CBL's 2015 Reading, Part 2

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

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

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

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



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

Progress toward goal in 2015:




Books read in January:
1. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith (4) - completed 1/1/15
2. In Search of a Homeland: The Story of the Aeneid by Penelope Lively; illustrated by Ian Andrew (3.5) - completed 1/2/15
3. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su & Kate Rorick (4.5) - completed 1/3/15
4. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle (2.5) - completed 1/4/15
5. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld (4) - completed 1/11/15
6. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth (4.5) - completed 1/12/15
7. The Porcelain Thief: Searching the Middle Kingdom for Buried China by Huan Hsu (3.5) - completed 1/16/15
8. Beethoven's Tenth by Brian Harvey (4) - completed 1/17/15
9. Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro (3.5) - completed 1/21/15
10. Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin (4) - completed 1/23/15
11. The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers (3.5) - completed 1/24/15
12. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (4.5) - completed 1/25/15
13. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (4.5) - completed 1/31/15
14. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (3.5) - completed 1/31/15

Books read in February
15. A Timely Vision by Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene (3) - completed 2/8/15
16. The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope (3.5) - completed 2/12/15
17. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (3.5) - completed 2/16/15
18. Daisy Miller by Henry James (4) - completed 2/16/15
19. Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie (3.5) - completed 2/18/15
20. 1984 by George Orwell (3) - completed 2/20/15
21. Whiskers of the Lion by P. L. Gaus (5) - completed 2/21/15
22. Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth (3.5) - completed 2/26/15
23. Confessions by Augustine (4) - completed 2/28/15

Books acquired in January:
1. The Hunt for Nazi Spies by Simon Kitson - 1/9/15 (free ebook)
2. Daisy Miller by Henry James - 1/10/15 (free ebook)
3. Beethoven's Tenth by Brian Harvey - 1/16/15 (December ER book)
4. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, read by Jeremy Irons - 1/17/15 (purchased)
5. Genealogies of New Jersey Families: From the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey vols. I & II - 1/22/15 (purchased)
6. Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie - 1/26/15 (purchased)

Books acquired in February:
7. Whiskers of the Lion by P. L. Gaus - 2/2/15 (January ER book)
8. Edmund Bertram's Diary by Amanda George - 2/20/15 (purchased)

British Authors challenge

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

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

February:
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters - COMPLETED 2/16/15

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

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

May:
The Peppered Moth or Jerusalem the Golden by Margaret Drabble
Koba the Dread by Martin Amis

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

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

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

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

October:
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore

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

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

American Authors Challenge

Planned reads will be updated as they are completed.

January: The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers - COMPLETED 1/24/15
February: Portrait of a Lady Daisy Miller by Henry James - COMPLETED 2/16/15
March: Richard Ford The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
April: The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
May: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
June: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
July: Catwings by Ursula Le Guin
August: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
September: Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor
October: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
November: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
December: The March by E. L. Doctorow

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

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

One of my 2015 goals is reading retellings of or books inspired by Jane Austen's novels. I will list these books here as I complete them.

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

Tomorrow would have been my dad's 79th birthday. He lived with me for several years after my mother died and I still miss him. Here are a couple of photos in his honor:

Nice new thread, Carrie! I liked the photos you posted of your father; which book is he holding in the second one?

I hope that you're feeling better today, and that you have an enjoyable weekend.

Hi Darryl! My dad is holding a copy of The Snowball, a biography of Warren Buffett, that he received for Christmas.

I did wake up minus the headache today so that's a plus. I seem to be turning into my grandmother, although her problem with a low pressure was arthritis. I seem to have escaped that so far, but not her sinus and inner ear issues.

Happy new thread and happy birthday to your dearly departed farther. Hope the snow doesn't put a damper on the day for Adrian and you. At least it's not that cold and it's not raining!

I definitely feel like one of those old crochety human barometers these days. Any low pressure and I'm almost garunteed a day in bed with severe headache. It's always affected me a bit in the past but usually not enough to ruin a whole day; now it's cranked up quite a bit.

Happy new thread, Carrie! Love the photos of your Dad!

>11 leahbird: It's pretty much stopped doing anything here. It's just gray and wet outside. I had planned a mostly indoor day today. I will venture out around lunchtime to pick up a prescription refill and some KFC for lunch. Otherwise, today is mostly laundry, a bit of light cleaning, a little TV, and lots of reading. I may make some banana bread this afternoon.

I never volunteered to be a human barometer, and I'm not sure how to get out of it. I'm sure you didn't volunteer, either. No one in their right mind would!

>12 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie!

Great photos of your Dad, Carrie!

And happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Carrie!

Congratulations on the new thread and on waking headache free! Lovely photos of your Dad, Carrie. May your thoughts of him this weekend be happy ones.

>14 katiekrug: >15 scaifea: >16 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks Katie, Amber, & Dejah!

On the reading front, I've finished the first part of The Member of the Wedding and so far it's reminding me why I am not a fan of Southern literature.

It looks like the sun is trying to come out a bit, so this seems like a good time to run my errands. Adrian loves riding in the car so I'll have a sidekick.

Happy new thread, Carrie! What great pictures to honor your dad! Is he striking a Warren Buffett pose in the bottom pic? *Smiles*

>18 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda! I guess he was doing a Warren Buffett pose!

I finished The Member of the Wedding this evening, but I think I need to let it settle before writing a review. I'll sleep on it.

Only one acquisition to report this week. I used my Christmas money to purchase Genealogies of New Jersey Families since I have several lines on both sides of my family that I can trace back to New Jersey.

11. The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
TIOLI #14 - Book with a beginning word in the title

One August, during the dog days of summer, 12-year-old Frankie's soldier brother Jarvis comes home from military service in Alaska to marry his fiancee, Janice. Frankie, now calling herself F. Jasmine, becomes obsessed with her brother's wedding, and she is determined to go away with her brother and his new wife after the wedding. F. Jasmine will tell this to anyone who will listen to her, which really boils down to her African American housekeeper Berenice and her 6-year-old cousin John Henry. It's obvious from the beginning that this will not end well.

***Slightly spoilerish comments below***

Frankie/F. Jasmine/Frances is at an awkward period in her development. She no longer considers herself a child, but adults still treat her as a child. It's normal to feel lonely and left out at that age. It is not normal act out on those feelings with kitchen knives or loaded pistols. I didn't identify with Frankie; I was scared of her. I felt the absence of parental authority and guidance. Frankie's father is barely present in the novel. I'm not sure what responsibility Berenice has for Frankie. She makes suggestions about what Frankie should do, but she doesn't seem to have the authority to make Frankie do anything or to restrict her movements. Frankie is uncomfortable with her sexuality, and this is projected onto her cat, Charles/Charlina, and onto John Henry, who plays dress-up in women's clothes and plays with Frankie's doll. Frances latches onto her new friend, Mary Littlejohn, with the same fervency she exhibited for the wedding. I'm left with a feeling of dread about how this relationship will end.

3.5 stars

Congrats on your new thread, Carrie and happy Sunday. No photo this weekend because I'm too busy in my RL.

>22 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara! I'm just glad that you found a few minutes to drop by. I hope that life gets back to a normal pace for you very soon.

Love the pictures of your Dad! Wonderful memories to sustain us when loved ones are out of reach.

Hope you have brighter weather ahead, and that those pesky health issues will leave you and Adrian alone.

Hi Carrie, nice to see pictures of your father.

You're off to a great start to your 2015 reading.

>24 countrylife: >25 lindapanzo: Thanks Cindy & Linda! I had a nice surprise at church. The hymn the pianist played during the offering was my father's favorite. It was a perfect way to remember him this morning!

I've been reading Five Quarters of the Orange this afternoon and I'm finding it hard to put down. I like it much more than The Member of the Wedding.

Hi Carrie - Nice new thread. I really like Harris. Did you ever read Chocolat?

Carrie, congratulations on your new thread. I love the trend of eulogising our parents here. Your father was a lucky man to have a daughter that remembers him with such affection. xx

Oooh, I loved Five Quarters of the Orange! I think it's still the only Harris I've read, though Mamie's raving about Chocolat made me go put a hold on the Kindle download at my library.

Stopping by to get caught up and had a good chuckle over on your previous thread about wearing flip flops in snow. My feet tend to get cold so I only wear sandals when it is hot out, although I have seen a fair number of adults who walk around my part of the world in the dead of winter with their rockport open sandals and shorts. I get cold just looking at them walking down the street.

Happy new thread! Wonderful photos of your dad. Also, glad to see you are feeling better.

>27 BLBera: Thanks Beth! This is my first Harris. It won't be my last!

>28 PaulCranswick: Paul, I think your daughters will remember you with similar affection many, many years from now.

>29 katiekrug: I will have to try Chocolat sometime, although I think Gentlemen & Players may be the next one I pick up since I noticed it was nominated for an Edgar.

>30 lkernagh: Thanks Lori! I know your weather is more temperate than a lot of Canada, but still. Shorts and sandals in winter? It makes me shiver just thinking about it!

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

I think I can finish Five Quarters of the Orange tonight if I skip Downton Abbey. I can watch it later this week.

Carrie, thanks for posting those pictures of your dad. How nice that he was able to live with you after you lost your mother. I'm sure you were great comforts to each other.

Oh, that F. Jasmine! I thought she was a hoot and you thought she might become a future ax murderer. I know, I am putting words in your mouth. Sorry about that. I love that we can read the same books and have such different impressions. We both gave it 3.5 stars so at least we agree about its merit.

>32 Donna828: Now that I think about it, I could see F. Jasmine as an ax murderer! I think I've known just enough mentally disturbed adolescents to color my view of the book.

I did finish Five Quarters of the Orange before going to sleep last night. I wouldn't have been able to sleep if I hadn't. The writing is 4 star, but I gave it an extra half star because I enjoyed the story so much. The review will have to wait until I get home from work.

Well, you haven't even posted a review yet and you've made me put Five Quarters of the Orange on my wishlist! Sheesh.

>35 scaifea: :)

>35 scaifea: scaifea, same here!

>37 Shutzie27: Wait till you read the review!

12. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
TIOLI #3 - Food item in the title

Framboise, a middle-aged widow, returns to the town on the Loire where she spent the first decade of her life. During the German occupation in World War II, Framboise, her older brother and sister, and their mother were involved in an event so terrible that they fled the town. Framboise's mother has died in the intervening decades. She left an album filled with her recipes and with seemingly random notes. Framboise returns to the town and restores the family's old farmhouse which she bought from her brother. She supports herself by opening a cafe where she serves her mother's recipes. The life she has built depends on keeping her real identity secret. Framboise is known by her married name, and she looks nothing like the child she was when the family left. A greedy nephew threatens to dig up the secrets that Framboise has tried so hard to keep.

This book was longlisted for the Orange Prize and I can see why it didn't make it onto the shortlist. It doesn't have the weight that judges of literary prizes would expect. However, it does have the right ingredients to transport readers to another time and place and hold them spellbound until the end. I read this book in a day. I couldn't sleep until I had finished it.

It's not really a mystery. Framboise knows the secret at the heart of the book. It's no mystery to her. She just won't give the secret up easily. It's part coming of age, as Framboise remembers events from her 10th year. It's part family drama, exploring sibling dynamics and the conflict between Framboise and her difficult mother. It's part historical fiction, dealing with the German occupation of France in World War II. There's even a little romance sprinkled in the book. The descriptions of French farm cuisine, the smells and sounds of summer, and the feel of the river delight the senses. It's a rich, rewarding reading experience that I highly recommend.

4.5 stars

Nice review, Carrie - I remember loving this book as well. Harris does a good job with the sensory images.

>40 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

Ouch! You hit me hard with that BB. Great review, too.

>42 countrylife: Thanks! There's a perfect TIOLI challenge for it in February, too.

I didn't see it on first pass. Which TIOLI were you thinking of?

>44 countrylife: #4 Book with a French connection. It's set entirely in France. I wasn't very clear about that in the review.

My little Adrian has had a rough evening. First the smoke alarm went off several times while I was cooking supper, even though I had the fan above the stove turned on. Nothing was remotely close to burning. I cooked salmon baked in melted butter and steamed Brussels sprouts. The combination of the smoke from the butter and the steam from the Brussels sprouts must have set off the alarm. I sat in the recliner for a few minutes while I waited for everything to finish cooking. Adrian disappeared down the hall and he was gone so long that I started to get up to look for him. Somehow he came back without my seeing or hearing him because he was under the recliner. I lowered the footrest right into him. The poor little guy has been glued to my lap ever since. I finally got him to eat dinner a few minutes ago, but he's back on my lap now. Work was pretty stressful today so all the cuddling has been therapeutic for me, too.

>46 cbl_tn: Ooof, sounds like a heckuva day and evening (and a mouth-watering dinner, I might add). I hope you and Adrian enjoy some good recliner time tonight.

Isn't recliner-fur-kids cuddling the best ever? I love it when my cats cuddle on the recliner while I read. Of course, it gets a bit tricky because instead of being lap cats they curl up, quite literally, on my face, but it's still nice and comforting to hear their purring. :-)

I've lowered the footrest on my skittish cat, Sweetheart, a time or two accidentally, but it doesn't get me cuddles, lol. I hope tomorrow at work goes better for you and Adrian gets over all the kerfuflle!

>47 Shutzie27: And here I thought it was difficult to read with a dog on my lap. It would be near to impossible with a cat on my face. Even breathing would be difficult since I'm allergic to cats!

Adrian seems to be over his scare from last night. He was his normal self this morning.

>46 cbl_tn: OH my, what a traumatic evening for Adrian! Glad all is back to normal. Ya got me with Five Quarters of the Orange, just wishlisted. I love her atmospheric writing.

>49 Carmenere: Adrian has had a much better evening today. He's chilling out next to me in the recliner at the moment.

I hope you enjoy Five Quarters of the Orange when you get to it!

Adrian needs a good evening after last night! Great photos of your Dad to start your new thread and some interesting books you have read. I hope you are able to find some good family connections in the book about New Jersey genealogies.

>51 Familyhistorian: Thanks! There are a couple of articles with Osborn(e)s I'm certain I'm related to, thanks to my uncle's participation in a Y-DNA study. I just don't know which line is ours yet. I have a good suspect, but I may never be able to prove it. I have enough other lines that passed through New Jersey that I thought it was a worthwhile investment.

I haven't been reading much this week. My brother's Ancestry DNA results became available on Monday evening and I've been corresponding with one of his matches regularly since then. Our common ancestors are my 3rd great-grandparents and I have a lot of their stuff - books, letters, photographs, scrapbooks, other documents, etc. The cousin has a lot of stuff too so we have lots of stories to exchange.

>52 cbl_tn: Ooh, you are very lucky to have Y-DNA to go on. I couldn't get the males in my family to cooperate and I really need them to because I have no clue where to start with my Irish research. I have the family in the East End of London but can't get them back to Ireland. I just received NextGen Genealogy: the DNA Connection and hope that will take me further with the DNA info that I have access to but it is almost scary how fast the hours go when you are tracking down those links. Happy hunting!

Hi Carrie, I wish you a lovely weekend.

>53 Familyhistorian: I was able to get both my father and my mother's brother to do the Y-DNA test. The results are invaluable. In both cases, we discovered a 17th century ancestor that they descend from without a doubt, but we may never find a paper trail to connect them.

>54 Ameise1: Thank you Barbara! Thankfully it's too warm today for ice skating, but that dog looks hopeful anyway. Maybe I can find an indoor skating rink and sneak him in!

I have two books that I hope to finish today. I should be able to finish Julius Caesar while I work in the kitchen. I'll be putting a roast and veggies in the Nesco roaster. I have about 150 pages left in Cleopatra: A Life. It's pretty easy going for non-fiction and it's a good companion for Shakespeare's play. I have an ambitious list for February and I really don't want to carry over any unfinished reading from January.

Lovely review of Five Quarters of an Orange up there, Carrie - I gave it my thumb! And you hit me with a book bullet for that one - and I actually snapped it right up when I saw that Amazon has it for Kindle right now for a mere $1.99! Very exciting! Hoping that you are enjoying your Saturday - roast and veggies sounds delicious. Please give Adrian my love.

>56 cbl_tn: - I listened to Cleopatra: A Life on audio and really enjoyed it. I knew very little of the story, history, time period, etc...

>57 Crazymamie: What? Looks like I, too, am purchasing the Kindle version.

I just wanted to say I find this chatter about the DNA tests fascinating. I was adopted at birth and though my parents raised me to think of it as a positive thing and don't have any of the adoptee angst I so often hear about, I have always wondered about my biological cultural heritage. I've been toying with the idea for some time now and but this thread has convinced me.

>59 Shutzie27: There are lots of groups out there that will help adoptees interpret the results. http://www.dnaadoption.com/ has more info that will help you.

>57 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! And how neat is it that my review coordinated with a Kindle sale?!

>58 katiekrug: I did manage to finish the book last night. I learned a lot about Cleopatra that I didn't know. I considered the audio version, but I'm glad I went with the book. It has several pages of color plates that I would have missed out on with the audio version.

>59 Shutzie27: I've tested with two different companies and got different ethnicity results from each one. Both indicate I'm 100% European, but the regional compositions are different. My brother, a full sibling, isn't related to anyone that I'm not related to, and his ethnicity estimate is very different from mine. One company has me at 39% British Isles and the same company has him at 2% British Isles.

>60 thornton37814: She might also be interested in the Hoosier Daddy blog you pointed me to a few months ago.

DNA testing and the varying results are fascinating, even though they can drive you a little crazy. Based on your research, do you have any feeling as to which percentage breakdown is more likely? I know that's hard unless you're a lot further back than I am, lol.

>62 Dejah_Thoris: I think my results are more realistic than my brothers. We've got Dutch on both sides, some French on my mom's side, a little German and/or Swiss on both sides, and Irish on my dad's side. However, the majority of our lines are British Isles.

Just to show you how different they are, the estimate for my DNA is:
Great Britain 39%
Europe West 26%
Iberian Peninsula 17%
Scandinavia 11%
Ireland 6%
Europe East 1%

My brother's is:
Europe West 57%
Scandinavia 19%
Ireland 7%
Iberian Peninsula 6%
Italy/Greece 7%f
Great Britain 2%
Europe East about 1%
Middle East about 1%

On their map, the shaded area for the Iberian Peninsula overlaps southern France. I'm not aware of any Scandinavian ancestry so I think it's likely due to the Norse influence in the British Isles.

And I just have to say I'm really envious of my brother's trace of Middle East DNA. My 100% European is boring. :(

That is extremely cool, but there is some strange deviation there. I suppose in a few more years well see all of the processes refined with ever improved results. Thanks for sharing.

Instead of writing reviews for the two books I finished yesterday, I've been struggling to transfer an Overdrive audiobook to my iPod Nano. My computer seems to be viewing my iPod like a flash drive. The audio files transfer to the iPod, but they don't show up in the Music or Audiobooks menus, or any other menu I can get to through the interface on the device. I can only play the file while it's connected to the computer. I can see the audio files in Windows Explorer, and I don't think I should be able to. I can't see the audio files for any of the books that were on my iPod prior to the iTunes upgrade and they all appear where they're supposed to on the device itself. I think it may have something to do with the latest release of iTunes. I can listen to the book on my iPad, but it's not as handy. I use my iPod mostly for listening to audiobooks. It's going to be nearly useless to me if I can't transfer audiobooks to it.

ETA: I finally figured out a way to get the audiobook into my iPod's menu system. It's a hassle, but it seems to have worked. I really hope this will be fixed soon.

13. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
TIOLI #19 - Book from the library of a January 2011-2014 frog-award-winner

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears. Et tu, Brute. Beware the ides of March.” I'm a little embarrassed to admit that this is all I knew of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar up to this point in my life. There's so much more to this play. Shakespeare captures the tension and drama of the last years of the Roman Republic and the role of Julius Caesar's ambition in hastening its end. The L.A. Theatre Works audio production is outstanding. The cast includes Richard Dreyfuss, Kelsey Grammar, Stacy Keach, John De Lancie, and JoBeth Williams. I will listen to this recording again. Next time I will plan to do my listening when I'm able to follow along in the printed text.

4.5 stars

Maybe I should send my DNA off to one of the American DNA companies and see what they come back as. I am well and truly British. We know this, having done our family trees - while I can't go back quite as far with my fathers side as with my mothers, the nearest non-British relative I have is a German Ambassador in the 18th century.

I wonder how much they'd declare me as British!

>67 lunacat: That would be interesting!

14. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
TIOLI #1 - Book with a "psychological" phrase

Cleopatra is one of those legendary figures from history that I've heard of all my life but knew nothing about beyond cultural references. She was the last of the Pharaohs, she was romantically connected with both Caesar and Mark Antony, she died from an asp's bite, and she looked just like Elizabeth Taylor. Stacy Schiff's biography has changed that.

The biggest problem for all of Cleopatra's biographers is the absence of contemporary accounts of her life. The earliest historians are at least a generation removed from her lifetime, and they all have a Roman bias. It seems to illustrate the old saying that history is written by the victors. Schiff compares different accounts of events in Cleopatra's life and weighs their likely accuracy. It's the kind of analysis that calls for footnotes or end notes to allow her readers to look at the sources to test her conclusions. The end notes are there – pages and pages of them – but they are unnumbered, conforming to the current trend for histories and biographies aimed at a general audience rather than an academic audience. It's OK for background reading or to satisfy a casual curiosity about Cleopatra's life. Academic readers may find it lacking for their purpose.

3.5 stars

All this DNA talk has me curious as well - although from research of ancestors, I am a very unexciting mix of Scottish/Irish/English - although possibly with some Nordic in there thanks to the vikings. I hadn't realised there were companies who'd give you that kind of break-down on estimated genetic heritage though.

>70 evilmoose: I think they all do it for the autosomal DNA test, but each company has its own population reference database for comparison.

January Recap

Best of the month: Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris
Worst of the month: Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle

Physical books – owned: 6
Physical books – borrowed: 5
Audiobooks – owned: 1
Audiobooks – borrowed: 2
ARCs: 2

Just one acquisition to report in the last week. I've been re-reading Agatha Christie's books in publication order via audio downloads from the public library. Sparkling Cyanide is next on my list, but the audio isn't available from the library. I have a lot of her works in my library, but I didn't have this one, so of course I had to buy a copy. I will be reading it within the next couple of days. In fact, I'll probably start it later this evening.

Planned reading for February:
Confessions by Augustine (HistoryCAT)
The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope (group read)
Daisy Miller by Henry James (American Authors challenge)
A Timely Vision by Joyce Lavene & Jim Lavene (BingoDog)
Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie
Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth (Quarterly biography read)
King of the Cannibals by Jim Cromarty (Commonwealth Challenge, HistoryCAT)
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (British Author Challenge)

Audiobooks:
1984 by George Orwell (SFFF CAT)
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (British Authors Challenge, HistoryCAT)

Hi, Carrie, some great reviewing going on here!

I was of two minds about Frankie...I was disturbed by the knives and gun, and couldn't understand how she had so little supervision--buying her dress for the wedding by herself at age 12? Still, I'm a fan of the weird, so I really liked the book.

Now I can't wait to read Five Quarters of the Orange. I loved Gentlemen and Players, but I'm truly a sucker for a story set in a school.

Hey Carrie! I hadn't realized your dog was named after Mr. Monk! :) I loved Monk. In fact, I just finished Mr Monk and Philosophy, though I haven't reviewed it yet....to tired right now.

>75 Matke: Thanks! I'm glad I didn't have to read this one in high school. I can handle weird better now than when I was younger. I like stories set in schools too, so Gentlemen & Players sounds like it will be just my cup of tea!

>76 The_Hibernator: I love Monk! I had already decided that either Adrian or Adrienne would work for a dog. When I took Adrian to the vet the day after I adopted him, the vet thought he was depressed. I was afraid I'd jinxed him with the name, but he perked up after he got over his bronchitis and got used to me.

>77 cbl_tn: LOL! You cracked me up with the thought of Adrian being depressed by his name.

Morning, Carrie! Nice review of the Cleopatra book - Abby has that one in her stacks, but she hasn't gotten to it yet. Who narrates the audio of 1984?

>78 Dejah_Thoris: It was just another confirmation that I had picked the right name for him. I prepared myself to deal with a depressed dog and do whatever it took to meet his needs. The vet was very concerned because he showed no interest in what was happening around him. I was thrilled when he started showing interest in toys after about a week.

>79 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! I hope Abby learns a lot from it.

Simon Prebble is the reader for 1984. He's one of the best.

My internet access is spotty this afternoon. I rarely have a problem with it unless the power goes out. It could be weather related. I just got back from a doctor's appointment on the other side of town. It was snowing pretty heavily over there, although it didn't seem to be sticking since it's above freezing.

Still having connection problems. The modem drops out every few minutes. I'm waiting on a technician higher up in the chain to call and see if he can figure it out.

Apparently I have a weak signal going into my modem. The earliest appointment I could get is for Thursday evening. I may not be checking in much until it's fixed.

Connection problems are horrible. Hope it all gets sorted out soon!

Carrie, we will be sharing a couple of reads in February: The Little Stranger and Brideshead Revisited. I'll look forward to your thoughts on those.

Regarding The Member of the Wedding and Frankie's lack of supervision, I think we forget just how common that was in earlier times. Even when I was growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, we were allowed to roam all over town unsupervised, only expected to be back in time for dinner. There was a lot less fear in the world and parents were much less anxious. Whether that's good or bad is open for discussion.

I'm so sorry you're having connectivity issues - I hope they're resolved soon! I suppose Thursday is soon.....

Oh, bummer, Carrie!

>84 Shutzie27: Thanks! It's working for now, but I do want it checked out before the weekend.

>85 rosalita: I had a lot of freedom as a child, but my mother always knew where I was supposed to be. If I wasn't where I told her I'd be and she found out I was in big trouble. Not worth the risk. Frankie's situation seemed more like neglect even for that era.

I've downloaded the ebook of The Little Stranger but I won't get to it for a few more days. I need to finish 1984 before starting Brideshead Revisited. You'll probably finish both of them before I get started.

>86 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks Dejah! I just hope I don't miss out on the appointment. I had to make a vet appointment for Adrian. I should be home before my 5-7 window, but they will call first to make sure I'm home. I hope I don't miss the phone call.

>87 Crazymamie: I know! At least it's working for now.

The technician has come and gone. He has determined that the problem is either the cable wire from the pole into my neighbor's yard, or the cable wire from the neighbor's house to my house. However, the neighbors aren't home and he wouldn't go in their yard without making sure that their dog can't get out. I will have to reschedule at a time when they will be home or at least can make sure that the dog can't get out into the yard. :( On the bright side, since the problem is outside of the house I don't have to pay for the visit. My access will continue to be spotty until they can get back out here and get this fixed.

While my internet is working, I thought I had better give a brief update on Adrian since I had mentioned he was going to see the vet today. He has infected anal glands and he got an antibiotic shot. The frustrating thing is that he was just groomed on Saturday. This is something that the groomer should have caught and mentioned to me when I picked him up. I'll be looking for a different groomer.

I won't be home tomorrow because it's my Saturday to work so I had to reschedule the cable service appointment for Monday. I may be AWOL for a while over the weekend. To give it a positive spin, that will give me more time for reading!

Carrie, sorry to hear about the cable issue, and poor Adrian. But, as you say, no internet will give you time to really get stuck into some books (I can say this as it's not me - if it was me I would be fretting non-stop till it was fixed despite all the extra reading time :-) ) It's hard to imagine a time before the internet, isn't it?

>90 cbl_tn: Poor Adrian! I'm glad you caught it.

I hope the internet issue gets fixed Monday and that you have a fabulously productive weekend!

Poor Adrian! And poor you with internet woes! Hoping that the antibiotic kicks in quickly and that your internet is completely fixed on Monday. Hang in there, Carrie!

>92 susanj67: There was a time before the Internet? ;) Maybe I can make some good progress on The Eustace Diamonds over the weekend, although I do have to work tomorrow.

>93 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks Dejah! The vet showed me how to express Adrian's anal glands at home. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try it though.

>94 Crazymamie: I hope Monday fixes the problem. That may also explain why I have so much trouble with the cable company's On Demand service. Half the time it doesn't work for me.

Sorry to read about the cable trouble and poor Adrian. Here is hoping that Adrian is feeling better soon and your cable woes get dealt with!

>96 lkernagh: Thanks Lori! Adrian threw up in his crate again while I was at work yesterday afternoon. That's 4 out of 5 days in a row. The only day he didn't throw up was the day he went to the vet. I've got him on a mild diet, which I had already started before seeing the vet, and the antibiotic should start to turn things around. For now, I'm doing a lot of laundry.

Poor Adrian! He is not having a good month of February so far, Carrie. And neither are you, between worrying about him and your stupid Internet being wonky. I do hope both are sorted out quickly, but especially dear Adrian.

>98 rosalita: Neither of us has had a good February so far. Adrian does seem to be improving. I was happy to find that he hadn't been sick in his crate when I got home from work yesterday. That's progress!

I need to do a load or two of laundry this afternoon. I've added baking a batch of brownies to my list since I smelled them all through church. Families in our church take turns cooking for the college students who attend. Whoever cooked today started baking brownies between Sunday School and church. The aroma made it hard to concentrate on the sermon!

I started A Timely Vision last night as a break from the heavier reading I've been doing. I hope to finish it this afternoon, unless I get distracted by genealogy again.

>99 cbl_tn: Well, I spoke too soon. Adrian just threw up again. Poor fellow! The doctor says it's probably drainage from his tonsils that is upsetting his tummy when it's empty. I may need to get some milk of magnesia and see if coating his stomach helps him. If I can get him to take it.

15. A Timely Vision by Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene
TIOLI #15 - A book that has something to do with time

When Dae O'Donnell isn't busy with her mayoral duties in Duck, North Carolina, she runs a second-hand shop called Missing Pieces. Many of the items in the shop are items she's found. Dae has a gift for finding things. When elderly Miss Mildred asks Dae to find the watch she had loaned to her sister, Elizabeth, Dae has a vision that doesn't make sense – until she finds Miss Elizabeth's body with the watch on her wrist. It isn't long before Miss Mildred is charged with her sister's murder. With the help of the new owner of Duck's Blue Whale Inn, retired FBI agent Kevin Brickman, Dae sets out to find the real killer who must have framed Miss Mildred for the murder.

Although I usually avoid paranormal mysteries, I was drawn to this one because of its setting in North Carolina's Outer Banks. The authors use the setting to great advantage. Between Dae's position as the town's mayor and her grandfather's status as the retired police chief, Dae has a plausible reason to get involved in criminal investigations. Dae's psychic gift for finding things may actually be a weakness since it provides a means for the authors to dump clues and information without subtlety. It bugs me that Dae confesses to being in her late thirties and her grandfather is only 70. Unless Dae's mother had her as a young teenager, the math doesn't work. From the descriptions of the next few books in the series, it sounds like the paranormal emphasis grows stronger. I enjoyed this visit in the Outer Banks, but I'm not sure that this is a series I'll continue to read.

3 stars

Just one acquisition to report this week. My January ER book arrived - Whiskers of the Lion by P. L. Gaus. I'm looking forward to this one!

Sorry to hear you and Adrian are not having a good month Carrie. I hope Adrian starts to feel better soon and you can get your internet sorted soon.

>103 souloftherose: Thanks Heather. The cable company is supposed to be here in about 1/2 hour. Hopefully the rain will hold off until they're done with what they need to do.

Sorry to hear about the pup. I do hope he is feeling better soon!

Hope the Internet woes are over soon too.

Thanks Stasia! I just got home from work and was happy to see that I didn't need to clean up a mess in Adrian's crate. Fingers crossed that this lasts!

>106 cbl_tn: That is good news! Maybe he is on the mend!

Somehow the service appointment that I thought I had scheduled for this evening didn't get entered into their schedule. I thought it was strange when the cable company didn't call to confirm that I was at home. So I had to reschedule again. They kept offering me daytime appointments, but of course I have to work. The first evening appointment they had available was for Friday. I finally got fed up and told them that it wasn't my fault that their customer service agent didn't correctly set up the appointment in their system and I expected them to have someone here to fix it Wednesday evening. (I work tomorrow evening and get my weekly allergy shots in the afternoon.) I was on hold for a while and then the customer service agent finally said that he would schedule me in the 3-5 p.m. slot on Wednesday but would tell the technician to arrive at 4:30 when I get home from work. If that hadn't worked I would have insisted on a credit for the lost service.

And the saga continues. I just got a call confirming my appointment between 3 and 5 pm tomorrow afternoon. I will not be home tomorrow afternoon. The person I spoke with earlier said he was making an appointment for Wednesday. Aargh! I got a different person this time, and she is offering me Friday evening again. I'm waiting on hold for a supervisor. This is beyond ridiculous. Unfortunately I live in a rural area with no other option for a service provider or I'd be making arrangements to switch.

Oh good grief... what an necessary trial you are going through to try and get your cable fixed.

The latest is that they're sending someone tomorrow to look at the problem outside, and they've scheduled an inside appointment for Friday. But I already know the problem is outside. The technician who came on Thursday evening told me that. Sheesh. They are giving me a week's credit for the service problems I've been having. Meanwhile, I discovered that another company does provide service to my area now. I already have a home phone with that company and I'm going to look at switching. I would pick up a couple of sports channels that my current company doesn't offer on my plan (ESPNU and NFL Network).

Can I be nosy and ask which provider is giving you headaches and which you might be able to switch to. We have had issues and thought about changing but, as you said, it's a limited market here. Don't want to leave the trouble we have and end up with the trouble you're in!

Yikes, I have starred your thread and then not visited. What kind of a person am I??! Sorry :)

>46 cbl_tn: a timid friend huh? Cuddles are great for all concerned, as far as I am concerned. I am lucky enough to have a very cuddle #2 son, he practically comes in with a left hook, but at the last minute his arm goes right around my neck and pulls me in. I could live in his hug.

>108 cbl_tn: frustrating! They spend so much money on technology to make stuff like scheduling more simple, and then this stuff happens all the time. Grr. People are so busy these days, you should be able to count on an appointment time. I hope it comes through.

>112 leahbird: It's Comcast. They used to be great to deal with when the company was smaller and they had a local office. Now everything goes through a call center. I'm glad I have another option. I didn't four years ago.

>113 LovingLit: I owe my little guy. He felt neglected last night when I had to spend so much time on the phone. I hope things are fixed today.

Oooh, Comcast!! I'm pretty happy that we don't have them round these part, because everyone I know who has to deal with them absolutely despises them. I'm sorry that you have to experience their particular and infamous brand of 'customer service'...

So sorry to hear about your cable problem. I keep my fingers crossed that it will be solved soon.

>115 scaifea: The people I talked with last night kept telling me they understood how I felt, but at that point I wanted more than sympathy. Their customer service agents don't seem to have much authority even at the supervisory level.

>116 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara!

>117 cbl_tn: I bet that job really stinks. Poor sods only talk to angry customers all day.

>118 scaifea: I'm sure that they don't get a lot from the exorbitant monthly fees I pay, either.

Sorry to hear that the cable saga continues, Carrie. I hope it gets sorted out soon.

I do hope Adrian continues to improve!

Wow, what a horrible rigmarole. I'm glad Adrian is feeling better at least. We had similar issues when we moved into the house and were transferred to "the president's office" and they couldn't actually *do* anything either. It's so aggravating!

Definitely stick to your guns about the credit (though it looks like you at least got a bit of one, so that's good).

>120 alcottacre: >121 Shutzie27: I saw no evidence of an outside crew at my home today. The internet is working for now, but it's an intermittent problem that needs to be addressed. The technician who came last week confirmed that there is a problem and he didn't fix it.

Adrian had a much better day today. His appetite seems to be back to normal. That makes his mama happy!

It's great to hear that Adrian is doing better! Sorry about the internet connection, though. Mine was out for a bit last night and it drove me crazy....

>123 Dejah_Thoris: The connection is still working OK, I'm glad to say - no thanks to the cable company!

Well, the cable saga continues. I just got a call from a customer service agent wanting to review my service with me to see if I'm getting the best value. I told him I was considering other options because of the poor service I've experienced this week. He offered some service upgrades to compensate for the problems I've been having and an assurance that he will follow through and see that the repairs to the outside wiring are completed on Friday. Somehow the upgrades are going to end up costing me a couple dollars more each month, but it's less than what they quote on their website for those services. I was too tired to argue about it. I haven't given up the idea of changing companies, and if I have any more problems I'll make the switch.

At this point, I would love to offer you the tipple of your choice.... I would be reaching from something right about now. I feel for you. Beyond frustrating.

Great news: Adrian is feeling better!

Unfortunate news: Comcast is the very devil and has been rated as the company with the worst customer service in the country--seriously. I hope things get sorted out and stay that way for you.

Hang in there if you can, but I'd be running for the other company...

>126 lkernagh: >127 Matke: I'll be giving the other company a call today. I got an email from Comcast confirming my appointment tomorrow between 1 and 3 p.m. I will be at work tomorrow between 1 and 3 p.m. I told the person on the phone last night that I would be at work between 1 and 3 p.m. Did that matter to him? Apparently not! It also shows an in-home visit charge that he conveniently "forgot" to mention to me on the phone, even when I pressed him about any additional charges. As soon as they open I'm going to call and tell them to change everything back the way it was. I will not be giving them a penny more than I have to.

After nearly an hour on the phone with a customer service supervisor, I am now back on my original plan with a service appointment tomorrow evening to fix the outside wiring that is causing my internet problems. I asked about a credit to compensate for all the hassles I've been through this week. She offered a $10 credit for the next 6 months. Hopefully I will still have service when I get home...

I hope you can finally get the issues sorted and they pull their finger out. We recently had something similar with intermittent service, and then discovered we were being charged over £100 a month for services that were supposed to be free on our contract, and that we don't use anyway!

When we called to investigate, we were told that our contract had run out so therefore the 'free' deals were now chargeable. We asked how we were still getting service if we had no contract and were told that when the contract ran out they carried on providing stuff but started charging us more for it, and that's just how it works!

Then we discovered we could get the same service from a different company for around £20 a month all included as opposed to about £150 (the cost is what flagged us up to potential odd charges in the first place) a month!! Should have looked into it sooner but it's one of those things we didn't even think about. Switchover happened yesterday with only a 20minute lack of service while we changed routers. Easy peasy. If only it was as easy for you. Fingers crossed anyway.

Oh my, sorry to hear about the continuing saga with the cable company. I hope they turn up tomorrow evening.

>130 lunacat: >131 souloftherose: I arrived home to find that I do not have an internet connection, as I was afraid I would. I don't know if it has something to do with the strong winds we had in the middle of the day or if the company has disconnected me from the internet. I'm probably a "problem customer" from their perspective. My workplace gets some of its internet service from the same company and some from another ISP. The IT manager sent out an email around lunchtime to let us know that the internet connection with this cable company has some network issues that won't be resolved until Monday and we could experience slow internet response time until then. Isn't it interesting that they'll give a corporate customer more information than a home customer? I do have an alternate wired source at home that I can use for some things, but not for wifi.

Oh, Carrie! What a pain! Hoping that you are able to get things resolved very soon.

Thanks Mamie! I'll try to view it as more time for reading.

I finished The Eustace Diamonds this evening. I need to let it settle before attempting a review. I may try to read another chapter in Confessions this evening and listen to a little more of 1984 while I clean the kitchen. This weekend I'm going to focus mainly on The Little Stranger.

Hi Carrie! Just checking in again after too long an absence. Hope you get all internet fussiness taken are of soon!

>135 LauraBrook: Thanks! Unfortunately it won't be today. A different technician came and fully checked out the problem. The distance from the pole to my house requires a different kind of cable (apparently much larger) that they don't typically carry because of its size unless they know they will need it. It is also a 2-person job. He is going to put in a special request with his supervisor to send someone out to fix it tomorrow. If they can't do it tomorrow, he will be back on Monday morning to do it. I do not have to be home when this happens because it's an outside job. Nor do I have to call customer service to make another appointment. He was not happy with the technician last week who had closed the ticket without completing the necessary work.

Carrie, I sympathize with your cable woes. My internet connection is unreliable and spasmodic for a few days, then gets better for no reason. I do find that rebooting the modem can help. It seems like we purchased a new one not too long ago but I'm not sure what the life of a modem is. Anyway, I am very unhappy when it it touch and go on my internet connection and have considered going to the library or Panera and hanging out for an occasional afternoon. I hope yours gets fixed soon. We've had it checked out and all they say is that we are at the end of the line and there is nothing they can do!!!

Wow, that DNA testing looks fascinating. I think I would end up with a Scandinavian/British profile but it would be fun to know for sure.

>137 Donna828: Thanks Donna! It has been a frustrating week. At least I have some access this weekend.

What I've learned from the DNA testing has been well worth the cost. It's helped me to know where to focus my searches.

I hope the cable service gets everything fixed soon and to your satisfaction, Carrie!

Glad to hear Adrian is doing better and hope he continues to improve.

Thanks Stasia!

I've had situations where tech people have been VERY annoyed with earlier, less competent individuals. It sounds as though you have someone who has identified the problem and will get it fixed. Good for you for getting the $10 a month credit.

Enjoy your low tech weekend - I hope you get lots of reading done!

>141 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks Dejah! I've done a little reading today and I've listened to a couple of sections of 1984. I've been a little distracted by a Signed, Sealed, Delivered marathon on the Hallmark Movie Challenge. I hadn't watched this show before and I'm really enjoying it. The weather is horrible this evening - cold and very windy - and it's perfect for curling up with a book or a good TV show.

Happy Sunday, Carrie. I hope the weather is better today.

>143 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara! It's sunny outside today but very cold. It doesn't feel nearly as miserable as it did yesterday when the wind was blowing so hard.

I'm near the middle of The Little Stranger and I'd like to see if I can finish it today. I'm not sure what to make of it so far, but it's certainly holding my attention.

16. The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope
TIOLI #7 - Book with a gemstone in the title

Young Lizzie Greystock has a taste for diamonds and other precious stones. Her brief marriage to Sir Florian Eustace leaves her with a title, an infant heir, and a diamond necklace valued at 10,000 pounds. The Eustace family lawyer, Mr. Camperdown, insists that the diamonds are part of the Eustace estate and must be returned. Lizzie claims that her husband gave the diamonds to her with no strings attached. She enlists her young lawyer cousin, Frank Greystock, to help her fend off Mr. Camperdown. The pretty young widow has a lifetime settlement from her late husband's estate. It's not an enormous amount of money, but it's enough to attract suitors like Lord Fawn and the somewhat disreputable Lord George de Bruce Carruthers. It may even be enough to tempt cousin Frank away from his beloved but penniless Lucy Morris. Trollope lets readers in on a secret that Lizzie's suitors only suspect. Lizzie is a shameless liar.

This will never be among my favorite Trollope novels. Unlike in some of his earlier novels, there is little humor to lighten the tone. Lizzie brings out the worst in her companions. In contrast, Lucy Morris brings out the best in others. There just isn't enough of Lucy in the novel. The first half of the novel hinges primarily on inheritance law that can no longer be assumed to be common knowledge. Things become much more interesting in the second half of the novel after a theft occurs.

I've always maintained that there are worse things than being single. The subplot of Lucinda Roanoke and her engagement to Sir Griffin Tewett could be Exhibit A for this argument. With money running out, Lucinda is forced to accept the first man who asks her to marry him, even though she finds him repulsive.

Even the friendships in the book are based on money. Although the Fawns and Lucy genuinely like each other, Lucy is still an employee in their household. Lizzie's friendship with Mrs. Carbuncle is measured out in pounds and shillings. I'm reminded of the old saying “money can't buy happiness”. If that's the point Trollope intended to make with this novel, he succeeded.

3.5 stars

Carrie, I feel your pain with your internet woes. Our outside line went down over a very long weekend and we were without internet, phone or TV because they all come in through the same service. It was a very very long weekend but at least they came and did things when they said they would.

I can't believe that I haven't been back to your thread since all the interesting DNA discussion began. Until I read through the posts in the discussion I had just looked at my origins to find out that I was 100% European. (How boring is that.) I didn't notice the little picky thing that will give a break down of the different types of European. I figured that I would be 100% British Isles but when I clicked on it I found the following:
British Isles 46%
Western & Central Europe 37%
Finland & Northern Siberia 7%
Southern Europe 6%
Eastern Europe 4%
Much food for thought there. I wonder if Vikings came from Finland? I always thought of them coming from Norway and Sweden.

Hi Carrie! Thanks for the review of The Eustace Diamonds, I've never read an Anthony Trollope book, but I know I should someday. We'll see where I start....

>146 Familyhistorian: I doubt that there will be a crew here today to fix my outside line given today's weather forecast. I received another call from the service provider last night because I had indicated in a phone survey that my problem wasn't solved. He gave me yet another toll free number I'm supposed to call to make sure I'm on the schedule. I will wait until after the weather clears to do that. I can't tell you how frustrated I am that I have to call customer service and talk to yet another person about this problem.

The DNA is interesting. They're more accurate at the continental level than at the subregional level. It's fun to speculate, though, isn't it?!

>147 The_Hibernator: I loved both Barchester Towers and Can You Forgive Her?. Barchester Towers refers to things that happened in The Warden, which maybe isn't the best starting point for a Trollope newbie.

>145 cbl_tn: Carrie, that's a great review of The Eustace Diamonds. I totally agree about the worse things than being single issue. One of the things that frustrates me about all the novels set at this time (with these sorts of characters) is the waste of women's talents because they are just expected to marry. Lucy and Lucinda would today be working, and Lucy at least would be making a great success of it (I don't think we know enough about Lucinda to judge, but she certainly wouldn't have to depend on a man). The gold-digging Lizzie might be married, but then again maybe if she had the ability to make money herself she wouldn't feel obliged, and today's Sir Florian would be safe!

>149 susanj67: Thanks Susan! Lucinda seems to be comfortable with horses. I could see her working with horses somehow, or perhaps as a veterinarian. I picture Lizzie either in infomercials or reality TV.

I went in to work long enough this morning to make sure that we have enough people working to keep the library open and that we have a plan for tonight and tomorrow morning. Then I came right back home. I woke up feeling achy and slightly feverish. I brought work home with me, but I may end up just taking a sick day today. I'll see how I feel after some Tylenol and a nap.

Oh no - not another LTer sick! I'm glad you were able to head back home and I hope a day of rest takes care of whatever it is.

>152 Dejah_Thoris: I'm feeling better now so I think it must have been something I ate last night that was making my stomach queasy. I'm glad I didn't stay at work. My workplace planned to close at 2 p.m., but the sleet and freezing rain started around 11:30. They ended up closing at noon.

17. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
TIOLI #5 - Book with a number in the first sentence

As a child, Dr. Faraday visited Hundreds Hall with his parents on a fete day. His mother used to work as a nurserymaid there, and her connections allowed Faraday to get a glimpse of the interior of the house. Years later, when Dr. Faraday is called in to treat a young servant, he is dismayed to see the deterioration that has taken place since his first visit. The second World War, heavy inheritance taxes, and family tragedies have taken their toll. The household has dwindled to widowed Mrs. Ayres; her daughter Caroline; Roderick, the heir scarred from a wartime air accident; the teenaged live-in servant, Betty; and a daily woman. As Dr. Faraday is drawn into the intimate family circle, he is increasingly disturbed by the psychological effect that the house is having on its inhabitants. The burden of its upkeep shows in Caroline's physical appearance and in Roderick's deteriorating mental state. When strange markings start appearing and odd noises are heard, are they simply symptoms of decay, or of something far more sinister?

Hundreds Hall is as much a character as any of the humans in the book. The hall and its grounds are in a state of entropy that seems impossible to stop or reverse. Postwar rationing is having a leveling effect on the social classes. The psychological tension begins to mount once the setting and characters are firmly established. Interpretations of the events described in the book will vary with readers' views of the supernatural. Is the series of events a tragic coincidence, or is there an agent driving them? If an agent is responsible, is it human or supernatural? Waters doesn't provide easy answers for her readers.

3.5 stars

I made it into Knoxville for work today and managed to sew for 2 hours before deciding to head home. It took me over an hour to get back to Maryville because Alcoa Hwy was, as you could guess, a nightmare. Luckily I too was able to bring work home and can avoid the yuckiness until at least Wednesday when it will hopefully be gone.

Be safe!

I'm glad you made it home OK. It's really treacherous out there. I'm glad I didn't stay at work this morning. I have a very short commute, but it includes a steep hill that is a challenge in ice and snow.

Adrian just sat on the pocket with my keys in it and he triggered the panic button for my car. Now he's barking at it. He doesn't realize that he started it!

>156 cbl_tn: I'm laughing at Adrian.

>157 thornton37814: So was I!

>156 cbl_tn: I'm with Adrian - he couldn't possibly be responsible for all that noise OUTSIDE! Nonsense.

>159 Dejah_Thoris: Obviously it was one of the cats from across the road that love to hang out in Adrian's carport. It's always the cat's fault. ;)

There's no weather that I hate being out in than sleet and freezing rain. It is so much worse than straight snow. I'm glad you are all staying safe down there.

Adrian's antics made me laugh, too, Carrie. What a silly charmer he is. Is he back in tip-top health now?

>161 rosalita: Hi Julia! Adrian is pretty much back to normal now. That makes me happy!

That makes me happy, too!

The poor little guy got too wound up this evening and I had to put him in his crate for a while to calm him down. He didn't get a walk this evening so he had some extra energy to burn. I think he'll be glad when the ice melts.

18. Daisy Miller by Henry James
TIOLI #8 - Title includes something you could love

Winterbourne is a young American who has made his home in Switzerland. While visiting an aunt in Vevey, he encounters a young American boy who soon introduces Winterbourne to his sister, Daisy Miller. After a brief acquaintance with Daisy Miller in Vevey, Winterbourne encounters her again several months later in Rome. The Millers seem to have more money than class. Mrs. Miller seems to have no control over her children. Among the expatriates in Rome, Daisy has tarnished her reputation by keeping company with an Italian man without a chaperone in attendance. Winterbourne doesn't know what to make of Daisy. Is she immoral or just socially naïve? Just as Winterbourne is making up his mind, tragedy strikes.

Daisy Miller is a study of both character and culture. The American expatriates aren't just shocked by Daisy's unchaperoned excursions. Her worst offense seems to be keeping company with foreign men. (Nevermind that the Americans are the real foreigners in the story.) The Millers have a European escort whom they treat as an equal, a social faux pas. Winterbourne is intrigued by Daisy and is torn between helping her repair her reputation and contributing to its ruin. I recommend reading this novella in a single sitting for best effect.

4 stars

Great reviews, Carrie! I don't know if I'll be looking into The Eustace Diamonds, but I am definitely intrigued by The Little Stranger.

I have an entire season of Signed, Sealed and Delivered on our DVR and watched the pilot movie over Christmas break. It's good to know I have something to look forward to. I'm planning on watching them next week when Judd's down in Tucson for training for work. I'll also be watching more Call the Midwife; basically, all the sappy stuff. :-)

I'm sorry to hear about your continued internet woes, but glad to hear that Adrian is back to his normal self and ever-vigilant about outdoor disturbances (even when he causes them) ;-)

Oh, and FYI, I just received my copy of Five Quarters of the Orange in the mail and can't wait to begin it! It is the first book I've bought and am going to read as a direct result of LT threads, so that's kind of neat.

>166 Shutzie27: I fell asleep before the end of the pilot episode so I don't know what happened. And what's worse, it doesn't seem to be available for purchase anywhere. :(

I hope you enjoy Five Quarters of the Orange. I feel honored to be responsible for your first LT-related purchase! I've quit counting mine. ;-)

I just received a call from Carrie. She is without power. She and Adrian have gone to the student activities center on her campus which has a fire going in the student activities center. She took along a couple of books. She's hoping they will get power back soon because of the proximity of a waste treatment plant. Knox County has a lot of power outages. No idea when they will regain power. I've noticed that the KUB outage map has fluctuated. They currently have just under 15,000 customers without power and the outages are mostly over the parts of county south of I-40 although there are a few along Asheville Highway and in the Eastern part of the county. She'll be back as soon as she can.

Update: Carrie's power is back on; however, she still does not have Internet. She and Adrian are home.

Lori, thanks so much for the updates.

Oh Carrie, I'm so sorry to hear about the power problem. I hope you and Adrian are fine.hugs xx

Love the member connections on LT! Thank you for the update, Lori! Carrie, I hope this swirling vortex of ridiculosity comes to a conclusion for you, SOON!

My internet is working now! It's cold outside, but warm in here. Our campus is closed today so I don't have to try to get to work.

Carrie, I'm glad to hear that you are safe.

Hope you're having a nice relaxing snow day!

>173 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara!

>174 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! Unfortunately my asthma is flaring up, probably from all the stress. My doctor's office was closed today because of the weather so I went to a walk-in clinic at a local pharmacy and got checked out.

As if I needed more stress, it looks like the power outage has killed my TV. It will not power all the way on. I've followed the instructions for resetting it and that didn't work. It's looking like I'll have to buy a new TV. :(

Checking in and between the crazy weather, the loss of power, the ongoing troubles with your internet/cable provider and a bout of not feeling well.... I would be crawling under the covers and refusing to surface until spring. ;-)

Here is hoping thing improve on all fronts for you.

>176 lkernagh: Thanks Lori! I'm feeling achy and a little fluish so I'm taking a sick day today. We're still not out of the woods with our weather. We have a winter weather advisory for the rest of the day. There is a potential for up to 40 mph wind gusts which could cause more power outages. With a high in the teens and lows below zero (that's Fahrenheit, BTW), that won't be a good thing. I don't have an alternate heat source so if my power goes out I'll need to find someplace to take Adrian.

I had a brief power outage a few minutes ago - just 1-2 minutes, but long enough to give me a scare. Just heard from work that the utility company is turning their power off for about an hour while they remove a tree from the power lines. Glad I'm here and not there. I think.

>178 cbl_tn: Wow, what a streak, Carrie! Sending good thoughts for a break in the weather and electrical issues and health soon. If getting through the last few weeks doesn't deserve a book splurge, I don't know what does!

>179 Shutzie27: Thanks! The advisory has expired for my area and my power is still on so I think that's good news. The next potential event is another winter storm Friday evening into Saturday.

19. Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie
TIOLI #11 - Book with a "pitch" or a "catch"

It's been a year since Rosemary Barton died at a party in her honor. The inquest verdict was suicide, but someone has been sending anonymous notes to her husband, George, suggesting that Rosemary was murdered. George has a plan to unmask the murderer. He invites the same guests to a party in his sister-in-law, Iris's, honor, to be held at the same location. However, things don't turn out according to plan. Did Rosemary commit suicide a year ago, or was she really murdered? If so, who killed her? Was it her husband, George? Or George's secretary, the competent Ruth Lessing, who may have a secret passion for her boss? Or Rosemary's admirer, Anthony Browne, who may not be the man he appears to be? Or her other admirer, Conservative MP Stephen Farraday? Or his jealous wife, Lady Alexandra Farraday? Or could it have been her sister and heir, Iris Marle? George Barton's friend, Colonel Race, is on the scene, and he lends his experience to Scotland Yard as they investigate not one, but two murders.

This novel has a ring of familiarity to it even without the presence of one of Christie's more famous sleuths. The characters and plot bear many similarities to a Poirot short story, “Yellow Irises”, although Christie changed enough that one is not a spoiler for the other. There are also some structural similarities to Five Little Pigs (aka Murder in Retrospect). Even though the story lacks something in originality for readers familiar with Christie's earlier works, she gives the familiar elements a new twist that will leave readers guessing.

3.5 stars

Carrie, I'm so glad you and Adrian are back home and safe with power and Internet. I hope the weather clears up for you all soon. We are experiencing extreme cold (wind chills of -25 F) but at least no precipitation to make things worse.

Give Adrian a hug for me!

>182 rosalita: Adrian has been hugged! Right now he's sleeping on my lap. It makes using a laptop a bit tricky...

Although it's still bitterly cold, today was much more normal than the rest of the week has been. I was thankful that I didn't have to drive any farther to work than I do. I went in to town at lunch time to get my allergy shots and I was able to get a ride with a friend who had a doctor's appointment less than a block away. Her appointment time coincided with the allergy clinic hours. Her husband did the driving. They moved here from Indiana so they have more experience than I do with driving on roads with icy patches.

I finally got back to Augustine's Confessions this evening now that I'm not so distracted by the weather. I'm still on track to finish it by the end of the month. It's taken longer than I had hoped to listen to 1984 so it's looking like I may not complete the audio of Brideshead Revisited before the end of the month. I still have about 1 1/2 segments to go in 1984.

The new TV did not arrive today as promised. :( Hopefully tomorrow so I'll have it for the weekend. I will need to get the cable company to come back next week and replace the outdoor wiring, and I'll need the TV in place by then so that I can make sure it's working properly before they leave.

>184 cbl_tn: Glad to hear things are kind of returning to normal, and I hope the television replacement goes more smoothly than the cable debacle! And Adrian at least adds warmth when he's helping you type, right? ;-)

I feel for you on the driving bit, and how lucky for you your friend's husband drove. Since I'm a desert rat, when I went to school back East driving in the snow or even just ice terrified me. I was a smoker at the time, too, and the only quickie mart was down a hill on this steep road. I never went anywhere if I could help it, not even to get cigarettes.

>185 Shutzie27: Yes, Adrian is at least warm!

Our winter storm watch is now a winter storm warning. Sigh. 7 p.m. Tonight through 1 p.m. tomorrow. I'm scheduled for a presentation tonight and I will probably have to work tomorrow since the person who is supposed to work won't be able to drive in the bad weather. I live close enough to make it in. I will not attempt it if we have freezing rain.

What a lot you have been dealing with, Carrie! Hoping that your internet/cable problems all get fixed very soon - did you end up going with a different provider? You might have said, but I missed that part if you did. And hoping your crazy weather evens out and behaves itself - no more power outages or freezing rain. We don't have those worries down here, but the weather has been very strange - crisp and very windy for the past several days, but this SUnday is supposed to be 75F. What?!! So weird.

>187 Crazymamie: The internet issue is still unresolved. The technician was going to be back first thing Monday, but that's the day we had freezing rain. I will call next week to get back on their schedule. Meanwhile, I discovered this morning that my basement has been wide open with the light on since the technician was here last week. It's only accessible from outside at the back of the house. I didn't see any evidence of animal tracks in the snow or any disturbances from an animal inside. I'm just aggravated that I forgot to check after the repairman left to see if he had closed the door when he had finished. The last guy didn't complete the work properly, but at least he closed up after himself.

75F on Sunday?! What's for lunch? I'm headed your way! ;-)

My presentation has been moved from 7 p.m. to 1 p.m. I worked frantically this morning to finish the PowerPoint slides and I even found time to create a LibGuide. :) I also found out that someone else will be available to open the library tomorrow if the scheduled person can't get here. That works out well for me since I'll be dog sitting this weekend. If it was just Adrian I could bring him with me so I wouldn't have to worry if I got stuck at work due to the weather. I couldn't bring two dogs. The guest dog has been known to bite.

I finally finished the audio of 1984 this evening. I'm too tired to even think about writing a review tonight. I'll sleep on it and gather my thoughts about it in the morning. Next up in audio is Brideshead Revisited for the British Authors challenge. I'll do my best to finish it this month.

20. 1984 by George Orwell
TIOLI #14 - Science fiction from its Golden Age

I can't remember a time when I haven't been aware of the theme of this classic novel. “Big brother is watching you.” Having very much enjoyed a study of Animal Farm in 8th grade, I intended to read 1984 and thought it might be assigned reading in high school. It wasn't. 1984 came and went, and I gradually lost interest in reading the novel. I finally had the opportunity to listen to the audio read by Simon Prebble. The best thing about it was that it was read by Simon Prebble. The story reads like a political treatise thinly disguised as a novel. I didn't care about any of the characters. The political discourse is interesting but repetitive. I don't regret the time I spent listening to the audio because of its cultural significance. I think Animal Farm is a better book. Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 has some similarities to this work, and I think Bradbury's book is better.

3 stars

Next up in audio: Brideshead Revisted by Evelyn Waugh

I've been reading of your internet hassles with interest. I'm glad that with two choices for broadband, I chose the one that is NOT Comcast. (Kath says Comcast is the devil. Maybe it is.)

Glad you at least have power back.

>192 tymfos: My workplace is also having issues with Comcast right now. Ugh!

21. Whiskers of the Lion by P. L. Gaus
TIOLI #16 - Title includes a "W"

It's August, and young Amish woman Fannie Hemulth and her friend Howie Dent have been on the run since April. Holmes County, Ohio, Sheriff Bruce Robertson wants to find the pair before the drug gang that's after them. All of his employees have been working overtime to find Fannie and Howie and take them into protective custody. The case is eating at Robertson's confidence. The whole department is shaken when newly promoted Stan Armbruster discovers Howie's body. How had he come back into town without their knowledge? And where is Fannie? Is she dead or alive? When a new lead surfaces, Sheriff Robertson enlists college professor and reserve deputy Mike Branden and his wife Caroline to help locate Fannie and persuade her to testify against the head of the drug gang. Although they're not Amish, they have a sensitivity and an understanding of the Amish community and way of life.

The urgency of the search drives this tightly written procedural. I found it hard to put down. The closely knit community and the descriptions of Holmes County locations combine to give the novel a strong sense of place. Instead of a single protagonist, there is a core of well-developed characters, and I cared about all of them.

This book apparently resolves some unfinished plot elements from the previous book. Enough background is provided for readers who haven't read the previous book so that I didn't feel like I had gaps in my knowledge. If I had realized that there was such a strong connection to the previous book in the series I probably would have read it first. This isn't a cozy series, but it will have crossover appeal for many cozy readers. Highly recommended.

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

5 stars

Hi Carrie! I have enjoyed getting caught up here. Lovely photos and memories of your dad up top. I enjoyed your thoughts on Five Quarters of the Orange, which I enjoyed several years ago (I heartily recommend both Chocolat and Gentlemen and Players). I have a few unread Joanne Harris books in my pile somewhere.

I also loved your review of Julius Caesar. I've "discovered" Shakespeare on audio this year, and have enjoyed the plays I've heard very much.

Whiskers of the Lion looks like a good read, too. Thank goodness for LT! So many great books have crossed my path I would never have discovered otherwise. I'm loving my current read: Among Others by Jo Walton.

Hope you're feeling better very, very soon.

Thanks Anne! I think this is one of the best Amish series out there.

Just one acquisition to report this week: Edmund Bertram's Diary by Amanda Grange. I'll be reading this next month for a book club.

>194 cbl_tn: I've been wanting to try that Amish series by Gaus. You've given me another nudge!

>198 tymfos: I'm happy to give you a nudge! I read the first book a few years ago and it was okay but a little flawed. His writing has improved and I look forward to going back and filling in the gaps.

>191 cbl_tn: I'm glad I'm not the only one who's ever been undewhelmed by 1984; I agree with you about Fahrenheit 451 being a better book. And I've added the first book in Guas' series to my wish list. :-)

>200 Shutzie27: I'm in good company then! I hope you enjoy the Gaus series.

Carrie, I hope your storm warning has passed without incident. As you're posting I assume you still have power and internet, at least! What a pain about the TV, though - did the new one arrive? Stay warm!

Good morning, Carrie! I hope that the weather is treating you more kindly today. It's lightly raining and foggy here in Atlanta, and we're supposed to have rain for most of the day, but it looks like this system will pass to the south of you.

Thanks for reminding me that I want to read 1984 soon. I saw a brilliant production of it at the Almeida Theatre in London last year, and I'm eager to read the book. I bought the simple but brilliantly designed and award winning Penguin Classics version of it while I was there (if you look closely you'll see the words of the title and author underneath):

>202 susanj67: Hi Susan! I did make it through the winter storm warning yesterday, and the flood watch seems to have been canceled for my county. We got more snow overnight Friday into Saturday but not much ice accumulation, which is what I feared. The ice building up on the power lines and tree branches is what causes most of the power outages. I still have power and internet. Church was canceled this morning because of the state of the parking lot (our church is on a hill) so I'm settled in for the day. I've been reading Augustine's Confessions this morning since I wasn't able to go to church.

>203 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl! The rain seems to have stopped here but it's foggy from the melting ice and snow. It's not melting fast enough to suit me. There's still a lot of slush on the roads that will probably freeze overnight. We're supposed to have below normal temperatures this week, but no great chance of snow until Saturday. I hope the slush melts away soon since I will need to get groceries and some prescription refills within the next few days.

I didn't realize that there is a stage adaptation of 1984. I think I would like it better as a play than as a film. I can just barely see the title and author on your Penguin Classics cover on my laptop. They don't show up at all on the iPad!

Hi, Carrie!

Very nice review of Eustace. I like it better than you, but your observations are certainly on the mark.

Oh, and I love listening to and reading along with Shakespeare plays.

Hi Carrie! Glad to hear you made it through the storm warning in one piece. Sorry Church was canceled, but sometimes it's nice to have some unexpected relaxation time - especially in weather like this! :) Happy what's-left-of-the-weekend!

>205 Matke: Thanks Gail! I still love Trollope. This one just didn't work as well for me as most of the others have. I'll have to check and see if the library has any more Shakespeare audio that I haven't yet listened to. I may have gone through everything that's available to me.

>206 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! The extra rest time this weekend helped after the weather stress from last week. When I drove in to work this morning, I was surprised at how much of the ice and snow has melted everywhere else. My driveway, yard and road are still covered. I'm in a wooded area so even in winter most of the sunlight is indirect. It makes a big difference. It was above freezing this morning so I didn't have any trouble getting out. If it drops below freezing tonight I could be in trouble tomorrow morning.

Morning, Carrie!

Hi Mamie! I was dropping in on your thread while you were here on mine! I left a sickly dog at home this morning. Adrian's breakfast came right back up. I'll try feeding him again at lunchtime and see if it will stay down. He's always had a sensitive tummy. I've kept him off of the road this week since it was treated before the ice and snow started, but he could still have picked up something that my car or the neighbor's car brought into the driveway.

Oh, no! Poor Adrian! Hoping that he is able to keep his lunch down.

>204 cbl_tn: I hope that the slush doesn't freeze on your roadways, Carrie. It looks as though we have a chance of snow or mixed precipitation tomorrow and Wednesday, but I haven't listened to the weather report today for details. I'm off today and tomorrow, and I'm supposed to go to the hospital for two meetings on Wednesday, but I'll call in to them if there is a chance of significant snow (which probably won't happen).

I reviewed the play 1984 on my 75 Books thread last spring, which you can find here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/172343#4633196

And here's a link to the trailer. The play started out at the Nottingham Playhouse, moved to the Almeida Theatre in Islington, where I saw it, and then proceeded to the Playhouse Theatre on the West End: http://youtu.be/63WuTuIBRTk

It was almost certainly the creepiest play I've ever seen, and it was the best of the 17 plays that I saw in London last year.

>210 Crazymamie: Lunch stayed down OK for him. I'm holding off a bit on dinner. He may not be hungry enough to eat it all yet since he doesn't usually eat a meal at lunchtime.

>211 kidzdoc: That's a great review of the play! I would love to have seen it. I think whoever adapted it for stage made a good choice not to have an intermission, which would dissipate a lot of the tension that had built up.

I may be going a little overboard with next month's HistoryCAT in the Category Challenge group (500-1000 time period, exploration & conquest theme). I had planned on reading Brendan by Frederick Buechner and I pulled it off the shelf at the library this morning while I was thinking about it. I peeked at the historical note to see what sources had influenced Buechner's writing. He mentioned Navigatio Sancti Brendani, and I discovered that a translation of this medieval work is included in The Age of Bede, which we also had in the library. The historical note also mentioned The Brendan Voyage, an account of a re-creation of Brendan's voyage. While I was checking to see if the public library had this (they do), I also discovered Brendan the Navigator and Land to the West. I ended up putting holds on all three books.

I left work early today so that I could shop for groceries pick up some prescription refills, and get home before dark. My driveway is still covered in slush and I'm worried about what will happen when the temperature drops below freezing.

The new TV still has not arrived. I can see from the tracking information that it arrived at a carrier facility in Knoxville around 1 a.m. Saturday, left the carrier facility yesterday evening around 5:30, and arrived at the carrier facility this morning around 9. I hope it's enjoying the local sights. I think it would be difficult to lose a package that size, but I'm beginning to think it may be lost. Either that, or I mistakenly selected 10 day delivery instead of 1 day delivery...

Hi Carrie, I am just catching up on your technology and weather woes. I hope that your technology will be up and running in tip-top shape this week and that the weather will warm up.

Hi Carrie. Hopefully Adrian's lunch stayed down and you're catching up on threads after enjoying your new TV!

>214 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! My internet is working, but who knows when the company will be able to get back to string the new wire? We had more snow overnight. It looks like about 1 1/2-2 inches of new snow in my driveway. That should make it easier for me to get out since the slush that was there had already frozen by the time I went to bed last night.

>215 Shutzie27: Adrian seems to be doing better this morning. His lunch and dinner stayed down. My new TV seems to be taking the scenic route to my house. I was really hoping it would arrive yesterday since it's been in Knoxville since about 1 a.m. Saturday. No luck.

They finally announced a 2 1/2 hour delay this morning so I don't have to be at work until 10 a.m. Maybe they'll have most of the snow cleared off the road by then. If not, I'm not sure what I'm going to do about parking since I have to park on a hill and the road is one way uphill this week due to a special event. I always park facing downhill when there is snow on the road so that I don't get stuck in the parking spot.

It was a challenging morning rush hour in the northern Atlanta suburbs, with numerous accidents and snow and ice covered roads on I-75 and I-575 to the west and, to a lesser extent, I-85 to the east. We're supposed to get 1-3 inches of snow in the metro area tomorrow, so I'll probably stay home and call in to the two meetings that I'm supposed to attend, if they are held at all. I hope that you aren't badly affected by this coming system.

Several of the plays that have been shown at the Almeida Theatre in London have made their way to the US, including Chimerica by Lucy Kirkwood and Ghosts by Henrik Ibsen, both of which I saw and loved. Hopefully 1984, which should be nominated for several Olivier Awards, will make its way stateside as well.

Carrie, that is so annoying that your cable technician left your basement open. I'm glad you didn't find a family of skunks making their home down there! I hope your weather clears up so you can get your technical problems fixed. Thank goodness you could take Adrian with you when you lost power. We were out for almost a week several years ago and stayed home with our dog. 85-lb. Labs are not welcome in shelters around here for some reason! Stay warm...

>218 kidzdoc: I'm glad you didn't have to get out in that! I didn't have far to drive this morning or I wouldn't have been out, either. We're supposed to have a special event tonight that hasn't yet been canceled, but I will not be going. I plan to be home before dark and stay here. Our next chance of winter weather looks like it's overnight Wednesday into Thursday. I was hoping to get my allergy shots on Thursday morning but I can delay it until Friday if I need to.

>219 Donna828: Thanks Donna! I couldn't have taken Adrian to a Red Cross shelter. I'm fortunate to live close to work and a building with an alternate heat source. I took him to work with me this morning since I didn't know how the day would develop. I'll leave him here when I go back to work after my lunch break now that I know I shouldn't have any trouble getting back home at the end of the afternoon.

I just checked the tracking info for my TV and it hasn't budged since 6 a.m. yesterday morning. Meanwhile, just for fun, I once again tried to turn on my dead TV. You know, the one that would not work last week no matter what I tried, and that customer support told me was dead. Guess what? It's working now. Meanwhile I have a new TV on the way that I really don't need now. I may move the resurrected TV into my bedroom and my bedroom TV into the guest room. It came from there in the first place since it was the one my dad used, and I think the wall mount is still on the wall.

Carrie, how vexing about the TV! But think how lovely the new one will be, with all the new features :-) And if the old one was playing dead then it probably hasn't got that much more life in it (you can remind me I said this in 2020 when it's still going strong). At least you'll be able to rely on the new one.

I was watching Tiny House Nation over the weekend and there was an episode set in Tennessee, which made me think of you. I think the town was Maryville, near the Smoky Mountains. It was a gorgeous place, anyway, and I thought the couple were mad to think of downsizing to a 172sq ft tiny home from their nice house, financial freedom or not! They had a toddler as well. We don't have that downsizing trend here, mostly because UK houses start pretty tiny anyway in comparison to the US, but it's a fun programme.

Hi Susan! I had already thought about the reliability issue when weighing whether to keep or return the new TV (assuming it ever gets here). You're right, I can't completely trust the old one now.

Maryville isn't far from me. It's close enough to be a local telephone call. The Knoxville airport is actually closer to Maryville than to Knoxville, so if you were to add Knoxville to your Grand Tour of the U.S. you could see it. Our very own Leah lives in Maryville.

These tiny house people must not be readers. I have more books than I could fit in 172 sq. feet!

172 sq. feet. Um...no. Just no. Morning, Carrie! You could probably call whoever you ordered the tv from and ask them to check on it - I had to do that with am Amazon order not that long ago, and it turned out my order was lost. The tracking was doing the same thing to me - looking like the package was sitting in one location and not moving.

Hi Carrie, I noticed you recently read The Little Stranger and gave a thumbs up to your review. I think I liked it a little more than you but not until the conclusion. I was expecting a let down but ended up satisfied. The phantasm angle is quite interesting.
The DNA discussion is really interesting. I'd say I'm 100% eastern european but that's only considering my grandparents. But it's intriguing to wonder from where their parents etc came.
Hope you and Adrian are doing well.

>222 susanj67: & >223 cbl_tn: Maryville is lovely even if my opinion of it isn't great, having grown up here and always feeling like an outsider. But beautiful for sure!

A friend of mine from high school is a tiny house builder here in town, I wonder if it was one of his. We've had conversions about it along these exact lines of where would my books go? But we had been thinking about designing a stationary mini house for me of about 400 sqft with lots of book shelves. If I wasn't trying to become a foster parent, I think I'd do it in a heartbeat!

>224 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! I've done that before with a small package that seemed to be sitting somewhere. But surely they couldn't lose something as large as a 32 inch TV, could they?! I will check with Amazon, but probably not until next week. We are under a winter storm warning so I doubt I'll be seeing the TV any time soon.

>225 Carmenere: Hi Lynda! I liked The Little Stranger, but I didn't love it. I thought it lacked some special quality that would make it truly outstanding. I'm glad I read it. It's generated some interesting discussions. The more I think about it, I wonder if Dr. Faraday was the catalyst for the house's decay. He seems to have started things by prying the decorative molding off the wall as a child, and the terrible things started happening to the family who lived in the house after he entered their lives.

I just had a long DNA conversation this evening with my cousin and her SIL (her brother's wife). They're interested in DNA testing and we were working out which one of us should manage my aunt's DNA test. She's my aunt by marriage, so her daughter-in-law has agreed to manage the test since it's her childrens' grandmother.

>226 leahbird: I have fond memories of going on picnics at Sandy Springs Park as a young child. My parents and our next door neighbors had some friends from college who lived in Maryville and all of the children were about the same age.

I have too many family heirlooms to live in a tiny house. Mine is about 1200-1300 sq. feet and I don't think I could manage anything smaller.

I see that they've upgraded our winter weather advisory to a winter storm warning. Looks like I won't be getting my allergy shots tomorrow. I hope you don't have to go anywhere.

Guess what I found outside just now when I took Adrian out? My TV! It must have arrived this afternoon. My cousin was waiting for me when I got home so I was focusing on her and not on boxes left next to my steps. I probably won't try hooking it up until the weekend, just in case we have another power outage that causes "smart" TVs to do stupid things.

Huzzah! Congrats on the long-waited arrival of the television!

I always loved the idea of a tiny house, but thinking of all my books also gave me pause....

>229 Shutzie27: Thanks! I think I'd need a tiny duplex. I would live in one side and my books would live in the other! ;-)

It's stopped snowing here. I measured between 4 and 5 inches of snow in my driveway. It may be too deep for me to get out. I'll wait and see what happens with my neighbors before I attempt it. It does look like the road has been plowed so I may be OK if I can get out of my driveway.

>227 cbl_tn: Carrie, I really like the idea you have in your reply to Lynda (behind the spoiler mask) about The Little Stranger. I hadn't thought of it in quite that way before but I think you are spot-on. It kind of makes me like the book a bit more, with that idea in mind.

I'm glad to hear that the new TV finally arrived.

>231 rosalita: Thanks Julia! Maybe Waters intended him to be an unreliable narrator?

>232 Ameise1: Me too!

Here are some pictures I took before leaving for work this morning:


My driveway


Someone had already plowed my dead-end road!


The streetlamp glowing in the middle of the trees reminded me of Narnia. Can you spot it?

Goodness me, still deep winter. I hope it's melting soon.

Lovely photos, Carrie. Glad I don't have to drive in that. And hooray for the tv showing up!

>235 Ameise1: We had higher temperatures than predicted today. It was in the low 40s this afternoon. We've had significant melting today. Most of the roads are clear now, although there could be some black ice in the morning. My route home from my allergy shots took me past the church, and unfortunately the parking lot is on the north side of the building and it's still very much snow and ice covered. There are several men who are planning to work on it Saturday so that we'll be able to have church on Sunday.

>236 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! And I now know what I want to do with the resurrected TV! I found out this afternoon that a young couple I knew when they were students will be living in my neighborhood for a few months. They are missionaries and they are back in the U.S. for some additional training. They have a place to live, but they don't have any household goods. One of the women from church has taken on the project of finding furnishings for them to use while they're here. I've ended up with an extra television I wasn't sure how to put to best use, and I think this would be a wonderful use for it! I'll look around the house this weekend for other things I'm not using or that I use so infrequently that I could survive without it for a few months.

That's perfect, Carrie. And perfectly lovely of you!

>237 cbl_tn: What a great idea for the spare tv!

I love the idea of a duplex to share with my books!

>238 Crazymamie: >239 Dejah_Thoris: I had a great example in my parents and grandparents, who were generous with not just material things, but also their time and their wisdom. This was my father's television, a gift from my brother, my SIL and me on what turned out to be his last Christmas. I think this would make him happy.

>240 katiekrug: Maybe we can have a subdivision of tiny house duplexes for LTers and our libraries. We'll have to compromise on the climate. Or maybe the snow lovers could do the winter shoveling and the sun lovers could do the lawn mowing.

22. Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth
TIOLI #16 - Title includes the letter "W"

Very little midwifery goes on in this second book of Jennifer Worth's Midwife Trilogy. Instead, the author tells the story of two male patients she cared for, as the midwives of Nonnatus House also performed what we would today call home health nursing for East End residents. First she tells the story of timid Jane, a middle-aged resident at Nonnatus House who assisted the nurses with various tasks; cleaning woman Peggy; and Peggy's fishmonger brother, Frank. These three had known each other as children in one of London's workhouses. The middle section of the book is devoted to elderly Sister Monica Joan and the discovery and consequences of her kleptomania. The final section tells the story of former soldier Joseph Collett, an elderly patient whom Jenny adopted as a surrogate grandfather.

The account of the workhouse experiences presented in the first section of the book is disturbing, but also puzzling. Unlike the other sections of the book where Worth was recalling events that she experienced and stories told to her by a patient, readers are not told how Worth learned the details about the childhood experiences of Jane, Peggy, and Frank. Some of the details are so intimate and so humiliating that it is difficult to believe any of the three would have confided them to a nurse young enough to be their daughter. The children were so young when some of the events occurred that it's hard to believe they had any memories to share of those events. It's hard not to question the extent to which Worth embellished this section, or whether Jane, Peggy, and Frank were real people or composites based on people that Worth encountered as a nurse in the East End.

3.5 stars

>241 cbl_tn: - Sounds just about perfect to me!

>237 cbl_tn: Carrie, I keep my fingers crossed that the parking lot will be snow and ice free until Sunday.
After an early spring day yesterday, we are back to snow this morning.

>243 katiekrug: I'm sure Louis and Adrian will enjoy visiting each other's yards!

>244 Ameise1: Thanks! I hope they get enough volunteers to work on the parking lot tomorrow.

>233 cbl_tn: I definitely got that vibe from his narration but hadn't thought it through to reach the conclusion that you did. I think it makes a lot of sense.

Hi Carrie - I'm so far behind. I hope you're surviving the crazy weather and that all will soon be back to normal.

>247 BLBera: Hi Beth! I'm looking forward to a weekend of doing nothing while the snow melts. I don't need to go anywhere tomorrow. I heard that we may have freezing drizzle on Sunday morning so I may not get to church again. I'm looking forward to a weekend of laundry, reading, and naps. And dog walking, since I have a guest dog this weekend.

Carrie, last night I watched another Tiny House Nation which, coincidentally, was once again in Tennessee, this time in Erwin. The family ran a river rafting business and wanted to live closer than Greensboro, North Carolina, from where they commuted. Two adults and two teens in 372 sq ft - madness. The house had a huge deck, which was lovely while they were filming, but I thought about the weather you're having now and wondered what they'd do with the sofas they had out there! I like the programme because by the end I look around my 550 sq ft shoebox and it looks *enormous*!

I'm also having a day of housework and reading as it's too rainy and overcast to go out. Tomorrow is supposed to be better.

>249 susanj67: I've been to Erwin! It's in a beautiful part of the state.

I hopr to finish Augustine's Confessions today. I have three chapters left, but they're getting heavier and heavier with philosophy as well as theology. Maybe if I read a chapter and then take a break for laundry and cleaning I can manage to finish it.

>227 cbl_tn: Yes! Carrie!! Your spoiler is exactly the way I was thinking. Also I think Faraday was the phantasm that caused all the trouble @ Hundred's Hall. When he continues to go to the house after Caroline's death seeking spooks he just looks in the mirror and see's himself. Voila, Dr. there's your spook!

>252 Carmenere: I missed the significance of the mirror! The more I think about the book, the more I appreciate what Waters did with it.

23. Confessions by Augustine
TIOLI #6 Book that can be found on openculture.com

The first two thirds of Confessions are largely autobiographical. There is a tendency to think of saints as having been not quite human. Readers who have that impression about Augustine will find themselves mistaken. Among his youthful indiscretions, Augustine recalls playing games with his schoolmates when they were supposed to be studying, disliking his Greek studies, and having a live-in girlfriend with whom he had a child. As a young man, Augustine raised many of the same questions about God and Christianity that are still raised today, such as the nature of God in the Old Testament and inconsistencies between science and the Bible. He describes his surroundings and his daily activities in enough detail that it provides a window into daily life in the Mediterranean world of the 4th century.

After an account of his mother's death, the last third of the book shifts from autobiography to a blend of philosophy and theology. Augustine ponders the nature of memory and time, the mysteries of creation from the Genesis account, and an interpretation of the church through the lens of creation. This is heavy going. Readers more interest in history and biography than in philosophy and theology may choose to stop with chapter 9.

4 stars

February recap

Best of the month: Whiskers of the Lion by P. L. Gaus
Worst of the month: 1984 by George Orwell

Physical books – owned: 2
Physical books – borrowed: 3
Ebooks – owned: 2
Ebooks – borrowed: 1
Audiobooks – borrowed: 1
ARCs: 1

>254 cbl_tn: How dense/heavy is Confessions? It sounds like something I'd enjoy, but I have very little biblical or theological knowledge. Would that make it difficult to read?

The edition I read (Oxford Univ. Pr. translated by Henry Chadwick) had Scripture references identified within the text and it had some explanatory footnotes. The first nine chapters aren't too tough to read that way. Chapters 10-13 are the densest, but they're as much philosophy as theology. You might want to start with something like Garry Wills's Augustine's Confessions: A Biography.

>257 cbl_tn: Thanks, I appreciate the recommendation. I've added both to my TR list. :-)