Storeetllr's (Mary) Reading List-Part One

Hi! And welcome to my 2015 thread (a little late but better that than not at all, right?)! A little about me: I read a lot and have a marked taste for the fantasy and mystery genres, seasoned by a bit romance and/or horror. I also like Georgette Heyer-type romances and some scifi, especially that dealing with social issues and occasionally space opera like the Vorkosigan series, as well as some westerns like Lonesome Dove and Doc. Mercy Thompson and Matthew Swift are two of my favorite urban fantasy series protags, and Mary Doria Russell's one of my favorite authors. I like themed reads to an extent: Fantasy February, Mystery March, May Murder & Mayhem, September Series & Sequels, Halloween Horror October.

You will never see a rating of 2.5 or lower, because, if it's that unappealing, I won't finish it. I'm too old, so these days The Pearl Rule is ruthlessly applied! On the other hand, the books I do finish I tend to rate liberally.

5 stars - Excellent writing, enthralling story, enlightening/educative, emotionally satisfying. I'll probably read it again and high recommend it to anyone and everyone.

4.5 stars - Practically perfect in every way. I will actively push this book on my friends and family.

4 stars - A really great book in all respects with perhaps some minor flaws. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars - Better than average but with some flaws. Recommended.

3 stars - Average. An entertaining read but probably forgettable. Will not reread. Recommended for entertainment value to readers with similar interest.

2.5 stars - Slightly lower than average. Some aspects of the story, characters or writing troubled me, or I had a hard time staying engaged. Surprised I finished it and probably won't recommend.

Books Read in January:

1. Maplecroft by Cherie Priest. 4.5 Stars (Audio) Historical horror. Standalone. 1st in Borden Dispatches series.
2. Bossypants by Tina Fey. 4.5 stars. (Audio) Humor.
3. Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars. (eBook) Urban Fantasy. Book 2 in Psy-Changling series.
4. Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger. 3.5 stars. (Audio). Historical urban fantasy. Book 3 in Finishing School series.
5. White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz. 3.5 stars. Contemporary paranormal romance. Book 2 in Arcane Society series.
6. The Tudor Secret by C. W. Gortner. 4 stars. (Audio) Historical fiction. Standalone.
7. City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. 4.75 stars. Science fiction. Standalone.
8. Caveat Emptor by Ruth Downie. 3 stars. (Audio). Historical mystery. Book 4 in Roman Empire series.
9. The Neon Court by Kate Griffin. 4.5 stars. (eBook). Urban fantasy. Book 3 in the Matthew Swift series.
10. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews. 3 stars. (Audio). Urban fantasy. Book 1 in the Chicago Vampire series.
11. The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse by Alan Bradley (a short story). 3 stars. eBook. Historical mystery. Novella in the Flavia de Luce series.
12. Low Midnight by Carrie Vaughn. 3.5 stars. (Audio). Urban fantasy. Book 1 in the Cormac Bennett spinoff series (or Book 13 in the Kitty Norville series)
13. Witchcraft by Jayne Ann Krentz. 2.5 stars. (Audio). Contemporary romance. Standalone.
14. A Mortal Bane by Roberta Gellis. 4 stars (Audio). Historical mystery. Book 1 in the Magdalene la Batarde series.

Bolded=Highly recommended.

Books Read in February:

15. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. 4 stars. Audio. Reread. Urban Fantasy. Book 1 in the Mercy Thompson series.
16. Minority Council by Kate Griffin. 4.5 stars. eBook. Urban Fantasy. Book 4 in the Matthew Swift series.
17. Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovich. 3 stars. Audio. Urban Fantasy. Book 5 in the Rivers of London series.
18. First Man in Rome by Colleen McCollough. 0 stars. Audio ABRIDGED. Historical fiction. Standalone. All the way through, I kept thinking, "This sure isn't at all what I remember from when I read this 20 years ago!" Ha! (Note to self: BE VERY VERY CAREFUL TO CHECK ALL AUDIOBOOKS BEFORE BORROWING/BUYING THEM FROM NOW ON!!!)
19. A Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. 3.5 stars. eBook. Urban Fantasy, sort of. Standalone.
20. A Personal Devil by Roberta Gellis. 4 stars. Audio. Historical mystery. Book 2 in the Magdalene la Batarde series.
21. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley. 4 stars. Audio. Historical mystery. Book 6 in the Flavia de Luce series.
22. Bone of Contention by Roberta Gellis. 4 stars. Audio. Historical mystery. Book 3 in the Magdalene la Batarde series.
23. The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell. 4 stars. Audio. Political humor. Nonfiction.
24. The Stand by Stephen King. 4.5 stars. Audio. Urban fantasy. Standalone. Reread.
25. The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney. 3.5 stars. LTER. Print, eBook, and Audio, (Don't ask.) History. Nonfiction.
26. The Proposal by Mary Balogh. 3.5 stars. eBook. Historical romance. Part of a series.
27. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley. 3.5 stars. Audio. Historical mystery. Book 7 in the Flavia de Luce series.

Bolded=Highly recommended.

Favorite books read during January and February (1-2 per month) *hahahaha*:

City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett
The Neon Court and
The Minority Council, both by Kate Griffin

Welcome! Come on in and sit a spell ~ enjoy a warming drink and snack, chat about books or whatever else you feel like talking about. Feel free to peruse my bookshelves; there are a lot of good books there!

Found and starred! So happy that you are joining the challenge for another year. I look forward to all our bookish chats and everything else in between!
Thanks for the spread. Hopefully the hubby comes home soon so we can eat dinner. :)

Happy New Thread, Mary! Hope you are having a lovely New Year! I miss seeing you around. Sad face.

Welcome back!

Such a wonderfully warm and inviting thread on this cold Colorado evening! Great to see you back!

Glad to see you decided to set up a thread, Mary. Great drinks and snacks as well. ;).

Thanks, Val! I look forward to another year of good books and good chats too!

Mark! No sad face allowed! I'm here, just a bit busy the past 2 weeks or so ~ between the NYC trip (which took me about 4 days from which to recover) and our late Colorado family 2-day long Christmas party, I just didn't have much time (or energy) to contribute much ~ but I'm back now and will be over to your thread shortly to harass visit you!

Thanks, Jim! Glad to be back. I wasn't sure I was going to start a thread this year, but now I have one I realize how nice it is to have an LT home to come to after visiting friends on their home threads.

Thanks, Joanne! And it is cold out, that's for damn sure! I went out to buy bird pellets from the Petco at Southlands and in-the-shell almonds from a grocery store for Nickel, and also wanted to pick up a couple of wall calendars from B&N, but ended up only with the pellets as neither calendars nor unshelled almonds were still in stock!!! Tomorrow I'm going on a mission to find them, maybe going as far as the Tattered Cover for the calendars and The Bird Brain for the almonds.

Thanks, Judy! Glad you came by to say hi! Warm drinks are very welcome on such a cold night ~ I guess it's about as cold where you are as it is here. Already so over winter!

Yay! Your thread is up, Mary! And you gave your first book a 9, and it's one that I just bought in December (because Kevin Hearne said it was one of his best three reads of the year).

And that (Hearne's good review) is exactly what prompted me to give Cherie Priest another chance (after not really liking Boneshaker) and read it. It would have gotten a 10 except that it started a little slow and shaky for me. So glad I persevered! Hope you enjoy it when you get to it! I'm waiting impatiently for a copy of the new Rivers of London book to end up on my library's hold shelf for me!

Whoa, you even have a cheese platter out - classy!

So glad that you're here, Mary!!

Cheese? I'm moving in. You'll never get rid of me now..........well, until the cheese runs out anyway.

I hear d a rumor you started a 2015 thread. Well, not actually a rumor since it was your own post on Joanne's thread, but anyway ... glad you're here!

Dropping my star, Mary! I have Cherie Priest in the stacks, but not that one. Adding it to my list to check the library for. Happy Thursday, dear!

Thanks, Amber!

Come on over, Jenny, and don't worry. The cheese will NEVER run out, as I cannot survive without it and keep a good stock on hand. Currently I've got two rolls of goat cheese (one with chives and one with dried fruit), some bleu, some brie, shredded mozzarella (I'm making myself a pizza for dinner tonight), and cheddar. And I'm making a run to Trader Joe's today, where I will doubtless stock up on more cheddar, swiss, gorgonzola, and whatever other fancy or plain cheese catches my eye.

Ha! Now I'm spreading my own rumors. :) Welcome, Julia!

Thanks, Mamie! I haven't gotten over to your thread yet, and I'm sure I'm about a thousand posts behind already. Let me know your thoughts on Priest when you have finished one of hers. As I mentioned above, I'm one-for-two on her books.

>20 Storeetllr: Yay, an everlasting supply. Although I don't like either blue cheese or goats cheese so you can keep that, but I'll have the rest :)

Happy New Thread, Mary! Dropped my star, too.

Hi, Joe! Thanks!

Well, I have already read one of hers, Mary. I read Boneshaker last year and liked it, but then I really love both steampunk and zombies. And I have Bloodshot in the stacks - but the Maplecroft looks good, and the library had it, so I did request it.

Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid) listed Maplecroft as one of his top 3 books of 2014! That's why I went ahead and tried it. He picked a good'un! I've got his others on my wishlist too.

What were the other two?

Hi Mary! Glad to see you here. Glad to see the cheese, too, particularly now that you've told me your Trader Joe's cheese-buying plans:)

Hope you're having a great week. Is it snowing at your house? Hard to believe we're supposed to get MORE!

>26 Crazymamie: Cursed Moon (second in a series) and City of Stairs. Here's a link to his blog entry where he discusses the books: http://kevinhearne.com/my-best-reads-o-the-year. I have City of Stairs on hold at the library. I'm planning to read the first in the series by Wells before Cursed Moon.

>27 AMQS: Hi, Anne! Thanks. I didn't get to TJs today :( because I was being lazy and didn't get out of the house until it was almost rush hour, and so I decided to stick a bit closer to home. Tomorrow. Unless it snows a lot or the streets ice up, though I hope it's a small snow. It's not snowing here, right now anyway, but it is sleeting just a bit.

I went out yesterday to pick up a couple of wall calendars from the local B&N, but all the good ones were taken! Today I went to a B&N a bit farther afield, and ditto. Grrr. Tomorrow I'm going to try Tattered Cover. Not sure where else to find literary and/or art calendars. I definitely don't want anything puppy/kitty/horsey/squirrelly. (Nothing against those critters, just not my style for wall calendars.)

I did pick up an Audubon Songbird calendar for Nickel's room. Not that she cares, but it is colorful and, you know, birdy. I also bought a book for my niece who's birthday it happens to be today. She loves fishes, and adored the book I gave her for Christmas (https://www.librarything.com/topic/183141#4944297), and for a special birthday treat her mom took her to the Aquarium today, so the book I got her is Mommy, Where Are You?, a Look & See Book.



And, finally, I bought a jigsaw puzzle calendar kit after seeing all the fun Connie is having with her puzzle:

I'm SO glad you have a thread again this year, Mary.
>13 Storeetllr: I realize how nice it is to have an LT home to come to after visiting friends on their home threads. That was well said and so true. I love our group here even though I will never be caught up with everyone I want to visit.


ETA: Happy Birthday to Dylan. I'm so glad she loved the Ocean book you bought when we were in Evergreen. It was a fabulous book. I wanted it! ;-)

I know what you mean, Donna. I wanted to keep it! In that couple of months between Evergreen and Christmas, I must have played with it a dozen times, though I was trying to keep it pristine. :)

Thanks for your kind words about my home thread. I'm glad too, though I am not planning to even try this year to keep up with everyone I want to keep up with, including my own thread. I'm just going to do the best I can and be gentle with myself when I fall behind.

>7 Storeetllr: That lounge looks very welcoming Mary. Looking forward to a good reading year and following along with you as usual, xx

Doesn't it, Paul? I could just sink into that lovely overstuffed chair with a book and cup of something hot and never move till spring!

When I was at the TC on 12/26, the calenders weren't discounted yet. I asked and was told mid-January. You might give them a call. The good news is they probably still have stock.

Oh, that is splendid news, Joanne! I'm in no huge rush, because the Ansel Adams calendar I had for 2014 includes January 2015, but I do want to get a couple (one for the kitchen with a foodish theme and one for my office with something artistic) before they all disappear from the shelves. I'll give them a call tomorrow to find out if they have set a date yet.

>28 Storeetllr: Oh, thanks for that, Mary! Happy Friday to you!

Oh! It is Friday! For some reason, I got up thinking it was Thursday. Dang, where do the days go? Anyway, happy Friday to you too! And thanks for reminding me what day it really is, Mamie!

So, I was checking out FB while having my morning coffee, and I saw this article on the dwindling of Monarch Butterflies and what we all can do to help. I plan to plant a whole bunch of milkweed this spring (and hope the gardener doesn't pull it up mistaking it for an actual weed). https://www.organicconsumers.org/news/rescue-strategy-hatching-dwindling-monarch...



I also saw this article about the differences between reading lists from a hundred years ago and today and thought it was interesting. Not sure I completely agree with the author's conclusion, but it's something to think about. http://www.better-ed.org/blog/middle-school-reading-lists-100-years-ago-vs-today.



And, finally, I wanted to share this article on the future of the printed book or, as RichardDerus calls them, dead-tree books (http://www.techvibes.com/blog/duncan-stewart-deloitte-2015-anti-tech-prediction-2015-01-02), which I read in conjunction with this article about the harmful effects of reading on a screen (or watching TV) just before bed (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/23/reading-before-bed_n_6372828.html), all of which bodes well for the continuing health of the printed book publishing industry.

All pretty interesting reading for a Friday (thanks, Mamie) morning!

>37 Storeetllr: Maybe you should put a marker in front of the milkweed you plant to make it clear it's not to be pulled up - like a herb marker but with whatever you want written on it. We don't have Monarchs over here, and our garden is too small to do any kind of productive planting for wildlife (it's postage stamp size) but I'd like to get my mum to put some space aside as a wildflower bed when she finally gets her garden done. We've got to get her house sorted first though.

I definitely don't agree with the article about books from 100 years ago versus today. It's right that up to date books should be read now, in keeping with the times and with the issues children are dealing with. And of course the language is different, though I don't see why simplistic is a particular problem. Our speech has changed, our language has changed, and the way children are taught has changed. Would the author like us to go back to rote learning and spouting out facts with no consideration for the issues behind them? A generation of children who can't think for themselves? I'm all for challenging children, but I think a better thing is to engage them, to help them understand social issues and to connect with them on their level rather than overwhelming them with language and sentences that isn't appropriate.

Oops. A bit of a rant there, sorry!

I'm in total agreement with you, Jenny. Required reading shouldn't put kids off reading like it did when I was in high school and had to read some dusty old boring tome. (I chose An American Tragedy, an absolute wrong choice for a 15-year old! Put me off reading classics for DECADES.)

ETA no worries ~ rant away!

Hi Mary!

Love all the food and those hot drinks are perfect for today.

I don't have a thread over in 75 this year but I did start a thread for the Navajo Mystery/Longmire year long read and I made a thread over in the 2015 Challenge group last October for this year. That's where I am tracking my reading. I hope to have some free time to visit a little more since I'm only keeping up with one thread.

Looking into those Hearne recommendations. Thanks for posting the link!

Well, for once I'm ahead of the game. I planted the two milkweed plants just before the last rain (visitors to my thread last year may remember I left them in their pots until the last monarch chrysalis emerged) and haven't been out since my fall (which took place right next to them) to see how they are doing in the ground. It's supposed to rain tonight, which would be good. Otherwise I may need to gimp my way out there to water them.

Hi, Roberta! Welcome, and glad you found the link to Hearne's recommendation helpful. I'll look for you in the Challenge Group and on the Navajo Mystery thread. Haven't read Longmire yet, but the Leaphorn/Chee series is one of my all-time favorites. In fact, I've been inspired to begin to reread them (some for the third time) this year.

Yes, I was thinking of you when I saw the article, Roni. The milkweed should do fine year-round in SD. I think it can even survive, dormant, our Colorado winters.

I'm already starting to plan for this spring's garden. I'm reading Straw Bale Gardens by Joel Karsten and think I'm going to try it this year. For one thing, you are able to plant a couple of weeks earlier than usual, because the heat from the composting that goes on inside the straw bales keep many seedlings from dying in spring frost (in conjunction with a plastic cover). Even hot weather plants like tomatoes can be planted a bit earlier than usual, according to the book. Most of the work is done in the set-up, because there's no bending and not any (or much) weeding and pest problems. My kinda gardening!

I wonder if milkweed plants would survive in Alberta??

Good question, Val. Coming from SoCal, I'm not fully conversant on gardening in a cold climate yet.

So, last night's listened to all six episodes the BBC radio adaptation of Good Omens and enjoyed it a lot. Very well done. I had some trouble with the sound but I think it might have been something with my tablet. Here's the link to the show- http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04knt4h/episodes/guide

>44 Storeetllr: Have you heard the BBC radio adaptation of Neverwhere? It's absolutely brilliant.

Oh! I have heard of it, but I haven't listened to it yet. Thanks so much for the reminder, Jenny! I'm going to go look for it, maybe listen to it tonight. (Neverwhere is one of my favorite audiobooks. I also enjoyed it in print form, but I especially loved hearing Neil himself read it. Also Graveyard Book. *sigh* Good times!)

>37 Storeetllr:, >43 jolerie: Chiming in to the milkweed discussion. I subscribe to a monarch listserv via MonarchWatch, and the recommendation is to plant only milkweed that is native to your region. The reason for this is that native milkweed is more compatible with the local seasonal cycle, while non-native has the potential to mess up the monarch life cycle. A couple of resources found in a quick search as a starting point:

http://monarchbutterflygarden.net/milkweed-plant-seed-resources/ (US & Canada)
http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/milkweeds-by-state/ (US only)

I posted on Valerie's site, after your question on my thread, Mary, that both Asclepias purpurascens (Purple Milkweed) and common Milkweed are hardy in her growing zone.

Checking Katherine's resources, I see that what I have is tropical milkweed, and once it's established, I should probably cut it back.

Thanks so much everyone! I think this is going to be my spring project with the boys. Will have to chat with my local garden centre to see if they can help me out with more info. :D

>47 qebo: Thanks so much for the links, Katherine. I'll be studying the pages in more detail as winter merges into spring.

>48 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

>49 jolerie: Yay!

Well, my reading has been a bit slow the first half of the month, and I finished only five so far. Here are my mini-reviews:

1. Maplecroft by Cherie Priest. 4.5 Stars (Audio) - Lovecraftian tale of Lizzie Borden versus Cthulu. Actually really scary gothic horror. After the first few chapters, when I was still struggling with the multiple character viewpoints in alternating chapters, I fell into it, was caught, and didn't emerge until the end. (Kind of stupid, but maybe a little punny?)
2. Bossypants by Tina Fey. 4.5 stars. (Audio) - Read the first few chapters on Kindle until someone suggested the audio version was so much better. It was. Funny stuff, even if just a tad dated.
3. Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars. (eBook) - Book 2 in the Psy/Changling Series. Other than skipping over a total of a dozen or so pages containing steamy sex scenes, this story was a bit above the norm. I liked that it made sense without my having to strain my credulity too much. (Obviously, this is fantasy, so nothing was "real," but, when I say it made sense I mean that it made sense within the construct of the world it was set in as well as within the psyche of the characters.) Having read the last couple out of order, I'm now filling in by starting from the beginning. I hope 3-8 or thereabouts is as good.
4. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger. 3.5 stars. (Audio) Fun but for some reason not as appealing as earlier books in the series, I think because it's set mostly outside the school, and many of the usual characters weren't there. Also a little too much focus on Sophronia's crush on Felix, though Sophronia is really coming into her talents in this one, to the extent she is being courted by a potential sponsor. The end was a surprise, if you weren't paying attention to all the foreshadowing along the way, which I apparently was not.
5. White Lies by Jayne Ann Krentz. 3.5 stars. A novel in the contemporary Arcane Society series set in Arizona, this one features a heroine who isn't cookie-cutter same as all her other heroines, a mystery that held together pretty well, a hero I liked, and not too many pages of sex, though all the villains were as usual over-the-top nasty and I sort of figured out the major villain before the denouement. Still, I enjoyed it in all its mindless fluff.

Currently getting close to the end of the audio version of The Tudor Secret by C. W. Gortner, and starting The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse, a Flavia DeLuce short story, and City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett (which is one of Kevin Hearne's "best of 2015" picks), both on Kindle.

Five is good going! It's more than I managed in the first six months of last year so don't sell yourself short.

Can winter hurry up and merge into spring please?

Hi, Jenny! I know five isn't anything to sneeze at, but I'm in a bit of a reading slump ~ not really !!!EXCITED!!! about anything ~ and just a bit anxious that I may run out of things I want to read. As if...

We're in a heat wave at the moment ~ temps in the 50s and 60s (F) during the days! So easy to believe spring is on its way. Haha, I know next week (or sooner) we'll be back in the deep freeze.

>52 Storeetllr: Same here. I'm powering through the books and hoping something will re-ignite me, but I feel like I'm treading water for the sake of keeping my hand in. The trouble is, if I stop reading I won't pick it up again for months, so it's essential I keep going, but then I feel like it's a requirement and not a joy.

*sigh*

We had temperatures around that last year. Now we are around 35F (0-3C) with high winds. Lovely. Spring..............please?

Oh! I hate reading slumps! It doesn't happen often, but when it does ~ ugh! Talk about putting someone in a bad mood.

Wishing for warm sun and trees in leaf and bud, reading books on gardening, going to the local agricultural extension website for ideas, looking at seed catalogs. Oh, yes, I'm right there with you, Jenny, dreaming of spring!

>54 Storeetllr: Ahhh, Spring. I'm there. Shall we picnic first or go for a quick, chilly dip?

I was in a horrible slump last year so I'm determinedly not letting myself get into one now. It's a struggle. I hate brains sometimes.

Oh, the dreaded reading Slump. I am not ready to declare myself in one quite yet, but I have really slowed down this week. I have turned to graphic novels hoping that will ignite my enthusiasm.

Oh, I'm ready for spring! The warmer temps have been nice, but we need more to melt the frozen lake at the bottom of our driveway.

That beats what I see when I look out of my window... ;)

I do hope you find a book that hooks you, Judy! I think I remember being in a bit of a slump last January too. I wonder if it has to do with the post-holiday season let down that some people suffer.

Me too, Anne! It's beautiful today, but I can't enjoy it as much as I should because I just KNOW it's going back to frigid soon. Though I was able to open my bedroom window for fresh air the past couple of nights. It was cold, but not unbearably so, and I prefer my room to be a bit cool at night as opposed to hot and stuffy. I can always pile on the blankets and comforters, put on a second pair of jammies, wear woolen socks and a hat, if it's necessary, but when it's too stuffy...

Same here, Jenny. Same here.

6. The Tudor Secret by C. W. Gortner. 4 stars. (Audio) Brendan Prescott, a foundling taken in by the Dudley family, is brought to the court of King Edward to be Robert Dudley's manservant, just before the gruesome death of the young and sickly king and the subsequent fight for the crown between the king's guardian Lord Dudley, the Duke of Northumberland, who attempts to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne, and the king's Catholic sister Lady Mary. But what dark secret does Lady Dudley know about Brendan, and why is William Cecil and the Duchess of Suffolk (Lady Jane Grey's mother) so interested in this unimportant, family-less young man? I enjoyed the story of Brendan as he spies for Cecil, helps keep Princess Elizabeth safe, helps put the rightful queen on the throne and unravels his own murky history. I hope it turns into a series.

Happy Saturday, Mary! Finally checking in with you! Hope all is well. It looks like your reading is coming along fine and that makes me very pleased.

Found you and starred you!

Hi, Paul Mark! Hope your 2-day holiday weekend has gotten off to a stellar start!

Welcome, Connie! Thanks for the star and hope to see you around here often! Have you started your own thread yet? I got a late start due to a trip to NYC for the holidays and then a late holiday celebration here in Colorado, so I'm already way behind and trying hard to catch up, and it's only mid-January. *sigh*

ETA that I found your 75er thread, Connie, but I don't seem to be allowed to post on it, or even star it. :(

Edited to fix to whom I was addressing my first comment.

I'm not quite ready for Spring yet. Winter is mild here in Houston and Spring lasts about two weeks and then the heat and humidity ramp up.

I'm struggling to read right now too. I'm liking what I'm reading but it is so slow going.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday Mary.

Totally get that, Roberta! When I lived in the L.A. area, the end of winter hardly mattered to me either, except in spring we could plant more flowers and strictly summer crops (like tomatoes). Now though, in frigid Colorado, a whole different attitude!!!

I'm struggling to read right now too. I'm liking what I'm reading but it is so slow going.

That describes it perfectly!

My daughter posted this on my FB page, and I thought it worth a share here. Especially here, maybe. :)

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-bookstores-in-the-world-2014-2014-2

I've been to two of these: The Strand in NYC (see pic below) and Boulder Books in Boulder (at last year's meet-up during Booktopia!!! see https://www.librarything.com/topic/161364#4692335), but now there is a whole long list of other bookstores I see I need to get to. Someday...

Hi Mary! Love those bookstores -- definitely on the list of places to visit at some point! I would grumble that the Tattered Cover is not on that list, but the Tattered Cover has definitely diminished since its glory days at one location in Cherry Creek: four stories of awesomeness (basement entirely devoted to children's literature) and levels 1,2, and 3) and then the wonderful restaurant The Fourth Story up on... well, the fourth story. Looked like an intimate library. While I still love it, it ain't like it used to be. *sniff*

Enjoying the warmer temps? Don't blow away!

Hi Mary! Looks like you've read a lot of interesting books already this year. :) Looking forward to seeing what else you read. Happy weekend!

>63 Storeetllr: That is strange! I would not know why you can't post or star. I have no problems with that even if I'm not a group member. Maybe it has something to do with the .nl versus .com?

Excellent. I'm definitely going to try and get to Alnwick at some point. I have been as there is an amazing castle there (used for some of the filming of Harry Potter) but I was only a child so I'd love to go again. I'm sure I could talk my mum into it as she is as big a book-hoarder as I am.

I'd like to get to some of the European ones as well but they'll have to go onto the bucket-list rather than the 'definitely going to do' list like Alnwick.

>63 Storeetllr: Try this link, Mary and see if you can star and post now: Connie's thread

When I'm struggling to find a calender, I search Calender.com to find one then order it from Amazon (it's cheaper.)

>67 AMQS: I wondered about TC too, Anne, though I have to say it can't match the fantastic bookstores that were listed. Wish I'd seen it back in the day...

There are two in the L.A. area that I thought should be on the list. One is The Last Bookstore, and the other is Vroman's. Here are a few pics of The Last Bookstore, which is in a space that used to be an old bank (hence the vault) that illustrate exactly why I think it should definitely have been included:

>68 The_Hibernator: Hi, Rachel! Welcome! I'm glad you came by, and I have just popped over to your thread to drop a star, though I haven't commented yet. It's late, and my brain isn't working properly. I'll be back to check out what you've been reading too!

>69 connie53: I bet it does, Connie! Thanks to Mamie (>71 Crazymamie:), I'll be over to check it out shortly.

>70 lunacat: Oh! Take lots of pictures and let me know when you do so I can visit Alnwick vicariously through you!

>71 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I'll be over soon to see if that works.

>72 Morphidae: Thanks, Morphy. I may have to resort to online ordering if I can't find anything at a brick and mortar store.

So, I started back at a gym today after my last gym closed in November. This one is called The Trails (https://www.aprd.org/), and I like it a lot! I took "Gentle Yoga" today, a 45-minute "Silver Sneaker" class that uses chairs rather than mats (which is better for old bones and joints like mine). So, Mondays will be yoga, Wednesdays an arthritis exercise class to help with arthritis, and Thursday a water exercise class in one of the pools. Those are going to be my starting points on the road to getting into shape. Note I didn't say "getting back into shape," because I don't think I ever was really in shape, even when I was a teen. (I hated phys.ed. in high school.) I might have had a nice figure back then, but no muscles lurked beneath the curves. :) Hoping to change that. Actually, if I ever do develop muscle strength, they will not be lurking beneath "curves" but more along the lines of bulges. Still, it's a step in the right direction. Best of all, it's free through my Medicare provider here in Colorado!

As it says in a brochure: "The facility offers top of the line equipment, racquetball courts, a running track, pottery studio, art room, climbing tower, babysitting services, multi-purpose rooms and an 18,000 square foot aquatics area including: lap pool, leisure pool, activity pool, water slides, lazy river, hot tub, steam room and dry sauna. Outside the facility patrons may enjoy open space and a neighboring skate park."

Anyway, here's a pic of one of the indoor pools.

Free gym? That's very cool. I hope it can help with the arthritis etc. I'm procrastinating about joining a gym - it'll probably take me another year before I make a decision! My excuse currently is that I've had a rubbish start to the year, but I'm not sure how that ties in with not joining the gym. Oh well ;)

Like that list of bookstores, Mary. Woo, we've got our work cut out for us. Sorry to hear from Anne that the Tattered Cover ain't what it used to be. I still haven't been there. I'd add the Elliot Bay Bookstore in Seattle to the list. We liked the funky old one in Pioneer Square, but the relocated one on Capitol Hill is awfully good, too.

Wow, Mary! Those are great pictures of the bookstore in the L. A. area - very cool! And your gym looks pretty amazing, too. Wishing you the best of luck in your endeavors to get into shape - I need to get back to it, too. I was doing so well walking every day until it just got way too hot, and so we stopped for the temps, but now the temps are fine and I am still not walking. The funny thing is that I felt so much better when I was walking every day - you would think I would just get back out there and do it already.

That's so awesome to hear, Mary! Good on you for starting on the journey to feeling better! I'm committed to not just look better, but really to feel better. I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines.

And that LA bookstore is to die for........sigh.

>75 Storeetllr: That's a great looking pool, Mary. If the rest of the gym is anything like it you've found a terrific one. I will be cheering next to Valerie!

And so good to see that you have found my thread!

>75 Storeetllr: Good for you, Mary! My old Y has finally been replaced by a brand new fancy one (at the same price for the next year to current members) and I can't even go to it now until my ankle heals!! Not that I'd been doing that good about getting to the old one. I applaud your goals. That chair yoga class sounds right up my alley.

Ooooh! So many visitors! What a nice surprise to get online after a morning of cleaning and rearranging stuff and find your lovely comments. (I should post pictures here more often! ;-)

>76 lunacat: I am not really a "gym" person, either, Jenny, and don't have the money to buy a membership even if I were, but some Medicare providers have plans that offer what is called "Silver Sneakers," which is a good way to help seniors on a fixed income to stay healthy and fit. My Medicare plan offers it, and it would be a real shame to not use it. Of course, I could count on my ten fingers and ten toes the number of times I've actually used it in the past year and a half. :) I mean to get serious, though, and now seems as good a time as any.

>77 jnwelch: Yes, we do have work to do, Joe. I like Tattered Cover anyway, even if it isn't as amazing as it was, and I hope you can make it to Denver one day so we can have meet-ups there, and at Evergreen Books (another really cool small indie bookstore in Evergreen), and Boulder Books! We could do a bookstore tour with you! I've never been to Seattle, but, if I ever get round that way, I'll have to check out Elliot Bay too. So many bookstores, so little time.

>78 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I felt so good yesterday, even after only the one short session. I know what you mean, though, about how hard it is to get back into the habit after stopping for awhile. I joined a Bally's six months after I moved here, went a few weeks before we started looking for a new place and I got distracted, and six months went by before I found another gym that was closer. I went to that one for a few weeks, then it closed. Two-and-a-half months later, I'm finally starting again at a new one. I just hope nothing happens this time to interrupt my going!

>79 jolerie: Thanks, Val! You've been doing so well with your running regimen that it inspired me to get back to my admittedly less-ambitious exercise regimen.

>80 connie53: Thanks, Connie! It is an amazing pool! I'm hoping to bring my niece sometime ~ I think she'd have a blast! The lap pool is a separate pool and much more businesslike and, you know, adult. And yes, the rest of the place is similarly amazing. I'm glad too that I found your thread and can now post. Pesky little things, web address suffixes!

>81 ronincats: I hope you can get back to the Y soon, Roni! Does the new one have a pool? I bet water exercises would be a great way to start exercising after your ankle heals enough.

OK - you'll be so proud that you got me inspired. So I did walk today - just 2.5 miles, but it's a start. Thanks, Mary!

Howdy Mary! Love the book porn! Good luck on the workout routine. Get into a good groove, my friend.

Is there reading going on over here or did I miss something?

Mary, you are inspiring me as well. I have been trying to get out for more walks but the weather just doesn't always cooperate. I am getting pretty good at the stationary bike, but I love getting out into the fresh air.

Yay, Mamie!!!! Well done! And don't denigrate your accomplishment. 2.5 miles is 2.45 miles more than I'm able to do just now, so start or not, to me it's mag!

Hi, Mark! Book store porn, yes! And, yes, indeed, I am reading though not talking about it much lately. I finished City of Stairs, one of Kevin Hearne's top 3 for 2014, a couple of days ago, and liked it a lot. Now I'm listening to Caveat Emptor, the fourth in the historical mystery series about a Roman doctor (Medicus) in Britain in the time of Hadrian. On Kindle, I've got The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse, a short story in the Flavia de Luce series. The hardcover of King's Revival is waiting for me to pick it up from the library, and I'm waiting for my holds on the Kindle version of The Neon Court (third in the Matthew Swift/Electric Blue Angel series) and the audio of Foxglove Summer, most recent in the Rivers of London series, to come up. I know YOU have been having a lot of book loving experiences over at your thread lately too.

Yay, Judy! Yes, well, weather is often either too hot or too cold, or it's raining or snowing. That's why I basically exercise indoors most of the time. Fresh air is fine, but I like it best when I'm sitting in a comfy lounge chair reading a good book in the dappled shade with a soft summer breeze rustling through the branches. :) Sorry, I know I am a fitness philistine, but there it is. I'm all for stationary bikes and elipticals and "gentle yoga" classes inside a dimly lit room with soft (usually New Age, of course) music playing. And indoor pools within steps of hot tubs.

It's supposed to snow tomorrow. Joy. I WILL get to my Wednesday exercise class, then come home, make myself a nice hot bowl of soup and maybe a grilled cheese sandwich (which I've been craving), and watch the third episode in the miniseries of James Clavell's Shogun on video. After having read and loved the novel last year, it's great to see this pretty-much true-to-the-book adaptation.

Speaking of the Rivers of London series, I am finally getting to Broken Homes. It's been nearly a year, since I read the 3rd. Bad Mark!

I have Revival saved on audio, but I think I will hold off a couple months before I get to it.

I think you're very smart, Mark, to space yourself on the Rivers of London series. I usually read every book in a series that is new to me one right after the other, then must wait months if not years for the next. I think you will enjoy Broken Homes.

I don't even know what Revival is about, but I heard good things about it, and it's, you know, Stephen King, so put a hold on it right away.

Your new gym looks great Mary! I'm not a gym person myself, mostly because I would hate going by myself. One of these days I might get over that!

My problem with things like gentle yoga is I normally doze off in the middle of the class which isn't quite the idea. I fear I'd fall asleep just as easily on a chair as on the floor, but I'd make more noise about it!

I hope that with a cheerleading squad here you'll be able to keep up with it and get the full benefit. And who knows, maybe I'll join you......OK, who am I kidding ;)

Totally get that, Joanne. I have had to force my way through it, though, because otherwise I'm afraid that soon I won't be able to get around at all, and I do love my independence! Trails is mainly for residents of Centennial, but residents of other cities are also welcome, just for a bit higher fee. If you ever feel like going to look at it, let me know and I'll join you there.

Haha, Jenny, I almost fell asleep at the end when we had our meditation exercise.

So, I am not going to make it to Wednesday's class. It's snowing, and there's already a few inches on the ground here. I think the snow should end and it will be nice enough for me to get to the water exercise tomorrow. I hope so anyway! (Just One Damned Thing After Another could be my motto.)

>66 Storeetllr: You know, of course, that you can visit #16 on that list if you come to next year's Iowa City MLK Weekend Meet-Up. Just sayin' ...

That would be so much fun, Julia! I'll put it on my calendar as a remainder and maybe I can make that happen. It would be great to see you again, and to meet everyone else.

Jenny (Lunacat) over on her thread asked the question: what normal everyday noises make you smile? I posted an answer and noticed that, all of a sudden, just thinking about these sounds and listing them made me feel incredibly calm and happy. So, these are mine (expanded, as I've since thought of more than I posted on Jenny's thread). What normal everyday sounds make you feel warm and fuzzy?

The sound of Nickel saying, "Whatcha doin', Mary?" or any of the other dozens of things she says, sometimes out of the blue and exactly when I need cheering up, or when I'm giving her a head scritch and she moans with pleasure. The sound of my niece Dylan giggling also fills me with joy. I love the sound of a distant train in the night, the sound of the ocean, both when the sea is gentle and when waves are crashing on the shore. I love the sound of a roaring waterfall in spring, the tinkling of a brook, of birdsong on a warm spring morning, of leaves rustling in a warm summer breeze, of rain gently falling in the night when I'm safe and cozy in bed, the crackling of a fire in the fireplace on a cool evening, of a book's pages being turned, the purr of a cat, the chunk of a shovel turning over soil in the garden.

That's a great list of wonderful sounds! Ocean waves and far away trains are heaven to me. The wind moving through a pine forest is another.



Skye and Nickel and Mary (and my husband in the corner)

Here's a picture from a little LT pet meet and greet yesterday. Mary was volunteering with the Gabriel Foundation at a local Petco and my husband and I dropped by with our Skye to say hello. Skye didn't know quite what to make of Nickel, but Nickel was totally ready to be friends and promptly and unhesitatingly gave Skye a kiss on the nose.

I'm so glad we dropped by to see you yesterday!

Mary, I love all the comforting sounds you came up with. I'll second the giggles of little girls (and boys) and trains at night. Your new gym sounds heavenly. It almost makes me want to go on Medicare. We are still on my husband's work insurance, but if I knew of a gym with a wave pool, I'd be glad to switch over or even pay the monthly fee out of pocket.

Well, I must say, you have had the Coolest Meetup Ever!!! That picture of Skye and Nickel is super precious. We took the girls into our local pet store after our birthday lunch for their mother on Saturday and saw some beautiful Weimaraners visiting there. I'm not sure what they were promoting, but I do love those dogs. So calm and gentle.

Oh, that is the cutest picture, Joanne! Skye looks pretty serious. Nickel does too; she is very serious about giving kisses. Glad you figured out how to upload it! And glad you decided to drop by. It was wonderful to see you and to meet John and Skye.

Hi, Donna! That was definitely a Cool Meetup! Skye is such a good, well-behaved and beautiful dog! Did you go by the pet store because you or your son's family thinking about getting a(nother) dog? I don't know anything about Weimaraners (though you'd think I would since my maiden name is Weimer ~ lol).

I'm so relieved to be on Medicare and not have to worry about insurance. It's not perfect, but for $100 a month, it's a good deal, especially when a free gym membership comes with it! (If one has serious health issues, one can get a more inclusive plan from their provider that will help more with things like hospitalizations.) Even if one is still working or has insurance from another source, I think one must sign up for it at 65 or pay a penalty later. I know you have some time to go before you have to think about it, but that's always good to know.

So, I've read a few more books in the past couple of weeks. Here are my mini-reviews/thoughts on them:

7. City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett. 4.75 stars - This is one of Kevin Hearne's three favorite books from 2014, and I totally understand why. The world building was amazingly good, the magical system solid, the characters fully realized, and the underlying themes of religion and identity were deeply woven into the fabric of the story so nothing came off like sledgehammers. Highly recommended.

8. Caveat Emptor by Ruth Downie. 3 stars. (Audio) - Another fun romp through Roman Britain during the reign of Hadrian, this one has Ruso returning from Gaul with his willful British wife to be drafted to look for the a local town's tax collector who disappeared with the town's entire annual tax payment. I really didn't care for the reader (Simon Vance!!!), who made all the female characters sound like shrill, old crones, even the young ones. I'm also not enamored of the character of Tilla, Ruso's wife, and sometimes I just wanted to smack Ruso upside the head for the way he missed things that seemed so obvious, but it was an easy read about a period of time I particularly enjoy, so I'll probably continue the series but not in a hurry, and probably as a print or eBook rather than audio.

9. The Neon Court by Kate Griffin. 4.5 stars. (eBook) - This is the third installment in the Matthew Swift series, and a worthy offering it is, too. In this one, Swift, as Midnight Mayor, must stop a war between Lady Neon's deadly court and The Tribe, a group of misfits who get their power through self-mutilation and hate everyone else. I love this series so much! For a more detailed mini-review, see my post on Morphy's thread (https://www.librarything.com/topic/187004#5025071). Can't wait to start the next in the series!

10. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews. 3 stars. (Audio) - I'm not blown away by the Kate Daniels series, perhaps partly because I really don't like the reader (Renée Raudman), who reads it with too much melodrama for my taste. I don't think I'll be continuing with the series.

Howdy Mary! Your gym sounds so cool and I'm glad your Medicare offers you that option.

That is such a cute photo, and Nickel is gorgeous.

How weird...........that's the third mention of Weimaraners I've seen or heard today. My best friend escorted a pair of them home on her ride today (back to another friend of ours) and a lady at my yard has an older one and a new puppy. I guess these things really do come in threes!

Hi, Roberta! Yes, it's a lovely gym. Not sure why it takes so much effort to get there more often. :)

Thanks, Jenny! How funny about the Weimaraners coming in threes. It happens that way sometimes.

They sure are cute little critters.

That's such a cute photo. When our dog Daisy was little people used to think she was a Weimaraner. I used to think it was odd (she's a Staffordshire Bull Terrier) but looking at that picture I can see the resemblance.

Aw, look at that sweet face! Are Daisy's eyes green?

They were a sort of bluey-grey when she was a little puppy, but they are brown now. I suppose it's like babies' eyes starting off blue.

Awww...now that is a sweet picture.

I keep hearing how good City of Stairs so I'm going to be on the lookout for that one now.

I LOVE the photo of Skye & Nickel. That is priceless. And of course Daisy was a darling pup!

>103 SandDune: Yes, in the photo Daisy's eyes look light, but it makes sense they'd change as she grew up.

>104 jolerie: Hope you enjoy City of Stairs as much as I did, Val!

>105 msf59: Thanks, Mark. They were just so precious together. Not sure how they'd have reacted if they'd been alone. Nickel is good with dogs and cats, though not infrequently a dog or cat she has come into contact with has obviously had something else in mind than a kiss. Like a pre-dinner treat. LOL

>97 Storeetllr: Can you give the Kate Daniels series one more try - not in audio?

Is the third book in the series better than the first two, Morphy?

I never get tired of seeing that picture of Skye and Nickel. Two lovely girls.

And Daisy was a beauty of a pup, Rhian!

>108 Storeetllr: Well, Magic Bites is the first one. I didn't realize you had read two. If you've read two and didn't like them, you won't like the rest.

>101 SandDune: My childhood/teenage dog Blossom was a border collie and she had bright blue eyes. Absolutely stunning. People always stopped us when we were out with her and had 1 of 3 reactions: OMG they're beautiful, wow her eyes are spooky, or 'is she blind?'.

Oops! Sorry, Morphy, I read Magic Bites awhile ago; it was Magic Burns that I read just the other day. I edited >97 Storeetllr: to show the correct title. Maybe it's my mood, so I'll wait awhile and try the third one (in print) just to be sure.

I bet Blossom was gorgeous! (Bright blue eyes ~ could she have had an electric blue angel inside? ;-)

Here's my lovely girl. I miss her so much, she was the best dog ever. Sorry for the poor photo quality, it's a photo in a frame that I took a photo on my phone of!

Aw, what a sweetie! She is looking at you (I assume you took the original photo) with such love!

Hi Mary, I love your list of "happy" sounds. My list would include the sound of a foghorn at night, I love to be all snuggly inside and hearing a foghorn in the distance.

There are some beautiful animals having their picture posted here! How sweet that Nickel wanted to share kisses.

I've never heard a foghorn in real life, Judy, only on TV or film, but I bet it is wonderful, especially if you were snuggled warm and cozy in bed when you hear it!

Yes, such beautiful dogs! As for the image of Nickel and Skye, a friend said Nickel looks like she's imparting great wisdom to Skye, something like, "Stay calm, Grasshopper, and maybe someday they will remove that strap from your face." lol (By the way, I learned that the strap isn't a muzzle but a leader head collar, used to gently direct a dog you have on a leash. Here's one: http://www.pet360.com/product/50230/petsafe-gentle-leader-headcollar-for-dogs?ut...

Puppies!! They're all so adorable!

I am sorry I didn't take Skye's Gentle Leader off before I took the picture, but oh well! She rarely wears it, mostly city type walks or trips to the store where there's a lot going on. Her leash manners are really pretty good but she can be a handful sometimes.

Grasshopper, lol!

Eta - Skye could use a bit of wisdom sometimes....

Hi, Joanne! We'll have to get Skye and Nickel together again sometime and take more photos. :) Nickel would be all for it; not sure about Skye. :)

11. The Curious Case of the Copper Corpse by Alan Bradley (a short story). 3 stars. eBook. A little bit of a distraction; not all that compelling. Flavia is "hired" by a schoolboy to clear him of the murder of his house master whose body has been discovered sitting in a bathtub covered in copper.

12. Low Midnight by Carrie Vaughn. 3.5 stars. (Audio) - Starring Cormac/Amelia, whose attempts to locate the key that would unlock the Book of Shadows that Kitty brought out of the mine with her after it collapsed get him/her/them caught up investigating an old murder at a gold mine and a range war between a couple of old acquaintances of Cormac's father and uncle, each of whom seem bent on destroying the other. Nice beginning to a spin-off series in the Kitty Norville world.

13. Witchcraft by Jayne Ann Krentz. 2.5 stars. (Audio) Very very very dated romantic suspense featuring a struggling fiction writer (Kimberly) who uses a typewriter and Cavenaugh, a wealthy vineyard owner who has such outdated attitudes toward women that I almost had to stop listening just because, while today's alpha male may want to go all caveman with his woman, he usually restrains himself or his love interest (in this case it would be the wimpy Kimberly) would cut off his ~ well, never mind. Anyway, I listened to the bitter end to this story where a coven of witches appear to be stalking Kim after having failed in their attempt to kidnap Cavenaugh's nephew because I had nothing else to listen to, and my eyes were bothering me so I couldn't read my current book, Minority Council, which is so far another great Matthew Swift story.

Reading Minority Council. OMG! So good! Matthew has really grown into his power. Only about 1/4 of the way in and don't want to stop reading even to sleep. I wish I could get this series of books on CD or as eAudios. I may actually have to join Audible and buy them, they are that good.

Hee-hee!

You've read Minority Council, right, Roni?

Oh, yes, I'm through The Neon Court and getting ready to read The Glass God, which is the second of the related Sharon Li books. Then I'll be al caught up and have to wait for more.

Wait, wasn't The Neon Court the third and Minority Council the fourth in the main series? I need to start the spin-off Sharon Li books too. *sigh of pleasure* Glad to know I won't run out of books set in that world too soon.

On a related note, I just got a notice that my hold on the eAudio of Foxglove Summer is now available for me to download! WOOOO HOOOO! Rivers of London, here I come!

14. A Mortal Bane by Roberta Gellis. 3.5 stars. Audio. First in the Magdalene la Bâtarde series set in medieval London, just before the long and vicious war between Stephen and Maude erupts. Here's a blurb from the author's website: "Magdalene la Bâtarde is the whoremistress of the Old Priory Guesthouse in Southwark--where pleasures of the flesh forbidden in London are legal. But though she and her women indulge in a number of sinful delights, they have never been accused of bloody murder ... until Baldassare, the papal messenger, dies. Then Magdalene must discover who committed the crime--or hang herself." Bottom line: wonderful historical mystery with a great set of characters, though I thought the villain was relatively obvious from the beginning, and the ending was just the slightest bit sloppy. I will look forward to reading the next in the series! Oh, yes, and I absolutely love the cover art!



So, 14 books ~ not bad for a busy January! Favorites were:

City of Stairs
The Neon Court
Maplecroft

Currently, I am re-listening to Moon Called, mostly because I started it after midnight last night, and I wanted something to lull me to sleep, and I knew the new Rivers of London book was not a good choice for that, and because I've been thinking about the Mercy Thompson series lately, perhaps because of the group read that's going on. Anyway, 3 hours later I was still listening intently and had to turn it off or I would never have fallen asleep.

On the reading agenda for today, I'll probably finish up Minority Council, the fourth Matthew Swift book, and later Moon Called, because even though I read it only last year, I'm really enjoying it.

On the real life agenda, I'll be doing indoor chores because last night...six (6) inches of snow!

You certainly had a very productive January, Mary. Here's hoping for an equally great February.

Happy Sunday, Mary! It looks like you have some interesting FF titles going!

We are getting our first winter blast of the season. About 10 inches on the ground already, with more on the way.

Thanks, Judy! So far, it's looking good for February!

Hi, Mark! I'm on my way over to your thread to comment on your interview at Book Reporter.

I NEED to get back to Matthew Swift. I've read the first and seriously, I've had the second on my nightstand for almost a year!

I'll be starting the audio of Foxglove Summer when I'm done with Pride and Prejudice.

Hi, Roberta! Yes, you need to read Midnight Mayor ~ maybe for Fantasy February? Actually, though I adored A Madness of Angels for its fresh and original ideas, unusually portrayed protagonist and magic system, not to mention London and its manifestations, this series just keeps getting better and better.

I'll probably wait until another month to read it Mary. My February is pretty booked and if Midnight Mayor is in the same format as A Madness of Angels I'll want to devote my time to it. In other words, a day off with nothing to do but read it.

Hi Mary! Where did this slushy snow come from? We made Callia drive in it today, and on I-25, too -- good, if nervous practice!

>95 Copperskye: LOVE the LT pet reunion -- what a sweet picture!

(A) full day off with nothing to do but read... Oh, Roberta! Sounds like heaven!

Hi, Anne! I know, the snow appeared overnight like magic! Except not a nice magic but a dark sorcerous demon-ridden kind of magic. Glad all went well with the snowy drive!

14 books so far - well done, you!

Hi, Amber ~ Thanks! Better even than the quantity was the quality of most of them, a few of them even stellar!

15. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. 8 stars. Audio. This was a re-listen, but it was almost as if I was reading it for the first time. I picked up on a few things I missed the first time around, and recognized some foreshadowing, but mostly it was just fun to hang out with Mercy and Jessie, Adam, Sam, the Marroc and the two wolf packs, and Stephan and Z, and to get my "first" glimpse of Ben again.

Current reads: Minority Council and Foxglove Summer.

Great to see you had such a productive month of reading, Mary. Now here's to an even better February. ;)

>123 Storeetllr: Yeah, that's like the third time I've transposed The Neon Court and The Minority Council, and just the plot lines should keep them straight! I've got the second of the Sharon Li books waiting for me at the library now.

Hi, Val! Thanks, so far my February reading is amazing!

I'm not surprised, Roni. You've got a lot on your mind just now.

I'm in the middle of The Minority Council and all I can say is *gasp* "Wow!" Can't even imagine how this is going to turn out.

Wow, 14 books read in January? That's a good month's work, Mary! Well done to you. I was happy to get 10 finished, which is a little lower than my normal total but on the other hand none of them were re-reads which is very unusual for me. Usually I have at least one re-read each month.

Hi, Julia! Yes, 14, but remember, I'm retired so can read all day if I want, not only on lunch breaks, during commutes, and in the evening. Ten new books in a month is nothing to sneeze at!

I don't normally reread books, but I reread one already this month ~ Moon Called. I enjoyed it as much as if not more than I did when I first read it earlier in 2014. The second book I finished so far in February is Minority Council, the fourth in the Matthew Swift urban fantasy series, and it was just amazing! Now I'm reading A Brief History of the Dead and listening to Foxglove Summer, both of which I'm enjoying very much.

So far, I've read three for Fantasy February:

15. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. 4 stars. Audio. Reread. I enjoyed the first of the Mercy Thompson books as much the second time round as I had the first.

16. Minority Council by Kate Griffin. 4.5 stars. eBook. Fourth in the Matthew Swift urban fantasy series. In this one, Swift is beaten up and betrayed just about as often as as brutally as ever, and good people die, but it's all for a good cause (at least in Swift's eyes). Yes, Swift is a walking disaster and his world is spiraling down into chaos and destruction, but there are little rays of light sprinkled throughout the doom. The writing is wonderful if sometimes a bit too stream-of-conscious, the dialogue is often amazing and even laugh-out-loud amusing, and all but a few of the characters (even the main villain) compelling. All the usual tropes are here in abundance, but the world of Swift continues to be fresh and original for all that. As bookaneer says in her excellent and detailed review (with some spoilers, so be careful if you read it before any of the books): "From women who crumble into dust to imps who colonize vacuum cleaner bags and take vacations in the dumpsters, Griffin's world is extraordinary and yet familiar." (Full review: http://pagefault.booklikes.com/post/706155/those-who-don-t-want-to-be-saved) Though not perfect, I'd say this is one of the best urban fantasy series around.

17. Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovich. 3 stars. Audio. Latest in the Rivers of London fantasy series, I kept waiting for something exciting, or even interesting, to happen. Perhaps it was the narrator's delivery (somewhat deadpan) or that I read it right after the uber-exciting Minority Council, or maybe because it was set in the countryside and not London, but it fell somewhat flat for me. Not that it wasn't mildly fun, but I had hoped for more.

So disappointing when an audiobook turns out to be abridged, especially after listening to it all the way through before discovering that fact. I wish "abridged" would appear in the description more prominently so I wouldn't mistake them for the real thing. I know, I should have checked more carefully, but I must have missed the "small print."

Happy Friday!

>141 Storeetllr: Which book was it?

>142 Storeetllr: LOL!

I'm always so surprised to see abridged audio books, I mean really, who would want to listen to a shortened version?? Does Readers Digest, or anybody for that matter, still make condensed books?

Hope you're enjoying this wonderful weather!

>141 Storeetllr:, >143 Morphidae: First Man in Rome by McCullough. When I learned of her death, I decided to reread the series over the year, and I thought it would be great if I could listen to them if they were available on audio. Nope, all of those that were put on audio are abridged except the last (Antony and Cleopatra). So, I'll be rereading them in print after all.

>144 Copperskye: Totally agree, Joanne! I don't know why anyone would bother, unless it was a school assignment or something and they were running late on getting their book report done. :) Even then, what a shame to miss out on the subtleties and nuances, not to mention the lovely writing, that usually go missing in abridged versions.

As for the weather, I am so loving it. Yesterday, I put out the tender outdoor plants that are wintering indoors for another mini vaca and left them out overnight, and they are looking so happy basking in the sunshine! I'm thinking seriously about making/buying a little greenhouse, with a heater and fan, so they can be outside more of the year. That's a whole new discipline, though, and it would take me awhile to learn the ins-and-outs of greenhouse growing. I mean, who needs greenhouses for house plants and herbs in Southern California? They grow outside just fine all year long!

Ah, I heard that you were going to get Southern California temps this weekend. Enjoy!

I enjoyed Foxglove Summer more than you, but probably because I read it in print. I just got a kick out of how, as he met all the new characters out in the countryside, he would note "they are white", just like so many novels do that with black characters, and the way the inhabitants reacted or didn't to his race.

>146 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! I was just telling my sis, as we stood on the back deck enjoying the warm ~ even hot ~ sunshine, that this is what winters are like in Southern California.

Funny you should say that, because I also have Foxglove Summer in print and, right after I finished the audio, I started reading the paperback, and it doesn't seem like the same book! I think, unless something else more compelling comes along, I may just reread it in print immediately rather than wait.

>142 Storeetllr: I love that. My dreams, or my daydreams at least, often revolve around cheese. :)

Haha, I was thinking of you when I posted that, Jenny!

I might be a little obsessed, I will admit.

How funny that you should think of me though. Thanks for that! And you've reminded me that I have had no cheese today, a situation I need to remedy soon.

19. A Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. 3.5 stars. eBook. Hmm, not sure exactly what to say about this one. For long stretches, I was fascinated by the story and its premise; in other parts, with the long descriptions of the subarctic trek and every slightest thought and emotion of Laura's, it became such a slog that I skimmed. And then, the end. Like, boom. No explanations, no wrap-up. I understand, I think, why, but it was a bit difficult for someone like me who prefers their fictional stories to resolve in a much less messy fashion and give answers to the thorny questions posed. Still, it has its merits. As one Amazon reviewer (who gave the book 4 stars) wrote: "...(T)his is not an epic or a full blown sci-fi alternate or parallel worlds adventure. This isn't a symphony; it's a tone poem. What do you expect from an author who has won an award named in honor of Italo Calvino? It's not about world building, or even plot. It's about memory, community, social connections, personal human connections, and what is lost when that all breaks down. What a wonderful, novel effort." (http://www.amazon.com/review/RGAZGL10NIDWO/ref=cm_cr_pr_perm/?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000FCKPGC)

Happy Saturday, Mary! I understand the conflicting thoughts on The Brief History of the Dead. Sometimes, I just wish he would have stuck with his original premise, which was fascinating. He shows much ambition here, but I am not sure it completely works.

I also think the Rivers of London books are a bit uneven. I did love the first two.

I know you read TBHotD awhile back, Mark, but I didn't see that you wrote a review on it yet. I look forward to reading your review sometime when you aren't too busy having so much fun going to ALA conventions, having meetups and visiting relatives while on vaca, reading wonderful new books, and drinking great beer. :)

I'm not reading your review of Foxglove Summer because I am on the holds list at the library. I'm not sure I'm up to a book-length "tone poem", so I'll probably give the one in >151 Storeetllr: a pass.

Heh, Julia. My "review" of Foxglove Summer is pretty minimal, just a brief impression in general, but I don't blame you for not wanting to take even the slightest chance of spoiling your enjoyment of it by first reading what someone else thinks of it. Let me know your thoughts when you've finished it, okay?

On A Brief History of the Dead, I know Mark and many others enjoyed it more than I did, so you mustn't take my impressions for gospel!

I read A Brief History of the Dead a couple of years ago, and although I had a few issues with it like you did, I've found that it has stuck with me and I think about it often. I think I like it more now, a few years after reading it, than when I first finished it. In fact, I was surprised when I looked back and saw that I only gave it 3.5 stars. It really managed to make an impression on me.

I didn't dislike it, Joanne. It was definitely worth reading, and it made an impression on me too, though whether it will stay with me years from now isn't certain. The writing was good, the premise interesting. Being on the left side of the current political divide, the issues brought up resonated with me, and it seems to me we are looking at a similar future if we don't veer from our present course. Still, those little pacing problems and loose ends I mentioned, and the fact that I felt little or nothing for any of the characters (except the Coca Cola marketing exec whom I absolutely hated), is what brought my rating down from a 4 to a 3.5.

>153 Storeetllr: I guess I am busier than I thought, Mary. No reviews for me. LOL. I will definitely be reading more Brockmeier.

And that's a review in and of itself, Mark! At least, it's a good indication of your enjoyment of A Brief History of the Dead. :) Hope you had a great evening out last night and that your Sunday is full of fun. And that the weather isn't too bad.

We did have a good time last night, Mary. We went to a wine bar, so the women were merrily sipping away. They have a good but limited beer list, so I was quite pleased and their food is pretty good too.

Your Saturday night double date sounds like it was a lot of fun, Mark!

It's another gorgeous spring-like day here on the Front Range, and I've been outside with Nickel to enjoy the sun and am now inside enjoying my coffee and checking my emails and social sites before getting dressed to go out on a few errands. Anyway, I just put on hold at my library two books, the "discovery" of which was courtesy of Amazon's Today's Daily Deal. One is Written in Red by Anne Bishop, which Morphy loved (I checked her library to see how she rated it); the other is Sarah Vowell's The Partly Cloudy Patriot, a series of essays on various and seemingly unconnected things. One of the essays was about Carlsbad Caverns, which I've never visited. I never knew it had an Underground Lunchroom, which has a cafeteria built in the 50s and which I simply must see before either it or I disappear. (I looked it up on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlsbad_Caverns_National_Park.)

Edited to fix link and add photo.

Hi Mary, sounds like today is a good day to get out and enjoy your warm weather. Being a cheese lover, I love the picture posted at #142 and like Jenny, now I must wander off to the kitchen in search of some cheese and crackers!

Hi, Judy! Hope you're having a good Sunday! It was lovely out this morning, but cooler now the sun's off in the west. I'm inside now doing some cleaning and organizing of my sitting room ~ it has 3 distinct areas: a reading area with a half-loveseat and ottoman, the parrot's cage and various perches and paraphernalia, and my writing area with table, chair and bookcases. Between the loveseat and the bird's cage is a shelf unit with plants and gardening supplies. If I do a really good clean on the entire room, it takes me all day, so I try to work on one area per day, rotating them so every area gets cleaned at least once a week. Usually, the bird's area gets worked on more often ~ she's pretty messy ~ and thus the other two areas sometimes get neglected. Today, I wasn't able to see my table under all the junk. So, it's clean and the stuff that's on it put away.

Anyway, now that you mention it, I'm a little hungry myself, and cheese sounds like just the thing!

20. A Personal Devil by Roberta Gellis. 4 stars. Audio. Second in the Magdalene da Batard series of historical mysteries set in the medieval London of Stephen, just before Maude challenges him for the throne. In this one, someone has murdered the thoroughly despicable and troublemaking wife of Maynard, and his leman Sabina returns to the Old Priory Guesthouse to seek help from Magdalene, her former abbess. Magdalene and Bell, the Bishop of Winchester's knight who has a tendre for Magdalene, set out to prove Maynard didn't do it and to find the real killer. More great world building and character development, and a little more about Magdalene's former life is revealed. This would have gotten a 4.5 star rating except the ending was so tangled and confusing, I am still not sure "whodunnit" and may need to reread the ending in print so I can figure it out.

Saw this on FB today (posted by The Lily Sanctuary, a parrot rescue group in So.Cal. that I worked with to find a parrot to adopt before I adopted Nickel). It kind of reminded me of the picture I posted upthread of Nickel and Skye.

>165 Storeetllr: lol!

>165 Storeetllr: Cute! I showed my grandkids the famous Nickel/Skye picture and they were duly impressed.

I just read in the Missouri State alumni magazine that Kevin Brockmeier is a fellow graduate. I purchased The Brief History of the Dead while in Kansas City on Friday and the clerk said he was a good buddy of his. I love having a personal connection to a book, however slight.

Enjoy the nice weather while it lasts, Mary!

>165 Storeetllr: That's brilliant!

Isn't it, Jenny!?!

>142 Storeetllr: This made me laugh out loud. I loved that song! And Annie Lennox!

I had lost your thread somehow, so I was happy to refind it and catch up with you. Yesterday I got A Madness of Angels from the library hold system, and when I looked to see who had recommended it, I realized that I had neglected to add it to my WL the way that I usually do. And I knew it had to be recommended by someone here because I had requested it, and this is not an author I am familiar with. So, I asked on my thread if anyone knew who had been talking about this, and your name came up (thank you, Roberta!) Then it all came back to me that you had said it was your favorite series over on Morphy's thread!! Oh, what a tangled web, right?! Anyway, I have it now and will get to it this month, so thanks for that!!

>167 Donna828: Donna! How the heck did I manage to skip responding to your post? So sorry.

Anyway, kids seem to be fascinated by and love getting up-close-and-personal with birds. Nickel always returns from all our outreach events exhausted from being handled so much ~ mostly by kids. They always want to pet and/or hold a bird. I tell them that Nickel loves to be held by kids, and kissing, but she doesn't like to be petted. On the other hand, some of the other big birds (usually cockatoos, which are the clowns of the psittacine world) love to be petted but are a bit too big and/or reluctant to be held by kids.

How fun about your connection with Brockmeier. He's definitely a good writer! Hope you enjoy reading A Brief History of the Dead!

Hi, Mamie! >142 Storeetllr: might have been a bit cheesy *grin*, but it's definitely fun. I can't help hear the Lennox song in my head when I think about it. Glad you found my thread again, and glad I helped get you interested in reading A Madness of Angels! It was Roni of Ronincats who turned me on, and I'm hooked now!

>151 Storeetllr: I absolutely loved A Brief History of the Dead, but it really hit all the right buttons of what I like in a book!

Sorry I have not checked in before now, Mary! Have a great day!

>142 Storeetllr: Absolute favourite cheese Mary? I would go for Cambozola although sweaty Camembert and a salad with grilled haloumi would be close to my dream cheese experiences.

A cheese board served by Annie Lennox singing to me would be good too of course.

Have a wonderful weekend.

>175 PaulCranswick: Ohhhhhhhhhh, halloumi. Love it. No barbecue is complete without it.

I know someone who once, while very drunk, tried to make cheese on toast with halloumi and declared 'this cheese is broken!'. Very funny. (For those who don't know, halloumi is a cheese that holds its shape and texture and doesn't melt when grilled or fried.

>173 SandDune: Hi, Rhian! I didn't dislike ABHotD. In fact, I mostly enjoyed it and read it in two sittings. The writing was very good, and the premise was intriguing. Just the couple of little issues I mentioned in my short "review" prevented it from getting a better rating from me.

>174 alcottacre: Hey, Stasia! No worries ~ I don't think I've checked in with your thread either. (So many threads, so little time. ;) I'll look for your thread and pop over shortly to say hi.

>175 PaulCranswick: Paul! So nice of you to drop by! Cheeeeesssse! I pretty much love all the different kinds of cheese, except maybe Limburger, which is a little too ripe even for me. Funny story: my dad LOVED Limburger, and my mother refused to allow it in her kitchen, so he had to keep it down in the basement and eat it down there. My dad ruled the roost in most things, but in this matter my mom was adamant. ETA I just looked up Cambozola, and it sounds very much like my kinda cheese.

>176 lunacat: Learn something new every day!!! I'm going to have to go out and find some halloumi so I can try it.

21. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley. 4 stars. Audio. Word was received at the end of the last book that Flavia's mother, Harriet was found and will be returning at last to Buckshaw. Now, on the day of Harriet's arrive, Flavia is plunged into a whole new, and disconcerting, realm of emotions. These emotions are pushed to one side, though, when, while waiting on the train platform for her mother to arrive, a strange man delivers a cryptic warning to Flavia ~ and is then shoved under the steel wheels of the train. These two events lead to a whole new mystery and bares many secrets and unspoken histories of the de Luce clan. At first, I wasn't sure what I thought of this, the sixth in the Flavia de Luce mystery series. It was, as the previous books were, compelling, but in a completely different way. For one thing, it’s a transition novel. During the course of this book, Flavia’s life changes in unimaginable ways. And that means that it’s not as light-hearted as the earlier books. There’s a darkness, a sadness, in this one that isn't present in the past books.

22. Bone of Contention by Roberta Gellis. 4 stars. Audio. I am loving this series of historical mysteries, featuring Magdalene la Bátarde, Abbess (i.e., whore-mistress) of the Old Priory Gatehouse, and the two men who are most influential in her life: William of Ypres, King Stephen's Captain of Mercenaries, and In this the third book of this series, which is rich in historical details, the king's Council is meeting in Oxford, and William, foreseeing trouble, sends for Magdalene so she can provide a safe-house there so he can conduct secret meetings. Magdalene too expects trouble, but she does not expect one of William's men to be accused of murder so that William can be discredited with the king.

Stumbling in and waving!

I'm running like mad to read al these enormous threads! But I'm hopelessly behind.

Happy Weekend, Mary.

Oh all right! You got me with the Gellis books - I was trying to hold out, but it's no use. Adding them to the giant WL.

I will get back to Flavia sometime soon. I have all the books except for the most recent one in my TBR mountain. They are just fun reads.

Happy weekend, Mary!

>179 connie53: *whoosh* And there goes Connie, running off to the next thread. I know what you mean about so many enormous threads and being hopelessly behind. I've been a bit under the weather with a really ugly cold the past week and missed a few threads for a few days and, when I managed to get to them, I was already so far behind I had to go to the next thread.

>180 Crazymamie: Sorry (not sorry), but they really have grabbed me. It's a period of time I have enjoyed in other books (the Cadfael series, for one) and it's also the setting for When Christ and His Saints Slept, which I keep meaning to read but haven't gotten round to yet, but I haven't spent that much time in that era recently (the majority of my reading having been fantasy and scifi rather than historical fiction in the last year or two). I think one thing that charms me most is the vivid way these novels portray the people of the time ~ from the highborn to the clergy to merchants and even whores ~ and of their everyday life.

> That happens to me all the time! And I must admit I do not read every post in the longer ones. I just skim and skip!

Sorry to hear you are under the weather, Mary! Our whole family has just gotten over a cold, but the boys still have lingering symptoms. Hope you feel better soon.

>183 connie53: Only way to manage it, Connie!

>184 jolerie: Thanks, Val. It's been one of those colds with mutating symptoms: a sore throat for a couple of days, then a stuffy head and headache for a couple more, then coughing added, then sneezing and a runny (and I do mean runny, like a waterfall) nose. I am so ready for it to be over! Glad your family is more or less over your colds!

Mary, I'm so sorry you are under the weather! Hope you feel better soon.

I just finished The Glass God, the second of the Sharon Li books, and the last of the Matthew Swift related books published so far. :-( The book was great, just as action-filled and dire and funny as the others. I'm just sad that there aren't any more out there for me to read now.

Thanks, Roni. And with the weather being particularly fine, even balmy, it's even worse, since I haven't felt able to go out and enjoy it.

I saw on your thread how much you enjoyed The Glass God. I started the eBook of Stray Souls a few days ago, but with this cold, my eyes are having trouble focusing, so I put it aside in favor of audiobooks. It's due back to the library, though, in 3 days, so I better get to it soon. Luckily, because they are so good I generally read them in just a couple sittings, I shouldn't have any trouble finishing it before it's due date.

I sure hope she writes another one soon!

I've been sick this week, too. I even stayed home from work on Monday, which I think was a really good idea but I always feel whimpy staying home with "just" a cold. I'm feeling better now and hope you are too!!

Happy Saturday, Mary! I hope you are feeling better, so you can enjoy those balmy temps. We are freezing our fannies off here. Ugh!

Sorry to hear you were also suffering from a cold, Joanne, but glad you're feeling better! I know I would have stayed home at least one or two days too, were I still working. Luckily, I could indulge my desire for rest. I even "turned off" my atavar at HabitRPG.com so I wouldn't be dinged for not doing my Dailies and ToDos and Habits. The only thing I made sure I did was feed and water Nickel and keep the humidifier filled with fresh water. Otherwise, I let it all go. Thank goodness I'm feeling better today, though I still have a lot of nasal congestion. I'll be checking out of The Inn (at HabitRPG) and getting a lot of stuff done ~ at least that's the plan.

Also, I'm supposed to work at another event tomorrow at Tagawa Gardens on Parker just south of Arapahoe for The Gabriel Foundation. Not sure I'll make it, though ~ it's a full day of meeting and greeting people and handling birds, and I'm still feeling a bit weak. I'd like to do it, because it's really fun ~ there are a lot of nature groups besides ours, like national parks and wildlife rescue groups and the like ~ and then there are all the wonderful plants and gardening stuff to look at after. Last year, there was an adorable tiny owl as well as a falcon on display, plus butterflies and other things ~ here's a photo I took of the owl:



Hi, Mark! Yes, I'm sorry your weather is so ungodly, but it's Valentine's Day already, so you know Spring is just a little ways off, just over that hill there. The one with the seemingly unscalable wall of ice and snow... Oh, sorry again, I think I may just be making it worse. Well, it's Saturday, and you're off for a couple of days, so it's not all bad, right?!? I'll pop over to your thread shortly to see what you're planning for a Valentine's Day treat for MrsMark.

Well, I didn't make it to the parrot event. This cold is still lingering unpleasantly, though I feel a lot better than I have for the past week. But the weather! Hovering just above zero and dreary grey clouds above, which is making my basement lair even darker than I'm used to in winter. I'm going to close all the blinds and turn on the overhead lights, see if that doesn't perk me up a bit.

On the book front, I thought I'd mention those I'm currently reading:

On audio:

The Stand - full, uncut edition. Not thrilled by the reader, but, even after a half dozen reads over the years, King's work is still chilling and scary in parts and utterly compelling. So scary that I can't read it just before bed; the two nights I did, I had vivid nightmares. LOL

So last night I tried listening to Sarah Vowell's Partly Cloudy Patriot, but I had to stop listening to that too because I was laughing so hard at her essay entitled "First Thanksgiving" that I knew I'd never get to sleep if I kept on with it. Her voice isn't beautiful, but it seems just right for reading her work. So deadpan, then she delivers these zingers.

On the Kindle:

Stray Souls - First in the spinoff series set in the world of Matthew Swift of Madness of Angels and Midnight Mayor fame. I'm not as compelled by Sharon Li as by Swift ~ both are filled with angst and conflicted by their powers ~ but Swift is the more interesting character, what with his strange history and powers and, um, "baggage." Still, it is good enough to want to continue. Also, Swift makes a cameo appearance, so that was nice.

Besides books, I am also watching Season One of Bosch: City of Bones, an Amazon production, with Titus Welliver in the title role ~ and a great job he does, too, at least in the first two episodes of Season One.

Hi Mary, sorry to hear you're battling a cold, I know how unpleasant that can be. Hope you are feeling well enough to get some reading done!

Glad you are feeling a bit better, Mary. Sharon is such a unique voice, though. And Matthew does a cameo in the second book as well.

I hope the cold will go away soon, Mary. On both matters, outside and physical!

Thanks, Judy! It's lingering, but I do feel better, and I've been able to get a lot of reading done, so that's a plus!

Thanks to you too, Roni. Yes, I imagine Sharon will grow on me, but for some reason the anti-hero who is Swift, et al. draws me more. Well, love the world both series are set in, so I'm sure they'll continue to be favorites.

Haha, Connie ~ yes! And thanks for your good wishes.

Sun's out and it looks like the snow is melting, but there was so much of it that it may take the rest of the day and tomorrow too for us to see the last of it. I'm glad I don't have to go out into it! Loving my retirement so much! Today I hope to finish The Stand, which has been quite the emotional rollercoaster ride, even after so many prior readings. I'm at the what is for me the most intense part of the book, so I had to stop listening well before bedtime last night and listen instead to Partly Cloudy Patriot again. I'm surprised how much I am enjoying the essays read by the author in her perfectly awful voice. It's sort of as if one were listening to Stephen King read his own work. Except he was magnificent on the audio of On Writing.

23. The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell. 4 stars. Audio. From the publisher's webpage:

"In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell travels through the American past and in doing so ponders a number of curious questions: Why is she happiest when visiting the sites of bloody struggles like Salem or Gettysburg? Why do people always inappropriately compare themselves to Rosa Parks? Why is a bad life in sunny California so much worse than a bad life anywhere else? What is it about the Zen of foul shots? And, in the title piece, why must doubt and internal arguments haunt the sleepless nights of the true patriot?"

Read by the author, whose singsong-y, monotone, not-quite-but-almost shrill voice worked perfectly for the subject matter. I'd be listening to her expounding on some serious subject, when suddenly she'd throw in a zinger of a line with a perfect deadpan delivery, and I'd startle and laugh out loud. As to the subject matter of the essays, I didn't agree with everything she said, but most of her reflections on the issues were at least thought-provoking, if not spot-on. Written in 2002, many of the then-current issues she wrote about continue to resonate today, over a decade later. The essays made me think about things in different ways than I had before, and I learned a lot of facts about America and American history ~ both recent and past ~ that I hadn't known before, often while chuckling gleefully or, occasionally, laughing out loud.

I'm going to search out other of her stuff, hopefully on audio, as I tried once awhile back to read Assassination Vacation in print but just didn't enjoy it so Pearl-ruled it. I think her own voice and delivery may be key. Recommended.

(I typed up a really snarky comment about how I can't stand Vowell's voice, along with some not-very-complimentary words about her writing, too, and then thought better of it and deleted it. Feeling benevolent and superior now. Ha!)

Happy Friday, Mary! So, you are getting more snow? Well, I hope it won't be to bad. At least it warms up fast, in your area.

I agree Vowell's voice is not for everyone. I prefer it, in small doses. I hope you can give Assassination Vacation a try again. It remains my favorite.

I am reading/listening to something, that might be your cuppa: The Girl on the Train. Good stuff.

So, Amber, I take it you aren't a Vowell fan? :) I kinda wish you'd left your snark and forewent the benevolent superiority. It would doubtless have been...um, educational?

Hi, Mark! Yes, we'll be joining you in the Polar Freeze starting tonight, though we aren't going to be visited by the Siberian Express, thank God! That's some seriously extreme weather! I mean, when Niagara Falls freezes... And I read a news story that said: "Thursday was the coldest Feb. 19 in Chicago in 79 years." Wow! You stay safe when you're out there in that mess, you hear? Glad to know I'm not the only one who ~ perhaps weirdly ~ appreciates Vowell's voice. I also agree with your caveat: IN SMALL DOSES! :) I may try her other stuff again sometime, but I think I'll have to be in just the right mood. I've got Girl on the Train on my wishlist after Joanne recommended it. I couldn't finish Gone Girl, though, and I heard somewhere that they were somewhat similar.

24. The Stand (Uncut Version) by Stephen King. 4.5 stars. Audio. Would have garnered a 5 star rating, except I didn't like the reader's voice. He made most of the women sound whiny and many of the men sound prissy. Stu Redman's and Mother Abigail's voices were the only ones that rang true for me. Anyway, the story. Stephen King is a master storyteller, and in this story of good versus evil in post-apocalyptic America shows it. It was written back in the 90s, and that is apparent ~ there were so many things that were dated. For some reason, I am able to deal with historical fiction set back in the 1800s and further back without flinching at the attitudes and mores of the times, but many of the references in this book to popular culture of the 80s and 90s was distracting, to say the least, and the way some of the characters thought and acted made me cringe. On the other hand, this would be a completely different story had it been written, say, in 2010. For one thing, the epidemic couldn't have been kept secret for so long in today's post 9/11 FB/Twitter/Instagram world. I also found the religious thread a bit offputting.

Aside from those niggles, which are really pretty insignificant, this is a powerfully told story with characters I love and hate, characters who develop over the course of the story, and whose actions are always understandable, even if they are hateful.

I'm a total newbie when it comes to audiobooks, but I'm beginning to find out how much a narrator can affect a reading of a book. My current one is irritating the heck out of me and makes me curious if I would have a enjoyed the book a tad more if his voice was grating in my head..ha!

ETA: I need to read The Stand sooner than later. It's been languishing on my shelves for too long. Maybe for October. :)

So true, Val! The reader can make or break a book. What are you listening to now?

The Other Story by Tatiana de Rosnay, narrated by Simon Vance. I can't say I can recommend it at this point. :/

I tried listening to The Stand on audio but the narrator was so unbearable I had to give up and get a refund from audible. They really can make or break a book.

Well, that is going on my list of don't-listen-to books, Val! Simon Vance seems almost universally loved, but I've found his success as a narrator is uneven. For instance, I enjoyed his rendition of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series and hated his reading of Caveat Emptor.

Do you remember who the narrator was, Jenny? Grover Gardner was the reader of my audio version. It wasn't unbearable, but it could have been so much more pleasurable with a better different narrator.

I made a small misstatement when I said The Stand was published in 1990. It had originally been published in 1978, which accounts for some of the worst cringe-worthy moments. King updated and expanded it in 1990. He needs to update it again. :)

Edited to change better to different. See my next post to see why.

You're doing some good reading over here, Mary! I am a Sarah Vowell fan, from the first time I heard her on This American Life. Her voice reminds me of Bob Dylan, not so much in the way it sounds as in the way it polarizes people. I don't know that her book-length writing is quite as strong as her essay-length pieces, but she makes me laugh.

And I read The Stand for the first time last year as part of the group read. I also read the unabridged version, but thankfully not the audio. I think lots of King fans think it's his best work, but I don't think it is for me. It was still really good, though, and I'm glad I read it finally.

I like Grover Gardner. He does the Vorkosigan series on audio and some Mark Twain that I have listened to. Of course we don't all like the same thing and that is very good in my opinion. Would be too boring if we did. What I though was funny in The Stand was the way he pronounced certain things but I didn't think it was odd because I'm from Texas and apparently we pronounce things way off from everyone else, including the other Southern states. ;-)

I love listening to Sarah Vowell read her books! Assassination Vacation is a favorite.

I commend you for listening to the whole of the uncut version of The Stand read by a narrator you didn't like. That's a lot of time!

The right narrator, and that can be very subjective, makes all the difference.

Stay safe and warm this weekend!!

I am, Julia! I surely am! And my reading seems to be all over the map, from fantasy/horror to urban fantasy to political humor to historical fiction and mystery. Dylan! That's a perfect analogy and perhaps one reason why I find Vowell's voice oddly appealing since I adore Dylan. I don't know about her book length writing either, though, as The Partly Cloudy Patriot is a series of loosely connected essays. I'm one of those who believe The Stand is one of King's best, if not the best he's written, notwithstanding the fact it is felt so dated to me this time. (I've read it at least a half dozen times since it was published in 1978.)

See, Roberta, that's what I was talking about when I said Simon Vance is uneven, and that his reading works for me sometimes and sometimes absolutely not. Same with Gardner, apparently. I loved the audios of the Vorkosigan series. But his voice, which is slightly mocking, works very well when reading about Miles and his antics but not so well when reading about a life-and-death struggle between good and evil and God and Evil.

I'm definitely going to try Assassination Vacation again, Joanne, this time as an audio. Gardner's voice on the audio of The Stand wasn't completely abhorrent to me, like Scott Brick's was when I listened to The Passage, just unpleasant. And you're so right ~ the right narrator can make all the difference, and it is often very a subjective thing. You stay warm and safe too this weekend! It's forecasted to be a rough one!

I hope you survive the polar freeze, Mary. Sending warm thoughts. I would like to revisit The Stand on audio, at some point. They are supposed to be doing a new movie/TV series based on it. Maybe, I'll try it before then.

Yup, it was Grover Gardner. I could not bear the man. But I'm very sensitive to certain American accents - I have no idea why as we hear so many over here on TV and in films, but on audio I find some really difficult to listen to. Then again, I find some British accents tricky as well, but I'm much more likely to enjoy a book if it is narrated by a Brit rather than an American.

I'm guessing it's to do with familiarity, and the fact my voice 'reads' to me in a British accent, but it's still strange. Music, TV, films are all fine.

Thanks, Mark! I hope you are surviving your below freezing temps too. Seems we are all in this together, huh? I am not sure if you'll have the same reaction to the reader as I did, but, other than the mild annoyance I felt at his voice, it was worth listening to it on audio. I am not sure, though, that I will ever read it again, not because I don't think it's a great book but because I think I've reread it enough times to remember it, and there are so many other books I need to read for the first time. Who knows, though? I think I may have said that the last time I reread The Stand, a few years ago.

Have you listened to any of the Vorkosigan books, Jenny? I ask because Gardner narrates those too, yet his voice on those didn't grate on me the way it did on The Stand. In fact, it worked really well with those books, because they are space operas and because Miles, who is the main character of most of them, is a wise-cracking know-it-all type. I do agree with you, though, that I do enjoy a lovely British accent in a reader. Funny, though, how some readers are so good with accents you can't tell whether they are actually British (or American). I'm thinking of Barbara Rosenblat, who is a NY actress, but after listening to her read the Amelia Peabody mysteries, I thought she was a Brit. It wasn't until I heard her read something in an American accent that I realized.

Well, woke up to snow, but not as much as was feared, er, I mean, forecast. Enough that I won't be going anywhere, but not so much that the streets are impassable. In fact, I looked out a little bit ago, and the sidewalks and street in front of the house looks like it hadn't snowed at all!

Great news for Mary Doria Russell fans! She's coming to Denver in March! Also Chicago (well, Naperville, but that's close) and Pasadena! I'm so excited! I preordered her new book Epitaph on audio already, something I never do, but I love her writing so much, and loved Doc so much, and am a little bit in love with Doc Holliday. Anyway, I'm marking my calendar for March 16 at Tattered Cover on Colfax, and will probably buy Doc and Epitaph for her to autograph. I feel like such a fangirl.

I love being a fangirl Mary. Patricia Briggs is coming to Murder By the Book in two weeks for Dead Heat. I prefer the Mercy series but I'm going.

Hi Mary! Are you feeling better? So many great reads here I've never heard of -- want to save your thread for my next trip to the audio section at the library.

I love it when audio books get discussed as I am fairly new to this format. I often find when there are lots of characters in the story, sooner or later, in an effort to keep the characters separate, the reader is going to bug me with a strange voice but this is usually acceptable if the character is minor. I have found that some narrators suit certain books but that everyone doesn't always like the same narrators.

>212 Storeetllr: Yay! I already own Doc (unless I gave it away - I need to check) and The Sparrow (unread, as yet, shame on me). And of course I'll by a copy of Epitath. Sounds like fun!

>212 Storeetllr: Oh you lucky duck to get to meet MDR in person! Tell her I said hi, and thanks for all the wonderful books. I can't wait to read Epitaph.

>213 luvamystery65: Oooh! I envy you getting to see Briggs. Mercy's my favorite urban fantasy heroine, but I too read the other series. Say "hey" to her for me and find out when we can expect the next Mercy book?

>214 AMQS: Hi, Anne ~ Nice to see you! You've been so busy these past few weeks! Yes, I'm doing much better, though now I'm stuck inside because of the snow rather than the cold bug.

>215 DeltaQueen50: Like Mark (msf59), I'm an audiobookphile (did I just coin a word there?). In fact, I think over 50% of the books I read these days are audio. One reason is that my eyes get so tired from reading print, even on a Kindle with large font. And forget about paperbacks! I also enjoy them because I can "multi-task" while reading, and because like a child I just like to have someone read to me. But you're right: the wrong narrator can ruin a perfectly good audiobook.

>216 Copperskye: Yay! I'll call TC on Monday to see if we need to reserve our places. I'll ask Anne too if she's interested. The Sparrow was my first MDR and one of my all-time favorites. Hope you get a chance to read it soon!

>217 rosalita: Yes, I feel lucky, Julia! And I too can't wait for Epitaph. I've preordered the audio of it, so I can read it as soon as it comes out!

So much snow, and only 9F right now! I'm so glad to be hunkered down inside on this freezing wintry day! Here's the view from my back patio door:

BRrrr, Mary! Stopping in to catch up with you. I envy Roberta getting to see Briggs, too! How fun! According to her website, the next Mercy book does not come out until Spring of 2016. How will we ever make it?!

Hi, Mamie! Feel free to take some of the snow back with you to your thread. :)

Spring of 2016? Waaaah! Guess I'll just have to reread the series, that's all there is to it. I already started, actually, with Blood Moon Moon Called earlier this year.

Edited to correct title of book.

Happy Sunday, Mary. I am glad you are going to attend the MDR event. I plan on going, when she visits here. I NEED to call soon and reserve my spot.
I do not think I am going to have a chance to read Epitaph before then but I hope to get to it, in the coming weeks.

I think you mean Moon Called. There is a new book in the Alpha and Omega series that comes out next month, if that helps - Dead Heat comes out on March 3rd, so just around the corner.

Hi, Mark! I knew you'd be attending MDR's book signing event in Naperville! I'm going to call on Monday and get tickets, if they are necessary.

Yes, Mamie, you're quite right! Thanks! Moon Called, not Blood Moon. I don't know what I was thinking. I knew about Dead Heat, and that's going to be fun, but I want more Mercy! (Yes, I am a fangirl!)

Oh, look at all that white stuff. Our is melting and none is forecasted for the next little bit. What is happening to my part of the world?!?
Stay warm, Mary!

Oh, Val, I can't help thinking that you are a lucky duck! We got about a foot of snow here (11.5, according to the reports) over the weekend, and more is being forecast for Wednesday, and right now it's 12F. I'll be in my bunk, er, I mean, my reading chair ~ under a comforter, maybe even with a hat on ~ until the snow melts and the temps warm up. :) Although, seriously, we've had warmer than usual weather until last week, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

Over on Joanne's thread (coppers), she posted a pic of her dogs enjoying a dip in their swimming pool, and it reminded me of when I was still married, back in the days before the dinosaurs died out. We had a house with a pool and a dog who loved to swim. Taffy loved to jump into the pool and swim around. She never got tired of it. Our other dog would stand at the edge of the pool, barking his fool head off. Needless to say, Henry wasn't a water dog. Anyway, I found a pic of my ex and Taffy jumping in:



And here's one of her relaxing on the raft after a vigorous swim:



Good memories!

Meanwhile, snow's about a foot high here and the temp is 12F. Waaaaah.

Hi Mary! I ordered my copy of Epitaph and reserved my spot in line. Now, I have 2 copies of it, since I also landed an ARC, thanks to Benita, but I am sure I will find a proper home for it.

Love the Taffy shots!

Boo to snow & cold! Ugh!

Yay, Mark! I called the bookstore hosting the event, and the guy I talked to told me we didn't need reservations! Said something along the lines that MDR isn't a huge draw like some, and they only do tickets if they expect 100-200. They might be surprised.

I just checked weather an hour or so ago, and Denver and Chicago seem to be about neck-in-neck for colder spot. Milwaukee, of course, has both of us beat. (I check weather for places where I have family, and for places I'd rather be, like Hawaii and Rome.)

Taffy looks like one smart cookie. Chillin like a villain after a hard work out! :)

Haha, Val, chillin' like a villain! She sure was a smart dog! Smart and sassy. I wish I could find one like her again to adopt. Well, I wish I could have another dog period. Not here though. Landlord put "no dogs" into the lease, and my sis isn't interested in having one anyway. :(

Oh, love the Taffy photos! Adorable!

Taffy was a cutie pie. And oh! to think of weather warm enough to swim in and all that sunshine in those photos. Someday ...

March 16th, huh? Since no reservations are required, I may just plan my trip around MDR. The weather is a big factor. I had one white-knuckle drive across eastern CO in January of 2014 and don't care to repeat the experience. The Taffy pictures give me hope for warmer weather. Thanks, Mary, I needed that!

Hi, Amber ~ I love looking at them too! They sure do bring back good memories! (Even though the ex is in one of them. LOL)

Taffy and Henry both were cuties, Julia, but Henry was very shy and skittish. Taffy loved everyone. As to the weather, it's one big reason I miss SoCal so much.

Yes, well, the Taffy pictures were taken in Southern California, Donna. You know, Southern California, where it is always summer, always summer and never winter (except maybe once in a dozen years). :)

It would be great if you could plan your trip out west around the MDR talk!!! I still need to talk with Anne about it, see if she can make it. I keep meaning to get over to her thread and ask her; then, when I do, I get distracted by talk of other things and forget. Going over there right now.

I love your Taffy pictures, she looks so comfortable floating on the raft. Yes, as Donna says, this gives us hope that summer will arrive one of these days!

>226 Storeetllr: Aw! Taffy looks adorable!! She looks like she was a happy pup!

I've often thought how nice it'd be to have a pool in the yard and then I think about the reality of having a pool in the yard. We'd have constantly wet dogs or dry dogs begging to get wet all summer long!

Ready for more snow? Today was so beautiful, I'm ready for spring!

Thanks, Judy! Yes, floating on the raft and being pulled around the pool (usually by me) was one of Taffy's favorite leisure activities! It's snowing again here, and I hear it's going to be snowing on and off the rest of February. I know it's Denver, and winter, but I'm about ready for it to end, notwithstanding that, while it continues, I can veg out at home and skip the gym, all in good conscience!

And thank you too, Joanne! Taffy was one of the happiest dogs I ever had. Nothing worried her. Which caused a few scary moments for the rest of us, including poor Henry who was worried about everything! It was lovely having a pool, but I was married then and had someone to help take care of the pool. After we split and I moved, I made it clear I did not want a pool ever again.

Hope you're doing okay with all this snow we are having! So glad I can stay home and avoid the craziness on the roads!

***

Good news from the Early Reviewer world: I've been selected to receive an Early Reviewers copy of The Amazing Mr. Howard by Kenneth Harmon. Haven't heard of that author before and hope the book is good. Some unknown authors whose books I've won from LTER have been amazingly good (Potato Peel Pie and The Last Policeman spring immediately to mind, and there have been a few others too); others have not been quite so noteworthy.

So, I bought the following eBooks from Humble Bundle, all for $15.00:



ETA a link to where the Humble Bundle website link appears: https://www.librarything.com/topic/185042#5061177

I love those pictures! Taffy looks like a dog to have fun with! The ex doesn't look to bad either! LOL

Hi, Connie! Yes, Taffy was a hoot. Between her and Henry, it was a real circus sometimes. I'll have to dig out some more pics of them, the little furry clowns. As for the ex, yes, but you know the old saying about a book and its cover? :)