Rabbitprincess is in the thick of it for 2015 - Part 1

Following on the stupendous success of my Cumber-challenge in 2014, I decided to continue exploring the filmographies of some of my favourite actors. This year, the lovely, talented, wonderfully Scottish Peter Capaldi.



Categories are:

Fortysomething - general fiction
Wasps' Nest - mysteries
The Musketeers - history, HistoryCAT, and livres en français
Doctor Who - SFF and SFFFCAT
Local Hero - rereads
A Portrait of Scotland - books about/set in Scotland or by Scottish authors, and books about art
Dreamboys - audiobooks
Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life - short stories, essays, poetry and plays
The Fifth Estate - non-fiction
In the Loop - group reads (2015 CC and British Author Challenge) and RandomCAT

Any category can overlap with any of the CATs or group reads.

Example: if I want to read my audiobook of Graham Greene's The End of the Affair for the British Author Challenge, I will count it under both the Dreamboys and the In the Loop categories.

Fortysomething - General fiction

You may recall that "Fortysomething" was also used as the general fiction category in my 2014 challenge. That is correct: both Benedict and Peter appeared in this show! Peter plays Dr. Ronnie Pilfrey.

1. Red or Dead, by David Peace
2. Brighton Rock, by Graham Greene

Wasps' Nest - Mysteries

Agatha Christie adaptations often feature actors who have since gone on to greatness. Peter is no exception. In "Wasps' Nest", he plays artist Claude Langton.

Christina pointed me toward the blog My Reader's Block, which features a Vintage Mystery Bingo card. I will be using the card but not limiting myself to either Silver or Golden Age mysteries. It is a 6x6 grid because the letters at the top spell either SILVER or GOLDEN.

Book with a colour in the title / cover colour:
Book set anywhere except the US and England:
Book that features a crime other than murder:
Locked-room mystery/impossible crime:
Medical mystery (or book featuring a doctor or nurse):
Book with a professional detective:

TBR First Lines (pick 4 books from TBR, read each first sentence, then choose 1 of the 4 to read):
Book with a number/quantity in the title:
Book with an animal in the title:
Book by an author you've never read before:
Book with a "spooky" title or cover:
Book with a woman in the title:

Book set in the entertainment world:
✓ Book made into a movie or TV series: Wobble to Death, by Peter Lovesey
✓ Book with an amateur detective: As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, by Alan Bradley
Book with a man in the title:
Academic mystery:
Book that involves a mode of transportation:

✓ Country house mystery: Cover Her Face, by P.D. James
Book with a lawyer, courtroom, judge, etc.:
Book already read by a fellow (Category) challenger:
✓ Book outside your comfort zone: Sleepyhead, by Mark Billingham
✓ Book involving the clergy or religion: The Cornish Coast Murder, by John Bude
Author with first or last name beginning with same letter as yours: We'll use either P or C (for Peter or Capaldi)

✓ Book with a detective "team": The Water Room, by Christopher Fowler
Book with a time, day, month, etc. in the title:
Book published in birth year of you or a loved one/friend: Going with Peter Capaldi's birth year, 1958.
Short story collection:
Book set in England or the US:
Book that you have to borrow:

Book with a method of murder in the title:
Book with a place in the title:
Book published under more than one title:
Historical mystery:
✓ Book written by an author with a pseudonym: The Man in the Queue, by Josephine Tey (pseudonym of Elizabeth Mackintosh)
Book that features food/drink/a party:

Many of these categories appeared on the 2014 card. As a bonus, I'm including the categories from 2014 that didn't make it to the 2015 card:

Book by an author you have read before:
Mystery that involves water:
Translated book:
✓ Book with a size in the title: The Long Goodbye, by Raymond Chandler (I'm decreeing "long" is a pant size, as opposed to regular and short.)

Any other mysteries that don't fit the card (or duplicate squares) will go in general fiction, if only because I'm worried about having too many touchstones in a single post.

The Musketeers - History, HistoryCAT and livres en francais

I'm not sure how historically accurate either the book or the miniseries is, but Peter is suitably badass as Cardinal Richelieu in this adaptation.

This category will also hold my yearly quota of books in French.

History
1. The Long Shadow: The Legacies of the Great War in the Twentieth Century, by David Reynolds

HistoryCAT
January (theme: Myths and Legends): The Luck of Troy, by Roger Lancelyn Green
February (time period: 1CE to 500CE): Astérix et les Gothes, by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo
March (theme: Exploration and Conquest): Into the Silence, by Wade Davis
April (time period: 1000 to 1300): Le Roi de fer, by Maurice Druon (theme: crime and mysteries): Sharon Kay Penman The Sunne in Splendour; Brother Cadfael; 1066: The Year of the Conquest
May (time period: 1300 to 1500): Lords of Misrule, by Nigel Tranter (theme: plagues and disasters): Justinian's Flea, by William Rosen
June (theme: culture and the arts) one of Michael Palin's diaries perhaps?
July (time period: 1600 to 1700): The Scottish Revolution 1637-44: The Triumph of the Covenanters, by David Stevenson
August (time period: 1700 to 1800): Ross Poldark, A Novel of Cornwall (theme: medicine and disease): The Great Influenza, by John M. Barry
September (time period: 1800 to 1850): The Arctic Grail, by Pierre Berton, The Great Hunger, by Cecil Woodham Smith (theme: lifestyles of ordinary people): At Home, by Bill Bryson *audio
October (time period: 1850 to 1900): The National Dream, The Last Spike, Klondike, by Pierre Berton. ND and LS would also fit theme of science and technology
November (time period: 1900 to 1945) (theme: war and peace) anything WW1 or WW2 related would fit both. E.g. Catastrophe, by Max Hastings
December (time period: 1945 to 1990) Korea: Canada's Forgotten War

Livres en français
1. Astérix et les Gothes, by Goscinny and Uderzo
2.

Doctor Who - SFF and SFFFCAT

Peter Capaldi is the Twelfth Doctor and I am loving every minute of it. Not that I don't like the other Doctors, but it is so wonderful to see Peter living the Whovian dream.

SFF
1. Plague of the Cybermen, by Justin Richards
2. A Big Hand for the Doctor, by Eoin Colfer

SFFFCAT
January: (Steampunk, Gaslamp, Historical SFF) Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
February: (Classics of Sci-Fi) Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbott; Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham
March: (It's the End of the World As We Know It) MaddAddam, by Margaret Atwood
April: (Fairy Tales and Mighty Myths) Irish Fairy and Folk Tales, ed. W.B. Yeats
May (Women SFF Writers)
June: (time travel) 11/22/63, by Stephen King
July: (fantastical creatures)
August: (other worlds: space opera, first contact, dropping into Oz)
September: (slipstream, interstitial, magical realism, genre benders)
October: (paranormal, urban fantasy) Libriomancer, by Jim C. Hines? Not waiting until Oct to read Foxglove Summer :P
November: (quests) The Return of the King, by JRR Tolkien
December: (influential/award-winning SFF)

Local Hero - Rereads

Local Hero was Peter's big break, in which he played Danny Oldsen. I chose this as the theme for my rereads category because this was a movie from Peter's younger days, and a lot of my rereads are from my younger days.

1. Mrs. Pollifax on Safari, by Dorothy Gilman
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

A Portrait of Scotland - Books set in or about Scotland, and books by Scottish authors

This is a documentary about the history of Scottish portrait painting. As an alumnus of the Glasgow School of Art, Peter has the technical chops to hold some really in-depth conversations with his interviewees, and his enthusiasm and interest in the subject bring it to life for the viewer. It's available on YouTube if you're interested.

1. Rob Roy, by Sir Walter Scott

The Field of Blood - Scottish mysteries

Because I read way too many Scottish mysteries, let's have a sub-category for them! Also, this is a good excuse for me to put David Morrissey in this year's challenge (spoiler alert: he's the theme of my 2016 challenge).

1. The Papers of Tony Veitch, by William McIlvanney
2. Flesh Wounds, by Christopher Brookmyre

Dreamboys - Audiobooks

When Peter was in university, he played guitar and sang in a punk rock band with future Late Late Show host Craig Ferguson on drums. You can find a few songs of theirs on YouTube. My favourite is "Bela Lugosi's Birthday".

Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life - Short stories, essays, poetry and plays, GNs

In addition to being an actor, Peter is an Oscar-winning director. This is his award-winning short film. Also on YouTube.

Goal: at least three plays

Plays

1.
2.
3.

The rest

1. Darkwing Duck: The Duck Knight Returns, by Ian Brill (writer) and James Silvani (illustrator)

The Fifth Estate - General non-fiction

This is information the world needs to know! Peter plays Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger in the 2013 film that strangely enough also features Benedict!

1. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction, by Alan Jacobs
2. The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code, by Margalit Fox

In the Loop - Group reads and RandomCAT

FINALLY I create a separate category for group reads! Of course Peter's character needs little introduction: he's the ferocious Malcolm Tucker. Watch out for those attack eyebrows!

Books will be touchstoned as they are completed.

Group Reads

January: none
February: Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh (BAC)
March: The House on the Strand, by Daphne du Maurier (BAC); Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen (year-long Austen read)
April: Country of the Blind, Boiling a Frog, by Christopher Brookmyre (with mstrust); Ashenden, by W. Somerset Maugham (BAC)
May: Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen (year-long Austen read)
June: A Dead Man in Deptford, Inside Mr Enderby (reread), On Going to Bed, by Anthony Burgess (BAC)
July: none
August: The Human Factor, Brighton Rock, The End of the Affair (audio), by Graham Greene (BAC); Agatha Christie August
September: Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen (year-long group read)
October: none
November: An Ice-Cream War, Restless, by William Boyd (BAC); Memento Mori, by Muriel Spark (BAC)
December: A Place of Greater Safety, by Hilary Mantel (BAC); The Man with Two Left Feet, The Girl in Blue, Do Butlers Burgle Banks, by PG Wodehouse (BAC)

Also a possibility: the Longmire half of Roberta's Leaphorn and Chee / Longmire year

February: The Cold Dish
April: Death Without Company
June: Kindness Goes Unpunished
August: Another Man's Moccasins
October: The Dark Horse
December: Junkyard Dogs

Year-long "History of England Parts 1-3" read with Christina

January to April: Foundation
May to August: Tudors
September to December: Rebellion

RandomCAT

January: (Olympus Has Fallen) The Cornish Coast Murder, by John Bude
February: (Let's Go to the Movies) Sleepyhead, by Mark Billingham (adapted into Thorne, 2010)
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December



Correspondence or letters - Frankenstein
Reminds of childhood - Darkwing Duck
Based on fairy tale/myth - Luck of Troy
Language - The Riddle of the Labyrinth
Outside of comfort zone - Sleepyhead

Dropping by to drop a star.

Starred as well.

Very nice!

Aww, I'll miss Cumbersnuggles! But you did manage to sneak him into this year's theme as well, so I approve. :)

Peter's great but doesn't have that great curly lock coming down on his forehead. I loved the series about the Three Musketeers. I hope it returns for more!

>12 BookLizard:, >13 mysterymax: Thanks! Happy to see you!

>14 SleepySheep: Thank you very much!

>15 christina_reads: Oh there will always be something Benedict-related on here, never fear ;)

>16 mamzel: He had very curly hair in his younger days!
I haven't seen The Musketeers yet but have requested it from the library. They've just ordered it, and I'm 37th on the list, so depending on how many copies they order it might be a while before I see it.

Great theme rabbitprincess! I look forward to following in 2015.

I blame YOU for having just watched Starter for 10. I'll now never get that picture of James McAvoy as a pimply teenager out of my head. And very little of Benedict to make up for it.....

>18 VivienneR: :) Thanks!

>19 majkia: Oh dear! I do apologize for that. And I agree there should have been more Benedict!

Hmmm, I see a pattern emerging here, could it be that we may have a year of David Morrissey to look forward to? or perhaps David Tennant?

I now consider myself a "Cumber-Bitch" and I am looking forward to learning about Peter Capaldi.

Great setup!

>21 DeltaQueen50: Perhaps!! Or maybe I should have a challenge called "Actors Whose First Name is David".

>22 rabbitprincess: I think that sounds like a splendid idea!

>22 rabbitprincess: That's an idea I must bear in mind for the future!
ETC

>23 PawsforThought:, >24 MissWatson: I offer up the Actors Whose Name is David challenge idea to anyone who wants it. The David Morrissey challenge, however, is mine :P

>25 rabbitprincess: It's not a challenge for me, but it sounds like fun. I'd definitely keep my eye on it if someone did it.

I'd prefer an 'all the Captains Jack' challenge, myself.

>27 majkia: How many are there? All I can think of now are Aubrey and Harkness...

>28 MissWatson: Sparrow!

>29 PawsforThought: How could I forget! Shame on me!

Looking forward to all the Capaldis! :)

Did you see Capaldi in "The Hour"? I'm watching season 2 right now and am pretty addicted to it!

Hah! I just saw that myself a couple of days ago. I'm addicted as well, but it's been cancelled. Darn.

>33 majkia: Ugh I know! :( I wish I could give myself some time to watch the last 3 episodes, but I have to return the DVD to the library soon.

>27 majkia: >28 MissWatson: >29 PawsforThought: >30 MissWatson: Hee! That would be a fun challenge too! Haha looks like some of us might have our 2016 challenges prepped already!

>31 -Eva-: Capaldis have been added to the posts up top :)

>32 christina_reads: >33 majkia: >34 christina_reads: I've watched the first season of The Hour but haven't got around to borrowing the second season yet. Looking forward to it though :)

>35 rabbitprincess: Second season has Capaldi! And looking quite dashing, I must say. :)

Love the pictures! And no worries about the 2016 David Morrissey challenge, I think I may have found an idea that's worth further exploring...

>35 rabbitprincess:
Beautiful!!

I love your challenge! Definitely starring this thread.

Really like your challenge and already looking forward to your David Morrissey in 2016.

>36 christina_reads: I was actually debating between The Hour or The Fifth Estate for my non-fiction category... Fifth Estate ended up winning because it was another link to my 2014 challenge ;)

>37 MissWatson: Yay looking forward to it!

>38 -Eva-: It's all down to Capaldi! ;)

>39 ryvre: Thank you kindly!

>40 avatiakh: Thanks! It's all in a Word doc, ready to go. (I was on vacation and had a bit too much time on my hands...)

Now that's planning ahead!

...skids to a stop and wipes brow dramatically.... whew!

Finally got here and have you starred for next year. I'm still dithering around for a theme and you're ready for 16? I must get going. Looking forward to your reading next year.

This is too clever by half! Now I'll have to check out your 2014 thread . . .

>42 MissWatson: Yeah, just a little :)

>43 dudes22: Welcome! Looking forward to seeing your theme!
I have to admit it was easy to come up with the '16 thread since it follows the pattern of the '14 and '15 threads.

>44 Poquette: *bows* Thank you kindly! See you 'round the threads! :)

****

I will now take this opportunity to leave a link to an amusing (and relevant) tweet by BBC One: https://twitter.com/BBCOne/status/515630796406030336

Starred! And I'm shocked to see that Benedict has to compete for your affections. ;)

>46 mstrust: Heh heh heh. I have plenty of room in my heart for all my leading men :D

I plan to begin this challenge once my Christmas holidays start (so around the 21st December). In honour of that, here's a preview of the Doctor Who Christmas special:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pApRQEal4nc

>47 rabbitprincess:
There's a longer preview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsxEenCBRG0

>48 -Eva-: Haha "nobody likes the tangerines"! We get apples in our stockings :)

I just finished watching The Musketeers yesterday and greatly enjoyed it. Very swashbuckling, and Peter was brilliant as Richelieu. He genuinely frightened me in the last episode. Very well done. Also, quite the impressive facial hair.

Love your 2015 Capaldi Category Challenge theme. I'm a little upset that there is no Torchwood: Children of Earth category as I thought he was amazing and heart breaking in that role. On a more shallow note -- he sure had great hair when he was younger. Looking forward to the David Morrissey 2016 Challenge.
If anyone does do an Acting David's challenge I hope they add my favorite acting David, David Wenham (Faramir in LOTR).
The Vintage Mystery Bingo looks interesting. That's a lot of categories. Are you planning on taking part in the BingoDOG?

>50 VioletBramble: Hi! So glad to see you here! :D I did originally have Torchwood as my SFF selection, but then the Twelfth Doctor came along. Haven't had a chance to watch Children of Earth yet but am looking forward to it!

Oh gosh yes his hair was magnificent! It still is a bit curly when he lets it grow out. He has very straight, flat hair for his role as Mr Curry in the new Paddington movie and it looks so strange.

Good tip on David Wenham! If I do an Acting Davids challenge I might combine him with David Tennant (who would be the SF to Wenham's F).

Probably won't end up doing the BingoDOG intentionally, but if I think of it I might see if any of my reading fits into the card.

>51 rabbitprincess: Yeah, I was looking around over here, trying to decide if I want to start my 2015 thread early this year. I've learned I can only deal with one thread at a time. But I actually have some free time now so I may start my thread this weekend.
Ooo.. you have some good television viewing ahead of you. Children of Earth is fantastic, the best season of Torchwood. It's also very sad.

Hi! thanks for stopping by my thread.

Just popping by to say hi and admire your new thread.

Popping in to follow along.

>52 VioletBramble: Will definitely have to borrow it from the library when I get back from vacation!

>53 BBGirl55: My pleasure! Nice to see you here as well :)

>54 inge87: Hi! Thanks!

>55 Helenliz: Howdy! Nice to see you!

****

And now, the very first book in my 2015 Category Challenge. UPDATED FEB 21, 2015 with new review link and higher rating

Red or Dead, by David Peace

Category: Fortysomething
Source: multiple libraries
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/116423222

It took me over two months to finish this. It tells in narrative form the story of Liverpool FC, specifically of their legendary manager Bill Shankly. It is a singular book, difficult to recommend with certainty, but I'm glad I persevered. It was easier to read in the trade paperback copy I borrowed from my hometown library than the hardcover I borrowed from my actual home library (and did not want to lug back with me for the holidays).

Update Feb 21, 2015: bought my own copy!

Oh my word, I was just thinking about 2015 and the Thick of It popped into my head but I couldn't think of what to do! Love your categories (being a Capaldi fan myself and any excuse for photographs of Capaldi are welcome!). Good luck for 2015. I shall think of something....it may quite possibly be Paul McGann related ;)

Wonderful challenge!

Ahhh weep for Pilfrey :D

>57 lilywren: Thanks! Glad you like it. If you'd wanted a Thick of It theme, perhaps quotes from the show could have titled the categories.

I'd love to see a Paul McGann challenge sometime! Was just thinking of him recently as I found out my library has a copy of Withnail and I (which I immediately requested).

>58 lilywren: Hahaha oh Pilfrey. Remember his singing Beatles songs? And the loud socks? Oh man.

*edit for iPad typos*

I have finally made it over to your thread and I see that you are already off to a flying start! Local hero continues to be one of our all time favorite movies to watch when we need a change of pace, so imagine my surprise in not knowing that Capaldi played Olsen. *face palm* Kind of reminds me just how old that movie is. ;-) Of course, my other favorites are his appearances as Tristram Campbell in the Vicar of Dibley.

Such lovely, bouncy hair .... Tristram that is :)

Creative thread! I'm sorry to say that I don't know much about Peter Capaldi - although I've learned a lot just by reading your thread. I did love Local Hero and it's about time I see it again.

>60 lkernagh: I really need to watch Local Hero! It's on iTunes so just a download away.

>61 lilywren: Also the Vicar of Dibley! I think it might be on Netflix so will have to check that out.

>62 LisaMorr: Thanks! It was fun to put together.

****

Santa and my family were very good to me in terms of books this Christmas:

The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
The Zebra-Striped Hearse, by Ross Macdonald
Paris: The Novel, by Edward Rutherfurd
The Game of Kings, by Dorothy Dunnett
Dark Road: A Play, by Ian Rankin
The House on the Strand, by Daphne du Maurier
This is the World, by Miroslav Sasek

I also took delivery of a couple of books that my dad had picked up on my behalf at Strand Books NYC:

Kenilworth, by Sir Walter Scott
Tales from Watership Down, by Richard Adams

I like the sudden influx of historical fiction, especially for the HistoryCAT. :)

****

Over the past couple of days I've also been reading and reviewing! See below.

The Papers of Tony Veitch, by William McIlvanney

Category: A Portrait of Scotland
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/114612082

The second book of the Laidlaw trilogy is much like the first, as far as I can remember. Recommended for fans of Ian Rankin.

Cover Her Face, by P.D. James

Category: Wasps' Nest
Source: initially Overdrive, then my parents
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/114371070

I have actually read PD James before, just not this one. It was all right but a bit too plodding for my tastes. Still, it was the first book in the Dalgliesh series so allowances can be made.

I love David Peace's mysteries, but I'm not sure I would be too interested in his book about football/soccer. Have you read his mysteries?

>61 lilywren: - LOL! He did have bouncy hair in those episodes!

>63 rabbitprincess: - For the Vicar of Dibley episodes with Capaldi, you will want to watch the "Songs of Praise" episode first, before you watch the "The Christmas Lunch Incident", which we re-watched just yesterday! ;-)

Love your Christmas book haul!

I love Doctor Who. Watching the second doctor now...like literally right now.

>64 arubabookwoman: Not yet. This year I might finally start the Red Riding quartet.

>65 lkernagh: Excellent! I shall do so :)
It is a pretty good haul!

>66 The_Hibernator: Hurray! The Second Doctor has some very good episodes and novels. My favourite Dr Who novel so far is a Second Doctor story called The Mind Robber.

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Harking back to the 2014 group by finally reading the December GeoCAT selection.

Mrs Pollifax on Safari, by Dorothy Gilman

Category: Local Hero
Source: probably a gift, but who knows
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70476219

I enjoyed the Mrs Pollifax series in my middle school days, and this installment is no exception. A quick read for a holiday afternoon.

I'll have to check out The Mind Robber :)

Looks good! & makes me think I need to do some more movie/tv watching this year along with my books.

Just notised Dan Stevens looking very nice in >10 rabbitprincess:. Lovely.

>68 The_Hibernator: It's good. I have to check out The Web of Fear now, after seeing it on your thread! Doctor Who Magazine had a very nice piece on it discussing the process of recovering and restoring the lost episodes.

>69 cammykitty: Thanks! There will probably be lots of TV on here as well. I tend to binge-request TV series from the library.

>70 PawsforThought: Yep, a nice bonus :D

****

Some minor housekeeping: I moved the HistoryCAT and SFFFCAT fields from In the Loop to The Musketeers and Doctor Who, respectively. I was worried that In the Loop would get bloated from too many touchstones by the end of the year. Not to worry though, there are plenty of group reads and the RandomCAT to keep it full.

Finished two books today and am feeling very accomplished! Now if I can get Rob Roy done tomorrow, I will be an extremely happy camper. Only six more chapters to go!

Wobble to Death, by Peter Lovesey

Category: Wasps' Nest
Source: Friends of Library and Archives Canada book sale 2014
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112662716

The titular "wobble" is a six-day "pedestrian contest" or walking race, which was apparently a hot ticket in Victorian England. This book introduces Sgt Cribb, who is part of Scotland Yard's brand-new Detective Squad, and his police colleague Thackeray, who plays the Watson to Cribb's Holmes. This would be a good book for people who enjoy the Gideon series by JJ Marric, as both first installments of these series manage to avoid First in Series Syndrome, and both are about Scotland Yard (just during different historical periods).

Plague of the Cybermen, by Justin Richards

Category: Doctor Who
Source: Overdrive
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/114957593

An Eleventh Doctor story with retrospective shades of Twelve. Eleven has some very Matt Smith-y dialogue in places, but in other places the writing was repetitive. That being said, the story certainly kept my attention, and it was a very quick read. Just not my favourite Dr Who story.

How do you have a walking race? I'm sure the Victorians didn't do Anders 24+ hour walk from town to town. I'm imagining some gentleman cheating by speedwalking past some society lady in a whalebone skirt and bumping her into a puddle.

>73 cammykitty: It *did* remind me of Fotrally, in a way! Only men competed in this race, though, and you were allowed to take breaks. Basically whoever covered the most total miles by the end of the six days won.

****

Finished Rob Roy on the last day of the year!!

Rob Roy, by Sir Walter Scott

Category: A Portrait of Scotland
Source: Argosy Books, Ottawa
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70474070

The second half of the book was more interesting than the first, which should have been named "Francis Osbaldistone". Definitely a book for which careful attention is required.

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Back with a month-end recap later.

December recap

Despite feeling like I stalled a bit in the middle of the month, December turned out to be a pretty good month. Ended up reading 16 books, three of which I finished in the past two days.

One Under, by Graham Hurley
Death at Sandringham House, by C.C. Benison (reread)
Napoleon's Buttons: 17 Molecules that Changed History, by Penny Le Couteur
Strange Loyalties, by William McIlvanney
The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Dead Man's Mirror, by Agatha Christie
So, Anyway…, by John Cleese
Pictures of Perfection, by Reginald Hill
The Far Side of the Dollar, by Ross Macdonald
Red or Dead, by David Peace
The Papers of Tony Veitch, by William McIlvanney
Cover Her Face, by P.D. James
Mrs. Pollifax on Safari, by Dorothy Gilman
Wobble to Death, by Peter Lovesey
Doctor Who: Plague of the Cybermen, by Justin Richards
Rob Roy, by Sir Walter Scott

My favourite book of the month was The Lost World. I nearly returned it to the library unread (to try again later), but ended up giving it another chance and was completely captivated.

My least favourite book is difficult to choose, because nothing earned less than 3 stars, but I did find Pictures of Perfection more of a slog than I was expecting.

Of my December plans, I managed to read all of the CATs and FINALLY finish the Rob Roy group read, so it was a successful month.

Currently reading

The Man in the Queue, by Josephine Tey -- this is my favourite of the Teys my mum owns, because it's a Pan Books edition from the 1950s. I love that style. I'm also enjoying the story.
An omnibus of Raymond Chandler I started almost 10 years ago -- this year I'll read the two stories I didn't previously read: The Long Goodbye and Playback.
The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction, by Alan Jacobs -- I've set this aside as my New Year's Day read. Thought it would start the year off right.

January plans

HistoryCAT: The Luck of Troy, by Roger Lancelyn Green -- reading to the theme of Myths and Legends.
RandomCAT: In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead, by James Lee Burke -- the protagonist is named Dave Robicheaux (movie character: Dave Forbes). It also works out nicely as this is another Going Through the Stacks book.
SFFFCAT: Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley -- for the historical SFFF aspect.

I've borrowed a fair bit of non-fiction from the library, and I'm also excited to finally read the second book in the Bryant and May series, The Water Room, which I borrowed via Overdrive.

And because I just received a 12-book box set of Doctor Who stories, I plan to read one story each month of 2015. January will be the First Doctor adventure A Big Hand for the Doctor, by Eoin Colfer.

Meanwhile in my DVD pile I have Royal Paintbox (a documentary featuring Prince Charles talking about art) and the first season of Fargo (starring Martin Freeman). The library has also just informed me that I have The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Lego Movie to pick up. Yay!

Happy New Year!

Congrats on a good reading month and happy new year!

Happy New Year!

>75 rabbitprincess: Argh, The Man in the Queue made me gnash my teeth in irritation! I hope you end up liking it more than I did. :) Josephine Tey is very hit-or-miss with me.

Happy New Year! That does look like a great reading month in December! I really enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel. It is one of those rather unusual and somewhat surreal movies that I just had to sit back and enjoy the journey with. ;-)

>76 sturlington: Thanks, and Happy New Year to you as well!

>77 The_Hibernator: Happy New Year!

>78 christina_reads: No teeth have been gnashed yet. Hoping they remain so!

>79 lkernagh: Ralph Fiennes is the big draw for me in that movie. Not sure what I'm expecting, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

****

@cbl_tn and @lkernagh each posted this year-end meme on one of their threads, so I shall do the same. This was done with books I read in 2014.

Describe yourself -- Don't Make Me Think of a description!
Describe how you feel -- Unprintable
Describe where you currently live -- In 2014 Ottawa saw The Sudden Arrival of Violence, with the shooting at the National War Memorial in October.
If you could go anywhere where would you go -- Jamaica Inn (one of these days I'll actually go to Cornwall)
Your favourite form of transportation -- Murder Underground
Your best friend is -- An Officer and a Spy (not really)
You and your friends are -- Us
What's the weather like -- The Cold Cold Ground
You fear -- Being Wrong
What is the best advice you have to give -- Beware This Boy
Thought for the day -- It's a Don's Life
How you would like to die -- The Drowning Pool
Your soul's present condition -- Into Thin Air

****

New Year's Eve was spent in the company of Bilbo and the dwarves as they encountered the fearsome dragon Smaug in the second Hobbit movie, The Desolation of Smaug. I got the extended edition for Christmas, so we watched the movie yesterday and spent most of today watching all the bonus features. Naturally I enjoyed the parts where they talked about bringing Smaug to life, although the barrel scenes were also fun.

I've also been reading The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction (in between my distractions) and cueing up some audio dramas to listen to. Still have to finish The Surgeon's Mate, on Radio 4 Extra, and I'll have the ten-hour War and Peace that aired today to listen to as well.

The Surgeon's Mate: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04t98s0/episodes/guide
War and Peace: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04wz7q2/episodes/guide

That's an excellent total for December!! Congrats!

>73 cammykitty:
Haha - that's a great image. :)

Love the theme. The Doctor is in ;) Good luck!

I love your theme! I do not know much about Peter Capaldi, but it seems that 2015 could be the year to learn more about him. :)

Happy New Year!

>81 -Eva-: Thanks! A couple of them were long-standing reads; those are always nice to add to the total when they're finally completed!

>82 bookwormjules: Thanks! He is indeed :D

>83 Chrischi_HH: Welcome! I hope this will be a fun place to learn about Peter :)

>84 inge87: Thanks, and happy new year to you too!

****

Two days into the new year and I've already finished my first book and watched my first movie of the year. (The special features of The Desolation of Smaug don't count.) Today we watched The Lego Movie, which only just recently became available to put holds on at the library (all new movies are put in the Express Collection for six months, no holds allowed, and only three days to watch them so that as many people as possible can get a crack at them). It was hilarious! I especially enjoyed Liam Neeson as Bad Cop, and of course Will Arnett's performance as Batman.

And now I have "Everything is Awesome" stuck in my head. If you've seen the movie, you probably do too. Sorry about that. How about a book review to provide a distraction?

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction, by Alan Jacobs

Category: The Fifth Estate
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/114755509

This book was probably preaching to the choir in my case, but I still enjoyed it ;) I especially liked the discussion on Whim, and the section about going "upstream" in one's reading by checking out the books that inspired the authors of one's favourite books instead of just rereading the favourites. Great idea!

80> The Sudden Arrival of Violence :*(

85> Rocks, clocks, and socks, they're awesome!

Happy New Year! I love your meme answers.

Great Christmas book haul! Have you read The House on the Strand? I really liked it when I read it several years ago.

One of these days I'll get around to the Sergeant Cribb series. It's been on my wishlist forever. I think some of them are available as Overdrive ebooks through the public library.

I LOVED the Lego Movie. It was hilarious. :) Happy weekend!

>86 BookLizard: At the time someone online commented that it was like being in an episode of 24, minus the heroics of Jack Bauer. Totally unreal.

>87 BookLizard: Not to mention figs, pigs and twigs!

>88 cbl_tn: Happy New Year! I have not yet read House on the Strand, but have earmarked it for March to coincide with the 75ers' British Author Challenge. My mum also wants to read it so I have to get to it soonish.
Re Cribb, my library mostly has them in print, at least for now... they sometimes like to get rid of the older series my friend J and I enjoy.

>89 The_Hibernator: Agreed! I spent the whole movie either shrieking in glee or clapping wildly whenever cool stuff happened. Happy weekend to you as well!

****

Second DVD of the year: Royal Paintbox, a PBS documentary about the artists of the British Royal Family. Painting, drawing, embroidery and even sculpture are represented by such members as Prince Charles, his cousin Sarah Armstrong-Jones, Bertie (Edward VII), Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, and even Mary Queen of Scots. Some very nice pictures on display, especially the paintings of the area around Balmoral.

Yesterday my hold on Christopher Brookmyre's third Jasmine Sharp novel, Flesh Wounds, came in at the library, and today I went to pick up a British Library Crime Classic I've been eyeing for a while: The Cornish Coast Murder, by John Bude. And then I found out that the books I bought with my Christmas gift card from Chapters have shipped, so those should be arriving next week!

Today I will be reading Flesh Wounds (have already started, yay!) and watching the first season of Fargo, starring Martin Freeman, while the snow falls briskly outside.

Just popping by to star your thread - and I am impressed by your Categories and organization! I'm looking forward to all the reading you'll be doing this year.

@74 Totally sounds like a polite form of Fotrally! Would have loved to see the Victorian men's athletic wear. I'm sure it wasn't lycra with reflective stripes.

So did The Pleasures of Reading mostly sing the praises of reading or did it make a lot of suggestions on how to go deeper into your reading, like reading the inspiration. That is a good tip, but sometimes it's hard to find out what might have inspired something.

>91 Dejah_Thoris: Many thanks! It was fun to assemble this thread (and made somewhat easier by basing it on last year's format).

>92 cammykitty: This is the cover of my edition. It looks like they're in their underwear or jammies.



On a related note, they cast Cribb very well, based on his description in the book. He's in the lower-right corner.

RE The Pleasures of Reading, it's mostly singing the praises of reading, especially engaging with it on your own terms -- read what you want, read what you need, in whatever format floats your boat. Reading is supposed to be fun, not dutiful.

****

It is COLD here today. The temperature this morning was in the minus 20s Celsius, with windchills approaching minus 30 Celsius! The city has issued a frostbite advisory, and all of the freezing rain and snow we had this weekend has turned to solid ice. Perfect staying home and reading weather, but unfortunately I had to go to work :(

On the plus side, I finished one book (part of a four-book omnibus) last night and another one tonight!

The Long Goodbye, by Raymond Chandler

Category: Wasps' Nest
Source: Everyman's Library omnibus, a gift
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/topic/184745#4991892

I hesitate to say this is my favourite Chandler, because I don't really remember a lot about the ones I've read before, but there was much to like in this book. My only quibble is that it felt a bit too long, but perhaps that is to be expected with a book that has the word "long" in the title.

The Man in the Queue, by Josephine Tey

Category: Wasps' Nest
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113715779

An interesting introduction to the Alan Grant series. Tey herself seems to be "narrating" as if she's Grant's biographer. I liked the scenery they took in on this case, and most of the case itself was interesting. The ending was odd, though.

Stay warm today!

That book jacket is hilarious! No wonder they didn't want ladies going to boxing matches if the fighters dressed in long johns :D

I agree with your opinion of The Man in the Queue. It thought it was really good and I was all into it, until the ending. The reader didn't have the pertinent info in order to guess whodunnit, which made the ending seem tacked on. My only disappointment with Tey, though.
>93 rabbitprincess: That book cover is pretty funny. They do look like they're fighting in their jammies.

Just stopping by to see your challenge. Interesting categories! Happy reading to you.

>80 rabbitprincess: Your favourite form of transportation -- Murder Underground Well, this seems hazardous, at best, and complete folly :)

>90 rabbitprincess: Oh, I'm back from 2 weeks in London, we've gone to the British Library for the exhibit 'Terror and Wonder', wonderful by the way; but more to the point, I've seen these British Library Crime Classic at the shop and I'm definitely looking forward your feedback on this one.

I am doing a quiet happy dance cause I read your spoiler alert about David Morrissey being the star of next years thread! I do have a very big soft spot for him.

>94 paruline: Thanks! I hope the kids don't freeze at school! Do they keep them in at recess when the temperature goes below a certain amount?

>95 leslie.98: Oh yes! The ladies might not necessarily object though :P

>96 mstrust: Exactly. I might not have minded a gloaty epilogue, where we see the criminal saying "Muahahaha! I got away with it!", but the way it was presented in the actual book just didn't work for me.

I'm cracking up at the facial expression on the guy being arrested/tackled!

>97 tymfos: Hi! Thanks for stopping by! :D

>98 electrice: Haha yes, maybe I will wait until the murder on the Underground has been cleared up before riding on it. ;)

That sounds like a great exhibit! Coincidentally, I am reading Frankenstein right now, so it's almost like being there in spirit.

I've read Murder Underground and The Lake District Murder in the British Library Crime Classics editions, and I can recommend The Lake District Murder especially.

>99 DeltaQueen50: Yay! Happy dances all around :D

****

It's very cold here still. Tomorrow it might drop down as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius. I hope it will wait until I get home before it gets that cold.

No new books finished to report, and no DVDs watched, but I should be getting a new batch of books from Chapters this week, thanks to my Christmas gift cards. I ordered the following:

The Wallace, by Nigel Tranter
Foxglove Summer, by Ben Aaronovitch
Reykjavik Nights, by Arnaldur Indridason
Doctor Who: Engines of War, by George Mann
The Wolfe Widow, by Victoria Abbott

The Doctor Who story is especially exciting because it stars the War Doctor (aka Sir John Hurt). The BF helped me pick that one; I asked him whether I should get a War Doctor or Twelfth Doctor book and he said there probably wouldn't be as many War Doctor adventures. True enough! Plenty of time for me to get other Twelve novels.

Oh wait, I finished a book :)

Darkwing Duck: The Duck Knight Returns, by Ian Brill (writer) and James Silvani (illustrator)

Category: Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/114481942

I loved Darkwing Duck to pieces as a child, so naturally I was going to like this comic. That is all.

>101 rabbitprincess: That is all. Er, did you just channel your inner Miranda Priestley ? Because if that is the case, I'll be delighted; and I can totally bring you, a hot as hell coffee :) You know to drink, along your next read ...

>102 electrice: Snicker.

>103 Dejah_Thoris: Sorry, I couldn't help myself, I must rewatch The Devil Wears Prada, I think that I suffer from bad withdrawal symptoms :)

>102 electrice:, >103 Dejah_Thoris:, >104 electrice:: Haha! No, I didn't intend to refer to Miranda Priestly. I was referring to John Hodgman's catchphrase. http://www.johnhodgman.com/

>105 rabbitprincess: I don't know who he is. I'll look at it later on ... That's all :)

Are you still in a deep freeze up there? At least where I am it has made it's way up to freezing!

>106 electrice: :) He is or was at one point a correspondent for The Daily Show, and has written a series of three almanac-style books filled with fake facts. Very absurd humour.

>107 hailelib: Today we were a relatively balmy minus 11 Celsius (about 12 F). Beach weather. Although I guess in retrospect I can't really complain *too* much about yesterday's deep freeze; I have a friend in Saskatchewan who saw the temperature drop to minus 35 C (minus 31 F) -- BEFORE the windchill, which made it feel like minus 49! Ew.

****

Today I watched The Grand Budapest Hotel. It was delightfully bonkers. I was watching primarily because of Ralph Fiennes and this promo image, which made me wonder what the heck the film was about:



That's probably a good way to go into this film -- just start watching it and see what happens.

On the reading front, I'm trying to get into my Bryant and May ebook from the library but am feeling restless. I think part of me is grumpy with the library for getting rid of their physical copies of the book. Might have to remove myself from all distractions in order to get into it.

>108 rabbitprincess: I saw The Grand Budapest not too long ago and thought Fiennes and his unexpected language was the funniest part.

>108 rabbitprincess:
That's a great pic - I'm absolutely putting that one on the to-watch list!

I loved The Grand Budapest Hotel.

And my brother, who is in South Carolina, is complaining bitterly about their weather, which is in the low teens and rainy. I rolled my eyes and asked him if he remembers anything about his Canadian childhood. Having lived in both Edmonton, AB and Phoenix, AZ, I feel well qualified to roll my eyes at anyone complaining about the temperature.

I need to try watching that movie again - I got halfway through it last summer on a flight to Manila, but was too tired to finish. Plus, with the airplane noise, I'm not sure I completely understood what was going on.

I didn't know Capaldi until he became the new Doctor. Now I need to check out some of the other work he's done.

>109 mstrust: Speaking of Ralph Fiennes and unexpected language, I also highly enjoyed his performance as Victor Quartermaine in the Wallace and Gromit movie "Curse of the Were-Rabbit". Obviously he didn't swear quite as much, but at one point the character utters the oath "Potty poo!", which had me in stitches.

>110 -Eva-: I hope you like it! It was my first Wes Anderson film, and it was a pretty good intro in my opinion. I love the expression on the elevator guy's face!

>111 RidgewayGirl: Rain in winter is pretty gross, especially when it freezes over! I hope the weather returns to proper winter temperatures and conditions. Today we're about where we should be, minus 10 Celsius, although the wind was fierce enough to prompt a frostbite advisory.

>112 LittleTaiko: It's probably best viewed on a TV or at least a bigger computer screen, especially because Anderson changes the aspect ratio for each of the three "timelines" of the story. I find it hard to watch much on airplanes, even on my iPad, because of the airplane noise, and also because I think my ears get clogged and don't really pop with the change in air pressure.

>113 andreablythe: The Thick of It is probably his most famous other work, but he's done a fair bit of other things as you can see ;) He's even narrated the odd documentary, such as Komodo: Secrets of the Dragon, which I just borrowed from the library.

****

We're back to normal winter temperatures, which is good, but I have a cold, which sucks. And yesterday we had some very brief snow squalls -- they lasted only a few minutes and were very localized, but for those few minutes they blasted us with wind and coated us in snow.

And last night the BF and I watched the cult British classic Withnail & I, starring Richard E. Grant and Paul McGann as Withnail and I, respectively. They both gave very good performances and I'm glad the library actually had a copy of this for me to try.

And today I finished my SFFFCAT selection:

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley

Category: Doctor Who
Source: BF's collection
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/71472885

BingoDOG square: correspondence or letters (you thought I'd put it under scientists, didn't you?)

This turned out to be easier to read than I was expecting. It has multiple levels of narrative but it's always clear who's telling the story, which is more than I can say for some other nested narratives *cough*Heart of Darkness*cough*. I particularly enjoyed reading it after seeing the National Theatre production featuring Cumberbatch and Miller as Dr Frankenstein and the Creature, seeing what they'd kept and what they'd changed. (It's a much more faithful adaptation than many of the usual "Frankenstein" movies.)

Count me in as another fan of "The Grand Budapest Hotel." I really enjoyed it and tend to agree that it really should be watched on a larger screen.

I'm sorry you've caught a cold! I hope it gives you the excuse to get a lot of reading done.

I'm playing catch up here. My kids own The Lego Movie, so I completely understand what you are talking about. I walk around with that song in my head for days after they have watched it. At least when I forget myself and sing a bit at work people just laugh and then groan, as they then have it stuck in their head.

Also I just ran into my neighbour at the shops and she recommended The Grand Budapest Hotel. I am going to see if my library has that one now.

What? Young Frankenstein isn't faithful? I remember being surprised about how much the book dwells on that question, is it right for man to dabble in the works of God. I found that part interesting.

Love the Wobble to Death cover. Yup, they do look like jammies, and comfortable ones too.

I love Peter Capaldi!

DS
(Bruce's evil twin :-))

>115 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks. It's a head cold, which is disgusting and not nearly as fun as a sore throat/chest cold, where I at least get the benefits of a lower vocal range when I sing.

I did manage to get more stuck into my Bryant and May ebook and started an audiobook in between naps, so that was good.

>116 Roro8: I might need to get a copy of The Lego Movie for myself! It was so fun. I hope you like Grand Budapest Hotel.

>117 cammykitty: Yeah, I really liked that angle. It's like the bit in Jurassic Park where someone says something to the effect of "just because you *can* do it, doesn't mean you *should*."

>118 bruce_krafft: I love him too! He's especially adorable in interviews.

****

Today was a sick day for me because I had a cold all weekend and it was still hanging on. I'm hoping it will shift into a chest cold tomorrow, instead of being a head cold, which is yucky. Spent a lot of time dozing on the couch and being lulled by David Morrissey's narration of the other Morrissey's autobiography. That plus DayQuil and lots of tea have improved my spirits somewhat.

On Sunday I managed to finish another Scottish mystery, a long-awaited one in this household.

Flesh Wounds, by Christopher Brookmyre (published in North America as Bred in the Bone)

Category: The Field of Blood
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/115151242

What a great conclusion to this narrative arc! I'd still happily read more Jasmine and Catherine novels though.

Head colds are the worst! Hope you get better soon...

>119 rabbitprincess: Hope you're feeling better soon. Glad to see you enjoyed Flesh Wounds as much as I did. The characters haven't yet outstayed their welcome and I'd also happily read another if the author ever returns to them. Back to Jack Parlabane for his next one though.

RP I lost your thread and seriously looked everywhere. I finally found you! I think I may have hit ignore instead of star. I didn't notice you weren't "around" last month because I was still conversing with you on the 2014 thread. I've been bonkers trying to find you. Well, I am bonkers but it just added to my madness. ;-)

I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. I hope you get better.

I haven't seen The Grand Budapest Hotel but I love Wes Anderson's early work.

I hope you're starting to feel better. I prescribe staying inside, reading books and drinking lots of tea.
I enjoyed The Grand Budapest Hotel and almost all of Wes Anderson's other movies. I couldn't get into The Darjeeling Express. I love his quirky and intricately detailed world(s).

Loved your meme answers. I'm now somewhat caught up on your thread. Maybe I'll do better from here on out.

Thank you, everyone, for your get-well wishes! They must have worked, because I feel much better today. :)

>120 paruline: They really are! It's like your brain gets clogged as well as your sinuses. So irritating.

>121 AHS-Wolfy: I think Brookmyre is the only author who can make me read gross scenes more than once just to make sure I get all the details right (such as the part where Jasmine kills Tony McGill by sticking her thumb into his eye and embedding it in his brain -- DAMN that was cold).

>122 luvamystery65: Yay! Glad you found me! It's very easy to lose track of people at the beginning of the year. I have been enjoying the antics over at your thread too :D

>123 VioletBramble: I've definitely been filling that prescription, especially the tea part. Yesterday I drank a whole "company-sized" pot.

The details are really quite magical! I loved the little funicular that takes people to the hotel. Was very pleased to see that it won the Golden Globe for Best Musical or Comedy Motion Picture.

****

It's back to school for me today! I'm continuing a technical writing program at my local college that I can do part-time and online. This term I have two courses: desktop publishing and white papers. So I spent my evening downloading all of the assignment files and reading over the course schedules to get an idea of the workload I can expect this term (answer: a lot). And of course in the back of my mind I'm considering where I can shoehorn in some extra reading time to make up for the loss of recreational reading in the evenings ;)

Now picking up The Riddle of the Labyrinth, which @inge87 mentioned on her thread last year and which I've been meaning to read for a while. It will tie in somewhat with my bus book, The Luck of Troy.

>124 thornton37814: Thanks! There are a lot of threads to keep track of. It's amazing how quickly the posts can pile up.

>126 rabbitprincess: I agree. I'm just starting to catch up on all the new 2015 threads!

Good luck with your new term at school, and count me as another fan of The Grand Budapest Hotel!

I'm still at that point where it looks like I'll never catch up on threads. However, I am reading them.

>125 rabbitprincess: Glad you are feeling well again and back to school!

125> Riddle of the Labyrinth sounds interesting. I might have to use that for the "about language" square for BingoDOG - after I hear how you like it, of course.

Riddle of the Labyrinth does sound good - I'll be waiting for your comments!

I hope you're enjoying being back at school - I always loved the start of the semester.

Glad you feel better, and good luck with your class!

>127 mathgirl40: For a while there I was juggling both groups, and it was fun trying to remember where I'd commented on whose thread! Now that it's already halfway through January, things seem to have settled down a bit.

>128 VivienneR: Thanks! School is also at home, since it's an online course, but I'm glad to be well again for the first day.

>129 BookLizard: Of course! I will probably use it for that square as well :)

>130 Dejah_Thoris: Yep, a new semester always brings such promise! Today I recorded all of the assignment due dates in my agenda so that I can start planning a work schedule. Since this is an entirely online course I really have to be on top of my workload.

>131 mstrust: Thanks! :D

****

Great news: the next Flavia is waiting for me at the library! Will be picking it up tomorrow. Something to look forward to.

And I finished my HistoryCAT book for the month.

The Luck of Troy, by Roger Lancelyn Green

Category: The Musketeers
Source: The Box of Frogs, Wigtown, Scotland
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/109001372

For the most part this is a solid retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of Helen of Troy's son, Nicostratus, who is also taken with his mother to Troy when Paris kidnaps her. Sometimes the dialogue can get exposition-heavy, but I found that part of its charm for some reason. Not essential if you've already read RLG's Tales of the Greek Heroes and The Tale of Troy, but a nice addition if you stumble upon it.

I'm glad to hear you are feeling better RP.

Enjoy Flavia!

Stopping by with happy weekend wishes and glad to see you enjoyed The Hotel Grand Budapest and that you are feeling better!

>133 luvamystery65: Thanks, Roberta! Now my BF has my cold. Poor guy.

>134 Dejah_Thoris: I will! That one's up next.

>135 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! I hope you've been having a good weekend as well.

Happy weekend! Good to hear about the next Flavia. Hope you thoroughly enjoy it. :) Believe it or not I haven't read any of them!

>137 The_Hibernator: Thanks! It is very enjoyable indeed. I'm reading it on the bus so that I can spend as much time with it as possible. Might finish tomorrow.

I didn't start reading the books until the fifth one, then had to go back and read the rest. It was almost a disappointment to be all caught up and have to wait for the next one with everybody else!

****

Finally finished a couple of books. I'm in one of those periodic reading moments where I'm reading a whole bunch of things at once and not really making much progress on any of them because I want to read all of them at once.

The Water Room, by Christopher Fowler

Category: Wasps' Nest
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/115050582

In a strange way this kind of reminded me of Rivers of London; since the mystery focuses on the forgotten underground rivers of the city, I half expected Peter Grant, Lesley May and Inspector Nightingale to show up and help Bryant and May with the case. (I would totally read such a crossover.) After reading several books in the series out of order, I've concluded that this is one of those series where reading in order is most important.

The Cornish Coast Murder, by John Bude

Category: In the Loop - January RandomCAT (character of Ruth Tregarthan / movie character Ruth McMillan); Wasps' Nest
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/115168844

Another interesting Golden Age mystery reissued by the British Library Crime Classics imprint. I think I preferred the plot of The Lake District Murder (Bude's other work in this imprint that I've read), but this has a pretty good setting, and I enjoyed Reverend Dodd. Now I want to reread Father Brown.

Sorry to hear you've been sick. That was me all last week and it's just the pits! Good luck on the school-work. Online is quite brave - I'm not sure if I would get my assignments done if I didn't have to be in class. :)

>1 rabbitprincess: Ha! I'm sorry I missed the Cumber-challenge, but the Capaldi challenge looks all kinds of good as well.

>108 rabbitprincess: So love Wes Anderson. One of his best, I thought. And Tilda Swinton is always a big plus.

>8 rabbitprincess: What?? Did I miss that in American On Purpose? You'd think he'd mention it. Heading to YouTube ...

>100 rabbitprincess: Just saw you mentioned The Lake District Murder, I guess I have to accept that BB. I like thrillers set in areas I know a bit. And as it seems that I have to postpone a trip to the Lake District for another year, the book might be a good alternative for now. :)

>139 -Eva-: Oh no, not you too! There's been some sort of cold going around here. One of my coworkers claimed that I emailed him my cold as he was down with it for a good chunk of last week.

It is a bit difficult sometimes to motivate myself to get work done, but the best approach I've found is to do a little bit each day, and to schedule a few "fun" days where no homework is allowed! I'll be doing more work this evening because I was out last night.

>140 madhatter22: The Cumber-challenge was indeed a lot of fun, but he will probably find a way to show up here as well ;)

I wanted more Tilda Swinton! Her transformation was incredible.

Yep, he does mention it in American on Purpose. I can't remember how much, though.
And while you're on YouTube, the interview Craig does with Peter when Peter's promoting In the Loop is well worth watching :D

>141 Chrischi_HH: The scenery is described beautifully in The Lake District Murder, so it should be a good substitute. I'm sorry that you have to postpone your trip, though!

****

Last night I took a break from homework to go out for dinner. And by dinner I mean afternoon tea at the Chateau Laurier. The Chateau has two set menus for tea: the standard and the "Canadian" tea. We decided to try the Canadian one for a change. It starts with a glass of icewine-covered strawberries:



The picture was taken halfway through my demolishing them; they are presented much more nicely than shown here. I love strawberries.

And of course there was tea! My friend had the Margaret's Hope Darjeeling, while I stuck to the traditional Fairmont Breakfast. I liked the teapots they gave us: they are Serious Teapots that Mean Business.



The tea leaves were poured directly into the pot, with a strainer placed over the teacup itself to collect the loose leaves. The tea tasted great (if a bit bitter toward the end of the pot because I didn't drink fast enough), but I imagine it must be annoying to clean out the pot afterward.

And the food itself was good. On the bottom tier there were scones (plain and fruit). The middle tier had open-face sandwiches: cucumber, smoked salmon, curried chicken, and striploin. The top tier had a fruit cup with custard, a sheet cake with mousse between the layers, and a divine maple tart.



I'd consider getting the Canadian tea again, but my friend thinks she prefers the standard tea, because the sandwiches on that one are closed-face and a bit easier to handle.

****

And on Thursday I finished catching up with Flavia!

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, by Alan Bradley

Category: Wasps' Nest (square: book with an amateur detective)
Source: library muahaha
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/115511884

Historical Toronto, travelling by ship and boarding schools -- yay! A minor unresolved mystery, though: why didn't Daffy and Feely and Haviland write to her at all? Not even gloatingly? Also, I'd forgotten about Undine and was annoyed to be reminded of her. I hope that's addressed in the next book.

Can we go? Huh, huh?

>142 rabbitprincess: Oh wow - yum. I'll go with you and we can order what ever you want!

The point you bring up in your spoiler section is exactly what a non LT friend and I were texting about yesterday. What was up with that? A mystery indeed.

Maple tart sounds SO good.

Lovely tea -- my stomach is now growling for some scones!

>142 rabbitprincess: I assumed that Flavia wasn't there long enough to get lots of letters. She found the body the night she arrived, and the action wound up in just a few days and the decision was made to send her home.

I love the tea photos! It looks like fun!

Now I'm in the mood for tea. Those sandwiches look divine.

>143 mysterymax: Of course! I have also been alerted to another tea shop on Wellington West, so my friend and I will do some tea-connaissance and report back ;)

>144 Dejah_Thoris: It is possible for one person to get the standard tea and one to get the Canadian one; that whole tea tray was for me! :D We just both felt like trying the Canadian tea that day. And there's even a champagne tea option, which is Canadian tea + glass of champagne. We haven't been that adventurous yet. But one of our coworkers is retiring later this year, so we're thinking of taking her for tea at the Chateau and making sure that she at least gets the champagne!

Re Flavia, I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering about that!

>145 BookLizard: It is! It's basically like a butter tart with maple syrup added (and no raisins). I would have been happy with just maple tarts on the top tier. Delicious.

>146 leslie.98: Mmmmmm scones! Especially with Devonshire cream!

>147 cbl_tn: Good point! Now I can't remember what the exact timeline was. I thought it took a while for the story to resolve, but maybe it took place over a shorter period than I imagined.

>148 luvamystery65: They were really good! I don't actually know what the striploin tasted like, though, because I gave mine to my friend in exchange for her smoked salmon, which she doesn't like. (I'm not crazy about salmon either, but I'm prepared to eat it at afternoon tea.)

****

It has been a very lazy weekend. Not much progress on my coursework, sadly, but I did get through a couple of DVDs from the library.

One was called D-Day's Sunken Secrets and was about a multi-national project to use sonar to examine the wreckage of vehicles and vessels that sank in the English Channel during the D-Day landings. Some veterans of the battle actually went to the site and went down in a sub to take a look at the wreckage. It was really interesting, although the box said it was only 1 hour long, when it was actually closer to 2 hours!

And yesterday I watched The Wildest Dream, which was about George Mallory and his attempt to conquer Everest. Narrated by Liam Neeson and featuring the voices of Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Hugh Dancy and (not enough) Alan Rickman, it features some breathtaking visuals and archive footage from the period. A couple of modern-day climbers also attempt to retrace Mallory's footsteps. Now I have to dig out the Mallory books on my TBR!

Also this morning, as a small palate cleanser, I read the first of my Doctor Who novellas.

A Big Hand for the Doctor, by Eoin Colfer (Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Shorts #1)

Category: Doctor Who
Source: box set gift from a friend
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/115001833

Because this is about the First Doctor, and not as much has been written about him, Colfer had a bit of leeway with his portrayal. Overall, it mostly sounds all right, although if any Doctor is going to make Harry Potter references, it's Ten. (Fortunately, it's just the one reference.)

>149 rabbitprincess: Ok so I shouldn't really be skimming today. I read ^ Drunken Day Secrets. :/

Let me go back to my thread where I am allowed to misbehave. :D

>150 luvamystery65: Hahaha! Love it! I did mention champagne in another part of that post so perhaps that was to blame! ;)

Maple tarts sound yummy.
Re: Flavia and the letter - I think it was more than a few days. The text says: After queuing day after day at the wicket, and being turned away letter-less , I had simply given up waiting..

Love the look of that tea. It all sounds good to me. Im behind on Flavia so skipped the spoilers. I really must work on catching up.

The "Canadian" tea sounds perfect! All of the open faced sandwiches you mention sound divine. Not sure I am up for the maple tart. I love butter tarts but even they tend to be a bit too sweet for me. ;-)

..... and then you go and mention a that the Canadian tea comes with a champagne option. *wondering what the air fares are from BC to check out the Chateau Laurier high teas*

>142 rabbitprincess: Thanks for the heads up! What a great interview. I love him in In the Loop.

V. jealous of your tea, esp. as I eat this sad tuna sandwich.

I've only read the first Flavia de Luce but now I want to tear through them all to get to Chimney Sweepers. I have a weakness for boarding school stories.

>153 dudes22: It was delicious! And I hear you on the catching up front. So many series, etc. Hope you've been having a good vacation!

>154 lkernagh: I selflessly volunteer to eat the maple tart for you ;) If you do find yourself wanting to come out this way, @paruline and @mysterymax and I have started an LT summit tradition, usually the week of July 1. We would love to have you join us! (But of course you're welcome here anytime.)

To tide you over, the Empress looks like it has a bit more sandwiches in its afternoon tea: http://www.fairmont.com/empress-victoria/pdf/emp-tea-menu-oct-2014-pdf/

>155 madhatter22: You *might* be safe skipping ahead to #5 and then continuing from there. From what I recall, nos. 5, 6 and 7 have more continuing threads linking them than the first four.

I had a sad turkey sandwich for lunch. Would have loved to partake of more afternoon tea!

The "magician's jacket" cracked me up, especially after he started on Doctor Who; his current costume has a bit of a magician-y air about it!

>156 rabbitprincess:, I clicked on that link, and now I want to jump on a plane to go to the Empress.

>156 rabbitprincess: & >157 paruline: - LOL! Now that the Empress is privately owned, I cannot claim that the Fairmont chain is deliberately offering different menus in its different hotels, but my preference is still for the Canadian tea on offer at Chateau Laurier!

>142 rabbitprincess:
I'm drooling over your afternoon tea.

>157 paruline: I know right? I considered going when I was in Victoria a few years ago, but opted for the James Bay Tea Room instead. Very good too, and they have hand-knitted/hand-crocheted tea cozies for sale!

>158 lkernagh: We'll set aside a table for you then!

>159 andreablythe: It was delish!

****

If my family weren't already planning a trip to the UK in September, I would demand they plan a trip in July to attend the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Festival. The festival itself sounds interesting, but especially this: Mark Billingham in conversation with David Morrissey!
http://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/crime/news/special-guest-announcement...

Anyone want to go on my behalf and report back??? :D

A couple of reviews, then the monthly recap, as I'm unlikely to finish any more books today.

The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code, by Margalit Fox

Category: The Fifth Estate
Source: library, both print and Overdrive
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/115079800

I've known about Linear A and Linear B for years but never read just how Linear B was deciphered. This book explains it well and gives long-overdue credit to Alice Kober, who laid a lot of the groundwork that would help Michael Ventris decipher the alphabet after she died.

Brighton Rock, by Graham Greene

Category: Fortysomething
Source: Friends of Library and Archives Canada book sale
Rating: 2/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/102194584

This book reminded me of The Confidential Agent, in that I found both books initially exciting but then got bogged down in their explorations of weighty topics like good vs. evil and right vs. wrong. On the whole, I think I'd rather have watched the Richard Attenborough movie version of this book.

****

January recap

I mostly seem to have read several nibbly little short books. January has been demanding on my attention what with my returning to classes. (Speaking of, I really need to get back to the homework…) But I did manage to read 13 books.

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction, by Alan Jacobs
The Long Goodbye, by Raymond Chandler
The Man in the Queue, by Josephine Tey
Darkwing Duck: The Duck Knight Returns, by Ian Brill and James Silvani
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Bred in the Bone, by Christopher Brookmyre
The Luck of Troy, by Roger Lancelyn Green
The Water Room, by Christopher Fowler
The Cornish Coast Murder, by John Bude
As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust, by Alan Bradley
A Big Hand for the Doctor, by Eoin Colfer (Dr Who box set #1)
The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code, by Margalit Fox
Brighton Rock, by Graham Greene

My favourite book of the month was Bred in the Bone. I've been waiting for it since May, when the library first listed it as "on order", and it was well worth the wait.

My least favourite book was Brighton Rock, which started out thrilling but then became too bogged down for my liking.

Of my January plans, I ended up switching my RandomCAT selection to The Cornish Coast Murder, but I did read something for each of the CATs. I did also borrow Foundation for Christina's "Year of Peter Ackroyd's History of England Series" read, but I haven't got around to it yet. Hope to this month, although history books seem to be the main victims of my short attention span.

Currently reading

Sleepyhead, by Mark Billingham (I nearly put Tom Thorne! I do this all the time with series novels, writing the detective's name instead of the author's) -- my February RandomCAT selection, started early, but I will probably finish on Monday so it will count in February. It's a bit out of my comfort zone as it involves a creepy serial killer, but the ability to skim the really creepy bits plus the fact that David Morrissey plays the detective in the TV adaptation are helping me get through it.
The Long Shadow: The Legacies of the Great War in the Twentieth Century, by David Reynolds -- I didn't expect the library to order this, but they did, and I was first on the list. Haven't had as much time to read it as I would have liked, but when I do read it I find it interesting.
Autobiography, by Morrissey -- audio, read by David Morrissey. And read wonderfully too, if I may say so. I'll probably resume reading it next weekend.

I also have two course textbooks in my currently reading pile, and the Chandler omnibus is still on the bedside table for whenever I decide to read Playback.

February plans

HistoryCAT: Astérix et les Gothes, by Goscinny -- reading for the time period and to knock out one of my French books for the year.
RandomCAT: Sleepyhead, by Mark Billingham -- as mentioned earlier, this was adapted into a TV series featuring David Morrissey. And yes I have the TV tie-in edition.
SFFFCAT: The Day of the Triffids, by John Wyndham
Group read: Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh, for the British Author Challenge, and Foundation, by Peter Ackroyd, for the year-long History of England read.

Of my library reads this month, I am placing the highest priority on Blithe Spirit, by Noel Coward, because I'm going to see Angela Lansbury in it in March! I also have some knitting books to look through.

February's Doctor Who story will feature the Second Doctor: The Nameless City, by Michael Scott.

My DVD pile is very adventurous. I have documentaries about the Endurance, journeying into amazing caves, and following in the footsteps of St. Paul. The first two are narrated by Liam Neeson and the third is presented by David Suchet. The library also informs me that My Darling Clementine is in transit.

I will be watching for your thoughts on The Long Shadow since I may want to read it myself. And the David Suchet documentary is sitting on my desk waiting to be cataloged. I may need to bring it home to watch!

>161 rabbitprincess:, ooooh, lucky you, reading The day of the Triffids for the first time!

Oh, I'm craving a proper afternoon tea now! But it's almost 10pm, so it'll have to wait... Thanks for the Pavlovian drooling, though. :)

Didn't want to hijack the "What are we reading?" thread . . . Why can't you renew The Long Shadow? Have you had it too long or is someone else waiting for it? If you've had it too long, you might be able to ask for an extension since it's such a long book (you might want to ask a librarian instead of someone working at the checkout desk because they usually have more authority and want people to read books!). If someone else is waiting for it, you could keep trying to renew it - if there's more than one copy in the system, that person might get a different copy before Wednesday.

You might already know these tricks, but just trying to be helpful.

>162 cbl_tn: So far I can tell you that the chapter on "Civilization" is really interesting! It talks about the various countries' response to the war through art, poetry, literature and film.

>163 paruline: I'm looking forward to it!

>164 -Eva-: You're welcome! I hope you have a chance to go for afternoon tea sometime. Are there any places near you that offer it?

>165 BookLizard: There are only two copies and 32 holds on it, so I'd probably have to return it. I've had it for just the standard three weeks. It's a new book so still pretty popular.

Our library just got RFID self-checkout machines, and recently I discovered that if you have a library book in your purse that's already been checked out and the purse gets too close to the checkout machine, the book inside will get re-scanned and automatically renewed, even if it has a lot of holds on it. (The book I discovered this with? The new Flavia de Luce.) That loophole might have been fixed by now, but it's worth a try I guess. Worst-case scenario is I return it and put a new hold on it, making a note of the chapter I left off on.

I appreciate your expertise! Thank you for the info. :D

>166 rabbitprincess: What an interesting loophole in the checkout/holds process! A while back, just after one of out library system's innumerable updates, I found I was able to access the librarian Hold override that let me put hold on books from other libraries in the system that weren't in other than local circulation (ie., New Books / less than 6 months). It didn't actually break the 6 month circulation rule, but I was first in line when the time was up! Sadly, the magic button disappeared one day....

I've never read Day of the Triffids. Shocking.

My other favorite hack is turning on airplane mode on my Kindle so borrowed ebooks don't get returned. The downside, of course, is that you can't load any new ones you borrow either.

>167 Dejah_Thoris: Wow that would be a useful loophole!

>168 BookLizard: Nice! I can't remember whether I've tried that with my iPad and the Overdrive app.

****

Food question!

I'm supposed to have my wisdom teeth out on Thursday, so I've been stocking up on easy-to-chew foods for the first couple of days following my recovery. But since I am normally just a stomach on legs, I'm worried that a diet of instant mashed potatoes, pudding, Jello, Carnation instant breakfast and the like won't fill me up and I'll be grumpy and craving cheeseburgers. My BF suggested smoothies that had high fibre and/or protein -- I've done a cursory Google search myself, but I would love recommendations of your favourite recipes that would fit these criteria, or at the very least, suggestions of things I can throw into a regular smoothie to make it higher in fibre or protein.

I don't really do smoothies, but based on my wisdom teeth extraction experience, you might be able to manage well-cooked beans (i.e. mushy canned beans) or hamburger/breakfast sausage cut into really small pieces shortly after surgery. I was eating regular food cut up small less than 48 hours after my surgery, but I also had mine done at an unusually early age (12) and I've heard that the younger wisdom tooth patients recover faster.

Also, avocado is high in both protein and fiber and is quite soft. Guacamole tends to be acidic and might irritate the surgery sites, but some avocado toast might be good. Just remember to take small bites and chew with your front teeth.

Here is a link to 34 healthy breakfast ideas. Not all are soft and I copied and pasted two of the smoothie ideas. I haven't tried the first but the second is good. You can even add some protein powder in it.

http://greatist.com/health/healthy-fast-breakfast-recipes

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie Smoothies are a perfect on-the-go snack any time of day. Blend 1 frozen banana, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 cup almond milk, and a few ice cubes. If this is a morning snack, keep it in a tight-sealing container and throw it in a gym or work bag. For an afternoon boost, prep it the night before and freeze, remove in the morning, and it will be thawed and ready to enjoy after lunch. Tip: Add a scoop of your favorite chocolate or vanilla protein for an extra protein boost.

Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie Here’s a simple and delicious smoothie recipe for the morning rush. Blend 1 cup plain Greek yogurt with 1 cup frozen fruit (banana and berries work very well) with 1/2 cup liquid (milk, juice, coconut water—whatever you like). Freeze overnight and thaw throughout the day to enjoy in the afternoon, or blend up in the morning.

ETA: fixed the link

>171 luvamystery65: I sometimes make a version of the second one. Mix yoghurt and frozen berries with a splash of juice, a banana and oatmeal. Quite filling and very tasty. You can replace the yoghurt with quark for more protein.

I had an infected back tooth removed in December, which required surgery that's probably similar to what you'll be having. I kept to smooth soup, yogurt, milkshakes and pudding for about four days. I don't know if this is good or bad news for you, but the level of medication they gave me cut my appetite so much that I didn't care what I was eating as long as it went down without chewing.

>172 PawsforThought: That sounds good Paws. I'll try it.

I like to put some tofu in my fruit smoothies to give them some proteins. You can probably find some flavoured ones at your grocery; I like the coconut or the mango-banana ones myself. Basically this:

>169 rabbitprincess: I got nothing other than soups such as potato leek soup. Do you need to avoid hot things?

In any case, good luck with the surgery!

>164 -Eva-:
We have a tearoom attached to one of the British food shops very close to where I live, but during the weekends you have to battle the cauliflower-crowd for a table, so I try to go on a regular workday if I have a meeting out of the office or am off work for some other reason. Great place, though.
Or I can just be not-lazy and make afternoon tea myself at home. :)

Not fun about the surgery, though - hope it goes well!

I'm not going to be much help with the smoothie recipes, but wish all the best for the surgery!

Sending positive thoughts and good wishes for the surgery. I had my wisdom teeth removed surgically years ago. What helped most was rinsing my mouth with warm salt water several times a day.

Baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes are easy to cook in a microwave and could work as soft foods. My mother used to put cottage cheese on baked potatoes. They're really good that way, and the cottage cheese gives you a bit of protein.

>170 casvelyn: Ooh, beans and avocado! Yum! Excellent ideas. I do love avocado, and beans are good too.

I'm rapidly approaching 30 so I'm at the higher end of the "ideal time for wisdom teeth removal" continuum. It is true that the younger ones recover faster. Twelve is very young indeed! It must be a relief to have had them out so early :)

>171 luvamystery65: Thanks for the link! It sounds like oatmeal would be another good idea, as well as scrambled eggs.

>172 PawsforThought: Mmmm that does sound good!

>173 mstrust: I would be OK with the painkillers cutting my appetite if it prevented me from craving things I couldn't handle. The last thing I want is to try to eat too much too soon.

Ouch, an infected tooth sounds very painful indeed! One of my wisdom teeth is not very wise and decided to try to come in sideways (perpendicular to the standard tooth layout), so I imagine that will pose a bit of a challenge.

>175 paruline: Tofu! Interesting! That would be a good choice for adding protein. Whereabouts in the grocery is it? Is it in the deli section or with the fancy cheeses? I can't picture where it would be.

>176 leslie.98: Not sure whether hot things are discouraged, but I've been told that highly acidic things can cause pain, depending on existing tooth sensitivity I guess. Potato leek soup sounds tasty. If I don't get time to make some, I'll pick up some cream of potato at the grocery store. Thanks for the well wishes :)

>177 -Eva-: Ooh tearoom plus British food shop! That would be heaven.

I've had pretty good results with this scone recipe if you're looking to make some at home: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/buttermilk-scones-recipe.html

I've also heard that one can make clotted cream in a slow cooker, which sounds AMAZING and is probably more cost-effective than going to the store.

>178 Dejah_Thoris: Thank you! I've already informed the BF that I am banned from social media until the sedatives wear off, so there will be no "drunk LTing" ;)

>179 cbl_tn: Baked potatoes! YUM! Another great idea. And thanks for the salt water tip. :)

I don't usually make smoothies but when I had my wisdom teeth I was living on soup purees, when I wasn't eating yogurt or puddings. Blenders are such wonderful kitchen appliances when you need soft foods.

Good luck with your dental surgery!

Good luck with the surgery!

>180 rabbitprincess: All my teeth came in early, so I had my full set of adult teeth by age 10. Unfortunately they all came in crooked, plus I had an overbite and large gap between my two front teeth. I had braces between the ages of 10 and 12, and then my wisdom teeth started coming in even though there wasn't room for them, threatening to undo two years and several thousand dollars worth of dental work. Thus, extraction surgery at age 12.

ETA: Scrambled eggs are also a soft source of protein.

>180 rabbitprincess: Is 30 the higher end of the removing-wisdom-teeth-spectrum? I must develop really slowly then - I'm over 30 and my second wisdom tooth only just started poking its head out. No need to remove it yet, though. But maybe I'm just not very wise...

Good luck with the surgery.

Icelandic yogurt has more protein than regular or Greek yogurt. And it's yummy.

Good luck, rp. It will all be easier than feared! No straws, though. And if you get a choice, opt for unconsciousness. There's no point being around for that.

It's been years since mine were removed. I remember a lot of oatmeal.

When I had my wisdom teeth removed my mother made a batch of vichyssoise (cold leek and potato) that I enjoyed for days. Today I would enjoy my curried butternut squash soup or cream of broccoli.

Good luck, RP, hope it all goes smoothly and well. I say treat yourself afterwards to a nice Dairy Queen treat - chocolate milkshake anyone?

>181 lkernagh: Mmmmm soup purees! Yep I foresee extensive use of the blender in these parts.

>182 The_Hibernator: Thank you!

>183 casvelyn: Yeowch! That all sounds painful. I hope your teeth have settled down in more appropriate positions and orientations.

>184 PawsforThought: I was told that 30ish is the higher end of the "ideal" timeframe. You can get wisdom teeth removed at any time, but the risk of complications can increase with age -- the biggest complication being nerve damage. But I imagine the risks would vary depending on how many teeth have to be removed and how impacted they are. Some lucky people (read as: most of my family) don't have to have theirs out at all.

I think your wisdom teeth are wiser than mine…they're not causing trouble!!

>185 BookLizard: Thank you! I shall look for Icelandic yogurt.

>186 RidgewayGirl: Oh yes I am definitely going to be unconscious for the whole thing. My BF gets to deal with the aftermath. Thanks for the tip about straws!

>187 mamzel: Mmmmmm curried butternut squash soup sounds delicious! Darn it, now I'm hungry, despite just having had dinner.

>188 DeltaQueen50: Thanks! That sounds like a good treat for once the swelling goes down. I need an occasion for an ice cream cake. Those are so good!

****

I have enjoyed carrying this book around for the past few days; thanks to @DeltaQueen50 for inspiring me to pick it up now :)

Sleepyhead, by Mark Billingham

Category: Wasps' Nest
Source: AbeBooks
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/113442309

Read for the February RandomCAT.

A highly creepy premise, but I was able to see it through to the end. Not as gut-wrenchingly horrific as, say, Stuart MacBride's Dying Light (which is my new benchmark of "YEARGH!" due to the scene where the journalist gets kidnapped by the mob and they cut off his fingers and MAKE HIM EAT THEM, ew ew ew ew ew), but definitely disturbing enough to ensure that it was read only during daylight hours. And let's be honest, it did also help that I was reading the TV tie-in edition :D

I was 29 when my wisdom teeth were surgically removed and everything went very well. Side effects of the pain medication is all that gave me trouble. I didn't have much swelling or bruising. I had a routine cleaning appointment less than 2 weeks after the surgery and my regular dentist was amazed at how quickly my gums had healed.

My brother had two extra wisdom teeth. He was a lot younger than I was when he had all six removed.

>189 rabbitprincess: My brother (who is a couple of years older than me) recently had one of his wisdom teeth removed and it went well enough. Hurt like a %#¤&, and he had to take antibiotics for a while to ensure there weren't any infections. But I've always had better teeth than him so I hope that if I need to remove any wisdom teeth, there won't be any problems.

Good luck with getting your wisdom teeth out. It went fairly easy for me. I just came home and slept it all off and there wasn't much pain.

For me, I figure after surgery is a good time to indulge. I had quite a bit of ice cream afterward.

Also, I think others have already said this, but don't have anything that requires straws. It could dislodge the bloodclots.

192> Ewww, but that's a good warning. Never heard of that before.

>193 BookLizard:
Lol. I just remember that was what my dentist told me.

>190 cbl_tn: I shall take heart from your experience!

Whoa, extra wisdom teeth! Very glad that that is not me.

>191 PawsforThought: I hope so too! But should the need arise, at least we now have an excellent resource for foods to eat when recovering from that type of procedure ;)

>192 andreablythe: Thanks! Hoping that I will be able to sleep it off. Actually I think the IV sedation itself is the most worrisome part for me, because I can't even listen to my friends TALK ABOUT donating blood without getting queasy.

>193 BookLizard: >194 andreablythe: The literature my dentist gave me also talks about "dry socket", which sounds disgusting.

****

Happier news: yesterday I received the tickets I'd ordered for BLITHE SPIRIT (starring Dame Angela Lansbury) in Toronto! So now I have to read the play. It should be a good show, especially since I will be attending with my mum and grandma :)

Good luck with the wisdom teeth! I had mine out years ago, and the experience wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I was back to work soon after. I think dental technologies have improved a lot too since that time.

About where to get tofu ... in my part of the country, it's available in most large supermarkets. At our nearby Sobey's, it's next to the organic vegetables. I'm not sure that's the most obvious place for it, but that's where it is. You'll probably want the soft tofu. Eggs are also a good protein choice, and you should definitely treat yourself to ice cream. :)

When I saw your mention of Asterix for February's HistoryCAT, I had to check my bookshelves. There are a few there, including one in French. Maybe I'll do a reread of one of these for February as well. Great idea!

>195 rabbitprincess: Have fun with Blithe Spirit -- I saw a production here (near Boston) a few years ago and loved it. Lansbury seems like a perfect choice for that role (better than Margaret Rutherford in the old black&white movie!).

I saw how tofu is made watching that old show "Dirty Jobs". I've never tried it but the show was interesting.

Good luck with the wisdom teeth. My housemate at Uni had her wisdom teeth out, all 4, all at once. That didn't sound like a lot of fun. She got rather bored of liquidised food always being sludge grey, so I did her a liquidised fruit salad, with each fruit processed on its own, so that at least it had some colour to it.
I have all 4 of mine through. I'm not sure they necessarily impart any great wisdom... I seem to remember being told that they come through later as nature assumes you'll have lost a few teeth along the way, so they come through later and push the other teeth forward, and closing up the gaps created by lost teeth. With improved dental care, we no longer loose teeth, so they can cause more problems, especially that pushing other teeth around business.

>195 rabbitprincess: I hear ya! I hate shots/needles with a passion.

Good luck with the wisdom teeth. When I was young I was told that I need to get them out as soon as they come out. But later no dentist has said that again, lucky me. I'm just a bit afraid that the next dentist might think differently again...

Checking in to see how you are doing. I hope well.

rp, if you are really worried, let your dentist know now and she'll prescribe you a xanax or something similar to take an hour ahead of time. The effect is odd -- everything is the same but you really, really don't care.

I had my wisdom teeth removed in my mid-twenties. It actually wasn't hugely painful. The worst part was that I turned out to be allergic to the antibiotics they gave me! Oh well - out least I found out I'm allergic to Sulfa Drugs, lol.

>195 rabbitprincess: Congratulations on getting the tickets for Blithe Spirit! I love the play and had heard that Lansbury was touring in it. I'm jealous.....

I'll be thinking of you tomorrow, hoping that all goes smoothly!

Good luck with the wisdom teeth! I had my removed in my early 20's to make room for all the other teeth in my mouth when I got braces. It was a pretty short procedure from what I remember, I was awake for all of it as I'm a bit of a control freak that way and really need to know what's going on. Slept a bit after and watched some movies. Went back to work the next day if I remember correctly. Definitely no straws though!

I didn't know about "No" straws, so perhaps save the milkshake until you've healed!

I also had my wisdom teeth out when I was well into my twenties and I can honestly say it went easily and well. Best of luck to you!

How do straws affects wisdom teeth? I don't really understand.

>196 mathgirl40: Thanks! I'm hoping that it will go well. Ice cream sounds like a good idea ;)

>197 leslie.98: It sounds like a lot of fun! I'm looking forward to seeing her not as Jessica Fletcher ;)

Interestingly, both Angela Lansbury and Margaret Rutherford have also tried their hands at Miss Marple… Lansbury in a version of The Mirror Crack'd, and Margaret Rutherford in four Marple movies that really only use the idea of the character and not much else from the Christie canon.

>198 Roro8: Do you watch How It's Made as well? One of my friends loves it. She's always telling me interesting facts that she picks up from the show.

>199 Helenliz: Thanks! I have to have all four of mine out at once as well. Hoping that my diet will be a bit more colourful, as I plan to subsist on thick soups and instant mashed potatoes and Jello.

I've heard that sometimes people will get their second molars pulled out prematurely to allow the wisdom teeth to come through naturally. Wonder what happens if they don't?

>200 PawsforThought: It's the veininess of it! Ew! They did say though that if the standard IV route didn't work they'd do the back of the hand, which I think I could manage.

>201 Chrischi_HH: Thanks! I hope your wisdom teeth stay put and don't go anywhere!

>202 luvamystery65: Just made some Jello and am making sure I have everything else ready (mainly my credit card). I will be sure to check in tomorrow once the drugs wear off ;)

>203 RidgewayGirl: I do get a tranquilizer as part of the treatment. The procedure itself is at 10 but I have to be there for 9:30 in order to get the tranquilizer (and presumably pay for the procedure before the drugs kick in). I've been told it's like the buzz you get from a couple of glasses of wine, which is good news for me because I get the wine buzz after only one glass.

>204 Dejah_Thoris: Oh no! What a time to discover that!

I'm looking forward to reading it and seeing it!

Thank you, I'll try to be online as soon as I can afterward to check in.

>205 LittleTaiko: I am super impressed that you were awake for the whole thing!! Yeah, they said it would take only an hour, but I imagine I'll lose a few hours with the sedatives.

>206 DeltaQueen50: I could eat the milkshake with a spoon! ;) Thank you for the wishes.

>207 PawsforThought: I imagine that sucking on a straw would put pressure on your mouth, which would already be sore from the procedure.

>207 PawsforThought: The suction from a straw can dislodge the blood clots that form naturally post-surgery. These clots protect the bone and nerves that can be exposed during the surgery and help prevent infection. They dissolve on their own over time, but if they disappear too early, you can get what's called "dry socket" which is painful and prolongs recovery. Plus, if infection does happen (not likely with modern antibiotics), the clots help prevent the infection from entering the bloodstream and traveling who knows where in the body.

Good luck with the wisdom teeth removal. I had all 4 wisdom teeth removed, under anesthesia, when I was in my 30s. The bottom right wisdom tooth site was the only place I had pain. And that was just the first day. My biggest problem was that my oral surgeon knocked a near-by crown loose during the surgery. I had to go to my dentist to get that fixed.
In the hospital we tell everyone who has had oral surgery or a tonsillectomy to avoid straws. And if possible avoid chopsticks and forks as well. And be gentle when brushing your teeth. Avoid disrupting the blood clots.

I wish you the best with your wisdom teeth as well. I had all mine out when I was ~25 - one of them was impacted and they had to dig it out, but it doesn't look like you have that issue. I don't remember issues with eating one way or the other, I just remember it hurt so much, I just sat on the couch with my head in my hands, I couldn't handle any changes in elevation and I couldn't lay down, but that period didn't last too long.

Oh yeah - and I was awake for the whole thing...

Thanks for explaining the straw issue! I thought suction might have something to do with it but wasn't sure the effect could be strong enough to dislodge anything, and thought it might be worry that the straw itself might touch the area and irritate/dislodge/something.
Dentistry is not an area of expertise for me!

Wishing you all the best for your wisdom teeth removal and the food choices afterwards. This thread has been very educational.

I wonder if the tooth fairy will visit you. I hope you are coping OK. I remember needing ice packs when mine came out. I was a big sook though, I had a general anaesthetic.

>210 VioletBramble: Ouch, knocking the crown out of place would be painful! Thanks for the tip about forks.

>211 LisaMorr: Wow, you were awake for the whole thing? I am impressed. I had conscious sedation, but one of the side effects is amnesia so I don't remember anything about the procedure.

>212 PawsforThought: Yep it's because the suction creates negative pressure in your mouth. Smoking is also discouraged for the first couple of days. But I don't smoke so that was not a problem.

>213 VivienneR: Thanks Vivienne! Glad to see you back on the threads as well :)

>214 Roro8: Ice packs are my best friend right now.

****

So the procedure went well. I look like a deranged chipmunk but not as grotesque as I feared. Had some Jello earlier and some squash soup mixed with steamed carrots. I'm still tired but trying not to yawn too hard!

Thank you all for the tips and well wishes. I'll start a new thread this weekend :)

Glad it went well. Have a fast recovery!

I'm glad the surgery went well! The husband of a friend had three wisdom teeth removed yesterday and he was back at work today. He's about 40. I saw him earlier in the day and he looked just like he always does. I had no idea he'd had surgery.

Wow - you are here posting, that's awesome! Great to hear it went well!

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

Glad that the dental surgery went well. Enjoy your soft foods & get some rest!

Glad to hear the procedure went well!

Glad the surgery went well. Hope the recovery does too!

It sounds as though you're doing really well! I hope you're completely recovered soon.

What are you reading to while away your recovery?

Enjoy a comfortable weekend pampering yourself and relaxing. I'm glad it went well.

>216 andreablythe: Thanks!

>217 cbl_tn: That's impressive! A very fast recovery indeed. You can definitely tell I've had surgery ;)

>218 LisaMorr: It helps that I have an iPad and can post from the comfort of the couch. :)

>219 BookLizard: Thank you!

>220 leslie.98: I've been enjoying the squash soup a lot! Instant mashed potatoes not so much. Should have gone for plain instead of flavoured.

>221 mathgirl40: Thank you!

>222 PawsforThought: Thanks, I hope so too.

>223 Dejah_Thoris: haven't been reading much yet because I'm still juggling the ice packs every ten minutes, but I have been listening to Morrissey's autobiography and watching movies.

>224 RidgewayGirl: Thank you, I'm glad to have my BF around to help me out.

Glad it's over and you're recovering!

I was hoping to see some posting under the influence :) Oh well! Glad that you're feeling better!

Sounds like you are doing fine, RP. I bet you are happy to have that over and done with. Now you can curl up on the couch and read a book or two!

Glad you made out ok. I ended up with a "dry socket" when I had mine done, years ago. Hope you find time to rest and read this weekend.

Blithe Spirit was my very first introduction to live theatre, in the form of a community production when I was just a little girl. The fact that I knew all of the actors personally as friends of my parents made the experience memorable to this day. Even without that connection, I think Noel Coward wrote some awesome plays.

Glad to see the procedure went well. Deranged chipmunk could be the new fashion look for 2015. ;-)

Glad it's all over and you are on the mend. Curl up with a book and enjoy all the tea and sympathy.

>226 mstrust: Thanks, I'm glad it's over too! Although any time this swelling wants to go down would be fine with me! Stupid chipmunk face >:(
(The BF says it's adorable, but I am skeptical.)

>227 paruline: Haha! I was afraid of what might happen if I allowed myself access to the computer before the sedatives wore off, so the BF was told to keep me away from it. ;)

>228 DeltaQueen50: Indeed! Haven't been doing too much reading, because it was hard to read and juggle ice packs at the same time, but today I spent some quality time with Ian Rankin's Saints of the Shadow Bible.

>229 dudes22: Ouch! Dry socket sounds painful indeed. Hoping that won't happen to me but I at least know the signs, so if it does happen I shall be prepared.

>230 lkernagh: Aww, that sounds like a great first play! I think I might have read Blithe Spirit before, but I don't remember any of it so it will be fun to reread.

>231 VivienneR: Thanks, Vivienne! I sure will. And speaking of tea, just about to have my first cup since the surgery! This would probably also explain why I've been so tired -- lack of caffeine ;)

New thread! Follow the continuation feature or this link: http://www.librarything.com/topic/187637



(picture from Den of Geek, illustrating the movie Soft Top, Hard Shoulder -- pictured is Peter with his wife, Elaine Collins.)