Delta Queen's 2014 Reading - Part Five

Welcome everyone.

Summertime and the living is easy! Lounging on the patio and reading books is one of my favorite past-times in the warmer months and I hope to get plenty books read over these next few months.

Tickers

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.

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 ★

BOOKS READ IN 2014

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 READ IN 2014

MAY

65. The Lost Girls: Three Friends, Four Continents by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett & Amanda Pressner (536 pages) - 3.7 ★
66. Not Yet Drown'd by Peg Kingman (424 pages) - 3.8 ★
67. The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan (349 pages) - 3.4 ★
68. To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey (256 pages) - 4.3 ★
69. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold (345 pages) - 4.0 ★
70. The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain (116 pages) - 5.0 ★
71. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver (468 pages) - 5.0 ★
72. The Day of the Scorpion by Paul Scott (475 pages) - 4.0 ★
73. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan (66 pages) - 4.1 ★
74. Lily Nevada by Cecelia Holland (224 pages) - 2.7 ★
75. Amelia's Navigator by James Knepton (65 pages) - 3.0 ★
76. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie (593 pages) - 4.5 ★
77. Truth, Dare, Kill by Gordon Ferris (272 pages) - 3.3 ★
78. The Deserter by Paul Almond (266 pages) - 4.0 ★
79. Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham (222 pages) - 4.1 ★
80. Room by Emma Donoghue (415 Pages) - 5.0 ★
81. The Siege by Helen Dunmore (291 pages) - 4.2 ★

JUNE

82. Voices by Arnaldur Indridason (344 pages) - 3.4 ★
83. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (464 pages) - 4.1 ★
84. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers (272 pages) - 4.1 ★
85. Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer (380 pages) - 3.3 ★
86. Sand Queen by Helen Benedict (312 pages) - 4.2 ★
87. The Picasso Scam by Stuart Pawson (310 pages) - 4.0 ★
88. Summer of the Drums by T.V. Olsen (178 pages) - 2.8 ★
89. Zombies vs Unicorns by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black (415 pages) - 4.2 ★
90. In Praise of Hatred by Khaled Khalifa (296 pages) - 2.0 ★
91. Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith (537 pages) - 3.3 ★
92. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin (264 pages) - 4.1 ★
93. Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie (198 pages) - 2.7 ★
94. The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott (304 pages) - 3.6 ★
95. The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer (304 pages) - 4.5 ★
96. Remains of the Dead by Iain McKinnon (319 pages) - 3.5 ★
97. The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham (386 pages) - 3.6 ★
98. A Curse As Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce (400 pages) - 4.0 ★

BOOKS READ IN 2014

July

99. On The Island by Tracy Garvis Graves (336 pages) - 4.1 ★
100. More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl (304 pages) - 3.7 ★
101. The Wilderness Family by Kobie Kruger (381 pages) - 4.3 ★
102. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold (302 pages) - 4.1 ★
103. Daughter of War by Marsha Forchuk Srypuch (210 pages) - 4.0 ★
104. The Towers of Silence by Paul Scott (423 pages) - 3.8 ★
105. No Horizon Is So Far by Liv Arnesen (272 pages) - 3.8 ★
106. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (273 pages) - 4.3 ★
107. The Way To Minack by Derek Tangye (192 pages) - 3.3 ★
108. Borderlands by Brian McGilloway (300 pages) - 3.8 ★
109. Ride The Pink Horse by Dorothy B. Hughes (208 pages) - 3.5 ★
110. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie (614 pages) - 4.3 ★
111. Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart (110 pages) - 3.8 ★
112. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (256 pages) - 4.5 ★
113. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (880 pages) - 4.3 ★
114. The Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett (224 pages) - 3.4 ★
115. The Only Life That Mattered by James Nelson (414 pages) - 4.4 ★
116. Dead Tomorrow by Peter James (662 pages) - 3.9 ★
117. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (201 pages) - 4.3 ★

August

118. Shift by Jennifer Bradbury - 3.7 ★
119. Teacher, Teacher by Jack Sheffield - 3.4 ★
120. The Under Dog and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - 3.3 ★
121. Nineteen Seventy-Seven by David Peace - 3.9 ★

* 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 = My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
* 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 = Zombies vs. Unicorns by Justine Larbalestier & Holly Black
* 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 = The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan

* B3 - A Book Set in the Past = The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
* I3 - A Book With Magic = The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
* N3 - FREE SPACE
* G3 - A Book Set In The Summer = Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard
* O3 - A Book With A Dragon = A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

* 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 = Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
* G4 - A Classic "YA" Book = Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
* O4 - A Book With A Lion, A Witch or A Wardrobe = A Curse As Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

* 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 = Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie
* 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 (COMPLETED):

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
11. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
12. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear

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
4. Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives Edited by Sarah Weinman
5. The Farm by Tom Rob Smith
6. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
7. Red Hill by Jamie McGuire
8. Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood
9. X-Isle by Steve Augarde
10. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
11. Something Is Going To Fall Like Rain by Ros Wynne-Jones
12. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

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

Books Purchased in 2014 (con't)

May

109. High Rising by Angela Thirkell
110. Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene
111. Sons of Texas by Elmer Kelton
112. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold
113. The Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold
114. A Curse As Dark As Gold by Elizabeth Bunce
115. Sea Witch by Helen Hollick
116. Pirate Code by Helen Hollick
117. Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives Edited by Sarah Weinman - Bingo Book
118. The Golden Scales by Parker Bilal
119. Blackman's Coffin by Mark de Castrique
120. The Fitzgerald Ruse by Mark de Castrique
121. Blood on the Moon by James Ellroy
122. The Farm by Tom Rob Smith - Bingo Book
123. The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
124. The Terracotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri
125. Mortal by Andrea Badenoch
126. The Judas Heart by Ingrid Black
127. To a Native Shore by Valerie Anand
129. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin
130. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K Le Guin
131. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K Le Guin
132. The Best of Sisters by Dilly Court
133. The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh
134. Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie
135. Love By Design by Rosalie Ash
136. The Brandons by Angela Thirkell
137. Disco for the Departed by Colin Cotterill
138. The Damascened Blade by Barbara Cleverly
139. The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
140. Beauty by Robin McKinley
141. Ash by Malinda Lo
142. Death Message by Mark Billingham

June

143. Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt - Bingo Book
144. Red Hill by Jamie McGuire - Bingo Book
145. Soul Catcher by Michael White
146. The Mike Hammer Collection - Vol.1 by Mickey Spillane
147. The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie
148. The Clocks by Agatha Christie
149. The Exploits and Adventures of Brigadier Gerard by Arthur Conan Doyle
150. Cloudy in the West by Elmer Kelton
151. Dead Water by Ann Cleeves
152. Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout
153. Buried by Mark Billingham - 6th Thingaversary
154. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers - 6th Thingaversary
155. The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P.S. Duffy - 6th Thingaversary
156. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden - 6th Thingaversary
157. The Foundling by Georgette Heyer
158. Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
159. Dare Me by Megan Abbott
160. The 7th Victim by Alan Jacobson
161. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
162. Tiger Claw by Shauna Singh Baldwin - 6th Thingaversary
163. Grave Mercy by Robin Lefevers
164. Dark Triumph by Robin Lefevers
165. The Devil You Know by Mike Carey
166. The hanging Shed by Gordon Ferris
167. Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood (Bingo)
168. Playing with the Moon by Eliza Graham
169. A Gentle Ax by R. N. Morris
170. A Vengeful Longing by R. N. Morris
171. A Razor Wrapped in Silk by R. N. Morris
172. The Cleansing Flames by R. N. Morris
173. X-Isle by Steve Augarde (Bingo)
174. First Frost by James Henry - 6th Thingaversary
175. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear (Bingo)
176. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (Bingo)
177. The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig
178. Speak for the Dead by Margaret Yorke
179. The Price of Guilt by Margaret Yorke
180. The Grifters by Jim Thompson
181. After Dark, My Sweet by Jim Thompson
182. The Midwife of Hope River by Patricia Harman
183. Something Is Going to Fall Like Rain by Ros Wynne-Jones (Bingo)
184. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (Bingo)

Books Purchased in 2014 (con't)

July

185. The Information Officer by Mark Mills
186. Funeral Music by Morag Joss
187. A Girl of Her Time by Margaret Kaine
188. Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries by Jennifer Ashley
189. First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung
190. Pied Piper by Nevil Shute
191. On the Beach by Nevil Shute
192. The Chequer Board by Nevil Shute
194. In the Teeth of Evidence Dorothy L. Sayers
195. Last Reminder by Stuart Pawson
196. Suspect by Michael Robotham
197. The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley
198. Sunshine by Robin McKinley
199. Into The Shadows by Shirley Wells
200. A Darker Side by Shirley Wells
201. Where Petals Fall by Shirley Wells
202. Gus Openshaw's Whale Killing Journal by Keith Thompson
203. The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden
204. The Yard Dog by Sheldon Russell
205. The Underdog and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
206. Weddings in Burracombe by Lilian Harry
207. The Skeleton Room by Kate Ellis
208. Freedom's Land by Anna Jacobs
209. Sacrifice by S.J. Bolton
210. The Forbidden Daughter by Shobhan Bantwal
211. A Finer End by Deborah Crombie
212. The African Queen by C.S. Forester
213. Frozen Moment by Camilla Ceder

August

214. The High Window by Raymond Chandler
215. Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty
216. The House Girl by Tara Conklin
217. An irish Country Wedding by Patrick Taylor
218. The Yard by Alex Grecian
219. Longbourn by Jo Baker
220. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
221. Dead man's Folly by Agatha Christie
222. The Captain's Daughter by Leah Fleming
223. The Fast One by Paul Cain
224. Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer
225. The Glass Key by Dashiel Hammett

Currently Reading



Zombies vs Unicorns by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black
In Praise of Hatred by Khaled Khalifa

Happy new thread! One question: are all of your book purchases, physical books?

Happy New thread, Judy! I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Happy reading!

Love those old magazine covers topping your thread!

Happy new thread Judy!

Happy New Thread Judy! I see you've got very few squares left to finish your bingo cards... you'll have to find another excuse for book-buying once you're done with those! Speaking of which, you and I seem to be buying them at a similar pace.

Happy New Thread! Love the magazine covers. :)

Woke up to a day of rain, which is actually ok as after quite a long dry period, we need some moisture. I need to get out and run some errands and get things ready for Father's Day tomorrow. We are having a gathering of the clan and a BBQ (hope the rain stops by then). Of course instead of getting my chores done, I find myself at LT!

>14 LoisB: Lois, I have a overstuffed Paperwhite Kindle that many of my book purchases end up on, also an older Kindle and a Kobo which mostly is for library books. Also many of my "real" book purchases are second-hand, so although I buy a lot of books, I very rarely pay full price. Currently my TBR "real" books number 511 and I have 278 e-books, giving me a total of 789 TBRs. I love having a wide selection to choose from!

>15 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Probably will not be getting too much reading down this weekend, what with Father's Day, but I am going to drop by the library this morning and pick up a couple I have on order.

>16 thornton37814: I particularly like the one with the little girl in the hammock, Lori. It reminds me of when I was a child and we had a hammock that my sister and I spent hours in.

>17 souloftherose: Welcome, Heather!

>18 Smiler69: Ilana, one of my goals for this thread is to finish the Bingo Cards and get them off my thread! I'm tired of posting them, and they are looking rather messy. I guess I should fess up and admit that book buying is a bit of a compulsion. I enjoy both the hunt for a particular book and the overall result of seeing my shelves full to busting. Like Scrooge McDuck, I would swim in my books if I could!

>19 Kassilem: Waves to Melissa. :)

>20 DeltaQueen50: When I moved from Massachusetts to Florida 4 years ago, I gave almost all my books away. Between the packing/unpacking effort and the cost to move them, it wasn't worth it to keep them. So, I am slowly rebuilding my collection. I have about 180 on my Kindle.

There's nothing like a long-distance move to make you trim your library, your wardrobe, and other assorted collections!

Lovely new thread, Judy! I hope your Dad's Day BBQ goes off with any rain. I also noticed how close you are to cover-all on both your bingo cards. Well done! I have to ask: Is there a significance to the bee that you used as one of your covers on the YA card?

Hi Judy! Your various ways of tracking what you're reading are quite fun. I started tracking my book purchases last year and gave up on that. It didn't seem to lead to any restraint on my part. Heh.

I was glad to see it raining here when I looked out the window in the middle of the night. As lovely as this early summer has been, it's too soon for the long dry spell to begin!

Happy Father's Day, everyone. We had a lovely surprise this morning. The family is coming here for dinner tonight, but the daughters showed up this morning bearing the complete dinner. They brought stuffed mushrooms for appies, steak and prawns, twice baked potatoes, veggie kabobs for the main course and even a peach pie for dessert. This really gives me a break, all we have to do is fire up the BBQ and warm up the pie.

>21 LoisB: Lois, we are in the beginning stages of discussing our eventually giving up the house and moving to a condo, I think we are still a few years away but I dread to think of packing all my books.

>22 rosalita: Hi Julia. I don't know why but I found that I can't access all the stickers on the Photobucket site anymore so I substituted the bee. My cards are looking so messy that I will be glad to finish them and take them off my thread.

89. Zombies vs. Unicorns by Justine Larbalestier & Holly Black - 4.2 ★
14 in 14 Category: 13th/14th Floor
June's Women of Sci-Fi/Fantasy
TIOLI #5: Something Old, New, Borrowed or Blue



Zombies vs. Unicorns is a showdown between two mythical creatures as hosted by Justine Larbalestier and Holly Black and meant to assist the reader in determining whether they are on Team Zombie or Team Unicorn. The stories are by well known writers from the fantasy genre, Libba Bray, Naomi Novik and Garth Nix, just to mention a few. This is a head on battle, alternating creature stories in an all out bid to take top honors. The winner? The reader, of course.

I went into this a firm Team Zombie member as I have an aversion to the sweet, sparkly mythical unicorns that seem to litter little girls dreams, and although overall I probably preferred more of the zombie tales, let me tell you, in most cases the unicorns in this book were far from the sickly sweet, rainbow farting ones that I was expecting. Some of these unicorns were truly ass-kicking monsters!

As in all short story collections, some of the stories appealed to me more than others. My top favorites were Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot, Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan, Inoculata by Scott Westerfeld and the hilarious send-up Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson.

I had a lot of fun reading this book and the dialogue between Holly and Justine before each story only added to my pleasure. This is a great way to dip your toe into both zombie and unicorn infested waters as well as introducing yourself to some very intriguing authors.

Hmmm, somehow I missed your 4th thread in the Threadbook, but I've got you all up to date now!

>26 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. I appreciate how much you do around here to keep the 75 group the great place that it is!

90. In Praise of Hatred by Khaled Khalifa - 2.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Days Paid Vacation
ER Program
TIOLI #5: Something Old, New, Borrowed or Blue



Unfortunately I find it very difficult to praise anything about this book. I found it to be so over-written and over-stylized that it was impossible to actually break through to the story itself. Other than the main character’s internal dialogue, there is no conversation in the book at all, I admit I found my eyes glazing over and skipping many of the long descriptive paragraphs. This is a shame because I believe the author has a very interesting story to tell. I know very little about Syria and was looking forward to finding out about this mysterious country that is figuring so prominently in the news but obviously this wasn’t the book to help me.

The unnamed narrator of In Praise of Hatred is a young, deeply ultraconservative Muslim girl and her hatred of others is complete and intense. Ultimately she becomes an extremist. The level of hatred expressed in this book was disturbing, such strong convictions all based on differences between sects, infidels or any opposition is frightening and the willingness to kill or be killed is something I find almost impossible to comprehend.

The book is set in the city of Aleppo during the violent upheavals that took place during the 1980’s . The book has been banned in Syria and I believe the author, Khaled Khalifa, is trying to expose this darkness and show that such a strong hatred will never bring this country to a peaceful resolution. I simply could not get over the flaws of this book, and I found myself often counting pages in a desperate manner, hoping to reach the end. I should mention here that I would have abandoned this book except that I received it though Library Things Early Reading Program.

Currently Reading



A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Elizabeth, the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith

Judy, I'm so sorry your last read was such a dud. I would find a book of unrelenting hatred to be impossible to read, so I'm impressed that you forced yourself to power through it for the sake of the Early Reviewers program.

And now you're reading A Wizard of Earthsea which I read just recently and absolutely loved. I hope you do, too!

>28 DeltaQueen50: I have to confess that your description of the book piqued my curiosity, primarily because I've spent time in Aleppo, and have been mourning the destruction of its fascinating souk (probably close to 800 years old...) in recent months. Was the author's intent ironic, to some extent? I may keep my eyes open for it, if only because a book banned by the Assad regime must have SOME merit...

Here's a question -- how do you put your markers atop your bingo categories once you've finished them? I mean, technically? This is a puzzlement to me...

Happy new thread, Judy! I really love those thread toppers that you are using this year - such a great idea! Your Father's Day sounds like a lovely time, and hooray for those daughters of yours!

You got me with both Zombies vs. Unicorns and The Picasso Scam - good work!

>30 rosalita: Morning, Julia. I am loving A Wizard of Earthsea! I have always avoided Ursula Le Guin because I thought she wrote very dry science fiction that I wouldn't understand or enjoy. What a surprise to find this totally accessible, fun, fantasy story!

>31 Chatterbox: Suzanne, at first I thought the book was so difficult to get into due to a bad translation, but I don't think that was the case. I read one review that said, in effect, that this wasn't a book that will teach you about Syria, this is a book for people who know what's it's like there and more about how it feels to be a Syrian. I think the author is writing for Syrians but the government ban has sparked interest and caused it to be translated for others.

As to the Bingo Cards, I store a copy of them at my Photobucket account and then using the edit feature, I add the stickers to them. I am then able to copy the adjusted pictures and post them here. For some reason I can't access all the stickers that used to be available, so can't get hold of my heart and star stickers and I am having to use what's available.

>32 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, great to see you. We had a fun Father's Day with the whole gang. Enjoy those new additions to your wishlist! :)

Belated happy new thread, Judy! :)

Delighted to hear you are enjoying A Wizard of Earthsea.

>34 tymfos: Thanks, Terri!

>35 ronincats: I think I am becoming a total convert to the fantasy genre, Roni! Also, A Wizard of Earthsea has dragons which will give me another Bingo!

91. Elizabeth, The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith - 3.3 ★
14 in 14 Category: Newsworthy Facts
June RandomCat: Rose - Queen Elizabeth
TIOLI #13: Read a Book That is Over 336 Pages in Length



Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch is a very lovingly offered biography from an obviously biased author. Elizabeth the II has been reigning throughout a period of enormous change to the Commonwealth, to Britain and to the world, yet, for the most part this book dwells on the insignificant and trivial details of her life. That these details are well researched is important to note, but there was always a feeling that she was striving for the Queen’s approval in her final product. I suspect a fair and honest account of this woman’s life will only be available after the Queen has passed on.

The slant was the most obvious in her writings about the breakdown of the marriages of Charles and Diana, Andrew and Fergie and even her sister Margaret and Anthony, Lord Snowdon. I suspect the truth of the matter is that all parties are to blame, and that marrying into the Royal Family is not an easy task for anyone.

Told in a light, breezy style, this is not a book to read for any revelations about the Queen or her family, but more of a recap, a gathering of all the press releases and information we already know about this extraordinary woman. A sympathetic picture emerges and as a Queen she has my admiration but I never felt that I was learning about the real woman behind the façade.

A Wizard of Earthsea sounds really familiar, though I can't think from where. I must admit that Zombies vs. Unicorns sounds interesting, I might just have to pick it up.

Have a great Wednesday Judy!

>37 DeltaQueen50: I think you're right about a true bio of QEII only coming after she's gone. Of course, that doesn't appear likely to happen anytime soon!

Hi Judy, It's a shame In Praise of Hatred held so much promise yet wasn't presented in a way that could offered more story and less artistry. Yet, your review leaves me curious. I'd be interested in getting into the main characters head to see just why she holds so much hatred in her heart. I'll check my library and see if they happen to have it.

Aha, well, I don't have a photobucket account. so that may rule out playing the Bingo thing. I can cut and paste the bingo board, but not edit it.

As far as the Syrian book goes, I note that it's on Amazon Vine's Last Harvest, so I may get it there, and if it's really bad, I'll zap it myself! Zero dollars invested...

Mary Doria Russell posted a comment regarding her book Dreamers of the Day, that I've requested from the library today and should provide some enlightening info regarding the carwreck that is the Mid East. Have you read it?

Eta: OMG! I own it! I purchased it at a library book sale in 2011! I guess it's time to read it.

>42 Carmenere: It's pretty good, although the insights are fairly mainstream, in that she's writing about the horse-trading that went on among the Great Powers post WW1 in terms of carving up boundaries in the region without paying much heed to what the actual tribal affiliations were, not to mention the Balfour Declaration.

It's a reasonable way to digest history in a light fashion -- no heavy lifting required -- but nothing terribly revelatory or fresh and not, I think, MDR's best novel of those I've read.

>38 Thebookdiva: Hi Abby, A Wizard of Earthsea was originally published in 1968 so it's been around for some time. I missed this book along the way mostly because I've only been reading sci-fi and fantasy for the last 10 years. Perhaps your Mom read this at some point. I loved Zombies vs Unicornsand I think you will too!

>39 rosalita: Queen ELizabeth has been the ruling queen for most of my life, Julia, and I find it hard to even think of her not being on the throne. It's amazing that not only she but Prince Phillip as well have lived and been healthy as long as they have.

>40 Carmenere: >42 Carmenere: I have Dreamers of the Day on my library list, Lynda, and will have to give it a try. I do like Mary Doria Russell. It makes me smile that someone else doesn't always know what books they have on their shelves!

>41 Chatterbox: >43 Chatterbox: Suz, Photobucket is a free site if you are interested in opening an account there. It allows you to store both your own pictures as well as pictures that you find on the internet and want to keep handy. I will be interested in what you think of In Praise of Hatred. I am really looking forward to Mary Doria Russell's sequel to Doc, which I think is coming out next year. Meanwhile, I will have to order Dreamers of the Day from the library.

>41 Chatterbox: I use Paint Shop Pro to draw stars on my Bingo Card. You can see it on my thread.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/175157#4710637

92. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin - 4.1 ★
14 in 14 Category: 13th/14th Floor
June Women of Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Book Bingo: A Book with Dragons
TIOLI #4: A YA Potential Favorite That You Missed



A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin is the story of Ged, a young wizard who, through is own reckless behaviour, released an evil being that threatens both himself and the world. His quest and sole purpose in life becomes the conquering of this terrible shadow, and as the story follows his adventures Ged learns many life lessons that eventually lead him to a greater self-knowledge and gives him the necessary tools to face down his nemesis.

Originally published in 1968, I found this book both an interesting read and a lesson in how the fantasy genre has changed over the years. While today’s fantasy is often chock full of sword play and battles of magic, rife with sexual tensions and love stories, this was more of an inward, introspective story. The book reads like a fairy tale with it’s moralistic tone and lyrical language. I listened to the audio version as read by Rob Inglis and found his tone and style perfect for the story.

As the story advances and Ged changes from the hunted to the hunter, we can see him evolving into the great wizard that he has been told he will become. Learning to be comfortable with his dark side allows him to gain the maturity and self-control that he needs. He finally comes to really understand some of the codes he has been taught about knowing the true nature of things, and how dangerous changing his form can be.

Somehow I missed reading Ursula Le Guin in my younger days, but with A Wizard of Earthsea, I have now discovered an author that I can appreciate and I look forward to reading more from her.

I am currently reading three books, all fairly light and frothy:



The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott
Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie
The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer

Oooh, I'm really interested in what you think of The Dressmaker. It's one of those rare books I got interested in because the cover caught my attention at the B&N rather than being recommended to me by LT or an LTer.

Hi DeltaQueen! I was just looking to see if you'd read The Curse of the Blue Tattoo yet? I just finished. I feel like I have to take a break after each book- I'm such a rule-follower, and Jacky is not, so I feel like I'm cringing through half the book :-) But I still love them! Just wondering what you thought of the second one compared to the first...but I won't add more in case you haven't read it yet. Have a great weekend!

>48 Morphidae: Morphy, I am enjoying The Dressmaker. It follows up on the sinking of the Titanic and there is a lot about the government inquiries and the investigation into why this tragedy happened. Overall an enjoyable historical romance.

>49 jennyifer24: I rushed out and immediately bought the next two Bloody Jack books, but they are still sitting on my shelf. I follow so many series that it's difficult for me to get to them all. I have vowed to read the Lunar Chronicles and The First Law series in a timely manner, but I doubt I will get to any more Bloody Jacks until later into the year.

93. Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie - 2.7 ★
14 in 14 Category: 13th/14th Floor
June RandomCat: Rose - Pearl Drift
June Women of Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Book Bingo - Epic Romance
TIOLI #1: Authors' First and Last Name Ends With the Same Letter



Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie is a “happy ever after” story based on the Little Mermaid fairytale. While it was a quick, light read, I’m afraid I will remember this one more for it’s pretty cover than for it’s story content.

A fisherman pulls a child from the sea, he and his wife call her Pearl and raise her as their own. She never fits in and always wonders where she came from. Meanwhile her best friend is Prince James who sneaks away from the castle to be with the fisherman’s daughter. As they reach marriage age, their parents are urging them to find someone, and just as it looks like they will turn to each other, two more people enter the story and add complications. This along with a murder plot by James’s evil uncle and cousin in their bid to overtake the throne, leads the four young people to eventually discover who they are meant to be with and where they belong.

I enjoy these reworked fairytales, they are a bit of a guilty pleasure for me and I’m always hoping to find one like Cinder that breathes fresh air and originality into these old stories but Midnight Pearls with it’s unsatisfactory conclusion, undeveloped characters and rather bland story didn’t work for me.

Have you read The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey? It's one of my favorite books. I've read it so many times, I'm on my third copy.

It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in early 1900s San Francisco.

Well, it is a pretty cover, at least. Sorry it wasn't a good read, Judy.

>52 Morphidae: Morphy, I have read The Fire Rose. My daughter passed it on to me and pretty much forced me to read it as I wasn't much of a fantasy fan back then. To my surprise I loved it. I think it may have been the first fairytale based fantasy that I read.

>53 rosalita: Waves to Julia. Oh well, there's always a few sour apples in the bunch, I am happy that I am clearing a lot of books off my shelves this month.

>49 jennyifer24: >50 DeltaQueen50: That's why I like the monthly themes like Mystery March and Fantasy February and September Sequels and Series. I also tend to forget about series I want to continue with because I start so many, and these monthly themes often remind me to get back to one or another that I've forgotten about.

>51 DeltaQueen50:, >54 DeltaQueen50: Another reworking of a fairy story that I loved and that turned me on to one of my favorite sci-fi writers is Beauty by Sheri S. Tepper. She's not as prolific these days as formerly, but I have been meaning to do a reread of some of my favorites among her novels: Beauty, Grass and Gate to Women's Country.

>55 Storeetllr: Morning, Mary! I am now eagerly awaiting the September Series and Sequels theme as I have put aside quite a number of books to be read then, among them the next Bloody Jack. I haven't read anything by Sheri S. Tepper and will have to check her out. Thanks. :)

94. The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott - 3.6 ★
14 in 14 Category: Fourteen Cats
June GeoCat: Islands/Bodies of Water
TIOLI #5: Something Old, New, Borrowed or Blue



The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott is the story of Tess Collins a young seamstress who agrees to work as Lady Duff-Gordon’s maid while aboard the Titanic in order to realize her dream of going to America to make her fortune. Lucille Duff-Gordon was a major dress designer of the day and seemed to be promising to give Tess a hand when they reached New York. While on board, Tess meets two men, one a rich American businessman and the other a poor young man working as a sailor for his passage.

Of course, we know that the Titanic did not reach New York, but in this book, all the main characters eventually turn up. Still under the wing of Lucille, Tess starts to work for the designer and is provided with a roof over her head. Meanwhile the shock and scandal of the sinking of this enormous passenger liner on her maiden voyage has the American government opening enquiries and investigations into what caused this disaster. As the witness testimonies are gathered, it is pointed out that some lifeboats were barely filled before they were launched. Also many accusations about the lifeboats not returning to search for survivors in the frigid waters came to light. Lord and Lady Duff-Gordon came in for heavy scrutiny as they were in a lifeboat that could have held up to forty people, yet there was only twelve people in it at the time of rescue. A rumour came to light about bribes being offered the sailors not to return to the search, and it was hinted that survivors that tried to cling to the lifeboat were pushed off.

I found this part of the book very interesting as I have read a great deal about the Titanic, but very little about the aftermath. Although there was never any hard evidence against them, the Duff-Gordons never recovered from the gossip nor did they regain their place in society. As to the romance part of the book, I found this rather more predictable and the character of Tess was a little too perfect to be convincing. I would have rather had Lucille Duff-Gordon as the main character as I found her, with all her flaws and arrogance, a much more interesting character.

My final verdict on this book is one of mixed feelings. I thought the details about the Titanic were authentic and interesting. The author scattered enough real people throughout her story to give it a feeling of the times. However, the love story part of the book didn’t enthrall me. Being torn between the rich, older man and the younger, earnest one was a familiar plot and as I felt no chemistry between any of the parties, the romance was sadly lacking.

I'm down to needing just one book to complete my Book Bingo. On the YA card, a book with a Lion, Witch or Wardrobe. If I don't stumble upon a witch or a wardrobe shortly, I should find a lion next month as I am reading a couple of books set in Africa.

Happy weekend, Judy! Hope it is going well and your books improve. They usually do...

Happy New Thread, Judy!

>41 Chatterbox: - If you have a basic picture editing software on your computer (Microsoft Office Paint or JASC Paint Shop Pro like Morphy and I use) you can do what I do with the Bingo cards: Once I complete a square, I draw an "X" through it and re-save the file. I could use Photobucket but I just load the current card to my junk drawer here on LT and once I have replaced the image location for the new card on my post, I can delete the old card in my junk drawer. Not as easy peasy as Judy's method since she doesn't have to always go in an re-post a new image location, but it works. ;-)

>51 DeltaQueen50: - I love the cover art for that book!

I hope your weekend has been a lovely one filled with relaxing book reading.

Happy Sunday, everyone. Last night we went out for a movie and a pizza. We saw Jersey Boys which I loved. Lots of great music and a trip down memory lane. The actor that plays Frankie Valli is fantastic.

>59 msf59: Hi Mark, I have returned to Georgette Heyer and I am really enjoying The Nonesuch, and I have a zombie book going on the side for when I need a break from romance.

>60 lkernagh: Lori, the cover art is the reason I picked up that book. I am having a lovely weekend, my hubby got up this morning and made poached eggs and served me breakfast outside on the patio. Now I am having a little LT time and later will go back outside with my current books and soak up some sunshine. Have a great day yourself.

>57 DeltaQueen50: Well, I'll leave it on my list but won't rush to read it.

>62 Morphidae: Glad I didn't lead you astray, Morphy. At first I thought that it was going to be a very good book, but as the story progressed, the romance just didn't mesh for me.

>52 Morphidae: Just added The Fire Rose to my wish list. It sounds great!

>55 Storeetllr: Thanks for the suggestion! I'm usually one to read straight through a series but for some reason that hasn't happened the past few times...too distracted by other books :-)

95. The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer - 4.5 ★
14 in 14 Category: N is the 14th Letter
June Georgette Heyer Read
TIOLI #8: Read a Romance Novel



After reading a few lacklustre romance stories I have returned to Georgette Heyer who, in The Nonesuch was able to completely steal my heart away. With wonderful characters, a good deal of humor and a romance that evolves through her intriguing story, this was a book that will remain dear to my heart for a long, long time.

Revolving around a small community in Yorkshire, the Nonesuch, Waldo, a well-known man of his class, and his nephew, Julian, arrive to inspect and put in order an estate he has inherited. Becoming involved in the social circle of this rural parish, both Waldo and Julian each find a special someone that they hope to share their futures with. Of course true love never runs smoothly and the bulk of the story keeps us entertained with the ups and downs of their romances and the obstacles, such as a spoiled and silly heiress and a late arriving relative of Waldo’s, that put a few ripples into the course of true love.

With language that trips musically off the tongue, I relished sentences like “That damned resty, rackety, caper-witted cousin of mine - ! Vex me, she’s run off with that man-milliner, Calver!”. The always sparkling dialogue along with her detailed period research makes Georgette Heyer a guaranteed good read. The Nonesuch was a fun, relaxing and, yes, romantically satisfying book that will be listed among my favorites of this author.

Currently Reading



The Remains of the Dead by Iain McKinnon
The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham
A Curse As Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

Heyer is hit or miss with me. I either like the book or don't like it much at all. Glad that last one was a winner for you.

I also really enjoyed The Nonesuch when I read it awhile back. Even her least successful regency (such as my most recent Heyer read: April Lady) is better than most others' best ones, at least that's how it is for me these days. Am really looking forward to The Masqueraders which I plan to read before end of June.

>55 Storeetllr: >56 DeltaQueen50: >64 jennyifer24: You are very welcome! Just want to clarify that only Beauty is a retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. The other two I mentioned are scifi / dystopia with strong female protagonists.

Hey Judy, I was just going through the posts on the 75 threads that I am following and saw that the second to last post was mine and the last post was yours. I bet all those folks back east are in bed and we are the only ones still up and posting - not that I should be at this point but I wanted to get caught up on LT.

>67 thornton37814: Lori, one of the many things I love about Georgette Heyer is that different people have different favorites. I think in the case of The Nonesuch is was simply the right book at the right time for me.

>68 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, one of the many great things I discovered here on LT was the recommendation to read a Georgette Heyer. I am now an avid fan and look forward to working my way through her books.

Recommendations for Sci-Fi/Dystopian books are always gratefully accepted here. :)

>69 Familyhistorian: Good evening, Meg. You can follow the passing of time here on LT, the West Coasters are around now and as the world turns, the New Zealanders, Austrialians and Asians will be wishing us a good morning!

Tomorrow is my 6th Thingaversary! In honor of my stumbling upon this site and finding such a close-knit community of fellow book-lovers, I am gifting myself with the following 7 books:

- Tiger Claw by Shauna Singh Baldwin
- The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
- The Cartographer of No Man's Land by P.S. Duffy
- The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers
- Buried by Mark Billingham
- First Frost by James Henry
- The Way West by A.B. Guthrie Jr.

June 24, 2008 - one of the best days of my life!

Happy Thingading, Judy!!

Happy Thingaversary, Judy!

>71 DeltaQueen50: That's a very fine pile of celebration!

Happy Thingaversary, Judy!

Hey, Happy Thingaversary, Judy!! Another 6th!

I love The Fire Rose too! The first and best of Lackey's fairy tale retellings!

Heyer and Bujold--LT has a lot to answer for, doesn't it?

No witches or suspected witches in A Curse Dark as Gold?

Have a wonderful day!

Happy Thingaversay Judy! Finding LT was also a great boon to me too, as it was for many members of this group, no doubt. I had a bit of catching up to do, and happy to see you enjoyed The Wizard of Earthsea as much as I did too. I also listened to the Rob Inglis version and thought he was perfect for it. I had gotten books 2 and 3 during an Audible sale and started to listen to The Tombs of Atuan earlier this month, but was disappointed to find it was dealing with another character, and somehow I never got hooked with it the way I did with Wizard, so I gave up. Maybe too early? I may give it another try sometime.

I've been curious about The Dressmaker since it came out, but every review I read about seems to agree that it falls short somehow.

I LOVED These Old Shades, my first Heyer a couple of months ago, but then became impatient with Frederica this month, which I know is popular with a lot of GH fans. I obviously wasn't in the right headspace for it, and also, may try again sometime, but it just seemed so trite somehow, all this worrying about balls and whatnot. As I said, I was not in the right mindset, because I didn't mind the same themes in the Alastair book! Go figure!

Judy, I consider my Thingaversary a Big Day in my life, too. I can't imagine being without this group. I just wish I had the time to read and post on every thread. But then I would never get any reading done. What a conundrum, though reading is winning by a longshot!

More congrats on the almost-completion of your second Bingo card. I'll be lucky to get my squares on the first one filled up before the end of the year!

Happy Thingaversary Judy!

Thanks for the well wishes, everyone.

>72 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. I still remember my first day, I was so happy to find a place to catalog my books! It took a day or two before I found the threads and realized that people talked to each other here!

>73 LoisB: Thanks, Lois.

>74 rosalita: Julia, I am a bookaholic, no doubt about it. I did think these books were a pretty good representation of the books that I usually like. Three Canadian authors, some historical fiction, a couple of police procedurals, a classic western, a classic British mystery. I guess I am missing some sci-fi/fantasy, non-fiction and of course, a zombie book or two!

>75 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie.

>76 ronincats: Thanks so much, Roni. Hmmm, Heyer and Bujold, I think I know who I have to thank for the original recommendations for those authors! I am just starting A Curse As Dark as Gold so maybe there will be witch or two in there!

>77 Smiler69: Thanks Ilana. I think I took advantage of the same Audio.com deal and have both The Tombs of Atuan and The Farthest Shore. I've been told that The Tombs of Atuan is very good, but as always, books are so selective, the mood of the reader plays a large part as does timing. Even though I adore Georgette Heyer and use her books as comfort reads, I can see that one needs to be in the right frame of mind to be able to just sink into her light and frothy stories.

>78 Donna828: Donna, I guess the only downside to LT is how addictive it is! I spend too much time here, enjoyable time, but too much. I am fortunate that I am retired and my time is pretty much my own, but it's important to know where to draw the line before one gets burnt out from over-dosing on LT. Good luck with your bingo squares!

>79 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel, we must have cross-posted. It's good to see you and thanks.

Happy Thingaversary, Judy.

>82 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg.

96. Remains of the Dead by Iain McKinnon - 3.5 ★
14 in 14 Category: Clayton's Choice
TIOLI #1: Author's First and Last Names Must End With the Same Letter



Yes folks, these 300 some pages of unrelenting mayhem, gore and violence almost proved too much for me. Remains of the Dead by Iain McKinnon is the sequel to Domain of the Dead which I read last year. I was disappointed when the first book left me hanging but this time around it was the despair and the darkness that was hard to handle. I like zombie stories, but I also like my characters to have even a small amount of hope for the future.

Instead of picking up where the last book left off, this book went all the way back to the beginning when the military helicopter arrived in the city to find a group of survivors. Unable to take all of them to the ship, a couple of soldiers and a civilian volunteered to stay until the helicopter could come back and pick them up. The story follows this group of survivors in their quest to stay alive until rescue can arrive.

I don’t read zombie books because they have literary merit, I read them for the adventure, the thrill and the survival tactics. Remains of the Dead had all of this in spades so really deserves a better rating from me, but this time I found the bleakness a little too much. Now having read the first two books and with the story still completely unresolved, I will probably forge ahead and read the third volume although the title of Demise of the Living doesn’t seem offer much hope.

97. The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham - 3.6 ★
14 in 14 Category: British Fortnight
June MysteryCat: Police Procedural
June RandomCat: Rose - The Birthday Girl
TIOLI #11: Read a British Mystery



The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham is the fourth book in his D.I. Tom Thorne series and revolves around a turf war between two rival gangs of organized criminals. Various members and associates of these gangs are being murdered and a police task force has been formed to inquire into and find a way of defusing the situation. When a undercover police detective is killed the investigation escalates. Meanwhile, on the fringe of the investigation, Thorne is looking into a 20 year old case of a young girl set aflame in order to help an old friend, a retired police officer, set her mind to rest. The intended victim was the daughter of a crime boss, but the wrong girl was torched. Now it looks as if the wrong man was convicted of this horrendous act and has been sitting in prison for twenty years. Wanting to set the record straight and see proper justice done, Thorne digs deeper.

I have really enjoyed the books in this series, and although this one I felt was a little weaker than the others, it still advances the series and gives us further glimpses into what makes Thorne tick. Thorne is developing into a likeable but flawed character, and Billingham is certainly able to deliver well written, tense plots. The Burning Girl just seem to lack the suspense and flash that the previous books have had.

I will certainly be continuing on with this series as I enjoy the London setting along with the characters, both main and reoccurring that he has developed. Hopefully book number six will bring back the pizzazz that was missing in this outing.

All caught up with you, Judy, and I was sorry to see that I had missed your Thingaversary. Happy belated Thingaversary from someone who is very happy that you are part of this community. Some of my very first reads added to my WL after joining this group came from you. And so many more have followed!

>77 Smiler69: Ilana, if you gave up on The Tombs of Atuan before Ged showed up, you gave up too early. Just saying.

>80 DeltaQueen50: Judy, it's been a while since I read A Curse Dark as Gold so I can't remember if there is a witch there, or if the protagonist was considered to be a witch by the villagers at the beginning of the book.

"June 24, 2008 - one of the best days of my life!" Hooray, Judy! Happy Thingaversary. Many of us started around the same time frame. Mine was on the 10th. Good book haul.

Question: Weren't you singing the praises of Border Songs a couple years ago? I have started it and I LOVE it. I can see Lynch becoming a favorite author of mine, very quickly.

I am happy to say that I have completed both of my Bingo Cards and I am looking forward to taking them down off my next thread as they have become so very messy!

>86 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, thanks for dropping by. It really is a great sense of community we have going here isn't it. Now matter what is going on in RL I can always come here and be instantly cheered.

>87 ronincats: Roni, while A Curse As Dark As Gold is not specifically about witches, there are witches thoughout the book so I am counting it as my "witch' book on the bingo card.

>88 msf59: Hi Mark. Sorry it wasn't me singing those praises. I have Border Songs on my wishlist, and I believe it was Lori (Ikernaugh) who put it there. Sounds like another one that I need to give a nudge to!

That's what I thought!!

98. A Curse As Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce - 4.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 is the Age of Emancipation
June RandomCat: Rose - Golden Anniversary
June Women of Sci-Fi/Fantasy
TIOLI #13: Read a Book That is Over 336 Pages in Length



A Curse As Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce is an adaptation of the fairy tale, Rumplestiltskin. The author has taken this folktale and made it her own in this very creative story. As two young woman take over the family business upon their father’s death they find that the business is tottering on the brink of ruin. Rumours of a family curse have been whispered about down through the ages and it appears that this curse is finally going to bring about the ruin of the Miller family. Charlotte and Rosie discover that their father owed the bank a huge amount of money and payment is now being demanded. They conjure up a “Rumplestiltskin” creature and he helps them pay their loans, repair their cloth when they are vandalized and finally make it possible for them to keep the mill. At first he demands simple payments, but finally he demands Charlottes’ first-born child. In order to save her infant son, Charlotte must finally break the curse on Stillwater Mill.

Based on the woollen industries of Britain and America during the late 1700’s, the author includes a lot of historical research and detail in her story which gives it depth and authenticity, this mixed with the magical portions have produced a very readable story. The author builds the tension slowly. What at first appears to be country superstition soon develops into a full blown evil curse. Her characters are well defined, from the girls slimy uncle to Charlottes almost too-good-to-be-true husband. I found Charlotte to be a little abrasive and too prone to doing things herself. I would have liked for her sister Rosie to have had a larger role.

I enjoyed this book but wonder whether I will remember much about it as time goes by. However, during the reading, A Curse As Dark As Gold struck all the right notes and took one of the darker fairytales and produced a complex story full of light, love and magic.

>91 DeltaQueen50: It's an interesting concept, but I don't think I'll read it.

Judy, you read at an amazing pace! Including zombie books. Love it.
Mark Billingham looks like something I might like....

And Happy Thingaversary a few days late!!

I hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Happy weekend Judy.

>92 thornton37814: Hi Lori, while I enjoyed A Curse As Dark As Gold, I can see that it wouldn't be for everyone.

>93 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen. I have a lot of time to spend on reading- one of the many benefits of retirement. And every once and awhile I like to switch things up with a zombie book or two! :0

>94 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel, we are in the midst of a long weekend here, getting ready to celebrate Canada's birthday on July 1st!

Well, happy birthday to Canada, and by extension all her lovely citizens here on LT. I have to say, visiting your lovely country is very high on the list of places I want to go next. I need to find a way to make that happen!

>96 rosalita: Julia, coming up to Canada sounds like a great idea to me! I've got a spare room - just saying!!

Hi Judy. Belated Happy Thingaversary!

I'm catching up with LT threads very slowly; the problem is, people will keep posting while I'm still reading ...

Delurking to say that I loved your excellent review of A Curse As Dark As Gold!

Belated Happy Thingaversary, Judy! As a lover of fractured fairytales, I will have to see if the library has A Curse As Dark As Gold.

Belated Happy Thingaversary, Judy, and congrats on completing your BINGO cards! I fear I have neglected my BINGO attempt. I'm one who hasn't managed to edit the card, and have just been listing the categories & books.

You are almost to 100 books. Fantastic!

Happy birthday to Canada!

Yes, today is Canada's birthday! We are having the gang over for burgers later on and I should be doing things for that, but I slipped away for a little "me-time" on LT.

>98 humouress: Nina, I know how easy it is to get behind here. In fact, I haven't been around much the last few days due to company arriving and now find myself rather behind as well. Things should quiet down soon and I will get caught up.

>99 countrylife: Thanks so much, Cindy!

>100 Thebookdiva: I love the fractured fairytales as well, Abby, but they can be rather hit or miss.

>101 tymfos: Hi Terri, once I messed up my bingo cards I was then in a hurry to finish them off and get them off my thread! I did reward myself a book for each bingo which gave me an excuse to buy 24 new books. Although I don't seem to need much of an excuse this year, as I have been in a book buying frenzy.

99. On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves - 4.1 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Days Paid Vacation - Maldives
Commonwealth Challege: Maldives
TIOLI #8: Title or Cover Relates to Vacation Travel



On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves is probably the book that has surprised me the most in 2014. Set in the beautiful Maldives, an island nation in the Indian Ocean, I admit I picked it simply to use for my Commonwealth Challenge. As this book is classified as a romance and was self-published, I was expecting a meh or even worst read yet I found myself gobbling the pages and being totally carried away by the story.

Certainly far from perfect, but this is a story of survival and I am a big sucker for that. TJ, a teenage boy and Anna, his young(ish) tutor are flying out to join his parents on the Maldives for a summer vacation. Leaving Chicago, they are in for an eighteen hour flight to Malé, the capital. Once there they must take a charter plane to the remote island that TJ’s family is on. On the way, the pilot of the charter plane suffers a heart attack, the plane goes into the ocean and TJ and Anna find themselves washed up on a small atoll. Here they remain for some three years before circumstances allow them to once again join civilization.

The book dealt with how these two managed to survive, and yes, there were some moments that stretched one’s belief, such as the washing up of both TJ’s backpack and a suitcase of Anna’s that held many of the things they needed to survive, but I was willing to overlook this and revel in their adventures of learning the necessary techniques such as making fire, collecting water, building a shelter and catching fish. Eventually the strong bond the two form develops into love and they vow to be together forever.

When they are finally rescued and return home, the decision of whether to be together or not seems a lot more complicated. They now have to deal with outside pressure, rumor and gossip about their relationship and their thirteen year age difference. Can Anna and TJ find lasting happiness or was this simply a relationship that worked while they were on the island.

Obviously a case of the right book at the right time, I found this to be the perfect book to read while sitting outside on the patio. An unconventional love story with an unusual and exotic setting, On The Island was truly the best romance I have read in a long time.

>87 ronincats: Hmph! I definitely gave up too early then. Will have to pick The Tombs of Atuan up again and give it another chance. Maybe I was just not in the right headspace for it when I gave it a go, because I really did love the first book.

Happy Canada Day Judy! It's not much celebrated here in Quebec, but I am definitely proud to be Canadian!

Good review on On the Island. It reminds me broadly of an old Lena Wertmuller (sp?) film, Swept Away. The protagonists of the film were both adults, but their "real life" situations were also very different, and their relationship and behavior were probably a lot darker. Still, the book sounds like a delightful summer read!

Happy Canada Day, Judy! I hope you are enjoying those burgers!

Happy Canada Day!

>104 Smiler69: Happy (Belated) Canada Day, Ilana. I hope you had a good day. We were busy here but loved having a lot of people around for a change.

>105 Storeetllr: Yes, I would say the On the Island would make a perfect beach read, Mary.

>106 msf59: Burgers were great, Mark. Washed down with some Cranberry Lemonaide and I made a huge chocolate cake for dessert. Simple and very tasty.

>107 humouress: Thanks, Nina. We turned 147 yesterday and we hardly look 130!

100. More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - 3.7 ★
14 in 14 Category: Fourteen Cats
July RandomCat: Books About Books
TIOLI #12: Read A Book About Books



For my 100th book of the year, I thought this "book about books" was an appropriate choice.

In More Book Lust author and librarian, Nancy Pearl continues her fantastic listing of books that she began in Book Lust. By dividing the book into interesting sub-sections with intriguing titles like “Gone Fishin’”, “Tickle Your Funny Bone” and “Gallivanting in the Graveyard” she keeps the lists short and the book easy to pick up and put down.

Although I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the first, she still managed to enlarge my wish list. I liked the manner in which she describes each book, neither giving away too much or too little. Unfortunately many of the books she highly recommends are out of print and very difficult to track down.

If you, like me, are a lover of lists and books then More Book Lust is certainly worth a browse.

Congrats on reaching 100! What's next?

>Hi Lois, I am currently reading Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold, The Towers of Silence by Paul Scott, and The Wilderness Family by Kobe Kruger. So far enjoying all three, but The Towers of Silence is proving to be a very slow read. My overall goal is to read 150 books for the year and it looks like I will surpass this figure. May have to up my goal in 2015.

With the year half-way through and another quarter finished I thought I should post my top reads for the Second Quarter of 2014.

In no particular order:

Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer
Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer
Room by Emma Donoghue

Congratulations on hitting the 100 book mark, Judy!!

Wow! You are doing extremely well on your challenge this year, Judy.

>113 ronincats: Thanks Roni!

>114 thornton37814: It's going really well for me this year, Lori. No dreaded slumps or funks, just lots of pretty good books.

101. The Wilderness Family by Kobie Kruger - 4.3 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Newsworthy Facts
TIOLI #11: Rolling Challenge of People, Place or Thing



The Wilderness Family: At Home with Africa’s Wildlife by Kobie Kruger details her family’s life living in the Kruger National Park of South Africa where her husband was a game warden. Over the course of his career, they were stationed in various parts of the park from the remote northern reaches at Mahlangeni to the more populated southern areas of Crocodile Bridge and Pretorius Kop. As a game warden, her husband had many opportunities to bring home orphaned wildlife which the family would then raise and return to it’s natural habitat. At various times they raised a honey badger, a civet and a genet (a cat-like creature of the mongoose family). This way of life also brought them in contact with most of Africa’s animals including hippos, elephants, and lions.

In fact, it was an orphaned lion that really won their hearts. Brought into their home when he was just days old, christened Leo by their daughters, this hand raised lion became the center of their world, and his care and love toward his “family” was truly amazing. When it came time for Leo to find himself a real lion family, they were fortunate to be able to place him in a wildlife park in Zimbabwe where he lives out his life in a large area with two wives and children of his own.

Kobie Kruger writes in a warm, chatty style that makes you feel you are reading a letter from a close friend. She has lived an interesting and unusual life, faced many difficulties from spitting cobras in her garden, to crossing cranky hippo infested rivers, and done so with style and good humor. A fascinating life that I enjoyed reading about very much.

100 books? Oh, wow; congratulations!

>117 humouress: Thanks, Nina. :)

102. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.1 ★
14 in 14 Category: The Atomic Number of Silicon
The Vorkosigan Series Yearly Read
TIOLI #14: Author Has Only One A In His/Her Name



Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold continues the Vorkosigan saga. This book follows the adventures of Miles and his cousin, Ivan as they travel as diplomatic representatives to the Empire of Cetaganda for the funeral of the Dowager Empress. Upon their arrival it quickly becomes apparent that their 10 day trip of social observation and parties is giving way to a murder mystery. Miles quickly decides he must investigate, and as he does so he uncovers a treason plot that threatens to implicate Barrayar.

I like the fact that Miles is far from perfect, at times his motives are selfish and driven by his own desire to be recognized and he appears to think no one but himself is capable of doing the job. He has been criticised previously for his wish to go his own way and not follow orders and once again he is up to his old tricks of striking out on his own. The addition of his cousin Ivan was a nice touch, he makes a good foil for Miles, being less serious, less introspective but always there for Miles when he needs him. Humor plays a large part and the practical joke played on Ivan during his pursuit of a couple of extremely attractive women was quite hilarious.

I loved the world building in this book. The Empire of Cetaganda is a mysterious, multi-layered and very planned society. Their philosophy and culture is interesting, their strict rules and limited social hierarchy of Ba, Ghem and Haut along with their preoccupation with genetic perfection was used flawlessly to enhance the plot.

As the mystery is revealed, it involves the highest echelons of the Empires’ society and although Miles has saved Barrayar’s honor and managed to unravel the political intrigue at the very heart of the empire, it is decided that although he has the gratitude of the Emperor of Cetaganda, this episode should remain a secret. Once again Miles is the hero of the hour but, also once again, his deeds will not be recognized publicly.

The Nonesuch is def. one of my favorite books by Heyer!

I should make some time to re-read some of those old favorites, systematically. Venetia, Grand Sophy, Lady of Quality, and, to a lesser extent, Arabella and Regency Buck. And then maybe to try out some of her historical books.

Thanks for the advice re the Bingo boards. Unfortunately I don't have any editing software, and don't really want to set up a Photobucket account: I'm wary of putting too much stuff out there on other peoples' servers if I don't absolutely have to. I've just rigged it up so that I have noted underneath when I complete a box. It's not as visually appealing, but c'est la vie!

Congrats on the Thingaversary! Mine isn't until October, but it's my eighth, which means an excuse, ahem, rationalization/justification to buy LOTS of books.

Belated happy thingaversary and congratulations on reading 100 books this year! I enjoyed Cetaganda too and will look forward to reading The Nonesuch whenever Liz's chronological read gets to that point.

I have discarded my first book in a long time, but I couldn't get into White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean. It appears to be leading into a child abuse story that I wasn't up for and I also simply didn't care for the plot line of an honorary uncle taking a naive and hearing disabled girl off, originally for a couple of days in Paris, but eventually heading off to Antarctica with her.

>120 Chatterbox: Hi Suz, one of the many great authors that LT has introduced me to is Georgette Heyer. I have quite a few favorites, but The Nonesuch will definitely be numberer among them. I am slowly working my way through her catalogue. Whoo hoo to eight years with LT - you will definitely have to celebrate! As to the Bingo Cards, I think you are choosing the best way to go. My ended up being anything but visually appealing!

>121 souloftherose: Thanks, Heather. So far it's been a good reading year with a wide assortment of books.

103. Daughter of War by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch - 4.0 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Points for Reconstruction
TIOLI #11: Rolling Challenge on People, Place or Thing



I don’t know why man’s inhumanities to man still has the power to shock me but the fact is that they do. In the spring of 1915 the Turkish government drove all the Armenians from their homes. Under the guise of relocation they were marched hundreds of mile into the Syrian Desert without food or water. Death of thirst, malnutrition and exhaustion was common. Many more were shot. In all more than one million Armenians died. Some of the children were rescued by German missionaries, and some were rescued by compassionate Muslim families. Unfortunately some of the young girls were taken as slaves or concubines. These survivors lived in constant fear that they would be discovered and shot or marched into the desert to die.

In Daughter of War by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch tells the story of three young Armenians and how they survived. Sisters Marta and Miriam, along with Marta’s betrothed, Kevork had found safety in a German Orphanage but the soldiers deemed them, at fourteen and fifteen, too old to stay there. The three were separated and each underwent their own traumatic experiences in order to survive. They had vowed to each other to live and try to find each other again.

The author has a powerful story to tell and does so beautifully. She caught the emotions of these displaced people by keeping her story simple and without embellishment. Although the main characters are fictionalized, Daughter of War is based on first hand accounts and bears witness to the Armenian genocide and the horrors these people suffered.

My goodness, Judy, you've been reading up a storm! Lovely reviews of some books that are new to me.

Lots of great reviews since I was here last! Happy weekend Judy!

Happy Sunday to everyone. Today is another day of soft rain. There is a bike race being held in my area today called Tour d'Delta. Because of this we are encouraged to stay home and not try to drive as pretty well any direction will be blocked off. This is fine by me, a great excuse to hunker down and spend plenty of time reading. I hope to finish The Towers of Silence today, which I have been slowly working my way through since the beginning of the month.

>124 rosalita: Hi Julia, I have been reading a lot lately. I guess the lack of good TV has something to do with that. Also I try to make of point of getting outside to the patio for an hour or two on nice days.

>125 The_Hibernator: Waves to Rachel, hope your weekend is going good as well.

Judy, congratulations on reaching 100! What a great achievement, only halfway through the year.

We have the Tour de France in London tomorrow. How I wish I could hunker down and read!

>127 susanj67: Thanks, Susan. Our little Tour d'Delta is nowhere near as glamourous at the Tour de France, but it keeps the locals happy.

104. The Towers of Silence by Paul Scott - 3.8 ★
14 in 14 Category: 1492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
Raj Quartet Group Read
TIOLI #7: A Book With A Uniform On The Cover



Author Paul Scott rewinds the clock a bit and starts The Towers of Silence in 1939, at the beginning of the war. Set in the hill station of Pankot, the main character is Barbie Batchelor, retired missionary, who, as a paying guest of Mabel Layton, is living at Rose Cottage with her. Although Barbie is proud of her middle class roots, she is not entirely able to fit in to the upper Raj society and is treated much like an outsider, however, she is a unique position to observe the actions that flow around her.

This is mainly a book about women and the impact of the war upon them, once again we come into contact with some familiar faces from the previous books. Mildred Layton and her daughters Sarah and Susan are dealing with the interment of their husband and father as a prisoner of war. We learn more about Susan’s marriage, and both the attacks on Daphne Manners and Edwina Crane are again brought into focus and we once again meet Captain Ronald Merrick. The character of Barbie Batchelor was very life-like with her ability to be both naive and innocent but then at other times she could also be very astute at reading people and their motives.

Though after three books now, I am a little tired of the rehashing of these events, I do find the author’s style of repeating certain occurrences and recording them through the perspective of different people very interesting. Each time a little more is revealed, a little like peeling back the layers of an onion. I did find this a much slower read than the previous two books. I also felt this one had a darker overview as these women struggle to keep up their illusion of gentility, one can sense that their way of life is slipping away. I am in awe of the author’s vision and look forward to seeing how he ends this monumental saga.

I am sooooo far behind with so many threads but I wanted to make sure to join the congratulations for blowing past 100 books read!

I was curious to see that the author had rewound the clock with book #3. The miniseries is an old favorite, and the action moves forward fairly smoothly, which means there isn't this kind of retracing of steps (at least on such a big scale). It also means that we don't get the kind of insight offered at the end of book #1, for instance, when Lady Manners's letters and Daphne's journal cleared up questions I had had from the film version...

I'll be reading book #3 soon, I think!

>129 DeltaQueen50: Intriguing...

But no, I shall be strong; I shall resist!

>130 lkernagh: Thanks Lori, the books seem to be flying off the shelf right now! (Of course I am restocking my shelves at an even faster rate!)

>131 Chatterbox: Suz, I don't think I have even read a story before that delves into a couple of incidences quite as deeply as this. Using this as a backdrop for advancing the story is a fantastic plot device and I am now looking forward to the final volume to find out how he is going to wrap this up.

>129 DeltaQueen50: Hi Nina, I can understand resisting. This is a four volume saga and one needs to commit to all four I think to fully grasp the story. The group read is set up to read one book every other month and that is working really well for me, as I wouldn't want to either read these back-to-back or let too much time go by between them.

105. No Horizon Is So Far by Liv Arnesen - 3.8 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Newsworthy Facts
July GeoCat: Polar Regions
TIOLI #20: The Book Takes Place During the Summer Months



No Horizon Is So Far is an amazing story of endurance and courage. Two former schoolteachers, American Ann Bancroft and Norwegian Liv Arnesen became the first women to cross the Antarctic in 2001. Over the course of 94 days they walked, skied and ice-sailed, enduring temperatures that went as low as -35 degrees F. Each woman towed a 250 pound supply sledge. The terrain was extremely rough and they were working under a time constraint as they needed to complete their journey before the onset of an Antarctic winter enclosed them in total darkness.

Wanting to show children that dreams can be made to come true, they were able to arrange to have classrooms of kids track their progress and learn about Antarctica. By keeping in touch on a daily basis via satellite phone, there were able to share their adventure with millions. The epilogue of the book is comprised of letters received from teachers and sponsors from around the world expressing how much the students were able take from the women’s experiences and I have to admit I found these very touching.

As a testament to both their inner and physical strength, No Horizon is So Far is guaranteed to induce awe and admiration. Unfortunately I did find the writing style a little choppy and uneven and was not able to give myself up entirely to the story. That said however, what these two women accomplished is definitely worthy of our esteem and makes for an interesting read.

Wow, where was I in 2001? I had no idea this was happening. I know I had TV during this time, and I watched the news every morning, but I truly don't recall seeing anything about these women and their amazing-sounding trek. I may have to check this one out just to see what I missed.

>135 Storeetllr: I was the same Mary, I had never heard of these women or of their achievements.

>134 DeltaQueen50: I didn't know about it either. It sounds fascinating.

Hi Judy, I decided to take a break from Paul Scott for now and read the two final books later on, but you do make The Towers of Silence sound appealing. I found I was most drawn to the women's stories in the first two books and completely lost interest with the male political figures. Slower reading though? More than the first two books seems... awfully slow because I did find them to be very slow going indeed. But then, I was only able to take in a bit at a time because I found them quite dense.

>129 DeltaQueen50:: Interesting thoughts on Raj 3, Judy. I have it out to read sometime this month, or at least get it started. Slow, huh? I'm still enthralled with the story so I don't mind a little bit of rehashing. I'm definitely in for the long haul and then will treat myself to the miniseries. Good job on surpassing the 100 Book Goal!

Happy 100+, Judy!

No Horizon is so Far is definitely going on my wishlist. It's absurd and weird, but I love reading about very cold places.

>137 tymfos: Terri, in particular, Liv Arnesen, according to Wikipedia is a very well known explorer of both the Arctic and the Antarctic.

>138 Smiler69: Ilana, I don't know if it was my mood or the actual book, but I definitely found The Towers of Silence a slower read. So far the first book is my favorite, but I am hopeful that the final volume will pack quite a punch.

>139 Donna828: Hi Donna, what a great idea to watch the miniseries at the end of the reading, I amy have to copy you on that if I can track down a copy.

>140 Carmenere: Hi Lynda, good to see you here. I, on the other hand, am a huge sucker for reading about Africa. Those cold places always sound so barren and, well, cold!

Hi Judy - I've been lax about my visiting lately, so happy belated thingaversary -- six, wow! I don't even know when mine is, but I know I haven't been a member that long. I just never think to look. Which makes me think I am due some books... Hmm. Also, happy 100! I just reached 50; I don't know how you do it.

>142 BLBera: Beth, I've been slipping a little in my visiting as well. I have so many books that I want to get through this July, that I have been reading up a storm. As for reaching 100 books well, I can sum that up in one word - retirement!

106. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler - 4.3 ★
14 in 14 Category: Agatha and Friends
July MysteryCat: Noir & Hard Boiled
TIOLI #4: Start A Series



It was impossible to read The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler and not think of the 1946 movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. So in my mind, Phillip Marlowe was Bogart. This is a darkly driven piece with some of the best dialogue lines ever. Politically incorrect - yes, but lines that resonate and get to the heart of the matter.

“You’re the second guy I’ve met within hours who
seems to think a gat in the hand means a world
by the tail.”

“I’m not a tough guy - just careful. I don’t know
hell’s first whisper about you.”

Private Investigator Phillip Marlowe is hired by the patriarch of a extremely wealth family to look into a few matters for him and before he is through investigating all the different angles, he’s come across blackmail, murder, and two sisters who keep him hopping.

“You can have a hangover from other things than
alcohol. I had one from women.”

This was my first Raymond Chandler book and I enjoyed every minute with the iconic P.I. Phillip Marlowe. An intricate plot, the dark and moody setting, and the above mentioned stylized writing really help to define The Big Sleep as the classic noir novel that it is.

Love those classic Marlowe quotes! I need to re-read me some Raymond Chandler.

I just finished Borderlands. I'm so glad you added it to the TIOLI challenge- it was a great book! The Northern Ireland/Ireland dynamics were interesting from a current perspective after I've been reading Jacky Faber and the Irish/English perspectives from a little further in the past. :-) Thanks!!

>145 rosalita: Julia, I have already asked my brother (who loves old movies like I do) to set aside The Big Sleep for my next visit. I can hardly wait to hear some of those lines coming out of Bogie's mouth! And I definitely need to get me some more Raymond Chandler!

>146 jennyifer24: Good to hear, Jennifer, as I am just about to start Borderlands today.

>144 DeltaQueen50: *sigh* Sounds good. My TBR is teetering!

>134 DeltaQueen50: Looks good, but brrrr - too cold.

Hmm - thingaversary; I think mine may be coming up soon. I'm just finishing going through my bookshelves and updating my catalogue, and I know there are a few books I want to get, to complete some series. Do you think it matters if I buy a few books over my thingaversary allowance?....

>148 humouress: Hi Nina, I know all about teetering TBR's. I have nightmares about being drowned in a sea of books! As for buying a few books over your Thingaversary allowance - I'm sure the book gods encourage this! ;)

107. The Way To Minack by Derek Tangye - 3.3 ★
14 in 14 Category: The Final Fourteen
July Reading Through Time: Farming/Agriculture
TIOLI #1: A Piece of Advice Appears on Page 85



The Minack series of books written by Derek Tangye are all about how he and his wife chucked their busy, successful lives in London and opted to move to an isolated cottage perched on a cliff in Cornwall and raise a crop of daffodils and freesias in the spring and tomatoes in the summer. Becoming “slaves to the land” wasn’t something that happened naturally or immediately and the books humorously detail all that the couple went through. Each book describes their country life and often introduces the animals that share their lives with them. From cats, to donkeys, seagulls to foxes, both the domestic animals and the wild ones are considered Minack’s own by the Tangyes.

The Way to Minack actually spends very little time at Minack but instead tells the story of their early life, how they met and married and why they eventually decided to try this alternative lifestyle. I missed the many descriptions of the Cornish countryside and the adventures of their animals, but it was interesting to see where they came from and why they originally decided to give up the city life.

Nice review of The Big Sleep, Judy. The movie is great, isn't it? I like Chandler and Hammett a lot. It's been a while. Maybe it's time for a reread.

Stopping in to wish you a weekend full of fabulous, Judy. I see that you have recently read one of my all time favorites - The Big Sleep. I adore Raymond Chandler, and like you, for me Humphrey Bogart IS Phillip Marlowe. We have a disc of the movie that has both versions of The Big Sleep - the original and then the reedit. SO interesting to see what they added and what they took out. Now I am thinking that I need to pull that out and watch both versions this weekend. And then of course, I'll have to reread the book...

>151 BLBera: Hi Beth. I can't believe that I haven't read any Raymond Chandler before. I actually missed a lot of the early American whodunits but I am making up for lost time now!

>152 Crazymamie: Mamie, I am really looking forward to rewatching The Big Sleep! I think I read somewhere that William Falkner had a hand in revising the book for the screen. Wow, between Falkner and Chandler, no wonder there were such great lines in both the book and the movie! I am spending my weekend trying to stay cool as we are having a heat wave here although I don't think our hot weather can compare in any way to yours!

108. Borderlands by Brian McGilloway - 3.8 ★
14 in 14 Category: Final Fourteen
TIOLI #2: Central Character is Irish



Set on the border of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Borderlands is a solid police procedure introducing Inspector Devlin of the An Garda. I found the book to be both well written and interesting with a complex plot revolving around past misdeeds and the seeking of revenge.

What at first appears to be a case of a young girl being murdered soon evolves into a gritty tale where the past plays an important role . When a second murder takes place, it becomes apparent that there may be a connection between these cases and a much earlier disappearance. The investigation moves forward slowly due to some carelessness and miscalculation by the police, as well as their having to trace and acquire old records. The author’s use of some interesting red herrings and a few side stories, keep the reader engaged and wanting to read on.

I particularly enjoyed the setting and the characters, a mix of police, petty criminals, local politicians and travellers, and found the give and take between both the police forces of the two countries interesting. I liked the twists and turns the story took and I will be continuing on with more books in this series.

Currently Reading:



Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Ride the Pink Horse by Dorothy B. Hughes
Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinor Pruitt Stewart

*waves*

Hi Judy.

Let us know how Before They are Hanged goes. I did read The Blade Itself, but I remember it as good, but also a series I wasn't in a hurry to get back to.

Hi, Judy! Happy Bastille Day!

Can you believe an old mystery novel lover like me has not yet read anything but Raymond Chandler? I'm definitely going to have to put him on my list of authors to check out.

I bought a bunch of those Tangye books because they were set in Cornwall -- and then never read them. Shame on me. I suspect they are still lurking around. Somewhere.

We are still having our heat wave here with no cooling expected until later on in the week. We were out most of the day running errands and it actually was quite pleasant outside. It's just the house itself that is so warm as the trapped heat has built up over the last week. Tonight we are grilling some steaks on the BBQ so at least I don't have to heat the kitchen up with cooking.

>156 Thebookdiva: Waves back at Abby. You would probably laugh at what I am calling a heat wave, this is nothing like the temperatures you can reach in Georgia!

>157 humouress: Nina, I am really enjoying Before They Are Hanged, it's full of action although it is very violent. I really love the characters and I am planning on finishing the trilogy in September.

>158 Storeetllr: Bastille Day! I didn't know that. I will have to raise a glass of wine to that later! I was the same, Mary, this was my first Chandler read. I think I got sidetracked when I discovered Agatha Christie at a young age and then focused on British Mysteries. I missed out on many of the early American classics!

Weird, we're the ones getting the temperate West-Coast weather these days. Can't complain, especially as I'm made miserable during heat waves.

Just thought I'd drop by and say hi Judy. I'm grilling some marinated eggplant on the BBQ tonight. In fact, off to do that now!

Lurking through. {{Judy}}

>161 Smiler69: OMG, I love eggplant, especially grilled. Unfortunately that is one of the very few food items that my husband doesn't care for so I don't get to have eggplant very often. I bet it was delicious, Ilana.

>162 ronincats: Hi Roni!

109. Ride the Pink Horse by Dorothy B. Hughes - 3.5 ★
14 in 14 Category: Clayton's Choice
July MysteryCat: Noir/Hard-Boiled
TIOLI #11: Rolling Challenge Based on People, Place or Thing



Ride the Pink Horse is a gritty story set in a small town in New Mexico, one gets the sense of a border town with a large proportion of the population comprised of Hispanics and Indians. As the book opens a Chicago hood with the moniker of Sailor gets off the bus and starts looking for both a hotel room and someone he calls the Sen. Having no luck with the room as this little town is celebrating it’s Fiesta, he has better luck in tracking down the Sen. He also is greeted by another stranger called McIntyre, who it appears is also tracking the Sen and it turns out, is a Chicago homicide detective.

Sailor appears to be trying to extort money as he is the only one who can finger the Sen for the murder of his wealthy wife. The Sen for various reasons is trying to weasel out of the payment and McIntyre appears to be watching for his chance to pin the murder on the Sen. With it’s a backdrop of the small carnival, back street bars and an all-night hash joint, there is a sense of Sailor being like an alien in unfamiliar territory. He is uncomfortable, lonely and getting a little desperate as he sees this money as a way to buy himself the beginning of a better life.

This is a dark, moody, atmospheric story with a real hard boiled sensibility told in Dorothy B. Hughes’ excellent prose but I found her use of so much symbolism took me away from the story. I understand that this is more than a small story of crime, but the larger moral of the new America that is emerging after WW II, an America that consists of a meld of various nationalities and their alienation toward each other seems almost too big a story for these 200 pages.

The weather is weird these days. But I'm not complaining. We are getting some lovely cool weather (low 70s today) which is unheard of for mid-July in Missouri.

Judy, I have Letters of a Woman Homesteader on my WL. I'll be looking forward to your comments on it. It is hard for me to resist pioneer stories.

Donna, enjoy your cooler weather as I suspect we westerners will be sending our heat along to you eventually.

I have only read a couple of the letters from the woman homesteader, but I like both her style and what she has to say so far. I too, am a sucker for pioneer stories.

110. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie - 4.3 ★
14 in 14 Category: 13th/14th Floor
TIOLI #16: Author's First & Last Name Ends With A Vowel



What a fun ride this second entry in the First Law Trilogy was. In Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie, the characters that were introduced in the first book have now been divided into three separate groups and each has gone off on a dangerous mission. The chapters jump from group to group, each group finding themselves in more and more danger.

My favorite character is Logen Nine-Fingers a fierce warrior from the north, who is part of a small group travelling to the end of the known world, assisting the magician Bayaz on his secret mission. Colonel West has been sent north with an ill equipped, ill trained army under the command of a weak but glory-hungry prince, but he does connect with the five independent Northmen and together, they may be able to reach safety. Meanwhile Inquisitor Gloka is busy trying to hold the southern city port of Dagoska from the Gurkish horde that has parked itself at the city gates while also trying to unearth the traitor that is known to be among the city council.

As the blurb on the back of the book says, “Breathtaking moments, great characters, and grim laughs”. Before They Are Hanged is a gritty and violent tale that is full of delightful twists and turns. I can hardly wait for the third volume.

111. Letters Of A Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart - 3.8 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Hands
TIOLI #6: Book Is Set Somewhere I Have Been on Vacation



Written in a warm chatty style, Letters of a Woman Homesteader paints an interesting picture of homesteading in Wyoming in the early 1900’s. The author, a widow with a young child, takes on the role of housekeeper on a ranch while at the same time files her own claim on land that adjoins this ranch. To prove her claim she plants and grows vegetables and makes some basic improvements on the property. She marries the rancher and all the while continues to write letters to her friend in Denver describing her life.

With both humor and insight she describes her day to day activities and that of her neighbours. This isn’t an easy life, they are miles from any town or railroad and have to learn to be self-sufficient in many areas, including medicine. Even going to a neighbours for a dinner party means a long overnight camping trip to get there. Yet even while living such an isolated life, her letters portray her love of life and nature. Her prose is simple and heartfelt, and her descriptions of the natural world that surround her allow the reader to feel part of that world as well.

Eleanor Pruitt Stewart was a strong, independent woman, as I imagine most women who homesteaded had to be. When there wasn’t a minister available for a funeral service, she went ahead and conducted the services for her new-born son herself. But beyond having this core of steel, she was a woman who found the place she was meant to be. “I love the flicker of an open fire, the smell of the pines, the pure, sweet air, and I went to sleep thinking how blest I was to be able to enjoy the things I love most.” An enjoyable read.

Hi Judy! Hope your week is going well. I listened to Before They Are Hanged, about 2 years ago. I liked both books but for some reason never got around to the 3rd and final First Law book. I better, get cracking, huh?
I also see that Abercrombie has a new one out. He is prolific.

Hi Mark, I am really liking this First Law Trilogy and am planning on reading the third one during September Series and Sequels. I believe his new one is considered a YA, which interests me. He must have cut down on the violence to get a YA rating.

Currently Reading:



Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
The Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett

>171 DeltaQueen50: Oh, I loved Mister Pip! I hope you enjoy it.

I have Letters of a Woman Homesteader on my Kindle. One of these days...

I also loved Mr. Pip when I read it. Are you all up to date with your Great Expectations? ;-)

I liked other books by the same author, but for some reason have never dashed off to read Mister Pip. Perhaps I was forcefed too much Great Expectations in grade 10?

>175 Chatterbox: You were lucky. I got hit with Great Expectations, detailed chapter by chapter analysis and all, in sixth grade.

Well, they are telling us that the heat wave is breaking up today but I still find it very hot and last night was one of the worst for sleeping. I am looking forward to this cloudy day they are promising and even perhaps some rain on the weekend.

>172 thornton37814: Lori, I have had Mister Pip sitting on my shelves for some time, and a TIOLI challenge this month has encouraged me to read it. I don't know where I got the idea it was set in WW II, but I was surprised when the date is mentioned at 1992!

>173 ronincats: Roni, Letters of a Woman Homesteader is a very quick read, she has a very light, chatty style and for such an isolated life, she still had plenty to write about.

>174 lkernagh: Lori, I read Great Expectations for the first time just a couple of years ago and luckily I am one of those people who quite enjoy a good wordy Dickens every now and again. I just realized that Mister Pip would probably fit the July RandomCat as it is, in it's own way, a book about books.

>175 Chatterbox: Suzanne, I was lucky with Dickens in school, but for me, it was Shakespeare that I was forcefed to the point of nausea, I can't even hear the words Henry V without shuddering!

>176 Morphidae: Morphy, in grade six we studied A Christmas Carol which I quite enjoyed and then in Grade 10 we did Oliver Twist. I guess I was lucky with my English teachers in both those grades as Dickens went down quite smoothly.

No big plans for today, I am hoping to spend some time outside reading and after my sleepless night I will probably find myself napping at some point.

How are you enjoying Mr Pip? I've got that somewhere in my TBR Tower. I was just picking out a book to read yesterday and spied it in a corner. I've been meaning to get to it ... just as I've been meaning to get to many other books in that Tower .... I don't even know why I go to bookstores or the library when I really should get through all the books in my TBR Tower first.

>168 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I'm glad that Letters of a Woman Homesteader was a good read for you. I liked it a lot too. She had a lot of gumption, that's for sure!

>117 humouress: Whereas we got questions like, "What did it mean when Pip looked at the sky?"

I've finally gotten over it though and am currently reading it via Daily Lit.

>178 cameling: Caro, Mister Pip started off slowly for me, but the sheer simplicity of the story grabbed me and then the emotions took over and I fell in love. It's actually a very quick read and one that I think you would appreciate as well.

>179 susanj67: Susan, my only drawback on Letters of a Woman Homesteader was that I wish she had written more about her actual surroundings and the day to day life on the ranch. You are certainly right - gumption she had to spare!

>180 Morphidae: It's a shame that many of the classics of literature have been ruined by poor teaching. Of course, in the teachers defense, it can't be easy trying to cram Dickens, Thackery or Shakespeare into the heads of uninterested students! I think true readers will often work their way back to these pieces eventually.

112. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones - 4.5 ★
14 in 14 Category: 14 Points for Reconstruction
July RandomCat: Books About Books
Commonwealth Challenge: Papua New Guinea
TIOLI #10: Read A Book That Has Won the Alex Award



Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones is set on the Papua New Guinea island of Bougainville during a violent civil war there during the 1990s. As narrated by 13 year-old Matilda we learn how the villagers are caught in the middle, trying to keep their heads down and live their lives without drawing attention to themselves. One white man has remained in the village and has taken upon himself the role of teacher, but instead of regular class work, he reads them Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. He believes that Dickens has the power of great literature that will enable the children’s minds to be set free and bring them to “a place of light”. It doesn’t take long before the children are captivated by Pip’s story and it also isn’t long before the soldiers come and believing that this Pip is a rebel, demand to know where to find him.

Bloodshed is never far off on this island divided by war, with drunken rebels arriving one night, followed by brutal government soldiers the next. The author write of the atrocities in simple, almost dreamlike language that perfectly captures Matilda’s shock and pain. Yet again it is her love of Great Expectations and Dickens that helps to heal her and enables her to build a new life for herself.

The author manages to keep his tale from becoming too sentimental. His simple prose includes many phrases that sound culturally authentic. My only concern is that the reader is almost in danger of overdosing on Great Expectations. Yet, Mister Pip is wonderfully creative, a powerful and moving story of how an eccentric man guides these children through the horrors of a civil revolution by using the power of great writing to release their imaginations.

I had two separate and completely disparate experiences in high school with classic literature. One English instructor "forced" us to read a classic from a list he handed out but never really taught us anything. I hated the one I chose (An American Tragedy) and never finished and was scarred ~ scarred, I tell you! ~ to the point it took me years before I would willingly pick up anything older than last year's best seller and still haven't been able to consider reading Dreiser. The other English instructor assigned Hamlet, and we went over it in class and discussed it in depth, and she made it so very interesting that I don't recall it being a chore at all.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the second Abercrombie book, Judy. I still have the first one unread on my kindle...

Whoa! Skipping over your actual review of Mister Pip for the moment, but I'll definitely make a point of picking it up this month after seeing your rating for it. I'd listed it on TIOLI this month and so far in July have been quite good about following up on reading plans. Almost picked it up a couple of days ago, but then decided to pick up another shared read, The Big Sleep, which has been on my shelves for just as long and came from the same second hand bookstore, The Word. If you ever come to Montreal, I definitely recommend you visit there!

Enjoying the discussion about books read in school. We had a mixture of assigned books that everyone in the class read and other books that we had to do individual reports on. I only remember one book that I absolutely hated from the list. It was Ice Palace by Edna Ferber that was set in Alaska. I really think I expected it to be a slightly different genre, and I wasn't really prepared for what it turned out to be. It scared me away from reading anything else by Ferber at the time. I really should be fair to Ferber and give her another try sometime, although I'll probably start with Show Boat or something else. As far as the ones that everyone in the class read and discussed at various points, those were all winners! In fact, as much as our class enjoyed the one our teacher had assigned, some of our other classmates had a different teacher whose class was reading something else that they were enjoying equally well. I think quite a few of us ended up reading both books just to see what the others were raving about!

I am so desperately behind on your (and everyone's) threads, Judy, but I had to stop and say "doggone you" and shake my metaphorical fist at you for enticing me to start two new series, with the Borderlands review and the First Law thingy. I bet you're not even sorry, are you?

>183 Storeetllr: It really does matter who the teacher was in most subjects, doesn't it. The one who turned me off Shakespeare probably shouldn't have been teaching. She was afraid of the students and wouldn't turn her back on the class, I still remember her standing stiff at the blackboard facing the class and writing over her shoulder. Unfortunately, the students sensed that she couldn't control us and ran roughshod over her. I can't remember at least two times when she broke down in tears.

>184 souloftherose: They are violent and gritty, to be sure, but with excellent characters and a great storyline, Heather.

>185 Smiler69: I think you will really like Mister Pip, Ilana, and it is a very quick read as well. I would love to spend some time in Montreal again. I spent my teen years in Ottawa and we sometimes went to Montreal for weekends. There was also Expo 67! (you may not have even been born yet for that!)

>186 thornton37814: I hope you give Edna Ferber another try sometime Lori, I never studied her in school but did discover her on my own in my teens and I gobbled up everything I could find. I remember particularly enjoying Giant, and Show Boat. I guess I should give Shakespeare a try again as well. I have seen and enjoyed some of his plays when they are done in the theatre which I suspect is the best place to acquaint yourself with him.

>187 rosalita: Hi Julia, it's so easy to slip behind, isn't it. LOL, nope not guilty at all! If I have to follow 300 plus series then I like to know I have company!

I hadn't planned on listening to the following book until next month, but when I checked it's length and saw that it was over 43 hours in length, I decided that I would start it in July. Of course, once I started it, I was hooked, and although it bogged down in detail a few times, this was an excellent audio and I can't recommend the narrator, Davina Porter enough.

113. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon - 4.3 ★
14 in 14 Category: In 492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
TIOLI #19: Read A Book Whose Author is From One of the Countries that Participated in the World Cup Matches



Voyager by Diana Gabaldon is the third volume in her Outlander series and continues the saga of Claire and Jamie Fraser. Twenty years has past since Jamie sent Claire back to the future and during this time, Claire has assumed that Jamie died at Culloden. She has spent her time in raising their daughter, training to be a doctor and continuing her lukewarm marriage to Frank. After her husband dies, she and her 18 year old daughter travel to Scotland where she discovers that Jamie survived the battle and there is a possibility that she could find him and be with him again. With her daughters approval, Claire sets her affairs in order and travels through the stones and into the past once again.

She does find Jamie but before they can find lasting peace and happiness, they have many issues to sort through, secrets to reveal and adventures to complete. When Jamie’s nephew Ian is kidnapped and carried off to the Caribbean, Claire and Jamie vow to get him back and set sail after him.

I listened to this book as narrated by Davina Porter and once again was totally captivated by her version. She has the voices down pat, and listening to her read this book, even though it was 43 plus hours long, was a very enjoyable experience. I am slowly working my way back through this series, and with this volume full of smugglers, pirates, prostitutes and a secret treasure, it was a great escape from the everyday.

>188 DeltaQueen50: I enjoy Shakespeare. Of course, I like some of them better than others, but I do try re-reading some from time to time. I have actually been thinking of re-reading one of his plays for my re-reads category.

>188 DeltaQueen50: Ah Expo 67, that takes me back. I still have my passport for Expo 67 somewhere around here. Everyone in my family had a passport because it was right in our backyard. We lived in Pointe Claire at that time, a suburb of Montreal.

>190 thornton37814: I think it would have been better if I had studied one of his comedies or lighter ones rather the one they forced on me in school - Henry V - was difficult, and of course, the teacher made it impossible.

>191 Familyhistorian: Meg! So glad someone else remembers Expo 67! Living in Ottawa at the time we were only a couple of hours away. I went a number of times with the school, a few times with my family, and my sister and I went a couple of times by ourselves. I remember eating at the Indian Pavilion and having rasins in my rice for the first time ever. I also believe that Expo was the first time I ever had pizza as well. (I'm sure pizza was around long before Expo 1967, but I don't think my family had tried it before then.)

114. The Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett - 3.4 ★
14 in 14 Category: Agatha & Friends
July MysteryCat: Noir & Hard-Boiled
TIOLI #11: Rolling Challenge Based on People, Place or Thing



The Asphalt Jungle by W.R. Burnett is a classic crime novel, and a great heist story. Set in the gritty streets of a large Midwestern city, the powers-that-be take note when a known criminal mastermind is released from prison. They are right to be concerned as he immediately starts planning a big job and gathering his crew.

I struggled a little getting into this story, I think there was too much time taken up with introducing the various characters. Typical with most hard boiled stories most of these characters were unlikeable but I also found many of them rather uninteresting as well. The actual heist was fascinating but went by very quickly. The book followed the whole cycle of crime, from the planning stages to it’s execution and the final outcome. It was hard to root for either the criminals or the police as I didn’t find much to choose from either of them.

I am usually a huge fan of this type of book, but something felt lacking in this one as it fell a little flat.. The writing was strong and colourful but as the story wound down it felt like it was running out of gas. I think I would like to try some of this authors other works like High Sierra or Little Caesar. I suspect the film adaptation might be the better way to go with The Asphalt Jungle.

Currently Reading



The Only Life That Mattered by James Nelson
Dead Tomorrow by Peter James

Hi Judy! Just doing a weekend check-in. I have never read The Asphalt Jungle, but I am a big fan of the film version. Have you seen it? If not, try to track it down.
I have still not read Gabaldon. Someday, perhaps? Hope you are having a fine Sunday.

Hi Mark, I am heading off to visit my family on the island next week, and my brother has the film Asphalt Jungle all ready for me. I am looking forward to it. I understand that this is one of Marilyn Monroe's early film appearances.

Well, if you don't get to them before, Diana Gabaldon's books would be perfect for your 17th Thingaversary when the theme is Romance! ;)

Checking in briefly. Wish I had more time to stay. I will say that you've been reading up a storm. I'm a bit jealous :) Happy reading!

I really liked Dead Simple by Peter James. How has the rest of the series been?

Happy Monday, everyone. I know Monday is not the most popular day of the week but it is the day that my grandson comes for dinner and I always look forward to that. Tomorrow is my granddaughter's day. We are having BBQ Pork Kabobs for dinner and I have them marinating in the fridge, will add some nugget potatoes and a plate of raw veggies. I think he and his grandpa will slip away to Dairy Queen after dinner for a dessert treat. For the rest of the my day I have no plans except some time spent here on LT and some reading time as well.

>197 Kassilem: Hi Melissa, good to hear from you. You must be having a busy summer - hope it is a good one.

>198 Morphidae: Morphy, that first book was quite the roller coaster ride, wasn't it! I don't think any of the subsequent books have quite reached the first books in thrills, but it has become a first class police procedure series, and I really enjoy the Brighton setting. They are all very thick books, usually well over 400 pages, but they read very quickly.

Sounds like a perfect day, Judy! Enjoy!

Tuesday used to be my Scout day, Judy, so I understand perfectly. Grandchildren are a joy. I hope you are enjoying your day.

BBQ Kabobs and then a DQ run..... = heaven in my books. I would love a peanut buster parfait, if you are taking orders. ;-)

>200 katiekrug: Thanks Katie, I did! :)

>201 BLBera: Hi Beth, yes, I have to squeeze in as much time as I can as I am going away tomorrow for a couple of weeks and when I get back, they will be heading out with their parents for a summer vacation.

>202 lkernagh: Lori, I avoid the DQ as I try to limit my calories, but I am sure hubby would love to pick you up a peanut buster parfait! Oh dear, now I have a craving for one of those!

115. The Only Life That Mattered by James Nelson - 4.4 ★
14 in 14 Category: N is the Fourteenth Letter
TIOLI #14: Author Has Only One A In His/Her Name



A short life but a merry one, was the code by which Mary Read, Anne Bonny and Calico Jack Rackham lived by. The Only Life That Mattered by James Nelson is based on the true story of these notorious pirates of the Caribbean. Together these three cut a wide swath through the West Indies shipping lanes, plundering, stealing and fighting all in order to live the life of freedom that they desired.

James Nelson tells their story from their first meeting to the end of their time in the Sweet Trade. This is a story full of adventure and action, yet he sticks very close to the actual facts that are known about this trio. His descriptions of pirate society is colourful and convincing. The author is able to make these figures come alive on the pages as he expresses each characters inner thoughts and emotions in a very believable way. With the limited historical knowledge that there is on these people, he traces the very different steps each took that led them to make the choices that they did.

The Only Life That Mattered was a very enjoyable read and shined a spotlight on both the pirate way of life and in particular two woman who lived very different lives from what was considered the norm for their time, embracing a life of adventure and freedom for whatever short period they were able to have.

I Googled them and found an interesting tale. I doubt I'll read the book but I'm glad you reviewed it. I like learning new things!

I am in the process of loading up my car as I am off to catch a ferry to Vancouver Island and go visit my family there for a couple of weeks. My computer time will be limited but I hope to check in every now and again.

>205 Morphidae: Hi Morphy, it was an interesting read especially about the two women who I have read many things about but never actually knew the truth. It was amazing that these two women, who disguised themselves as men and lived such adventurous lives, should have found themselves thrown together on a pirate ship and were able to form such a bond.

Have a great time Judy!

Have a fantastic trip, Judy!

Have a great time visiting the family, Judy! hope you get in plenty of R & R. The Only Life That Mattered sounds really good.

Judy, I hope you enjoy your time over on VI. We will try not to get into too much trouble while you are gone, but no promises. ;-)

Thanks Ilana, Amber, Mark and Julia. I have arrived safe and sound and although it was raining when I arrived, it is clear and sunny today and I suspect we are heading back towards a heat wave. I have been doing some reading, but mostly just socializing with the family.

116. Dead Tomorrow by Peter James - 3.9 ★
Category: British Fortnight
TIOLI #5: Cover of Book Portrays an Easily Identifiable Symbol or Geographical Location



Dead Tomorrow by Peter James is the fifth in the on-going series that features D.I. Roy Grace. This was a good police procedural that really advanced the personal story of Roy Grace. The case was a heartbreaking one of Romanian homeless teens being lured to England and being killed for their internal organs.

Grace has finally reached the decision to proceed with having his wife, missing for nine years, declared dead. He is also ready to pop the question to his girlfriend, Cleo and try to get his life back on track. At the same time, his best friend, Glenn, another detective, is going through having his own marriage breakup.

A plot that keeps the pages turning peopled with characters that I have grown to care about, Dead Tomorrow is a well plotted procedural that was hard to put down.

As you know dear Guru, I haven't been quite myself around the threads lately for a variety of reasons many of which are self-induced.

Nice to finally catch-up and feel more like myself. Impressive reading in July so far, I must say. I also follow the Grace series (although I have some catching up to do there too!) and believe it to be a good one to follow.

Have a great weekend, Judy. xx

#213 - Whatever the circumstances, it is always a treat to have you visit, Paul. I'm just sorry that I'm not here to welcome you! Just a flying visit today, as I suspected the TIOLI Challenges for August would be up. My trip is going well and tomorrow we are going to a river for a swim and a picnic.

117. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett - 4.4 ★
Category: Agatha & Friends
July MysteryCat: Noir/Hard-Boiled
TIOLI #9: A Book About Art Theft or Forgery



I'm not going to write a review on The Maltese Falcon as not only have many people here already read it, but it is such a well-known book and has been well reviewed over the years. I'll just say it's a great piece of noir, I loved the story and it's left me wanting to see the movie. I have a list of authors that I fully intend to search out their works, and I am adding Dashiell Hammett to it.

I think someone else here has recently read The Maltese Falcon but I can't remember who.

Ah! It was luvamystery65. She also loved it.

I'm thinking I may bump it up from TBR Someday to TBR Soon.

>216 Morphidae: Morphy, A number of us that are part of the Category Challenge read The Maltese Falcon in July as it fit the July MysteryCat of Noir/Hard-Boiled.

118. Shift by Jennifer Bradbury - 3.7 ★
Category: Emancipation Age is 14
TIOLI #10: A Book Whose Title Is Catalogued By At Least One Other Author



I found Shift by Jennifer Bradbury an interesting story of two young boys who, after graduating high school and before leaving for university, take a bike trip across the United States. When only one boy returns and resumes his life, questions arise as to the whereabouts of the other.

Told in a combination of flashbacks and current time, we learn about the boys, Chris and Win, what the trip means to both and where they feel they are going in life. When Win continues to be missing, an FBI investigation is launched and this investigation appears to be centered on Chris.

This is more of a story of relationships than a true mystery. As the details of the trip are revealed, the reader has a very good idea of what happened to Win. I enjoyed the story and my only quibble is that I felt the ending was a little to simplified. I should qualify this complaint with the allowance that this is a YA story and meant for a far younger audience than I.

Hope your trip is still going well, Judy. It looks like you are finding some time to read!

I have to stay away from the Category Challenge until I have completed previous years' challenges. I'm still working on 888, 12 in 12 and 13 in 13!

Hi, Judy! Happy Travels!

Still in Victoria but planning on heading home on Wednesday. We've been having perfect holiday weather but as everything is drying out so much it would be nice to have a day or so of rain. Planning a lazy day today with family getting together, lazing around in the shade and embarking on a Trivial Pursuit challenge. Too hot to cook so we are bringing in some Thai food for dinner.

>219 ronincats: Hi Roni, yes, having a lovely time but now starting to look forward to getting home and back into my regular routine. I will have a lot of catching up to do - and not all of it on LT!

>220 Morphidae: Hi Morphy, I don't think it matters whether you complete the challenges or not, as long a you have fun doing it! Many of us are already deep into the planning of the 15 in 15 Challenge and how we are going to go about it!

>221 tymfos: Waves to Terri, hope you are having a great summer!

119. Teacher, Teacher by Jack Sheffield - 3.4 ★
Category: Final Fourteen
August RandomCat: Back To School
TIOLI #1: A Two Word Title With Both Words Beginning With the Same Letter



In 1977, Jack Sheffield is appointed Headmaster of a small primary school in a village in North Yorkshire. Teacher, Teacher is his semi- autobiographical account of his first year in this tiny village, the events that occur during the school year and the interesting, strange and quirky characters that he encounters. Told in a mild, slighty tongue-in-cheek manner, this is a very readable and gently humorous story.

Each chapter starts with a brief entry from the school logbook and then goes on to enlarge upon the details and tells the story behind these entries. These stories often emphasize the importance of the village school to the sense of community, and although Jack tells interesting stories, it is the other characters that provide the color, humor and human interest. These stories range from insights about Ruby, the larger-than-life school janitor to the touching story of a Viet Nam refugee and are warm, funny and nostalgic.

I enjoyed Teacher, Teacher but found that it was a book that I had to put down often to give myself a break from the sweetness. While reading of the support, tolerance and understanding that Jack remembers as being the norm of the day, one should remember this is also the time period of the Yorkshire Ripper and that things were not as picture perfect as this book would have one believe. This was the first book in a series of four, and I will probably pick up the second book at some point when I need a warm, comfortable read.

>222 DeltaQueen50: I must complete each challenge! *twitch twitch*

I will join you in wishing for a day or two or rain, Judy!

>224 Morphidae: I know how you feel, Morphy, as I am a completist as well.

>225 lkernagh: We are talking like true West Coasters, aren't we, Lori! I don't want to complain as we are having the most wonderful summer weather, but here in the Pacific Northwest we are programmed to actually enjoy our rainy days!

I arrived home today and in the midst of unpacking and laundry I had to also try and at least update my own thread with my recent reads. I am hoping to begin my catching up later this evening. I brought a few books home with me, mostly books that my family has already read, but I did buy myself a copy of both Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Longbourn by Jo Baker.

120. The Under Dog and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - 3.3 ★
Category: Agatha & Friends
August MysteryCat: British Mysteries
TIOLI #14: Book Has the Words "Dog", "Days" or "Summer" in the Title



The Underdog and Other Stories is a collection of short stories by Agatha Christie. There are nine different stories in this collection and I would rate them all somewhere between a 3 and a 3.5. I freely admit that short stories are not usually my preferred reading material, but these stories all of which featured Hercule Poirot smugly solving the mysteries, was the perfect reading for me as I was visiting relatives and found myself frequently having to break off my reading.

The nine stories that are included in this collection are:

The Underdog
Plymouth Express
Victory Ball
Market Basing
Lemesurier Insurance
Cornish Mystery
King of Clubs
Submarine Plans
Clapham Cook

Basically I would say if you are a fan of Agatha Christie and her detective Poirot, then you will enjoy this collection. The stories are fairly simple with small twists that are easily predictable. Perhaps not a good place to start reading Christie, but a great companion piece to her more complex mysteries.

121. Nineteen Seventy-Seven by David Peace - 3.9 ★
Category: N is the Fourteenth Letter
TIOLI #11: Title Includes A Day, A Month or A Year



I approached Nineteen Seventy-Seven by David Peace with some trepidation as the first book actually shocked me with it’s brutality, violence and darkness. I do have to admit however, that that book stuck with me. Perhaps knowing a little of what to expect, this second book of the quartet, went down a little easier. Yes, the story is still unrelentingly bleak and violent, but his writing definitely reaches out to the reader in an almost visceral manner.

The story is set in the summer of Nineteen Seventy-Seven as in the Yorkshire city of Leeds someone is murdering women, and in particular targeting prostitutes. The murderer is given the name of the Yorkshire Ripper by the newspapers, the police are working long hours trying to trace this vicious killer. But as the story starts to focus in on certain individuals we learn of many other gruesome events that are both haunting and distracting. As the killings continue, two men, one a policeman, the other a newspaper reporter, become convinced that there is more than one killer at work. There is a powerful conspiracy of silence and corruption in the police force and these men run full tilt into this wall of darkness and find they have nowhere to turn.

Nineteen Seventy-Seven is not a pleasant read by any means. Policemen rape prostitutes and torture suspects knowing full well they are innocent. This is however an in-your-face story that exposes that side of life that we would all prefer to ignore. A powerful story that is told with passion and style. I don't think I could read these books too close together, but I will definitely be reaching for volume three next year.

Currently Reading



Still Midnight by Denise Mina
The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

>229 DeltaQueen50: Ooh, I saw your reference to the Yorkshire Ripper on a post about another book written about a school in the same area. I thought that you had remarkable grasp on history but I see that you had a recent reference to go by. Was the Yorkshire Ripper case the first one in which they used blood samples to track down the murderer?

You're a hard lady to stay caught up with, Judy! Loved your reviews of Daughter of War (looking for that one at my library) and Mister Pip (enjoyed that one, myself).

Welcome home, Judy! Hope you had a great time in Victoria. Look forward to your thoughts on Gone Girl & Longbourn.

Just *waving*; I've been lurking along, but I thought I'd let you know I'm still here.

It's great to have you back, Judy! I hope your time away was enjoyable and relaxing!

we are programmed to actually enjoy our rainy days!

I will agree to that! ;-)

I am looking forward to seeing what you think of Still Midnight. I think I have placed a hold for a copy of that one.

Hello Judy, It's been awhile since I visited. And, look what I see....121 books read. Congratulations! Happy Day To You!

Welcome home Judy! I fell a bit behind, but all caught up with you again!

I have spent late evening and this morning catching up over at the Category Challenge and now am ready to tackle the massive 75!

>231 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, yes, I started reading Nineteen Seventy-Seven while I was already reading Teacher, Teacher and found the difference between Shefield's gentle rural Yorkshire and Peace's dark and grim Yorkshire to be almost grating. I think the truth of the matter lies somewhere in between, as the one author seems to have rose colored glasses on while the other seems to enjoy dragging his readers down into the mud!

As to tracking by blood samples I don't think the Yorkshire Ripper was the first. I remember reading an account of a rape and murder of a school girl somewhere in rural Britain that was actually the first crime that blood tracking was used. I read a book all about it, but I can't remember either the name of the book or the author.

>232 countrylife: Thanks for dropping by, Cindy. This has certainly been my most successful reading year in terms of numbers. I think the older I get, the more aware I am of my limited reading time and want to get as many books read as I can!

>233 msf59: Hi Mark. I am looking forward to both those books, I know you were the first to draw my attention to Gone Girl and I think, Joe wrote the first review that I remember about Longbourn.

>234 humouress: Waving back at Nina. I will be moseying by your thread sometime over the next couple of days to see what's new with you and your family.

>235 rosalita: Hi Julia. I am glad to be home, although we are just starting with some massive kitchen renovations that will be causing upheaval for a couple of months. We are going out for dinner tonight as they put in a new ceiling and spent the day sanding resulting in a fine white powder all over the place.

>236 lkernagh: Lori, I am about 6 chapters into Still Midnight and it has grabbed me. I am a Denise Mina fan and enjoy her intelligent and complex stories. This is the first in her Alex Morrow series and I think she is making an effort to be a little more mainstream than usual.

>237 Whisper1: Lovely to hear from you, Linda. I am so behind here, but I hope you are doing well. I will be by your thread soon to catch up.

>238 Smiler69: Hi Ilana, falling behind is so easy to do here! Looking forward to catching up with you soon as well.

>239 DeltaQueen50: found the difference between Shefield's gentle rural Yorkshire and Peace's dark and grim Yorkshire to be almost grating
Yorkshire does have sections of industrial (post-industrial now) grimness (particularly in the 1970's) and beautiful peaceful countryside, so it might not just be to do with the outlooks of the authors. The Yorkshire Ripper was eventually arrested in 1981 only a couple of minutes walk from the main buildings of Sheffield University, a somewhat alarming thought as that was where I was studying at the time.

>239 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, I found the book I was thinking of, it was The Blooding by Joseph Wambaugh. I remember starting it but I put it down and never picked it up again. According to Amazon the murders happened in the English village of Narborough and it was in the '70s.

Good luck with your kitchen renos. I lived through those before but it was minor compared to all the work that we had done when we had most of our upstairs living area redone. Fun! I got to enjoy my kitchen for about a year before the house was sold and now I live in a townhouse whose kitchen leaves much to be desired. Why anyone would paint solid wood cabinets white I don't know! Your kitchen new kitchen will be worth the pain of living through renos. I can remember going from no working drawers in the old kitchen in the old house to 13 drawers - I would pull them out just to watch them slide to a close with barely a whisper - sigh!

>240 SandDune: Oh my goodness, Rhian. That's a little too close for comfort. I have two more books in the Red Riding Quartet to follow the story through to it's conclusion, although so far the author is using the Ripper storyline as almost a backdrop to his other plotlines.

>241 Familyhistorian: Yes, The Blooding is the book I was also thinking of. I read it years ago but remember finding it very interesting at the time. Early forensics are probably so dated now but it was the aid that broke many cases starting back in the 70s.

Since we moved into this house, this is the third kitchen renovation we have gone through. We are thinking partly of our own wants and needs and partly of upgrades we need to do to if we decide to sell the house and move to a condo.

Welcome home, but kitchen renovations are difficult. I remember living between the microwave and the outdoor grill for several months when we did our nearly 20 years ago!!

>243 ronincats: Thanks Roni, there certainly is nothing quite as disruptive has having the kitchen in disaray.

Judy, welcome home! Your kitchen renovations sound like a big project. I'm still so traumatised by having my bathroom done six years ago that I have vowed just to start barbecuing outside if the kitchen gives up on me :-)

>227 DeltaQueen50:: Welcome home, fellow traveler! I'm glad I didn't return to a torn-up kitchen, but I would love to have the end results! I am a big fan of both Gone Girl and Longbourn. Such different types of books but both were compelling in their own way. Enjoy!

>245 susanj67: Susan, everytime we go through this I always say, that's the last time! But of course it never is. I think we will be relying on our barbecue at lot over the next few weeks.

>246 Donna828: Hi Donna, I am looking forward to both these books, they've been on my wishlist for some time.

I am off now to set up my next thread.