the Sunshine Band; 1975) - Mysteries

1. Murder in Ancient China by Robert Van Gulik - completed 4 Jan 2014
2. Kilmoon: A County Clare Mystery by Lisa Alber - completed 20 Feb 2014
3. The Girl of His Dreams by Donna Leon - completed 22 Feb 2014
4. The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters - completed 28 Feb 2014
5. Destroyer Angel by Nevada Barr - completed 29 Mar 2014
6. Murder Comes Ashore by Julie Anne Lindsey - completed 3 Apr 2014
7. He Who Fears the Wolf by Karin Fossum - completed 22 Apr 2014
8. Fer-De-Lance by Rex Stout - completed 16 May 2014
9. The Palace Tiger by Barbara Cleverly - completed 23 May 2014

Category 7: "We Are the Champions" (Queen; 1977) - Sports

1. March 1939: Before the Madness - The Story of the First NCAA Basketball Tournament Champions by Terry Frei - completed 28 Jan 2014
2. The Eastern Stars: How Baseball Changed the Dominican Town of San Pedro de Macoris by Mark Kurlansky - completed 17 Mar 2014

Category 8: "Rainy Days and Mondays" (Carpenters; 1971) - Comfort Reads & Children's Books

1. Out of the Blue by Colette Makray - completed 13 Jan 2014
2. The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg - completed 14 Jan 2014
3. The Mystery in the Smoky Mountains by Carole Marsh - completed 1 Mar 2014
4. The Mark on the Door by Franklin W. Dixon - completed 7 Mar 2014
5. The Mystery of Biltmore House by Carole Marsh - completed 16 Mar 2014
6. Goodnight, June by Sarah Jio - completed 18 Apr 2014
7. The Sagebrush Singers by Herb Kernecker - completed - 31 May 2014
8. Claude on the Slopes by Alex T. Smith - completed 31 May 2014
9. Psalms and Prayers for Little Ones by Allia Zobel Nolan; illustrated by Tammie Lyon - completed 4 June 2014

Category 9: "Hotel California" (Eagles; 1977) - Travel

1. Booked for Murder by Tim Myers - completed 6 Feb 2014
2. A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley - completed 14 June 2014

Category 10: "Sharing the Night Together" (Dr. Hook; 1978) - Shared or Matched Reads

1. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner - completed 3 February 2014
2. Suttree by Cormac McCarthy - completed 28 Mar 2014
3. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot - completed 7 Apr 2014
4. Jazz by Toni Morrison - completed 14 Apr 2014
5. The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty - completed 13 May 2014
6. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - completed 27 June 2014

Category 11: "Old Days" (Chicago; 1975) - History

1. The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh - completed 9 Jan 2014
2. American Passage: The History of Ellis Island by Vincent J. Cannato - completed 18 Jan 2014
3. Georgia Courthouse Disasters by Paul K. Graham - completed 3 Apr 2014
4. The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman - completed 10 Apr 2014
5. Biography for Beginners by E. C. Bentley; illustrations by G. K. Chesterton - completed 4 June 2014

Category 12: "Because He Lives" (Gaither Trio; 1974) - Religion/Christianity

1. Shadows on the Rock by Willa Cather - completed 13 Jan 2014
2. And Then There Were Nuns: Adventures in a Cloistered Life by Jane Christmas - completed 21 Jan 2014
3. Misreading Scripture With Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien - completed 6 Mar 2014
4. Beginning with the Word: Modern Literature and the Question of Belief by Roger Lundin - completed 4 June 2014

Category 13: "Cheeseburger In Paradise" (Jimmy Buffett; 1978) - Food/Culinary

1. The Best of Coffee: A Cookbook by Sandra Gluck - completed 4 Jan 2014
2. Murder Simply Brewed by Vannetta Chapman - completed 25 Jan 2014
3. The Land of the Five Flavors: A Cultural History of Chinese Cuisine by Thomas O. Hollmann - completed 27 Jan 2014
4. Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke - completed 30 Jan 2014
5. The Tastemakers: Why We're Crazy for Cupcakes But Fed Up With Fondue by David Sax - completed 6 Feb 2014
6. Hail to the Chef by Julie Hyzy - completed 10 Feb 2014
7. The Homesick Texan's Family Table: Lone Star Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours by Lisa Fain - completed 14 Feb 2014
8. Small Plates: Short Fiction by Katherine Hall Page - completed 21 Feb 2014
9. Ratio: The Simples Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman - completed 5 Apr 2014
10. The Greek Yogurt Kitchen by Toby Amidor - completed 4 June 2014
11. Tacolicious: Festive Recipes for Tacos, Snacks, Cocktails, and More by Sara Deseran and others - completed 29 June 2014

Category 14: "You're the One That I Want" (John Travolta & Olivia Newton John; 1978) - What I want to read

1. The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett - completed 27 Jan 2014
2. Under Magnolia: A Southern Memoir by Frances Mayes - completed 29 Mar 2014
3. The Late Starters Orchestra by Ari L. Goldman - completed 25 Apr 2014

Abandoned Reads: "Got To Give It Up" (Marvin Gaye; 1977)

36. Murder Comes Ashore by Julie Anne Lindsey

Date Completed: 3 Apr 2014

Category: That's the Way (I Like It)

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 2 stars

Review: Patience finds some body parts that wash up on Chincoteague Island. The local law enforcement and FBI are on the case. Her parents land in jail. She is determined to clear their name. It's a dreadful read with a promising setting. I never connected with the main character or really with any of the others. The writing did not flow. If you are interested in the Chincoteague setting, you are better off remembering it with the classic children's book Misty of Chincoteague. If you are interested for the mystery aspect, there are many more mysteries out there which are far more engaging. This is based on an advance reader copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

March Wrap-Up

Books Read: 8

Book sources:
Library - 5
e-galley - 1
mine - 1
Early Reviewers - 1

Acquisitions:
books & e-books: 8

Ratings of books read:
4 stars - 2
3.5 stars - 1
3 stars - 2
2.5 stars - 1
2 stars - 2

Best of the month:
Suttree by Cormac McCarthy

Worst of the month:
The Mystery of Biltmore House by Carole Marsh

I see you have a new thread!

Third thread! Hurray! :)

Happy new thread!

A new thread! Wonderful!

>17 thornton37814: Wow, at first glance I assumed that book was chick lit! Then I read the title more closely and realized it was a mystery...but seriously, what were the marketing folks thinking with that title font? I'm not surprised the book turned out to be a sub-par read.

Congratulations on your third thread!

Well, Amazon's done it to me now. I just bought an Instant Video and I was charged 9.5% sales tax instead of the 9.25% tax for my county.

ETA: After reading, re-reading, and re-re-reading the tax information at Amazon and on the state's website, it looks like for digital products (downloadable video, music, books) there is a fixed use tax that is substituted for the variable local tax rate. If I understand this correctly, Amazon should be charging Tennessee customers 9.5% sales tax for video, music, and Kindle books. That means that my sales tax was figured correctly. If I'm right, it also means that Lori was overcharged even more than she thought she was since 9.5% is less than the 9.75% rate for her county.

>19 hailelib: I'm glad you've found it.

>20 rabbitprincess: Yes! It's hard to believe I'm up to numero tres.

>21 mathgirl40: Thanks for dropping in!

>22 lkernagh: New threads are wonderful once they are set up, aren't they?

>23 christina_reads: I think the publisher is an imprint of Harlequin. They obviously know romance better than mystery fiction. I tried it because of the setting. I was disappointed. Now, I'll have to re-read Misty of Chincoteague which I've been meaning to do anyway just to redeem the setting. By the way, there was a reference to the famed horse in the book.

>24 VivienneR: Muchas gracias.

>25 cbl_tn: Amazon.com is going to lose all their customers if they can't get the tax tables correct. I hope that the Tennessee Department of Revenue gets them back in the right again. I didn't hear anything today, but I hope I'll hear something soon.

37. Georgia Courthouse Disasters by Paul K. Graham

Date Completed: 3 Apr 2014

Category: Old Days

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Graham has researched and documented the disasters that affected various Georgia courthouses. He tells the stories of fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and other things which affected disasters and tells whether or not there was record loss, and if so, what was lost or remained. It's a very handy reference book for anyone doing genealogical work in the state by a well-respected Georgia genealogist.

Happy new thread! I'll have to watch the tax thing with Amazon. In PA some digital products are taxable and some aren't and I've been trusting retailers to get it right.

38. Ratio: The Simples Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking by Michael Ruhlman

Date Completed: 5 Apr 2014

Category: Cheeseburger in Paradise

CAT Challenge: Unofficial GastroCAT - seafood

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Ruhlman has created a book about the basics of cooking that is based on using ratios to quantify the ingredients. There are a few things American cooks would probably prefer be measured in units more commonly used for cooking. For example, he tends to measure flour in ounces rather than by the cup. However, the basics in this book make it a great gift for someone just starting out. The book is new enough to include mentions of some more recent things like Nutella. He explains the differences the order of preparation can make using pounds cakes and sponge cakes as examples. While he doesn't offer every conceivable variation of the ratio, he does offer several choices in most cases. One vinaigrette he did not include is the popular balsamic vinaigrette. This book would make a great wedding shower gift accompanied by a few kitchen tools.

Nice new thread! Hope you find lots of good books to fill it up with.

Happy third thread, Lori, and you have my admiration on your deft handling of the Amazon taxation bungling. Hope you hear some happy news soon.

>31 mamzel: Thanks. I hope I find several that are better than some of last month's 2 and 2.5 star reads.

>32 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I hope so. I honestly don't want to order from Amazon until they quit overcharging on sales tax, even if it is only for digital things. I did order a book that a friend had written which contains abstracts/extracts of records. It was published by their self-publishing imprint. She was directing folks to order there. Not much choice.

39. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot

Date Completed: 7 Apr 2014

Category: Sharing the Night Together

CAT Challenge: RandomCAT - Poetry

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Delightful book of poetry about cats from T. S. Eliot with illustrations by Edward Gorey. A true classic! You are certain to see most cats you know somewhere among the ones in the small volume.

I think it is safe to say that Harry Potter was not on this list from 1962. I wonder what titles would be included on a 2014 list? I wonder how many would remain from this 1962 volume?

Please say it isn't so. They want to kill off Archie Andrews?!

I had to click the link to find out who Archie Andrews is/was..... obviously I haven't been keeping up to date with the going-on in Riverdale. What are the girls going to fight over now? ;-)

>37 lkernagh: Lori, I don't know. One of the things that I remember from years ago is that some of the earliest Internet search engines were named for characters from that comic series. You used Archie to search FTP files on the Internet and Veronica to search Gopher directories. There was also a Jughead for searching Gopher.

Talk about the end of an era, Archie's been around since 1942 and seen a few generations grow up with him and his friends.

>40 thornton37814: Judy, Long live Archie. On Facebook someone teased that maybe the next installment would inform us the one in which he was killed was a dream, like that whole season J.R. was dead.

Happy new thread - looking forward to following along!

I was shocked by the Archie Andrews news too! I grew up with Archie and friends.

>36 thornton37814: That's just wrong!

>41 -Eva-: Glad to have you along!

>42 mathgirl40: It's terrible, isn't it?

>43 cbl_tn: It is!

I've been trying to tempt my daughter (who's 11 and loves graphic novels) into reading Archie comics for a while now. I have fond memories of going to the grocery store with my mom and coming home with one of those tv guide size booklets they used to have at the checkout counter. I haven't quite convinced my girl of Archie's awesomeness yet, but I'm working on it.

>45 virginiahomeschooler: Hopefully she'll be open to it when she gets a little older.

Or maybe she's already too old. I remember them being The Thing when I was eight, but not really interesting by the time I was in sixth grade. The girls down the street had a big box of the comics and were even allowed to wear baby doll pajamas, which I was not. They were unbearably sophisticated in my eyes.

>47 RidgewayGirl: True. I probably would have been into college age by then, because I was more into the "high schoolers" stage in about 4th-5th grade.

40. The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman

Date Completed: 10 Apr 2014

Category: Old Days

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Tuchman's work on World War I shows events leading up to World War I and its beginning, focusing mostly on the month of August 1914. She spends a lot of the time describing the various strategies of the parties involved in the Conflict. It is easy to see why this work won the Pulitzer Prize when published. It has definitely stood the test of time. While I'm certain that other books cover the build-up to war and first month of it, this book needs to be read by anyone doing serious study of that time.

Disclaimer: The book I read is a library copy which had been re-bound in a generic green cover. I have no idea which of the "covers" was the original one, so I just picked one.

41. Lowcountry Boil by Susan M. Boyer

Date Completed: 11 Apr 2014

Category: We've Only Just Begun

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: Liz Talbot, a Greeneville private investigator, goes back to the island of Stella Maris near Charleston when her grandmother dies. She discovers that she inherited the bulk of the estate. She immediately finds herself trying to save the island from development. Her brother Blake is the police chief on the island. He tells Liz that their grandmother was murdered. Liz puts her skills to work with some assistance from a ghost (or guardian spirit as the ghost prefers to be called). Unfortunately that particular aspect of the mystery did not work for me. I would have preferred for Liz to use her own skills of deduction to unravel the crime. One other thing that didn't work for me was the way that Blake did not remove himself from the investigation into his own grandmother's death. Without giving away something too big, there is also a pursuit into territory that is certain to have been in federal jurisdiction, but the appropriate authority was not called in. There's a lot of room for further developments in the series because there are lots of unresolved aspects to personal lives. I love the Charleston area, but I won't be continuing with this series.

For those of you wondering about how genealogical sites fared with the Heartbleed Worm, they seemed to do pretty well. None of the major sites were affected. See this report: http://b.treelines.com/genealogy-industry-report-card-on-the-heartbleed-security...

>50 thornton37814: Interesting. Last year, when I read all the Agatha Best First nominees, Low Country Boil was the one I did not like. I think I was generous at 3 stars. If memory serves, however, it's the one that one the Agatha for Best First Mystery.

ETA, I checked, and yes it did. Someone must've liked it.

>52 lindapanzo: Linda, It was obviously not either of us (or the other person who read it recently that I saw in either this group or the 75 group). I just can't imagine it was the best of the group. Some of the readers may have liked the ghost where we didn't.

42. Jazz by Toni Morrison

Date Completed: 14 Apr 2014

Category: Sharing the Night Together

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: In the opening scenes, Joe shoots the woman with whom he'd had an affair after she ends the relationship. His wife Violet attacks the corpse at the funeral. Much of the rest of the book deals with the aftermath and with trying to put the pieces of the relationship back together. The characters are very flawed. The writing is excellent. It's one of those novels that has to be re-read to be fully appreciated. It's a book that would create some excellent discussion in book groups or classroom situations. I'm not certain I enjoyed it well enough to commit to a re-read.

I just finished my cozy and will jump into Jazz tonight, I think. We have our big Chicagoland meet-up this Saturday and I'd like to finish it by then so I can talk about it. I'm sure it'll come up for discussion.

>55 lindapanzo: It's a short book. I didn't dislike the book; however, I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't like it more. It was certainly well written. Maybe it's because I'm supposed to sympathize with a criminal couple? I don't know.

>56 thornton37814: Short is good since I suddenly seem to have a hard time finishing books lately.

I read enough mysteries where I sympathize with the criminal.

Oh, as for that Agatha nominee, I was tempted to read all the Best First nominees again this year but, after the one I didn't like winning last year, I haven't.

>57 lindapanzo: I think I'll read blurbs on the nominees and decide which, if any, I'll read.

>58 thornton37814: That sounds like a plan. I may think about doing that.

>59 tymfos: I'm getting more selective as I age.

Some of you may remember that I contacted my representative about being overcharged sales tax by Amazon. After being contacted by the Tennessee Department of Revenue, they have refunded the overcharge and applied a gift card to my account as a good will gesture.

Good for you!

I'm happy to hear that you got such a positive result, Lori. Way to go!

>62 mamzel: Thanks.

>63 DeltaQueen50: Judy, Yes. I just hope that they also fixed the tax table, but since I have a gift card now, I'm more likely to try the e-book thing with them again to see what it charges. I've also got a contact now at Amazon that can actually do something about it. If all else fails, my rep's office will probably go back to the Tennessee Dept of Revenue for me.

It's good to know that your rep's office has your back. :)

>65 DeltaQueen50: I've been quite impressed with them.

43. Goodnight, June by Sarah Jio

Date Completed: 18 Apr 2014

Category: Rainy Days & Mondays

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: What a fun read! June Anderson is a New York banker specializing in foreclosures. Her work has created life-threatening stress for her which she refuses to acknowledge. Suddenly she inherits her aunt's bookstore for children back in Seattle. June plans to take a week off and close it down just as she has closed down so many businesses over the years, but the bookstore still holds power over here. She meets a restauranteur in the adjacent space. The two of them hit it off well. There's a lot of resolution of family matters. The big thread in the novel is the friendship between her aunt and Margaret Wise Brown, author of Goodnight Moon and other children's stories. The letters June finds among her aunt's books point to her aunt's influence in the creation of the much beloved children's book. Ironically, June discovers that the bookstore is in financial trouble and finds herself on the opposite end of her banking role. Can she save the bookstore? I loved this book. You can tell that the author loves children's literature and literature itself. It may not be the most plausible story. There are more famous names dropped than could possibly actually occur, but even in spite of that, I loved the book. It's a fun and creative fictional look at what might have been the inspiration of a classic. This review is based on an e-galley received from the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

I like the sound of this a lot. Guess I'll be taking a BB. On the "sometime in the future" list it goes.

>68 dudes22: Betty, you can request it from LT's Early Reviewers this month! Maybe you'll win a copy. It was just the perfect book for me at the moment.

44. The Best of Polish Cooking: Recipes for Entertaining and Special Occasions by Karen West

Date Completed: 18 Apr 2014

Category: Seasons in the Sun

CAT Challenge: GeoCAT - Eastern Europe

Rating: 3 stars

Review: West provides recipes from the Polish cuisine in menus for 4 or 8 persons based on the seasons. There is some variety in the menus, but the arrangement by menu makes it more difficult to locate that one recipe you are seeking because it is not categorized by appetizer, salad, breads, main courses, desserts, etc. While it is a good cookbook, it is not as comprehensive as Robert Strydel's Polish Heritage Cookery. The blurbs on the heritage of the recipes are also shorter or non-existent in West's cookbook, making it less interesting than others. It's still a good cookbook if you are interested only in the recipes themselves and don't mind using the index at the back of the volume to locate the one you are seeking.

Thanks for the info, Lori. I took a quick glance though the ER books but haven't decided yet what to request. Maybe I'll dash over and ask for it.

>71 dudes22: Betty, I found it delightful (as you know)! It would be a good one to request IMHO.

45. He Who Fears the Wolf by Karin Fossum

Date Completed: 22 Apr 2014

Category: That's the Way (I Like It)

CAT Challenge: MysteryCAT

Rating: 4 stars

Review: A man (Erkii) escapes from an asylum. Some believe he killed a woman (Halldis). He was certainly on the scene where he saw an archer and juvenile delinquent (Kannick) in the vicinity, but Inspector Sejer and his psychiatrist do not believe Erkii would kill. In the meantime, a bank is robbed, and the robber takes a hostage. At first it was believed the hostage was a girl, but then a closer examination of the tape reveals it is Erkii. There's a lot of fear about what either Erkii or the bank robber would do to the other one. I'll leave the rest of the novel for you to discover on your own. I enjoyed this installment in Fossum's Sejer series immensely. She knows how to build the tension in the right places and when to back off. The characters are well-drawn as well. I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Glad to hear you liked He Who Fears the Wolf. I've only just started it but it seems very promising. I did enjoy Don't Look Back, the first in the Inspector Sejer mystery.

So far I've read two of Fossum's Inspector Sejer books and they are more memorable than many other series I read. Somehow the plot and atmosphere stick with me in ways that other books don't.

>74 mathgirl40: It was a winner.

>75 cbl_tn: I'll agree that she does write books that stick with you.

>35 thornton37814: 3300 book! That is a lot.

>54 thornton37814: I have never heard of that Toni Morrison book....I really liked Sula when I read it last year, and have been meaning to read her big prize winning book (the title of which escapes me just now ).

>77 LovingLit: It's amazing they could list 3300 books in as small of a book as that was. They basically didn't describe them. There are several of us that read that book for the month. I think most of us had about the same reaction.

Right before Easter, I decided to purchase a bag of malted milk eggs (aka Robin eggs) which I can only get around Easter with the candy coating on them. I just picked up the bag at the store and really didn't pay that much attention to it. When I opened the bag and tasted some, I detected strange flavors in the coating that are not normally present. I looked at my bag again but saw nothing that would point me to the strange flavoring. After Easter, I spotted the malted milk eggs that were left over at one store in a shopping cart with other candy markdowns. I started to pick up a package when I noticed they were coconut flavored. That wasn't what mine were flavored, but I wanted just plain malted milk eggs, so I didn't pick those up. I came back home and looked at my bag again. Down near the bottom in smaller print was the phrase "ice cream flavor." I sure do wish they'd dump the flavors and give us the old plain Robin eggs. I guess I'll stick to Reese's cup eggs next year if I can't find plain malted milk ones.

>79 thornton37814: - The concept of 'ice cream flavor' malted milk eggs intrigues me - having never eaten a malted milk egg it is the 'ice cream bit that caught my attention - but I can see where its a problem with the flavour you are expecting is not what your olfactory senses detect! ;-)

I noticed that (I think) M&Ms now have a birthday cake flavor and there was much discussion about flavored Peeps this year, although the only flavor I saw was "party cake". I guess they're always trying to come up with something new.

>80 lkernagh: It was definitely not what I wanted. The shell part is just a little too sweet for me. Different colors have different flavors. Some are better than others.

>81 dudes22: I saw some others commenting on the M & Ms not being good this year. I didn't pay much attention to the Peeps. I'd occasionally get some in my Easter Basket, but usually not. They were never a favorite of mine.

I've got presentations tweaked and polished to a point that I'm very happy with them for two of my upcoming three conferences. The third is shaping up nicely, but I really need to be in my office to work on it because of access to the various manuals and stuff that I'm utilizing in preparing the talk. That means I have a little more time to read and enjoy spring this weekend than I'd originally thought I might have!

46. The Late Starters Orchestra by Ari L. Goldman

Date Completed: 25 Apr 2014

Category: You're the One That I Want

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Goldman, a professor of journalism at Columbia and former New York Times writer, recounts his studies of the cello at a later age in life and his involvement with the Late Starters Orchestra. He also discusses his son's studies in a Suzuki program for cello. The book is interesting in places, but bogs down in others. I loved the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. This book could be quite inspirational for older persons who have been contemplating studying a musical instrument. However, I suspect that many persons would be frustrated by the lack of opportunities in their geographic area. This review is based on an advance e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

>73 thornton37814:
Right, have to pick up some Inspector Sejer-books when I go back home - thanks for the reminder!!

>85 -Eva-: I enjoyed that one. I will probably try to read another installment over the summer.

I'm happy to see your positive review of Sarah Jio's latest book. She has been at the Pulpwood Queens annual readers meet up in Jefferson, Texas several years and I've liked her a lot. Unfortunately the one book I've read by her I didn't like at all. I'll give this one a try, sounds like it's more likely to pique my interest.

>87 clue: hope you like this one better. Nice to know she's great in person.

>84 thornton37814: - I may have to put this on my list. I've always wanted to play the cello too, and was hoping now that I've retired I would have the time, but it is hard to find a place to take lessons and somewhere to rent a cello.

>89 dudes22: Betty, I think it might be inspirational to people like yourself who might be interested in starting late in life. We have a place in Morristown called The Trade Center that sells and rents instruments and has a whole lot of contracted people who offer lessons. If you lived here, I actually know someone who could probably teach you who isn't even affiliated with that business too.

My paper shredder has seen better days. I was going through some stuff that I'd piled to shred this morning and noticed that it wasn't working as well as it used to. I then noticed that the middle section is just too worn to be useful any more. I've put aside what remains and will pick up a new shredder on my way to work. I may not get around to completing that little bit of shredding tonight, but at least I can finish it off tomorrow evening. I'm trying to gradually go through the house and get rid of a lot of stuff I don't need any more or never use.

I'm putting off the room that has boxes of TBR books until later. I think I have several that I picked up somewhere over the years that I'm no longer interested in reading. I also realistically know that if I'm no longer interested in reading them, that it would likely be in retirement years before I ever got to them, and by then something else will certainly be calling my name. It's just so hard to get rid of books you haven't read.

Lori, I sympathize with your problem of getting rid of books that you know you are not going to read. I have a few of those myself on my shelves that I keep looking at knowing I should get rid of them, but can't quiet that little voice in the back of my head that tells me "Maybe someday ..."

>92 DeltaQueen50: Nice to know I'm not alone.

Oh no - you're not alone. Although I've gotten better at abandoning books I'm not liking as I read them, I still can't get past the potential in each book. I keep worrying I'll miss a realllly good book. I even still have a book in the TBR by an author that I've "Pearl ruled" two other books of his, and I keep thinking I'll like because others seem to.

>94 dudes22: Betty, it's hard to turn loose. I'll see how I feel when I get to the boxes. I'm not able to do a lot at a time due to a knee injury. I have to try to move something over so I'm not sitting on the floor as I normally would for sorting through the boxes because it's hard to pull up from the floor without getting on my knee. After re-injuring it several times by just automatically trying to do that, I think I've about learned my lesson.

I'm behind in reading threads, but I hope to catch up tomorrow. I'll have limited Internet availability Thursday and Friday. I'm attending a conference where the organizers were not smart enough to find a way to get a vendor to finance the free wifi in the hallways, etc. for attendees. It will probably be late Friday when I get back home since the conference is in a time zone an hour behind us. I hope that I have time to read and otherwise catch up a bit on Thursday evening although I'm having supper with a former colleague of mine.

Maybe they wanted to be sure everyone would be paying attention to each other instead of their computers? Was cell phone reception bad as well?

>97 mamzel: Well, I discovered that there was wifi in the place where the buffet was served. We were afraid it would only be available to hotel guests, but they gave us a guest code that worked! They told us they didn't want to add about $10 per person to registration. I know someone that is on the committee for next year's conference and have already mentioned the idea of getting a vendor to finance the wifi to her. When I heard the total amount it would cost, I knew that it should be something one of them would be willing to fund. - "a sponsorship"

$10 per person!!!!!!

>99 mamzel: Only about $3000. It is the state conference.

When I returned home very tired yesterday evening, I discovered I had a new waterfall feature in my garage. It seems a pipe going out of the top of my hot water heater had sprung a leak. I called the water company to find out how to turn off the water. I took my camping portable toilet with its liner bags inside. I had to rely on bottled water to get me through until I could call a plumber. I found a very affordable one thanks to a friend so it only cost $30 (send the part was $18). He came around 10:30 or 11:00 so I wasn't without water that long.

Lucky you camp! I'd be out behind a tree in the backyard. Oh wait! I don't have any trees in the back yard.

A plumber that actually came quickly, Wow! Sorry you had such a rotten homecoming, but very glad to hear that it was fixed so quickly.

>102 dudes22: I do the KOA camping cabins. I don't want to walk to restrooms in the dark.

>103 DeltaQueen50: He did. I was very grateful.

I am not going to get caught up on threads before I leave. I need some sleep so I can hit the road early.

Thank goodness you were in the know with regards to plumbing parts! Waterfalls in the garage are not a good look :)
Sleep well, travel safely!

>106 LovingLit: I had a good trip.

Have a good trip! Edit: I mean welcome back! Catching up on threads myself after three days with no Internet and so I'm reading rather quickly.

>108 rabbitprincess: I'm still in Richmond. Just had a good trip to Richmond.

47. The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic by Hazel Gaynor

Date Completed: 12 May 2014

Category: We've Only Just Begun

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Maggie Murphy was one of fourteen from the village of Ballysheen, Ireland aboard the Titanic. She was heading to America to live with an aunt after her mother's death, leaving behind the love of her life, Seamus Doyle in the village as he cared for his sick father. The story alternates between 1912 and 1982 when Maggie finally tells her story to her great-granddaughter, a journalist. One of the heroes of the book is a steward by the name of Harry Walsh who ensures that Maggie gets safely on board a lifeboat. The published story, of course, receives much attention by the press and brings with it some touching moments. I loved the historic story of the TItanic, but the parallel story of the present between Maggie's great-granddaughter Grace and Jimmy didn't have the punch that was probably intended. Fortunately, that is a minor part of the overall book, so the book was quite enjoyable. The book was received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program with the expectation that a review would be written.

48. The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty

Date Completed: 13 May 2014

Category: Sharing the Night Together

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: This humorous story of Uncle Daniel Ponder is told through the eyes of his niece, Edna Earle. Much of the action centers on his marriage, his wife's death, and his subsequent trial. An early humorous moment includes when he is committed to the asylum but turns the table on the relative who had him committed. A later humorous scene begins at the moment Uncle Daniel takes the stand in the trial. It is a good example of Southern literature from the period in which it was written. While some may call it racist today, I don't really think that was the author's intent. She was simply using common verbiage that both blacks and whites used at that time period. While this book will never be a favorite with me, it does a good job of evoking a by-gone era.

Ooh, that's a neat cover! Very 50s.

>112 rabbitprincess: The cover on mine was not there since I got it from the academic library where I work. They used to discard almost all covers, but now we keep most of them because they check out better and provide some protection to the book. I just used the "default" cover.

These are some odd-looking "cantaloupes":

They must be from Alaska. They're much bigger than the ones from around here! ;-)
Have they ever developed a seedless cantelope?

Adding - if you haven't yet tried a Gaia melon you're in for a tasty treat!

>114 thornton37814: Did they have any watermelons?

Pretty good price, too.

>115 mamzel: I've never seen a seedless cantaloupe.

>116 cbl_tn: The other side of the display had seedless watermelons for $5.98 each. The end part had some cantaloupes and a repeat of the sign. Unfortunately some of the cantaloupes looked like they were past their sell by date, but most of them were just plain green.

>117 mysterymax: It would be a great price if it was for watermelon. I can get the cantaloupe cheaper at the farmer's market.

49. Fer-De-Lance by Rex Stout

Date Completed: 16 May 2014

Category: That's the Way (I Like It)

CAT Challenge: MysteryCAT - Classic/Golden Age Mystery

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin make their debut in this installment that has them seeking the murderer of an Italian. Archie has a little cheekier attitude than many literary sidekicks. The mystery itself was mediocre with a pretty obvious conclusion. It is, however, the first in series of a well-regarded literary sleuth. There are references to prior cases in the text which sometimes leave the reader wanting to know more about the inference made. I could have lived without the snake. It's definitely a product of the time it was written.

I thought perhaps they had put the wrong sign on them. I'd love a watermelon now.

>120 mysterymax: My Dad used to say you couldn't get a good Watermelon before the 4th of July.

>121 thornton37814: That's what I've always heard. I know it's true around here if you want local melons.

>122 casvelyn: Local ones are always better than the "imports."

My very kind neighbor just put up my new mailbox for me. I'm quite grateful. It saved having to hire a handyman to do it.

I was involved in a video shoot at work today. I had to "hike" through mountains (even if it was only brush and stuff near the campus) among other things. I was dressed up in hiking gear for the video. Then I also got to eat ice cream on the video at a local place near campus.

That sounds like fun! Was it a music video or something for your work?

Or propaganda perhaps?

>126 mamzel: >127 dudes22: It was a promo for the Association of Christian Librarians Conference that will be held on our campus in 2015. We'll be playing it at the 2014 conference next month.

50. The Palace Tiger by Barbara Cleverly

Date Completed: 23 May 2014

Category: That's the Way (I Like It)

CAT Challenge: GeoCAT - South Asia/India Focus

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Sandilands encounters what appears to be death by tiger as he visits Ranipur with Sir George. They go on a tiger hunt. However, all is not quite as it seems. There is a lot more than meets the eye with politics in British-occupied India and with other motivations. Sandilands, of course, is able to get to the heart of the matter. This is not my favorite installment of the series. At times, I had trouble focusing on the mystery. It simply was not as well written or captivating as earlier installments. Some characters are not as fully developed as they could be. It's not bad, but it just did not live up to the others.

51. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

Date Completed: 25 May 2014

Category: Longer

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 5 stars

Review: Brother William of Baskerville arrives at an Italian monastery to investigate charges of heresy. As he begins to arrive, some of the monks begin to die, one by one, with parallels to the seven trumpets of the Bible. The deaths appear to be related to a book found in the library which has its own mysteries. It's a powerful piece of historical fiction with a mystery theme. I must confess that I tried to read this book many years ago and gave up on it. My reading tastes have evolved through the years, and I found this one hard to put down.

I just won The Late Starters Orchestra from the May ER bunch. Your review had caught my interest; I'm so looking forward to it coming.

>131 dudes22: Great, Betty! Glad you snagged a copy. Hope you enjoy it.

52. Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink

Date Completed: 29 May 2014

Category: Longer

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Five Days at Memorial details not only the five harrowing days following the breach of the Lake Pontchartrain levees in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, but also the resulting charges against the medical personnel at Memorial Hospital as a result of their actions. While the narrative itself is well-written, it is perhaps "too much information." Perhaps my feeling this way is a result of having read so much about Katrina at the time and in the months afterwards because of my familiarity with New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast areas. Those who enjoy investigative journalism into health care issues with legal ramifications will appreciate this book more than I did. It is well-researched and well-written.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to go into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. While I didn't try climbing Mt. LeConte, I was able to get a photo of it.

While I was over in Sevier County yesterday, I decided to try one of the new restaurants in the new development called "The Island." I knew that Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Cafe was scheduled to open soon, but I appeared to be a tad early for it. They were hiring, and the big neon signs were going up yesterday. Paula Deen's new restaurant over there will also be opening before too long, but it still has temporary signs up announcing that it's "coming soon." I finally settled on one called the "Timberwood Grill." I ordered the "Flying Creek Fish Tacos" (although I'm not sure about the name of the Creek, but it was something like that). They were quite yummy.

Those tacos look delicious.

I thought Five Days at Memorial was excellent. I've certainly spent a lot of time thinking about the events described.

>136 RidgewayGirl: I know others really loved it, Kay, but I had to force myself to keep reading it. The tacos were excellent. I'll definitely go back sometime.

>130 thornton37814: - Nice review of The Name of the Rose. I currently have a copy from my library but have to keep renewing it as other books need to be finished first. Once I finish Les Mis, hopefully I'll be able to finally get to it.

>136 RidgewayGirl: & >137 thornton37814: - Count me as someone who found Five Days at Memorial quite compelling. Definitely made me think about disaster preparedness a bit more.

Finally - those tacos look so tasty!

>138 LittleTaiko: I hope you enjoy it when you get around to reading it. Glad you liked Five Days at Memorial better than I did. The tacos were awesome!

Those fish tacos look good! The first time I ever had a fish taco was on a business trip to San Diego. The CFO of the company insisted that I have a fish taco before my trip ended and until I had had one, I didn't understand the attraction.... I am so used to beef being the protein product in a taco the idea of fish had me somewhat wary. ;-)

I really prefer the fish grilled, but fried was the way they were at this place. They were still very good. My first ones were at Lulu's in Gulf Shores, Alabama. They were quite wonderful.

53. Secrets of Hallstead House by Amy Reade

Date Completed: 31 May 2014

Category: We've Only Just Begun

CAT Challenge: RandomCAT - Motherhood

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Macy Stoddard of New York City, recovering from the loss of her parents in an accident, takes a nursing job on an island in the St. Lawrence River at Summerplace, also known as Hallstead House. Her job is to provide care and therapy for Alexandria Hallstead who is recovering from a fall. Macy is afraid of the water as she leaves the mainland for the island as she has never learned to swim. She likes Pete, the local man who often works for Alexandria and took her by the island though which puts her more at ease than she expected. She is met with hostility by the housekeeper and her husband the handyman as well as Alexandria's nephew. Macy soon learns that Alexandria's only daughter had met her death by drowning and that Alexandria's husband had suffered a fatal fall. When Macy learns the real reason that Alexandria has invited her to the island, Macy isn't sure that she wants to stay. This story has many of the elements of the classic romantic suspense novel. Readers who enjoyed the works of Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt will find much to enjoy in the novel. It suffers a bit in the believability department in a few places, but the pleasure of finding a book that took me back to my early love of this genre more than made up for it. I received an advance e-galley for review by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation that a review would be written.

54. The Sagebrush Singers by Herb Kernecker

Date Completed: 31 May 2014

Category: Rainy Days and Mondays

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: This is a retelling of the story of the Bremen Town Musicians with a southwestern American setting. A burro, a coyote, a skunk, and a crow head toward town to sing when they come across a band of rustlers. While I prefer the original story, this one should be entertaining for children. The illustrations are done by noted illustrator James Watts although they are not his best work. Although the book was released on May 15, the website advertised in the book has not been updated with the music and other features that were promised. Although the target audience is age 5 and up, I think younger children would enjoy it. My review is based on an advance e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation a review would be written.

55. Claude on the Slopes by Alex T. Smith

Date Completed: 31 May 2014

Category: Rainy Days and Mondays

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Claude (the dog) and Sir Bobblysock (his sidekick, a sock) learn about the dangers of "too loud voices" in relation to snow and avalanches in this tale. It's a cute story that children will enjoy. Claude is certainly leads an interesting and adventurous life. I really enjoyed the illustrations in this chapter book. The review is based on an advance e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review. The book is scheduled for release 1 October 2014.

>134 thornton37814:
Beautiful!!!

>145 -Eva-: I thought it was gorgeous too. I caught it on my way back into town because it was too crowded when I was heading a little deeper into the mountains. That is one of my favorite overlooks from which to take photos.

56. Beginning with the Word: Modern Literature and the Question of Belief by Roger Lundin

Date Completed: 4 June 2014

Category: Because He Lives

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Lundin takes a look at literature and compares it to theology. Several years ago while visiting a church with a family member, the Sunday School class was exploring poetry and other literature and comparing it to the Bible. I really enjoyed the approach that Sunday School teacher had taken and was really hoping that this treatment would be of a similar vein. Instead, this book focuses far more on a philosophical and theoretical approach to theology and literature and is full of jargon that bogs down the narrative. Instead of being something that is likely to get an undergraduate or lay person interested in the topic, it is probably something that only faculty in theology, philosophy, and literature would find interesting and perhaps some graduate students in those fields. The author appears to be enjoy Emily Dickinson's poetry quite a bit because the book includes quite a bit. There are sections where the advance review copy omits poems due to license restrictions. It is well-written, researched, and documented. The indexing is fairly comprehensive. In addition to the end notes, there is also a works cited section. This review is based on an advance review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation that a review would be written.

57. Psalms and Prayers for Little Ones by Allia Zobel Nolan; illustrated by Tammie Lyon

Date Completed: 4 June 2014

Category: Rainy Days and Mondays

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: This little volume takes several of the Psalms and paraphrases them so younger children can more easily understand them. It then pairs them with a short prayer based on each Psalm. The illustrations are good but not the quality that would be found in a Caldecott medal or honor book. The paraphrases sometimes stray a bit too far from some of the mainstream versions for my own tastes. If that does not bother you as much, this might be a book for your child or grandchild. There are certainly some Scripture truths to be learned here. This review is based on an advance review e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review. I did find the "Review Copy" in black letters on each pair of pages to be of overkill. Perhaps the publisher needs to learn the art of watermarking the images so they are still readable but easily identified as review copies.

58. Biography for Beginners by E. C. Bentley; illustrations by G. K. Chesterton

Date Completed: 4 June 2014

Category: Old Days

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Although this short book has been around for a long time, it is now being republished by Dover Publications. It consists of "biographies" of persons written in four lines of rhyming verse. The biographies generally focus on only one thing about each person. The illustrations are drawings done by G. K. Chesterton. Some of the rhymes are better than others. Some of the persons included are not likely to be recognized by a 21st century audience. The premise of the book is entertaining, and I'm certain that the audience at the time it was written laughed out loud at many of the rhymes. This review is based on an advance review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation that a review be written.

59. The Greek Yogurt Kitchen by Toby Amidor

Date Completed: 4 June 2014

Category: Cheeseburger in Paradise

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Toby Amidor has provided a lot of options for those interested in substituting Greek yogurt for some of the less healthy ingredients found in many recipes. There are recipes for breakfast foods, for breads, for main courses, for vegetables, and for desserts included in the pages. The author provides many helpful tips along the way. He also quotes from nutrition literature about the value of Greek yogurt in the diet. Most people will find at least a few recipes that sound interesting enough to try. The author used plain yogurt in some recipes and flavored ones in others. He also includes a recipe to make one's own Greek yogurt at home and tells what equipment would be needed. He includes some recipes for creating flavors in the yogurt. The index was unavailable for review in the the galley. This review is based on an e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation that a review would be written.

I made a note of the Claude series as I think it looks like a chapter book my son would enjoy. Thanks for the review!

>151 japaul22: It was really cute. I do think children would like that series.

60. The Cherry Cola Book Club by Ashton Lee - completed 6 June 2014

Date Completed: 6 June 2014

Category: We've Only Just Begun

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: Maura Beth Mayhew has been the librarian at Cherico, Mississippi for about 6 years. The head town councilman is threatening to shut down the library. Maura Beth, her friends, and patrons launch a campaign to keep the library in the town's budget. I listened to the audiobook of this and found it to be perfect for a drive where I couldn't pay close attention all the time, but there were things that bothered me, both about the book and the reader. The reader consistently mispronounced "Natchez." Cherico is described as being in Mississippi on the Tennessee River where there are lots of retirees and folks who have summer homes with a population of about 5000. It is also described as being near Corinth and that folks go "over to" Corinth. The only true town that comes close to this description would be Iuka. The description of the library itself does not seem to fit any library in that general area with which I'm familiar. Mississippians in that part of the state tend to have mayors and boards of aldermen rather than councilmen. There is an incident where a person has a heart attack and is flown from the Cherico hospital to Nashville for an angioplasty. No one in Tishomingo County would be flown to Nashville when that same sort of surgery can be performed at the largest hospital in the state of Mississippi in Tupelo which is much closer and convenient for the families. The author made it sound like balloon angioplasty was quite new in 2012, but it has been performed for awhile, and I can assure you that the surgeons working the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo are quite experienced in the procedure as my own father had it done there several years prior to 2012. The premise of the book was interesting. The discussion topics for Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Robber Bridegroom are interesting, but the author needed to set her book in an area with which she was more familiar, perhaps either the very mispronounced "Natchez" or "Nashville" which she kept trying to figure into the narrative. It was a little strange having the recipes read to you at the end of an audio book. That feature probably works better with the print version. I'm curious enough about the book club and its topics, and the viability of the library to perhaps try the second installment.

"but the author needed to set her book"

In this case Lee is a he. I meet him in January at the annual Pulpwood Queens Girlfriends Weekend where about 40 authors come to hang out with 300 or so book club members. It's a very casual atmosphere and lots of fun with plenty of opportunities to talk to any author attending because there is no "distinction" between authors and readers. We are all booklovers thrown together. I think the casual, rather irreverent atmosphere was a bit overwhelming to Lee, he seemed a rather shy person. At one point I saw him standing alone and went over and talked to him for quite awhile. Later that afternoon he talked to the audience and he really was excited while he talked about his books. I said to a friend who knows my reading taste that I would buy them and she told me she had read them and didn't think I would care for them, so I can't comment on them. On Saturday night Lee came dressed as Elvis to the Las Vegas costume party and bless his heart, Elvis he is not. He does have a good voice, just not an Elvis voice, and he doesn't have Elvis' moves. He was a good sport though and tried, which is how I think of his books now. In talking about them they sound great but apparently he can't quite follow through with the writing. At least not yet, but I hope he improves as time goes by. I feel silly saying this but for some reason I felt a little sorry for him, I guess because he seemed to feel awkward and felt like he didn't fit in. At Girlfriend's Weekend though EVERYBODY fits in! If he's going to be there in 2015 I'll read his books before I go so that I can talk to him about them.

>154 clue: Lee was at the TLA conference this year signing books, but I never made it over there so I didn't know he was a "he" instead of a a "she." Considering the type of book this is, it's rather surprising!

Thought I'd do a quick update. I was able to spend a few hours at Allen County Public Library again yesterday before returning to the conference site for the presenter's meeting. We managed to get things "kicked off" last night. It's been fun to visit with people I only see once a year (or sometimes less than that). The heart of the conference begins today. We'll have the keynote speaker and a couple of workshop slots, a business meeting for association members, another meeting slot, etc. However, we are done this evening after supper/dinner or whatever you call the evening meal. I might actually have time to read a bit unless I get busy visiting with people.

I was at the Allen County Public Library for a conference earlier this year. It's such a beautiful library. I really need to go back sometime... as a genealogy librarian, I can call it a business trip, right? :)

I'm guessing Lori didn't get any reading in this evening since we ended up going with a group to the ball park to watch the Fort Wayne TinCaps take on the Lansing Lugnuts. They played about half of the game in light rain. Neither the TinCaps nor the Lugnuts sound like they need to be out in the rain. Rust must be more of a problem for TinCaps, because they lost the game.

I've added The Ponder Heart to my WL. Love that cover too!
Hope you're having a good time at your conference.

>157 casvelyn: I'm sure you can make an appointment with one of the librarians there to call it one!

>158 cbl_tn: I didn't get a thing read. We did get pretty soaked, especially after the rain picked up toward the end.

>159 mstrust: Hope you enjoy it. We always have fun at this conference. Tonight's activities involved a trip to a gelato place and then we played a rounding round of Apples to Apples with about 25 people. I came close to winning, but I didn't win.

I just got back from the vet's. When I returned to my brother's house last night, I found Brumley was quite obviously in pain, and his breathing was quite labored. The vet said his heart is strong, but his lungs had fluid. He is giving him lasics and treating for pneumonia and allergies. I have medications to give to him morning and night for the next few days. If he is not better by Tuesday, we'll probably have to put him down. I'm in tears just thinking about losing him. He's about 18 years old. I've had him 17 of those years.

Re 161. I certainly hope that Brumley gets better. It is difficult to put down a pet, who of course is a family member.

>162 sallylou61: Yes. He is definitely my "baby." Of course, I don't want to see him suffer either.

Best wishes to you and Brumley. I hope he's doing better real soon.

Lori, I hope very much that Brumley recovers.

>164 mstrust: >165 RidgewayGirl: Thank you both very much for the well wishes. I can tell you that the lasiks are working. We met two of my nieces, a nephew and his wife for lunch. When I got back, they had definitely taken effect.

61. A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley

Date Completed: 14 June 2014

Category: Hotel California

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Saroo Brierley managed to get lost from his home in India by jumping aboard a train at the age of five. He traveled all the way to Calcutta with no identification, landing in an orphanage in that city. A couple from Australia adopted him. This is the story of his life and of his search for his family in India using the Internet, especially Google Earth and Facebook, to locate his home town. I don't want to provide spoilers so I'll simply say that the search illustrates how limited a five year old's vocabulary can sometimes be. Many memoirs can be rather boring and sometimes suffer from being poorly written but this one was a quick well-written read and managed to maintain my interest. Persons interested in intercountry adoption or in locating birth parents will likely find it interesting. This review is based on an "Uncorrected Manuscript for Limited Distribution" received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program with the expectation that a review would be written.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Brumley. My thoughts are with you.

>168 mysterymax: Thank you. I'm praying for a miracle!

Oh no, sending my best wishes for Brumley and a huge hug for you!

Lori, how is Brumley doing?

Lori, I'm sorry to hear that Brumley is suffering.

That Greek yogurt book looks like it's worth checking out. I use plain yogurt a lot. A friend of mine makes her own and I was thinking of attempting that myself.

>170 -Eva-: Thanks

>171 RidgewayGirl: Brumley seems slightly better today. I'm praying he continues to perk up.

>172 mathgirl40: Hope you enjoy the yogurt book if you check it out. It seemed like it might be doable. I don't use yogurt as much as some people, although this is the time of year that I'm more likely to use it.

Hope Brumley continues to improve.

>174 LittleTaiko: Thanks for the well wishes.

RIP Brumley
@ 20 Feb 1996 - 17 Jun 2014

Oh, Lori, I am so sorry. What a handsome guy. He was lucky to have found you.

>177 RidgewayGirl: That's what the vet said. He said that Brumley had a much better life than most cats. I miss him.

I am so sorry for your loss. He was indeed a handsome fellow.

>179 rabbitprincess: He was. He was the best cat ever! ;-)

I'm so sorry Lori. To have him for 18 years must have been wonderful.

Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss. Such a cute cat - he looked very loved.

>181 dudes22: I actually only had him for 17 of the 18. That's why I had the @ in the first date. He was about a year old when I adopted him on that date in 1997 so that's what we always celebrated as his birthday.

>182 LittleTaiko: He was (and still is) loved.

Furry condolences.

>176 thornton37814:: Oh no! I am so sorry for your loss of an adored companion.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Brumley was a lovely cat. I'm glad that he had such a long happy life with you although it is very difficult when kitties go to kitty heaven. If you ended up putting him down, I hope that you had as positive experience with your vet as we had with ours when we had to put Sox down in late April; she said that we were being kind to him. The attitude of the vet during the experience can make such a difference.

Lori, I'm so sorry for your loss. Brumley was lucky to have you. Wishing you peace as you adjust to daily life without your beloved animal companion.

Lori, I'm so sorry to hear of your loss. You and Brumley were fortunate to have found each other.

>184 mamzel: Thank you.

>185 ELiz_M: He was greatly adored.

>186 mstrust: Thanks.

>187 sallylou61: The vet was very kind. He said Brumley had a very good and long life with me too.

>188 VioletBramble: It's hard. I wanted to get up and feed him this morning.

>189 VivienneR: He definitely adopted me when I visited the SPCA that day. I had really wanted a kitten. Brumley was about a year old, but he was completely ignoring everyone else and made it clear that he had picked me.

What a lovely story. Brumley was smart - as well as beautiful!

>191 VivienneR: He was special.

Oh no, sorry to hear about Brumley! Such a beautiful friend to have had. *Big hugs*

>193 -Eva-: He was beautiful.

Oh, he was very beautiful. So sorry.

>195 cammykitty: Thanks. He was.

I arrived back home this afternoon after 3 weeks on the road and losing Brumley in the middle of that. There are so many reminders here of Brumley and of how much I miss him.

Oh, that's tough. Sending some virtual hugs your way.

>198 -Eva-: Thanks, Eva.

By the way, I finished an audio book on Saturday that I need to review. I just haven't had time to do so. I'll get it done soon.

Thinking about you, Lori.

>200 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy.

62. Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh

Date Completed: 21 Jun 2014

Category: Baker Street

CAT Challenge: GeoCAT - Islands & Bodies of Water & MysteryCAT - Police Procedurals

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: A couple of ladies are vying for the attentions of the rector. There is a play to be performed to raise money for a new piano. The old piano is played when one of the ladies dies while playing the third note of an overture. With a last-minute change in pianists, Roderick Alleyn must figure out the motive and the intended victim. Only a few persons could have been responsible for the dastardly deed. It's a fun visit to a locked room puzzle. It took me awhile to get used to the narrator's accent in the Blackstone Audiobooks version. It's a classic cozy mystery that will be enjoyed by those who like the genre.

I had an appointment this afternoon which was made about a month ago for a recall on my car. It was supposed to be 3 hours long. When I arrived, they told me that they'd had difficulty getting the parts for the recall, but that there was another recall on my vehicle for which they did have the parts. It was a shorter repair -- only 45 minutes. I'm sure that the parts for the major recall will come in when I don't have time to deal with it because of the way the library is staffed during summer months. Sigh!

Catching up, so sorry to learn of Brumley. It is sooo hard losing a pet.

>204 mysterymax: Max, it is very hard. There are so many reminders here at home of him.

I still haven't read Ngaio Marsh. That one sounds like a lark!

>206 cammykitty: I'm not 100% sure, but I think this was a re-read for me. The plot was vaguely familiar. I'm pretty sure it was read a long time ago. I knew I'd read some Marsh books, but the mode of death in this one is so unique that for it to have seemed familiar must mean I read it back then. I didn't realize it was a re-read when I opted for it. Still it was fun.

63. The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe

Date Completed: 24 June 2014

Category: Seasons in the Sun

CAT Challenge: GeoCAT - Islands & Bodies of Water

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Mamaw has convinced Carson, Dora, and Harper to spend the summer at Sea Breeze one final time before it is put on the market. Carson is the victim of downsizing and is seeking a job. Dora is in the midst of a divorce and has a child with Asperger's syndrome (Nate). Harper is well off financially but isn't very happy in New York City. Also present is Mamaw's longtime employee Lucille who is like family. Most off Monroe's books that I have read have an environmental aspect to them. In this particular installment, readers are made aware of dolphin rehabilitation groups through an incident involving Carson and Nate and a dolphin that became ensnared in a fishing line. Each character is dealing with hurt and each must be healed from the scars of his/her/its own situation. It's a good summer read, and Monroe has woven together a plot where all the threads compliment each other and create a multidimensional portrayal of what healing is. Although I loved all the characters and they are all well drawn, my favorite has to be Lucille. My only disappointment is that we really do not get to see the complete resolution for every situation. We do see progress. I suspect that Monroe will revisit one or more of the characters in a future book. I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation that a review would be written. There were a couple of misspellings in the ARC which I hope are corrected in the official version.

>202 thornton37814: I read that one a few years ago and thought it was fun. Two women/one man who didn't want either was a good read.

>209 mstrust: It was a fun combination. Can you really blame him for not wanting either? ;-)

Nope- what a couple of harpies!

>211 mstrust: LOL

64. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Date Completed: 27 June 2014

Category: Sharing the Night Together

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 2 stars

Review: This is not my type of book. It involves a man who served in World War II who becomes mentally deranged and time travels. My main motivation to read this came through the American author challenge. I had never read the book before, suspecting correctly that I would not enjoy it. I can, however, now say that I have read a novel by Vonnegut, and at just over 200 pages, the torture didn't last as long as it would have with some others. I did recognize the fact that it was well-written and appreciated literary references in the text. I even enjoyed some of the historical aspects. However, I (and probably many other readers as well) was put off by the irreverence of scenes going back to Jesus Christ in the time-travel portion. It is not a book I would recommend to anyone although I'm certain there are those who would enjoy it. In short, I was not a good match for this book.

But now you can say you've read it. There have been more than a few books that I have read primarily for that reason.

>214 RidgewayGirl: Exactly, Kay. I will never read another book by Vonnegut, but I can say I've read this one.

Oh, too bad about Slaughterhouse-Five. That's been on my WL for quite some time and I haven't gotten to it. But the name alone is not for me. If and when I get to it, I'll let you know.

>216 cammykitty: You might like it better that I did. I'm clearly in the minority. It's just not a fit for me. It's not a genre I enjoy.

65. Tacolicious: Festive Recipes for Tacos, Snacks, Cocktails, and More by Sara Deseran with Joe Hargrave, Antelmo Faria, and Mike Barrow; photography by Alex Farnum

Date Completed: 29 June 2014

Category: Cheeseburger in Paradise

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 5 stars

Review: Featuring recipes from San Francisco's Tacolicious, this cookbook is full of great recipes with very nice illustrations featuring the taco and tortillas. The tacos include interesting ingredients such as ribs, goat, lamb, and much more in addition to the more traditional offerings. It also has a large section on cocktails, mainly featuring the margarita since it pairs well with tacos. There are a few non-alcoholic beverages in the section that the younger ones and those who don't drink alcohol can enjoy. It is really much more than a cookbook. The authors have done a great job telling the story of the taco and relating stories about ingredients. They've also given the outline of a party featuring the taco as well as some quick recipes to go along with it. There is a glossary of ingredients, a list of places where one can order ingredients online, a listing of restaurants in California and Mexico that the authors enjoy, and a good index. This cookbook is certain to be a hit with those who can't get enough of tacos. I received an advance e-galley of this title from the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

Mmmmmmm tacos! Sounds like a great book!

It is great. I think the release date is September 2. It was very well done.

Ooh, bookbullet taken!

Not sure about goat tacos, but the picture on the cover makes me hungry.

>221 -Eva-: I think you'll enjoy it.

>222 cammykitty: Apparently goat meat is quite popular in Mexico so it may be a more authentic one than some of our American varieties.

>223 Samantha_kathy: I love just about any food that is flavorful. There were definitely some that are worth trying at home.

66. An Event in Autumn by Henning Mankell

Date Completed: 30 June 2014

Category: Seasons in the Sun

CAT Challenge: MysteryCAT - Police procedurals

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Kurt Wallander receives a call from Martinson on his day off. Wallander really does not want to be interrupted, but he takes the call. Martinson is offering Wallander the first opportunity to purchase a property from some of his wife's relatives and wants Wallander to go out and take a look. He almost buys it but discovers a hand sticking up in the ground. Further investigation locates an entire skeleton that has been there for awhile. A good bit of time is spent awaiting the forensic report, and when it finally arrives the investigation must seek to determine the deceased woman's identify. I'll leave the rest of the book for you to discover. I enjoyed this visit with Kurt Wallander. The plot is not as action-filled as some of the others, partially due to the dynamics of this particular investigation, but it does not bog down because of the short length of the installment. Mankell's writing even in this briefer volume is a cut above that of many mysteries. The author actually wrote this book awhile ago as a free novel for those who purchased a crime novel in Holland during a particular month, and it fits chronologically before the last installment of the series, The Troubled Man. It is a short, quick, and enjoyable read that certainly foreshadows Wallander's retirement. Fans of Wallander will want to read this one. Those who are reading the series in order may wish to read this one prior to The Troubled Man. I received an uncorrected proof e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.