lindapanzo's 2015 reading--1st inning

Welcome!! A change in plans for 2015. Simplify, simplify, simplify

Three categories with 20 books each plus four categories with 15 books each. 120 in all with no overlaps.

1. Mysteries (20 books)--read 14 out of 20
2. Novels (20 books)--read 4 out of 20
3. More Mysteries (20 books)--read 0 out of 20

4. Sports (15 books)--read 4 out of 15
5. History (15 books)--read 5 out of 15
6. Still More Mysteries (15 books)--read 0 out of 15
7. Overflow (when the other categories get filled up) (15 books)--read 0 out of 15

Category 1: Mysteries (20 books)--read 14 out of 20

1. Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds by Nancy Martin--finished on 12/15/14
2. Death of a Mad Hatter by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 12/25/14
3. Private by James Patterson--finished on 12/28/14
4. Cover Her Face by P.D. James--finished on 1/1/15
5. Old Fashioned Crooks by Jessica Beck--finished on 1/2/15
6. Red Velvet Revenge by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 1/8/15
7. Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke--finished on 1/10/15
8. The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh--finished on 1/15/15
9. Eggs in a Casket by Laura Childs--finished on 1/21/15
10. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?--finished on 1/25/15
11. A Baked Ham by Jessica Beck--finished on 1/31/15
12. Murder in the Marais by Cara Black--finished on 2/3/15
13. The French Powder Mystery by Ellery Queen--finished on 2/16/15
14. The Ragtime Kid by Larry Karp--finished on 2/22/15

Category 2: Novels (20 books)--read 4 out of 20

1. Insurgent by Veronica Roth--finished on 12/15/14
2. Allegiant by Veronica Roth--finished on 12/27/14
3. The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers--finished on 1/5/15
4. Daisy Miller by Henry James--finished on 2/8/15

Category 3 More Mysteries (20 books)--read 0 out of 20

Category 4: Sports (15 books)--read 4 out of 15

Focus, of course, is on baseball but I've built up a backlog of hockey books lately, too. Other sports book, such as Boys on the Bus could fit here, too.

1. Mr Hockey: My Story by Gordie Howe--finished on 12/20/14
2. Cubs Forever by Bob Vorwald--finished on 1/3/15
3. Brooks: The Biography of Brooks Robinson by Doug Wilson--finished on 1/28/15
4. A Whole New Ballgame by Stephen J. Walker--finished on 2/19/15

POSSIBLES:
--The Last Hockey Game by Bruce McDougall

Category 5: History (15 books)--read 5 out of 15

1. Peace on Earth: The Christmas Truce of 1914--finished on 12/22/14
2. Candy Bomber by Michael O. Tunnell--finished on 1/4/14
3. Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt by Edward P. Kohn--finished on 1/16/15
4. When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning--finished on 2/5/15 (5-STAR READ!!)
5. Empire of Sin by Gary Krist--finished on 2/13/15

Category 6: Still More Mysteries (15 books)--read 0 out of 15

Category 7: Overflow (when the other categories get filled up) (15 books)--read 0 out of 15

oops, no longer needed

unneeded

nope, don't need it

not needed anymore

Save in case I change my mind

We'll see if I need it later

Category approach changed

not needed

Excellent!

Why am I not surprised? ;)

>18 christina_reads: I'm too predictable!!

Actually, I was fiddling around with categories but left the list on my desk at work so I recreated it when I heard about the start of the challenge. Not an identical match-up. Now I've got to decide whether I like the original list or the recreated list better. They are very similar. Maybe two different categories.

No problem with staying with the fun!

You, bum! you stole my idea! Now I need to find something else. :-(

How about that? Linda went with a baseball theme! :-) Hi Linda!

Cheli - unless you have a good Plan B lined up, I think you should use the idea you had - even if it is similar to Linda's, you'll put your own spin on it.

Cheli, I'm sure yours is quite different. As Sandy suggested, you can put your own spin on it.

I'm changing lots of categories, not surprisingly.

One of my ideas is also a baseball theme, but it's still just an idea. The Bingo Dog kind of threw a wrench into my ideas for themes. Cheli - there were lots of song themes this year so I say - go for it!

>24 dudes22: Just do a category for Bingo within your baseball theme! You could call it something like "Covering All Your Bases." Or not, just a suggestion. :)

>25 christina_reads: *applauds suggested category name*

Also, Linda, I particularly enjoy your Canadian category ;)

>24 dudes22: and >25 christina_reads: I wish more people would do baseball themes.

>26 rabbitprincess: I am especially eager about my Canada category.

I recently read a book about how hockey explains Canada and I realized I know very little about Canadian history so I'd like to read at least one book about that subject, along with the new Louise Penny and some fiction by Canadian authors. Maybe a hockey book or two. Maybe even one about Tim Horton's.

Baseball does lend itself unexpectedly well to a book challenge, doesn't it?!

As always, I love the baseball theme and I am relieved that you didn't go with the same heading that I stole from you. ;)

Hi Eva and Judy.

Judy, I'm flattered that you have stolen one of my categories.

Still trying to decide whether I want to read a set number of books per category, as usual, next year, or else have 3 tiers, one with 15 books per category, one with 10 books per category, and one with 5 books per category.

Who was it that says that there are as many good books on baseball written in a year as there are good books on football written in a decade? Or something like that. Glad to see you're going out to the ball game once more.

>31 Bjace: Wow, apparently I haven't been around here lately. Embarrassingly so. I would definitely agree with that sentiment.

Not surprisingly, I always have one category in my challenge that is subject to change. I've changed Art and Architecture to Asian Authors to American Authors Challenge. I was going to change it, yet again, to Anne Perry but recall being dissatisfied picking a single-author category.

Voila, I thought of the double play. Read two books by the same author. That, I can do. That'll give me room to double up on up to 5 authors.

As the 2014 challenge winds down, I think I have 14 books left to go now, my thoughts will gradually turn towards this 2015 challenge. Still planning to start on it on December 15th. Increasingly, it looks like I'll finish my 2014 challenge relatively on time, giving myself a few weeks, hopefully, to read whatever I feel like.

>32 lindapanzo: giving myself a few weeks, hopefully, to read whatever I feel like

Hopefully your categories are construed to accommodate whatever you feel like! ;-) Looking forward to following.

>33 Poquette: Yes, they are. I read a lot of series mysteries so I had first in the series, next in the series, even more in the series. Books off my shelves, etc.

There aren't many books that don't fit somewhere though the ER book that arrived today--about playgrounds--would be tough to place.

One way or another, it will be fun!

You've done a great job with your categories for 2015. I've got a few ideas, but I haven't fleshed them out to a point to make a theme work for me. I'll keep trying.

Linda, as usual, I love your categories! So smart and clever!

>35 Poquette: Yes it will.

Thanks Lori and Laura.

With only 7 books left til I finish my 2014 challenge, I'm really starting to think about the 2015 challenge. I've fine tuned my Chicago books category to allow for books about other cities, such as the new Gary Krist one about New Orleans (if my ER book ever arrives), though the focus will still be on Chicagoland.

Also changed the hot/cold category to war and military. I seem to include this one every few years. The son of an old hs friend has written a book about his wartime experiences. I think it'll be hard to read because her four sons all served in the Middle East and only three of them came home. Even so, I feel like I need to read that one.

Anyway, sometime soon, I'll start to populate each category with some books I'm considering.

Looking forward to starting on Dec 15.

Considering simplifying my challenge to 5 categories of 15 books each.

Hmmm...

When we were at 888, 999, even 101010 the original idea of the challenge was just that, a challenge but doable if we just kept reading. As the years increased it got to be difficult to go along with the original idea so we all have been going our own ways - pyramids, smaller numbers, pages. I don't think that it really matters as long as you are reading in different categories. Personally, for me, I think I'll always have the same number of categories as the year, just the number of books, pages, etc. for each category will change.

I think 15 categories is getting to be too many. It's tough to keep them all straight.

I'm considering 3 categories of 20 each and 4 categories of 15 each. 120 books in all with no overlaps.

Something like mysteries, sports, novels, and history. And more mysteries, and even more mysteries.

well, we do this for fun. if you think 15 categories is going to be a pain for you then simplify away!

I've made the change. Definitely simple, giving myself 20+20+20+15+15+15+15.

Generally speaking, I'm counting mysteries, novels, history, and sports.

I hope it works out!

Looks good!

Hi Linda: It looks like a lot of us are going for the simplicity theme this year.

Of course it goes without saying that my reading will be mystery heavy as well as what has been on the shelves for years.

I've got you starred, you're starting soon right?

>46 lsh63: I'm starting on 12/15.

I started early one year and it confused me all year. This time I'm waiting until January 1. Hope the simplified version works well for you, Linda.

>48 majkia: thanks. Most of what I read can fit into these categories.

I think it was 2010, when I started on 12/10, so I don't get confused anymore. If I'm still doing this in 2032, I'll start on January 1st.

Nice and simple. My theme for this year is kind of elaborate and I'll probably get tired of it somewhere along the line. Yours is definitely a keeper.

I love your new plan - "And more mysteries, and even more mysteries"

I'm in the process of simplifying my 2015 plan as well. Fifteen categories is just too many for me, too.

With the work changes, my work life will be getting extremely complicated so simplifying my reading life seems to be warranted. Even I can remember mysteries, novels, history, and sports.

With an overflow category, the totals probably won't be as important as I thought. I was dithering over which categories to include in a 20 and which in a 15.

Just about all of my original categories would fit within these four categories. Broadening baseball to sports, for instance, will give me plenty of room for baseball but will also let me read those hockey books that seem to have piled up recently, including my latest ER win and the new Chris Chelios autobiography. Chicago books can fit within history or fiction. The same for military.

Not clever but definitely simple.

If I find it's out of reach, I'll give myself the luxury of overlaps but, initially at least, no.

Simplicity is a good thing! I'm sure you'll end up with a quite a bit of variety within your broader categories.

The simple pleasures in life are always the best, aren't they? Enjoy!

Looks like a great plan, I'll be following along.

Glad to see everyone here as I start my 2015 challenge today.

Fast out of the box. I tend to read, without fail, from 10 pm til midnight every day. My mystery book took me past midnight but I finished it. Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds by Nancy Martin.

I normally do not read before work but, today, I had just a bit to go in Insurgent and I couldn't leave and couldn't put it down til I finished.

So, less than a half day into my 2015 challenge and I've finished two books already. Needless to say, I won't be keeping this pace up.

You're off to a great start, Linda.

>57 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy.

Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds by Nancy Martin--finished on 12/15/14

I read the first Blackbird Sisters cozy more than 10 years ago and recently picked up the second one, in a Kindle version from the library. I'm glad I did as it's an enjoyable, though light, mystery.

Nora Blackbird is a high society woman in Philadelphia whose family is down on its luck and so she's doing work as a society reporter. The kleptomaniac wife of an old friend, who quarelled with Nora at a party, is found dead at the bottom of a pool.

Fun characters, including two other Blackbird sisters, and a Mafia-connected boyfriend make for an enjoyable cozy plot.

Definitely planning to read on in this series.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth--finished on 12/15/14

I absolutely loved the first book in this future Chicago dystopian series, Divergent and decided to read the second one. Lots of people cautioned me that I might not like it was much as I loved the first one. I agree, I loved this one but not quite as much as I did the first one.

Tris, Four, and all the characters are back from the first book but this one seemed to jump around more than the first one, which was focused on the factions' initiation rites.

Getting off to a fast start is a big help... makes a difference when you are coming down to the wire!

Great Start!

Hoping to finish a Cubs book, the Gordie Howe memoirs, the book about the WW1 Christmas truce and a Christmas mystery by year end, at a minimum.
We'll see...

Yikes. I'm behind already!!!!

This is a tough time of the year to read. Too many Christmas activities and, this year at least, not many days off to do them (due to the upheaval at work, many, if not most, of my days off were cancelled, though I at least get Christmas Eve, Day, Boxing Day and NYE and day.).

I heard on the news tonight that when the Cubs just signed John Lester ( from my Sox), their odds of winning (getting to?) the World Series went from 50-1 to 12-1. And he made the cover of Sports Illustrated.

>66 dudes22: We're doomed. He'll probably break his arm during Spring Training, thanks to the Sports Illustrated curse.

I am excited about this upcoming season, much more so than in many previous years. If the young players can develop as expected/hoped for and Lester meets expectations, the Cubs will have a good team.

Apparently, one of the deciding factors had to do with the fact that the Red Sox traded him mid-season last year, instead of waiting til the end. And the Cubs had the best offer.

Mr Hockey: My Story by Gordie Howe--finished on 12/20/14

Gordie Howe was the greatest hockey player ever in the NHL. Wayne Gretzky, the greatest scorer ever, even says so. I learned so much about Mr Hockey in his memoirs. From his early days, from extremely humble beginnings, in Saskatoon up through his years in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings, and on through his playing days in the World Hockey Association, playing with his sons, Mark and Marty.

He played, seemingly forever, from the 1940s up until 1980. For most of his NHL career, during the Original Six days, it was a different era and I thoroughly enjoyed this look at those days. Highly recommended!!

>68 dudes22: I see that the Cubs picked up Jon Lester's personal catcher too, so he ought to be a happy camper.

One would assume :)

Peace on Earth: The Christmas Truce of 1914--finished on 12/22/14

This informative Kindle single told me everything I need to know about the famous 1914 Christmas truce during World War 1. What happened, how long it lasted, what was the reaction, and what effects it had are among the questions addressed.

I didn't get cards done this year.

But I wish you and all your family

Same to you!

I love your simplified challenge and you are off to a great start with it!

Hope you all enjoyed the holiday!! Mine was among the best I've had.

Death of a Mad Hatter by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 12/25/14

This second in the hat shop series was just ok for me. I liked the characters, including the American woman who moved to London to take over the hat shop after a death in the family. The mystery itself was just so-so.

So now, I've got 3 days off, though events seem to fill up the days. I'm starting Allegiant and continuing with a book about the Chicago Cubs. I might start a mystery, as well. Haven't decided which one though.

A belated Merry Chirstmas, Linda! I'm so happy it was a great one. :) Here's to an even better 2015!!!

I'm tempted to start early...I'm ready for it to be 2015. 2014 was a hard year for me! I also like your broad categories...I've taken that approach too. A too-specific challenge is a impossible challenge to me right now.

Hi Laura, hi Rachel. My life is becoming complicated enough so simplifying my reading for 2015 seemed to be a natural. Good to see you here.

Allegiant by Veronica Roth--finished on 12/27/14

This is the third and final book in the Divergent trilogy. Tris, Tobias, and many of the others are present in this book but I liked this one the least, by far, of the books. Too much jumping around in point of view, between Tris and Tobias, chapter by chapter. This is not the conclusion to a wonderful series of books that I would've hoped for.

Private by James Patterson--finished on 12/28/14

I enjoyed this fast-paced, first-in-a-series private eye novel about the exclusive P.I. agency, Private, led by Jack Morgan. Lots of fast moving plots. Murdered schoolgirls. An NFL point-shaving scandal. The murder of the wife of Morgan's good friend.

Eager to move on with this series.

>82 lindapanzo: Chris has been reading that series and is about half finished with Allegiant. He doesn't say much about them, except that he kept asking for the next book. And he hasn't been pushing them on to me, which he usually does if it's something he's absolutely loving. So, I think I'll pass. Especially since I now know that the ending doesn't hold up to the rest of the series.

Glad you had a wonderful Christmas - hope your New Year's is also a good one. I'm anxious to get started on my 2015 challenge.

Happy New Year, Sandy!! Hope 2015 is a great reading year for you.

One thing I'll say about that series is that they're quick reads. I got really sucked into them and couldn't put them down. I think I would've been happier reading the first two and skipping the third, though I still want to see the movie(s). I think Insurgent movie is due out in March.

Most likely, my first 2015 book will be the first P.D. James mystery, Cover Her Face.

Cover Her Face by P.D. James--finished on 1/1/15

This is the first Adam Dalgliesh mystery by a woman who became a grand master of the genre. Dalgliesh investigates the murder of a house maid at a manor.

Loved it. I hope to make a big dent in this series this year. Up til now, I've read the P.D. James books in haphazard fashion.

>86 lindapanzo: Coincidentally, I just read that one over the Christmas holidays. Looking forward to reading more in the series eventually.

I'm planning on starting >83 lindapanzo: on Sunday myself! Patterson is perfect for getting out of a reading rut, or padding numbers, or to get carried away with an easy and readable story.

I've only read Death Comes to Pemberley by James, and I didn't finish it, in all honesty. Do you think I should give the Dalgliesh series a try?

Happy New Year, Linda!

I've never read, or had the desire to read, Death comes to Pemberly, but I really loved P. D. James' Dalgliesh books. You might also try An unsuitable job for a woman, which is about young P. I. Cordelia Grey. I liked it very much.

I'm not sure I want to read the Pemberly book but I do want to read all the Dalgliesh books. I think I've read 3 or so. Now the first one and 2 others, maybe 3. I think I'd like to try the Cordelia Grey books, too. Thanks for the tip, Bjace.

Laura, the Dalgliesh books are typical British police procedurals. The first one I just read is from the 1960s, I think.

I really didn't like the Pemberly book - definitely a fail as a sequel to P&P. Good to know that her other books are worth pursuing.

I've read some of P.D.James and I did read the Pemberley book.
I've also read other P&P sequels both mysteries and general fiction. The Pemberley book wasn't the best by James but also it wasn't the best sequel either. I enjoyed it but I didn't give it a high rating.

The mystery part of Death Comes to Pemberley reminded me quite a bit of an Anne Perry mystery. It would have been fine without the out of place rehashing of P&P.

My elderly mother has gotten wrapped up in the Vera Stanhope TV mysteries. On PBS I think. These are by Ann Cleeves. I saw the last 20 minutes tonight. Need to track these books down.

Old Fashioned Crooks by Jessica Beck--finished on 1/2/15

After a string of less than impressive donut shop mysteries, finally, one I liked. This 17th book in the series finds the murder of donut shop assistant Emma's ne'er do well boyfriend. Again, Suzanne and her friend, Grace, get involved in investigating.

One thing I like about this series is that the author changes up the lives of the characters. I'm excited for the turn this series is taking.

I'm way behind on this series - maybe I'll try to catch up a little bit this year.

>96 dudes22: Betty he (writing as Jessica Beck) cranks these out almost faster than anyone can read them. It seems like there are 3 or 4 per year now.

Now that I'm current, I'd like to read more of Beck's diner series. I think A Baked Ham is next for me.

Cubs Forever by Bob Vorwald--finished on 1/3/15

For a Cubs fan like me, this book is a delight. It's written by a WGN TV Cubs game producer and it's a bit dated, but there are a lot of great Cubs stories, focusing on big milestones that occurred at Wrigley Field over the year, with a bit of an emphasis on the WGN angle.

Lots of fun.

Candy Bomber by Michael O. Tunnell--finished on 1/4/14

This is an interesting little book about Gail Halvorsen, the pilot who started the chocolate candy drop for West Berlin kids during the Berlin Airlift in 1948. It started with Halvorsen dropping 3 handkerchief parachutes with some candy into a huge undertaking that changed his life and the lives of thousands of Berliners and, eventually, other kids in areas of need as the publicity of his good deeds spread.

Very interesting and a quick read.

Hi Linda! Candy Bomber sounds like fun - I'll have to get my hands on that one. I think I've read all the Adam Dalgliesh books over the years - I like them, but it was never my favorite series. I thought Death Comes to Pemberly was an unfortunate outing for James - not terribly successful. I haven't been reading too many mysteries recently - I'll have to catch up!

It's way past time to be asleep......

The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers--finished on 1/5/15

I haven't read a Carson McCullers book since I read The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter during my freshman year of high school. I love her simple, straightforward style but, in this collection, the title story/novella, was my least favorite. However, I really liked many of the short stories in this collection.

>100 Dejah_Thoris: Dejah, it was a fun little read. There's a similar-sounding title written by Halvorsen himself that sounds like it'd be good, too.

Off to a great start in the challenge this year!!

>102 lindapanzo: Off to a great start in the challenge this year!! -- I'll say you are!

>103 sjmccreary: Maybe because I simplified it and am reading what I want?

Next up, in terms of reading, will be a bunch of cozies. Comfort reading for the frigid weather.

Had a nice dinner for Mom's birthday tonight. Lots of black ice out there so the driving home after was a bit treacherous. All of the schools are closed for tomorrow.

Red Velvet Revenge by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 1/8/15

I like this Arizona-based cozy series featuring cupcake shop owners but, after a few books set in and around the cupcake shop, I'm glad that the whole crew ventures off somewhere else for a change. This time, to sell cupcakes at a rodeo.

Fun series!!

What's not to like about cupcakes?

Have you read her Library or Hat Shop series? The library one is pretty good and I'm hoping to try the hat one this year.

Until Stacy just mentioned it, I'd forgotten about her other series. I'll have to get back to them.

Hi Stacy and Dejah. Overall, I think I like McKinlay's cupcake and library series just about the same. I really like them both.

The hat shop series one is ok. I've read the first two of those and will probably continue with the series but it doesn't grab me like the other two series, do.

Right now, besides reading a book about the Great Heat Wave of 1896, I'm also reading The Attenbury Emeralds, one of those Lord Peter series continuation books by Jill Paton Walsh. I loved the others but since this one is a retelling of events from many years earlier, I'm having a hard time getting into it, so far.

Blackberry Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke--finished on 1/10/15

I'd put this series aside for awhile. Got tired of Hannah's inability to choose between Norman the dentist and Mike the cop.

Anyway, I went back to it and liked this one much better. The dialogue still seems off. The mystery still seems incredibly easy to solve. Even so, I found I missed the characters and the author has put together a bit of a cliffhanger. Not bad at all.

It was a snow day, 6 years ago today, that I was rummaging around online, looking for a way to catalog my books. I found LT. I never planned to meet and mingle with so many wonderful people but that has certainly happened.

Thank you all for 6 (so far) wonderful years on LT.

Happy Thingaversary, Linda! Woohoo! and many happy returns!

So what's on the shopping list?

>112 Dejah_Thoris:

My 7 acquired books (heavy on mysteries) include:

1. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
2. The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves (first in the Vera Stanhope series)
3. The Ragtime Kid by Larry Karp
4. Twisted Threads by Lea Wait (a new cozy series from a favorite cozy author)
5. A Baked Ham by Jessica Beck
6. With Baited Breath by Lorraine Bartlett (first in a new cozy series)
7. Geared for the Grave by Duffy Brown (first in a new cozy series)

I think the first one is still en route and I got the second one from the Book Depository and that ought to show up at some point, too.

Happy Thingaversary!

Excellent books! I hope you love them all.

Oops. Duplicate enthusiasm.

Great Thingaversary haul! I think you'll like the Lea Wait book. I snagged an ARC of it from NetGalley and enjoyed it.

Good to hear, Lori. I suggested the Karp book for Missouri Readers and, at the time, it was a Kindle freebie. Call the Midwife is not my usual but I love the TV series and suspect I'll like the books, too.

Happy Thingaverary! Didn't realize that Lorraine Bartlett had a new series, I'll have to check that one out.

Thanks for the Thingaversary wishes.

Cheli, you were the very first LTer I met.

Happy Thingaversary! I will be interested to hear what you think of The Crow Trap, as the series is one on my list of series to try.

>121 rabbitprincess: I'm looking forward to it. I've seen a bit of the TV series and I've read at least one other Ann Cleeves book so I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one.

I've been kind of subdued. Once again, a purge/downsizing at work. I survived another one (almost too many to count). A few people called me a "Linda of all trades" and doubted I'd be on the short list.

Someone in another department who does some work for me (in my new position--so she did one whole cycle with me) was downsized. I barely got to know her.

Even though I knew only one or two of the people, it still makes for a somber atmosphere. Personally, I think the fact that our long-term employee retired recently saved the day so that no one in my dept was downsized. Whew.

Happy Thingaversary! Downsizing is scary stuff to go through. Glad you made it.

How stressful - I'm glad that you and your department came through in tact, Linda. I hope you're reading something that's an excellent distraction.

Happy Thingaversary! Great haul of books for the celebration.

Happy Thingaversary Linda! I hope you enjoy Call the Midwife. I think you will since you like the show.

I'm sorry to hear about the situation at work. I hope this is the end of the downsizing.

>>120 lindapanzo: First is always the best, right? LOL

A very happy Thingaversary, Linda. The day I discovered LT is also a day that I will not forget. Sorry to hear about the downsizing at work, never a pleasant thing.

The Attenbury Emeralds by Jill Paton Walsh--finished on 1/15/15

My first 5-star book of the year. Absolutely loved this Lord Peter Wimsey book set in the early 1950s, thinking back on a case from the 1920's and, with the help of Harriet Vane and Bunter, trying to get to the bottom of this.

In this book, Wimsey is 60 and this is quite a chronological advance from the previous book. I wonder if Jill Paton Walsh is planning to wind up this continuation of the series.

Extremely busy in my new position. During the day, it seems like I hardly have time to think. Whew. Then I've been coming home mentally exhausted and it takes awhile to unwind.

The good news is that I'm settling in and it is getting better.

>131 lindapanzo: It's good that you're settling in - switching positions / jobs is always so demanding the first few weeks! And as for The Attenbury Emeralds, it seemed so odd for Peter to be 60, didn't it? I've enjoyed Jill Patton-Walsh's work with the Wimseys. I think it's one of the best series continuations I've read.

>130 lindapanzo: I haven't read any of Walsh's continuation of the series, but it sounds like I need to do that if you are giving them 5 stars.

>131 lindapanzo: I understand about the mental exhaustion. There are days that I'm both physically and mentally exhausted.

Hot Time in the Old Town: The Great Heat Wave of 1896 and the Making of Theodore Roosevelt by Edward P. Kohn--finished on 1/16/15

I love a good American history book. I also love a good disaster book. This informative look at New York City's legendary heatwave of August, 1896 is both.

The author provides interesting insights into the difficulties tenement house dwellers faced during the heatwave and their solutions, but also how those solutions could further imperil them. He also talks about the steps the city took, often at the urging of Theodore Roosevelt, but too late, to try to minimize the suffering, such as hosing down streets and giving ice away to the poor.

Beyond the heatwave, however, the focus is on 1896 Democratic presidential candidate, William Jennings Bryant, and how his planned major address at New York's Madison Square Garden coincided perfectly, to Bryant's misfortune, with the height of the heatwave. Also of interest was Bryant's exhausting whistlestop train tour on the way to New York City. (In contrast, Republican presidential candidate William McKinley campaigned from his front porch in Ohio.)

There was also some discussion about the role the heatwave played in Roosevelt's political ambitions. I think the book would've benefitted from more information on this score.

Overall, though, a fascinating look at both a slow-motion 19th century weather calamity that killed many, as well as a political campaign that has some parallels to the present day.

>134 lindapanzo: Not quite a book bullet, but it does sound interesting. I'm a little burnt out on politics at the moment so that's why it's not quite a book bullet.

>135 thornton37814: I understand, Lori. I'm trying to include one history book, maybe two, per month. I'd like to start the mammoth Doris Kearns Goodwin book, The Bully Pulpit sometime soon, but first I want to read the one about the famous TR dinner. Not really biographies but more about aspects of TR's life.

Despite the subtitle, the Kohn book was actually more about William Jennings Bryant than about TR. At some point, though, I would like to read a bio of Bryant.

>134 lindapanzo: Not only is this a BB for me, Linda, but you had me before the review - as soon as I saw you were reading it I looked it up and requested it from the library, lol. If you'd hated it, I would have left it unread. Happily, it sounds like a winner!

The Bully Pulpit is a huge commitment - I'll be looking forward to your comments!

Bully Pulpit is on my list for February.

Happy belated Thingaversary wished to you Linda. Very sorry to read that the company you work for continues to downsize. Good to see that you are keeping busy - probably too busy - in your new position and settling into the new role.

> 5 Baseball books
I don't usually read sports books but I do read biography and that is why I read 56: Joe DiMaggio and the Last Magic Number in Sports by Kostya Kennedy. It is more than a sports book as it places the life of Joe DiMaggio against the social and political events of the world. I rated it at 5 stars.

My other baseball read is the mystery series featuring Kate Henry, a sports journalist by Alison Gordon.

If you read children's books try The Highest Number in the World by Roy MacGregor, or Z Is for Zamboni: A Hockey Alphabet by Matt Napier.

David Adams Richards an award wining Canadian author wrote a biography Hockey Dreams: Memories Of A Man Who Couldn't Play which is very good. He also wrote a book on fishing Lines on the Water: A Fisherman's Life on the Miramichi.

Eggs in a Casket by Laura Childs--finished on 1/21/15

Another enjoyable entry in the Cackleberry Club cozy mystery series. I love the recurring characters and, since I absolutely love egg-based dishes, I spend quite a bit of time salivating over the Cackleberry Club's concoctions. Oh and the mystery isn't bad either.

Now I need to reserve the newest one in the series, Scorched Eggs.

Somehow, it seems, I managed to forget about my own thread for a time. Lots of visitors since I last looked in.

>137 Dejah_Thoris: Dejah, hope you like it. I picked it up due to the disaster angle but was pleasantly surprised by the history. I think there'd be only so much an author can write about this type of disaster. As he pointed out, many of the deaths were officially attributed to other factors but heat played a role.

>138 cyderry: Cheli, I've been trying to read a little bit of The Bully Pulpit every day. I've got it on Kindle but I note on Amazon that it's more than 900 pages. However, it looks to me like half of it is reference material at the back. Actual text is closer to 400 to 500 pages.

Anyway, I love books by Doris Kearns Goodwin and, though I'm only 2% into this one, I don't think this'll be an exception.

>139 lkernagh: It's been going on a lot time and, while it's tough to predict the future, being put in charge of a flagship product, which was mentioned by name at a unitwide meeting this morning, is definitely a good thing. Even so, the fact that the previous guy in my position retired probably saved a job in my dept, I'm guessing.

>140 pmarshall: There are so many terrific baseball biographies, though plenty of duds, too, of course. I also like baseball mysteries and have read a few of the Alison Gordon mysteries. My favorite baseball mysteries feature journeyman ballplayer, Mickey Rawlings, written by Troy Soos. I've met Troy and he really knows his baseball history. Glad to see that this series is resuming after a long hiatus.

Happy Thingaversary and congrats on the nice haul! Sorry to hear about the downsizing - it does affect the mood of the entire workplace so much, doesn't it. The company I work for went through a few rounds of that back in the beginning of the recession and even though my position wasn't in jeopardy it still gave me a stomachache whenever word started getting around about new cutbacks. It drains your energy quite a bit. Hope things get better soon.

>>142 lindapanzo: The library description has the pages at 912 and the audio version is 30 CDs - I'm believing it's a chunkster! I've never known Goodwin to have a history topic that wasn't a chunkster.

>144 cyderry: It reads fast though. With this many pages, it's going to take awhile but it isn't dry or slow. If I read 1-2% per day on my Kindle, I ought to be done by the end of February.

In fact, once I really get into it, I'll usually make it my primary read, as I did with Team of Rivals.

I wonder what she's working on next.

I'm also trying to read one of the novellas at least every other night in Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro. This is definitely an "only when I'm in the mood" book. I've now read 3 out of the 5.

>145 lindapanzo: Nocturnes has ended up being quite popular in this month's British author challenge. At the moment I'm trying to focus my library reads on things that are available in my current public library that are not listed in the catalog of the library where I'll eventually move. I took a list of several of those items with me today, picked them up, walked by the new book shelf and spotted the new Dorothy Martin book by Dams and added it to the pile. I may move it ahead of the NetGalley read I planned next. It really sounds good to me, and they are actually back at home in Sherebury for this one.

>146 thornton37814: I was disliking it so much that I went to the book page on LT. Discovered I read it in 2010. Gave it 3 stars. I rarely give anything only 3 stars.

>147 lindapanzo: I didn't dislike it as much as you did. I did give it 3.5 stars. I can, however, see that it would not be everyone's cup of tea. The music theme probably boosted my rating that extra half star.

I'm still waiting on Hot Time in the Old Town (sometimes it takes forever for hold books to transit, even if plenty are available), but I'm still hoping to get to it in January.

I hope you're having an excellent weekend!

Hi Lori and Dejah. A nice relaxing weekend here. My nephew came over for the day yesterday and we just hung out. Lots of reading and relaxing today.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?--finished on 1/25/15

Just an ok mystery but I like how this series presents the late 1950's in small-town Iowa. Sam McCain, a private eye, investigates the murder of a suspected Communist.

I hadn't read any of these for quite some time but they're included in Kindle Unlimited so I plan to pick another up from time to time.

>151 lindapanzo: The setting sounds interesting. I haven't read too many books set in Iowa. I'll have to see if my public library has any books from that series.

Carrie, they all have titles with song lyrics. Couldn't understand why I was humming Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? but it finally dawned on me.

I believe the one I read is the third one but it might've been the second (and I read 2 and 3 out of order).

It's set in Black River Falls, Iowa. I think the 10th one is out this year.

While it's got a private eye, it's not exactly hard boiled.

I just picked up the next one, Save the Last Dance for Me from Kindle Unlimited.

Brooks: The Biography of Brooks Robinson by Doug Wilson--finished on 1/28/15

I love reading books about the 1960s era in baseball. It was a simpler time. Even though I was well aware of how great Baltimore's Brooks Robininson was defensively, perhaps the greatest third baseman ever, I had no idea about his squeaky clean, hard working attitudes. (Nowadays he would've been called a throwback but, back then, just thought to be a nice guy)

This was a very interesting book. Sometimes, the author really heaped praise on Robinson but it seemed to be well deserved and, overall, he treated this star fairly. Loved it.

>154 lindapanzo: That sounds like a nice one, Linda. I am always amazed at how many sports related books you read!

My mom went to the eye doctor the other day and there was Brooks. She said that he was really very nice, they talked for a while - my mom a big baseball fan, and here was one of her heroes just talking to her like he was just an ordinary man. BTW - she's mad with herself because she forgot to ask for his autograph.

In 1977 my husband and I were in the Baltimore area on Brooks Robinson Day and went to the game where he was honored as he ended his career. The ceremony was a very memorable experience. Unfortunately, we received a ticket for parking in an illegal space, but the event was well worth the parking ticket.

I think that both Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr., who of course played for Baltimore after Brooks retired, had similar reputations for being hard workers with clean personal lives.

>155 Dejah_Thoris: I could read nothing but baseball books all the time and still fall behind on all the baseball books I want to read.

Every year, over on the 75ers group, I organize a Spring Training reads thread. It's about 6 weeks long, to coincide with Spring Training. I'm trying to decide which 6 baseball books I'm aiming to read.

>156 cyderry: >157 sallylou61: I love hearing stories like this. Our Ernie Banks was like that too. That's why it's been so hard to deal with his death last Fri. Everyone feels like they know him personally.

Cheli, I was once in a regular public place and sat and talked to Cubs Hall of Famer Billy Williams for 2 hours. Didn't get a picture or an autograph but I did get a memory I'll never forget. His wife was nearby and my mother commented on how happy I looked. I think asking for a picture or an autograph would've ruined the moment.

A Baked Ham by Jessica Beck--finished 1/31/15

This classic diner cozy series is another fun one. Victoria and her grandfather, Moose, investigate the murder of an actor who is murdered right before the start of a stage show, and right after the actor had a public altercation with Moose.

Overall, I think I prefer Beck's donut shop series, but this one is very good, too.

I think you read more cozy mysteries than anyone I know, Linda (and, obviously, baseball books). I'll be watching for the Spring Training thread.

I hope you're having a great weekend.

Hi Dejah, yes, I certainly do read more baseball books than anyone, except for a baseball book blogger, perhaps. (I subscribe to the leading baseball book blog and found, to my surprise the other day, a roundtable of baseball book bloggers. While I read a lot of cozies, there are probably lots of people who read more. I wish I had more time to read them but I couldn't ignore my baseball books, my other nonfiction, and the occasional nonmystery novel.

Whew, 19 inches of snow over the week and another two inches yesterday. Definitely getting cabin fever!! I am eager for winter to start winding down.

Murder in the Marais by Cara Black--finished on 2/3/15

I had mixed feelings about this mystery set in Paris, the first in the Aimee Leduc series. Leduc investigates computer crimes but she's asked to investigate a World War 2 era photo. There's the murder of a Jewish woman and lots of plot points with ties to Nazi Germany. It's right in my wheelhouse and I should've loved it.

In the end, I liked it but the first two thirds of the book were extremely slow, though things really picked up after that. Far too many plot points. Far too many undeveloped characters.

And yet, in the end, it was a good story. I liked it well enough to continue with the series, at least for one more book.

Hi Linda, I've had Murder in the Marais sitting on my Kindle for some time, but I kept seeing less than enthusiastic reviews so it's been pushed to the bottom. Glad to see that after a slow start you did like it, gives me hope for that future someday when it rises to the top again.

>163 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, I've had it on my Kindle for years, too. This book is one reason why I started the French challenge for TIOLI.

Where there's a long-running series and I'm not that thrilled about the first one, I'll often wonder why that is. In this one, too many sub-plots and I had a hard time keeping the characters straight, yet something grabbed me with it.

Other times, the first one is the only good one in a series.

I took a quick glance at the second book in the Aimee Leduc series and it's about immigration. I think this is going to be a "from time to time" series for me and not one where I am eager to read them all asap.

I read Murder in the Marais years ago and while I don't remember much about it, I've never been motivated to try the series again. If you do read the next one, I'll be interested to know what you think of it.

>165 Dejah_Thoris: I'll be sure to let everyone know. Because I read mostly American and British mysteries, I'm glad I found a halfway decent series set elsewhere. I'd like to broaden my geographic mysteries horizon a bit.

A bit about what else I'm reading...

Next up, this morning, I started Daisy Miller by Henry James for the AAC. I might start The Night Circus for Fantasy February.

The Doris Kearns Goodwin book on TR and Taft is ongoing and will probably be so for quite some time.

Oh, and I'm also reading When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning. This is a rather lightweight look at the role of books during World War 2. I expected it to focus on books given to American soldiers fighting overseas but, 20 percent into it, there's very little on that so far. Somewhat interesting, though.

I'm chomping at the bit for my Spring Training Reads. I need to pick out about 6 books or so that I plan to read for that. Ha, I've actually picked out 8, which is far more than I'll ever get to!!

Of course, I need to pick out my next mystery. I haven't read anything by Ellen Hart in quite some time so perhaps that. I used to read each new Jane Lawless book religiously, as soon as it was released but, at this point, I think I'm about 3 books behind.

Wow, that's a lot of snow! I hope there are no more storms in the foreseeable future.

>163 DeltaQueen50: >164 lindapanzo: >165 Dejah_Thoris: Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. I have the paperback in a stash (and have for awhile). Do I read it with all the less than enthusiastic reviews? or do I just go ahead and get rid of it with the downsizing? I think I purchased it based on a review of a later book in the series. I'll have to make a decision soon.

>168 thornton37814: I gave it 4 stars but thought about going back to change it to 3.5 stars. For me, 3.75 would be about right.

There are quite a few that should go in those in-between star ranges. It's hard to decide whether to give it the push up or down, but I usually let the "enjoyability" factor drive that decision.

>170 thornton37814: In this instance, I think I was influenced by "liked end of book." I'll stick with 4. In a year or two, when I look back, I'll be more inclined to read the second one.

>171 lindapanzo: Probably not a bad decision.

Ah, that's why there are so many books... because we all like, or dislike, different things once in awhile. I am a strong fan of the Cara Black series. Have read them all, except for the latest.

>173 mysterymax: Does she develop the characters more in later series? That was one aspect I did not like. I never felt like I knew them.

When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning--finished on 2/5/15
(5-STAR READ!!)

It is estimated that 100 million books were destroyed during World War 2, both as a part of war, bombings and the like, and via Nazi book burnings (called bibliocausts here). Amazingly, however, more than 123 million Armed Services Editions (ASEs) were distributed to American GIs during the war, with the Victory Book Campaign adding an additional 18 million volumes to the soliders.

This terrific, highly readable book addresses the book burnings, the censorship, and other lows, but focuses on the incredible effort to bring books to the troops, wherever they might be, and the short-term and long-term impact these books had on the soldiers and sailors who received these books.

The books themselves were quiet interesting, wider than they were tall, with two columns of print, and paper covers. In fact, it was said that, a soldier or sailor was out of uniform unless he had a book in his pocket.

These books were devoured. Not just the low-brow type of books either. The program included a wide range of books in every category, including classics. Books banned in Boston did seem to be among the most widely-sought after ASEs, not surprisingly.

Besides the program itself, the program had a number of interesting impacts. Some old favorite books were brought back from oblivion by the program. Quite a number of GIs wrote to thank authors, sometimes in heartbreaking fashion, and established regular correspondence with these authors.

I've read quite a bit about World War 2 and the Armed Services Edition angle is one that I'd never heard of before. An absolutely fascinating, yet quick, read.

This is a must-read for anyone who loves books and loves reading about the power of books. Highly, highly recommended!! Probably my favorite book of the past few years.

I read the book on my Kindle but will likely also buy a hardcover copy for my personal library, something I never do when I already own the Kindle book. Beyond that, I would love to get my hands on an ASE (there are plenty on eBay) and experience one for myself.

I remember reading a couple of years ago when The Great Gatsby movie came out (starring Leonardo DiCaprio) and people's attentions were once again focused on the book as well, that "Gatsby" had been languishing as overstock in warehouses prior to the war. It was selected as an ASE book, and just like that, the novel was embedded in millions of soldiers' reading life and wartime experience. From that point on, it became a modern classic... It's sort of like Oprah with a captive audience! :-D

>175 lindapanzo: I thought about the Nazi book burnings when I read about the book burnings in Baghdad.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2015/01/31/isis-burning-books-at-iraq-libraries-and...

>176 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Exactly right. I hadn't realized that before.

>177 mamzel: That's interesting.

Put it on my wishlist for when I get to WWII

>175 lindapanzo: Sounds great - I just requested it, not that I need another book out from the library, lol. They keep telling me how good I am for the circulation numbers.

> 175 lindapanzo
I have never heard of Armed Services Editions of books before. This book definitely goes on my TBR list, the entire subject area interests me. Thank you.

BB (again)

I thought the character did develop well in the Cara Black series. but she certainly isn't everyone's favorite.

> 175 lindapanzo

I assume the ASE were for the American forces?

>183 pmarshall: Yes, they were but, sometimes, troops from other countries were envious and the Americans would share. Even in the post-war world.

I spent the morning/first half of the afternoon visiting my sister who's about 90 minutes away. Missed the first 55 minutes (out of 60) of the Blackhawks game. I haven't even read anything yet today, amazingly.

>175 lindapanzo:
That sounds excellent - BB happily taken!

Just stopping in to say hi, Linda! I hope you're doing well.

>186 Dejah_Thoris: All's well, Dejah. I am eager for winter to be over. Bleh.

Daisy Miller by Henry James--finished on 2/8/15

While traveling around Europe, a young man named Winterbourne encountered a young, vivacious woman, Daisy Miller, who is also on a tour of Europe with her mother and annoying little brother. All throughout the novella, Daisy seems to flaunt the traditional societal rules about how young women are supposed to act.

Back in the 1980s, I read his book, The Bostonians and also read Washington Square. Liked both of those. Daisy was just ok to me. The thing I liked most about it is that it was short.

I finally gave in and picked up a Kindle copy of my long-since missing ER book, Empire of Sin by Gary Krist. Absolutely loving it.

Also enjoying my not usual, for me anyway, novel, Doc by Mary Doria Russell.

>189 lindapanzo: Glad you're enjoying Doc! I didn't think it would be my kind of book either, but I ended up loving it!

>190 christina_reads: I'm reading it largely because I'm going to a book talk that Russell is doing nearby in early March. I think it's for her new book, Epitaph. Anway, I was planning to read another of hers but Mark strongly recommended Doc. I actually don't know much about that era so I'm finding it very interesting.

>191 lindapanzo: Oooh! A novel of the OK Corral! Adding Epitaph to the wishlist. Doc was fantastic.

OH! BB for me too!

Me three! Just raced to my library's website to place a hold, and luckily I'm first in line! :)

>194 christina_reads: I'm finding that I'm devouring the Gary Krist book about New Orleans and savoring every page of the book about Doc Holliday.

Empire of Sin by Gary Krist--finished on 2/13/15

In my lifetime, I've heard reformer types rail against "sex, drugs and rock and roll." Well, back during a 30-year stretch, from roughly 1890 to 1920, the forerunners of these reformers took on "sex, alcohol, and jazz," as well as gambling, in New Orleans. As this fascinating book points out, the reformers might have succeeded but, ultimately, they just drove these vices underground.

It was a wild time. Rampant prostitution. Saloons everywhere. The growth of jazz. Oh and a lot of murders and some lynchings. All of these are skillfully portrayed by the author in a highly readable, entertaining book.

For me, this book wasn't quite up to Krist's books on Chicago (City of Scoundrels) and on the avalanche (The White Cascade), both of which were outstanding, but it's still very, very good and one I'd recommend.

Personal gripe: I won this book in the August ER and it still hasn't shown up nearly 6 months later. I'm very disappointed with the publisher for offering it and then not following through. I finally obtained it via my state's e-Read program for my Kindle.

>196 lindapanzo:
My October ER-book showed up a few days ago, so there's hope. Except now you've already read this one. :) Empire of Sin is on my wishlist since NOLA is one of my all-time favorite cities.

Hi Linda! I've been hit by too many BBs to count, though thankfully a lot of what you've read so far this year was already on my TBR, so that helps.

There have been 3 times that I didn't receive ER books from publishers, and of course, they're the ones I was most looking forward to. What's almost worse is when you do get them but they're in bad shape, damaged in transit or something. Meh.

Glad that you made this latest round of cuts at work. Wow, that's so stressful. I'm not surprised you couldn't read much while all of that was going on.

Ready for our next round of freezing temps? Yeah, me either. ;) Hope you and your parents are doing well!

Hi Laura, good to see you. We're all doing ok. Yesterday was a holiday for me at work, my first real day off since the holidays.

If I don't get the ER books, I'll probably start asking. My most recent win came immediately but I wasn't as excited about that one. The baseball one I'm eager for hasn't arrived so I reserved it from the State of Illinois e-read website.

The French Powder Mystery by Ellery Queen--finished on 2/16/15

This is a decent, plot-driven mystery (as is usual for an Ellery Queen mystery). What makes it unique is that the murder is revealed in a department store window.

An interesting puzzler that wasn't too difficult to solve. I like these Ellery Queen books.

A Whole New Ballgame by Stephen J. Walker--finished on 2/19/15

If you mention the 1969 Washington Senators to most baseball fans, you'd probably get a blank look but, to Washingtonians, this was a much beloved team. This book is an interesting look at that winning team which is most memorable for luring baseball icon Ted Williams out of retirement to manage the team.

An interesting book but the author had an annoying habit of using a chronological narrative and then, when a Senator was a star of a game, stepping away and focusing for 4 to 6 pages on that player's entire career. After getting used to what was jarring at first, it seemed natural.

Chock full of information about late 1960's baseball, with a focus on some not-well-known stars like Frank Howard. Loved it!!

The Ragtime Kid by Larry Karp--finished on 2/22/15

For the most part, I enjoyed this book set in 1899 Sedalia, Missouri, but there were things I didn't like, too.

Young Brun, age 15, loves music and runs away from home to take ragtime/piano lessons from Scott Joplin. Seemingly immediately, Brun is wrapped up in the town, including in a murder.

Interesting story, especially the portions dealing with Scott Joplin and music but the mystery fell flat for me.

>202 lindapanzo: The setting for Ragtime Kid sounds great, but it's too bad the mystery was a disappointment.

Has your Spring Training thread gone up? I thought about it when I say A Whole New Ballgame, but then you're always reading baseball books, lol.

Hi Dejah, yes it has. See: https://www.librarything.com/topic/187759