CBL's 2015 Reading, Part 1

I'm Carrie, and this is my 5th year in this group. I've enjoyed forming new friendships each year, and I look forward to reading along with all of you this year.

I discovered that I could read at age 4 and I've been an avid reader ever since. I wasn't born when JFK died, and one of my earliest memories is watching the moon landing. I'll let you do the math.

My parents and grandparents were readers and I grew up surrounded by books. To no one's surprise, I became a librarian. Contrary to a popular misconception, we do not sit around and read books all day. Daily exposure to a constant flow of new, unread books can be torture for a bookaholic, but with time one gets used to it.

At home I'm "mama" to my furbaby Adrian (named for Adrian Monk), a 3-year-old Shih Tzu mix I adopted from the local Humane Society in September 2013.



My top 5 books in 2014:
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom - a reread that I loved even more as an audiobook
The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim - one of the best historical novels I've ever read
The Last Chronicle of Barset by Anthony Trollope - it was hard to say goodbye to the folks in Barsetshire
Joy in the Morning by P. G. Wodehouse - I love listening to audio versions of Wodehouse
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer - an inspirational memoir of a largely self-educated young DIY engineer in Malawi

Progress toward goal in 2015:




Books read in January:
1. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith (4) - completed 1/1/15
2. In Search of a Homeland: The Story of the Aeneid by Penelope Lively; illustrated by Ian Andrew (3.5) - completed 1/2/15
3. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su & Kate Rorick (4.5) - completed 1/3/15
4. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle (2.5) - completed 1/4/15
5. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (4) - completed 1/11/15
6. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth (4.5) - completed 1/12/15
7. The Porcelain Thief: Searching the Middle Kingdom for Buried China by Huan Hsu (3.5) - completed 1/16/15
8. Beethoven's Tenth by Brian Harvey (4) - completed 1/17/15
9. Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro - completed 1/21/15
10. Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin (4) - completed 1/23/15

Books acquired in January:
1. The Hunt for Nazi Spies by Simon Kitson - 1/9/15 (free ebook)
2. Daisy Miller by Henry James - 1/10/15 (free ebook)
3. Beethoven's Tenth by Brian Harvey - 1/16/15 (December ER book)
4. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, read by Jeremy Irons - 1/17/15 (purchased)

British Authors challenge

I'll list my planned reads and update as I complete them

January:
In Search of a Homeland by Penelope Lively - COMPLETED 1/2/15
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro - COMPLETED 1/21/15

February:
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

March:
The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier
The City & the City by China Mieville
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

April:
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
Of Human Bondage or The Painted Veil by Somerset Maugham

May:
The Peppered Moth or Jerusalem the Golden by Margaret Drabble

June:
Shakespeare by Anthony Burgess
An Awfully Big Adventure by Beryl Bainbridge

July:
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

August:
The Power and the Glory or Travels With My Aunt by Graham Greene
Favours by Bernice Rubens

September:
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Small Island by Andrea Levy

October:
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

November:
Loitering with Intent by Muriel Spark
Restless or An Ice-Cream War by William Boyd

December:
Fludd by Hilary Mantel
Something Fresh by P. G. Wodehouse

American Authors Challenge

Planned reads will be updated as they are completed.

January: The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
February: Portrait of a Lady Daisy Miller by Henry James
March: Richard Ford The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
April: The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
May: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
June: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
July: Catwings by Ursula Le Guin
August: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
September: Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor
October: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
November: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
December: The March by E. L. Doctorow

I started a reading tour of the Commonwealth countries in 2013 and I would like to complete the tour in 2015 if possible. I'll list books here as I complete them.

Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin (4) - Rwanda - completed 1/23/15

One of my 2015 goals is reading retellings of or books inspired by Jane Austen's novels. I will list these books here as I complete them. I plan to kick off my 2015 reading year with The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet.

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su & Kate Rorick - completed 1/3/15

Welcome back, Carrie. I look forward to following your 2015 reading journey.

Welcome back!

>7 cbl_tn: >8 lindapanzo: Thanks Linda & Jim! I love it here!

Hi, Carrie! :) I love your furbaby photo of Adrian (love the name, too). I have a Shih Tzu mix (her name's Angel) from the Humane Society. Her mom, who we also adopted but has since passed away, was a Yorky, so I call Angel a York Tzu. She's around 10, I believe, but still acts like a puppy.

I also work in a public library as a page, and I totally agree with you re: "we do not sit around and read books all day." :D To the contrary. The most reading I get is spine label reading, because my breaks are usually spent running errands, etc.

Anyway, sorry to babble away on your new, shiny thread. :) Best of luck with your 75 reads in 2015! I should probably get my 75 thread going, too, even though I'm still wrapping up some books for 2014. Happy New Year! :)

Hi Sara! Your Angel looks sweet, and I love the "York Tzu" label! I have a couple more books I'd like to finish in 2014 and I should be reading this evening, but I couldn't resist the lure of the new group. I'll keep an eye out for your thread!

Hi Carrie! Cute pooch!

>13 LoisB: Hi Lois! Thanks!

Hi Carrie - I'm making sure to follow your thread this year!

Nice new thread, Carrie! I'll follow you in 2015 as well.

Good to see you giving a prominent place to the B.A.C. this year Carrie. Thread up tomorrow, probably. xx

Hi Carrie - I've starred you!

Hi Carrie, found you and .

>15 evilmoose: Hi Megan! I've hit a snag in my audio listening. I just replaced the speaker I use to listen when I'm working around the house because the cable had nearly broken in two. The replacement I bought quit working. I just ordered yet another replacement from Amazon but it won't be here until Monday...

>16 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl! Thanks for dropping by!

>17 PaulCranswick: I will be watching for the thread. I'm eager to get started!

>18 susanj67: >19 Ameise1: Hi Susan and Barbara! Glad you found me!

Dropping by to say Hello and Happy New Year, Carrie!

>21 tloeffler: Hi Terri! Thanks for dropping by!

Planned reading for January:
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su & Kate Rorick - I'll be leading a book club discussion later in the month so I'll kick off 2015 with this one
In Search of a Homeland by Penelope Lively - for the British Authors Challenge, the HistoryCAT in the 2015 Category Challenge, and the Reading Through Time challenge
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld - for the SFFFCAT in the 2015 Category Challenge
Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle - for the RandomCAT in the 2015 Category Challenge
The Porcelain Thief by Huan Hsu - An ER book I need to read and review
Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin - Rwanda book for my Commonwealth Challenge
The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers - for the American Authors Challenge
Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - for the HistoryCAT & Reading Through Time challenges

Audiobooks: Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth - for the quarterly biography read in the 2015 Category Challenge
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro - for the British Authors Challenge
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare - for the HistoryCAT & Reading Through Time
Oedipus the King by Sophocles - for the HistoryCAT & Reading Through Time

Just dropping by to leave a star. You've already got some interesting books listed. Also, I have to ask about the British Author Challenge. I've seen it pop up in more than one place. Is it a challenge I somehow missed? Seperate group? Something outside of LT? *is curious like a cat*

Hi SK! The British Authors challenge is @PaulCranswick's creation. He has a couple of planning threads in the 2014 group, and he says he!ll probably start the main thread in this group tomorrow. He has selected one male and one female author for each month, plus a pair of wildcard authors that may be substituted for an author you don't want to read. January's authors are Penelope Lively and Kazuo Ishiguro.

Nice new thread, Carrie! I'll read several of the same books as you will for AACII and BAC next year.

Hi Darryl! I'm a lot more excited about the British authors than the American ones. With a few exceptions*, I've never liked American lit. I'm still working on reading lists distributed by one of my high school English teachers. I think I was supposed to read the books on the list before starting college, but it's become a lifetime project. I'm picking books from the list whenever possible. The Member of the Wedding is on the list so that's what I'll be reading for the AAC in January.

*The few exceptions I can think of are To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Huckleberry Finn, and The Last of the Mohicans. The Scarlet Letter was OK.

Well, I've already made one change in my American Authors planned reads. I learned that the group read of The Eustace Diamonds is scheduled for February. There's no way I can read both The Portrait of a Lady and The Eustace Diamonds in the same month, especially when it's the shortest month of the year. I'll try Daisy Miller instead.

Dropping my star, Carrie!

>28 cbl_tn: Oooh, I want to join that The Eustace Diamonds GR - it's my favourite Trollope. I must read Phineas Finn with the tutoring thread open first! You've got lots of great reads planned for January, Carrie.

>29 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

>30 susanj67: I haven't read The Eustace Diamonds before and it's the one I'm most looking forward to.

>27 cbl_tn: I agree with you on both counts, Carrie. I strongly prefer contemporary British and Commonwealth authors to American ones such as Jonathan Franzen, Karen Russell, Joshua Ferris, Lorrie Moore, Karen Joy Fowler, and Colson Whitehead. My favorite currently active "American" authors are far more likely to come from abroad (e.g., Colum McCann, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Edwidge Danticat, Jamaica Kincaid and Ha Jin) and/or are members of minority groups (Percival Everett, Victor La Valle, Maxine Hong Kingston). However, I have read several recent novels by American writers that I've loved, particularly The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, and Great House by Nicole Krauss. You'll note that those three novels were all chosen as finalists for the Orange Prize/Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction, which is why I am promoting the Orange January/July group on my thread.

I do like mid century American fiction, including the works of James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison, Saul Bellow, John Steinbeck, Carson McCullers and Flannery O'Connor.

I'm very interested in both the American Authors Challenge II and the British Authors Challenge, as most of the books I've chosen to read are already in my TBR collection. I've been wanting to read something by Louise Erdrich and Sinclair Lewis, and I'm always eager to read books by Carson McCullers and Flannery O'Connor.

>32 kidzdoc: The Farming of Bones was one of the best books I read last year. Half of a Yellow Sun didn't make my top 5, but it was one of my better reads for the year. James Baldwin and Ralph Ellison are on my TBR list but I haven't read them yet. I intended to read Go Tell It on the Mountain for the 2014 version of the American Authors challenge but I didn't have as much time for reading that month as I hoped I would. I loved The Poisonwood Bible and I have The Lacuna in my TBR stash waiting for November. I tried Main Street once and didn't get very far, but I will give it another go in May. I hated The Grapes of Wrath and had to force myself to finish it. I finally gave Steinbeck another chance with The Moon Is Down, which I liked but didn't love.

I'm just not interested in any of Richard Ford's novels so I've decided to substitute Stephen Crane/The Red Badge of Courage for the American Authors Challenge in March. I got a free copy of the audio version from the Sync program this past summer so I'll plan to listen to it.

>25 cbl_tn: Ah, so that's what all the fuss is about ;). Truthfully, it sounds like fun, but I've got enough challenges to be getting on with. I'll be focussing on my Agatha Christie reading this year, though, so that's at least one British Author :D

Hi Carrie! Looks like you've got a lot of good reading planned for 2015! I'm going to try to keep up with the AAC too.

>35 Samantha_kathy: I don't have to work very hard to read British authors!

>36 porch_reader: Hi Amy! I'm glad you're back! I'll pop over to your thread in a bit.

>33 cbl_tn: Half of a Yellow Sun was one of my top 5 books a couple of years ago. I'm glad you liked it, even if it didn't make your top 5. ;)

>38 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! In a different year, it might have made my top 5. Last year was a very good reading year for me - better than this year has been.

I have officially begun my 2015 reading. I finished an audiobook last night and started another that I will not finish until January. Call the Midwife is the quarterly biography group read in the 2015 Category Challenge. I love the TV series based on the books, and the book promises to be just as good. I can already tell that it's going to be one of those books where I look for more chores to do so that I can keep listening.

Hi Carrie! I am slowly making the rounds and have now found and starred your thread! Looking forward to another year of following your reading.... and updates of Adrian, of course. ;-)

I am looking forward to seeing what you think of Leviathan. Such a fun YA trilogy!

Hi Lori! I stopped at the library this morning to check out Leviathan. I'll probably start it next week. I've got a couple of other books I'd like to read first.

Hi, Carrie - glad to have you and Adrian back! It looks like we're gathering a good group for The Eustace Diamonds. :)

>43 lyzard: Hi Liz! I downloaded the Project Gutenburg text yesterday so I'm ready to go!

Hi Carrie - just dropping off my star!

>45 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Nice to see you!

Hi Carrie! Happy New Year to you (and 47 posts already??)!

I picked up a copy of Call the Midwife from our hotel/apartment's little library in Cyprus. I made the mistake of leaving it on the counter, where it was snatched up by my mom, who loved it. It's in my pile somewhere -- looking forward to your comments!

Have you considered Brideshead Revisited on audio? Jeremy Irons is sublime. It was a top read for me.

>47 AMQS: Hi Anne! I'm not sure how that happened, other than I got an early start. I'll be surprised if it lasts.

I rarely buy audiobooks. I get most of them bia Overdrive and OneClick from the public library. I'm pretty sure I checked and the library doesn't have Brideshead Revisited through either service. however, I have money left on an iTunes gift card that would just about cover the audio read by Jeremy Irons. That might be a good way to spend my gift money. Thanks for the recommendation!

Hi Carrie! I think I lurked on your threads last year but didn't really post. Looking forward to following your reading again this year.

>23 cbl_tn: Interesting to see you're planning to read The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su & Kate Rorick next month. Did you see the series on youtube? I heard about it on someone's blog and loved it. Also enjoyed their adaptation of Emma but couldn't get into their adaptation of Frankenstein.

My brother and SIL arrived last night and will be here through New Years. This is the first time they've been here since I got Adrian. My SIL is afraid of dogs except for Shih Tzus, which is one reason I have Adrian. I really wanted them to get off on the right foot. I thought that if he was wearing his Christmas sweater when they first saw him, maybe my SIL would think of him as a little boy instead of a dog. Sure enough, her first comment was that he looked like a little boy. I talked her into brushing him last night. He loves to be brushed and I thought she would enjoy it too. I think they're bonding!

>49 souloftherose: Hi RhianHeather! I did watch The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube. It was well underway by the time I discovered it so I didn't have the pleasure of anticipating the next episode. I loved Emma Approved too. I liked but didn't love Frankenstein MD. Did you know that a new series has just started?! The March Family Letters is a retelling of Little Women. The first episode was released on Christmas, and there will be new episodes on Tuesdays and Fridays. Pemberley Digital isn't the producer for this one, but it's being distributed on their YouTube channel.

ETA: Sorry about getting your name wrong. I had just been catching up on Rhian's thread when I saw your post and I had her name stuck in my brain!

>51 cbl_tn: Don't worry about the name - I often do the same thing :-)

I did see the first episode of Little Women but the character of Jo didn't seem like the Jo I have in my head. I'll give it a few episodes to see if they settle into it.

Looking forward to hearing about your reads, Carrie. Like you, I didn't care for some of the AA authors in '14, so I'm giving myself latitude in that one for 2015. Hope to see more pictures of Monk, here, too!

>53 countrylife: Hi Cindy! I will try to oblige with the photos. Maybe I can get my sister-in-law to take a few while she's here. She's a good photographer.

>53 countrylife: There are a couple of authors that I'm not excited about in the American Authors Challenge for 2015 also. I'll probably just skip those months because skipping them will give me fewer "commitments" during those months which is one of my goals for 2015. I want to participate in the British Challenge more than the American one. Even then, I'm only committing to one or the other each month although I may occasionally do both. I just don't want all my reading dictated by "group reads" because I'll never conquer Mount TBR that way.

>55 thornton37814: I have a few TBRs that will fit nicely into either the AAC or the BAC. I'll have to use library books for the rest.

>52 souloftherose: I wasn't thrilled with today's episode of The March Family Letters>. I hope it gets better.

Hi Connie! I'll be following your thread, though I don't know how much I'll be able to comment. Happy Reading!

>57 Shutzie27: Hi! It's nice to see you back for another year!

Carrie, every time I look at your thread there are 15 new messages! I'm glad your SIL is getting on OK with Adrian.

Happy New Year, Carrie! Wishing you another fabulous year of reading!

>59 susanj67: I know Susan! I did get an early start in the group so that probably goes a long way toward explaining it. I'm thrilled that my brother and SIL are getting along so well with Adrian. My SIL still thinks he's cute. I'm not sure if he'll ever go to their house for a visit. I think the cuteness might end the first time he peed on her carpet!

>60 lunacat: >61 Carmenere: Good to see you both here! Thanks for the New Years wishes. I wish the same for you!

May all your wishes come true.

Happy New Year, Carrie. I am trying to catch up on all the threads which is hard at this time of year! I have dropped my star.

Happy new year Carrie!

Carrie,



Happy New Year from your friend in Kuala Lumpur

>63 Ameise1: >64 Familyhistorian: >65 The_Hibernator: >66 PaulCranswick: Thank you Barbara, Meg, Rachel, and Paul! Happy New Year to all of you as well!

I tried to finish one last book in December, and I almost made it. I finished the last 35 pages of Tea Time for the Traditionally Built this morning. Not a bad way to kick off the new year! We had an unstructured day yesterday and didn't start out with many plans. By the end of the day my sister-in-law, her sister and I had all gone out for coffee and manicures, my brother and I went shopping for New Year's Eve supplies, we had our Christmas gift exchange, and we went to my brother's best friend's house for New Year's Eve. We also worked in several episodes of Castle. I'm a fan but my brother had never seen it. (He's a big Firefly> and Serenity fan and I was sure he would enjoy Castle so I bought the first season for him for Christmas.)

Next I'll be picking up The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet to prepare for a book club meeting later this month. My first audiobook for the year will be Call the Midwife, which is already underway.

Happy New Year, Carrie. I look forward to following your reading for another year.

>68 BLBera: Hi Beth! Happy New Year! I look forward to following your reading as well!

1. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
TIOLI #16 - Title begins with "T"

Precious Ramotswe, proprietor of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, takes on an unusual case for the owner of a football team. Once the best football team in Botswana, the Kalahari Swoopers are on a prolonged losing streak. The owner believes someone on the team is deliberately causing the team to lose. It's Mma Ramotswe's job to find out who. She will need help from her assistant, Grace Makutsi, to interview the many team members in a timely fashion. However, Mma Makutsi is distracted by her nemesis from the Botswana Secretarial College, Violet Sephotho, who has just been hired by Mma Makutsi's fiance, Phuti Radiphuti, to sell beds in his Double Comfort Furniture Shop. Mma Ramotswe must also deal with the loss of her beloved white van.

Nothing much happens in these gentle African mysteries, yet I find these books difficult to put down once I start reading. Precious Ramotswe's musings about her beloved Botswana, her late father Obed Ramotswe, and human nature in general, always remind me of the non-material blessings I enjoy in my own small corner of the world – health, a comfortable home, a supportive family, good friends and neighbors, and the companionship of my sweet dog.

4 stars

Now reading: The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su & Kate Rorick

Happy New Year, Carrie! May it be filled with fabulous! And congrats on already posting a review!! Excellent work!

>71 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Happy New Year! Is your thread up yet? I'm off to take a look...

No thread yet, Carrie. Trying to decide if I'm going to have one since I did such a poor job keeping it up last year.

Starred you Carrie! Happy New Year!

Here's to another good year of reading and chatting about books, dogs, and other important things, Carrie. Enjoy your company!

>73 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! I'll keep an eye out then in case you do decide to start a thread.

>74 SandDune: Hi Rhian! Happy New Year!

>75 Donna828: Hi Donna! It's been great having family here for New Year's. They seem to be smitten with Adrian too, and he's soaking up the extra attention.

----------------------------------------

Not sure how much more reading will happen today. We have a roast and sweet potato casserole in the oven. A couple of my brother's friends are coming by for a while. We'll probably watch some videos later on. Then there are walks with Adrian and other fun things to keep us occupied. I'll have time to catch up on my reading after they leave.

Happy new year, Carrie! I'm looking forward to following your thread this year. I'll be back before there are 76 more messages to read!

>77 cushlareads: Hi Cushla! Happy New Year!

While I'm waiting for the roast and sweet potato pudding to cook, I thought I'd post my end-of-year meme that floats around every year. I'm not sure who to credit for it. Here it is, using titles of books I read in 2014:

Describe yourself: The Uncommon Reader

Describe how you feel: Joy in the Morning

Describe where you currently live: A Room of One's Own

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: In Search of Our Roots

Your favorite form of transportation: All Roads Lead to Austen

Your best friend is: Strawberry Girl

You and your friends are: Middling Folk

What’s the weather like: Heat Wave (not really, but we've had a mini-Castle marathon over the last couple of days!)

You fear: The Devil's Workshop

What is the best advice you have to give: Unusual Uses for Olive Oil

Thought for the day: Kindness Goes Unpunished

How I would like to die: Once

My soul’s present condition: Golden State

Happy New Year, Carrie!

Happy New Year to you and Adrian, Carrie! I will be thinking of you tomorrow as the Iowa football team battles Tennessee in the Gator Bowl. Whatever happens, we'll still be LT friends. :-)

>80 scaifea: Thanks Amber!

>81 rosalita: Happy New Year Julia! I'm kind of expecting an Iowa victory tomorrow. The SEC plays a different style of football than the Midwestern schools and Tennessee usual doesn't fare well against teams from the Midwest.

My company is leaving for home this morning. It's been wonderful to have them here, and Adrian and I will miss them. However, it's also been a bit like sending the kids to grandma's for Adrian. He has been somewhat spoiled with all the attention, and I foresee a difficult weekend in store as I try to get him back on a normal schedule. My SIL wants to dog sit sometime when I have to be away. There's a conference I attend in June every year and they may come and stay with Adrian while I'm gone.

I haven't had a whole lot of time to read with company here, but I did manage to get through 50 pages of The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet last night while I waited for everyone else to finish shopping. (I was done as soon as I found a black winter jacket to replace one that badly needed replacing.)

I do need to go in to work after my company leaves, but then I'll have the rest of the weekend to recover.

Happy new thread and New Year, Carrie!

>84 leahbird: Thanks Leah!

My SIL took this picture of Adrian & me as they were loading up to leave this morning:

LOVE the picture of you two. It's always nice to be able to put a face with a name. Now I will be able to "see" you when I read about your book conquests.

>85 cbl_tn: Wonderful photo Carrie, thanks for sharing it.

Carrie, that's a lovely photo! And I'm also glad to be able to put a face to the name :-)

Great photo, Carrie. Nice to "see" what you look like.

I love the photo, Carrie! What a sweet picture of the two of you, and like everyone else, I enjoy putting a face with the name. I did end up creating a thread for this year, so stop by if you want.

>86 tututhefirst: Thanks Tina! I don't think I've found your thread yet so I'll look for it in a few minutes.

>87 Ameise1: >88 susanj67: >89 lindapanzo: Thanks Barbara, Susan, and Linda!

>90 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! I will be looking for your thread in a few minutes, too!

I also love the photo. It is nice to put a face with the name. I like your glasses.

What a great photo! Thanks for sharing it.

I know what you mean about Adrian getting spoiled. We bring our dog, Louis, to my MIL's over Christmas, and he gets all sorts of special treats and attention. I'm sure he hates coming home with us - ha!

Cute photo!

>92 BLBera: Thanks Beth! I've only been wearing these glasses for a couple of months, although the frames weren't new. I had my annual eye exam at the end of October and finally agreed to progressive lenses. Instead of spending money on new frames as well as new lenses, I took several pairs of old frames that had fairly little wear. This was the pair that the optician's assistant thought would work best for the progressives. The pair I had been wearing for the last year for distance vision are Vera Bradley, and I had those turned into prescription sunglasses. If we ever see the sun again I'll be able to use them!

>93 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! I complain about Adrian getting spoiled and what do I do? I cooked rice for him for supper. He's been turning up his nose at his dog food for the last several days. His vet recommends rice and chicken or ground beef as a bland diet for a dog. I decided to mix rice in with a little of the dog food and see if he'd eat it that way. I'll gradually reduce the rice and increase the dog food over the next several days and see if I can get him eating normally again. So far so good - he just cleaned his bowl. I don't really think the dog food is the problem. If I put some of the dog food inside his treat ball, he will nudge it around the room and greedily gobble up the pieces as they spill out of the ball.

>94 LoisB: Thanks Lois!

Julia, I'm sorry about your Hawkeyes loss to my Vols. They had a great 4th quarter, and I hope they'll have a good season next year.

Happy New Year Carrie. May it be a blessed one for you!

>85 cbl_tn: Nice photo!

>97 Whisper1: Thank you Linda! I hope it is a blessed one for you as well!

>98 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl!

2. In Search of a Homeland: The Story of the Aeneid by Penelope Lively; illustrated by Ian Andrew
TIOLI #8 - A literary homage

This illustrated retelling of the Aeneid for middle readers also works as a review/summary for adults. It would be easy enough to picture the action without the illustrations thanks to Penelope Lively's descriptive language. Ian Andrew's color pencil illustrations have an impressionistic feel. The text and the illustrations could each stand on their own, but they don't mesh as well as they should. Some of the text details are either different or missing in the illustrations. The map and the pronunciation guide are both useful. I would have liked a character glossary as well.

3.5 stars

Hi Carrie, I wish you a very happy new year, full of exciting books and everything else that makes you happy. I'm looking forward to following your thread.

Oh, wonderful photo of you and Adrian!

>101 Trifolia: Thanks Monica! It's great to see you here.

>102 scaifea: Thanks Amber! My SIL is one of the best photographers I know.

Caro, I wish you a fabulous weekend full of reading.

>104 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara! I'd like to put a sweater on that dog. Just looking at it is making me shiver!

>105 cbl_tn: Carrie, so sorry for my mistake in writing the wrong name in >104 Ameise1:. I guess my brain is still moving slowly. So please forgive my faux pas. We have a lot of snow here but I never see dogs with sweaters on. I guess they are used to it. In any case they love playing in the snow.

>106 Ameise1: No problem. Carrie is actually short for Carolyn, so it does fit! My dog gets cold easily and he has several sweaters in his wardrobe. I put a sweater on him if he's going to be outside for more than just a few minutes in cold weather. He seems to enjoy wearing them.

>83 cbl_tn: Glad your SIL warmed up to your dog. I remember in >50 cbl_tn: you were a bit apprehensive about that.

>108 The_Hibernator: Yes, I was very apprehensive since my SIL is afraid of most dogs. Adrian reminds her of a small child, so she was able to laugh at him even when he barked and growled at us while we were eating at the table* and when he guards his toys. She wants to come back in June and dog sit while I go to my annual library conference. My brother works from home and he can bring his work with him. That's assuming they're not in Germany again, which is a real possibility. My brother spent a week short of six months in Germany last year with one stay of several months at the beginning of the year and two 2-3 week trips later in the year.

*Since I live by myself, I haven't had many opportunities to work with Adrian on his table manners.

Happy New Year, Carrie! I love the photo of you with Adrian.

>110 tymfos: Thanks Terri! I think this is the only photo I have of both of us.

My niece has a dog (miniature poodle) that loves to wear sweaters. I think he looks quite dignified in them. She sent me a photo, and it made me laugh out loud.

Happy Saturday, Carrie!

>112 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Adrian is wearing my favorite of his sweaters right now. I needed to run out to the grocery store to pick up some meat. (Somehow I ended up with lots of vegetable leftovers without enough meat to go with them.) I took Adrian along for the ride and made sure he was wearing a sweater since he had to stay in the car for the 10 minutes or so I was in the store.

Here's a picture of Adrian in his sweater right after I bought it for him. He's in almost the same position right now, curled up beside me in the chair while I type.

That is so cute, Carrie! He is a doll!

>114 Crazymamie: I think so too! I am incredibly lucky to have him!

3. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su & Kate Rorick
TIOLI #8 - A literary homage

It seems there is no end to the popularity of retellings and re-imaginings of Jane Austen's novels. This one stands out out above the rest. Pride and Prejudice receives a 21st century update, with graduate student Lizzie Bennet creating a video blog as a new media project. The vlog takes on a life of its own with unforeseen consequences for Lizzie's life and that of her family and friends. The book is a companion to the web video series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and it fills in gaps from the videos. I didn't notice any inconsistencies between the book and the videos or between this book and the original Pride and Prejudice. I like the book better than the videos. However, I don't think I would have liked the book nearly as much if I hadn't already watched the video series. I didn't take the time to re-watch any of the videos this time through. I'd like to reread the book and rematch the videos together at some point. I think there's still more to be discovered and enjoyed.

4.5 stars

Carrie you have made a strong reading and posting start and will surely feature near the top of both my lists at this rate of knots.

Have a lovely weekend.

>117 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! Work gets back in full swing on Monday, and I will have much less reading time over the next couple of weeks with a major deadline looming in addition to the start of a new semester.

>96 cbl_tn: Ugh, what a dumpster fire of a football game that was! Tennessee played really well, and having such a young team that bodes well for the Vols' future. There is much angst in Hawkeyeland about this season and the future, so it will be interesting to see what if any changes are made.

Thankfully, wrestling season is underway (that's my favorite sport) and we are ranked No. 1 in the country there so it's a little bit of a palate cleanser.

The family portrait of you and Adrian is just wonderful. As so many others have said, it's great to be able to put faces with the names we see so much.

>85 cbl_tn: Great photo, Carrie! And 3 books read already -- wow!

Hi Carrie,

I just wanted to drop by and say hello. I just read my first Alexander McCall Smith book, The Sunday Philosophy Club
which is the first in the Dalhousie series and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. As you say, nothing much happened in that book either but I really enjoyed it.

Love the picture as well. And count yourself lucky to have a willing pet sitter; we always have to spend a fortune on one when we go anywhere.

Enjoy reading before the semester starts!

>119 rosalita: As usual, the Vols had a very tough schedule with both Alabama and Mississippi State from the SEC West and Oregon in the non-conference schedule. I hope this means things are turning around for the program. Butch Jones is a better fit for the school than either Kiffin or Dooley. I hope the Iowa wrestling season goes well. It's not a popular sport locally so I don't know much about it.

>120 AMQS: Thanks Anne! I hope to finish one more book today before hitting the ground running at work tomorrow. Reading will slow down greatly after today.

>121 Shutzie27: I liked the first couple books in the Isabel Dalhousie series but then I burned out on it. I think I still have one or two unread around the house. I still haven't grown tired of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency or the Professor Dr von Igelfeld books.

I'm dog sitting for a friend today and tomorrow while she and her husband go out of town to celebrate her birthday. They'll bring Stella over right after church. She gets along well with Adrian and she's no trouble, except she occasionally wakes up around 4 or 4:30 and whine the rest of the night. I'll make sure I get a nap in this afternoon just in case...

Happy Sunday, Carrie! Nice review! I need to get to that - I remember Heather talking about the videos on her thread last year (?) and thinking that it was something that Abby and I would like. Need to check into that!

Happy New Year, Carrie!

>116 cbl_tn: What a cool example of merged media! I'm going to at least check out the videos based on your review.

I can be kind of a snobbish pedant when it comes to contemporary versions of classics, but I have to admit I've really enjoyed the modern movie Austin takes. "Clueless" surprised me by how charming it was (of course, I was in high school when it came out and her rant about guys with their pants half-pulled down sold me immediately) and I'll admit to loving "Bridget Jones' Diary." This sounds like it would be really fun as well.

>123 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! I think you and Abby would have fun with the book and video series.

>124 LauraBrook: Happy New Year Laura! It's good to see you back!

>125 Shutzie27: I loved Clueless too. I'm not a huge Bridget Jones fan, but I think that's because I'm not a Renee Zellweger fan. Both of those movies were successful at translating Austen into a contemporary setting. I think The Lizzie Bennet Diaries/The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet does it successfully for the current decade. It's also interesting from a media perspective, and I won't be surprised when it crops up as the focus of articles in academic journals.

4. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle
TIOLI #16 - Title begins with "T"

Clare Cosi, manager of the Village Blend coffeehouse, is concerned when her adult daughter, Joy, shows an interest in an online dating service. The divorced Clare signs up for the service herself in order to assess its suitability for her daughter. She also participates in the singles night held at the Village Blend a couple of times a month. Clare wasn't expecting to meet a potential love interest, especially one as perfect for her as Bruce Bowman seems to be. When he becomes a suspect in a string of deaths of single women, Clare sets out to prove her friend, homicide detective Mike Quinn, wrong.

This book really pushes the cozy envelope with sexual innuendoes throughout most of the book. Clare takes matters into her own hands because she is certain that Mike Quinn is focusing on the wrong person. However, Clare ends up pursuing a different innocent person. Clare doesn't figure out who the real killer is until she's alone with that person and her life is in danger, by which time the police have already correctly identified the killer but haven't been able to take the suspect into custody. I do like the coffeehouse setting. This is just the second book in what has become a popular series, so I'll try one or two more and see if they're able to turn me into a series fan.

2.5 stars

Today was my first full day of work after the holidays. I read about 10 pages of The Porcelain Thief during my lunch break, and I listened to about 1 1/2 chapters of Call the Midwife while I fixed dinner (meatloaf & steamed Brussels sprouts). I think I'm too tired to read this evening, so I'm going to see if I can make it through the movie I was too tired to watch a couple of days ago.

I missed the last 5 minutes or so of Downton Abbey last night. My electricity went off for a couple of seconds - long enough to turn the TV off. It's an Internet TV, and before I could turn it back on, I had to wait for it to download updates. I went from Thomas lurking in the hallway to everyone milling around outside after a fire. Did I miss anything important?

Katie would be able to answer your DA question, Carrie. I know that she watched it.

>128 cbl_tn: Yep, you missed something. Some big things actually.

>128 cbl_tn:, >129 Crazymamie:, >130 leahbird: - Huh. Apparently I missed the last five minutes, too, because I don't recall anything major happening. That's what the "Previously on Downton Abbey" recaps are for at the start of each episode, I guess.

I thought it was a really weak premier.

I'll plan to tune in a few minutes early next week. I don't know if all if the PBS stations do this, but our local station shows the previous week's episode at 8 leading into the new episode at 9.

Hi Carrie! I can tell from the photograph that 2015 is treating you and Ardrian well!

It looks as though we may have several shared reads this month - I'm disappointed you didn't like In Search of a Homeland better, though. Now if the library just comes through with the books.....

Hi Dejah! 2015 has been good to us so far! Now we need to survive the below freezing temps the next couple of nights. At least it's not supposed to snow!

Looks like the new year is off to a great start, Carrie! 4 books and it's only the 5th! You rock!
Adrian is just so darn huggable cute!

>135 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda! My reading just slowed down a lot now that I'm back at work. And I'm glad Adrian is a lap dog. That means I get to hug him lots!

Hi Carrie! I know what you mean about being too tired. I haven't had a chance to read the last couple of nights and don't know if I'll get to it today, either. I just started watching "Call the Midwife" on Netflix (we have a Roku) and, if it's the series based on the show, I imagine you're in for a treat! Vanessa Redgrave does the voice over for the series and I am completely addicted to it.

> 137 Yes, it's the series the show is based on. I will have to switch to print after this one. The public library only has the first of the three books as audio downloads.

----------------------------------

The cold air is making its way south. The temperature is supposed to drop throughout the afternoon and reach single digits overnight. I just took Adrian out while I'm home on my lunch break. The temperature doesn't seem to have dropped, but the wind has picked up and it's a very cold wind. I'm not looking forward to walking Adrian after work today or before work in the morning. I think I'll dig out his coat from last winter. It should still fit him.

One of my customers just came in and said it's snowing here in Maryville. For once, I'm thankful my store doesn't have any windows because watching it snow and get yucky would just make me more depressed.

It's very cold here, too. I checked the thermometer on the deck after I ate my lunch, and it registered about 10. Plus the wind is just howling and is so loud that I mistook it for a truck rumbling down the road. Not a cloud in the sky, nothing to retain any of the residual heat once the sun sets, so it will be brutally cold overnight. All our schools here are cancelled today. It's days like this I'm grateful to have a cat instead of a dog - no walks!

>139 leahbird: No snow here. Just the cold.

>140 sjmccreary: The thermometer in my car was at 32 when I went back to work after lunch. It was 23 when I drove home. The wind is blowing pretty hard here, too. I just walked Adrian so with luck he'll only need to go out once more tonight just long enough to pee. I dread walking him tomorrow morning before work.

I also have to get out tomorrow to go get my allergy shots. I normally do that on Tuesdays when I work a split shift, but there wasn't a doctor in the office yesterday or today. I can't get my shots if there isn't a doctor in the office. At least I bought gas when I was out yesterday so I won't have to do that tomorrow! And I got it at $1.55 per gallon with a $.50 per gallon discount at Kroger! I filled my tank for under $15. I don't think I've managed to do that since sometime in the 1990s!

Carrie, how are you liking Call the Midwife?

>142 AMQS: I love it so far! I'd like to finish the trilogy in the next couple of months. I'll have to switch to print unless I want to buy the audio. I do have some credit left on an iTunes gift card that I could use for book #2, ibut that would be instead of the Brideshead Revisited read by Jeremy Irons that you recommended. If #2 has the same reader I may end up doing just that. She's very good!

----------------------------------------
Although some places locally had single digit temperatures this morning, it doesn't seem to have dropped below the teens at my house. That's still cold!

Adrian woke up with an upset stomach and threw up as soon as I let him out of his crate. He does this occasionally. I will keep feeding him rice mixed with a little of his dog food for a couple more days until his tummy settles down.

It's 3° here at the foot of the mountains this morning. No fun. Our new puppy is also facing tummy troubles at the moment but of the, er, opposite nature, so we're looking at a vet visit at some point today. It's probably just new food issues (since my parents forgot to get a little bag of whatever the breeder was feeding him before) but better safe than sorry.

>144 leahbird: You have a new puppy?! Have you posted pictures?

I think Adrian's problem is probably drainage. He has allergies and yesterday he seemed to be sneezing and snorting a little more than usual. If it keeps up I'll take him to the vet, but this is usually a temporary problem. It didn't affect his appetite for his breakfast!

I discovered the last time I came for my allergy shots that the hospital's wireless works in the doctor's office! (The office in in a building across the street from the hospital.) Yay! Now I have something else to do while I sit in the lobby the required 20 minutes after the shots! I usually bring a book, but I can't concentrate on it too well since I keep checking my watch to see how much longer I have to wait.

I don't know how much I'll be able to do when I get back to work. My video driver isn't working and I have trouble waking my monitor up when it's gone to sleep. I spent 15 minutes trying to wake it up this morning. The IT guy got it working a little better, but it's not fixed yet.

I'm about halfway through The Porcelain Thief, and I am about 3/4 finished with the audio of Call the Midwife. The audio of Nocturnes became available overnight and Overdrive automatically checked it out to me. I'll start it as soon as I finish Call the Midwife.

Hi Carrie, I finally found your thread. Adrian is adorable!!

I've listened to nearly all of the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series and now I'm sorry to be nearly caught up. They are great comfort listens and I've really gotten attached to the characters.

I also listed to Call the Midwife a year or so ago and thought it was great. I was disappointed that my library didn't have the next two books on audio.

Well, I was getting whiny about the cold here but after reading most everyone's earlier posts, I'll just keep it to myself.

I had no idea that Call the Midwife was a trilogy! I'm a bit bummed because I didn't even know it was a book in the first place, and I'm normally a read-the-book-first person, and now I feel like I may have spoiled the books. Ah well, there are worse problems to have.

Hope you and Adrian keep warm!

>147 Copperskye: Hi Joanne! Your library doesn!t have nos. 2 & 3 on audio either? As popular as the show has been, you'd think our libraries would select them if they were available.

>148 Shutzie27: i don't think you've spoiled the books by watching the show. I love the show and I'm enjoying the book as well. It's like visiting an old friend!

When I walked Adrian this morning, I decided that I must have quickly adjusted to the frigid temperatures. I was proud of myself until I got in my car to drive to work and discovered that it was 30 degrees, well above the predicted low in the teens. I guess my tolerance for the cold isn't as impressive as I thought it was!

Morning, Carrie! Your post made me laugh! 30 is still cold! Happy Friday, dear!

>151 Crazymamie: Happy Friday Mamie! Yeah, 30 degrees is still cold, but it's typical for winter in this part of the country.

I know it's typical, but that doesn't make it less cold.

>150 cbl_tn: Carrie, 30F is freezing! It's -1C (a tip: anyone searching for a F to C conversion should not enter things like 30F into Google, because the results may not be what you expect...) If it was -1C here, I would be doing a LOT of complaining!

>154 susanj67: HA! You made me snort my coffee, Susan!

>153 Crazymamie: I try not to complain too much about it because it unless it lasts longer than usual. Typically we get a few days of cold weather followed by a few days of warmer (50ish) weather. That didn't happen last year. It just got really cold and stayed cold!

>154 susanj67: The forecast predicted -10C so I was glad to see the -1C temperature! I felt the cold more when I lived in London/Hertfordshire than I do here at lower temperatures. I think it was the combination of the wind, dampness, and different type of home heating system that made it hard to get warm and stay warm. I am convinced that's the real reason that hot tea is so popular there!

I remember that, Carrie. Kind of like our never ending summer down here this past year - I didn't think that we were ever going to escape those high temps and all of the humidity. Marched us right up and into December!

>157 Crazymamie: I don't like really cold weather, but I don't like really hot weather either. I'll take 70s year round, please! (That's low to mid-20s for the Celsius folks.) At least in cold weather you can always add more layers. There's only so much you can take off in public in hot weather without getting arrested. ;)

That sounds perfect, actually. Make that a double! LOL about the clothing! True, but I do so like wearing flip flops year round.

>159 Crazymamie: I've seen more than a few college students who think that flip flops are winter wear. I've actually seen people wearing them with snow on the ground.

---------------------------------

I'm not going to get as much reading done this weekend as I thought. My uncle's DNA results came in today so I'll be looking through the matches and seeing what I can learn.

My grandmamma always said that "A lady can always put on enough clothes to keep warm, but she can never remove enough to stay cool."

>161 tututhefirst: Your grandmamma was a wise woman!

Carrie, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

>162 cbl_tn: Thanks Barbara! You found him a sweater! And little boots! :)

LOVE the boots! And flip flops are a permanent part of footgear in college. The showers, you know.

>165 Crazymamie: I wore flip flops in college, but only in the summer. I wore socks and shoes in the winter, to keep my feet warm. Sometimes 2 pairs of socks. It makes me sad to see teenagers and young adults walking around in the snow practically barefoot. It hasn't been all that long since many parents had to work very hard to make sure that their children had shoes to wear in the winter. Now they have to work hard to make their children wear shoes in the winter.

I cannot imagine wearing flip flops in the winter in your neck of the woods.

>167 Crazymamie: Sure you can. Just close your eyes and feel your feet as blocks of ice. There, easy.

>167 Crazymamie: And you're definitely not supposed to wear flip flops on your neck. Or in the woods, the snakes will get ya. And the vicious toe-eating bunnies.

>169 lunacat: I would never, ever wear flip flops in the woods. I'm terrified of snakes!

>169 lunacat: Ok, Jenny, let's think about whether it is at all likely that I will be in any woods. Ever.

>170 cbl_tn: I am also terrified of snakes. No. Just no to snakes. And to the woods.

I wear flip-flops (or go barefoot) in the woods all the time when it's above 60°. Barefoot is my preferred state of being and living on a farm with lots of woods, it just happens. It makes me so happy. Except for right now when thinking about it is making me sad because it's soooo cold.

I will admit that I've been wearing slip on flats without socks all winter until the other day when it turned decidedly frigid. I have feet that get really hot easily so socks and closed in shoes are the enemy.

I have Raynaud's syndrome so I have to keep my hands and feet warm in cold weather. It's hard to get them warmed up if I let them get too cold.

This week's acquisitions were both free ebooks. I'll be reading one of them next month for the American Authors challenge.

The Hunt for Nazi Spies by Simon Kitson - January's free ebook from the University of Chicago Press
Daisy Miller by Henry James - downloaded from Project Gutenberg for February's American Authors challenge

Hi Carrie! I'm glad it wasn't as cold as predicted in your neck of the woods (oh wait - are you avoiding the woods like Mamie)? We were right chilly here in Middle Georgia (north of Mamie) and were definitely in the teens the other night.

I read a goofy little book called I Could Pee On This: And Other Poems By Cats and one of the poems made me think of you and Adrian.

Most Amusing

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Hahahahahahahaha
Haha Haha Ha
That dog is wearing a sweater

I'm hoping to get to Call The Midwife this month and I just finished Nocturnes. I hope you enjoy it!

I just wanted to pop by and say I thoroughly enjoyed the sandals-in-the-winter discussion. Snarfled my coffee at >168 lunacat: and >169 lunacat:.

Meanwhile, I'll just subtly turn up the heater in Phoenix where anything lower than 70 degrees F sends me scurrying for fuzzy socks and an extra blanket.....

>175 Dejah_Thoris: I avoid the woods as much as possible when I'm surrounded by them. There are woods on both sides of the road that I pass when I walk Adrian. I have only ventured on the path in the woods in winter, when the snakes should be sleeping...

I think one of the cats from across the street wrote that poem. I'm sure I've heard them reciting it when Adrian has been out in one of his sweaters.

I hope you do get to Call the Midwife. It's wonderful!

>176 Shutzie27: Fuzzy socks are great, aren't they? I love mine!

Hi Carrie! I hadn't realized that Call the Midwife was part of a trilogy either. Huh. More books to look for! Do you know what the others are called? Nevertheless, the Jeremy Irons-narrated Brideshead Revisited is just about the audiobook investment I can think of!

I also have Reynaud's. I haven't been able to wear nail polish since it first started when I was about 12. No color looks good next to lobster red, corpse purple, or shades of black!

How is Adrian feeling today?

>178 AMQS: Hi Anne! The other two books in the trilogy are Shadows of the Workhouse and Farewell to the East End. I will keep my eye on Brideshead Revisited then.

Adrian seems to be his usual self today. His appetite is definitely back to normal.

Adrian now has a Chinese name. A visiting teacher from China attends my church. This morning I showed her some pictures of Adrian and she gave him a Chinese name - Fúwá, which translates to "blessed baby". I like it! I'll have to see what Adrian thinks...

*waving* at Carrie

>181 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Thanks for dropping by!

5. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
TIOLI #22 - Author's last name has more than 6 letters

Dylan Sharp is a young midshipman in the British Air Service and Alek is being hunted by the German army when their paths collide. They both have secrets. Dylan is really Deryn – a young woman. Alek is really Aleksandar Ferdinand, son of Austro-Hungarian Archduke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Deryn is on her way to mastering flight in the air ships fabricated by the Darwinists out of living organisms. Alek is on his way to mastering the mechanical walking beasts used by the Clankers as war machines. If they are to have any hope of achieving their goals, they must become unlikely allies.

This was my first venture into the steampunk genre and I had no idea it would be so much fun. The time period is recognizable as the early weeks of World War I, although Westerfeld changes many of the historical details to fit the alternate world he's created. The afterword identifies which parts of the story are real and which parts are imaginary. I see more steampunk in my future, even if it's only the other two books in Westerfeld's trilogy. Although the ending isn't exactly what I would call a cliffhanger, there are secrets left to be revealed in the other books in the trilogy. Since Deryn and Alek are both 15, middle school students would seem to be the target audience for the book. There's plenty of action and adventure for boys, a strong female protagonist for girls, and an alternate world/history with crossover appeal for adults.

4 stars

Carrie, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Leviathan when I read it a few years ago. The whole trilogy is really clever and well done.

>184 katiekrug: I'm looking forward to the next two books. It's a nice follow-up to all of the WWI reading I did last year.

>85 cbl_tn: What a lovely photo!

>186 Whisper1: Thanks Linda!

>183 cbl_tn: I'll admit I'm intrigued. I probably would've never even glanced at Steampunk on my own, but this has squirted some WD-40 on the hinges of my mind.

Hi Carrie - Well, it's about 0 degrees F. here today, but it is supposed to get warmer this week.

Leviathan sounds good.

We're back to school today. Have a lovely week.

>188 Shutzie27: I think you might like this one. It's a quick read so it's not a huge investment of time.

>189 BLBera: Hi Beth! It's in the low 40s here, and very rainy. Adrian doesn't like going out in the rain. I don't blame him! I don't enjoy it either, but some things just have to be done. I hope everything runs smoothly on your first day back. Our biggest headaches at the beginning of the semester involve reserves - professors who forget to submit their reserve lists and/or don't check ahead of time to make sure we actually own the books they want to place on reserve.

>190 cbl_tn: Professors who ... don't check ahead of time to make sure we actually own the books they want to place on reserve.

For some reason I found that particularly funny.... I hope all goes smoothly today and that it stops raining for Adrian's sake.

>191 Dejah_Thoris: One day I'll find it funny too, but probably not until I retire!

6. Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth
TIOLI #6 - Book with a "beginning" word in the title

Some of us are lucky to have defining periods in our lives, a time that forever remains the center and from which we measure the rest of our lives as “before” and “after”. For Jennifer Worth, that time seems to be the 1950s when she worked as a midwife in London's East End while living in a nun's convent. This was a transitional period for the community as well. Many of the tenements had been condemned and residents were biding their time until their relocation. Worth recalls the difficulties of adjustment, the primitive working conditions by today's standards, the lessons she absorbed through observation of the nuns and their methods, the occasional interpersonal conflicts that result from living and working in close quarters, and the joy she experienced as she formed deep and lasting friendships.

Readers familiar with the television series based on the books will notice a few small differences between the book and the show. The book itself has an episodic feel, with each chapter describing specific incidents from Worth's experiences. The books and the television series remind me of a much-loved favorite, All Creatures Great and Small. They have similar nostalgic elements that recall a community and a way of life that now exist only in memories. Worth has captured her memories with words that have the power to transport readers to that place and time.

4.5 stars

Great review, Carrie! I will definitely get to Call the Midwife this year!. I also have All Creatures Great and Small as an audiobook from the library. I never saw the show, but the narrator played James Herriot on the show. James Herriot's Treasury for Children was a favorite read aloud for the girls.

professors who forget to submit their reserve lists and/or don't check ahead of time to make sure we actually own the books they want to place on reserve Sounds familiar. But you should have them, right?

>194 AMQS: I love the All Creatures Great and Small audiobooks read by Christopher Timothy! I used to have most of the series on audio cassette and we'd listen to them in the car on trips. The show is available for streaming on Netflix.

We would have these books if someone had asked us to buy them with a few weeks advance notice. :)

Just stopping by to say hi, Carrie! Looks like all's well here.

>196 Carmenere: Hi Lynda! I'm guessing all is well there, too, since OSU won last night!

Just catching up with your thread, Carrie. Flip flops in the snow - I thought it was bad enough seeing people in tee shirts when it is close to freezing but at least they are usually wearing more than flip flops on their feet. Maybe that's because it rains so much here and all the girls want to wear their latest boots.

>193 cbl_tn: I just loved that book. The stories she told stick with me now 2 years after reading it! A friend got married who requested that gifts (if they must be given) be red. I gave her that book and her husband a different book, seeing as I had read them. :) Any excuse to give a book!

>199 LovingLit: Puntastic way to handle that! :-)

>198 Familyhistorian: Flip flops are rain wear here too. I hardly ever see anyone wearing boots. :(

>199 LovingLit: What a great idea! If I'm ever in that situation I'll know what to do thanks to your example. :)

>200 Shutzie27: I agree! Hope your week is going well.

I haven't read as much as usual this week. I haven't been feeling well and I've watched TV more than I've read. It seemed to be more than allergies and not progressing like a typical cold. I ended up making an appointment to see my doctor today. I didn't have the right symptoms for flu, but the doctor did a flu test anyway. I don't have flu. Just an upper respiratory infection. Hopefully the antibiotic will kick in quickly and I'll be back to normal by Monday. I'm fixing chicken and rice soup for dinner. I hope to finish The Porcelain Thief this evening and then start on Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death. I wasn't planning to read it just yet but then I learned that Mystery on PBS will be showing a British series based on this book starting on Sunday. I want to finish at least the first of the six stories before watching the first episode of the TV series.

Hope the chicken soup works. Rest up and get well quick.

>203 tututhefirst: Thanks Tina! I have my fingers crossed that it works. )Well, the soup and the Z-Pak!)

It's good to know you don't have the flu, but it probably doesn't make you feel any better. It must be awful if you don't want to read. Feel better soon, Carrie.

I'm planning to make a big pot of soup this weekend. I just haven't decided which variety yet.

Aw, feel better soon, Carrie! Snuggles with Adrian and some soup can only help.

Sorry to hear you haven't been well, Carrie.

I want to finish at least the first of the six stories before watching the first episode of the TV series.

Oh, man - there are so many things I don't / haven't watched because I haven't read the book yet... :)

Hope you feel better soon, Carrie

>205 Donna828: Thanks Donna! I didn't think I had flu and I was a little surprised that my doctor wanted to test for it, but he's had one or two other patients who tested positive for flu without running a fever. I was fairly certain I had an infection and the doctor agreed with my diagnosis. ;)

>206 thornton37814: This is great soup weather. I'm glad I had one package of chicken left in the freezer.

>207 rosalita: I think Adrian is getting a little impatient with me. I don't always feel like playing when he wants to play. I felt better earlier this evening so I played fetch/keep-away with him for a while. (I try to play fetch, and Adrian tries to play keep-away.)

>208 lyzard: Exactly! My Netflix queue is filled with DVDs that I will bump to the top of the list as soon as I've read the book!

>209 katiekrug: Thanks Katie!

This is definitely soup weather, guess it is that time of year. I made minestrone yesterday, a big pot that will keep my son and I fed for a few days.

Sorry to hear that you're not feeling well, Carrie. Hoping that you are feeling better very soon.

>202 cbl_tn: Oh no, hopefully the Z-pack and soup will fix you right up. I can't read when.I'm not feeling well, either.

>208 lyzard: I have the same problem. You would not believe the fool I've made of myself trying to avoid Gone Girl spoilers. I even interrupted a stranger in front of me in a line who was talking to her friend about the movie!

Sorry to hear that you're under the weather, Carrie. I hope that you're feeling well enough to enjoy the nice weekend we have ahead of us.

>211 Familyhistorian: Minestrone sounds great!

>212 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! I'm already feeling better this morning.

>213 Shutzie27: Either the chicken soup or the antibiotic has worked its magic. Or maybe both. I haven't read Gone Girl yet either so the movie will have to wait.

>214 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl! I feel much better this morning than I did 24 hours ago. I am thankful to live in the era of antibiotics. I look forward to the day the sun appears again. If the weather is nice enough, I will likely take Adrian for a walk on the cross country track. He's been shortchanged on walks so far this week and we both could use the exercise.

I was too sleepy to finish The Porcelain Thief last night. However, I woke up early this morning and finished it before breakfast. The review will have to wait until after work.

I'm sorry that you've not been well, but happy to hear that you're feeling better this morning!

Good to hear you are feeling better and in time for the weekend too!

Yay for feeling better :)

Glad to hear it's not the flu, and I hope you have a lovely weekend walk with Adrian.

>216 scaifea: Thanks Amber! I feel a bit better this evening even after a full day at work. I think it also helped that the sun finally came out today. Molds are my worst allergy and all of the rain and damp weather we've been having haven't helped things any.

>217 Familyhistorian: I'm hoping a relaxed weekend will have me back to normal by Monday. I should be able to read a bit since the pressure around my eyes is gone.

>218 lunacat: Thanks Jenny! We had a nice walk this evening and ran into some neighbors we haven't seen in weeks. The weather has been keeping everyone indoors, except for those of us with dogs that need to be walked in all kinds of weather.

7. The Porcelain Thief: Searching the Middle Kingdom for Buried China by Huan Hsu
TIOLI #10 - Author's name ends in U

Author Huan Hsu became interested in his family history as an adult. He was particularly fascinated by the stories he heard of his great-great-grandfather's porcelain collection that he was said to have buried on his property before fleeing from the Japanese in the 1930s. Some of Hsu's relatives believed that the porcelain was still there. Hsu became obsessed with finding the porcelain. He moved to China, got a job in his uncle's company, and devoted most of his free time to interviewing older relatives to learn more about his family's history and especially about the porcelain collection. Hsu intersperses histories of China, Taiwan, and porcelain manufacturing with his family's history.

I found the historical and travel narrative portions of the book more interesting than Hsu's description of his relatives and the family porcelain. Readers learn bits and pieces of Hsu's family history in the same order that Hsu discovered it. What's missing is a synthesis and interpretation of the information. There is a strong current of hostility throughout the book, and at some points it's disturbing. I think he could have written a better story if he had been able to resolve his anger.

This review is based on an advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

3.5 stars

I read the first of 6 stories in Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death today and I think I'm going to stop with that one. The mystery is pretty elementary, the dialogue is off, and the cultural/historical references are heavy handed. A couple of examples:

Sidney had recently been to see the film Young Man wiith a Horn and noticed that Mrs. Morton's voice had all the sultriness of Lauren Bacall's.

--------------------------------

He turned on the wireless and listened to the news. The Queen had just arrived in Canada on her Commonwealth tour. The Piltdown Man had been exposed as a hoax; and the Salvation Army were about to copen a cafe in Korea. Sidney listened, ate his sausages and wondered what impact any of this information would have on the people of Cambridge.

------------------------------------

Then there is the obsession with spelling. We have characters harping on the difference between whiskey and whisky, and between discrete and discreet.

I hope the TV adaptation is an improvement over the book.

Carrie, I wish you a relaxed weekend.

>222 Ameise1: And another dog who won't get cold in the snow! Thanks Barbara! I took Adrian on a long walk on the cross country track just before lunch. It was sunny but still chilly so he wore a T-shirt instead of a sweater. :)

8. Beethoven's Tenth by Brian Harvey
TIOLI #20 - Book for discussion or review

Piano technician Frank Ryan becomes a hunted man after one of his clients gives him an old manuscript in lieu of payment for his services. When he examines the document, he discovers that it is an unknown symphony that can only have been composed by Beethoven. He can't ask his elderly client about the manuscript because she died soon after she gave it to him. Frank was one of the last people to see her alive. Before he can make up his mind what to do with the manuscript, he finds out that someone else is after it. That person seems to be willing to do just about anything to get hold of the manuscript – including murder.

This fun mystery is part of the Rapid Reads line of books aimed at adult ESL readers and adult readers with lower levels of literacy. It will work equally well for most mystery readers whose taste runs to short stories with a bit of a noir or hard-boiled flavor. I have a fondness for mysteries with a music or a hidden treasure angle, and the local color of Nanaimo adds even more to the appeal. Other than a disturbing incident involving a small dog, I really liked this book. The information on the back cover of my ARC indicates that this is the first of a series featuring Frank Ryan. I will keep an eager eye out for the next one.

This review is based on an advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

4 stars

>223 cbl_tn: Carrie, here it was snowing the whole day. There is no sun in sight.

Great reviews, Carrie -- Beethoven's Tenth looks good. Sidney Chambers and the Shadow of Death not so much. Have a great weekend.

>225 Ameise1: I hope you don't have to go anywhere! I like snow, but only when I can stay put at home.

>226 AMQS: Thanks Anne! I rarely abandon books, so that should tell you something...

>221 cbl_tn: Well, in the case of discreet vs discrete, they are two words with entirely different meanings, so I tend to harp a bit on that one as well. Whisky/whiskey, not so much. Sounds like you made a wise decision to chuck that one.

>228 rosalita: That was the character's point in the book. She asked the vicar to be discreet when he spoke to the police about her and then she gave him a spelling lecture. This was after someone (probably her) had already lectured him about the differences between whiskey with an e and without. Apparently the Irish use one spelling and the Scots use the other, so it's really stating a preferences for Irish or Scotch. The spelling lectures just seemed petty, although the whiskey/whisky difference was of some importance.

Hi Carrie! Happy weekend. That's interesting about The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet, I didn't realize they'd made a companion book to the vlog. However, I'm sad to say I've never actually watched the vlog. There's one on Emma, too, right? I should check them out sometime.

>230 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! Happy Sunday! There are several vlogs out now - The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Emma Approved, Sanditon, and in a departure from Jane Austen, Frankenstein MD. It might be interesting to read The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet in conjunction with the vlog. It fills in the blanks between episodes.

Hi, Carrie! I'm sorry to hear you've been sick, but glad to hear you're starting to feel better.

>232 tymfos: Thanks Terri! I'm not completely well yet, but I'm a lot better than I was a few days ago!

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I added two books to my total this week. Beethoven's Tenth is from the December's Early Reviewers batch. It's from the Rapid Reads series and I've already read and reviewed it. I purchased the audio of Brideshead Revisited thanks to a review on @AMQS Anne's thread. I had credit left from an iTunes gift card that covered almost all of the cost. I plan to listen to it next month for the British Authors challenge.

I LOVE Brideshead Revisited! I haven't listened to it but imagine it will be lovely.

Carrie, I'm already listening to Brideshead Revisited (CD2). So far I like it very much.
Get well soon.

>234 leahbird: >235 Ameise1: Everyone has me eagerly anticipating this book! I have the last half of a story in Nocturnes to finish and a couple of plays to listen to before I get to Brideshead Revisited. I will probably start listening to it sometime next week.

Sorry to hear you haven't been feeling well, Carrie. Hope you're feeling better now.

>193 cbl_tn: You've hit me with a book bullet for Call the Midwife. I've somehow missed the TV series too but will probably read the book first.

>221 cbl_tn: Sorry to hear the Sidney Chambers book was a disappointment. I've been thinking of trying them but I may give them a miss now especially as I have so many other series to read!

>233 cbl_tn: I'm also hoping to read Brideshead Revisited next month so glad to hear all the positive comments about it :-)

>237 souloftherose: Hi Heather! I am feeling better. Thanks!

It would be a good idea to read all 3 books in the Call the Midwife trilogy before watching the TV series. The series follows the books fairly well, but it reached a point where all the material in the books had been used.

I'm getting ready to watch the first episode of the Grantchester series. It will surely be better than the book!

Grantchester was nice I thought but not something that I'll probably be dying to keep up with.

What did you think?

>239 leahbird: I didn't stay up to watch it on Sunday, so I just watched it this morning. It's recognizable as the same story from the book, but there are significant improvements. There are some characters that don't appear in the story I read, but maybe they show up in one of the later ones that I won't be reading. I love the location shots of Cambridge.

I just got back from getting my weekly allergy shot. The weather is gorgeous outside today. It's sunny and in the mid to upper 60s. This is why I love Tennessee so much. We get these occasional breaks from the cold during the winter. It's supposed to be colder the rest of the week. I'm glad the nice weather hit a day when I had to be out in the middle of the day!

We are having similar weather here in Dallas, but I'm complaining about it because, being a Northerner, I like my winters cold, and the least it could do here is stay under 50F. Hmph!

>242 katiekrug: This is when I need to visit my brother in Ft. Worth! The weather is usually awful when I have vacation time in the summer.

---------------------------------------------------------------

We got a good laugh this evening over two books on the new book cart: Taken at the Flood by Waterfield and Fire and Light by Burns. One of the student workers suggested putting the books next to each other in the new book display to see if anyone would notice! :)

>243 cbl_tn: *Snarfle my drink* at the book cart books! Ha!

>244 Shutzie27: :)

LOL, that's pretty funny, Carrie. One as to wonder of the influence of names...

Hi Carrie! Hope the bug that bit you is now completely gone!
I'm also reading Brideshead for the BAC. Perhaps I'll check my library for the audio. I enjoy listening at night or early morning when the hubsters is sleeping.
Lol! Here here to student workers who bring humor into their work.
Have a great day!

Another who is reading Brideshead Revisited for the BAC - I have the audio narrated by Jeremy Irons, so greatly looking forward to that.

Happy Thursday, Carrie!

Sorry for neglecting my thread for so long. I have chronic problems with light-headedness/vertigo and it cropped up yesterday afternoon. Probably a combination of allergies and fluid in my ears from last week's respiratory infection. I ended up sleeping in front of the TV yesterday evening. Today has been an much better day. My book club is meeting at my house tonight to discuss The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet. I finished the audio of Nocturnes yesterday and started listening to an audio production of Julius Caesar. I would love to finish Baking Cakes in Kigali this evening but that probably won't happen.

>246 Dejah_Thoris: I wonder if these titles were a deliberate choice on their part?!

>247 Carmenere: Another Brideshead buddy!

>248 Crazymamie: And another one! It's high time I read this book. I'm happy that Paul's British Authors challenge is finally bumping it to the top of my list!

9. Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro
TIOLI #10 - Book by an author whose name ends in I, O, or U

When I Google the definition of Nocturne, I find it is “a short composition of a romantic or dreamy character suggestive of night”. This collection of short stories is aptly titled. The stories have a “romantic or dreamy character”, and they capture their subjects at midlife making perhaps their final attempt at realizing the dreams and ambitions of their youth.

Some of the stories are melancholy, while a couple lean more toward farce. Simon Vance seems to channel Basil Fawlty in his reading of “Come Rain or Come Shine”, and that's probably why it ended up being my favorite story in the collection. Kirby Heyborne's reading of “Malvern Hills” brought former teen idol Davy Jones to mind. I think the audio version enhanced my experience with the collection and I would recommend this format to others considering this book.

3.5 stars

Next up in audio: Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

I'm sorry to hear about the dizziness - I had that for two days straight right before Christmas and then is just went away. Weird. I hope you're feeling better...

>251 scaifea: I felt much better yesterday. No dizziness today, either - just a horrible headache. Probably sinus, although it's not quite in the usual spot. It's been raining since before dawn this morning and rainy days are when I tend to get sinus headaches. I have an online meeting in a few minutes and I think I'll head for home as soon as it's over.

Carrie - I hope you feel better soon.

I was in bed with a migraine all day and my mom had a low grade headache all day too. The low pressure must be getting to us all today.

Take care of yourself, Carrie!

>253 BLBera: Thanks Beth! The headache has eased up this evening. I was able to finish a book and then watched TV for a while.

>254 leahbird: Yes, I definitely blame the weather! I hear we may get some snow overnight. It's not supposed to accumulate much here. I'm glad it's the weekend and I won't have to get out and go to work. I just hope it doesn't get bad enough that I have to fill in for the person who is scheduled to work.

>255 katiekrug: Will do Katie!

10. Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
TIOLI #3 - Food item in title

”Rwanda has suffered a terrible thing. Terrible, … bad, bad, bad. Many of the hearts here are filled with pain. Many of the eyes here have seen terrible things. Terrible! But many of those same hearts are now brave enough to hope, and many of those same eyes have begun to look towards the future instead of the past. Life is going on, every day. And for us the pluses of coming here are many more than the minuses.”

Tanzanian Angel Tangaraza is in Rwanda with her husband, Pius, a Special Consultant at the university. Both of the Tangarazas' children have died and they are raising their five grandchildren. To bring in some extra money, Angel has a cake business. A special occasion wouldn't be complete without one of Angel's cakes, and people of all backgrounds and walks of life come to her to order cakes – from diplomats to prostitutes. As they fill in their Cake Order Forms over a cup of tea, they unburden themselves to Angel. She takes an active interest in her clients' lives and she keeps her eyes open for opportunities to make them better.

The author captures Rwanda's capital as its residents begin to heal from the horrors of the 1994 genocide. Angel's position as an outsider who knows the pain of loss has the effect of inspiring confidences. Angel and her cakes become the glue that unites the international residents of her compound and its neighborhood. Angel is a lot like Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe, and I think fans of the No. 1 Detective Agency novels will want to meet Angel, too.

4 stars

Oh your little Adrian is a darling , Carrie! Ah! Tennessee, I would suspect you would not need dog clothes. Our current dog, Poppy is from a rescue in California, transferred up to Canada , and our previous dog, Daisy , came from our local Animal Shelter. She was 8 when we got her - Poppy was just a puppy. Before that we had a Border Terrier for 15 years and he had the most wonderful temperament - a great guy to live in harmony with our then young two sons. Dogs, what would we do without them!

Beethoven's Tenth sounds like a great read! I've read a couple of Rapid Reads that I've won via Library Thing and I agree, they are great books for adult readers who either did not have the chance to develop a lot of reading skills, or those who prefer a quick but relevant read.

Oh and I've visited Nanaimo several times. Parts of it have a definite local flavour, the old parts, but it's been growing by leaps and bounds. Great review!

Carrie, I'm sorry to read about the vertigo and the headache. I hope you're feeling better today.

>258 vancouverdeb: Adrian came from the Humane Society. He had either been lost or dumped. I can't imagine anyone deliberately dumping the sweet little guy, but his vet says it's common in these parts when couples divorce.

Nanaimo sounds like an interesting place! Maybe one of these days I can take a Grand Tour of Canada and see it in person!

>259 susanj67: The morning is starting out better! I don't have a lot of plans for the day so I should have plenty of time to take it easy. Just some laundry, a little light cleaning, and maybe baking a loaf of banana bread to use up the over-the-hill bananas.