Stacy's 2015 Sporting Challenge

Excited about another year of challenge reading! While I'm not a sports nut, I couldn't help but think that my reading sort of fell into some of the sports quite nicely while I'll freely admit that some are a stretch. :)

As usual, I've kept some categories that are fairly easy to meet and some others that will be harder to give me some balance next year. I'll be participating in a couple of CATs, KITS, and am eagerly awaiting BINGO DOG as well.

I'll try to read a minimum of five books in each category for a total of 75 books.




Ratings:

1 Star - Didn't like at all or did not finish
2 Stars - It's okay but not something I would recommend.
3 Stars - I liked it but may or may not recommend it
4 Stars - Really liked it and am happy that I spent time reading it
5 Stars - Loved it and the whole world should read it too


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Grand Slam

My favorite sport is tennis - so in honor of that I'll read books set in Australia, France, London, and New York City (homes to each of the Grand Slam events).

1. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty (Australia) - January 4 stars
2. Mrs. Jeffries and the One Who Got Away by Emily Brightwell (London) February - 4 stars
3. Bad Debts by Peter Temple (Australia) April - 3 stars
4. Alex by Pierre Lemaitre (France) June - 5 stars
5. Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein (New York) June - 3 stars

March Madness

Tournament of Books - each year I think I need a category just for this and this year I finally remembered to set one up.

1. Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill January - 3 stars
2. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel January - 4 stars
3. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer January - 3 stars
4. Silence Once Begun by Jesse Bell February - 3 stars
5. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng February - 4 stars
6. Adam by Ariel Schrag February - 2 stars
7. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell March - 4 stars
8. All The Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld March - 2 stars

Kentucky Derby

Short Stories/Plays/Poems - A very quick race seemed appropriate for these shorter reads

1. Blue Horses by Mary Oliver February - 4 stars
2. The Party After You Left by Roz Chast February - 4 stars
3. The Birds by Aristophanes March - 4 stars
4. The Frogs by Aristophanes March - 3 stars
5. A Blackbird Sings by Fiona Robyn April - 4 stars
6. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff May - 4 stars
7. Library Wars by Kiiro Yumi May - 3 stars (Volume 11)

Westminster - Best in Show

1001 books to read before you die - I've been trying to check these off but didn't make much progress in 2014. Hope to renew my efforts in 2015.

1. Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift February - 2 stars
2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon February - 2 stars
3. The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox March - 2 stars
4. Thirty-nine Steps by John Buchan May - 3 stars
5. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck May - 4 stars

World Series

Next book up in any series that I've read

1. A Fatal Winter by G.M. Malliet January - 3 stars
2. Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie January - 5 stars
3. Hey There, You With a Gun in Your Hand by Robert Randisi February - 4 stars
4. Poirot Loses a Client by Agatha Christie March - 4 stars
5. You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Kills You by Robert Randisi April - 3 stars
6. Mystery off Glen Road by Julie Campbell May - 4 stars
7. Stirring the Plot by Daryl Gerber May - 2 stars
8. I'm a Fool to Kill You by Robert Randisi June - 4 stars

Tour de France

Books over 400 pages - the tour is one of the ultimate in endurance sports and sometimes reading anything over 400 requires a bit of endurance and focus on my part.

1. Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaolong Qiu January - 3 stars
2. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker April - 5 stars
3. Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett April - 3 stars
4. Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin June - 2 stars
5.

Possibilities:

Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Super Bowl

NFL = Normal Fiction Lover

1. Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse - February - 4 stars
2. Blindness by Jose Saramago March - 3 stars
3. These is My Words by Nancy Turner April - 4 stars
4. A Sudden Light by Garth Stein April - 3 stars
5. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh May - 3 stars
6. Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym June - 4 stars

The Masters

Classics

1. Grimm's Fairy Tales - May - 2 stars
2.
3.
4.
5.

Possibilities:

Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Stanley Cup

NHL - Next History Lesson (non-fiction)

1. From Baghdad with Love by Jay Kopelman January - 5 stars
2. Can't We Talk About Something Pleasant? by Roz Chast January - 4 stars
3. Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown May - 5 stars
4.
5.

Possibilities:

The Analects by Confucius
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

NBA Championship

NBA = New Books Allowed (books published or acquired in 2015)

1. Stagolee Shot Billy by Cecil Brown January - 3 stars
2. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin February - 4 stars
3. The Stranger by Harlan Coben March - 4 stars
4. The Precious One by Marisa de los Santos March - 4 stars
5. Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova May - 5 stars

America's Cup

Books set in the Americas

1. Breaking Point by C.J. Box January - 3 stars
2. Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery January - 3 stars
3. The Suspect by L.R. Wright May - 4 stars
4. The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry May - 3 stars
5. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery May - 4 stars
6. Last Dead Girl by Harry Dolan JUne - 4 stars

Olympics

Mysteries/Thrillers - since the Olympics are usually quite thrilling

1. Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron January - 3 stars
2. The Snowman by Jo Nesbo February - 4 stars
3. Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle February - 4 stars
4. Cloche & Dagger by Jenn McKinlay March - 3 stars
5. Pagan Spring by G.M. Malliet April - 3 stars
6. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie June - 4 stars
7. A Fatal Chapter by Lorna Barrett June - 4 stars

Iditarod

Team effort = book club/group reads

1. Goodbye to a River by John Graves - January - 3 stars
2. Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott - February - 5 stars
3. Yes Please by Amy Poehler May - 3 stars
4. The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O'Connor May - 3 stars
5. An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine June - 4 stars

Formula 1

Science Fiction/Fantasy - F1 represents the cutting edge of science and technology

1. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett - 5 stars - March
2. The Martian by Andy Weir - 5 stars - April
3. Parasite by Mira Grant - 4 stars - May
4.
5.

Possibilities:

Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Neuromancer by William Gibson
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams
Dirk Gentley's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

Scripps Spelling Bee

Books Chosen for Me - as words are chosen for the contestants

1. Possession by A.S. Byatt chosen by japaul22 - January - 3 stars
2. The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag chosen by Kathryn (non-LT) - March - 4 stars
3. The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell chosen by DeltaQueen - April - 3 stars
4, Years of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks chosen by Lois B - April - 3 stars
5. The Good Lord Bird by James McBride chosen by PolyMathic Monkey

AlphaKIT - most of these will be books I already own as I use this challenge to whittle down my TBR pile. These will also be included in the categories above.

A -
B - Mrs. Jeffries and the One Who Got Away by Emily Brightwell (owned)
C -
D - Last Dead Girl by Harry Dolan (owned)
E - Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett (owned)
F - A Blackbird Sings by Fiona Robyn (owned)
G -
H - The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag (owned)
I - The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (owned)
J - From Baghdad With Love by Jay Kopelman (owned)
K -
L - The Suspect by L.R. Wright (owned)
M -
N -
O -
P -
Q - The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox (library)
R - The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry (owned)
S -
T - Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron (owned)
U -
V -
W -
X - Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaolong Qiu (library)
Y - I'm a Fool to Kill You by Robert Randisi (library)
Z - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (owned)

BingoDOG - so excited about this challenge! I decided to set up a separate thread just for bingo to make it easier to track. I'll also keep up the list on my main thread too. Hopefully I can cover the board, but we will see where my reading takes me.

Read a book...

1. Set in a country other than your own - Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaolong Qiu (January)
2. Genre bender - The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (March)
3. Reminds you of your childhood - Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery (January)
4. Picked for you by someone else - Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin (June)
5. Animal is of importance - From Baghdad With Love by Jay Kopelman (January)
6. Correspondence/letters/epistolary - Possession by A.S. Byatt (January)
7. Owned for more than 1 year - Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (February)
8. Translated from a language you don't speak/read - The Snowman by Jo Nesbo (February)
9. Major Historical Event - Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott (February)
10. Published in 1915 - Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (May}
11. Prophecy, signs, or portents are important - Good Omens by Terry Pratchett (March)
12. About/with Scientists - Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (January)
13. Read a CAT - Breaking Point by C.J. Box (January)
14. Whose author shares an ancestor's first name - Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein (June)
15. Natural Disaster - Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks (April)
16. Mythical creature - The Frogs by Aristophanes (March)
17. LGBTQ main character - Adam by Ariel Schrag (February)
18. By an LT Author - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (January)
19. About Languages - The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
20. Outside your comfort zone - Goodbye to a River by John Graves (January)
21. Autism - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon (February)
22. Inspired by another piece of fiction - Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron (January)
23. Subject of you're unfamiliar - Stagolee Shot Billy by Cecil Brown (January)
24. Based on fairy tale/myth - The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (April)
25. Protagonist of the opposite gender - A Fatal Winter by G.M. Malliet (January)

Very creative!

Great set-up, Stacy! It all meshes together beautifully. I am very excited for the BingoDog this year as well.

Love the theme! Looking forward to seeing how all the categories get filled! :)

Well I must admit your theme is highly creative and you had me laughing, the best is NFL :) I'm looking forward the BingoDOG too.

Great challenge, as very clever!

Great theme!

Love your theme and categories!

From Baghdad with Love is definitely a good read!

I always have such admiration for those who can line up all the books they will read. I can hardly know what I will read next much less read next year! Have a wonderful year of books!

>19 paruline: - Thank you very much!

>20 DeltaQueen50: - Love having a fresh take on reading with the BingoDOG. I was surprised by how many books I owned that fit the categories.

>21 rabbitprincess: - Thank you - me too! There are a few I look at with a bit of trepidation.

>22 electrice: - I think the NFL one made me laugh the most too. NFL, NBA, and NHL were my biggest stretches to make a theme fit.

>23 PawsforThought: - Thanks! I think I built it all off of the Tournament of Books idea

>24 MissWatson: - Thank you!

>25 LoisB: - Thanks! I've heard good things about that book so was very excited when an animal category showed up on BingoDOG. I knew immediately which book I was going to choose for that category.

>26 mamzel: - I'm an odd mix of planning and randomness. I can plan out the Alpha and Bingo okay, but do prefer to leave much of my reading up to what I'm in the mood for. That's one of the reasons I love the RandomCAT - it forces me to be spontaneous (sort of). Granted, there may be some substitutions as I get started next year so this is by no means a set in stone list.

Sports wouldn't be my first choice for a theme, but it does work very well, doesn't it?!

great job on the theme! Bingo Dog will be fun!

Fun theme!

Need some help from you guys - I have four spots left in my books to be chosen by somebody else category. HRO was nice enough to select a book for the Bingo DOG challenge, but since that one is about 750 pages long, you can be sure I'll be using that to fill my long book category!

If you guys could take a look at my TBR or Wishlist listings and select something you think I should read, I would really appreciate it. This category has worked well for me in the past so I'm looking forward to seeing what reading adventures I'll have next year.

Here's one suggestion: Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague. It's a little slow to start, but quite interesting once it gets going.

Thanks! It sounds quite interesting and should be a good fit for the Plagues & Diseases category for the History CAT.

I am quite torn as to which one to recommend, but how about The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell. I read it last year and thought it was amazing.

>31 LittleTaiko: The Good Lord Bird. Such a fabulous book!

>34 DeltaQueen50: - Oh! I've wanted to read that one since somebody (probably you!) reviewed it so favorably.

>35 .Monkey.: - Very happy you picked that one for me. I've heard the author interviewed and it sounds like something I would enjoy.

If you still need one, Possession by A.S. Byatt, one of my favorites!

>36 LittleTaiko: :) All of his work is great, but that one was especially wonderful, I just loved it, one of the best things I read last year!

>37 japaul22: - Great! I keep looking at that one on the shelf and wondering why I haven't read it yet.

>38 .Monkey.: - Good to know. If I remember correctly it may have one the Tournament of Books this year too.

I love your sporting challenge! I am looking forward to another fun year of following your reading!

I love your sporting challenge too! I did a football one a couple of years ago and used the Super Bowl category for award winning books. I may almost copy this sometime. So many ideas...so many books. Looking forward to your challenge.

Update my bingo card to use one of the amazing cards that Paws created. Also removed all except one of my anticipated Bingo Reads (kept the one where someone picked for me) since facing an established list was starting to cause me anxiety. I love planning, but too much planning can kill the fun for me so I've decided to just fill the bingo card as I go. If a book fits then great, if not, I'll try not to lose too much sleep over it. :)

While, I'm at it, I think I'll remove the Alpha choices as well and see what moves me when each month comes around.

A few other people posted this on their threads and being the good follower that I am, I'm posting it here too. This is from books that I read in 2014.

Describe yourself -- Ordinary Grace
Describe how you feel -- Slammed
Describe where you currently live -- Under the Wide and Starry Sky (not currently, but where I grew up was like that)
If you could go anywhere where would you go -- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Your favourite form of transportation -- Around the World in 80 Days
Your best friend is -- a Gluten for Punishment (she has Celiac's so this seemed appropriate)
You and your friends are -- ready for Cocktail Time
What's the weather like -- A Cold and Lonely Place
You fear -- Death in the Clouds
What is the best advice you have to give -- Someday, someday, maybe
Thought for the day -- Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime (okay, hopefully not)
How you would like to die -- Fit to be Dead
Your soul's present condition -- Up Jumps the Devil (not really but it made me laugh)

I love your meme answers!

Happy New Year Stacy! I love that you have the National Spelling Bee as a sporting event.

>44 lkernagh: - Thank you! It was a fun little exercise

>45 VioletBramble: - Happy New Year to you too! I figured if they showed it on ESPN it should count. :)

Book #1

Book: Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron
Rating: 3 stars
Category: The Olympics (Mysteries/Thrillers)/BingoDog/Alpha Cat T/ROOT

Nice Christmas mystery with Jane Austen as the heroine. They mystery was more of a side story for me as I found it more interesting to see what Jane's life may have been like.

Book #2

Book: From Baghdad with Love by Jay Kopelman
Rating: 5 stars
Category: NHL (Non-fiction)/TBR/Alpha Cat J/ROOT/BingoDog

I've had From Baghdad With Love sitting on my shelves for several years. The cute picture of the dog on the cover suckered me into buying the book, but I held off in reading it as I wasn't sure if all would end well. Finally decided that this was the year I would read it and am so very glad I did. It's a quick read that sheds quite a bit of light on the realities of the Iraqi war while telling the sweet tale of Lave, a rescued puppy, and one soldier's quest to send him to the United States.

Book #3

Book: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
Rating: 4 stars
Category: NHL (Non-fiction)/ROOT

A poignant and funny look at helping aging parents. Based on the authors real experiences with her parents, she shows the difficulties that can be encountered from sorting through years worth of belongings, comforting them when they move to a retirement home, and various other things. The author is a cartoonist for the New Yorker so it's only fitting that this story is told through drawings instead of words only.

Book #4

Book: Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaolong Qiu
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Tour de France (books over 400 pages)/Alpha KIT X/BingoDog

Interesting look at life in China as told through this mystery novel. The insight into China held my interest more than them mystery itself. The book should have been shorter as it takes a bit too long to really get started and lags a bit in places.

>48 LittleTaiko: I loved that book when I read it last year.

I'm glad you like the Bingo cards. You've picked the same one I chose for myself! :)

You are off to a great start, Stacy! I read Death of a Red Heroine a few years ago and remember that I also found it more interesting for the descriptions of life in modern China than for the mystery.

I love your Challenges, Stacy! It's amazing how well you've made them work.

From Baghdad With Love sounds like a real possibility for me. Thanks for the review - and the hint that all ends well!

>43 LittleTaiko: How you would like to die -- Fit to be Dead Sound about right :)

>49 LittleTaiko: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? I heard about this one on a podcast, it seems to be well done, even more so because it's a difficult subject.

One of my categories this year is reserved for the books that are nominated for the Tournament of Books. The official list came out yesterday so at least now I know which books might be filling that category. I set up a thread for anybody who is interested in discussing the nominations or who wants to follow along in March when the tournament starts.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/186146

>56 LittleTaiko: Cool! I'll pop over to the new thread now!

>52 PawsforThought: - Yes, the art deco barely won out over the pirate design, but I loved the elegance of the art deco card so chose it.

>53 DeltaQueen50: - Judy - complete agree. They mystery was a bit weak, but there was quite a bit about the Chinese culture that held my interest.

>54 Dejah_Thoris: - Thank you! Wasn't sure if I could pull it off, but they seem to be working out okay. I definitely recommend From Baghdad with Love especially if you love dogs.

>55 electrice: - Yeah, that made me giggle when I chose Fit to Be Dead. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? was very well done. It is a difficult subject - not sure what my mom thought when she saw that book on my wishlist. Kudos to her for actually buying it. I think she's half afraid I'm going to loan her the book!

>58 LittleTaiko: ... not sure what my mom thought when she saw that book on my wishlist. Kudos to her for actually buying it. I think she's half afraid I'm going to loan her the book! LOL

Book #5

Book: A Fatal Winter by G.M. Malliet
Rating: 3 stars
Category: World Series (series reads)/BingoDog

The second book in the series featuring Max, a former MI 5 agent who is now a priest in a small village. This time he gets roped into helping solve the murder of a wealthy older gentlemen who has his family visiting for Christmas. The tragedy is compounded by the natural death of the victim's sister at the same time. The family was a bit over the top, but it was still enjoyable to spend time with Max.

Book #6

Book: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Grand Slam (Australia)/ROOT

Another page turner from Moriarty. She once again weaves together three female characters stories as they all prepare for their children's first year in kindergarten. The reader knows from the start that something bad has happened at the school's annual trivia night event, but doesn't know the specifics. The story then picks up a few months before trivia night and you see the building drama. This book is mainly about the secrets we keep and the impact that finally telling them can have.

As a sports fan, I really like what you've done with your category challenge - very creative! I like the sound of the Max Tudor series.

Book #7

Book: Breaking Point by C.J. Box
Rating: 3 stars
Category: America's Cup (books set in North/South America)/TBR/ROOT/Random CAT/Bingo Dog

The Joe Pickett series is usually one of my favorites as Box typically does a good job balancing both sides of a political issue and combining it with a mystery. This time the story felt a bit one-sided and the bad guy was a bit over the top.

Book #8

Book: Goodbye to a River by John Graves
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Iditarod (Book club)/Bingo Dog

Written in 1960, this is the story of one man's three week journey on the Brazos River before dams being built. This was so not something I would have ever picked up except it was a book club selection. Texas history usually bores me (yes, I realize I live here) and rambling tales aren't my thing either. However, this ended up being better than I expected though not something I loved.

>63 LittleTaiko: I usually like the C. J. Box books too. I've found a few that I didn't like quite as much as others, but overall they are fun reads.

I see you are on a nice reading roll.... 8 books down at it is only mid-January!

>66 lkernagh: - Yes, I'm not really sure how I've read so many this month. It's going to be some sort of record-breaking month for me. Maybe it's the dreary weather we had for a couple of weeks - very conducive to staying at home and reading. Now that the sun is out and it's in the 60's maybe I'll slow down a bit.

Book #9

Book: Department of Speculation by Jenny Offill
Rating: 3 stars
Category: March Madness (Tournament of Books)

This is a very short, direct book that looks at a troubled marriage from the wife's perspective. You never learn her name as she is only referred to as 'the wife'. The approach to the story which reads more like snippets from someone's diary was interesting, but for me it kept the characters at arm length and I never really felt invested in the story.

Book #10

Book: Staggolee Shot Billy by Cecil Brown
Rating: 3 stars
Category: NBA (New Books Allowed)/BingoDOG

One of our local theaters is about present the world premier of Staggerlee based on the legend of Staggerlee (Stagolee). I had never heard of Staggerlee nor was I familiar with any of the music that has resulted in this legend. Good back story and opened my eyes to a whole new world.

Book #11

Book: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Rating: 4 stars
Category: March Madness (Tournament of Books)/BingoDOG/ROOT

What a fun and scary book. Imagine that a huge pandemic has wiped out most of the world and our civilization as we know it has come to an end. No more internet, cell phones, electricity, etc...Just a small group of survivors who are trying to live as best they can. There is one small group called The Symphony who travel what's left of the United States performing Shakespeare and classical music. The story alternates between this new world and remembrances of the old world.

11 books in not even 3 weeks, wow! That's about a half year for me. :D

Great theme with the sports categories, I absolutely love this idea. And thanks for introducing me to the Tournament of Books, I had not heard about that one before. Sounds like a lot of fun!

>69 LittleTaiko: The Clash version of the song "Wrong 'Em Boyo" immediately popped into my head when I saw this title. Interesting!

Glad to see you liked Station Eleven! I just finished it and loved it myself. Thanks too for the review of Department of Speculation. That's one of the ToB choices I'm iffy about. I think I'll leave it for now; there are too many other good ones on the list.

Station Eleven sounds like a good one to add to the list.

>71 Chrischi_HH: - Thank you! Wasn't sure at first about the sporting categories but the more I thought about it the more it worked. Hope you enjoy following along with the Tournament.

>72 rabbitprincess: - Now, I'm going to have to find that song just to see how it fits. I got super excited when I found the Lloyd Price song "Staggerlee" and realized that it had been used for the big dance scene at the end of the movie Shag. Apparently it was the Bandstand version as some people complained about the lyrics in the original version, so Price was asked to write another set of lyrics.

>73 mathgirl40: - Yes, Station Eleven was wonderful! So happy that I was able to read it. If you do decide to give Department of Speculation a go, it's very, very short. Most people should be able to read it in a couple of hours I think. Unless of course you want to hang on every word. :)

>74 LisaMorr: - Jump on the Station Eleven bandwagon with us!

I'm on the Station Eleven bandwagon now too! :)

And once again I'm behind in posting my latest reviews.

Book #12

Book: Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
Rating: 5 stars
Category: World Series (series reads)

My rating is probably more indicative of how it rates with other Christie novels and this one was one of my favorites. The setting is a dinner party hosted by a rather obnoxious man who thrills in making people uncomfortable and in knowing their secrets. Hercule Poirot and three other people (Adriane Oliver, Superintendent Battle, and Colonel Race) are at the party as sort of representatives of law and order. There are four other guests who the host thinks have committed murder and gotten away with it. Of course the host ends up dead and the four detectives work together to solve the mystery.

Book #13

Book: Possession by A.S. Byatt
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Scripps Spelling Bee (Books chosen by someone else)/BingoDog/TBR/ROOT/SFF CAT

I wanted to like Possession more than I did but it just doesn't suit my reading style. There is so much to appreciate with the book such as the highly creative writing (letters, poems, narrative) and a complex story. However, that also meant quite a few words, especially descriptive ones and many pages where nothing happens. Sadly, I do not have the attention span for that, my mind wanders and I end up skimming here and there.

Book #14

Book: Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Rating: 3 stars
Category: March Madness (Tournament of Books)

This was an interesting idea that ended up being a short, slightly dull psychological thriller. Area X is this mysterious place that has been cut off from civilization. Different expedition teams have gone into Area X with generally disastrous results. This book follows four scientists on their expedition and is told solely through the eyes of the biologist.

>77 LittleTaiko: Cards on the Table is one of my favorite Christies too! I love the fact that Poirot essentially describes the plot of this book as his ideal crime:

"'Supposing,' murmured Poirot, 'that four people sit down to play bridge and one, the odd man out, sits in a chair by the fire. At the end of the evening the man by the fire is found dead. One of the four, while he is dummy, has gone over and killed him, and intent on the play of the hand, the other three have not noticed. Ah, there would be a crime for you! Which of the four was it?'" -- from The A.B.C. Murders

>80 christina_reads: - Oh, I love that! I had forgotten that was part of The A.B.C Murders. She really seems like she had a lot of fun writing the books and playing with her audience.

Sorry Possession didn't work for you. I really loved it, but I get that Byatt's writing is dense and a bit over the top.

>77 LittleTaiko: I'm a bridge player so Cards on the Tableis one of my favorites, too.

>82 japaul22: - I totally get why people would love it and did enjoy the story, but just had to skim a bit at times. Never fear, I'll stick take book recommendations from you anytime!

>83 LoisB: - That book really made me wish I understood bridge. Did being a bridge player help you with the mystery?

Went and saw Roz Chast speak last night at the DMA Arts & Letters Live event. She spoke a bit about her book Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? and also took us through several of her published New Yorker cartoons. I had no idea that she was so funny. Her work just hits the right note in examining human foibles. I came home and promptly ordered The Party After You Left and Theories of Everything.

On another book/movie note - saw Still Alice this past weekend. Julianne Moore was amazing!

Book #15

Book: Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Americas Cup (books set in the Americas)/BingoDog/ROOT

I'm pretty sure that I read this book when I was a teenager as some of the characters were familiar but I didn't remember much. This was a nice sequel to Anne of Green Gables but wasn't as strong. The focus seemed to be more on the children and their interactions with Anne as opposed to Anne herself. Also, not nearly enough of Diana and Gilbert either. Looking forward to seeing how their lives progress in the next book though.

Book #16

Book: The Inimitable Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
Rating: 4 stars
Category: NFL (Fiction)/BingoDog/Alpha Kit - I/TBR/ROOT

Life is not complete unless I read a couple of Wodehouse novels each year. The second book in the Jeeves series, this finds Bertie and Jeeves dealing with the usual sorts of problems. This time the main focus is on Bertie's friend Bingo Little who falls in love at the drop of the hat and somehow gets Bertie tangled up in all sorts of schemes. Bertie's cousins Claude and Eustace also play a key part. With friends and relatives like these who needs enemies? Thankfully Jeeves is always there to set things straight.

Book #17

Book: The Snowman by Jo Nesbo
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Olympics (Mysteries/Thrillers)/BingoDog

Finally read one of the Harry Hole novels and was not disappointed. This is later in the series, but I didn't feel like I had missed too much by starting here. Though, I would like to go back and start from the beginning just to see how the characters have evolved. This was one creepy thriller that will make me look at snowmen in a whole new light!

I was in a funk on Friday and embarked on a serious reading binge over the weekend that has me in a much better mood. Ignoring the books that I had been reading and switching to the comfort of the most recent Mrs. Jeffries cozy mystery really helped.

Book #18

Book: Mrs. Jeffries and the One Who Got Away by Emily Brightwell
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Grand Slam (London)/Alpha Kit B

Mrs. Jeffries and the crew are back again to help Inspector Witherspoon. This time the murder victim is a murderer who got away from one of the previous books. Another enjoyable book in the series, full of clues and quality time with each character.

Book #19

Book: Blue Horses by Mary Oliver
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Kentucky Derby (Plays/Poetry/Short Stories)/ROOT

The latest collection from Mary Oliver isn't my favorite nor do I think as a whole it's as strong as previous works. However, she still manages to knock my socks off with some of the poems, with "Fourth Sign of the Zodiac" and "The Country of Trees" being two that stood out.

Book #20

Book: Silence Once Begun by Jesse Ball
Rating: 3 stars
Category: March Madness (Tournament of Books)

This is a most unusual book told primarily through a series of interviews as a journalist tries to make sense of a rather bizarre case. Several people have recently gone missing and Oda Sotatsu is arrested for their murder after a confession signed by him is delivered to the police. He refuses to speak so no explanation is given as to what has happened to the people or why he signed the confession. Interesting concept, the interview style kept me engaged, but yet the story didn't fully connect with me.

Book #21

Book: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
Rating: 4 stars
Category: March Madness (Tournament of Books)/ROOT

The title of the book is such a good summary of what is causing the problems for the family at the heart of the story. The oldest daughter Lydia is dead and the grieving family is trying to come to terms with how and why she died. As they each cope in their own way, all the things that were never said and the assumptions made based on those things become quite important.

I love it when a bout of binge reading can lift one spirits! 21 books read is an impressive number... go you!

Hooray for binge reading! And I'm a big fan of comfort reads. Good for you!

21 books already, wow! I'm still reading my number 5... Glad to see that you liked Nesbo. :)

>93 lkernagh: - Thanks! Not sure how I have managed that but I'll take it.

>94 Dejah_Thoris: - Binge readings are the best sometimes. Helps clear the mind I think.

>95 Chrischi_HH: - Yes, I saw that you recently read a Nesbo too. I need to start from the beginning as I'm interested to see how Harry develops over time.

>96 LittleTaiko: Yes, that definitely makes sense for the Harry Hole series. Each book kind of stands alone, but there are always references to the past ones. Especially in the fifth I just read (The Devil's Star) the past played a quite big role. And for the developments of the persons it is a good idea as well to follow the order. I hope you will like the others, too!

I agree with your comments about Silence Once Begun -- interesting concept but I didn't connect with it either. Glad to see your positive review of Everything I Never Told You, as I'm on the library waiting list and hope to get to it soon.

Book #22

Book: Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Iditarod (Book Club)/BingoDog/ROOT

This is a wonderful book about four women who were very active participants in the Civil War. Rose was a widow with Southern sympathies who was seduced all sort of secrets from various men, Emma who disguised herself as a man and fought for the north, Belle, a spirited Southern teenager, who used her wiles to find out secrets and pass them along, and Elizabeth the wealthy Richmond lady who ran a spy ring out of her home. Loved this book!

I'll add Everything I Never Told You to the list.

My first Jo Nesbo was The Snowman also, and based on that one I have all of them up through #9 and just read the first one. Everything I've seen here on LT has been positive, so I think I'll be in good hands.

Book #23

Book: Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Olympics (Mysteries/Thrillers)/ROOT

I was in the mood for something more entertaining than serious and this book hit the spot. The first in a series about a rate book expert who of course gets tangled up in a murder. Her mentor and friend is murdered during a huge celebration held in his honor. For a first book in a series it shows a lot of promise, interesting characters (love her family!) and a fast paced plot. Maybe it was the case of right book at the right time, but I did enjoy this and will probably read more in the series.

Book #24

Book: Adam by Ariel Schrag
Rating: 2 stars
Category: March Madness (Tournament of Books)

This book is one of the nominees in the Tournament of Books which is the sole reason I even picked it up. I am not the target market for this book as I'm past the young adult/teen years, though really I'm not sure if this would really be something that teens should be reading. On the other hand, maybe being a teen has changed dramatically since my day. However, disclaimers out of the way, I couldn't help but enjoy parts of this book. Adam is a typical teenage boy which in this case means obsessing about girls and wanting to have sex for the first time. He ends up spending the summer with his sister who happens to be a lesbian and only has lesbian or transgendered friends. Adam learns quite a bit about what it means to be transgendered as many people assume that he is and he decides to use that to his benefit. There were times I could actually related to Adam, I remember the crazy teenage dreams that could occur after one small encounter. However, at times this book was more like an education tool as to how to have sex if you happen to be a lesbian or transgendered. Also, the ending kind of fell apart where the consequences that should have been realized weren't. Overall I'm glad I read it since it did open my eyes to a whole new world.

We had very similar reactions to Adam. One thing the book does do is make clear how unsexy a sex club is, though. And the band-aid scene was pretty funny. I wonder what Gillian thought about finding all those wrappers in her bathroom trash.

>101 LittleTaiko: This is on my TBR, so glad to see the positive review. Sounds a bit like the Julie Kaewert series, have you read those?

Stacy, I came over here from the March RandomCat thread as I didn't want to take it over with Longbourn comments. Your response to the book is exactly what I wondered about when I said that I would like to hear someone's opinion of Longbourn that both loves and has read P& P recently. I know the father is seen differently by many people, some see him as a kindly, gentle soul and others see him as a weak man who hides away rather than facing up to issues. I think Jo Baker saw him very much as this second man and so fit her story around that. I was ok with that as I always thought of him as a man who married a pretty, flighty girl and instead of helping or guiding her along, just left her to it and escaped into his study. As to Elizabeth seeming different, again I accepted that as this was an entirely different side that we were seening. It was the norm to distance yourself from the servants and I think this is was the author was showing.

These points though are very much depending on how the reader looks at it, but I am a little nervous that my loud warbling and 5 star rating may upset some lovers of P&P!

>103 RidgewayGirl: - So true, those scenes were really sort of depressing. The sort of place that seems glamorous when you're young and stupid, but just sad when you're old enough to know better.

>104 leslie.98: - I haven't read any of the Kaewert series, have you? Is it something I should be seeking out?

>105 DeltaQueen50: - Good move, this is better than hijacking that thread. After reading some of the P&P discussion thread, I can see where my thoughts on Mr. Bennett might be on a more superficial level. Part of my problem my just be loving Donald Southerland so much in the P&P move with Keira Knightley. :) Still while he may not have been the best husband or father, I just don't know if this take on him was warranted though I suppose it was worth exploring.

I wouldn't be too nervous about your warbling. You bring up a lot of good points about the book and I think people will be happy to explore the other side of the story even if they don't end up agreeing with it.

Book #25

Book: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
Rating: 4 stars
Category: NBA (New Books Allowed - purchase/published in 2015)

What a quaint, lovely story about a crotchety man who owns a book store on a small island. AJ is cranky and rightly so, his beloved wife died in a car accident and he's just trying to survive the best that he can. He starts to regain his touch with humanity when a baby is left in his book store and he decides to keep her. While this is full of too many coincidences and a bit too sweet to be be perfect or realistic, I couldn't help but love the time that I spent in this town and with AJ. Each chapter begins with a note about a book or story that AJ is recommending to his daughter. It's great for adding to your TBR list if nothing else.

If you like mysteries and the bookish environment, then try them - I think the first is Unsolicited - the titles are all Un-something... The main character is a publisher who has a large collection of rare books.

I used to have most of the Julie Kaewerts! If I still had them I would offer them to you.

Book #26

Book: The Party After You Left by Roz Chast
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Kentucky Derby (Short Stories/Plays/Poems)

This is a collection of some of Roz Chast's previously published cartoons Most of these were hysterical and fun to read. I especially loved the one with an older Nancy Drew.

Book #27

Book: Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Best in Show (1001 Books to Read)/SFF CAT/Random CAT

This was completely different than I expected. My whole notion of the book was about the a man, Gulliver, who ends up in a land of really small people. I did not realize that his travels there were just one of four travels depicted in the book and actually one of the least interesting. My favorite was when he ended up on an island where the king can conjure up ghosts and Gulliver spends quite a bit of time chatting with famous historical figures. My main problem with the book is how dull and repetitive it became. Gulliver ends up in a strange land, learns the language, educates the king in charge, amazes him with knowledge of the outside world, leaves, goes home, and repeats.

>107 LittleTaiko: You ended up liking The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry more that I did. I was charmed to an extent but ultimately...not. Thank goodness we all like different books!

ETA: It's your turn at Trivia Crack. Entertainment did me in again.....

That's a shame about Gulliver's Travels - I remember loving it, but I did read it at Uni and we discussed the times and its placement in the literary canon and that probably helped a huge amount.

I may need to up my rating for Gulliver's Travels as I do find myself thinking about it from time to time. You're right, having a guided read would have probably helped quite a bit.

Book #28

Book: Hey There, You with the Gun in Your Hand by Robert Randisi
Rating: 4 stars
Category: World Series (Next up in a series)

These books aren't going to the change the world, but the Rat Pack series gives me a great way to escape every so often. This time the focus is on Sammy Davis, Jr. and a stolen photograph that he would like that. Eddie G and Jerry are soon caught up in a case that as usual involves lots of dead bodies, wisecracking characters, and hanging out with the Rat Pack.

Book #29

Book: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night by Mark Haddon
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Best in Show (1001 Books)

On paper this is the sort of book I should love since it involves a kid who loves Sherlock Holmes and math, two things I can appreciate it. Instead I just found the book to be exhausting to read, which is probably appropriate since it's told from the POV of a boy with autism and having all those thoughts and actions to deal with every day would be tiring. My main problem though is with the adults in the story, they were all just too ridiculous to believe, especially his parents.

Book #30

Book: The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Scripps Spelling Bee (Books Chosen by Somebody Else)/ROOT/Alpha H

If only a house like this existed, there are several times in my life I would have gone there in a heartbeat. The house at the end of Hope Street is a magical house that women who feel like they have no options at that moment in their life find themselves drawn too. They can stay for 99 days while they determine what they should do next with their life. The house helps each woman by giving them things they need whether it's notes of encouragement, books, or subtle hints about the path to be taken. This story revolves around the three women currently staying there and the caretaker of the house. Oh, to top it off, there are pictures on the wall of the women who have stayed in the house before, some of them quite famous and full of helpful advice; women like Dorothy Parker, Sylvia Plath, Agatha Christie, and many others. This was a sweet, funny, and encouraging story.

Think I'll need to take a BB on this one.

Book #31

Book: The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
Rating: 4 stars
Category: March Madness (Tournament of Books)

This is my first David Mitchell book and it won't be my last. I love stories that intertwine and cover multiple decades, throw in some mystical components and it only added to the enjoyment. It started off a bit slowly as the teenaged Holly was not a particularly enjoyable character to spend time with and I was really wondering why people liked his books so much. Once the first section was over, things picked up quite a bit and continued until the last section which felt a bit flat. Fascinating ideas and overall good storytelling kept me intrigued.

Book #32

Book: All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld
Rating: 2 stars
Category: March Madness (Tournament of Books)

For me this book was all over the place. It started off slow as it was hard to get into the rhythm of the story, once I finally settled in and could see how the alternating chapters were working I enjoyed it. The main character is Jake, a woman sheep rancher who really prefers to be left alone. You know immediately that something bad happened to her, you just don't know what. Half of the story is told in the present day with the story moving forward and the other half is Jake's past told in reverse, going through the events that made her who she is today. This story telling device was interesting, and would have been even more so if it actually led up to something that made sense. The book just sort of ends with no real satisfactory explanation for either past or present. Yes, it does give you some sense of what happened, but it just didn't ring true or complete.

Book #33

Book: Cloche and Dagger by Jenn McKinlay
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Olympics (Mysteries/Thrillers)/ROOT

This is the first in the hat shop series by McKinlay. I'm a fan of her library series so thought I would give this a try. While not as strong as the library series this was still fairly enjoyable overall. Scarlett's life is a mess so she takes up her cousin suggestion that she fly to England to help out with the hat shop that had been left to both of them by their grandmother. When Scarlett arrives her cousin is missing, a customer is soon murdered, and of course there is the requisite love interest. The mystery really seemed like an afterthought, but the characters were likeable.

Books #34 and #35

Book: The Birds and The Frogs by Aristophanes
Rating: Birds - 4 stars/Frogs - 3 stars
Category: Kentucky Derby (Plays/Poems/Short Stories)/ROOT/TBR

Read The Birds and The Frogs, two ancient Greek comedies by Aristophanes. Humor is definitely hard to carry over from one year to the next, much less thousands of years. However, overall I did find these to be somewhat funny, though I'm certain quite a bit went over my head. Fortunately, there were decent introductions to each play explaining what was happening and where some of the humor came from. The Birds resonated a bit more as involved a silly war and power struggles which are still happening today. The Frogs seemed to be poking fun at the gods and other Greek philosophers.

Book #36

Book: Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Rating: 5 stars
Category: F1 (SFF)/BingoDog/ROOT/Random CAT/SFF CAT

I had never read anything by either Terry Pratchett or Neil Gaiman before so really didn't know what to expect. The only reason I bought this book was that it was a suggestion left for my LT Secret Santa but they weren't able to purchase. So very glad to whoever made the suggestion because I loved this book!!!! In a nutshell, the world is coming to an end. Aziraphale and Crowley who have been maintaining a nice balance between good and evil since the beginning of time while forming a friendship and enjoying their time on Earth, are none too happy about the pending events. A whole host of other character populate this book, including the Antichrist who seems to have been misplaced. Such a funny book and one that I look forward to rereading again.

>122 LittleTaiko: It's been far too long since I read that book and remember pretty much nothing about it except that it was a whole lot of fun. I should dig it out and re-read it sometime soon.

>122 LittleTaiko:: I've read one book by Pratchett and one graphic novel by Gaiman so far - I think I'll add Good Omens to the list.

>122 LittleTaiko:
I need a reread of that one too - such a great book.

Yikes! I've fallen quite behind in my updates. Here's a quick recap of the latest books.

Book #37

Book: Poirot Loses a Client by Agatha Christie
Rating: 4 stars
Category: World Series (books in a series)

This isn't a Poirot novel that I remembered reading before even though I know I have, so the mystery was a complete surprise. A elderly woman write Poirot requesting his help with a matter. Unfortunately the letter doesn't get to Poirot until two months later and by that time the lady is dead. Poirot decides to investigate anyway and uncovers a rather clever murder.

Book #38

Book: Blindness by Jose Saramago
Rating: 3 stars
Category: NFL (Normal Fiction Lover)/ROOT

Saramago is such an interesting writer. I love getting lost in the flow of his words. This book imagines what it would be like if people just turned blind all of a sudden. What starts out impacting a few people becomes a bigger problem that the government tries to fix. The characters are not known by proper names but instead are the doctor's wife, the girl with the dark glasses, etc...It's a harsh look at how quickly society can fall and the worst part of human nature. It also shows the better side of human nature as well. My only quibble is that I couldn't quite believe that the people turning blind were so incapable of taking care of themselves. It seems that they should have been able to come up with a logical approach to their lives.

Book #39

Book: The Female Quixote by Charlotte Lennox
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Best in Show (1001 books)/AlphaKit Q

All I can say is that I "finished" The Female Quixote and by finished I mean, read over half and then skipped to the end to see how it all turned out. Just could not take another minute of Arabella and her adventures. It was fine for a while but about halfway through I realized that if I had to spend much more time with her I would scream.

Book #40

Book: The Stranger by Harlan Coben
Rating: 4 stars
Category: NBA (New Books Allowed)

Always a happy day when the latest Harlan Coben book comes out. The book opens with Adam finding out from a total stranger a secret about his wife that could destroy their marriage. What is the stranger's end game? What do you do when you find out the person you thought you knew so well might not be what you thought? Quick read that keeps you on your toes.

Book #41

Book: The Precious One by Marisa de los Santos
Rating: 4 stars
Category: NBA (New Books Allowed)

It's been a few years since her last book, so I was pleased to see that she had a new one coming out. The story alternates between Taisy, a ghost writer in her 30's who has been asked by her ailing father Wilson to come home for a few weeks, and Willow, Wilson's youngest daughter and pride and joy. Of course there is a romantic angle, misunderstandings that need to be resolved, and lots of snappy responses. I thought that Willow, while annoying at times, really captured the awkwardness that being a teenager means.

Oh dear.... I was hoping you would find The Female Quixote to be a better.... I was kind of looking forward to reading that on.

Blindness is an interesting read. I know a number of readers had some difficulties with Saramago's 'flow of consciousness' style of writing and Blindness is a grim, dystopian kind of read. Good comments!

>131 lkernagh: - I wanted to like it more than I did and was okay with it for a while, but after a while I could only take so much of Arabella's silliness. Hopefully you do enjoy it!

Book #42

Book: A Blackbird Sings by Fiona Robyn
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Kentucky Derby (Plays/Poems)/Alpha Kit F/ROOT

This is a very lovely collection of what are called small stones. Essentially they are short poetic snippets that show the beauty of every day life. One of our fellow LTers has a poem in this collection as well which was quite lovely and exciting to read.

Book #43

Book: These is My Words by Nancy Turner
Rating: 4 stars
Category: NFL (Fiction)/ROOT/Random CAT - April

What an amazing story. I am generally not a fan of western's but this became much more than that. It's more of one very strong pioneer lady's journey. Told entirely through Sarah's journal entries you see her grow from a young teenager to a married woman. It did start off slow, but picked up once Sarah's family was settled. The book holds no punches in showing the violence experienced by settlers in the territories and the risks that they ran. Using the journal format also lets events happen suddenly. One day a character is alive and well and then two entries later poof they are dead.

Book #44

Book: A Sudden Light by Garth Stein
Rating: 4 stars
Category: NFL (Fiction)/ROOT

A sort of coming of age story told by Trevor as he's looking back at the summer he was 14 and the events that changed his life. It involves family secrets and ghosts. Overall, I liked the book though it felt a bit sluggish in the middle. It was also hard to get past a certain ick factor that permeates through the book. Also, the two female characters were the weakest link. Still I couldn't help but be intrigued by the history of the area and I do love ghosts who come back to help settle things.

Book #45

Book: Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Scripps Spelling Bee (Books chosen for me)

First off, Woodrell really has a way with words. He captures the dialect of an area so well and describes things simply and beautifully. Almost too beautifully as it becomes a bit jarring to have such lovely language used to describe such horrific events. Shuggie is a fat teenager with a beautiful alcoholic mother who attracts the wrong type of man, including Red who may or may not be Shuggie's father. Red's main interests are drugs and being abusive to pretty much everyone he meets. Needless to say things go very wrong. Having only read The Maid's Version by Woodrell before which didn't work for me overall, I can now see why people are a fan of Woodrell's writings. It was also a nice little bonus to see a brief mention of the dance hall explosion in Sweet Mister that is the focus of The Maid's Version.

Book #46

Book: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Tour de France (books over 400 pages)/SFFCAT/BingoDog

Various friends recommended The Golem and the Jinni a couple of years ago and I'm fairly sure I checked it out from the library at least once only to send it back unread at the end of the loaner period. Really not sure what has taken me so long to read this book but boy am I glad that I did. It's a bit hard to explain this book without it sounding a bit silly, but in a nutshell it's a book about unusual lives and friendships and learning to survive in a new environment. It was really hard for me to put the book down at times which is the mark of a good book for me.

So glad to see you enjoyed The Golem and The Jinni! I really enjoyed that one when I listened to it as an audio read. Just enough fantasy elements added to New York of the time period, giving it that extra something.

The Death of Sweet Mister is, along with Tomato Red, my favorite Woodrell. He knows how to write!

Yes, he does. I'll have to put Tomato Red on my wishlist.

The Golem and the Jinni has been on my wishlist for a long time - unputdownable is a great endorsement.

>141 -Eva-: - It really was hard to put down at times and I kept being annoyed that lunch break was over and I had to go back to work. Not sure why I had such a mental block against reading it for the last two years but am really glad I finally did.

Book #47

Book: Bad Debts by Peter Temple
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Grand Slam (book set in Australia/NY/France/England)

Purposely set out to read this book since it was set in Australia and I thought it would be fun to read a mystery set there. Outside of not really understanding the slang, it was a fun read and I enjoyed the mixing of a mystery, woodworking, horse racing, and debt collecting. Needless to say, the main character Jack is a very busy man. My favorite parts of the book were the bits about horse racing that had absolutely nothing to do with the mystery but provided an insight into Jack, his life and his friends.

Book #48

Book: Years of Wonder by Geraldine Brooks
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Spelling Bee (Books picked for me by others)/BingoDog

Set in the mid 1600's in a small village, this book explores the struggles the villagers undergo whenever the plague strikes. Seen through the eyes of Anna, a smart, curious, passionate, and caring maid who suffers loss as much as the others, we see how grief and fear can drive people to do horrible things. At times it seemed a bit predictable, but I was pleased that it didn't end the way it seemed to be shaping up to.

Book #49

Book: You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Kills You by Robert Randisi
Rating: 3 stars
Category: World Series (next in a series)

This is the fourth book in the Rat Pack installment and my favorite guys Eddie G and Jerry are back on the scene helping out the Rat Pack and in this particular case Marilyn Monroe. Quick and fun read full of lots of historical detail.

I was a little annoyed by Year of Wonders when I read it. It felt like all the main characters where really modern people dressed up in olde timey clothes.

>146 RidgewayGirl: - I could definitely see feeling that way especially with their take on modern medicine.

Book #50

Book: Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Tour de France (books over 400 pages)/Alpha E/ROOT

Oh, how I wanted to like this better, it's probably really more of a 2 star book, but I bumped it up because I liked spending time with the characters from the previous books. This is the third book in the Century trilogy and this time we're primarily in the 60's with some of the most unlikeable characters of the whole trilogy. It seemed like the author might have been a bit bored with the whole thing and most of the story came across as telling us what everybody was thinking or doing instead of showing. Still it is an interesting look at what was going on in the world and seeing the other side of world events. Definitely does not show politicians, especially the Kennedys, in the best of light.

Book #51

Book: Pagan Spring by G.M. Malliet
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Olympics (Mysteries/Thrillers)/ROOT

Now that it's spring, it's the perfect time to read the next in the Max Tudor series. Once again murder comes to Max's small village which both vexes him and stimulates him as he gets to put his reverend/MI5 skills to use again. Admist all this are further developments in his personal life. This is probably the strongest mystery of the three so far and I look forward to the next book A Demon Summer. Of course, I'll hold off reading that until summer is upon us.

Book #52

Book: The Martian by Andy Weir
Rating: 5 stars
Category: F1 (Science Fiction/Fantasy)

What a wonderfully pleasant surprise this book was! For some reason I thought it would be a dark, serious, man stuck on mars story, but instead I found a humorous, slightly educational (I say slightly because all the science stuff completely went over my head), and entertaining book. It was impressive to see how Mark adapted to his rather unique circumstances and managed to put his scientific background to good use.

Book #53

Book: The Suspect by L.R. Wright
Rating: 4 stars
Category: America's Cup (books set in the Americas)/AlphaKit - L/ROOT

Interesting little mystery set in Canada, though it's not a traditional mystery since you know who the killer is from the beginning. It becomes part police procedural and part psychological study but with more of a cozy bent. I enjoyed it quite a bit as the characters were engaging and the premise interesting.

Book #54

Book: The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
Rating: 3 stars
Category: America's Cup (books set in the Americas)/Alpha Kit R/ROOT/TBR

Picked up this book when it was new in 2007/2008 and it has languished on my TBR shelves ever since. If you like stories about modern day witches, terribly unreliable narrators, and dysfunctional families then this book is for you. It's hard to talk about the book without giving too much away. I will say that overall the characters were a bit annoying and unlikeable, however the ending helped bump up my opinion of the book.

Book #55

Book: Grimm's Fairy Tales
Rating: 2 stars
Category: The Masters (Classics)/ROOT/TBR

I have been working my way through the tales since January and all I can say is that they were basically the same story with minor variations. It became really hard to distinguish one from the other as they seemed to involve good/evil, royalty, step children and step parents, and death.

>150 LittleTaiko: >152 LittleTaiko: I agree with you on both counts. I was also terribly underwhelmed by The Lace Reader and I think people around here are tired of me raving about The Martian.

>151 LittleTaiko: The Suspect was really interesting! I liked the way that story was told.

Book #56

Book: 84, Charing Cross by Helene Hanff
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Kentucky Derby (Short Stories/Plays/Poems)

What a lovely little book. A collection of letters between the author and a bookstore that illustrate a love of literature.

Book #57

Book: Parasite by Mira Grant
Rating: 4 stars
Category: F1 (Science Fiction)/SFFCAT

Imagine a world where people willingly had parasites implanted in their bodies that helped keep them healthy. Now imagine what would happen if the parasites start rebelling. This is the first in a trilogy and it kept me hooked all the way through. Can't wait to read the next two!

Book #58

Book: Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova
Rating: 5 stars
Category: NBA (Books Purchased in 2015)

This was a powerful look at how Huntington's disease can impact a family. The focus is on a very traditional Irish Catholci family and turmoil they feel when the father Joe is diagnosed with Huntington's. Each of his children has a 50/50 chance of having the disease as well. How they each cope in their own way and their decisions as to whether to be tested or not comes across as very honest and real. My second favorite book of hers right behind Still Alice.

Book #59

Book: Yes Please by Amy Poehler
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Iditarod (Book Club)

Fun open story from Amy Poehler that covers some of her childhood and her beginnings in comedy. If you're a fan of her work, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Book #60

Book: Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Americas Cup (Books set in the Americas)/BingoDOG/ROOT

After seeing several comments recently about how this book is a lot of people's favorites of the Anne books, I felt compelled to start reading it right away. I had been holding off since the second book hadn't held up well upon rereading it. This one was much better as it gets Anne back into school, more time with Gilbert and less time with that annoying kid Davy. He really is best in small doses.

I'll take a couple of shots with These is My Words and The Golem and the Jinni.

>156 LittleTaiko: - what struck me when I read this was that someone would have kept these letters over the years.

>158 LittleTaiko: - I'm waiting my turn to come up in the list at the library for this book. I love her books - Still Alice is one of my favorite books ever.

>162 dudes22: - I know, that was the part that struck me as really remarkable. Do you think any books will be written in the future that are based on saved emails?

Book #61

Book: Mystery Off Glen Road by Julie Campbell
Rating: 4 stars
Category: World Series (next in a series)/ROOT

The fifth in the series finds the Bob Whites not necessarily investigating a mystery but trying to repair their clubhouse, earn some extra money, and the usual secret keeping. Fun little return to their world.

Book #62

Book: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel Brown
Rating: 5 stars
Category: NHL (Next History Lesson)

First of all, I'm a sucker for true underdog stories, second I've always been interested in rowing and found it to be one of the most interesting Olympic competitions to follow, and finally I've been taking indoor rowing classes for the past year which I absolutely love. Needless to say this book hits me in my wheelhouse. It's such a fascinating look at Olympic competition back when it was truly amateurs and not quite as slick and commercialized as it is today. The story of one rowing team from Washington is set against the increasingly complicated world in the 30's with the depression and Hitler's rise to power.

Book #63

Book: 39 Steps by John Buchan
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Westminster - Best in Show (1001 Books)/ROOT

Fun, short thriller that really seems to be the precursor to so many spy novels. Ordinary guy who is bored out of his mind, stumbles onto a big national secret, and is promptly chased by the bad guys.

Book #64

Book: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Rating: 3 stars
Category: NFL (Normal Fiction Lover)/ROOT/TBR/BingoDog

Long, rainy weekend had me searching for something to read other than the non-fiction book that I'm currently reading. This led me to The Language of Flowers and a chance to finally get this book off my to be read list. I must say that the book worked perfectly for what I needed even if I didn't love it completely. Victoria is a victim/product of the child foster system and has quite a large chip on her shoulder. Not one comfortable communicating with words, she prefers using flowers to tell people what she's really thinking. She also uses the flowers to help others improve their lives and to find what they need. Along the way she starts to confront her past and learn to open up to others.

>163 LittleTaiko: - I looked for an emoticon for a snort, but couldn't find one. But it wouldn't be quite the same thing (and I'm sure there will be.)

>168 dudes22: - They never have the emoticons that I want either - a snorting one would be perfect. I'm also generally looking for one with a head banging against the wall. :)

You're right, there probably will be but it won't be quite the same. Something about them waiting all those months between letters and the trust that the writers had in each other made the letters special.

Book #65

Book: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Westminster (1001 books)/ROOT

Finished a reread of Of Mice and Men. It was a book assigned to us in high school to read and I remembered liking it. However, I was surprised at how much I didn't remember about the book. A tight story about two farmhands trying to survive as best they can. Parts of it made me uncomfortable and made me wonder what my teenage self thought while reading it. Overall, still a good, tight story.

Book #66

Book: Library Wars (Volume 11) by Kiiro Yumi
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Kentucky Derby (Plays/Short Stories)

Another in the continuing Library Wars: Love & War manga series. As usual, our heroes are defending the libraries while trying to figure out their romantic lives. Sweet and fast paced like the others in the series.

Book #67

Book: Stirring the Plot by Daryl Wood Gerber
Rating: 2 stars
Category: World Series (next in a series)

Really wanted to like this book more than I did as the characters overall are people I enjoy reading about. The problem with this latest in the series is how inconsistently they behaved, especially Jenna. One chapter she's shouting at the chief of police about how she's not doing her job, then a few pages later she's telling everybody how they should trust the police and they they were quite good at their jobs. The motive for the murder seemed extremely weak as did everybody else's possible motives. Also, I got tired of the endless descriptions of food, Jenna's rather narcissistic view of life, and what felt like product placement with all the various cookbook titles. I get that she owns a cookbook store, but sometimes it seemed that the reader was getting an advertisement for why they should by the cookbook instead of it just being part of the story.

Book #68

Book: The Lady in Gold by Anne-Marie O'Connor
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Iditarod (Book Club/Group Reads)

My problems with this book relate more to me and feeling a sense of WWII fatigue when it comes to books then anything else. I had just recently read a book involving Hitler so to read another one so soon was a bit more than I was ready for. It also became a bit confusing trying to keep all the names straight and how they related to the overall story. From an art perspective, it was fascinating to see the world of Klimt and life in Vienna as he created a name for himself painting the women of Vienna. This book is really about much more than just this one painting. Instead, it's a look inside the horrors of being Jewish in Austria and how successful families lives seemed to change overnight when Nazism became popular. There are some very strong women featured in this book that were a delight to read about.

>150 LittleTaiko:
Oh, everyone just keeps saying how great this is. Fine, I'll add it to the wishlist. :)

>156 LittleTaiko:
Isn't it just beautiful. And makes quite a lovely film too, in case you haven't seen it.

>158 LittleTaiko:
I'm still waiting to read Still Alice - I need to be in the right mood as it'll hit very close to home, I fear.

>174 -Eva-: - I haven't seen the movie yet, but will definitely seek it out.

Book #69

Book: Death on the Nile by Agatha Chrisitie
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Olympics (Mysteries/Thrillers)

One of Christie's classic novel, there probably isn't too much to say about it that hasn't already been said before. Poirot investigates a shipboard murder with lots of romantic intrigue, interesting characters and numerous side stories. This is one I've read several times even though I know how it ends. Always fun to see the clues now that you know where to look for them.

Book #70

Book: Last Dead Girl by Harry Dolan
Rating: 4 stars
Category: America's Cup (books set in the Americas)/Alpha D/ROOT

Third book in the David Loogan series, this is actually a prequel to the first two books. David has just met Jana and they have spent only a handful of days together but there is a sense of connection between the two. When Jana is murdered, David can't help but try to figure out why. The story takes many twists and turns as David discovers more about Jana gets a more well rounded picture of her. This book surprised me as several things occurred that I just wasn't expecting. There were a few eye-rolling moments though when David starts to figure things out though. It just seemed that he was able to figure out complex stories and actions from the past with just a couple of minute details.

You'll get no argument from me that The Last Dead Girl was not entirely credible, but I enjoyed the book quite a bit anyway.

I am slowly making the rounds of the threads - I am so far behind! - and notice that you have been busy reading.

>179 lkernagh: - Yeah, I'm pretty behind too. I've been reading quite a bit but haven't been able to spend much time here. Some day, maybe...

Book #71

Book: A Fatal Chapter by Lorna Barrett
Rating: 4 stars
Category: World Series (next in a series)

This latest book in the Booktown mystery series is probably one of the strongest. The author is never afraid to shake up the characters lives. The murder felt more organic to the story this time and Tricia's involvement didn't feel too forced. Looking forward to seeing how the next book plays out.

Book #72

Book: Crampton Hodnet by Barbara Pym
Rating: 4 stars
Category: NFL (Fiction)/ROOT

Time spent with a Pym novel is usually time well spent and this time was no exception. One of her earliest books that wasn't published until after her death it might not be her most polished but it's still full of the great character studies that her novels usually have.

Book #73

Book: Alex by Pierre Lemaitre
Rating: 5 stars
Category: Grand Slam (NY/England/Australia/France)

Recently went to The Mysterious Bookshop in NY while on vacation. After picking out some other books, I asked one of the employees for a recommendation and he selected this book. Wow, am I very happy that he did. He billed it as a dark mystery with lots of twists and turns and it did not disappoint. Alex is a young woman who has been kidnapped and is being held in a small cage. The story alternates between her point of view and that of Camille the detective in charge of the case.

Just came back from a lovely weekend in NYC. While there I finally visited The Mysterious Bookshop and spent a very nice time browsing and added some more books to my TBR pile. Bought:

Full Dark House by Christopher Fowler
Cover Her Face by P.D. James
Outsider in Amsterdam by Janwillem van de Wetering
A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch
Alex by Pierre Lemaitre
Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein

>183 LittleTaiko: Picked this one up from a charity shop a while ago but haven't got around to reading it yet. I'm glad you enjoyed it as a good review and rating like this will push it closer to the top of the pile.

Yay, Full Dark House! Great haul, too. Would love to visit The Mysterious Bookshop someday.

I also have Alex patiently waiting for me so good to know it's an exciting read. It appears to be a series with books called Irene and Camille to follow.

Ooh, adding Pierre Lemaitre to my list of authors to look for.

Yes, Irene is the first in the series, which I really want to go back and read now even though I know how it turns out having read Alex. Definitely dark and twisted.

>189 LittleTaiko: Oh, good to know. So I will try and start with Irene. It's confusing when they translate series out of order!

You found some good books in NYC. Enjoy!

I posted twice because of the LT database glitch ...

I just read Cover Her Face as I have many P D James in my TBR that need to be read. Also I'm a big fan of the Charles Finch series.

P.D. James is one of those authors that I feel like I should have read before now considering how many mysteries that I read. When choosing books I was purposely picking authors that I had never read before so am looking forward to discovering some new authors. Happy to know you're a fan of the Charles Finch series.

That was one of my reasons for picking up Cover Her Face. I'll be interested in your opinion of it.

Looks like you've been doing some good reading. Fortunately I'd already read many of them!

Book #74

Book: Final Jeopardy by Linda Fairstein
Rating: 3 stars
Category: Grand Slam (books set in NYC/Australia/England/Paris)/BingoDOG

First book in the Alex Cooper series set in NYC. Alex is a lawyer who handles sex crime cases. When a woman is killed heading to Alex's house, everybody at first assumes it's Alex. Quickly they discover it's a famous actress and friend of Alex who was using the house for a bit. Was the target really Alex or did someone intend to kill the actress. All in all a solid first novel and I look forward to seeing how the characters develop.

Book #75

Book: An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
Rating: 4 stars
Category: Iditarod (Book club/Group reads)/ROOT

This was an unusual, somewhat challenging, and ultimately meaningful book to read, at least for me. Aaliya has survived through Beirut's civil war in part due to her love of literature. Books seem to be the way she has clung to her sanity as much as the rituals surrounding her work with books. This is very much about an older woman trying to come to grips with aging, loss of people, and learning to interact with others when it so much easier to just shut yourself off from the rest of the world. The literary references were great even if some went over my head.

Book #76

Book: I'm a Fool to Kill You by Robert Randisi
Rating: 4 stars
Category: World Series (next in a series)/Alpha Y

Latest in the Rat Pack series this time Eddie is helping Ava Gardner at Frank's request. If you enjoy the others, you'll enjoy this one though maybe it isn't quite as good. However any time spent with Eddie and Jerry as well as Dean, Frank, and Sammy is enjoyable.

Book #77

Book: Winter's Tale by Mark Halperin
Rating: 2 stars
Category: Tour de France (books over 400 pages long)/BingoDOG

Really, really wanted to like this book better as the premise was intriguing - charming thief falls in love with dying rich girl. Can he cross time to save her? However, that really isn't what this book is about, though quite frankly, I'm not sure I could tell you what it's about. Lots of flowery descriptions and ramblings, characters that come and go and are all very mystical in a way. If it had been about 400 pages shorter this might have been better.

It's almost the end of June so I think I'll start up a new thread for the second half of the year. Hope to see you there.