DeltaQueen's Fourteen Steps to Guide Her 2014 Reading - Part 5

Welcome to Part 5 of my 2014 Category Challenge. I am very near the end of my challenge, but I am planning on continuing to post my reading here and stay current with the group.



I have chosen to open this thread with pictures of the Canadian north. I will be reading Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat later this month, and have always been fascinated by this area of northern Canada that comprises two distinct ecozones, the taiga which is heavily forested with many lakes, ponds and wetlands, and the tundra, which is so far north that the earth remains frozen so no trees grow. Instead the land is covered by shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses and lichens.

BALANCE OF THE YEAR READING PLANS:

September - Finish the 2014 Category Challenge

With only a handful of books left to read, I will finish the challenge and then continue to list the rest of my September reads under my various categories.

October - Working on Other Challenges

I will use this month to work on some of my other reading challenges, most particularly my Commonwealth Challenge. I will also be reading books for the Reading Through Time Challenges along with various Cats and TIOLI Challenges.

November - Catch Up Month

I have literally hundreds of series that I am slowly working through so I have decided that even though September was a Series and Sequels month, I will also use November as a catch-up month and read series and sequels for most of the month as well as participating in the Cats and TIOLI’s.

December - Free Reading Month

December can be such a busy month so I will not make too many reading plans. Instead I will enjoy a month of free reading, along with the Cats and TIOLI Challenges. I foresee a number of comfort reads coming up this month. Hopefully this will leave me fresh to jump into the 2015 Category Challenge in January.

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

2014 Total Books Read




2014 Total Pages Read




2014 Books Read From My Shelves

How I Rate Books:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2014 Challenge Categories

A. N is the Fourteenth Letter of the alphabet: Books with words beginning with N either in the Title or Author’s Name

B. Age 14 is the earliest that the Emancipation of Minors can occur in the United States: YA and/or Children’s Literature will be listed here.

C. Fourteen is the atomic number of silicon & there are 14 possible Bravais lattices that can fill three dimensional space: Say what?? I don’t have a scientific bone in my body, so this category will be for Science Fiction and Dystopia.

D There are 14 days in a British Fortnight: I will read British Crime here.

E. The House of Fourteen Cats was once a popular counting book for children. I will use the title of this book to create a space for my 2014 Cat entries.

F. President Woodrow Wilson outlined 14 Points for Reconstruction after World War I: Books about war or it’s effects will be read for this category.

G. 14 is the common designation for the 13th floor due to superstition and fear: So, what could be behind those sliding doors - Magical wonders or Horrors? Fantasies both light and dark will be read in this category.

H. 1492 Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue: This category will be where I brush up on my history, reading books as outlined by the Reading Through Time Challenge and other sources.

I. Newsworthy Facts from years ending in 14: : In 1714 - Queen Anne of England dies, George I become King, in 1814:- British Burn Washington, in 1914 - Assassination of Heir to the Austrian throne. This will be the place for my non-fiction reading.

J. 14 Days of Vacation - Canadian Employment Standards say that one is entitled to 2 weeks paid vacation after one year of employment. Add in the weekend days and vacation equals 14 days. This category will be for my arm chair travel, books set in far away places.

K. Fourteen Hands: The hardy wild mustangs of the western plains of America were measured to be an average of fourteen hands. Books set in the American West, both past and present will find a home here.

L. Clayton’s Choice: Fourteen is the age of my grandson. I will read books picked from my shelves by him.

M. There are fourteen letters in the name Agatha Christie: Books by Agatha Christie and other classic crime writers.

N. Final Fourteen - Fourteen Random Books read for whatever reason I choose.

I will count my challenge successfully completed when I have read 10 books for each category but will probably read more than 10 in some categories.

A. The Letter N In Title or Author's Name



1. The Vizard Mask by Diana Norman - 4.2 ★
2. Never Somewhere Else by Alex Gray - 3.8 ★
3. Saving Cascadia by John J. Nance - 3.0 ★
4. The Bat by Jo Nesbo - 3.7 ★
5. Not Yet Drown'd by Peg Kingman - 3.8 ★
6. The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer - 4.5 ★
7. The Only Life That Mattered by James Nelson - 4.4 ★
8. Nineteen Seventy-Seven by David Peace - 3.9 ★
9. Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick - 4.2 ★
10. House of a Thousand Candles by Meredith Nicholson - 3.4 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

B. Emmancipation of Minors At Age 14



1. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott - 4.0 ★
2. The Ransom of Mercy Carter by Caroline B. Cooney - 4.3 ★
3. Flesh & Bone by Jonathan Maberry - 3.7 ★
4. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd - 4.0 ★
5. The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour - 4.1 ★
6. Bloody Jack; Being an Account of the Curious Adventure of Mary "Jacky" Faber, Ship's Boy by L.A. Meyer - 4.5 ★
7. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan - 4.1 ★
8. A Curse As Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce - 4.0 ★
9. Shift by Jennifer Bradbury - 3.7 ★
10. The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden - 4.5 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

11. Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat - 4.1 ★

C. Atomic Number of Silicon = 14 - Say What??



1. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.2 ★
2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer - 5.0 ★
3. The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.3 ★
4. World Made By Hand by James Kunstler - 4.0 ★
5. The Mountains of Mourning by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.2 ★
6. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.0 ★
7. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer - 4.1 ★
8. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.1 ★
9. Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson - 3.3 ★
10. Cress by Marissa Meyer - 4.5 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

11. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold - 3.7 ★

D. British Fortnight - British Mysteries



1. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson - 4.5 ★
2. Mourn Not Your Dead by Deborah Crombie - 4.0 ★
3. Layer Cake by J.J. Conolly - 4.2 ★
4. Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah - 4.5 ★
5. Truth, Dare, Kill by Gordon Ferris - 3.3 ★
6. The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham - 3.6 ★
7. Dead Tomorrow by Peter James - 3.9 ★
8. Still Midnight by Denise Mina - 3.5 ★
9. Darkside by Belinda Bauer - 4.2 ★
10. The Complaints by Ian Rankin - 4.1 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETE

11. The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards - 3.2 ★

E. House of Fourteen Cats - 2014 CATS Reading



1. Ru by Kim Thuy - 4.2 ★
2. Sand Daughter by Sarah Bryant - 2.4 ★
3. Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid - 3.6 ★
4. Citrus County by John Brandon - 2.0 ★
5. The Boy In A Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbol - 3.2 ★
6. The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain - 5.0 ★
7. The Picasso Scam by Stuart Pawson - 4.0 ★
8. The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott - 3.6 ★
9. More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl - 3.7 ★
10. Teacher, Teacher by Jack Sheffield - 3.4 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

11. Living Proof by John Harvey - 4.1 ★

F. 14 Points For Reconstruction After War



1. One of Ours by Willa Cather - 4.1 ★
2. Beaufort by Ron Leshem - 4.2 ★
3. The Remains of Company D by James Carl Nelson - 4.1 ★
4. Lovely Green Eyes by Arnost Lustig - 4.0 ★
5. The Siege by Helen Dunmore - 4.2 ★
6. Sand Queen by Helen Benedict - 4.2 ★
7. Daughter of War by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch - 4.0 ★
8. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones - 4.5 ★
9. The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy - 3.6 ★
10. Regeneration by Pat Barker - 5.0 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

11. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra - 5.0 ★
12. Who Shot the Water Buffalo? by Ken Babbs - 3.7 ★

G. 14th/13th Floor



1. The Passage by Justin Cronin - 5.0 ★
2. Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold - 5.0 ★
3. The Death Cure by James Dashner - 3.0 ★
4. The Sacrifice by Charlie Higson - 4.2 ★
5. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie - 4.5 ★
6. Zombies vs. Unicorns by Justine Larbalestier & Holly Black - 4.2 ★
7. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin - 4.1 ★
8. Midnight Pearls by Debbie Viguie - 2.7 ★
9. Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie - 4.3 ★
10. By Blood We Live by Glen Duncan - 3.8 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

H. In 1492 Colombus Sailed the Ocean Blue



1. The Exploits & Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston - 2.8 ★
2. Hart of Empire by Saul David - 3.1 ★
3. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - 4.8 ★
4. The Jewel In the Crown by Paul Scott - 4.2 ★
5. The King's Grey Mare by Rosemary Hawley Jarman - 4.1 ★
6. The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan - 3.4 ★
7. The Day of the Scorpion by Paul Scott - 4.0 ★
8. The Deserter by Paul Almond - 4.0 ★
9. Beauvallet by Georgette Heyer - 3.3 #9733;
10. The Towers of Silence by Paul Scott - 3.8 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

11. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon - 4.3 ★
12. A Division of the Spoils by Paul Scott - 4.2 ★

I. Newsworthy Facts From Years Ending in 14



1. Haven: The Dramatic Story of 1,000 World War II Refugees And How They Came to America by Ruth Gruber - 4.1 ★
2. The Short Life & Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes - 2.8 ★
3. Wild: From Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed - 4.2 ★
4. The Overloaded Ark by Gerald Durrell
5. Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang - 3.8 ★
6. The Lost Girls: Three Friends, Four Continents by Jennifer Baggett, Holly Corbett & Amanda Pressner - 3.7 ★
7. Elizabeth, The Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith - 3.3 ★
8. The Wilderness Family by Kobie Kruger - 4.3 ★
9. No Horizon Is So Far by Liv Arnesen - 3.8 ★
10. Three Singles to Adventure by Gerald Durrell - 3.4 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETE

11. Dispatches by Michael Herr - 4.2 ★

J. Fourteen Days of Vacation



1. The Food of Love by Anthony Capella (Italy) - 3.3 ★
2. Mornings In Jenin by Susan Abulhawa (Palestine/Israel) - 4.7 ★
3. Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard (Guatemala & Belize) - 4.0 ★
4. The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Denmark) - 4.2 ★
5. Amelia's Navigator by James Knepton (Kiribati) - 3.0 ★
6. Voices by Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland) - 3.4 ★
7. In Praise of Hatred by Khaled Khalifa (Syria) - 2.0 ★
8. On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves (Maldives) - 4.1 ★
9. The Information Officer by Mark Mills (Malta) - 4.1 ★
10. The Long Glasgow Kiss by Craig Russell (Scotland) - 3.4 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

K. Fourteen Hands



1. The Tall Men by Will Henry - 4.0 ★
2. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson - 4.2 ★
3. Railroad Schemes by Cecelia Holland - 4.0 ★
4. Cowgirl Poetry Compiled by Virginia Bennett - 3.8 ★
5. Lily Nevada by Cecelia Holland - 2.7 ★
6. Summer of the Drums by T.V. Olsen - 2.8 ★
7. Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart - 3.8 ★
8. Blood Kin by Henry Chappell - 5.0 ★
9. The High Divide by Lin Enger - 4.2 ★
10. The Son by Philipp Meyer - 4.0 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

L. Clayton's Choice



1. A Cat In The Window by Derek Tangye - 3.5 ★
2. Victory by Susan Cooper - 3.3 ★
3. Dear Enemy by Jean Webster - 4.0 ★
4. Me & The Boys by Ellen Recknor - 4.3 ★
5. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver - 5.0 ★
6. Remains of the Dead by Iain McKinnon - 3.5 ★
7. Ride the Pink Horse by Dorothy B. Hughes - 3.5 ★
8. The Mushroom Man by Stuart Pawson - 4.0 ★
9. Boiling A Frog by Christopher Brookmyre - 3.9 ★
10. Shooting In the Dark by John Baker - 4.2 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETE

M. 14 Letters in Agatha Christie's name



1. The League of Frightened Men by Rex Stout - 3.4 ★
2. Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie - 3.7 ★
3. The Fallen Sparrow by Dorothy B. Hughes - 3.7 ★
4. To Love and Be Wise by Josephine Tey - 4.3 ★
5. Mystery Mile by Margery Allingham - 4.1 ★
6. Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers - 4.1 ★
7. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler - 4.3 ★
8. The Asphalt Jungle by w.R. Burnett - 3.4 ★
9. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiel Hammett - 4.3 ★
10. The Under Dog and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - 3.3 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

N. Final Fourteen



1. The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell - 5.0 ★
2. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - 3.9 ★
3. Dreams of Joy by Lisa See - 4.5 ★
4. Daughter of Kura by Debra Austin - 3.4 ★
5. Battles At Thrush Green by Miss Read - 4.0 ★
6. Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen - 4.1 ★
7. Poetry By Heart Compiled by Liz Attenborough - 3.4 ★
8. Room by Emma Donoghue - 5.0 ★
9. The Way to Minack by Derek Tangye - 3.3 ★
10. Borderlands by Brian McGilloway - 3.8 ★

CATEGORY COMPLETED

11. Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen - 3.6 ★
12. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig - 3.7 ★
13. Liar by Jan Burke - 4.0 ★

AFTER THE CHALLENGE READING

October Reads

153. Love By Design by Rosealie Ash - 2.0 ★
154. The Last Summer of the Camperdowns by Elizabeth Kelly - 3.5 ★
155. Lost In the Amazon by Stephen Kirkpatrick - 3.2 ★
156. The Orchardist by Amanda Copeland - 3.7 ★
157. Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji - 4.1 ★
158. The Queen of Four Kingdoms by HRH Princess Michael of Kent - 4.2 ★
159. The Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage - 4.2 ★
160. Pied Piper by Nevil Shute - 4.5 ★
161. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton - 4.0 ★
162. In The Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner - 4.1 ★
163. The Foundling by Georgette Heyer - 4.2 ★
164. Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill - 4.0 ★
165. Pynter Bender by Jacob Ross - 3.0 ★
166. The Edge of Eden by Helen Benedict - 4.1 ★
167. The African Queen by C.S. Forester - 4.5 ★
168. Requiem Mass by Elizabeth Corley - 3.3 ★

November Reads

169. Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie - 4.5 ★
170. Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas - 3.3 ★
171. The Dead of Night by John Marsden - 4.0 ★
172. Brimstone by Robert B. Parker - 4.0 ★
173. I Don't Want To Kill You by Dan Wells - 2.8 ★

2014 Group Reads & Other Reading Plans



Yearly

Lois Bujold McMaster - Vorkosigan series

Quarterly

1st Quarter: The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs. Beeton by Kathryn Hughes

2nd Quarter: Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang


Monthly

February: P.G. Wodehouse

March: The Jewel In the Crown by Paul Scott, Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

May: The Day of the Scorpion by Paul Scott

June: Georgette Heyer
Hosting RandomCat
Female Sci-Fi/Fantasy Authors

July: The Towers of Silence by Paul Scott

August: Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen

September: A Division of the Spoils by Paul Scott
Hosting GeoCat: East Asia

140. The Complaints by Ian Rankin - 4.1 ★
Category: British Fortnight
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #14: A Series Book Whose Author's First or Last Name Has Five or Six Letters



It’s been awhile since I have read Ian Rankin and I had forgotten just how good he is at writing police procedurals. The Complaints is the first volume of his series about the Complaints Department, featuring Inspector Malcolm Fox. The Complaints and Conduct Division is where police misconduct is investigated, much like North America’s Internal Affairs, and as such, the members are not the most popular. Having just assembled enough evidence to bring a corrupt detective to justice, Malcolm Fox isn’t given much time to rest on his laurels.

Fox has a lot on his plate with an aging father in a long term care home, and a sister who is hiding the fact that her boyfriend is beating her. Now he is being asked to join in an investigation of another detective, Jamie Breck, who is possibly involved in a child pornography ring. Then his sister’s abusive boyfriend is murdered, Breck is assigned to the case, and Malcolm Fox is possibly a suspect.

As Fox gets closer to Breck, he realizes that something is off, and before too long both he and Breck find themselves under suspension and accused of misconduct. No matter where he looks, he finds trouble and suspicion. He realizes that someone is pulling the strings to bring about his downfall and if he wants his life back, he has to work with Breck and find out who his enemy is.

Although I didn’t find Malcolm Fox as interesting a character as John Rebus, this is only the first book and I trust Ian Rankin will fully develop this character as he did with Rebus over the course of many books. I found this convoluted plot engaging and attention holding and made me realize how much I have been missing this author.

Congratulations on a shiny new thread and on nearing the end of your challenge, although I hope you stick around in your thread until the end of the year. I always enjoy hearing about what you've been reading.

ETA : I love the header photos. The Northern Lights are so magical.

Oh, I like Malcolm Fox, a great deal more than Rankin does, I suspect!

And what is it about the Canadian north? Is a love for it programmed into anyone who has lived there?

Happy New Thread to you too! Seeing the aurora borealis is on my bucket list. Nice picture.

Happy, Happy new thread day, Judy. I love the pics you've chosen to start off your thread. I think of the Canadian North as very mysterious and out of reach. I'll check to see if my library has Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat and maybe the area will seem a little bit closer to me.

ETA: ah, I don't think that will make me feel a bit closer. Can you recommend any other books that will give me a better picture of this lovely area?

>28 Carmenere: I know you're not asking me, and I'm not even Canadian, but I'd recommend Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay! It's set in the Northwest Territories and has lots of lovely descriptions of the Canadian North.

>1 DeltaQueen50: Happy new thread Judy. Beautiful photos.

Great review of The High Divide. I've been considering that book for one of my 2015 categories about American westward expansion, pioneers and Indians. I've also added Never Fall Down to my book list.

Howdy Judy. How exciting that you are almost done with your challenge.

>26 RidgewayGirl: "And what is it about the Canadian north? Is a love for it programmed into anyone who has lived there?"

I once worked with polar researchers and was often told that once you've been to the north, it "gets into your blood" and becomes irresistible.

Happy New Thread! Love the borealis photo.
>24 DeltaQueen50: I have that one on my shelves but just assumed it was a Rebus. It sounds good anyway and thanks for the review.

>25 VivienneR: Thanks Vivienne. I will definitely be sticking around.

>26 RidgewayGirl: Truth be told, I know that Rankin brings Rebus back but I was told it was best to read through the Malcolm Fox books to keep everything in order. I guess after writing about Rebus for so many years, he couldn't just leave him in quiet retirement!

I think of the Canadian North as one of the last great frontiers. To live there one must be hardy and have a love of the outdoors. Many Canadians live huddled on our southern border, so the north is an unknown wilderness, one of the last "wild" places. I expect many Australians feel the same way about their Outback.

>27 dudes22: Thanks, Betty. I remember seeing the Northern Lights when I was young and living in Ontario. They are something quite unique and unforgettable. I don't know if it's how well lighted our night sky is now or the angle of the earth, but I have never seen them in B.C.

>28 Carmenere: Hi Lynda and welcome. I haven't read very many books set in the north but I would definitely recommend Pierre Burton as an author who has written about the opening of the Canadian north. His non-fiction books are mostly set in the Yukon where he was born. He's written about the Klondike Gold Rush in The Golden Trail, and about the pioneer life in The Mysterious North and The Wild Frontier.

>29 christina_reads: I will have to add Late Nights on Air to my reading list, Christina.

>30 VioletBramble: The High Divide was an excellent read and captures the time when the western plain states were emerging from a wild frontier to modern times. It grieves the passing of the nomadic life that the Plains Indians led before white settlement forced them to also settle in one place.

Never Fall Down captured the voice of a child caught up in the horror of the Khymer Rouge. I plan on reading more about Cambodia as that book has whetted my interest.

>31 luvamystery65: Four more books to go, Roberta! Not that I'm counting .... Of course other books are slowing me down. I had ordered A Constellation of Vital Phenomena from the library last April and, sure enough, it's finally come in. Need to get that one read before I go back to Challenge books.

Happy new thread, Judy! I never tire of seeing shots of the northern lights. Amazing.

Thanks Christina and Judy for the recs re: the northern regions of Canada. That will give me plenty to satisfy my appetite.

I'm glad you rated The High Divide so , ah, highly! I won it too, but you're so much more conscientious than I and will not get to anytime soon. Baaaaddddd Lynda.

Happy new thread - Lots of completed categories. Nice. Beautiful photos, too.

>35 lkernagh: Hi Lori, they are truly a sight to behold. I've only ever seen them once but I would love to travel north and see them again.

>36 Carmenere: LOL Lynda. It just happened that The High Divide worked right into my category challenge or otherwide I may have been baaaaaddddd too!

>37 mysterymax: Thanks MM. I'm getting close to being finished. After this next review, I have three more to go!

141. House of a Thousand Candles by Meredith Nicholson - 3.4 ★
Category: N is the 14th Letter
Century Challenge
TIOLI #19: Title Contains At Least One Noun



House of a Thousand Candles was originally published in the early 1900’s and is a fun, somewhat dated read with an isolated mansion, secret passages, hidden treasure, bumps in the night, a butler who is not what he seems, and a vagabond main character.

The story is of John Glenarm who has been kicking around Europe whiling away his time and his money, living the fast life. He receives news that his Grandfather has died. John has been left the estate but with one stipulation, he must reside at the house in Indiana for one full year, if he doesn’t live up to that clause, he then forfeits everything to a young lady who resides next door at the convent school. The fun starts when he takes up residence at the house with strange encounters, mysterious sounds and someone taking a pot-shot at him from the dark. The action is a little overblown with fights, arguments and bullets flying about.

Overall a fun read, although the romance angle was little weak and there were some action scenes that were rather overdone and caused some eye-rolling. The twist at the end was no surprise but I did enjoy the time I spent reading this light hearted romp as I pictured it being made into a great 1930’s style romantic comedy-adventure with stars like Franchot Tone and Loretta Young.

Happy new thread! :)

With the completion of The House of a Thousand Candles, I have reached my goal of reading 100 books from my own shelves during 2014. Of course at the rate I am filling my shelves, I need to keep reading to create space for the new ones!

>40 rabbitprincess: Thanks, RP!

>39 DeltaQueen50: Well that looks like fun!

WOHOO! 100 books. That's great. The only reason my TBR is going to go down this year is that I took a long, hard look at what was on there and what I liked to read and purged a little over 100 books. I need to be realistic about what I can read.

>39 DeltaQueen50: - interesting sounding book. I looked him up on Fantasticfiction and he was quite a prolific writer. I was also hoping he had a book published in 1915 for the Bingo next year, but no.. 1 in 1914 and 3 (!) in 1916.

Congrats on reading 100 books off your own shelves so far this year!

Congrats! Reading 100 books from your own shelves is a big deal!
And The House of a Thousand Candles sounds like fun so it's on the list.

100 books off your shelves! Whoop!

Hello everyone, I have had a very interesting day today, My daughter and the two grandchildren picked me up at 7:30 am and we caught a ferry to Victoria. Once there were went to the B.C. Provincial Museum as they have a special display on about Vikings right now. We totally immersed ourselves in all things to do with Vikings and then caught the five o'clock ferry back to Vancouver. A great day and now I am really in the mood for a viking book, or at the very least an hour or two on the playstation with Skyrim!

>43 christina_reads: It was Christina, and I also appreciated that it was pretty short as well. It was over before I got over-saturated with the silliness!

>44 dudes22: Much more that total number of books read, I am proud of clearing a lot of books from my shelves. I love to see those books moving along. I have tried to plan my BingoDog reads around my TBR shelf for next year so that should give me quite the boost in 2015. I'm going with Willa Cather's Song of the Lark for my 1915 read, which worked out perfectly as I have the book on my Kindle.

>45 lkernagh: Thanks Lori. As I mentioned above I was in your beautiful city today, the weather was gorgeous and at one point I know we all were wondering if we really wanted to lock ourselves away in the museum. But the Viking Display was pretty good.

>45 lkernagh: It's both fun and quick, and for the Kindle, very cheap!

>46 mstrust: Thanks for the Whoop, Roberta. :)

Well, I came by to wish a happy new thread, but there's already 48 messages here! You work fast....! :)

>24 DeltaQueen50:
I did like Fox quite a lot - "slow but steady, and only occasionally to be feared," but he isn't as funny as Rebus, of course.

>49 -Eva-: Hi Eva, half those messages are part of my thread set-up. I am finding myself more and more anxious to get my 2015 thread set up but have told myself that I must wait until I get this one completed. The discussions about the BingoDog, and all the Cats have me champing at the bit!

Such restraint! :)

>48 DeltaQueen50: - This never ending summer we seem to be experiencing this year has been fantastic, I must admit. I think I will cry when our normal autumn/winter weather arrives. I really must make time to go see the Viking exhibit. You know how it is.... when something is on your doorstep, it is easy to get busy doing other things and forget about it. ;-)

>52 lkernagh: I know exactly what you mean, Lori. I very rarely venture into downtown Vancouver or experience any of the variety of activities we have here, unless I am entertaining an out-of-town visitor.

142. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra - 5.0 ★
Category: 14 Points For Reconstruction
TIOLI #5: A Book I Didn't Buy



All I can say is wow, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra was definitely worth the four and a half months library wait. I don’t know where to start, the plot, the characters, the subject matter and how the author ties everything together made for an excellent read. During the course of this book, I mourned, was entertained, I cried, was educated and quite simply got so totally involved that I couldn’t hardly let it out of my hands for more than an hour at a time.

I was a little nervous that A Constellation of Vital Phenomena would be too depressing a read and although I found it interesting when I first started, I felt a certain distance from the story but slowly it starts to come together, the reader sees the pattern emerging as the book sweeps you along. The characters grow and develop and before you know it, these are real people living real lives and you can’t help but get involved. I was putty in this author’s hands. His inventive writing style had me running the gauntlet of emotions during the course of one page. This is his first book and I can say with great conviction that I will be reading his next and any other books that follow.

I know I am gushing but this was one of the most powerful books I have read this year. This story of the Chechen conflict lays bare for all to see the utter brutality of man yet also his unfailing love and willingness to sacrifice for those that he loves. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena will be a book that I remember for a very long time, and will certainly be among my list of best reads of the year.

Excellent review, Judy. I have put a hold on A Constellation of Vital Phenomena at the library. I've given up on getting my tbr list shortened.

>55 VivienneR: It's quite the book, Vivienne! I hope your library is quicker than mine was. When I originally put myself on the wait list in April I was number 13 with 4 books in the rotation. I had to wait until September for the book to arrive at my library.

>54 DeltaQueen50:
Sounds fascinating! You've got me with the great characters - those always win me over.

I too have added it to my "recommended by LT" category so I don't forget about it. And I see you're a hot review on my dashboard this am. WOHOO!

>57 -Eva-: Although A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is about the Chechen conflicts, I think it could have been set in any number of war-torn areas, it's the people, their thoughts and actions that make this such a unique reading experience.

>58 dudes22: As it's not the type of book that one can wish one enjoyment of, I will instead wish that you find A Constellation of Vital Phenomena as moving as I did, Betty.

143. Shooting In the Dark by John Baker - 4.2 ★
Category: Clayton's choice
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #14: A Book Whose Author's First or Last Name Has Five or Six Letters



Shooting in the Dark by John Baker is the fifth book in one of my favourite series. A band of misfits have joined together and formed almost a family while they work as private investigators. In this outing they are helping the two Falco sisters who claim that someone is following them, watching their every move. Sam Turner, the leader and erstwhile father figure, is quite taken with Angeles Falco who is exotically beautiful and blind. When the other Falco sister, Isabel, goes missing and then is found brutally murdered, the group realizes they are pitched against a intelligent, serious murderer whose motive remains hidden.

Sam believes the answer lies in finding out why the sisters are targets. The story ramps up as they are battling both time and this mysterious killer, who appears to be driven by revenge and practically unstoppable. The plot moves along at a fast pace and builds to a exciting finale.

These books are full of action and are page turners but for me the main draw is the characters that I have gotten to know and like to keep current with. Along with Sam’s infatuation with Angeles, another storyline concerns young Geordie and his street-smart beyond her years mate, Janet, as they adapt to being new parents and having Geordie’s long absent brother show up on their doorstep. This is a group of people who work together, care about each other and are always there to cover each other’s back. The author writes about dark crime but his characters are so full of heart that these books are a joy to read.

60> I'm trying to get the amount of series I need to read down, not up! You're not helping which such great reviews of books that sound interesing! ;)

I am so impressed that you've read 100 books off your own shelves! I wish I had that kind of willpower. I also love the photos you used for the new thread.

>61 Samantha_kathy: The good news is that this particular series only has six books and since he hasn't added any more since 2003, I doubt if he will. Of curse, the bad news is it is another series!

>62 mathgirl40: Thanks Paulina, I don't know about the willpower as I have been on a buying spree this whole year and have added about 250 books to my shelves. I have to keep reading from my TBR just to make room!

144. The Long Glasgow Kiss by Craig Russell - 3.4 ★
Category: 14 Days Paid Vacation
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #10: Book Takes Place In a Country I Have Never Been



The Long Glasgow Kiss by Craig Russell is the second book featuring P.I. Lennox, a Canadian that didn’t leave when the war was over, instead he set up shop in Glasgow and runs a fine line in his investigations between staying on the side of the law or drifting into shady areas. 1950’s Glasgow is pictured as a rather seedy and dark place, run by the Three Kings of Crime with whom Lennox often has to both work for and balance between. Lennox is a tough guy, with a smart mouth that more often than not lands him in trouble.

As much as I enjoyed the twist and turns of the plot, I did find this one ran a little long and took too much time for it to come together. Then at the end when all the pieces were finally meshing, it felt rushed, as if the author simply wanted to finish and get on to something else. However, I did thoroughly enjoy the glimpses we are given of Glasgow in the fifties, still feeling the affect and deprivations of the war.


Into this story of boxing and missing persons, the author also manages a storyline about how heroin is finding it’s way westward to America, implying that this is the beginning of an international market being developed for these drugs. Like Glasgow and Lennox itself these books are sharp and tough and I am hoping the author is able to pull all the ingredients together and vault this series up into the ranks of other great tartan-noir series by the likes of Rankin and MacBride.

Just stopping by and taking note of your most recent Scottish Noir read. ;-)

I do have Craig Russell on my list of authors to keep an eye out for.

I have a few of the Scottish crime writers waiting on the tbr shelves and Craig Russell is one of them.

It seems appropriate to be discussing Scottish books on such a momentous day in Scotland's history!

>65 lkernagh: There are so many good authors that fit into this area from Rankin, Mina, MacBride and now Russell, Lori. I also follow Craig Russell's other series which is a police procedural set in Germany.

>66 RidgewayGirl: I think, if I remember correctly, I quite liked the first book of the series, Lennox. This one appealed less, but since I am not a fan of boxing, that could have been part of the problem for me.

>67 AHS-Wolfy: Dave, there is a wealth of reading awaiting you with all those Scottish Crime books.

For some reason Lennox is not on my TBR list! A grievous omission. I shall check out Lennox forthwith.

>69 rabbitprincess: It's an interesting series, RP, firstly Lennox is a displaced Canadian, and secondly the 1950's setting is fascinating.

145. The Son by Philipp Meyer - 4.0 ★
Category: 14 Hands
Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme: American West
TIOLI #13: A Book That Is Epic in Nature and Scope



The Son by Philipp Meyer tells the epic story of the McCullough family and in doing so also tells the story of the settling and growth of Texas. The scope is huge, as this tale of a cattle and oil dynasty unfolds over the course of 150 years of history. The story is revealed through the voices of three members of the McCullough family: First and foremost is Eli McCullough , Indian captive, Texas Ranger, rancher and oil man, a strong, powerful and complex character . Secondly, his son Peter , a more introspective and gentle man who is often in conflict with his harsh father but who is definitely the moral compass of the story. Lastly, Jeanne, great-granddaughter of Eli, a strong willed business orientated woman who struggles to find her place in both the male dominated family she grows up in and the oil industry that is top heavy with masculine oil barons.

Of the three stories I was most taken with Eli’s dealing as it did with the early days, his being taken captive by the Comanche, his difficulties when returned to the white world, his years as a Texas Ranger, and his days of cattle ranching. Peter’s tale is a difficult one exposing the racism that existed in the early 1900’s between the Texans and the Mexicans as the U.S. and Mexico were on the brink of open warfare. Peter walks a taunt line with his father on one side and his own inner feeling of compassion and decency toward those of Mexican descent on the other. Unfortunately, I found the author showed a weakness in depicting realistic women characters and that weakness extended to the female voice of Jeanne McCullough. I never felt invested or even particularly interested in Jeanne which was too bad as her story covered an interesting time period and should have been a more exciting read.

Ultimately, I did enjoy The Son, I was both entertained and educated, but I wish I could say that this story totally swept me away and that I “felt” more. After a truly epic opening, I found myself distanced from the characters and the plot and I wish the author had offset the violence and coldness of his story with some humor and fleshed out his characters a little more to produce a more approachable and human story.

Although the rest of September I will continue to add my reading to the challenge categories, with this last book I have completed my 2014 Category Challenge!

Congratulations! :-)

Congrats! Free reading for the rest of the year!

Congratulations on your completion! Nice work!

Coming in late to this conversation about the Canadian North--I've not been as far as the Arctic or the Tundra, but I spent 3 preteen summers in the far north of British Columbia and the southern Yukon, and then there was a few years in my late teens where I was going up to the 55th parallel in BC, which is not north for those in the north, but is very north for most of the world. The best book I've read that captures the north is the already mentioned Late Nights on Air because it captures the misfits and escapees-from-down here very well. I saw the Northern Lights several times in summer from 55 degrees north. They were green and not all that spectacular, but still very cool.

When I was a child, my family used to go camping in Wood Buffalo National Park. For a kid, it was paradise.

I picked up a copy of The Son over the summer and hope to get to it soon.

Congratulations!

Congrats on completing your challenge!

We'll done finishing your challenge! No you have free reign to read whatever you feel like.

Congratulations on completing your challenge, Judy! Hopefully I will be right behind you:)

I think I rated The Son five stars, but who knows it could have been my mood at the time.... I did find Eli's story the most interesting. I also felt as though Jeanne's story could have been fleshed out more.

Happy reading!

I've missed so much on this, and everyone else's threads which makes me sad - however glad i caught up eventually, congratulations on finishing your challenge! A Constellation of Vital Phenomena is a definite book bullet!

Claire read the son and didn't think it lived up to the hype, I've yet to get to it

I have had a very interesting day today, My daughter and the two grandchildren picked me up at 7:30 am and we caught a ferry to Victoria. Once there were went to the B.C. Provincial Museum as they have a special display on about Vikings right now. We totally immersed ourselves in all things to do with Vikings and then caught the five o'clock ferry back to Vancouver. A great day and now I am really in the mood for a viking book, or at the very least an hour or two on the playstation with Skyrim!


We were there on Labour Day--it was fun, wasn't it. And interesting too. They had some great things in the gift shop but the prices were so steep. Or maybe I felt that way because I had just bought my daughter's text books at UVic for $500 and I just didn't feel like spending any more money.

Congrats on finishing your challenge, DQ, and enjoy your 'free reading' for the rest of the year! :)

Congratulations on finishing your challenge!

Hurrah for your finished challenge! :) Enjoy your free reading!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge!

I read with interest your review of The Son. I too liked Eli's story very much, and I enjoyed The Son much, much more than I had expected to.

Congrats on finishing!! Yey for "free" reading. :)

Congratulations on completing your challenge and YAY! - Free reading time!

Thanks everybody, I finish one challenge and all I can think about is the next one! I took some time today to work out my final setup for my 2015 Category Challenge and will be posting it either tonight or sometime this weekend.

>73 Tanya-dogearedcopy: >74 sjmccreary: >75 VivienneR: Thanks, ladies!

>76 Nickelini: Hi Joyce, it looks like I had best add Late Nights On Air to my wishlist. The other night was supposed to be a good one for viewing the Northern Lights due to a sun flare up, but I think there is too much light pollution around Vancouver to get a clear view of the night sky.

>77 RidgewayGirl: I spent my summer vacations camping with my family growing up as well, you're right, it was paradise! :)

>78 MissWatson: >79 AHS-Wolfy: >80 Roro8: Thanks so much, I am looking forward to having some free reading time, but I do know that I am first and foremost a planner, I love making lists, shuffling through my books and setting up a reading challenge. Of course my lists don't always match the final choices, but that's part of the fun!

>81 lsh63: Lisa, I loved the parts of The Son that were about Eli, I thought it was going to be a five star read for me as well, but by the second half of the book I felt the story slipping away.

>82 psutto: Great to see you back among us, Pete. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena was one of those books that simply touched my heart and I loved it.

I think that part of the problem with The Son was how over-hyped it was. Really, it wasn't the Great American Novel, but it was a damn good story.

>83 Nickelini: The display at the museum was excellent, the kids were really interested and I was surprised at how attentive they were. The gift shop was so overpriced. We ended up getting a couple of pencils with little viking statues on the end and I believe they cost $8.00!

>84 christina_reads: >85 LittleTaiko: >86 rabbitprincess: Thanks, I am looking forward to working on my Commonwealth Challenge, catching up on a few series, and picking up some comfort reads as well.

>87 mathgirl40: Paulina, I may have overdosed on books featuring the Commanche over the last couple of years. I think I have read 5 and they have all been good, Dances With Wolves, Ride the Wind, Empire of the Summer Moon and Blood Kin all stand out as great reads.

>88 -Eva-: >89 lkernagh: I've really enjoyed this years Challenge but it's nice to know that I have completed it and can read a few different things for now.

A little late, but congrats on finishing your challenge!

Away on vacation and the internet is slow so I have t been here much. Let me add my congratulations to everyone else on finishing your challenge. I'll be waiting to see what you've chosen for your 2015 thread.

>92 Samantha_kathy: Thanks, Samantha.

>93 dudes22: I couldn't wait any longer and I have posted my 2015 Challenge, Betty. Enjoy your vacation.

146. Who Shot the Water Buffalo? by Ken Babbs - 3.7 ★
Category: 14 Points for Reconstruction
September GeoCat: Southeast Asia, Focus on Vietnam
TIOLI #10: Book Takes Place In A Country I Have Never Been To



Who Shot the Water Buffalo? is about two young men who train together to be helicopter pilots. They live together, play together, rival each other over just about anything from spelling to women, and ultimately find themselves in Vietnam together . The book follows their adventures during their two year deployment (1960-62). The timing is interesting as this period is before Americans were sent there to fight, at this time, they were considered “advisors”.

The two main characters are Huckelbee , a 5’9” wiry Texan, and from Ohio, Cochran, a 6’2” muscle man who is called Gorilla. This is not a linear story, and it took me some time to adjust to his choppy, episodic writing style. The author relates his stories in a series of stand-alone chapters, each a separate short story that opens with an obviously wounded and in pain Huckelbee talking to a doctor. The reader only finds out in the last chapter how he came to be wounded. Each story tells of bizarre events that can be both entertaining or shocking, sometime both. These guys are flying in and out of danger on a constant basis, delivering ARVN troops and supplies. When they are not flying we are treated to a series of beer-bashes, whore hunting missions and wild R & R breaks. It is when the story is of their actual missions that the reader learns of the white knuckle flying conditions, difficult landing zones, helicopter crashes and daring escapes from the Viet Cong.

Who Shot the Water Buffalo? felt like I was on the inside of a soldier’s mind. Disjointed, abrupt, at times both rambling and wildly out of control, it shows how soldiers could be driven to alcohol and drugs to help cope with the difficult conditions they found there. While I would suggest there are novels that tell a better story by the likes of Tim O’Brien and Karl Marlantes, but this book certainly gives an authentic feeling of "being there".

147. Lost In The Barrens by Farley Mowat - 4.1 ★
Category: 14 in Emancipation Age
September Random Cat: TFF Connection
TIOLI #7: A Book You Didn't Realize Was Part of A Series



Lost In The Barrens by Farley Mowat was a cracking adventure story of two boys, Jamie, a white boy who lives with his trapper uncle and his friend, Awasin a young Cree. They accidentally get left behind in the far north when their canoe gets wrecked and they are left for dead. Without their canoe and as it is late in the season, the boys know they cannot set out for home until they have stocked up with supplies and made clothing to suit the winter.

With only a small amount of gear, which luckily included a hunting rifle, they were able to obtain meat from the migrating caribou. After some exploring, they discover a hidden valley that has trees and they were able to fashion together a dwelling place that will withstand the coming blizzards. They are doing quite well for themselves but around Christmas time, overcome with homesickness and deceived by the mild weather they decide to set out for home. As they leave the shelter of their valley and head out across the open tundra, they run into various perils and are finally saved by the one thing they fear the most, Eskimos.

Both the use of the word Eskimo and the decision that an ancient grave belongs to a viking due to the horned helmet it contained tended to date Lost In The Barrens, but overall this is a great adventure story that I would recommend to children from age 10 and up. How I missed reading this Canadian classic tale in my school days absolutely stumps me. Anyone who enjoys survival books is sure to love this tale of ingenuity and cooperation.

148. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold - 3.7 ★
Category: The Atomic Number of Silicon
Vorkosigan Group Read
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #14: A Series Book Whose Author Has 5 or 6 Letters in Their Last Name



Borders of Infinity is a novella from the Vorkosigan Saga. The story opens with Miles being dropped into a domed prisoner of war camp. We quickly realize that this is a nightmare place as he is greeted by a group of prisoners who proceed to beat him up and strip him of his clothes. Why Miles is there and what is he hoping to accomplish remains a mystery, but the reveal is excellent and had this reader pumping my fist in elation.

This is Miles at his best. Figuring out how to get the prisoners to work with not against him. Using his humor and wits to persuade people to try things his way, and then being almost as surprised as the reader when things start to work out. Trapped in a nonpenetrable dome, under constant observation by the Cetagandans, yet Miles must figure out a way to bring these sorry-assed prisoners a sense of military pride and self worth.

I enjoyed this quick and lively story and it certainly helps to build Miles’ back-story as once again he saves the day.

I know I haven't been here in far too long, but, Dearest Judy, could you read some more books that aren't wonderful? I fear that my TBR won't be able to take it! ;)

Hope you're doing well!

Finally checking in on threads and in the meantime you finished your challenge and 100 books off your shelves. Very nice going.

>98 LauraBrook: Hi Laura, I am doing well, and so very happy to hear that your Mom is doing well. I have been lucky with my reading this year and have found some excellent books.

>99 mysterymax: Hi Max, I am hoping to get caught up on some other challenges over the next three months, but I am quite proud of myself about the 100 books off my shelves as I find it hard not to get distracted by the new books that I am constantly hearing about.

Congrats on completing your challenge.

>101 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori.

149. Living Proof by John Harvey - 4.1 ★
Category: Fourteen Cats
September MysteryCat: Mysterys About Books
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #14: Series Book Whose Author's Last Name Has 5 or 6 Letters



Living Proof by John Harvey is the 7th book featuring DI Charlie Resnick, and adds to the general excellence of this series. These deceptively simple police procedurals follow Charlie and his team as they investigate a number of various crimes. In this outing, the city of Nottingham is hosting an Arts Festival and one of the best-selling authors has been receiving threatening letters. At the same time, along with other crimes that need to be more closely examined, there appears to be a prostitute that is making a practice of sticking a knife in her Johns. The team is feeling a little stretched with their various cases, not being able to give their best to any one case but instead trying to clear them all.

The storyline involving the author is a fun one, at various points real life authors like Ian Rankin, Sarah Dunant, Sarah Waters and Val McDermid are either part of the story or mentioned. The various plotlines are interesting, at times appear intertwined, and a nice twist is delivered at the end of the story to wrap everything up nicely.

I enjoy looking at my shelves and seeing that I still have a few more Charlie Resnick books to discover as these are some of the best police procedurals I have read.

Thanks Judy. Just got hit by another book bullet! I don't know how I've missed John Harvey until now.

>104 VivienneR: I don't know if this helps or not, Vivienne, but there is an excellent trilogy by John Harvey featuring retired DI Frank Elder, and these three are excellent. Starting with the first, Flesh and Blood and then moving on to Ash and Bone and finally, Darkness and Light. It might help to start with these three and if you love them, you could then move on to the 12 book Charlie Resnick series.

Wonderful! The library has this series. I'll start with them. Maybe because I grew up in the U.K. I can relate more to British writing. Thanks.

>106 VivienneR: Enjoy! :)

150. Dispatches by Michael Herr - 4.2 ★
Category: 14 Newsworthy Facts
September GeoCat: Southeast Asia, Focus On Vietnam
TIOLI #10: Book Takes Place In a Country I Have Never Been To



In Dispatches, Michael Herr recaptures his time in Vietnam in a vivid and stylishly harsh manner. As an independent journalist, he was able to choose which story to follow and often would catch helicopter rides between locations. He covered a huge part of Vietnam, including Saigon, Khe Shan and Hue. This is an excellent read about Vietnam but it is full of fear, death and the ravaging effect that this war had on both the people there and America as a whole.

He was able to get up close and personal with the serving soldiers and it is here, with a backdrop of rock and roll music, the psychological effects of drugs and the general demoralization of the troops, that one gets the clearest picture of the turmoil and uncertainty that the average grunt was facing. In covering the war, Michael Herr became one of them, eating their food, smoking their joints, and sharing their bunkers as bombs fell around them. One particular story of him being the only living passenger on a chopper full of body bags was particularly harrowing.

Michael Herr guides his reader through the craziness that was Vietnam and by the end of the book I felt numb and drained. From the chaos to the inhumanity, Herr doesn’t flinch from showing us the way it was.

151. Liar By Jan Burke - 4.0 ★
Category: Final Fourteen
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #14: A Series Book Whose Author's Last Name Has 5 or 6 Letters



Liar is author Jan Burke’s sixth in her series about newspaper reporter Irene Kelly. In this outing the plot revolves around past events in Irene’s own family, as first she learns that her estranged aunt has been murdered and then finds out she is the prime suspect.

In an intricate story of family scandals, alienation and secrets, Irene decides the best path for her to clear herself is to first locate her cousin, Travis whom she hasn’t seen since he was a young boy. As her husband is out of town, she turns to her friend, Rachel, a private investigator, and together they track the missing relative. They soon realize that bringing Travis home could be a mistake as someone is out to remove all the family members in order to keep their secrets from surfacing.

This was a well plotted thriller full of family grudges and feuds. Irene is smart, tough, sensible and an extremely likeable heroine. I really enjoyed the women’s camaraderie and how capable a team they were. Liar was not only a great suspense read, it also helped to fill in much of Irene’s family background and help define this character. I am looking forward to future books in this highly readable series.

152. The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards - 3.2 ★
Category: British Fortnight
September Series & Sequels
TIOLI #5: Read a Book You Didn't Buy



The Cipher Garden by Martin Edwards is the second in a series of books set in the Lake District of England. DCI Hannah Scarlett is thinking of having her team re-open the investigation into the murder of landscaper Warren Howe as both an anonymous note and a record of rather sloppy policing during the first investigation has her wondering if they will be successful the second time around. Meanwhile, historian Daniel Kind is interested in the history of his garden and ends up on the fringe of this case.

Daniel and Hannah are fighting a mutual attraction to each other, but by this second book, this very dragged out plot is wearing thin. They both have other partners and instead of a feeling of attraction, I felt this is more of a plot device to bring these two together and give Daniel a reason for being involved in the case. The various storylines here all seem to be about obsession and it’s effects on the past, present and future.

I found this a rather mediocre mystery and I am also not too taken with the main characters. I do like the both the setting of these books and the authors style of writing. I have one more of these books on my shelves, but unless it shows a dramatic improvement over this book, I will probably stop reading the series at that point.

You know what would be interesting? A pair of detectives who have a good working relationship that isn't filled with repressed longing or where they don't fall in love. Maybe they even have solid relationships outside of work. That'd be fun to read.

>111 RidgewayGirl: I know! This trend of mutual but undeclared attraction seems quite popular today. I find it's a plot device that gets boring very quickly. Your version of actual co-workers who like to work together but aren't actually panting for each other would be a pleasant change!

#111 & #112 -- Yes, and yes. It really doesn't seem that outrageous an idea.

What about 2 female detectives who work together and are friends? Has that been done anywhere? It ought to solve the mutual attraction problem. Male partners are old news, but females? Unfortunately, anytime there is an available male working with an available female, sexual tension will always end up being written into the story. Even if it is never acted upon. And even if one of them turns out to be homosexual.

Sandy, they were called Cagney & Lacey.

Anyone else? Were C&L in a book? I never watched the TV show.

>114 sjmccreary: >115 RidgewayGirl: Cagney and Lacey were the first ones that popped into my head as well. I think they were written just for TV, not in a book. Off the top of my head I can't think of any series that features two women investigators ...

There was a series, well two books anyway, by Felicia Donovan that featured an all female detective agency. Both books were pretty good - interesting concept anyway.

What about the series that the show Rizzoli and Isles is based on? It's dectective/medical examiner not 2 detectives, but it's close. I've only read the first one so I'm not sure how their friendship develops.

>118 LittleTaiko: >119 dudes22: That's what I love about LT, if there is something about books you need to know, someone here will have the answer! I'll have to check into Felicia Donovan's books. I see the Rizzoli & Isles books are by Tess Gerritsen, set in Boston and the first one is called "The Surgeon" (can't get the touchstones to work on this one). Sigh, more books to check out!

153. Love By Design by Rosalie Ash - 2.0
Commonwealth Challenge: St. Lucia
TIOLI #7: Rolling Challenge - Spell Halloween



While searching through a pile of books that belonged to my sister, I stumbled upon Love By Design by Rosalie Ash. This is a Mills & Boon Romance with a capital R, but it is set on the island of St. Lucia, a country I needed to read about for my Commonwealth Challenge, so I scooped it up.

I pretty much got what I thought I would, a thinly veiled travelogue wrapped in a fantasy romance. I enjoyed the descriptions of the lush tropical island, the accounts of the various tourists spots such as the Pitons, the sulphur springs at Soufriere and the natural mineral baths. The pure white beaches and turquoise waters definitely called to me. The romance of course was one of two beautiful people who fall into each others arms only to fall victim to rumours and false information. Of course they find their way back to each other by the end of the book.

I used to read this kind of book by the boxful when I was young and impressionable but I can say with absolute conviction that I have definitely moved on.

>121 DeltaQueen50: I think that I read roughly hundred of those when I was in junior high school; since then I've never gone back but I think that I would come to the same conclusion :)

>105 DeltaQueen50: I've put Flesh & Blood on the BB list, it's available at the library. It seems to be a little bit like Rebus ?

I haven't read the Tess Gerritsen books but I'm watching the TV show. It's funny and I like the relationship between the characters. I can't say much about the crime itself, it's not Law & Order but that's not why I watch it ...

>122 electrice: When I was about 14, my friends and I would read these romance books and think we were so adult! Of course in my day, the only male/female action was kissing, these books are much more graphic today!

Re: Flesh and Blood, yes, I think you could compare it to Rebus. The main character is a retired police officer with more than a few personal issues. There are only three books based on the John Elder character so a much smaller commitment than a longer series.

I haven't seen the TV show based on the Tess Gerritsen books, I think I would be more likely to check out the books first, except the last thing I need is a new series to follow!

>123 DeltaQueen50: Oh, I know what you mean. I just got it by another series, after all :) A trilogy is way more manageable though.

Just thought of another TV series with two females as partners in a crime show: Murder in Suburbia. This one is British and has only two seasons of 6 episodes each, so not long term commitment. Simple, straight forward and funny !

Has anyone read the Inspector Lynley books by Elizabeth George? I can't get a hold of my Mom, who's read them all, to ask her, and I've only seen the TV show they're based on. At least in the show, there isn't that "will they or won't they" aspect, unless it comes up in the last couple of episodes as those are two that I'm saving for some mysterious future date.

>121 DeltaQueen50: That Harlequin-romance type cover reminded me of my middle school reading. My brother worked for a major retailer that had to remove the covers, reporting the books as destroyed, at the end of the month or whatever time period they were on the shelf. He used to bring books by the bagful to me. During the summer months, I would generally read one book in the morning and one in the afternoon. I think I enjoyed them more for the settings than for the contents. Once in awhile there would be a book I really enjoyed. Of course, I didn't know back then to pay attention to who the authors of those books were. I wonder if any of them went on to bigger and better things? I'll never know because I didn't pay attention.

>125 LauraBrook: Laura I have read a lot of the Inspector Lynley books, and you are right there is no sexual tension between Lynley and his D.S. Barbara Havers. The books do sometimes get a little bogged down in both Lynley and his friend, Simon St. James, romantic lives. But at least they do portray a man and woman who simply work together well.

>126 thornton37814: Lori, I suspect a great many of us bridged our reading between childhood and adult with a spate of these romance books. I know myself and all my friends were avidly reading them. Your right, occasionally there would be one that stood out, but mostly they only differed in their locations.

154. The Last Summer of the Camperdowns by Elizabeth Kelly - 3.5 ★
October Reading Through Time Monthly Theme: 1970's
TIOLI #7: Rolling Challenge - Spelling Halloween



I wanted to love The Last Summer of the Camperdowns by Elizabeth Kelly but I kept getting pulled out of the story by the writing style. I could excuse some of the sophisticated language as the story is told by an adult Riddle Camperdown looking back to the summer she was twelve and thought only about Trixie Belden books and spending time with her horse and dog. Except the narration did very little to evoke a child’s thoughts. The phrasing was beautiful, but over-written enough that it brought me out of the story to admire the language.

At the heart of the book is secrets. The Camperdowns are a unusual family, the father is running for political office but he has a secret about his past that he is trying to keep, the mother, an aging film star with her searing one liners is contending with an old flame and neither one seems to actually take the time to see that their daughter is struggling with something. Riddle has seen something that has terrified her and she is keeping quiet about it. Riddle watches from the sidelines as her family unravels and their secrets are exposed.

In the end, although I couldn’t love this book, I did enjoy the story and was satisfied with how it was resolved. The Last Summer of the Camperdowns managed to be both spooky and smart, and other than my issue with what felt like an author trying too hard to impress, it was a good book.

>128 DeltaQueen50: - Well darn. Sounds like a great premise.

>129 lkernagh: Lori, you've hit the nail on the head! It was a great premise, but the execution made this a very difficult book to like or recommend!

155. Lost in the Amazon by Stephen Kirkpatrick - 3.2 ★
October GeoCat: South America - Focus on The Amazon
TIOLI #10: Both The Colors Orange & Black Are On The Cover



Lost in the Amazon by Stephen Kirkpatrick is his tale of what happened on his expedition to photograph nature deep in the Amazon jungle as they became lost and ended up having an exhaustive and terrifying experience. I did enjoy the adventure part of the story, but to me, the survival aspect was overdone as they seemed to go astray due to very poor planning and lack of good judgement. One of the biggest problems I could see was that the members of the group, in particular the author himself, kept wandering off on their own and getting turned around in the jungle. Basically, when this happened they simply had to hunker down and wait for their Indian guide to find them and guide them back to the others.

The author stressed how important this trip was to him financially. He was having difficulties making ends meet and acquiring some good pictures to sell could help to get him back on his feet. When his camera became clogged with moisture and he had to stop taking pictures, I began to wonder if this story of “survival” was simply a way to make some money to cover the loss of his photographs. Whatever, his descriptions of the excessive heat and moisture in the jungle, along with the wildlife and indigenous people they met was quite interesting.

Another aspect of the story was how religious the author is and how his religion entered into everything. He strongly felt that it wasn’t his fault that he got lost, it was part of God’s plan for him. I was uncomfortable with this part of the story, but obviously this man’s faith is very important to him and this particular trip seemed to be a test for that faith.

Should have been called "How I Made Myself Get Lost in the Amazon." :) You can't cure stupid.

Seriously, quite a shame - it would have been interesting, I think, to read an actual survival story from that area.

>132 -Eva-: Yes, I found it very hard to accept this fellows story at face value. I do know however, that after this book and The Lost City of Z (which was a much better book), I have absolutely no desire to visit the Amazon jungle!

Haha! I do remember a book from my childhood about Amazon insects - that one did it for me! :)

For me, it was listening to an entomologist excite my children with the news that if you want to discover an unknown insect, the place to be is Central or South America. There are lots of bugs. And many are of the extra-large variety.

I think I'd be too annoyed to enjoy that book.

>134 -Eva-: & >135 RidgewayGirl: Yes, lots of bugs, spiders and snakes. Those along with the thought that the jungle heat and moisture can grown mold on anything- including human skin would keep me far, far away!

>136 mstrust: I wish I could abandon books more easily, I have had a few, especially recently that I probably should have abandoned, but I tend to soldier on and finish them.

156. The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin - 3.7 ★**
Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme: 1900 - 1913
TIOLI #5: The Letters S & T are in the Title



The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin was a book that captured me totally during the first half of the book. After that I struggled with the slowness of the story and the lack of direction. Like an orchard, the story grew slowly but unfortunately, I never felt rewarded with a juicy ending. The story just seem to drift to a close.

It is a beautifully written story of early 20th century eastern Washington state. William Talmadge and his sister tend an orchard after the death of their mother. One day his sister goes into the forest to gather herbs and never returns. All they ever find of her is her apron and her bonnet. Talmadge is devastated by her disappearance and spends the rest of his life haunted by this event. When, as an older man, two young, pregnant girls running away from a life of abuse, arrive in the orchard, he is more than ready to invite them into his life wanting only to protect and care for them.

The beginning of this book was a complete page turner, being both reflective and spellbinding. Her description of sunlit days amongst the apricots and apples evoked my senses and totally captured my imagination. This book that started as such an emotional and touching story unfortunately wasn‘t able to hold onto the beautiful rhythm. The second half of the book was both underwhelming and seemed to drag on indefinitely. I wish the author had shortened the book by about 150 pages which would have made for a tighter, more stunning story.

This was a debut novel and I am glad that I read The Orchardist. Amanada Coplin writes with style and flair. Her ability to combine both lyrical and sparse prose shows a talent that leaves me wanting to see what she does next.

** My rating of 3.7 ★ was arrived by adding the 4.3 I would have given the first half of the book with the 3.2 I awarded the second half and dividing by two.

I've been reading about the bugs and parasites in the Amazon in The Lost City of Z. David Grann does not skimp on details!

>139 rabbitprincess: I am the kind of person who freaks out over fruit flies so I think I would go insane quite quickly if I had to deal with a jungle environment!

RP, I have gotten caught up in library books over the last week and so will probably be starting Pied Piper sometime over the upcoming weekend.

>138 DeltaQueen50: - I have this in my TBR pile (well actually my electronic TBR). Guess it can stay there a little while longer.

>138 DeltaQueen50: I assume it's just me that finds the title offputting? To my ear Orchardist sounds like a made up job role, in which case I'm an engineer-ist. Stupid, I know, but it would rile me every time I picked it up.

It was fun to read your review of the romance novel, as I too recall reading tons of these as a teen. My cousin had boxes of these and I'd go on a binge whenever I visited.

The Orchardist sounds interesting and has a lovely cover too. It's too bad the second half didn't live up to the promise of the first.

>140 DeltaQueen50: OK! I'm almost done with Lost City of Z so Pied Piper will be next.

>142 Helenliz: I had to chuckle at this! I think of it as someone who makes an orchard, as an artist is someone who makes art. But you're right - it doesn't translate to engineering or to accounting (my profession). And yet, a Chemist is someone who does chemistry.

I had just the opposite reaction - the title attracts me and make me want to put the book on my wishlist, but the comments I've seen from the people who've read it are what turn me off and keep me from adding it.

>141 dudes22: Betty, it's such a strange book in that I loved the first parts and thought I was reading a book that would be among my top reads of the year, then the second half just seemed to drag along. I will be interested in your thoughts when you do get around to it.

>142 Helenliz: I know I certainly hate the title everytime I have to type it and spell check tells me it's not a word! At the same time it certainly evokes the main character who was much more than a fruit farmer. He cared for his trees, was always searching for a new and better type of fruit and spent his life developing his orchard.

>143 mathgirl40: Obviously 12 - 14 year old girls are the target audience for those romance books! I think we all spent a summer holiday or two devouring these stories. My favorites were always ones that had the heroine travelling to an exotic country.

>144 rabbitprincess: Great, RP, I will plan on spending my Thanksgiving Weekend with the Pied Piper.

>145 sjmccreary: I think that was exactly the authors intention Sandy, to have the readers view this man and his life's work very much like that of an artist. I wish I could recommend this book as I was blown away by half of it. I will certainly pick up anything else she writes and keep my fingers crossed for better pacing and a tighter edit.

157. Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji - 4.1 ★
October Reading Through Time: 1970's
Commonwealth Challenge: Uganda
TIOLI #17: Set in a Country That Gained Independence From Britain



In January, 1971 Idi Amin came to power in Uganda. Uganda was a divided country, along tribal lines and in a loose class system that saw Asians controlling the upper and middle classes. The country’s financial strength was in the hands of these people who originally came from countries like India. They were the bankers and business owners. Amin needed to get his hands on that money both because it would help him buy the loyalty of the military and also for his own outrageous spending. Lumping these people together as Indians, Amin gave them 90 days to leave the country. They were not allowed to take more than one (well searched) suitcase and no large sums of money were to be taken out of Uganda.

Through the eyes of fifteen year old Sabine, author Shenaaz Nanji tells the story of this time of terror and confusion in Child of Dandelions. This story captures perfectly the feeling of total disbelief and bewilderment that eventually gives way to acceptance and sadness that she and her family must leave their home forever. Life-long friends turn their backs and refuse to see what is happening, soldiers walk the streets and have total control over everyone. People disappear and are never seen again. Eventually her father becomes a target and he must flee the country. Her mother soon has to join him, leaving Sabine and her brother, with the help of her grandfather, to obtain vistas and get them out to safety in Nairobi.

The title Child of Dandelions refers to a statement that Amin made about “weeding” out the Indians in order to redistribute the land among the native population. Some 80,000 people of Asian heritage were expelled and the countries of Britain, Canada and the United States took the majority of them in. This book defines the shock, horror and brutality of this time by telling this simple story that touches on feelings of love, betrayal, fear and ultimately forgiveness and hope.

I'm enjoying your reviews, and making a note to avoid Lost in the Amazon, and find Child of Dandelions! I already have The Lost City of Z, happily--I just have to get around to it!

>148 whitewavedarling: Thanks. Lost City of Z is a fascinating book about a place I love to read about but have no desire to ever go! I hope you are able to track down a copy of Child of Dandelions.

158. The Queen of Four Kingdoms by HRH Princess Michael of Kent - 4.2 ★
ER Program
TIOLI #1: A Type of Bird is Mentioned in the Narrative



The Queen of Four Kingdoms tells the fascinating story of Yolande of Aragon. Set in the turbulent 15th Century, this is a wonderfully detailed book that involves most of the prominent people of the times. As a young girl, Yolande, Princess of Aragon, is sent to France as the bride of Duke Louis II of Anjou, first cousin to the King of France. Through her marriage and her eventual children, this extraordinary woman plays an important role in much of the history of her time.

Her marriage was a great success, as the two young people fall in love and stayed close until her husbands’ death. As his widow, the Duchess of Anjou, Countess of Provence had much influence over Charles VII, the future King of France. He was virtually raised by her and her elder daughter was betrothed to him and became his Queen. He was born the third son but eventually became the Dauphin after his two older brothers died. Yolande was an expert manipulator and had spies in most of the prominent households of France. Her loyalty was to France first and foremost, and to her family.

The Queen of Four Kingdoms was an extremely readable story about a remarkable woman. The author, HRH Princess Michael of Kent is a well known historian and has previously written non-fiction books. Even though this is her first work of fiction, she brings both the characters and the 15th century to life. Excellently researched and wonderfully told, I enjoyed this story very much.

>150 DeltaQueen50: I missed that ER book unfortunately (although I won Flirting with French that my husband snapped up and really enjoyed). I will keep a lookout for The Queen of Four Kingdoms looks like a winner.

ETA Nice review, I'm off to give it a thumb!

From another thread, I just realized too that the Pied Piper you're about to read is indeed one of my favorites, so I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts! (The touchstones above had thrown me off, leading to a different one!)

>152 whitewavedarling: I have to remember that it's Pied Piper by Nevil Shute not The Pied Piper!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge Judy. You got me with Child of Dandelions.

>154 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta, glad to return the favor since you got me yesterday with a whole series!

159. Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage - 4.2 ★
October GeoCat: South America
October MysteryCat: Global Crime & Mysteries
TIOLI #2: Blood on the Cover



Blood of the Wicked by Leighton Gage is the first book in the series featuring Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the Federal Police of Brazil. This is a book that reached out and totally grabbed me. A murder mystery wrapped in a layered, well written novel that shines a light on the plight of the poor and landless against the rich and landed. Involving priests, corrupt officials, political activists and journalists this was a roller coaster ride that informed as well as thrilled.

When a Catholic Bishop arrives to dedicate a new church in the city of Cascatas and is immediately murdered, Chief Inspector Mario Silva is sent to investigate. Silva and his team arrive at a time of political unrest in the area as first a local agitator and his family are horribly murdered, than in apparent retaliation, a wealthy landowners son goes missing. Meanwhile a group of poor farmers have taken over a portion of an estate and are trying to draw attention to the conditions they are having to live in. Trying to figure out if all these cases are connected has Silva desperately trying to fit the pieces together.

In Blood of the Wicked there are more than enough bad guys, but there is one that stands head and shoulders above the rest and I haven’t felt such hatred for a villain in a long time. I truly wanted this guy to not only be exposed but for him to come to a bad end as well. The story contains torture, rape, corruption, murder and violence and as such, would not be suitable for everyone. This is a tale of retribution, revenge and ultimately justice and, as a first book in a series, Blood of the Wicked had me riveted and now wanting to see what comes next after such an emotionally charged debut.

LOL, Just when I thought it was safe, you got me with a BB :-)

Ack - me too! :)

>157 Tanya-dogearedcopy: & >158 LauraBrook:
She is a menace, this one!

>159 -Eva-: Yes, she is! I only escaped the book bullet because I've already read this book - and the next in the series - and liked them both very much. Loved the Brazilian setting and the look at local customs and problems.

I've added the series to my wish list, too. Thanks for an excellent review.

Blood of the Wicked is going to be a BB for me as well!

Add my name to the BB list.

I have been in reading heaven this last weekend with juggling Blood of the Wicked and Pied Piper. This last couple of days I have picked up Custom of the Country and have met one of the most unlikeable yet highly readable characters (Undine Spragg) that I have ever come across. I love it when all my books are this good.

>157 Tanya-dogearedcopy: & >158 LauraBrook: I have already picked up the next book in this series for myself, another series to add to my ever-growing list!

>159 -Eva-: Heh, Heh!

>160 sjmccreary: I probably took the original book bullet from you, Sandy, so actually you just might be the menace! ;)

>161 RidgewayGirl: You're welcome! :)

>162 AHS-Wolfy: Enjoy it when you get to it, Dave.

160. Pied Piper by Nevil Shute - 4.5 ★
Joint Read with RabbitPrincess
TIOLI #4: A Book That Is Older Than Me



My admiration for Nevil Shute rises after each of his books that I read. I thought Pied Piper was a wonderful story that captured not only the fear and confusion of finding oneself trapped behind enemy lines with no certainty of reaching home but also the frustrations and joys of travelling with children. John Howard needed to get away and chooses the wrong time to go on a fishing vacation in France. When the war news turns bleaker and he is preparing to return to England, he is approached by an English woman whose husband is working for the League of Nations in Switzerland. They have decided to remain in Switzerland but as many feel the Germans will invade, she asks Mr. Howard if her two children could accompany him back to England. Thinking he will only be taking a straight forward train and boat journey he agrees to escort the children.

Circumstances turn grim for this little group as the Germans overrun France much quicker than anyone expected and Howard finds himself and the children cut off from escape. Also they appear to be picking up more children as they travel. Eventually he goes to the home of people that he met on a previous trip to France and the daughter of this family, Nichole, agrees to accompany him to the coast and help him and the children find a fisherman with a boat to get them over the English Channel.

This is a story to give one faith in the goodness of humanity. The characters are ordinary people that are willing to go to extraordinary lengths to save these children. Howard himself is a seventy year old man with a gentleness and decency that shines through every situation, his handing of the children is truly heart-warming. The children come across very real, caring more about play and food and not really understanding about the war. There is an uplifting moment when Howard discovers that there is a connection with Nichole that he didn’t know about, yet even with this type of sentimental event, the book never feels contrived.

Pied Piper is both an exciting and believable story of courage and compassion in the face of danger and uncertainty and I loved it.

161. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton - 4.0 ★
American Author Challenge
TIOLI #4: A Book That Is Older Than Me



The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton tells the story of Undine Spragg, a Midwestern girl who attempts to scale the heights of New York City society. Undine is one of the most unique characters I have come across. Beautiful, selfish, and ignorant. She is terribly spoiled and seems incapable of understanding the consequences of her actions. She has no empathy and leaves a wake of damaged lives behind her. She repulsed me with her nastiness, yet I had to read on and find out what she was going to do next.

As we follow Undine through first one husband and then another, I kept waiting for her to learn a life lesson or two, but instead she always seems to think that her wishes must come first, that money should always be available to her and that her beauty entitled her to anything she wanted. Undine always seems to get what she wanted, but she also was quickly dissatisfied. Motherhood did nothing either mature her and I felt very sorry for her son, Paul. Wharton never wavered in keeping Undine true to her vision, even at the end of the book, the reader is given a glimpse of Undine that allows us to know that she will never be satisfied with the status quo.

Wharton delivers her story beautifully and uses her wit and insight to give us a sharp look at upper crust society as the nouveau riche come up against the old guard. I enjoyed this book immensely and will keep Undine Spragg on the memory shelf alongside of Scarlett O’Hara and Becky Sharp.

That sounds like a good one so it's going on the WL. I was thinking of Scarlett O' Hara as I read your review as Undine (what a name) sounds just as spoiled and awful.

Yes, that one sounds good! Wharton is fabulous. And Undine Spragg is just a great (awful) name.

>167 mstrust: To my way of thinking Undine is much worse than Scarlett. Scarlett was very spoiled but through the course of the book, she suffered and toughened up and eventually she was convinced that having money and position was the only way to keep herself and those she loved safe.

>168 Nickelini: This was my first Wharton and was really quite good. Undine is certainly a name that is hard to forget!

This was my first Wharton

Really? You're in for a treat in that case. I've loved everything I've read by her (Age of Innocence, House of Mirth, Ethan Frome and a bunch of short stories).

>170 Nickelini: I am in the lovely position of having all those books ahead of me and the best part is they are all free for the Kindle!

My favorite from her is Ethan Frome, which is wonderfully tragic. I also really liked Summer.

>172 mstrust: I've been thinking that Ethan Frome will probably be my next Wharton read.

Last year, I did a #Edith2013 read & movie meme with one of my reading friends! We read Wharton's The House of Mirth, The Age of Innocence, and Ethan Frome. After each book, we did a live tweet while watching the movies in our respective homes, and it was a blast! I went on to read more of Wharton's short stories & novellas, and even made a trip to The Mount when I was out that way. The old estate is run-down and badly in need of funds for renovations and restoration; but the grounds were beautiful. At that time, Custom of the Country was enjoying its 100th publication anniversary, and I bought a copy of the book; but sad to say, I've drifted off-course and haven't read it yet. It sounds like it would be a great pairing with Gone with the Wind, which I haven't read in thirty years! Hmmm... ;-)

>165 DeltaQueen50: Pied Piper sounds interesting. I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

>174 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I will have to keep an eye out for the movies that are based on Wharton's books. I see that Scarlett Johansson is starring in a TV version of The Custom of the Country - just not sure if it is available yet. I re-read Gone With the Wind just a couple of years ago and I must say I had more sympathy for Scarlett this time around. I guess I am less of a romantic and more practical in my old age. She grew and changed through the course of the story. I didn't always agree with her methods, but I could see why she acted like she did.

>175 inge87: I found Pied Piper to be a great story, a little sentimental perhaps, but I was obviously in the right mood for that. My brother has the 1942 movie ready for viewing when I next get over to visit and I am looking forward to seeing it.

162. In The Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner - 4.1 ★
October RandomCat: Recommended by an LT Member
October Reading Through Time: 1970's
TIOLI #5: The Letters S & T Are In The Title



Set in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime In The Shadow of the Banyan describes a seven year old child’s confusion and terror as her life of privilege is torn away and she and her family are turned out of their home and into a world of fanaticism and violence. Not understanding that her family, as minor royalty, would come in for special interrogation, Raami reveals her fathers true name to the soldiers and then lives with the guilt she feels as he is taken away and never seen again. This was just the first of the tragedies that this young girl lived through.

Raami and her mother are moved about by the revolutionaries and set to work at many back-breaking tasks, barely kept alive on starvation rations, they remain committed to each other and the memory of their loved ones. She dreams of her father, of the poetry and life lessons he gave her while her mother is a tower of strength and inner fortitude that I found incredible. When the opportunity comes Raami’s mother ensures their escape through Thailand and eventually to the United States and makes true her promise that she and her child will live a better life someday.

I did feel that the lyrical writing and poetical phrasing created a barrier between myself and the characters. Ultimately this is a book that features brutality and violence, the atrocities that were committed by the Khmer Rouge are well documented but I felt the writing softened the effect somewhat. I believe the author’s ultimate purpose was for this book to tribute her mother, pay homage to her lost family and show how resiliency and courage brought them through this dark period in their lives.

Taking a BB for when it's time for my Cambodia read.

>175 inge87: &>176 DeltaQueen50:

Pied Piper is one of my favorite by Shute. I've also read Trustee From the Toolroom and A Town Like Alice more than once.

>179 hailelib: I have been stockpiling books by Shute over the last couple of years - ever since I read A Town Like Alice. I am pretty sure I read On The Beach many years ago but am planning on a re-read next year. I love his writing!

I have been hit by the flu and for the last couple of days haven't done much reading or LTing. Can't seem to concentrate for any length of time. Instead have been napping and watching hours of mindless TV shows. I hope I am feeling better soon as I long to get back to my regular routine.

Feel better! Napping isn't such a bad way to spend the day. : )

Oh, flu isn't fun. Hope you feel well soon!

Sorry to hear about your flu! I hope you recover soon.

I'd love to read more books about Cambodia, so I will keep In the Shadow of the Banyan in mind.

Boo to flu! I hope you feel better soon!

Sorry you've been hit by flu. When you look around for your book, you'll know it's almost over. Take care.

I am finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel and feeling a little better. For the last three days I have been reading a lot and now I have a few books to record. It's almost scary how much energy something like this can drain from one.

Thank to everyone for your good wishes and for keeping my thread warm. Now to catch up!

163. The Foundling by Georgette Heyer - 4.2 ★
TIOLI #6: A Work of Historical Fiction Published Before 1950



The Foundling by Georgette Heyer is less of a historical romance and much more of a comedy of errors with foundlings, runaway schoolboys, an incognito duke, kidnappers and assorted ruffians and more that a few concerned relatives charging about. The Duke of Sale has been cosseted and looked after by servants and family for his whole life. He is now coming into his majority and instead of handing the reins to him, everyone still seems to feel the need to protect him. His future wife has been picked out for him, and even though he has always been very fond of Harriet, he doesn’t feel great love for her. Breaking free of his traces, the duke goes off as a plain Mr. Rufford, on a quest to help a cousin out of a fix. Amid much mayhem and confusion, the duke learns not only to assert himself but that there are times when it is advantageous to be the Duke of Sale and to have a loving family to surround him. Most importantly of all, he and Harriet discover that love is blossoming between them and that they are meant to be together.

Georgette Heyer fills this book with some great characters that were a lot of fun to read about. From school boy Tom who finds trouble wherever he goes, to the totally empty-headed foundling, Belinda, even the villain of the piece, Mr. Liversedge was an interesting, fully drawn rogue. The relationship between the duke and his betrothed was mature, believable and, I found, quite heart warming.

A coming-of-age story that is full of humor and adventure, Georgette Heyer has another winner with The Foundling.

164. Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill - 4.0 ★
October MysteryCat: Global Mysteries
October Reading Through Time: 1970's
TIOLI #1: A Type of Bird Mentioned In the Narrative



I am still very much enjoying the Dr. Siri series by Colin Cotterill of which Thirty-Three Teeth is the second book. Continuing on with his story of the reluctant seventy year old national coroner set in 1977 Laos after the communist take-over, this book finds Dr. Siri less reluctant about having to work as the corner and coming to terms with playing host for an ancient shaman’s spirit.

Three mysteries are touched upon in this book and there is a lot of spiritual activity. I felt perhaps this aspect was a little overdone, but the author still implants plenty of humour and keeps his settings interesting and informative. Along with the pragmatic Dr. Siri there is a great cast of supporting characters that help to flesh out the story and his writing style is witty, sharp and ironic.

These books are not classic whodunits in any way, relying less on mystery solving and more on descriptions of Dr. Siri’s day-to-day activities and the strange things that happen around him. Extremely entertaining, I relish my time spend with Dr. Siri and his cronies.

All of the happy people reading Dr. Siri make me want to reread his books. Too bad my Kindle is at home.

>190 mamzel: Mamzel, that's exactly what the Dr. Siri books do for me - make me feel happy!

The Foundling is one of my favorite Heyer's.

Sorry to find out you were laid up by the flu bug, Judy! Heyer is one of my favorite reads when I am sick. I haven't read The Foundling. Must add that one to the 'in case of' reading pile.

>192 hailelib: It's now become one of mine as well, Trisha. :)

>193 lkernagh: And now my flu has developed into a horrible cough, I sure hope I can shake this off soon. Georgette Heyer is perfect for when you are feeling under the weather and in need of a light and happy read. Actually the Dr. Siri books fit in there nicely as well.

165. Pynter Bender by Jacob Ross - 3.0 ★
Commonwealth Challenge: Grenada
TIOLI #3: Read A Book About Colonialism



Pynter Bender by Jacob Ross is a coming-of-age story set in the cane fields of Grenada. Although born blind, his eyes are healed by a village mystic when he is ten and he becomes acutely aware of the beauty around him. He is raised mostly by women as the one constant in his life is that the men leave. With a life of back-breaking work in the cane fields for 94 cents a day, it isn’t surprising that most men slip away looking for something different. The women that form Pynter’s family are a close knit group of aunts and cousins, but it is when his uncle Birdie returns home after one of his spells in prison that Pynter begins to understand that there is a world beyond these women and the cane fields. Pynter lives in turbulent times and when he finds himself fleeing marauding soldiers and hiding in the canes it brings him to the realization that he can no longer ignore the violence that is happening on his beloved island and he may have to become another man who leaves.

Parallel to Pynter’s story this is also the story of Grenada. Originally a French colony, it was captured by the British in 1763 and held as a British Colony until 1974. Pynter Bender is set during the 1960’s, pre-independence. This was a time of unrest and uncertainty as islanders were struggling within the confines of virtual serfdom. This was a time, when in order to control the population, curfews were set and people who broke the curfew were shot.

Rather than a straight forward novel, this story is told in a series of stories and personally I found it rather difficult to follow. It took me half the book to work out the relationships between the many characters. Another thing I found confusing was that some characters who seemed of importance would just disappear off the pages while new characters were constantly being introduced. The author does tell his story beautifully but unfortunately I found it felt awkward and disjointed.

166. The Edge of Eden by Helen Benedict - 4.1 ★
Commonwealth Challenge: The Seychelles
TIOLI #12: Another Book by an Author Whose Last Book You Loved



Edge of Eden by Helen Benedict cast a spell over me with it’s oppressive edginess. This is the story of the disintegration of a family over the course of a year spent in paradise on the Seychelles. It is also a vivid account of the dark side of Eden and the negative effect of colonialism. It appears to be a book that gets very mixed reviews, many hated it, some loved it. I come down on the love side.

This is a family that was in trouble long before they reached the shores of the Seychelles, but things have a habit of developing quickly in the tropics. As she sees her family falling apart, the eight year old elder daughter, Zara turns to island magic called “grigri” to try and cure what she sees as the problem. Both horrifying and funny, I haven’t read a book that delves so interestingly into the dark side of a child’s mind in a long time. Zara is definitely a very scary little girl but eventually you start to see various sides to her and she is easily the most engaging character in the story.

This is far from a perfect book, at times it was rather messy with too many storylines, some confusing resolutions and many characters that verged on being stereotypes, such as the lecherous governor, the drunken clique of British wives, the voluptuous native girls. Still, I enjoyed the read, learned a bit of about the native flora and fauna and overall still find Helen Benedict an author that I am very interested in.

167. The African Queen by C.S. Forester - 4.5 ★
Commonwealth Challenge: Tanzania
TIOLI #4: Read A Book Older Than You



The African Queen by C.S. Forester is a book that I have long wanted to read. Originally published in 1935, this is a memorial WW I story that takes part in a remote corner of the world. German East Africa comprised what is now known as Burundi, Rwanda and part of Tanganyika (now known as Tanzania). At the opening of the book the Germans have come to the mission of Rose and her brother Samuel and stripped the place of food and animals. The native people are conscripted and marched away, leaving Rose and her sick brother alone. Samuel succumbs to a fever but keeping Rose from being totally alone, Charlie Allnut, fleeing downriver from the Germans in a derelict boat called The African Queen arrives.

Rose and Charlie bury Samuel and head off down the Ulanga River in the African Queen. He is thinking of hiding from the Germans in a remote backwater, while she is burning to strike a blow for England against Germany. Nothing will answer but that they travel down the perilous river and blow the German gun-boat that guards Lake Tanganyika, called Lake Wittelsbach in this book, to kingdom come. As they travel together, feelings arise and their mutual admiration of each other soon grows into love. As Rose is a forceful, determined woman she soon takes the place of leader and Charlie becomes her faithful, admiring assistant.

Rose and Charlie are a wonderful pair of mis-matched people. Together they pilot the African Queen towards their goal. As Charlie puts it, “We’ve come along under steam, an’ we’ve paddled, an’ we’ve pushed, an’ we’ve pulled the ole boat along with our hands.“ The author brings these two unique characters to life and through them sets a wonderful story in motion. One of my favorite reads of the year.

Glad to hear you liked The African Queen! The movie is great too :)

> I love the movie of The African Queen and I certainly pictured both Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart as the main characters!

I'm aware of the film - I had no idea it was a book!

>200 Helenliz: I highly recommend the book. It's not terribly long, under 200 pages and I think if you like the movie, you would like the book as well.

Judy I'm glad to hear you are on the mend. I'm listening to the first Dr. Siri right now. I am enjoying it. You really are a menace with the BB. >196 DeltaQueen50: & >197 DeltaQueen50: have been favorited.

I have yet to read The African Queen but your review is tempting me to add it to my future reading list for 2015.

>197 DeltaQueen50: I've thumbed your review of Edge of Eden by Helen Benedict. I have it on my shelves waiting patiently. You have moved it closer to the top of the pile.

>202 luvamystery65: I'm getting there, Ro. It didn't help when my husband came down with the flu as well, and as we all know, men don't handle being sick very well. I'm glad you are enjoying Dr. Siri.

>203 lkernagh: Lori, I am sucker for survival stories and this one was very well done. There are some differences from the movie, which I did expect, but nothing to terribly jarring.

>204 VivienneR: Oh, I'll be very interested in what you think of The Edge of Eden, Vivienne, I was totally pulled into this story.

Both of you being under the weather at the same time is never good. Hope everyone is better today!

I may have to find a copy of The African Queen now. My local library has the movie but not the book.

>206 hailelib: We're getting there, he seems to shake these things off much faster that I do. He was back to work today, and I am still coughing and blowing my nose. Sure hope this is it for the year!

168. Requiem Mass by Elizabeth Corley - 3.3 ★
TIOLI #2: Blood on Cover of the Book



Requiem Mass by Elizabeth Corley was a mass of contradictions for me. I quite liked the story but had to overlook some parts that stretched my imagination to the breaking point. I also liked the characters, especially the main one, DCI Andrew Fenwick, and would be interested in continuing to read about his life. The book was long for a mystery, being over 400 pages, but it read quickly and certainly kept my attention. The story is about revenge and was quite the thriller.

A few things however, that I found hard to believe made it difficult to take the book seriously. Obviously set in the days before computers were widely used in crime investigations, there were still many items that were difficult to swallow. For example, at one point the investigative team were interviewing current and ex-school teachers and pupils and no one remembered or brought up the tragic falling-from-the-cliffs death of a schoolgirl (a close friend of the current victim) even though it happened twenty years ago. I also found that the elaborately detailed plan that the killer used to abduct his first victim included more than a few incidents of sheer luck, such as his intended victim reading the classified ads and applying for the job that he was advertising. Also, the fact that the disappearance of this young wife and mother was not investigated further and was simply accepted as a voluntary disappearance even though her husband was loudly calling for a police investigation just struck me as wrong.

This is the first book in a series, and I do have the second on my shelves so I will continue on with the next one, but the stories will have to get tighter and the details a little more believable before I commit to the whole series.

>208 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I'll wait until you've read the 2nd book to decide whether to add this one to the wishlist. I definitely need a break from the barrage of book bullets I get from you!

>209 sjmccreary: I've got to stop reading first books of new series and concentrate on the series that I already have going! Hopefully during November I am going to finish off a few series/trilogies in order to make room for new ones.

Hopefully during November I am going to finish off a few series/trilogies in order to make room for new ones.

>210 DeltaQueen50: Good luck with that! I tried to base most of my selections for last year's challenge around ongoing series. I don't think I made much of an impact whatsoever.

>211 AHS-Wolfy: I know, I know, wishful thinking on my part! I know I will never catch up or ever reach the end of most of my series!

169. Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie - 4.5 ★
TIOLI #17: A Book Leftover From a Previous Reading Commitment



Last Argument of Kings by Joe Abercrombie is the final volume of his First Law Trilogy and this was a excellent ending to this adventurous, bloodthirsty, and extremely riveting story. All the various storylines are merged and resolved bringing both moments of immense satisfaction and a few exclamations of surprise. Of course when I say resolved, I don’t mean that everything has been neatly tied up with a pretty bow. This is not the kind of story that ends neatly or even necessarily happily.

First and foremost the characters that people these books are some of the most sharply drawn, and uniquely original ones that I have read about. The author digs beneath the surface and gives his characters a balance and purpose behind their deeds. The reader comes to know the evil, twisted Glokta, but also gets to see the inside of the man, what formed him, what causes him to act and why. Far from being repulsed by his dark deeds, we understand and at times even root for him. Every character springs from the page, fully formed, well rounded and complete. From the main character of Logen Ninefingers, to secondary ones like Ardee West, each one complete, original and multi-sided.

The answers as to who lives and who dies, who is the ultimate winner and who is pulling all the strings are revealed in this breathtaking, bloody tale of action and intrigue. Last Argument of Kings is an excellently crafted, deeply plotted conclusion to this epic fantasy trilogy.

"when I say resolved, I don’t mean that everything has been neatly tied up with a pretty bow"

Agreed - not always needed! Great to hear it works out since I have it waiting for me on Mt.TBR.

Awesome review of Last Argument of Kings. I think I'll have to put the trilogy on my TBR list.

ETA: there seems to be three more books, Best Served Cold, The Heroes, and Red Country. Do you know what's up with that? Is it a second trilogy in the same setting, or is it a true continuation of the first three books?

>213 DeltaQueen50: Glad you enjoyed the completion to the trilogy. Thumbed the great review.

>215 Samantha_kathy: The extra books are not direct sequels to this trilogy although they are set in the same world and do feature some of the characters to some extent.

>214 -Eva-: You're in for a fun read when you get to it, Eva!

>215 Samantha_kathy: Wolfy has it right, Samantha. The author sets his books in the same world and sometimes characters from the various books show up. According to Fantastic Fiction his series break down as in the following:

First Law Trilogy

1. The Blade Itself
2. Before They Are Hanged
3. Last Argument of Kings

First Law World/ The Great Leveller

1. Best Served Cold
2. The Heroes
3. Red Country

Half A King

1. Half A King
2. Half A World coming in 2015

I actually read Best Served Cold first and then went on to the First Law Trilogy. I will be picking up Heroes and Red Country next.

>216 AHS-Wolfy: I love Joe Abercrombie! Thanks for the thumb.

170. Whiter Than Snow by Sandra Dallas - 3.3 ★
November RandomCat: May Day! May Day!
November Reading Through Time: Disasters
TIOLI #4: Author's Career Has Spanned More Than 15 Years



First and foremost I read Sandra Dallas because she is such a great storyteller. In Whiter Than Snow she tells the story of a small mining town in Colorado where, on an April day in 1920, an avalanche roars down the mountain and across the road where nine schoolchildren are on their way home. As the anxious people start to dig, the reader is taken on a backward journey into the lives of each of the mothers and fathers that are so desperately hoping that their children will be saved.

These back stories are varied and include estranged sisters, a troubled civil war veteran, a prostitute, a wife of the mine manager and a black man. Unfortunately, I felt the characters were a little contrived and the stories weren’t as fresh or original as I would have liked. It was very clear from the first chapter that only some of the children would survive and my curiosity was aroused to see which family would see their loved one restored.

I would say Whiter Than Snow was a solid story, but I have learned to expect a little more from this author, so I felt this one wasn’t equal to her best work. This is a story of love, redemption, and forgiveness but somehow I didn’t quite feel the sense of connection and empathy that I usually do with this author’s characters.

Good to know about the series! A trilogy I can handle on my TBR list :D

171. The Dead of Night by John Marsden - 4.0 ★
November GeoCat: Australia and Oceania
TIOLI #16: A Dystopia



The Dead of Night by John Marsden is the second in his Tomorrow Series and it’s taken me far too long to return to this series. I read the first one a couple of years ago and was quite taken with it’s realistically depicted story of invasion and guerrilla warfare as seen through the eyes of a teenager as her country, obviously Australia, is invaded.

In this outing, the little group has dwindled to six. They are still taking refuge in the remote bush area called Hell with occasional trips to the outskirts of their town to pick up supplies and information. Things are slowly changing as the enemy is gaining a strong foothold in the country and on one trip for supplies they are surprised to see colonists are being brought in and given homes and land to cultivate. Still defiant and wanting to stay free, they undertake a couple of expeditions to thwart the enemy and also one to check the next inhabited valley over to see what the conditions are like there.

These stories are full of action, yet to me, still seems authentic. Ellie and her friends are first and foremost trying to survive and make sense out of what is happening. There are moral choices and facing up to great loss, as they realize that their freedom will come with a terrible cost. The group dynamics are interesting as natural leaders emerge and each member’s strengths and weaknesses are exposed. I look forward to the next book and seeing what this group next decides to do.

Stop with the series, already! I take a BB every time. The Law series sounds wonderful and so does this one. How will I ever get caught up. It's not as if I were a youngster any more.

>210 DeltaQueen50: I totally agree! There are so many series I want to finish but I keep getting distracted by new ones. I even created a category this year for series I wanted to complete, but I've barely made progress, and now I'm very tempted to try Joe Abercrombie!

I think in 2016 I will have to have a category called "Delta Queen's Book Bullets".

>223 mysterymax: - what a good idea!

>223 mysterymax: That is genius! It is a fact that I've gotten more book bullets from Judy than any other single source except the public library. And that has been true for several years now.

You guys are making me blush!

I have been AWOL for a few days and I have had the most trying week of my life. I hadn't been feeling well for some time, but thought it was acid reflux. I went to my family doctor, got some pills for relief and was sent for some tests, including an ECG. That was on a Friday. I had a horrible weekend and by the Sunday night the pain had changed to chest pain. Still trying to hang on I left it for another day but on the Monday night I experienced worsening pain and my husband took me into the hospital. I was having recurrent heart attacks. My local hospital was able to relieve the pain and then shipped me off the one of the area's major hospitals when I underwent an angiogram. They were able to find a blockage and put in a stent. After a few days recovery I am now back at home and on the road to recovery.

I don't usually talk a lot about my health but I am now going to have to consider a certain amount of life change and part of that change will entail less time spent sitting in front of the computer. I am planning to still be a very active member on LT, but have to make room for more exercise and less sitting.

The funniest moment of the week was when I asked my husband to bring me in some books. He kept showing up at the hospital with books I had already read! I couldn't believe that he couldn't find, in a house with over 900 unread books, a couple for me to read! He finally arrived with a new-to-me book but it turned out the book he brought was one that I had planned to read next year for my 2015 challenge. He shook his head and said he didn't know that my reading was so complicated! Luckily my daughter was able to go up to the house and find my pile of current reads and from then on I was kept well supplied with reading material.

I am supposed to be resting right now, so I had better go and do that. I will be back in a couple of days and start the catching up process!

Take care of yourself, Judy! You could get a tabletty thingy and then keep up with reading the threads on LT while you walked on a treadmill. And audiobooks are a boon to any sort of exercise. Also, you could choose heavier books, so as to build upper body strength.

But, above all, take care of yourself. I'll be thinking about you.

Judy, I am so sorry to hear of your health problems. It must have been very worrying for you and your family. Glad you were treated and on the road to recovery. It is a lesson to everyone to stay active (too bad LT activity doesn't count).

There are other simple requests that can stymie husbands of hospital patients - like underwear. I had to draw a picture of my underwear drawer (as well-organized as my library) and even then I had several useless garments brought to me.

Stay well Judy, best wishes for a perfect recovery.

Judy I have already wished you best of health on your other thread but you can never have enough.

>228 VivienneR: Hilarious! The look on your face was probably priceless. His too when he showed up with useless garments.

>229 luvamystery65: I won't go into all the details but in one batch brought to me there were 3 bras! And I was on an IV.

I'm sorry you've had to go through so much, but if there's something good to say, it's that they treated the problem quickly. Keep mending, and we'll look forward to seeing you back here whenever you can.

That must have been truly frightening and I am truly happy that you survived the week-end and were able to get the stent installed in time!

Radical lifestyle changes can be very challenging, especially when one's former lifestyle was quite comfortable; but I like to think of it as adding dimension to your life :-)

We are always here for ebook (treadmill) and audiobook (walking/hiking) recommendations, and I bet we could come up with some great podcast and music recs for you too if you get up to running! I think there quite a few of here too that know our way around a cookbook and heart-healthy recipes if you get stuck!

If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask. You can always PM me if need be :-)

Oh my goodness, Judy, I'm so sorry to hear that you've been in hospital! Heart problems are scary indeed. Glad to hear that you are home and mending.
I also chuckled at your husband's efforts to find you something you hadn't read. My BF would probably do the same thing.

Judy - Oh my, what an experience! Good to hear you're on the mend. You weren't at Royal Columbian, were you? I live up the hill from there and could have walked down with an armful of books for you.

Adding my prayers that you mend soon. As Kay mentioned, I use an iPad on my treadmill and it works ok. Hubby bought me a plastic thing that hooks over it to put my Ipad on and I can change the print size and the brightness and get some reading done while I exercise.

I commented over on your 75 Group thread that I am very happy that you have received a diagnosis and medical treatment for what was probably a very scary situation. Our bodies try to tell us when something is wrong but they kind of forgot to provide the user manual to explain the various 'error messages'. I want to second the fact that you can take this as a wonderful opportunity to enjoy audiobooks.... I love my morning and evening half hour walking commutes with the audiobook of the moment.

Joining everyone else wishing you a complete recovery and thanks that you were so quickly diagnosed and treated. Your poor husband! but thank goodness for daughters.

Hi Judy, I'm sorry to hear about your recent health problems. I am pleased to know you got the medical attention you needed in a timely manner. Good luck with your lifestyle changes. Tomorrow I am going to go for a walk around my hilly neighbourhood (which I haven't done for ages), while thinking of your recovery.

Your poor husband. At least he tried. Definitely fortunate that your daughter was around.

Judy, how wonderful that you were able to get treated in time. Lifestyle changes can be really hard, but we'll all be in your corner cheering you on.

I hope you're doing better. Like others have said it's good that you got treated in time.

OMG Judy! How scary, but I am glad that you are on the mend. Please take care of yourself!

We'll be here whenever you can drop by!

Thank you everyone for all your kind thoughts and wishes. I am doing well, it's so good to be at home, among my own things.

>227 RidgewayGirl: Looks like audio books will be one of my lifestyle changes. I have a few and can see that they will be perfect to take along on walks around the neighbourhood.

>228 VivienneR: Vivienne, I was very lucky that both daughters were on hand to help with the packing of underwear. I shudder to think of what my husband would have come up with!

>229 luvamystery65: Thanks Ro.

>231 mstrust: I am planning on dropping out of the 75 Challenge Group which will cut back my LT time significantly, the Category Challenge is the one that I first joined and it holds a very special place in my heart.

>232 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Thanks, Tanya. This seems to be the month that we are hit with all things medical. My husband is scheduled for back surgery in a couple of weeks and we have decided that he should go ahead with that. We have plenty of family around us and they have divided into teams - one group to help him to and from the hospital, and another to come and stay here so I won't be alone.

>233 rabbitprincess: Thanks RP. I have to give hubby a break, he was terribly concerned and I don't think he was able to concentrate on anything over those few days. Sometimes it's harder to be the one looking on and feeling helpless.

>234 Nickelini: Joyce, I was transferred to the Royal Columbian for the procedure. I think it is the largest hospital within the Fraser Valley Medical system and it is known to have a great cardio team. I started out at Delta Hospital which is a much smaller hospital. If I had known how close someone with books was to me, you probably would have heard me calling!

>235 dudes22: Thanks, Betty. We have a treadmill but I avoid using it if I can get outside for a walk. I find my knees bother me much more on the treadmill than with regular street walking. I guess there will be times over the winter though where I will have to suck it up and use the treadmill.

>236 lkernagh: You are so right, Lori. I have heard that heartburn is often a symtom of impending heart trouble but I was hoping mine was because of the acid reflux that I have. It really wasn't until I started taking medication for the heartburn that the pain changed and became centered in my chest, neck and arms.

>237 sjmccreary: Thanks, Sandy. I know all of this was really hard for my husband and now that I am home, he is constantly checking up on me. And yes, daughters are a blessing. My youngest is a nurse and she was especially helpful at translating all the medical terms and explaining things to me.

>238 Roro8: Thanks, Ro. I also live in a fairly hilly area but luckily my immediate area is flat so I can work up to the hills!

>239 mysterymax: Thanks, MM. One of the strangest things that happened was that our best friends are on a trip to South Africa and they skyped my hubby one night. Then the wife e-mailed my other girlfriends and one was able to drop in and surprise me at the Royal Columbian hospital and the other showed up the next day when I got back to Delta Hospital. Shows what a small world we live in!

>240 hailelib: Thanks Trisha. I feel very lucky that there was only one blockage. My room mate was told that he had six, and had to decide whether to opt for stents or a by-pass operation.

>241 lsh63: Lisa, that's exactly what it was. A scare and a serious wake up call.

Adding in my belated well wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

Happy that you are recovering nicely. Best of luck on your journey to a more active lifestyle.

Sorry to hear about your health scare, but glad to know you're doing ok and have some things you can do to improve your health. Change is certainly hard, though!

I've recently started exploring audiobooks and am overall enjoying them. I was surprised to find that I do like listening to non-fiction, maybe more than fiction. Also, the reader makes a huge difference. I've only listened to about 5 audiobooks and have 1 reader that is for sure going on my "never again" list!

>245 japaul22: I'm a hardcore audiobook listener and I completely agree with you that a narrator can make or break a listening experience! A great narrator can turn a mediocre book into something amazingly good, and conversely a poor narrator can take a great book and ruin it. I've been known to pick up audiobooks on topics that were out of my "normal" reading tastes, but performed by my favorite audiobook narrators, knowing that I would be rewarded. And yes, there are narrators who are deal-breakers too! It kills me when I discover that an audiobook that I had been looking forward to has been narrated by a reader I can't stand! I'm fortunate enough (for now anyway) that I still have my sight, so when that happens, I can go read the title in print :-)

>243 AHS-Wolfy: Thanks, Dave.

>244 LittleTaiko: I am happy to report that my husband and I went for a short walk this evening, it's turned a little chilly, but at least it's dry and the leaves are scrunching nicely underfoot.

>245 japaul22: It is hard to change but I am determined to at least get back to more regular walks. My doctor was telling me about cardio workouts that are held at the local aquatic center - not sure if I am ready for that yet!

>246 Tanya-dogearedcopy: I have found that the narrator makes a huge difference as well. Actually one of my worse experiences was when the book was read by the author. It was Bill Bryson whose books I love, but his actual voice just didn't sound like the voice I had imagined him to have, so he's one I will save for print.

I have just written a couple of quick thoughts about my two most recent reads.

172. Brimstone by Robert B. Parker - 4.0 ★
TIOLI #4: Author's Career Spanned At Least 15 Years



I am still enjoying my visits with Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch in Robert Parker’s western series. Brimstone is the third book and it maintains the fun, excitement and entertainment level of this series. The relationship between the two main characters, their conversations and the unquestioning loyalty that lies between them makes these books some of the best “buddy” stories I have ever read.

The plot is pretty typical of these stories, the two lawmen come in and clean up a town, in this case a saloon owner and a fanatical preacher are going head to head. Virgil has managed to track down his wayward wife, Allie but it remains to be seen if she really has changed and will be able to settle into married life. I am looking forward to the next book already!

173. I Don't Want To Kill You by Dan Wells - 2.8 ★
TIOLI #6: Title Starts With a One Letter Word



I started Dan Well’s YA series about John Cleaver, a possible budding serial killer with high hopes. I was taken aback by the strange twist that the first book took, but the humor kept me invested and so I continued on with the second book. Now in the third, I Don’t Want to Kill You, I do believe that I have had enough of this saga and will not be reading on. I found little humor or story interest and felt only relief when I finished the book.

Glad you're doing better and starting your walking program. You've "encouraged" me to be more regular in doing the same.

I've never done an audio book, but am considering one for the "completely outside my comfort zone" in next year's Bingo Dog.

I'm happy to see people willing to start doing audio books. I first started them back in the mid-1990's when I was a stay-at-home mom to our 4 kids, after having been a professional for more than 10 years with a lucrative full-time career. I love my kids, and wanted more than anything to stay home and care for them, but my brain was screaming from lack of stimulation. I bought one of those walkman tape players that would clip to my waist band and started checking out audio books on cassettes from the library. I listened to books while I was doing housework - things I needed my hands and eyes for but not my ears or brains - like folding laundry, or cleaning bathrooms. There wasn't so much selection in audio books then as now, and I remember one especially long book about the Ancient Greeks (*cough*dull*cough*). I still love audio books and can't imagine giving them up now. I hope you will also enjoy them. Tina (tututhefirst) even has a set up that lets her listen to audio books while she's swimming laps.

Judy - I thought I posted about audiobooks already, but I can't see it so I'll say it now. I download audiobooks from my public library website. They offer two different systems--Overdrive and OneClick. I'm currently using OneClick, via an app on my iPhone. It works pretty great most of the time. I'm sure your library website has this service too.

Enjoy walking with your audiobooks!

Judy also see if your library offers Hoopla. They have a decent selection of audio books.

All the Vorkosigan books are on Hoopla!

Adding my well wishes to a speedy recovery and to a few lifestyle changes. Hope you husband's surgery goes well too. My husband had back surgery years ago and it was nearly an immediate relief.

I've also had to modify my diet and pay better attention to exercising. I have arthritis in one of my knees and have found the recumbent bicycle ideal. No weight on the joint. If I go early in the morning I can burn twice as many calories in half the time on an elliptical (both settings on 1). Books on tape are wonderful for passing the time when walking. One of the first books I listened to was The Devil Wears Prada and helped me go a block or two longer than intended.
Good luck!

>250 dudes22: I guess we all need encouragement from time to time, especially when it comes to exercise. I have listened to a few audio books, but I think I will be making them a definite part of my reading.

>251 sjmccreary: Sandy, so far I've found audio books can be hit or miss with me. I've listened to a few that I loved like Life by Keith Richards and Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, but I've also tried a few that basically just put me to sleep. It's great that there are so many "listeners" here on LT so I can get some recommendations as the narrator is so important.

>252 Nickelini: & >253 luvamystery65: I am pretty sure that my library used Overdrive, but I haven't checked out an audio book in some time so I will check to see what is on offer.

>254 aliciamay: I am so hoping for immediate relief for my husband, he's been living with pain for a number of years and I didn't want him to put off this operation again. Luckily the family is rallying around and will see that both he gets to the hospital and that I am not alone.

>255 mamzel: I feel the most comfortable with the idea of walking, but I know that a routine that includes some swimming time is encouraged by the medical team as swimming puts the least amount of stress on the joints. I am expecting to be advised that I will need to spend some time at the pool.

It's time for a new thread, and I am off to go set one up.