vancouerdeb attempts to read in 2015.

My 2014 Reads

Plainsong by Ken Haruf 4.5 stars *
Eventide by Ken Haruf 4.5 stars*
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley 4.5 stars*
A Guide to Living with & Training a Fearful Dog By Debbie Jacobs 4 stars
For Today I Am A Boy by Kim Fu 4.5 stars
Juvenile Delinquent Dogs: The Complete Guide to Saving Your Sanity and Successfully Living with Your Adolescent Dog by Sue Brown 4 stars
A Corpse in the Koryo by James Church 3.5 stars
Benediction by Ken Haruf 4.5 stars *
The Tie That Binds by Ken Haruf 4 stars
Longbourn by Jo Baker 4 stars
Orphan Train: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline 3.8 stars
Road Ends by Mary Lawson 4.1 stars
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson 5 stars
Lives of the Family: Stories of Fate and Circumstance by Denise Wong 3.5 stars
Burial Rites: A Novel by Hannah Kent 4 stars
The Other Child by Charlotte Link 3.75 stars
The Undertaking by Audrey Magee 5 stars favorite!
Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs by Jean Donaldson 3 stars
The Watcher by Charlotte Link 3.6 stars
One Pair of Feet by Monica Dickens 3 stars
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri 4 stars
The Invention of Wings: A Novel by Sue Monk Kidd 4.75 stars
The New Woman: A Staggerford Novel by Jon Hassler 3.5 stars
Staggerford by Jon Hassler 3.5 stars
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena Anthony Marra 4 stars
Far Side Of The Sky by Daniel Kalla 3.5 stars
All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel by Anthony Doerr 4.5 stars
Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away by Christie Watson 4.5 stars* favourite!
Everything I Never Told You: A Novel by Celeste Ng 4.5*
Pastoral by Andre Alexis 4 stars
We Are Called to Rise: A Novel by Laura McBride 4.25 stars
Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey 4.25 stars
A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash 4.5 stars
Watch How We Walk by by Jennifer LoveGrove 5 stars
Interference: A Novel by Michelle Berry 4 stars
The Rosie Effect #1 by Graeme Simsion 4 stars
All Saints by K.D. Miller 3 stars
The Soul of Discretion: Simon Serrailler by Susan Hill 5 stars*
Walt by Russell Wangersky 3.5 stars
Tamarind Mem by Anita Rau Badami 4 stars
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy: A Novel by Rachel Joyce 4 stars

Books Read 2015




January
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bannerman 4 stars
As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley 4.5 stars
Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively 3.5 stars

February
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers 4.24 stars
After The War Is Over: A Novel by Jennifer Robson 3.3 stars
Washington Square by Henry James 3.5 stars
The Vanishing Act Of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell 4 stars
A Fine Summer's Day: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd 3.8 stars

March
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins 4 stars

Okay, here I am back again. I've forgotten how create thread toppers etc ,but for now I will at least start a thread.

My first book this year was A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. I saw it in the bookstore over the holidays and it " jumped out at me from the book piles." It is translated from the Swedish, as they say and the fact that it was such a bestseller in Europe intrigued me. I was in the mood for something different and not too heavy.

So here is a picture of the book cover, I hope!



It was easily a 4 star read for me. Ove is a 59 nine year old widower and quite a curmudgeon, at least at first glance. He is a very rigid and angry seeming man , and quite unhappy. But when a young immigrant family moves across from him , things begin to change and we come to know a man who has much hidden inside. This is an overall a feel good story, but well done, without much sentimentality . There was initially a slightly repetitive aspect that I initially feared ( I don't want to spoil your read, so that aspect will remain a secret ) . But what I believed might be a barrier to my enjoyment soon disappeared.

It's not as serious as Kent Haruf, or a Wiley Cash novel, authors I came to love last year, but it's definitely worth reading. I added some published reviews on the main page, in case that helps you decide whether you wish to read this book or not.

At Chapters/ Indigo, Canada's biggest bookseller, it was named an " Indigo Spotlight " book, so perhaps that will give it more cache for some. If you are feeling a bit weary of winter and looking for something thoughtful but not to heavy, you just might enjoy this wonderful book. There are dark parts too, be warned.

And hi to all and a very Happy New Year!

I'm on a light read kick for the moment and have just begun As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley. I know his books are not for everyone, but I am a great fan of his fun and interesting Flavia de Luce cozy mysteries. I've read of all his previous offerings in the Flavia de Luce series and so I hope to enjoy this one too. Fear not, I've not changed such that I'll just be reading " fluff' all year. ;)

What great news, Deb, to see one of my oldest friends (in terms of my LT participation, not age of course!) returning to the fray.

I think I can safely speak for many in saying: "We missed you!"

Hope you have a wonderful new year, dear lady.

I'm having a wander round the threads and adding to my TBR pile as I go - I'd not come across A Man Called Ove and it sounds intriguing from your review. Adding a star and wishing you a great 2015.

Dropping my star. SO happy to see you have a thread this year!

Welcome back!

> 6 Paul, great to see you on my thread, dear " old " friend! I'll come visit you soon!

>7 charl08: Charl08, thanks for stopping by. A great 2015 to you too and I hope you enjoy A Man Called Ove as much a I did! I''ll be back to check out your thread - thanks for dropping a star.

>8 Crazymamie: Crazy Mamie! :) Thanks for dropping the star! I'll be by later to check out your thread!

> 9 Dr Neutron - Jim, thanks for running this entire group!

Happy New Year to all of you! Back later today! :)

Your back!! Woot Woot!
Happily dropping a big fat star, my friend. :D

I have to pick up the Flavia books again. I didn't want to get all going on the series and not have it be finished.....but this one looks like it's going to keep going and going.....gah!

Nice to see you threading again! I have A Man Called Ove checked out from the library. I've heard good things and now from you, too!

Good to have you back Deborah with a new thread. Starred of course - looking forward to much conversation in 2015.

I've started reading (or rather listening) to A Man Called Ove (En mand der hedder Ove) - I giggle a lot and yes, he grows on you as you know the more serious story of his life. Grumpy Old Men - well, not so old as a matter a fact.

@11 Valerie, good to see you ! I enjoy the Flavia de Luce series and this one involves Flavia coming to Canada! So far I have not made much of an inroad, but so far it is deliciously slightly creepy and fun!

@12 @13 Joanne and Carsten, so great to know that both of you are enjoying A Man Called Ove. I think both of you will enjoy it very much - in fact, Carsten, you already are! Carsten I know what you mean - 20 years ago I'd have thought 59 - really old - now, well, my husband is just one year younger! Uh oh!

Found you! Happy New Year. Welcome back.

Hi, Deborah! Happy New Year!

I'm so happy to see you back, Deborah! I missed you last year and my wishlist suffered by your absence. :-)

@15 Good to see you Beth! Thanks fpr stopping by!

@Amber, Happy New Year to you too!

@17 Julia, Thank you and I'm sure I''ll be able to add to your wish list this year! :)

Hi Deb. Glad to have you back and posting again. You were missed:-)

@ 19 Thanks Bonnie! Great to see you! I've got Kate Atkinson's new book on my wishlist too, as soon as it is published!

OMG!! Are you really back? I am so glad I am sitting down for this.

We MISSED you, Deb! It is great to see you back.

Where is that topper? Drumming fingers impatiently...

Have a lovely weekend, Deb. xx

Woot! Woot! Deb, I didn't know you had made a thread! Carsten just dropped the news over at my place … WAHOO! I knew you were thinking about it. And here you are. I am absolutely delighted! *did I say Woot! already?*


Wonderful that you enjoyed A Man Called Ove so much. Went to thumb your review but didn't see it. Did you post? I hope Bradley's latest Flavia will live up to your expectations; I know you've really enjoyed that series.

eta: Forgot … what a great list of 2014 reads! I've read some of those and have several more on my WL.

Hmm, on the subject of your 2014 list … juvenile delinquent dogs, eh? I certainly hope Poppy didn't see you reading that!

@ Mark, I hope you are just sitting down to read a book, but yes I am really back. How is All the Light We Cannot See: A Novel ? Don't you hate it when you even have to put the A Novel in to for the keywords to work? I ' working on the thread topper " - I've forgotten how to it, it was never my forte, but I'll try eventually!

@22 Paul - not a bad weekend at all, I hope your was lovely too!

> Nancy LOL! Ah, the happy bouncing mouse again! Great to see you Nancy! I am glad that you discovered my thread, or else perhaps I would have had to PM you in time! :) A Man Called Ove was even better than I expected, but my little mini review is not really a proper review. Perhaps later I will create a slightly more put together review , short and sweet , just for the sake of possible other readers. It really was worth the read - at least for me. And yes, I am loving As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust . Delicious creepy fun! And poor Flavia has been shipped away from her familiar village in Bishop's Lacey to of all places, 1950's Toronto to a rather suspicious all girl boarding school. You know what sort of things can happen in these unregulated old boarding schools, I should think. I shudder to think of it all! :)

Well, if only Poppy was a human , I would have given her many a lecture - and stern ones, on her behaviour. Just as well if she could read the one called Juvenile Delinquent Dogs: The Complete Guide to Saving Your Sanity and Successfully Living with Your Adolescent Dog, perhaps it would have put the " scare " into her! Note that I've also read Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs as well as A Guide to Living with & Training a Fearful Dog . We have had a couple of dogs previous to Poppy and I have lived with quite a few dogs, growing up, but Poppy is loving little creature, but very moody and can be growly and bitey at me and Dave! It continues to be a challenge. We've had a couple of private in home consultations with two well qualified trainers and we have her out all the time socializing, once a week with her dog walker and the group , as well as putting her onto an anti -anxiety / antidepressant, but still she remains a big challenge to us. I only believe in positive training with dogs, But Poppy is a bit of an enigma to us. The vet thinks she may have a " neurological problem" and the most excellent dog trainer that we had in our home twice ( $$$ ) said beyond what we are doing, she could only recommend we try seeing the only dog behaviorist in BC, a woman with PHD who I think lives in Victoria and writes a once a week column for the Vancouver Sun. I'm not even sure how we'd find her , and I don't even want to think about the cost. Last weekend , we had to have fully her muzzled and the vet had to sedate her just for her once a year check up and shots. So, we are working hard with her, but it is a challenge. And she is all of 11. 5 lbs! How can such a small thing like that run the household? Dave and I are soft, I'll admit that.

Enough of that. yes I had some fabulous reads last year! Discovered Kent Haruf and Wiley Cash. Later on I'll try to list my top 10 reads of 20 14.

Thanks for stopping by!

Oh my goodness, I did not know that Poppy was quite so much of a challenge still, Deb. You and Dave are doing absolutely everything you can for her in terms of seeing trainers and having her out in social groups. She sounds like a nervous/anxious little girl. I think she is very lucky to have the two of you. You're right, and it made me chuckle (although I know it's not really funny) … how is a little being who is all of 11 pounds running my home and my life?

I also discovered and LOVE both Haruf and Cash last year (Haruf was your rec, and Cash was Mark's). Great reader friends!

I love Nancy's happy bouncing mouse. Can't get enough of it.

>Nancy, yes indeed, Poppy is quite a handful! Yes, the discovery of Wiley Cash and Kent Haruf worked out well. For me, I kept seeing Benediction in the bookstores and the library and finally I caved and ended up reading several of Kent Haruf's works. It was somewhat the same with Wiley Cash - the repeated seeing of a book that caught my interest and finally I " cracked" and made the purchase - and actually read that book! :) And yet one can look at the same book repeatedly and it never catches one's interest, but I'm glad I finally made those purchases.

> 27 - Yes , Nancy does have the best graphics! Especially the moving ones!

Yay, Deb is back!! Glad to see you!

Sue Brown's Juvenile Delinquent Dog book just caught my eye. We took a puppy class and a basic training class with her a year or two ago (she's here in Colorado). She's very nice and great with the dogs. I've been thinking of taking another (JD) class this spring.

Good luck with Poppy!!

Welcome back Deborah. Love those opening bookshelves!

Sorry to hear Poppy is still veing such a challenge. It sounds like you are doing really good work with her though.

>Chelle, great to see you on my thread! What a little cutie you have cutting into your reading time! :) Chloe is just a darling!

>30 Copperskye: Joanne, you are so fortunate to live near the author of Juvenile Delinquent Dog Poppy and I would love to attend classes there. Poppy is just due back from here weekly walk with our dog walker. Poppy goes with "Taco", " Basil" and about 3 other dogs for an off leash romp with a bunch of her dog friends. She runs off leash with other dogs most every day, but we think it's good that she gets used to other adult caretakers . Considering that our vet manage her without her being unconscious, we thing the dog walker is the best thing since sliced bread! :) Of course the vet never does " nice things" whereas the wonderful lady who walks Poppy once a week is Poppy's favorite person. Poppy jumps into a car filled with her " dog friends" and off they go for an adventure! It makes me chuckle to think of it.

>31 souloftherose: Julia, yesterday I was speaking with a friend who knows dogs and Poppy well - and after a bit she said - do think Poppy might have some sort dog autism spectrum disorder. I don't know but we are certainly trying hard with her. I know that's a bit of anthropomorphizing but it's difficult to avoid. Poppy is bit of enigma to us. One moment she'll be kissing me - a moment or two later she will give me growl. It's as she will allow body handling but only so much / or when it works okay for her. But she has many loving characteristics, but unconditional love from a dog is not one of them, and yet we try to give her that. Thanks for your vote of confidence.

I'm nearly finished As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust and I am so enjoying it. What will be able to measure up to it when I am finished? I'm not sure!

So glad that the latest Flavia is another score, Deb! Is this the end of that series, or is Bradley planning more?

Deb, I'm sorry to hear that Poppy is such a challenge but it sounds like you are doing everything you can to help her adjust. Do you have a picture of her that you could post? I always love seeing everyone's doggie friends!

Deborah, our rescue Lab was a problem pup, too! He flunked out of obedience school because he was such a bully! We've had him ten years now and we still don't trust him completely around our grandkids. Good luck with your Poppy!

I started listening to A Man Called Ove and then got sidetracked by the holidays. I was loving it so will start over when my current book plate gets cleared. I liked listening so I know how his name is pronounced...more like OOO-va than the way it is spelled.

I'll try later to see if I can get an image of Poppy onto my thread. Back later - in the actual proper morning!

love the topper pic - tempted to spend ages deciphering the titles...

> Nancy, Flavia is another hit it out of the park book for me! And yes, Alan Bradley is planning to continue the series. I'll write a short review a little later - in fact I already had and then I bumped something at the computer and lost it!

@34 Julia, sorry I don't have a picture of Poppy at the moment. All / most of them are on my Iphone and I'm not sure as yet how to transfer them onto library thing. As best we know, she is a mix of Maltese and Poodle and who knows what else. She has the build of miniature poodle, long and lean but short muzzle and is almost all white with a bit of cream, and nearly straight hair -with a bit of an underbite. Her mom was a rescue from California that came up to Canada pregnant and gave birth here, but her parentage is unknown . I had a DNA test done, which showed he to be 75% poodle, lower down , Great White Pyrenees and lower down, Brittany Spaniel. But looking at her , everyone seems to say - a maltese - others - oh the poodle build. One things is certain, she is too smart for her own good.

@ 35 Donna, I'm so relieved to hear that you had a challenging pup. It is heartening to hear that perhaps she will mellow. Poppy has plenty of dog savvy and apparently knows how to behave with other dogs, it's people that she has trouble figuring out. So interesting that Ove is pronounced OOO-va - in my mind I'd decided it was Ove as in rhymes with Stove. That Ove! :)

@37 - Glad you like my thread topper! It has been so long since I made a thread topper I was not sure I could even create one, so I just grabbed a picture of the web -and it worked! Best of luck deciphering those titles :)

I think you've summed up Poppy beautifully here, Deb: One things is certain, she is too smart for her own good.

(1) You're back!?
(2) It took me this long to realise you're back!?

:)
Hello again!

(I'll be back)

Hi Deb, wonderful to see you back with a thread for 2015! Also happy to see that the latest Flavia is a hit with you. I was getting a little worried with the direction Bradley appeared to be taking the series based on the previous book so a huge sigh of relief from me! ;-)

Stopping in to wish you a happy Monday, Deb! Hope it's a good one!

>38 vancouverdeb: I can see Poppy in my mind with your excellent description, Deb! I use Dropbox, which is a cloud storage service (it's free for a pretty good amount of space but you can pay to get more), and use a feature they have that automatically saves copies of photos I take with my iPhone to a folder in Dropbox. That makes it easy to upload them either here in the Member Gallery/Junk Drawer area or to Photobucket or Flickr or some other photo hosting service.

If you'd like referral code to Dropbox (using it will get some extra free space), just drop me a PM and I'd be happy to send you one. Of course you can also just go sign up directly at dropbox.com.

I know it is/was sometime around here. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEB! Hope your 2015 treats you well! Wishes for many happy returns.

Hi Deb! It's great to see you back! I wish you well in your dog training efforts. My little guy is generally good natured, but he will sometimes get testy when I don't indulge his every whim. Sometimes I wish he could talk to me and explain some of his odd behaviors. I'm sure that it would almost always have something to do with food!

> lit_ chick, Yes, Nancy, Poppy is to smart for own good! She is the only dog we have bothered to train things like, sit, roll over, touch target, shake a paw, lie down , find your " baby " " push about" or " zig zag , etc - but it's only so she has some go -to behaviours for when she gets anxious/ bitey etc. :)She even fetches the ball, which far beyond oour previous dog's interests. :)

>40 LovingLit: Megan yes I am back! But I'm a bit erratic so far in the threads! Thanks for finding me!

>41 lkernagh: Lori, yes I loved the latest Flavia de Luce, As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust . I was a bit concerned too, but I think you'll enjoy the latest installment.

> 42 Monday was an okay day, Mamie, but today was a nicer day! Thanks for your good wishes from Pecan Paridoso !

> 43 Julia, I'm just so , well, dumb about transferring photo's onto Library thing, or even facebook etc. On my facebook I have the most hilarious picture of Poppy stretched out on a bench , in her dreaded pink, white argyle sweater, and her floppy ears are blowing in the wind, . For all the world she looks like a female model with her hair blowing carelessly in with wind, displaying her slim toned body with her mouth half open in that carefree sexy pose. The reality is she likely fought like the dickens to have her sweater put on. If you have a facebook account like I do , I can share that photo with you. - Just PM and you can be my facebook friend. Otherwise I'll have to wait to ask my son what to do . And even though he a software / programmer for a large company he is " anti Apple." He's an android guy. :) Kidz, you try to raise them right but....I'll look into drop box - all this complicated stuff for old folks like me! ;)

> Peggy thanks for the Birthday Wishes! Yes, it was on January 20th. I got some cupcakes, chocolates, a People magazine, some sheets - nothing big. I make up for it all year long with my book purchases, so I don't feel badly about that at all! I'm still on the good side of 55, but just barely! Okay I just turned 54 !!! How can I be that old? No wonder I have a a30 year old son and a nearly 25 year old son. Shocks me.

Okay, my first review in eons for As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley.

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust. "

I was initially a bit anxious as Flavia has been shipped away from her family home in Bishops Lacey, Britain, to 1950's Toronto Canada. But Flavia's Toronto's boarding school, Mrs Bodycote's Female Academy proves to be full of mysterious characters, both among the students and the instructors. The academy is rumoured to be haunted and tales swirl of former students that have gone missing. But is Flavia superstitious or easily taken in? No, young Flavia , budding scientist and sleuth, quickly lands on her feet. The very night she arrives at the boarding school, a charred body slides out of the chimney in her appointed room.

I very much enjoyed this engaging and delightful cozy mystery. And , yes, Alan Bradley to continue the series and I'll be pre - ordering my copy!

Wonderful fun for Flavia de Luce fans!

4.5 stars

Currently I am about 60% through Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively. So far I'm a bit disappointed as I have previously read How It Began and Family Album. But Moon Tiger is one of her earlier works, so perhaps she had not perfected her style. The writing is beautiful, but I find the main character, Claudia , difficult to like.

Happy belated birthday, Deb!
My friend, age is just a number and you are only as old as you feel and bet you feel not a day over 16! ;)

Thanks for the reminder about the Flavia books. I've only read the first one but keep holding out on reading the rest of the series. I wonder how many books this series is going to end up being.....?

So delighted that Flavia (and you) enjoyed Toronto, Deb! Sorry you are not enjoying Moon Tiger more, but I know we can't all like the same things all of the time.

I would LOVE to see the FB photo of Poppy you are talking about, LOL! I don't FB though. What I do when I want to post photos to LT is upload them to my Junk Drawer (in Member Gallery) or into PhotoBucket.

Okay, this MIGHT be a silly picture of Poppy in her " model pose"
"

>51 vancouverdeb: What a sweetheart! I can definitely see that look that shows she's a girl who knows her own mind!

Belated Happy Birthday to you, Deborah. It's the same day as my DIL's. My husband was out of town so we will take the family out to dinner this weekend to celebrate.

I'm currently listening to Family Album by Ms. Lively. So many characters to keep straight.

Poppy is adorable!

Belated happy birthday wishes! I just moved to the dark side of 55 exactly a week before.

LOL, Deb, Poppy is perfectly adorable! She could be modelling for Burberry ... that is a Burberry argyle, non? Oh my goodness, crack me up! Btw, I sent it to my dog-crazy sister and got back an "Awwwww" email.

She's so doggone cute!

>48 vancouverdeb: Actually I picked her for B.A.C., Deb, but I wasn't as blown away by Moon Tiger when I read it as many were. I agree that her style is more refined in her later novels.

Have a lovely weekend.

> 45 Carrie, we must have posted at the same time!Like you, I sure wish my dog could talk! Her testiness arises mainly when she has to be handled when she does not want to be - like if we have to put on a jacket or some sort of outdoor wear. She is so small and it gets very wet and sometimes below 0 C, so those are the days that we need some sort of thing to keep her warm and dry. Believe me , it sure is not for style!!! We wouldn't take snarling and snapping just for style. I wish we could tell her - we are just trying to keep you being drenched. We let her go " naked" as much as is possible, but tomorrow there is a rain warning , so out comes the dreaded rain coat! Just a couple of pieces of velcro to do up, but oh boy, she does not like it!

>49 jolerie: Valerie, great to see you! Such kind words, but truly some days I feel like it time for a retirement home for me :) As for the Flavia Series, I think Alan Bradley has a couple of more books in the series up his sleeve, but I have read he cannot picture getting Flavia as older then young teen in the series, so I think he will only write one or two more, sadly for me. But you know, there are so many books to read - if Flavia does not float your boat, no need to worry!

>50 lit_chick: , As you can see , I managed to put one picture of Poppy on my thread. Moon Tiger is not too bad, I suppose I was expecting something more like the other two books that I had read by her. I'm at the point where she is having her love affair with Tom and she seems a bit more human right now. And right now, at nearly 1 am, the Poppy dog is clunking around upstairs in the living room . I best go see what she is up to. Destroying her toys? On top of the kitchen table? She is night owl like me. Ah, taking apart one of her mats, fiber by fiber, just hid that one away.

>52 Donna828: - Donna, yes! Poppy is a girl who knows her own mind . In a big way. I hope you are enjoying How It All Began - I think I may have given that one 5 stars - either that one or Family Album. I'm found initially for Moon Tiger I kept a list of the characters on an index card, so I am glad that I not the only one that does that

>53 Copperskye: LOL! The dark side of 55! Well, what helps me is that my husband has already gone to the dark side of 55, 3 years ago! Joanne, you just a young woman, compared to my husband! ( and likely me! )

>54 lit_chick: Well, Nancy, if Burbury wants models that bite with their objection, they need look no further. Poppy would definitely need her own personal assistant and just so handling. And she is a bit of diva - I mean, really a diva! What cracks me up is each Tuesday when the dog walker comes by with car filled with about 6 small dogs, each one in a car seat , and most of them dressed up for the weather . It is totally hilarious looking at that dog filled vehicle. All these little heads staring at me.

> 55 Julia, I wish Poppy could figure out that yes, she is a dog and not part human!

> Paul, I am not sure what B.A.C. means. Blood Alcohol Content maybe? At rate, Penelope Lively was very good pick! I have wanted to read Moon Tiger since it is her Booker winner, so I am glad to read the book, even if it is not as refined as her later books. Happy weekend to you too!

Hi, Deb! I need to get round to the Flavia books, I think...

Also, Poppy is adorable!! Love the sweater, too!

Happy Friday, Deb! Hope you have an R & R weekend planned. Fingers crossed.

Oh she floats my boat alright..ha! I just don't like starting a series if I know the author is still has more books in mind. I'll probably get all the books and just patiently wait till he is a book or two away from being done before I dive right in. And really it's not like I'm lacking in other books to keep me busy until then..haha!

>57 vancouverdeb: Sorry that you're not enjoying Moon Tiger more. It is one of my favourite Penelope Lively's but then I don't mind it too much when the characters in books aren't appealing, as long as they are interesting.

Poppy does look very nice in her coat, even if she doesn't like it. Daisy doesn't like hers either, but it doesn't get so cold here that she needs to wear it that often. She really only needs it if she's going to be standing around for a long time without moving.

Poppy does look stylish in that sweater! Adrian has a wardrobe of several sweaters and a coat for when it's really cold. He doesn't "complain" too much about the coat because it zips and doesn't have to go over his head. He runs away when I pull out a sweater, but I can coax him to come to me with a treat. (Really, he's all about food!) Once it's on I think he likes it. He does have a raincoat but he won't move if I put the hood over his head. It's like I've paralyzed him. I let his coat stay fairly long in the winter so that I only need to put sweaters on him when it gets down around freezing or below, or when he's going to be outside for more than just a few minutes. He has a much shorter do in the summer so I can spot ticks more easily.

>scaifea 58 Amber, Well, if you try the Flavia books I do hope you enjoy them as much as me!

>msf59 I suspect I will have a nice quiet weekend . Currently I am searching online for a downtown Vancouver hotel to stay in when my younger son gets married. Boy it is big $$$. Think of the books I could purchase for that price, or maybe a new queen size bed or a down payment on a car! :) Sighs.

>jolerie - I kind of know what you mean . I like to able to read write through a series if I find one, but some you get caught reading one and find oh my , I have just wait for the next one. I did catch onto the Flavia series until about 3 or so books were written. They simply did not appeal to me and I thought they would be YA sort of books, which usually would not appeal to me, but I really love them!

>SandDune, Rhian, I wish we lived somewhere really warm! We did not feel that our two previous dogs needed rain or cold protection here , but they were a bit bigger and one had a nice double coat that repelled water and the next had a big fluffy curly coat that seemed to repel rain . I'm not quite sure why I am not crazy about Moon Tiger. I can enjoy a book where I'm not keen on the character, but it's more then that . I think part of it for me is when it's such a big deal for characters to have sex . That seems so central to many of Claudia''s relationships. Maybe I've been married for too long and I appreciate so many other facets of a long term relationship. Or maybe I'm just a prudish reader! :) LOL! Moon Tiger sounded so romantic until I discovered they are just some sort of coils that you burn to keep the bugs away from you. ;)

>cbl_tn Carrie, we have tried zippered coats, ones with just a couple of velcro flaps but she does not like any of them. I agree, the sweaters are the worst and I've finally convinced my husband not to try with the sweaters any more. Men! Poppy will snarl and deal out a nip or a bite to show her displeasure. We'd leave her naked , except that her hair is thin and it rains so much her that she'd be freezing. She needs about 2 hours of outdoor exercise every day for all us to say sane, so ... ;) We let her go naked as much as we can! :)

Overall, though, Moon Tiger is improving and I'm glad to have read it ( just a little bit to go ) since I loved How It All Began and and Family Album by the same author. Penelope Lively's ability to shift narrators so seamlessly is impressive in this book, as is her writing.

Glad you're enjoying your "cozy, delightful reads", Deborah. I better download the first Flavia book from our library soon. Only the two first is translated, so I don't know what will happen to the rest.

Adorable photo - and a professional pose by Poppy :) - looks like he's been doing it all his life.

64 > Carsten, yes , I've been enjoying my cozy delightful reads! Do try the first Flavia book - I quite certain that you would enjoy the series. And yes, Poppy has a way with the professional model poses, doesn't she :) I am finished MoonTiger , but I just need to collect my thoughts - not a review but just a few thoughts that are halfway coherent! ;)

Poppy is absolutely adorable Deborah! Love the sweater!

I've had the first Flavia book sitting on my shelf for a few years now. I really need to get to it because you certainly enjoy them.

>66 brenzi: You are so kind, Bonnie! Poppy is adorable , in her own way! ;) Give the Flavia books a try -but I know that one mans meat is another man's poison, especially when it comes to books! I never expected to like them either , I'm not a reader of YA , which is not what Flavia books are classified as, but I could see people not wanting to read about a young teen - but somehow Flavia seems older but so much fun - to me that is. There are many literary allusions used and the books are great fun.

Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively.

Let me preface this review by saying that I have read two books by Penelope Lively, Family Album and How It All Began. She is one of my favourite authors ,based on those two books, but sadly Moon Tiger disappointed me. Perhaps my expectations were too high, or perhaps she has refined her writing over time.

The characters in Moon Tiger were not well developed and I found them difficult to like , or even have much of a sense of them. Claudia, the main character, around whom everyone seems to rotate, struck me as a narcissist . Claudia says about herself at about 80 % into my kindle, " The life of an attractive woman is different from a plain one....when I was eight years old I realized I was pretty - from that moment onwards a course was set. Intelligence made me one kind of being; intelligence allied with good looks made me another." She seems to judge everyone that she meets on that basis, and no measures up to Claudia, save perhaps her lover, Thomas and her brother Gordon. Claudia resents her brother's wife , Sylvia, essentially on the basis that she is plain and plump and also not deemed intelligent by Claudia. I suppose it is possible Claudia might have resented any wife of her brothers, due to Claudia's relationship with her brother. Jasper, her on and off lover, comes and goes as Claudia wishes or needs him. Their daughter, Lisa, is mainly an inconvenience to Claudia, and Lisa is quickly shipped away to live with her grandmothers. Thomas, her one "true love", well, suffice it to say that love and war often lead to tragedy. I have such a negative opinion of Claudia that I have trouble thinking that any relationship that she had could last for any amount of time.

I felt that Lively could have fleshed out the the characters so that a reader could feel some sort of connection or sympathy to a character, but Lively failed to do that. I wished I could have know Claudia better, so as to understand her , as well as the rest of the characters, but it was not to be.

Lively did a wonderful job with shifting time, narrators, and her use of language is beautiful. But for me, I was left with a feeling of shallow impressions of both the characters and the places that Claudia interacted with. On the plus side, I am keen to read Lively's memoir, Dancing Fish and Ammonites: A Memoir. Perhaps that will give me more insight into Moon Tiger . I hope so!

I haven't read any of Penelope Lively's books - but now I know where not to start. Thanks Deborah. Not having sympathy or feel connected with the characters is really a let-down. Well, I can see that there's a lot of novels to choose from.

Watched this yesterday and had to share it with you - it must be lovely to be greeted that way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-8v-_kaZ38

Happy Sunday, Deb! I enjoyed your thoughts on Moon Tiger. LTers seem to be split down the middle on this one. I loved it, despite Claudia unpleasantness.
Good luck on the hotel search! Find that bargain!!

Thumb-up for an excellent review of Moon Tiger, Deb! If you've got time, take a trip over the Darryl's (kidzdoc) thread. He just finished Moon Tiger and despised it! Very interesting conversation going on over there.

@69 &70 Carsten, Penelope Lively has written some wonderful books , no doubt about it, but MoonTiger was not one of them! Do try Family Album or How it All Began. I think I might have reviewed both and I think I gave Family Album 5 stars and and How it All Began 4 stars. I think you would enjoy either one. Such a cute video, Carsten! It is nice to be greeted by a dog that rushes to see you and puts her feet up against your knees to get near you.

@71 Mark, Yes, I agree, LTer's do seem to split down the middle about Moon Tiger . There was more wrong with Moon Tiger then just Claudia's unpleasantness! And yes, I booked a hotel. Downtown Vancouver Hotels that are decent - 4 stars or more - can cost one $500 plus a night. With our son's wedding being held downtown and the several ceremonies they are planning, my husband and I decided that staying downtown for two nights would be easier than a very exhausting day . There will a Chinese Tea Ceremony, a Catholic Church Wedding and then a evening dinner and dance at a downtown hotel. I would be happy with a do it all in one place kind of a thing - maybe a wedding at a Golf Course , but it is not to be.

@72Thanks for the thumb, Nancy! I'll pop over to Darryl's thread. I wanted to give some of those weak irresponsible characters in Moon Tiger a stern lecture about growing a spine and a sense of responsibility and some empathy for others.

Moon Tiger definitely seems to be a divisive one. Lots of love and lots of the other as well...haha. I didn't care for Claudia either. Narcissist is a good way of putting it! I didn't get her at all although that doesn't take away from the fact that I thought Lively can write. I just didn't care for her characters. :)

@74 Valerie, yes, Moon Tiger is interestingly divisive ! I sure felt that Claudia was a narcissist! But yes, Penelope Lively can write fabulous books , and I've read a couple of them.

Currently I am about 20 % into The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers. It will be interesting to see where this story goes.

Oh, I hope you really enjoy The Heart is a Lonely Reader, Deb. It is garnering some excellent reviews in our group. McCullers is a fantastic writer.

@77 Actually yes, Nancy, I am enjoying The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. It's sad and different, but quite fascinating.

Just a few pages left in The Heart is Lonely Hunter and it's a brilliant book. But for now , off with the dog out into the foggy dew to take her for a walk and ruin my hair! Perhaps Poppy the dog feels the same way about her hair! ;)

Happy Sunday Deborah,
finally managed to track your thread down :)

>4 vancouverdeb: A Man Called Ove is gone onto my WL as it sounds just like my cup of "coffee".

>51 vancouverdeb: Love the pic of poppy seing her posing so beautifully, I can imagine that she is a dog with some attitude, but soooo cute.

>68 vancouverdeb: I thought Moon Tiger was such an excellent book and I thoroughly enjoyed the heated discussions on all the threads as Beth (BLBera) said, if Lively can provoke such reactions from people she definitely has done something right.

>68 vancouverdeb: I also enjoyed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and thought it was such a sad, but wonderful written story.

LOL - The Royal couple. Yeah, even I follow what's happening to them, also I am usually not to bothered, but I do have to admit a certain fondness towards Kate and William. I watched some news here in Germany, she was visiting some charity event and was wearing a blue dress and baby blue wool coat and the first thing they were musing about, whether this is Kate's hint of telling us that she is expecting another boy. LOL

@80 Bianca, such a nice long message to arrive to see! Well, apparently A Man Called Ove has " swept across Europe" and now North America, it would seem so I very much hope you will enjoy! Poppy indeed a dog with some attitude, but lately she has been less bitey when I've been putting on her rain coat / outwear! That is a huge , huge improvement. Not to say she never gets snappy , but she has been calmer lately ( crosses fingers. I agree, though I did not enjoy Moon Tiger the fact that the book could provoke such discussions is tribute to the author. And, since I've read a couple of other books by Penelope Lively that I loved, I had wanted to read the Booker Winner, Moon Tiger. Yes, I've finished The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and indeed a sad, but wonderfully written book.

As for the Royal Couple, I look for every snippet that I can, and read the Daily Mail UK online everyday. I got Carsten on the case for me, or at least I am trying to get him to take on the Royal Couple in his work. I think he may be humouring me along.I don't think Kate is trying to " Telegraph" the sex of the baby. What to name the baby? I favour Charlotte for a girl and hmm - Alexander for a boy. But, Prince George's second name is Alexander , so I suspect it will not be Alexander . Maybe James or ? George is not currently a popular name in Canada for young boys, so who knows what the couple will come up with. I'm losing sleep over it! :)

Okay, one of the things that holds me back on LT is worrying about writing a review. I've finished The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I won't do a review , but just make a few comments.

I am not sure that " enjoy " is really a word that one can use to describe The Heart is a Lonely Hunter , but I certainly appreciated reading it. It's a very sad, tragic book and one that I think would work well as part of a book club or group discussion. I was fascinated by the number of themes that young Carson McCullers's touched on. Race relations, isolation, loneliness, gender identity, the beginnings of women's rights, poverty among but some . McCuller created the story in such a brilliant way, with the deaf and dumb mute, Singer serving as a "confessor" figure, like a priest. Meanwhile poor old Singer is taking in all of this intimate information and is baffled and troubled by it, and he has his own loneliness and obession, namely missing his " friend", the Greek Spiros Antonapoulous. A quick look on wiki revealed that McCullers also lived a troubled life, dogged by alcoholism, illness, depression and eventually divorce and the suicide of her husband, so I suspect she knew her subject matter well.

4 stars.

Currently I am about 120 pages into After The War Is Over: A Novel by Jennifer Robson. I'm enjoying more than I expected. I picked it up at Chapters, hoping for a lighter read then my previous two , The Heart is a Lonely Hunter and Moon Tiger and it is filling the bill. A great bit of story telling by a Canadian author about life in Britain after WW!, with a bit of Downton Abbey thrown in, along with some good story telling. Is a literary masterpiece? I suspect not, but it is so far an enjoyable and diverting read.

Glad to see The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was a winner for you. I read it so long ago, I hardly remember anything specific about it, only that I adored it. I should reread it. The movie is good, too, if you've never seen it. Alan Arkin plays Singer.

Hi Deb, wonderful comments on The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I'm so glad you appreciated it. It is beautifully written, and sad, and tragic …

Good news on little Poppy being calmer! That, I think, is testament to your and Dave's love and patience. She's a lucky little girl. And so adorable in her on-trend sweaters and rainwear.

Sounds like you've got another good one on the go with After the War is Over.

The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was a winner for me too and I was quite surprised by that for some reason. I am just continually bowled over by the fact that she was so young when she wrote it.
Good idea on trying something a bit lighter after some heavier books! :)

@ 84 Joanne, yes, it was wonderful that The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I'll have to keep a look out for it as a movie. I'm very glad the AAC pushed me to read igt!

@ 85 Nancy, I turned my bit of a comment into a small review ,if you interested. Thanks for your kind comments re Poppy. She ( crosses fingers) seems to be settling down. She is such a love and she is getting much better about being pet while she is lying around dozing, without snapping at us! I guess patience and love do help after all. Last night she was lying around so calmly , she was just like a dream dog , lying benignly by the hearth. She is cute - a real snuggler at times ! Yes indeed, After the War is Over is proving to be a fine , engaging yarn, and well enough written. I'm enjoying it very much.

@86 Valerie, so glad that you too enjoyed The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I have a hard time getting my mind around the fact that she was just 23 at the time she wrote the book, but perhaps in the 1940's , with the Great Depression not far behind , and in the midst of WW11, and the fact that she lived in the American South forced her to grow up fast. That said, it really is a well written book. Very much enjoying my light read. Very engaging.

Don't let review writing get in the way of your enjoyment of LT Deborah. I decided not to write any reviews for the time being and to just read what I feel like reading in order to drag myself out of my reading funk and its working beautifully. I don't get bogged down worrying about a review and just write a couple of sentences about my thoughts on the book and then move on. I don't worry anymore about getting a review done. For most books, even new ones, there are plenty of reviews already posted.

I'm glad you liked The Heart is a Lonely Hunter which I own but haven't read yet. And I think it was you who convinced me to read How It All Began which I loved so thanks for that. I want to get to more of her work (I read The Photograph many years ago).

Hi Deb! How is the week going? I enjoyed your thoughts on The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I am glad you enjoyed it. Please don't beat yourself up about writing or not writing reviews. I've done badly in that department too, but it doesn't prevent me from spreading the word.
You do not want to do anything, that feels like work.

Glad you turned your comments into a review, Deb, and thumb-up from me : ). I expect, based on what you've written, that McCullers certainly did know her subject: A quick look on wiki revealed that McCullers also lived a troubled life, dogged by alcoholism, illness, depression and eventually divorce and the suicide of her husband, so I suspect she knew her subject matter well.

eta: have to echo Bonnie and Mark's thoughts here, too, Deb: please don't stress about reviews! The comments that you write are wonderful, and if the comments get to be a pain … don't bother with them either! But do let us know what you like/don't, please … you are responsible for half of my WL, LOL!

@ Bonnie, thanks so much for your words of encouragement. I'm trying hard not worry about not writing a review. I have this conscience that works overtime, I think. I feel a need to write a review, or at least a few comments. I will try to take you , Mark's and Nancy's kind advice. Thanks for that! Glad to send you a book bullet , Bonnie! 0

@89 Well, Mark, I know how your week is going, plowing through the snow! Mine is going okay. One of my son's is getting married this July and while I am very happy for both he and and his lovely wife to be, sorting through all of the wedding business ( expectations) can be trying. I did get my {Washington Square AAC book in the mail today!

@90 Thanks Nancy, for your kind comments. Yes, I will let you know what I like! I've become a bit shy in that direction, but I've got to get more " bossy " again! ;) After all, what would you read without my advice. ;)

Hi Deb, lovely comments regarding The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. I agree, 'appreciate' is a much better work to use than 'enjoy' when describing the McCullers book.

Happy Family Day long weekend!

Happy Saturday, Deb! Glad you have your copy of Washington Square at hand. I hope to start my copy next week. At least it is a shorty! We LOVE shorties!

Just a few quick notes about my current finished read After the War is Over by Jennifer Robson. Overall, it was an easy, enjoyable read. It is the story of a 33 year old woman named Charlotte Brown. She has worked for a as governess for a well off family, as well as working as a nurse for post WW1 soldiers. Her area of interest in post WW1 nursing was neurasthenia or shell shock. As the book begins , Charlotte is living in a boarding house, while working to serve the poor that have resulted from WW1. Charlotte also has an interest in writing and her areas of interest are poverty, equality and a certain amount of feminism. We could say that yes, she is left in her politics , and yet she is attracted to Lord Edward Neville- Ashford, her former employer when she worked as a governess for his younger sister. If this all sounds rather dreadful, actually it is not. While I would not rush to recommend to anyone , I enjoyed it. It was overall a good yarn , and interesting fiction about post WW1 Britain. Charlotte's wish to help others and her high principles interested me. I am not one for romance. but Charlotte is a pretty cool customer and the " romance" in this book is pretty minimal. This is more a story of fighting injustices, class -wise, feminism and shell shock. I did enjoy it , though it seemed to slog a little towards the end. I'd give it a 3. 3. A nice light read, but don't expect too much.



And I must run off and take a book that I purchased for my mom for her birthday Emma by Alexander McCall Smith. Not so much to my tastes, but I will also loan After The War Is Over to my mom, and likely she will enjoy it. Back later.

@92 Thanks Lori! Yes, I think there are a fair number of books which I could say I " appreciated' rather then enjoyed." But we learn a lot from those books, I suppose. Happy Family Long Weekend to you too, though my husband does not get it off . He works 4 on, 4 off with no regard to stats. It sometimes gets to me, but not that much. Dave works as an aircraft mechanic for Air Canada and those planes have to fly 24 /7 and 365 so I am kind of used to it. My dad was a pilot for Air Canada, as are both of my two brothers and my favourite brother in law is a cop , so in my family we are kind of used to working over holidays. That said, Dave had weekends off til Air Canada took over Canadian Airlines and you'd think with his seniority my husband could have weekends off as he used to have. * sighs to self*

@ Hi Mark, Happy Weekend to you too! And yes, I have Washington Square waiting on the kitchen table, though I'm not sure if it's my next read or might have to wait a book or two - a tough choice. It is a relative shorty, but Mark, the print in my copy looks on the small side. I think they are trying to trick us and the book is really 400 pages long! ;)

Thanks for your thoughts on After the War is Over Deb. I've seen this book at Costco and debated whether to pick it up. I think it's safe for me to just wait and put it on my library list. :)

Appreciate your comments on After the War is Over, Deb. Sometimes a light, easy read where I'm not expecting too much is just the ticket; and I'm sure you find the same.

@ 96 Valerie, yes I am sure you would be able to find the book at the library. I found After The War is Over for 40 off at Chapters, so I felt okay about that and it was in paperback.

@97 Thanks Nancy. I did enjoy the book, but it is not one I would say - oh run out and make sure you get a copy. It was pleasant easy read, but nothing extraordinarily, which was fine with me.

Hi Deb, Happily, I just discovered your thread. I liked your comments on Moon Tiger. I also had read How It All Began and had high expectations. I was disappointed. Claudia's life history was just not that interesting.
Thanks for reminding me that I need to get back to the Flavia books. I love that series!

@99 Jan, thanks for stopping by! I have a peek around and find your thread. How It All Began, I must confess I loved the book! But Moon Tiger was another kettle of fish for me. The Flavia books are indeed enchanting! ! Enjoy!

Another Flavia appreciator here, Deb. I have been lurking on your thread as I was attracted by the Vancouver moniker. I am out in the wilds of Coquitlam.

@101 - Thanks for paying me a visit, Family Historian! The wilds of Coquitlam! :) Well, I am actually in the river delta of Richmond. But no one ever knows what Richmond is, so I just say Vancouver. And we are all a part of Metro Vancouver, with me being about a 20 minute drive from Vancouver proper. Yes, I do enjoy the Flavia series!

Just for fun, my favourite reads of 2014, in no particular order

Benediction by Kent Haruf
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson ( Canadian)
The Undertaking by Audrey Magee - Orange Prize ( Bailey Prize) Shortlist 2014
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Watch How We Walk by Jennifer LoveGrove ( Canadian) (Scotia Bank Long List) 2014
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (Canadian )
Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away by Christie Watson Costa Prize ( First Novel ) 2011
A Land More Kind Than Home Wiley Cash
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley. (Canadian)

Favourite new author discoveries

Kent Haruf
Mary Crow
Wiley Cash

Lots of great books in 2014, Deb.

I loved The Invention of Wings as well. A great book that has been missed by a lot of readers in my opinion.
I have Haruf's book and All The Light We Cannot See waiting on TBR mountain.
I discovered Lawson last year and thought she is a great storyteller.

Now we can sit back and see what great books are in store for you in 2015!

Great list, Deb. Like you, Crow Lake is high up on my favorites list. I have been collecting the Haruf books - I currently have Plainsong, Eventide, Benediction and Where You Once Belonged. I haven't read any of the Haruf books yet, but I am looking forward to savoring them.

>103 vancouverdeb: Interesting list of 2014 favourites. I fully intend to try Kent Haruf's Benediction this year and you're the second person to recommend The Invention of Wings recently so that one goes on the list too.

Nice list, Deb! I have not read any of those, but I have read several of those authors before. And I have Plainsong by Haruf and The Wiley Cash book in the stacks.

Woot! Love your list of 2014 bests and your list of favourite new authors. Wiley Cash (thank you, Mark) and Kent Haruf (thank you, Deb) were perfectly wonderful discoveries for me, too.

Great Best of List, Deb! Good to see Mr. Haruf, right there at the top. I plan on adding him, as a guest appearance on the AAC, later in the year. Can you believe I have still not read Crow Lake. Bad Bad Mark!!

@ Valerie, yes I did have a good year of reading! The complete list of my reading is at the top of this thread, for posterity :) I'm glad that you too enjoyed The Invention of Wings .I'm sure you'll enjoy your upcoming reads! I know about the TBR's. Sometimes I will own a book for a couple of years and then finally read it, and think - why did I wait so long? That happened with Crow Lake for me!

@ Lori, you know I have the " bad habit" of reading through a lot of one author's books when I " discover" him or her! I read all of the Kent Haruf books that you listed last year. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I'm looking forward to his final published book later this year.

@ Heather, I looked at Benediction for so long on the store book shelf. I kept seeing it when I went in the store, but then I had to the read the loosely written trilogy in order :) I hope that you enjoy too!

@ Mamie, my list is an " odd " one in some ways. Some of the books were finalists for prizes. I'm pretty sure that The Undertaking was on the Bailey's ( Orange) prize list , Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away won The Costa Award and Watch How We Walk was on a Canadian book prize list. I always enjoy making new book discoveries!

@Nancy, Wiley Cash and Kent Haruf were wonderful author discoveries, no matter how we found them. Very few authors actually make my " favourite " author list - on my main home page, but Kent Haruf has been added. I hope to discover more this year!

@ Mark, you are hardly " Bad Mark." You read so many books and such a varied selection that if you have missed Crow Lake , all is forgiven! Now about the beer.........

I am very much enjoying the AAC - which I did not plan to join, but Washington Square is sort of cruel -well, it is, but it is so tongue in cheek funny too!

Crow Lake has been a favourite read of mine as well; I actually read her other two books last year. Wonderful list of books there. I want to read several of them.

It's funny about the Flavia books: I really enjoyed the series, and liked the ending in Dead in their Vaulted Arches, but I don't feel like reading the next book as she moves to Toronto. I'm sure they're just as delightful, but in my mind, it has ended.

@111 Elizabeth, great to " see you." I've enjoyed two of Mary Lawsons's books last year - Crow Lake and Road Ends. I have her other book in my TBR pile somewhere.

As for the Flavia de Luce series, well, so as not to disclose a spoiler, I'll send you a PM. All is not quite as one might assume. :)

Always love a "favorite reads" list, Deborah - Not much recognizable on this one, but I'll stick to your new author discoveries - Haruf was a blessing, so maybe I'll try the two others.

I was not a fan of Portrait of a Lady but I did like Washington Square - so it's still 50/50 with Henry James for my part.

Hi Deborah. I love Mary Lawson and read The Other Side of the Bridge last year after loving Crow Lake a few years ago. I need to look for Road Ends. She's a wonderful writer. Great 2014 list! All the Light We Cannot See made my list too and the Wiley Cash novel helped to get me out of my reading slump late last year.

@113 Carsten, several of my " obscure" seeming reads were on " prize lists." But who would know - we can't get to them all! I definitely think you would enjoy Mary Lawson and Wiley Cash. I purposely chose a short book by Henry James, in case he was not to my taste. I'm not sure I could read a big tome by him ( quite sure not ) but Washington Square is just 200 pages long.

@114 Bonnie, I am glad that some of our mutual reads helped you out of your reading funk. I am not sure what took me so long to read a book by Mary Lawson. They are pretty popular here in Canada and it's not like I had not seen them in the stores and libraries and in my TBR pile. I've yet to read The Other Side of the Bridge , but I'm pretty sure it is in one of my TBR piles :)

Morning Deb! Good to see all the Lawson love! I better get crackin'! I am starting Washington Square today. I am glad you are enjoying it.

Oh I really liked The Other Side of the Bridge! I hope you have time for it soon and enjoy it as well, Deb.

@ 116, Mark, afternoon, sir! I'm nearly finished Washington Square and yes I am enjoying it! I will " proud " of myself for reading something by Henry James. ;)

@117 Yes, eventually I will get to The Other Side of the Bridge. It is waiting for me, but the mood has to strike me, Valerie! I quite sure I will enjoy like I did her two other books.

I finished Washington Square and enjoyed it much more than I expected. I was concerned that it might not be a very " accessible read" but I did not find that to be the case at all. The book was both cruel and most humourous. Essentially it involves the pompous widowed Dr. Sloper and his apparently dull natured, plain daughter, Catherine. Living with Dr. Sloper and young Catherine is Dr Sloper's widowed sister, Lavina. Lavina is meddling woman who regards herself as someone rather extraordinary , like her brother, Dr Austin Sloper. As the story moves along, a young man , perhaps a bit of a dandy, Morris Townsend , attempts to begin a romance with young Catherine. However, father Dr Sloper disapproves. There is also a very down to earth , wise woman, Mrs Almond, Lavina and Dr. Sloper's married sister. Unfortunately for Catherine, her aunt Elizabeth Almond plays a minor role in her life. The story is really a parody or farce of overbearing fathers, aunts and love stories and perhaps books written with such characters. I have to say that Henry James ( 1843 - 1916) was far ahead of his contemporaries in his ideas of the role of women, overbearing fathers and meddling relatives. I quite enjoyed the story and would not be averse to reading more by Henry James. 3. 5 stars

Not quite sure what read is up next - many titles vying for 1 st place! ;)

Deb, wonderful review of Washington Square. This is one I'll read at some point. Think I've said that I was disappointed in The Portrait of a Lady, found it quite dull, but I want to try James again.

Enjoyed your review of Washington Square. I haven't read any James in many years but I'm adding this to my TBR list.
I've also been interested in the comments on The Other Side of the Bridge. I read Crow Lake and really liked it but never read any others by her, an error I'm going to correct!

I liked James enough that I am interested in reading his other works. I have The Portrait of a Lady on my TBR mountain and wanted to read it this month but it's such a monster of a classic that I think I'll wait and build up my motivation first. Thanks for the review, Deb. :)

@121 Thanks, Nancy. Upon thinking about it, I'm not sure if Henry James was ahead of his time as far as woman went, or if just does a great job of spoofing/ parodying a melodrama - and that he did well! 200 pages of Henry James was nice amount, I was even " dying" to know what happened next, but much longer , not so much. I could imagine how a long book by him could be wordy. But yes, try Washington Square when time allows.

@Hi Oregon reader - I'm going to pop over and discover your proper name! Washington Square was worth the read. I need to get to The Other Side of the Bridge too, but I read two of her books in a row last year, so I'll likely wait a little longer this year before I pull The Other Side of the Bridge of the shelf

@Valerie, you are much bolder, braver reader than I am, so you take all the time that you need to build up your motivation for Henry James monster classic. Read the quick and easy 200 page Washington Square like I did, or The Aspern Papers which I understand are even shorter . :)

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell is my current read . I had looked at before, but Nancy sent me the final book bullet with her wonderful review of the book. I am very much enjoying so far - quite caught up in it, but still just on page 50 or 60, so the jury is still out! ;)

>4 vancouverdeb: About a quarter of a way in to A Man Called Ove and really enjoying it - thank you!

I loved The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox! Hope you do too!

I picked up The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox without knowing anything about it and had one of my most pleasant surprises. I loved the book. Enjoy. (So you don't have to go looking, my name is Jan)

>125 vancouverdeb: I must read some books by Maggie O'Farrell.

Have a lovely Valentine weekend, Deb. Plans?

@ 126 Charlotte, so glad that you are enjoying A Man Called Ove. I'm so glad took the risk of purchasing the book back in December. The book seems to have caught on on LT!

@127 - Joanne, we often have the same taste in books, so I suspect I will enjoy the story too - so far, so good!

@128 Jan, thanks for letting me know your name. After I posted , I went and had a peek. Good to know that you too enjoyed The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox . It certainly is getting a lot of good reviews and talk her on LT!

@129 Paul, I'm sure you will find The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox enjoyable and a quite a quick read. You gobble up books like there is no tomorrow! :) Have a great Valentine weekend, Paul - but no, my husband is working over the weekend, 11 hour days, so nothing special. He tells me that my last book purchases are my Valentines and can't argue to much with that one! :)

Deb, delighted to hear that Esme Lennox is an enjoyable read for you, at least thus far. Will be following along, of course, to see what you think of the novel once finished. I've got A Man Called Ove on request at our library. Thought this might make a lovely audiobook but couldn't find one.

@131 Nancy, yes , indeed, very much enjoying Esme Lennox. What a fascinating read. I think you'll enjoy A Man Called Ove in any format. Nice and sunny here today - and warm even. Not sure of the temp - need to check, but I've opened a window a bit!

I must say I hesitate to read more of Henry James. I've read three. Portrait of a Lady, Turn of the Screw and Washington Square - only the last one I enjoyed - your 3.5 is also what I gave it.

You must remember to buy an extra pack of books as your bonus Valentines gift :)

Carsten, you are so well read ! Yes, I must say with three of Henry James behind you, no need to read any more! Hey thanks for the push to purchase more books for Valentines! As it was, I purchased A Fine Summer's Day: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd. I've never read anything by him , but apparently this is a prequel to his series. I ordered it from amazon in Hardcover and my husband decreed that was my Valentines present :) But I also got some chocolates and home made cookies from my mom, my sister and my daughter in law to be. I can hardly believe that I will have a daughter in law come this July. And my baby William, nearly 25, is moving to his own condo, which he has purchased. He will be living only a mile or so from us, but I think overall we will enjoy having our own place for the first time in 30 years! And we always have our wild child dog, Poppy, to keep us young!

>134 vancouverdeb: Deborah, I am a wee bit jealous that you have A Fine Summer's Day. I am on the waiting list at the library for it. I've read all the other books in the the series, which is one of the few series I've read that has been solid all the way through. I'm curious to know how you will react to reading this one without having read any of the others, even if it is a prequel.

Morning Deb! It is nice having your children close, isn't it? I was not happy when Bree moved to Oregon, for that year or so. Ugh! She is back, within reach now. Thank heavens!

Stop thrashing me at Trivia Crack will you? I've been on a very rocky stretch. LOL.

Deb, what a fine decision you made, at Carsten's urging, to purchase more books … a Valentine's gift to you from you. Those are the best gifts, LOL! Oh, I got such a chuckle out of you and Dave and you wild child dog, Poppy. Retirement will not be boring!

Esme Lennox sounds like quite an interesting read--I have it wishlisted, now.

And extra books for Valentine's is a very good idea!

What shall you do with all that extra space now that no one lives at home? Ah, yes, I got it. More shelves and more books :)

@135 Julia, I too am curious to see what I think of A Fine Summer's Day ,not having read any of the other books in the series. Somehow it grabbed my interest on the shelf at the bookstore and so then ordered it from amazon ca, which I guess is why bookstores are dying off. I did check the library, but I decided the " hold' line was just too long, so I splurged. It will likely be my next read- and I've finished The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, just need to gather my thoughts on that and also get out to walk the dog.

@136 It is nice to have your kids close, Mark. Poor old William purchase his place near to where we walk our dog ( a popular area of Richmond , sort of a little town of its' own called Steveston ) and Dave and I often walk into the courtyard of his building and check out his condo, even if it's empty and on the second floor. Even my mom and my sister and my niece go by. I've been teasing William that Dave and I will use the "guest suite " in the building for a " staycation." There is a lot eye rolling going on by my son and really , why not. :) William say's he's going to up the security at the building and keep us ne'er do wells off the property. I think he will move by the end of the month , or so he has said. He has not given us the security number for the his new place, so I told him we'll just throw rocks at his window. I'm surprised he has hung this long at home. LOL!

@137 Thank you for your applause of my choice to purchase more books, Nancy, No, retirement won't be boring and I'm sure my husband thinks he may have to work forever to keep up with my book purchases . Poppy does keep us busy and as our kind son William has told us, me and Dave are so old now, this will be our last dog! :) Oh the cheek, I have no idea where he got it from!

@138 Hi Rhonda, yes, Esme Lennox was very good. A four star read. I'll have a few comments later on, but for now I must rush out with the dog before gets to impatient. A great idea to wishlist the book!

@139 Books maybe, Carsten or even better, I suspect that the Duke and Duchess will be making little get away's to our place. I mean who would suspect that they were crowded into our townhouse? The perfect getaway for them and we have two bathrooms a sort of private patio.Shhh keep that quiet! No one is to know about my scheme . I'll have to clean house one day.....

Hey, any reason to buy new books is a solid and good reason. ;)

@141 Valerie, yes, any reason is a good one to purchase a new book. A second hand bookstore where books are " cheaper" - to expand your mind " " because some else on LT read the book and you want to read it too" " someone sent you a book bullet" - yes, it's very easy to justify - sort of ')

I finished The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell a day or so ago. I really enjoyed it and in large part I found it to be a page turner, which I did not expect. In the past I'd looked at Maggie O'Farrell as not my sort of author - just on the basis of quickly browsing a few of her books at my local library. I expected her to be " high brow " and perhaps somewhat like my nemesis, Magaret Atwood. I am not sure why. :)

However, Nancy aka Lit Chick's review - and I suppose other reviews on LT convinced me to try out The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. Valerie, Bonnie, was it you too? Anyway, it seems to me that The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox is enjoying a resurgence of interest and not just here on LT. I say that because it was first published in 2006 and yet I am finding it on book store shelves with a brand new cover - the one that I am showing here.

It's an intriguing and quite sad story . Iris is a single girl, with both parents dead and she is living her own " different " sort of life, running a second hand store and engaged in some rather toxic relationships with men, but that is very secondary to the real story. I think that the toxic relationships that Iris is shown to have with her contemporaries are used to juxtapose the relationships that Esme had and how different things are today. Iris has always regarded herself as an only child of an only child , who in turn has a grandmother, Kathleen Lockhart, also an only child. Suddenly a phone call to Iris shatters this belief as she is told that she has an aunt , Kathleen Lockhart's sister, Esme Lennox who is being pushed out of an asylum that she was committed to some 61 years ago. By this point in time, Iris's Grandmother has developed Alzheimer's and is hospitalized herself. The story of Esme and Kitty (Kathleen ) is a shocking one, and very sad. I had a hard time understanding the callousness the sisters' parents, despite the times.

Anyway, overall a very worthwhile read and one which will stay with me. 4 stars

And with that , I am onto a " prequel, A Fine Summer's Day, by Charles Todd. It grabbed my interest in the bookstore, after which I ordered it from Amazon ca. I realized I was dipping into a series that I had never heard of and did not know where to start, but since the " prequel" said it could be read as a stand alone , I decided to start with it. I'm only a 60 pages in, but it would seem to be a more of a story and perhaps less of mystery. It takes place just prior to the start of WW1 and Ian Rutledge is young just - engaged man, and an Inspector with Scotland Yard. I guess I'll see where it goes from here. I think it will be a good yarn and a cozy mystery.

Hi Deb! Hope you had a good day. Are you enjoying beating me up in Trivia Crack? Come on, I have brain freeze!

LOL Mark! Well, you won one of our games! I confess I'm pretty good at trivia! ;) But yes, travelling in the cold - I'd have brain freeze too! :)

Just don't be so mean, okay? Shuffles away...with a sly grin.

"Trivia Crack" - sounds intriguing. Brain freeze much less so!

>143 vancouverdeb: Wonder if the resurgence is linked to the success of the topic of Elizabeth is Missing?

@ Oh , sorry Mark! I'll try to be kinder, with you out in the cold. I think you thrashed me in one game and I thrashed you in the second game. Thanks for playing. I have my weak areas ... but I am not going to tell what they are!:)

@ Paul, first off " Gong Xi Fa Cai " or as I would say " Gong Hey Fat Choy ." I was looking at those so called Moon Cakes on the Purdy's site that I linked up on your thread and now I'm hungry for a chocolate hazelnut filled " moon cake" Yum! I set up a Trivia Crack game, if you want to play.

@Charlotte, interesting thought and yes, you may be right. I enjoyed Elizabeth is Missing a few months ago and now I think there is movie out based on it? It's good that people are finally talking more about mental illness and things like dementia and Alzheimer's. My grandma had dementia in her very later years - age 90 to about 96. Not easy even at that age. I was just talking to a friend of mine whose mom is hospitalized due to dementia, and the mom is hearing and seeing an "invisible man" who talks to her and tells her what to do. Not easy for anyone, least of all her mother.

Wonderful review of The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, Deb. Very interesting that you spotted it recently front and center in a book store, new cover and all. A Fine Summer's Day sounds like just your cuppa (and perhaps my cuppa, too!). Enjoy : ).

>150 vancouverdeb: I'm so jealous someone got the librarything id 'Charlotte'. I was not quick enough :-)

@151 Nancy, Thanks for your kind words. Yes, I thought it was interesting that I found several copies of The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox way down at Granville and Broadway Chapters. My " Chapters" closed down last spring as I have mentioned, so now book shopping is either in a small Indigo Spirit Store here in Richmond, or I head out to Granville and Broadway, which is not very often. I am enjoying A Fine Summer's Day and I suspect it might be your cup of tea too. I'm about 100 pages in, but let me read more before you decide to commit to it. Or go ahead and enjoy right away. I'm definitely enjoying it so far.

@152 Oh dear Charlotte! I'm sorry someone already has your lovely name! I am always concerned about that someone will have my name on an online forum too. I actually go by Deborah, but I always think many people born during a " certain 20 years " have the name Deborah. I was always the only " Deborah " in my grade, but there were always many " Debbie's" which just is not the right name for me. I was actually a bridesmaid in a wedding in which the bride was Debra and the other Bridesmaid was also Deborah like me. All of our heads turned when any one said the name Deborah .

Charlotte is such a pretty name!

>119 vancouverdeb: - I love that cover! I would pick up a copy of that book just based on the cover, but I love the fact that you enjoyed this one more than you had expected. Wonderful review!

Oh dear.... first Nancy and now you enjoying the O'Farrell book. Good thing my local library has that one!

@154 - Lori, it is always a treat when a book turns out to be better then expected , isn't it! I agree, the cover is quite lovely . However, according to the publisher it part of " Every Man's Library." In a way , that made feel like a bit of dummy, since apparently it took me til err - 50 something to get around to reading the basics of Every Man's Library . :) LOL!

Okay, off to get my hair trimmed . I am trying out a new closer " stylist" that is 15 minutes away from, rather then 50 minutes. Wish me luck. With my wavy curly mop of hair, it is always a dicey affair trying out a new stylist. I have been going to my maybe previous stylist for over 1f5 - 17 years.

Finding a good hair stylist is trying trying to find a good anything...so hard! Wishing you luck. I finally found a girl I like and she charges a bit more than others and is a bit further of a drive, but I like her and will give her my business because of that....ha!

I'm super excited for you and your son's upcoming wedding! It will be a bit like reliving my own....ha!

@156 Oh so right Valerie, finding a good hair stylist is a challenge. I'm not sure yet if I am happy with this cut. I'll do my own blow dry before I decide. I've been traveling to a fellow about 1 hours drive away for the past 15 -17 years, so I am just trying to decide can some else closer and more convenient cut my hair, or maybe not. I understand you!

Thanks! I sure hope my hair will cooperate on the big day . Thanks for your well wishes!

I'm loving the prequel to the Ian Rutledge series. Still reading A Fine Summer's Day the " prequel." I'm enjoying it so much that I have ordered the first book in the series, A Test Of Wills: The First Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery . I hope it will be equal to the prequel. It's a mystery , yes, and a slow read, but very interesting. I'm finding the attitude of " Ian Rutledge ' towards WW1 refreshing. And then, of course, when looking on amazon ca online, I also had to order Not So Quiet...: Stepdaughters of War by Helen Zenna Smith. It too is about WW1, and I think that Bonnie read it here on LT. Looks fascinating, at least online.

Happy Saturday, Deb. Was hoping for a photo of the new 'do.

Also waiting for your turn on TC.

A cozy mystery sounds nice. Always to find a new "investigator" to follow around - have a nice weekend and good reading, Deborah.

Oh boy, good news, a new mystery to add to my list. Thank you! And thanks for the kind words about my recent reviews. Can you believe the day here on the the West Coast? Fabulous! My garden is exploding.

@159 Happy Saturday, Mark! Sorry the hair is the same as always, more or less . Always a styling disaster , at least most days! :) TC played!

@160 Yes Carsten , it nice to find a new investigator to follow. I'll have to read another book or two in the series to find out whether Ian Rutledge cuts the muster.

@161 Always happy to be of help, Mary. It really has been / still is a wonderful day here on the Coast. We are the envy of many here in Canada and perhaps North America right now. So many places seem to be in a deep freeze! Brrr just thinking about it!

Poppy is reading her very own newspaper. It crackles and squeaks and we are turning her into a bookworm It is called the Doggone Times, with articles about the CEO in the Doghouse and New Hydrant Alert. You can see that Poppy is very interested. Perhaps a 5 star read for her?

Maybe she needs reading glasses - look how close she holds the newspaper to her eyes! Must get her tested at the ophthalmologist.

When will Poppy have her own thread here at LT? Looking forward to it. Although I think she might also rate the book for how good it smells.

Carsten , I'm not sure she is going to progress much further with her reading - I think she may stay with the Doggone Times and just do re - reads. I do know of dog with her own facebook profile though , a Phoebe Pugster . I guess one never knows! ;) She is busy with re - read of the Dog Gone Times as we speak! LOL!

>119 vancouverdeb: Helpful comments! I'm still hoping to squeeze in a James this month, but seem to be running out of time.

>163 vancouverdeb: Awe! Just in time for a Poppy photo!

>163 vancouverdeb: I have Poppy-envy. So cute!

LOL, oh, you made my day with Poppy and the Doggone Times, Deb! I'm with Carsten: when will Poppy have her own thread? She could showcase her exquisite taste in fashion along with her interesting reads.

@167 Kerri, glad to be of help re Henry James and I have to say that Washington Square was only 200 pages, so quite a quick read. But if you have all kinds of books you are in the midst , well yes, February is a short month!

@168 That is so kind of you to say, Charlotte. She is a lot of fun, but also high maintenance.

@169 As you may know, Nancy, Poppy is quite the diva. While she does have exquisite taste in fashion, she only puts clothes at her own discretion, or she gets very nasty as you know. She prefers to go " au natural" which can be quite a problem. A naked dog! Perhaps I could start a thread of books Poppy had literally torn into! ;) I'm afraid Poppy is not the natural elegant photo subject that Cairo is. Poppy tends to wriggle away from the " paparazzi that stalk her" ;)

Poppy is adorable! And a reader too. Wow. I'll have to look for the Doggone times for my Maggie!

Oh thanks Mary! She is quite cute, I must admit. I'm sure your Maggie would enjoy the Doggone Time. I pretty sure my husband found it at London Drugs.

Poppy is exactly the kind of dog I want to have one day when the boys are all grown up! So cute. :)

Poppy is a little high maintenance, personality wise, Valerie, but she her looks are just perfect. We got our first dog when our boys were 4 and 9. He was a border terrier and so easy maintenance and the boys just loved him. But no rush to get a dog for you. It was part of my dreams - two kids and dog. I had always had dogs in my life as a child.

Hi Deborah, thanks for stopping by my thread, it was a very nice surprise so here I am having a look at your thread. I have starred you my dear so I can keep up with how you are doing my dear. It is so nice to keep meeting new friends and seeing what they read and what they do and find out about families etc. I will be popping by on a regular basis, love and hugs from over the pond.

Deborah, I predict you will love the Ian Rutledge series! I read all 15+ of them over the course of last year and it was one of the few series that I did not think went significantly downhill over time. Not that every book was 5 stars, but that they all were of generally high quality. Plus, I kind of adore Ian, even with his problems.

I am STILL waiting for the library copy of A Fine Summer's Day to come in for me. Honestly, I can't think what the people ahead of me in the reserve line are doing that's taking them so long to read it. :-)

@175 Lovely to have you visit my thread too, John Simpson. You have a such a wonderful and interesting thread, so I am certain I will be soon. Hugs to you!

@176 Julia, I hope you are correct that I will continue to enjoy the Ian Rutledge series. I have nearly finished A Fine Summer's Day and I am very much enjoying it. I know what you mean - how slow are those people in the library reserve line? Do they just read 10 pages a day or what? I just received a e - book I had on reserve from my library, Girl on Train . I bet I waited 6 weeks for one of five copies. Slow!

Lovely sunny warm day today! Poppy and I had wonderful walk together !

Oh my Deborah, look at that cute Poppy, reading the latest news. In no time at all, she'll have her own library card.

>163 vancouverdeb: I didn't know that there was a doggy newspaper or I would have subscribed to it for Adrian! On second thought, maybe not, because he'd probably just pee on it.

@178 Yes , Bonnie, Poppy is totally up on the news. Just today we were arguing who should be the next Prime Minister of Canada should be. It seems like Poppy and don't agree on that subject. Now just to get her onto some dog self - help books, like How to Tolerate Having a Rain Coat Put On Without Biting Your People, or maybe Thinking Like a Human. I think those would good titles for her! :)

@ So far , so good, Carrie, with no peeing on her newspaper. She does like to grab our version if she can get at it, but that is rare. Too bad Poppy! : I'm sure Adrian ( such a cutie! ) would love his own copy! ;)

>177 vancouverdeb: Deb, John is from the same relatively small city as myself in the UK and we have plenty in common especially a love of cricket and of course of reading.

Nice to see you have Poppy keeping abreast of the news - too cute!

Oh, Deb, thanks for the morning laugh: Now just to get her onto some dog self - help books, like How to Tolerate Having a Rain Coat Put On Without Biting Your People, or maybe Thinking Like a Human. I think those would good titles for her! … Yes, I think those would be good titles for your Poppy too, particularly the Raincoat title.

@Nancy, yes, it is too bad Poppy could not read a self improvement book. Maybe a children's picture book would suit her - Mrs Crabby Pants. We call her that some of the time. Just now she got in from her walk/ run / playfight with the other dogs and because she is " over-tired " now, if Dave or I try to pet her , she growls at us to say - leave me alone, I'm tired. She's overall a lovely little thing, just a bit too emotional and she shares her emotions with us rather freely. * sighs to self *

Hi Deb! Hope you had a good day today. Looks like we are head to head in T.C. You like beating up on the dumb Postie?

@ LOL Mark! The dumb postie? is that anything like elderly limited housewife aka me! :) Yeah, I like beating anyone at T.C. Even a 5 year old! I'm mean that way! ;)

A Fine Summer's Day is a prequel to a long running series about Inspector Ian Rutledge, but I had not read any of the previous offerings. I kept seeing the cover in the store and reading a few pages and finally I made a purchase. The story takes place on the eve of WW1, with assassination of of the Arch Duke Ferdinand and his wife Sophie. Ian Rutledge, an Inspector with Scotland Yard becomes engaged to an a career army man's daughter, Jean Gordon. However, Inspector Rutledge is quickly occupied with a case involving several desecrated tombstones and several seemingly unrelated deaths in various villages around London. Essentially the story is a police procedural , with family relationships in the background and an interesting take on WW1. Ian Rutledge feels that his calling is to be a policeman and has a certain disregard for those who run off to join the war effort .When he is asked whether he will join the war effort , he wishes those planning to go to war well, but privately thinks ( page 243 ) .." how many hotheads on their way to an Army .. wouldn't have considered it a month ago? Drawn by visions of glory and the chance to kill Germans. ...... It was if a plague of blood lust had spread on the wind, infecting everyone it touched. He was young enough to feel the pull of adventure.... But he'd seen his share of bodies in his time as a policeman , and there was nothing glorious about death."

Throughout the story Ian is pressed by his contemporaries to join the army, but he definitely has somewhat of a pacifist view of war. The story is more of a slow police procedural, with an interesting take on the start of WW1, and the idealism and innocence of many who quickly joined the war without much thought to the future

Overall, I felt the story was a bit slow moving and I felt that perhaps the characters could have been more well developed. That said, the interesting take on WW1 is enough to draw my interest into reading the first in the series, A Test of Wills.

3.8 stars. It is a bit of slow read and not an exciting read, but enough to draw my interest to reading further into the series. Cautiously recommended for the patient reader.

I'll be able to make a better assessment of the series after I've read the next in the series which I am eager to do.

"elderly limited housewife."?? LOL!

I just wanted to mention, that it is really nice having you back on the threads. You always make me smile. Have a good weekend.

Thumb up for a great review of A Fine Summer's Day, Deb! Sounds like it has all the elements of an excellent read: a police procedural , with family relationships in the background and an interesting take on WW1. I may have to explore this series at some point.

eta: Have to second Marks' thought above: I just wanted to mention, that it is really nice having you back on the threads. You always make me smile.

Dumb Postie meets elderly limited housewife. Sounds like a good book in the making..hahaha!

@ 187 I'm afraid I've got to call a spade a spade , Mark! :) Thanks for your kind remarks . You always make me smile too, Mark!

@ 188 Oh, the bouncing mouse has come to grace my thread. Thanks! You make me smile too! After I wrote up my review I looked for online reviews of A Fine Summer's Day and I posted the only one I could find from the NY Times on the main page. They were much more generous then I was about A Fine Summer's Day. I'll admit I'm quite keen to read the the 1st in the series.

@189 Valerie, excellent observation. I wonder what sort of genre we could create from such a premise. A sorrowful tale of two people limping through life, happy but limited - perhaps a la Kent Haruf , or a quirky tale of two misfits? So many prospective books to be created from that :)

"Dumb Postie meets elderly limited housewife." That does sound sweet. Awwww...

Valerie has some excellent book premises, doesn't she , Mark! I can think of a few ideas for the book already - check out my post >190 vancouverdeb: - or did you want to pretend you missed it. I do have a vast imagination, though intellectually limited! :D

Someday, if the library ever lets me read A Fine Summer's Day, I'll give you my opinion whether the book fares better when read after having read the rest of the series. I suspect it will, but who knows?

I find the concept of detective stories with WWI as a backdrop very interesting. Looking forward to hear more of the series - hopefully there will be some real gems for you Deborah. A 3.8 even for a slow read is pretty good.

>186 vancouverdeb: Do like a police procedural, will have a look out for this. I've been finding the more recent Maisie Dobbs books a bit too Basil Exposition, despite enjoying the period setting, so a new (to me) series sounds good.

Hey Deb, I finally mosied over to your thread. Poppy is adorable and so nice that you share the love of reading with her. What's all this talk of Trivia Crack? I've seen it mentioned on many threads but as is my custom I'm totally in the dark.

@Julia - I hope the library soon has a copy of A Fine Summer's Day for you. I suspect - and I read a review about A Fine Summer's Day being a " gift " to those who read the series, because you learn much more about the background of Ian Rutledge and what shaped him. I'm sure I'll enjoy the series.

@ 194 - Carsten, part of it was that the suspects were many and scattered all over the southern UK. I think that maybe all of the " motoring " around the UK got to me a little. :) But yes, I suspect the series will be interesting . It's probably an unusual view WW1 that the book expresses and I appreciated that.

@ Charlotte, I've not a read a Maisie Dobbs as yet, so I guess I find out what you mean as I have Maisie Dobbs in my TBR pile. I can't compare the two series as yet, but why not give it a try.

@196 Thanks for mosying by! Trivia Crack is a ' general knowledge " sort of a quiz game of facebook which a few of us on LT have been playing lately. I had not heard of it either until I saw mention of it on Mark aka msf59's thread. You are welcome to play a game with me!

Currently reading A Girl on Train by Paula Hawkins. I' ve seen so much buzz here on LT and also in the bookstores etc that I succumbed. I am about 120 pages in and it's quite an interesting psychological thriller. I'll be by your threads later in the day.

I know Poppy is a very impressive dog and well read/well bred. But how are her computer skills?



Another spectacular day! Sorry for the BIG size of the photo but I tried small and you couldn't see Her Majesty!

Deb, good on you for picking up A Girl on the Train. Yes, it's catching lots of buzz. I may have to poke my nose into this one, too. I like a good thriller, as you know.

Hi Deb, we both love the Maisie Dobbs books, they are well worth a read, hope you are having a good Saturday my dear.

Hi Deborah. I've wanted to get to the Inspector Ian Rutledge series for quite a while. You may have pushed me. And I really liked The Girl on the Train.

Mary, adorable photo of HRH using your computer. I've posted one of Cairo on my thread : ). He couldn't be outdone, you know, LOL!

@ Mary, LOL! I'm not sure that Poppy is well bred at all! In fact, Poppy mom came up from a shelter in California, and she was pregnant, father unknown - so Poppy is of rather uncertain breeding. So essentially Poppy is perhaps a foundling? I can see her Majesty is adept at computer skills - perhaps even better than me! So far I've not let Poppy out what possible skills she MIGHT have on the computer. She is adept at taking things apart, licking things, chewing them to bits.......so I'm not sure what her computer skills - or lack thereof - might be.

@200 It's seems to be quite good, Nancy, though I'm still in 1st third of the book. I've not read a thriller in quite some time. I'll let you know how Girl On a Train goes.

@201 John thanks for the recommendation on Maisie Dobbs . That was actually an accidental purchase by me. I thinking of Evelyn Waugh and the British Author Challenge when I purchased Maisie Dobbs , relying on my not very good memory and I confused Waugh with Winspear , because I had not really checked except for a glance. Oh well, a happy accident and I hoping to enjoy it! At least both names start with a W ! :)

@202 Bonnie, I had not even heard of the Ian Rutledge series. To be honest I liked the cover of the book, and it just looked like a nice easy , comfy read in the store, so began my " affair" with Ian Rutledge and Charles Todd . Now that sounds shallow, but it is true :) Yes I remember you and Mark and several others enjoying Girl on A Train and having missed out of Gone Girl Gone I thought I catch this buzzy thriller!

@ 203 Indeed, Nancy, an adorable picture of HRH lazing on the couch, probably checking out LT! I'll come an visit with you and Cairo!

Very interesting what you say about the Mennonite community and your experiences (church) and your reading. I have no exposure except the 3 Mennonite cookbooks by Edna Staebler who got the amazing recipes from the community near Kitchener, Ont. but who was not Mennonite herself I believe. They are wonderful cookbooks, well splattered and with peeling back covers but that is my exposure apart from a stint of going to school nearby in Guelph Ontario and hearing about the community. But somehow I have always been interested and valued their home spun values. If you get to Blue Mountains of China, please let me know what you think!

Hi Deb, just catching up with your thread and was intrigued by >143 vancouverdeb: I expected her to be " high brow " and perhaps somewhat like my nemesis, Magaret Atwood. That struck a chord with me. I have never read any Atwood and have steered clear of her works and I wasn't quite sure why. I notice that other readers on LT enjoy her work. I think your description of "high brow" may be the reason for my antipathy to her writing.

Happy Sunday, Deb! I didn't have much chance to jump on T.C. yesterday but I will catch up today.

Hope you are continuing to enjoy The Girl on A Train.

Hi Deb, hope you have had a good weekend my dear, love and hugs.

Happy first day of March, Deb! I keep seeing good things about the Charles Todd books and I have been on the fence for a while now but it would appear that his Ian Rutledge series is worth a lookie-loo.

@Mary, I think my exposure to those who are Mennonite clashes a bit with the writings of Miriam Toews which I think I've picked up the books and gave them a try but been kind of turned off by them. But everyone's experience is a different one. My friend came from such a lovely , welcoming progressive sort of a family and so did her extended family in Chilliwack - Abbotsford. My friend went to University and from there worked for a stipend working with those that were incarcerated. I have nothing but admiration for her and her family. I'll certainly let you know if I find Blue Mountains of China.

@206 Meg, I am not sure quite how to put my finger on my dislike of Margaret Atwood. It's complicated. I think I felt in school they pushed too much Can - Lit on us and I found it very depressing in high school . I sort of feel Margaret Atwood is such a loud feminist and I don't feel the need for that. I also don't care at all for "speculative fiction " as she likes to call her Sci - Fi books. So, she might just not be my type of author. I read her book, The Handmaid's Tale and I really had to force myself to read it. I don't like dystopian sci - fi! :) I've picked up other of her books, but they just hold no appeal to me. I guess what we enjoy or feel is worth while as readers varies from person to person.

@207 Mark , I think I finally might have gotten a good score of TC - and yes I'm still enjoying Girl on a Train.

@208 Hi John, thanks for the love and hugs , and right back at you and your wife :)

@ 209 Lori, yes, do give them a try. I have the next ( first in the series ) sitting on my kitchen table and I'm glad that I read A Fine Summer's Day first. I think it will increase my understanding and appreciation of the next in the series. But I guess I'll have to find out.

Hi Deborah. Did you know Charles Todd is a mother-son writing team?

Bonnie, yes I did, but thanks for the extra heads up! I even knew that they were American and it kind of err - got to me that they drop the " u" in words like habour , neighbour, labour etc which we Canadians don't do and neither did the the British in pre WW1! Arg Bonnie! :)

>210 vancouverdeb: Re Margaret Atwood. I have the same thing with Forster because of having to do A Passage to India at school. Except for the rare brilliant teacher, a book on the English lit curriculum was like the kiss of death for that author in my free time, than and now!

Deb, I'm looking forward to your thoughts on The Girl On the Train. I am on a long waiting list at the library so I will probably be the last person on LT to read it! I want to reiterate was Mark said upthread...it is great to have you back on LT. I love the way you personalize your comments on the books you read!

>210 vancouverdeb: Deb, you just reminded me of this little ukulele song about Canlit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhjO-sAvLm8

It's kind of awesome, and has the lyrics in the description if you can't watch the video right now (and also because it's hard to catch some of them in the song)

@LOL Charlotte! a book on the English lit curriculum was like the kiss of death for that author in my free time, than and now! Oh you make me chuckle! I'm not sure if I'd go as far saying that, but for me, yes, sometimes I was assigned a book to read and oh how I loathed it! Sometimes too much of " good thing." I actually had a very nice grade 11 and 12 English teacher, but oh man, the theme of " man against man " and man against the environment" or something sure got hammered into me. The stories were certainly bleak and intended to show that like was meaningless, at least in the mid - to later 1970's. And you know, when you are 16 - 18 years old, in real life I really did not think life looked THAT bleak. Oh thanks for the chuckle! :)

@214 Donna, I feel like I am already one of the last on LT to read The Girl On A Train . You are so kind in saying it is great to have me back on LT. I sometimes think I have just few too many opinions and share them a little too freely!I certainly will let you know my thought of A Girl on a Train . I'm enjoying so far and it is keeping me in suspense, but I hesitate as yet to give it the nod till I see how it all " shakes out" at the end! :)

@ Megan, I nearly laughed myself silly - thanks for sharing the video. I do mainly very much enjoy Can Lit , but some has a little too much " ennui " in it. The themes the ukulele player are so accurate, it really had me laughing! :)

Hi, Deb! It looks like you are on a nice T.C. roll, my friend. Did you beat me this last game?

Hello my friend!

Hope the train is treating you well. Looking forward to your thoughts. :D

@ Mark, yes I beat you handily last game. But you know TC - they can throw a person some pretty obscure questions!

@Hello Valerie! I am enjoying The Girl on a Train . I am moving rather more slowing that usual on the train - just a bit of RL eating up my time! It has certainly got me puzzled. I think in the end it will certainly be a 4 star read. But I've another 100 pages to go .

" they can throw a person some pretty obscure questions!" Amen, my friend. It is a real momentum buster and it has been happening quite a bit.

Wah!!

@Mark, I know- some of the questions , like those from Disney Kid's movies really throw me for a loop. Or Greek mythology, though not always.

Morning Deb! There are a variety of tough questions. From periodic tables, to colors of national flags, what city hosted a certain Olympic year, what city holds a certain painting. The list goes on...

Deb, just read on Carsten's thread that you and Dave are taking the leap to the 21st century in terms of TVs! How exciting! I'm tickled for you!

@Mark, I know just what you mean. I'm probably okay with the periodic table, but national flags, what city holds the Olympics on what year - I often don't know! But I am finding sometimes a question is repeated in more than one game , which is a plus, but probably means that I have spent to much time playing T.C! :)

@ 223 I just love your graphics, Nancy! Make me smile! Yes, slowing inching our way into the 21st century TV- wise. The technician doesn't come for another 10 days or so. Let's just hope Dave and I can figure out the new channels and how to use our remote. We are " limited " that way!:) And our son that still lives at home does not watch TV ever. I might have to call the older son over, or maybe go so far as to read the instructions. Thanks for the well wishes! :)

As yet I still have not finished A Girl on a Train but it is getting quite suspenseful as I make my way towards the end. Off to walk the dog, story of my life, have the taxes to do at some point in the next few days and figure out how flat screen tv's work etc before the installation guy arrives, dragging Dave and me into the next TV century. Just had a brief chat with William , our soon to move out son and he just had his TV installed at his place and assures me that I will be able to handle it. My husband is a dear, but he really is not rushing into the 21 st century. Aren't TV related things a " man's domain" ? Or doing taxes online? But no , it all falls to me. Dave refuses to get a new cell phone, saying that he has no need for a smart phone and he never wants to text. So I've been looking on line for a ' senior's phone." Don't get me wrong, I love Dave dearly but I tell him he is the" legs "of our operation and I am the " brain centre" and so we limp along! :)

>224 vancouverdeb: probably means that I have spent to much time playing T.C! :)

Mmmm I can see that becoming a problem for a few of us, Deb! It was your gentle ribbing of Mark that got me intrigued to look up the game in the first instance. xx

I thought I would drop by with a little Crazy Talk! LOL. Not much time for TC today. I hope to jump on a little later.

Good luck with all the "TV" stuff. I hope you get it figured out.

Just a hot tip, the tv does NOT get any better but the picture is wonderful. We jumped into the 21st century about a year ago. Loving watching the bigger screen. And after the switch we got 2 PBS channels so that is a good thing. Good luck!

Inching your way into the 21st century?? What?? And here I took you for a thoroughly modern woman Deborah. I'm shocked. Hahaha

At least you are moving forwards and not backwards right? ;)

@226 Paul, it was Mark's chat about T.C. that got me interested. I guess we can all blame Mark! :) He's an easy going fellow with broad shoulders, even if he is talking crazy right now with his back medications! ;)

@227 Mark, I could not tell the difference between your crazy talk and your so called " normal talk " - just like my own talk. Yes, I hope we can gather our wits and learn how to use the TV.

@228 Mary actually I've my mom's flat screen HD tv for the past 10 + years and my sister is really into her tv , so I have an idea what is possible -but what channels to get? That is the heated discussion between hubby and me :)

@229 LOL Bonnie I blame my husband. It's always his fault when we inching into the next century! ;)

@230 Exactly Valerie, unless we cannot operate our new TV and then we have go to back to black and white and rabbit ears! I hope not!

I am sending my condolences to you with your son soon leaving the nest! Our girls (4 of them) have flown the coop and it is a toughie but wow how lucky you are that your sons are living nearby! Mantra...."we will survive"!!! Please tell Poppy that she will be more spoiled than she presently is. More clothes, more newspapers, more walks!

Just dropping by to wish you a wonderful weekend, Deb and to reiterate how pleased I am to see you back and posting so merrily in 2015. xx

Hi Deb, just passing by to wish you a very happy weekend my dear.

@232 Thank you for the condolences, Mary. I think he will be leaving any day now - once he is organized. Yes, I am very fortunate that both my boys will be living nearby. Somehow letting the last one go seems a bit challenging. He is very responsible and careful , but somehow letting your child ( even if he is nearly 25 ) out of your care is not so easy. In some ways I know I've handed over his care to his wife to be, and I'll feel better when they are married and she is living with him. She will keep a good eye on him :) I'll tell Poppy that she will be even more spoiled then she is. William , our younger son, has barred Poppy from his room and yesterday Dave told Poppy , well soon you can hang out in there too. But I think Poppy will miss barking at William each night when he comes home.

@233 Thanks Paul for the good wishes! It's nice to back !

@234 And a wonderful weekend to you and Karen and your family, John!

I've finished The Girl on a Train by Paula Hawkins and I think I can recommend it without reserve. I won't go into a review , just a couple of comments. I think there has been a lot of buzz on LT concerning the book , so you will have an idea if it is for you or not. It's a psychological suspense, I would not go as far as to say thriller. Paula Hawkins is not Karin Fossum, one of the masters of psychological suspense. I did very much enjoy it, but it take a while to really take off. That would be my only caution. I have not read Gone Girl, so I can't compare it to that. In my mind The Girl On the Train falls short of a full 4 stars, though that is what I am giving it on LT, but it really a 3.8. It is certainly not a 3.5, which to me is a very middling sort of book. This is worth the read and I definitely did not know who did ' it' til near the very end. It was a satisfying read that I recommend. I'll be looking forward to Paula Hawkins next book!

I've tentatively started A Test of Wills by Charles Todd. So far I am only about 10 pages into the book, so I reserve the right to change my mind, but I doubt if I will do that! ;) I recently read the " prequel" , A Fine Summer's Day and I am eager to see if this will be a go to series for me. For those of you who have been following the series with Ian Rutledge, I think you will very much enjoy A Fine Summer's Day. Even being just 10 - 20 pages into { A Test of Wills, which was written back in 1996, I think my understanding of Ian Rutledge and his idiosyncrasies are so much increased by having read the newly written prequel.

Hi Deb! Glad you liked The Girl on the Train. We were close on our ratings. She is a good writer and a storyteller.

Hope you are having a nice weekend.

Yes, Mark, having a good weekend. The young son is slowly moving out but not quite yet. I'll qualify young as nearly 25. :) Got my taxes done yesterday . Yes , indeed, I did enjoy The Girl on the Train

Woot! Deb, you've hit me squarely with the bullet for The Girl on the Train. I'll look forward to this one. Really hope you enjoy Test of Wills and find that Ian Rutledge will be a series for you!

>236 vancouverdeb: Just making the end of this thread. I'm looking forward to this coming round at my library (just a couple of hundred people ahead of me in the queue!).

@240 , Nancy, always happy to send a book bullet. I do think that you will enjoy The Girl on The Train, and yes, I am finding A Test of Wills to be quite interesting and enjoyable so far.

@ 241 I hope The Girl on the Train comes to you soon. I have a number of books that I too am waiting for at my local library!

Yes, soon I will start a new thread :)

We both gave The Girl on the Train 3.8 stars, Deborah and I think most readers are right around there. It was good for what it was and it was a fast read. On to the next one. I'm glad to see you're reading A Test of Wills because I have that one on my Kindle.

Deborah, can get your mitts on the most recent New Yorker magazine (Feb. 23, March 2nd)? There is a Roz Chast sketch p. 131 "The Runaway Bunny" with Chast expressing concerns about similar world exerience as you. I think you will get a laugh. Hope so! She's brilliant. Have you read her Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? (Sorry won't do the touchstone.)

Hi Deborah - Psychological suspense....I haven't read much in that genre lately - although I remember Defending Jacob as in that genre. I guess I'll put The Girl on the Train below Karin Possum on the list. Should I just start with the first Konrad Sejer-novel or do you recommend another one?

Looking forward to your thoughts on the Ian Rutledge-prequel.

@ Bonnie, well, that's amazing that we should both come up with 3. 8 stars! :) We are a precise lot here on LT. Just exactly how much of a portion of a star to give a book can be a dilemma. I'm quite enjoying A Test of Wills but cannot be a certain yet as I am only about 45 pages in. We've had a beautiful day, and my son and his finance have launched their " wedsite " on the web in anticipation of mailing out their wedding invitations.

@Mary, I'm not sure if I can get my mitts on a copy of the New Yorker Magazine. We used to have full sized Chapter Store here in Richmond, but now we just have much smaller Indigo Spirit. But if I get in there, I'll have a look for the sketch that you refer too. I've been thinking of one the books that I read to the boys when they were young by Robert Munsch . It was called Love You Forever and the mom sneaks into her sons room and says a little rhyme about as long as I live , my baby you'll be - and there is a portion of the book where the boy ( man } moves out and the mom comes to visit her son late at night , sneaking into his room late at night with a ladder , and singing to him " as long as you live, my baby you'll be." That quite comes to mind and I've certainly been teasing my son with that. My husband and I walk our dog in the area that he will be living and often right into the paths and area that are a part of the condo complex. As he is on the 2 nd floor I have told him we will be by often, with a ladder to visit him on the balcony of his place. Of course he quite rolls his eyes at me in particular. I'll have to refresh my memory re Runaway Bunny. I'll be okay once he has actually moved, though yesterday I told he will need to text me when he gets in safely each night. He told me , maybe one time he will text me :) Lucky for me , I have Poppy who still loves to kiss me, unlike the sons! ;)

@Carsten, I had not read much in the way of psychological suspense. I looked at my Karin Fossum's collection here on LT and it all depends on how much you want to get Konrad and Sejer. Some books feature the duo quite a bit, others they play but a small part in the background. I can tell you that I gave 4 stars to almost every one , but 4.5 start to a couple. The Caller and Bad Intentions were both 4.5 star reads for me. The Caller had a definite creep factor. Don't start with Murder of Harriet Krohn which is her latest offering as I did not care for it ( actually did not finish it!) Gasp to self. As for the prequel to the Ian Rutledge series, my comments are above, on A Fine Summer's Day. I think I'm am going to enjoy A Test of Wills more then the prequel, but I am very glad I read the prequel first as I think I understand so much more about the the 1st in the series , having read the prequel.

Good luck on your new adventures in the 21st century Deborah! The Girl on the Train looks good. It seems like the type of book my cousin (who is in need of books) would enjoy. I'll grab a copy, read it, and send it his way. :)

@247 Thanks for well wishes re embracing the 21 st century! :) I'll have you know I did my taxes online this year, with a little oversight from one of the sons! :)

Hi Deb! Hope you had a good Monday. I just went through a rough patch on TC, losing 5 straight. WTH? No, mercy for the battle-weary mailman?

I'll get my revenge...

Oh that playing your " mailman card" ? How about some relief for the elderly housewife? I think you maybe on your way to some revenge. I think TC might be slightly slanted to US citizens! Take that, Mark! :)

" How about some relief for the elderly housewife?" Good point, Deb! LOL. I will see you on the battlefield tomorrow.

Very funny the talk of Robert Munch and Love you Forever. I remember it well, as I also remember the Runaway Bunny. Bless you Margaret Wise Brown. She is my heroine. You know she even did one about poodles. Don't Frighten the Lion! Brilliant!

>248 vancouverdeb: Good on you Deb, for doing your taxes online. I am still tracking down the paper forms but they are getting harder to find. Do you have to buy software to do your taxes online?

@251, yes Mark - see you on the battlefield tomorrow! ;)

@252 Well, I am not sure if I will make good on my threats, but it's in my mind!:) So far the young man in question is still living at home. He tells us any day now, but " he is to busy to move." I think he will have a surprise coming his way when has to shop, wash his clothes and forage for food! ;) I did come to love many children's author's when my kid's were young!

@253 No, you don't actually need any software. I used https://simpletax.ca/, which was super easy and my techy son assures me that is as good as any tax software out there.

follow me to my next thread, I hope! :)