Lori's (lkernagh's) 2015 Art of Reading - 2nd Thread

Lori's 2015 Art of Reading

This year, Art is the theme but don't be surprised if food, crafts, sewing projects and pretty much anything else under the sun make up part of the thread discussion. To keep my goals challenging while still manageable given the ebb and flow of real life commitments, I have decided to shape my category challenge as a mathematical variation of 2015. I will have 8 categories, with a strong focus on the various challenges and mini-challenges I will be participating in for 2015. Each category will be considered completed whichever comes first: 8 books read or 2,015 pages read, with no upper limit once the minimum has been reached. This challenge will be the placeholder for all of my 2015 reading. Time to unveil the categories:

Artist: Banksy

1. Street Art - Alternate reality / steampunk / fantasy / dystopian themed books
Street art is visual art created in public locations, usually unsanctioned and executed outside of the context of traditional art venues. Street art can have a strong current of activism and subversion. It can also have a more innocent fun side (think yarn bombs!). Street art is a powerful platform for reaching the public in creative and unexpected ways.

Books read: 3
Pages read: 816

1. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - (review)
2. How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell - (review)
3. How To Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell - (review)

Street performance in Bath, England

2. Happening - Books that fit the CATs, KITs and DOG challenges
Happening art is a performance, event or situation meant to be considered art. It usually takes the form of performance art. Happenings are difficult to describe because each one is unique and completely different from one another.

Books read: 2
Pages read: 448

1. The Firebird Mystery by Darrell Pitt - (review)
2. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher - (review)

Commissioned for Expo 67, Barnett Newman’s "Voice of Fire" sold to the National Gallery of Canada in 1989 for $1.76 million.

3. Minimalism - Books with one word titles
Minimalism is a style that uses pared-down design elements and was first used to describe "a 1913 composition by the Russian painter Kasimir Malevich of a black square on a white ground". I currently have 45 books on my TBR bookshelves that fit this category, so it should be a dawdle, right? ;-)

Books read: 2
Pages read: 493

1. Alphabetique by Molly Peacock - (review)
2. Longbourn by Jo Baker - (review)

John French Sloan (1871-1951), "McSorley's Bar", oil on canvas

4. American Realism - Books that fit the 2015 American Author Challenge
American Realism is a style that depicts contemporary social realities and the lives and everyday activities of ordinary people. The movement began in literature in the mid-19th century, and became an important tendency in visual art in the early 20th century. For this category (and mini-challenge), I am not going to attempt to read the author for each month, but I will enjoy using this as an opportunity to branch out my reading to include authors I have never read before now.

AAC 2015 list:

January - Carson McCullers - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
February - Henry James - The Aspern Papers
March - Richard Ford - Wildlife
April - Louise Erdrich - Shadow Tag
May - Sinclair Lewis
June - Wallace Stegner
July - Ursula K. Le Guin
August - Larry McMurtry
September - Flannery O' Connor
October - Ray Bradbury
November - Barbara Kingsolver
December - E.L. Doctorow

Books read: 4
Pages read: 899

1. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers - (review)
2. The Aspern Papers by Henry James - (review)
3. Wildlife by Richard Ford - (review)
4. Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich - (review)

Artist: Robert Bevan, "Two Bridges", exhibited at the first exhibition of the London Group in March 1914

5. The London Group - Books that fit the 2015 British Author Challenge
Founded in 1913, the London Group took over the role of exhibiting progressive modern art from the NEAC. The selection committee exhibited the widest range of art movements at the time, including Camden Town, Bloomsbury and Vorticist artists. For each month, the BAC has a female and a male author listed. As with the AAC challenge above, I am not going to attempt to read a book by all authors listed. This is just an opportunity to clear more books off my TBR bookcases, a chance to enjoy some favorite authors and to use this as an opportunity to branch out my reading to include authors I have never read before now.

BAC 2015 list:

January - Penelope Lively & Kazuo Ishiguro
February - Sarah Waters & Evelyn Waugh
March - Daphne Du Maurier & China Mieville
April - Angela Carter & W. Somerset Maugham
May - Margaret Drabble & Martin Amis
June - Beryl Bainbridge & Anthony Burgess
July - Virginia Woolf & B.S. Johnson
August - Iris Murdoch & Graham Greene
September - Andrea Levy & Salman Rushdie
October - Helen Dunmore & David Mitchell
November - Muriel Spark & William Boyd
December - Hilary Mantel & P.G. Wodehouse

Books read: 4
Pages read: 1,600

1. The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively - (review)
2. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - (review)
3. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - (review)
4. The City & The City by China Mieville - (review)

6. Books made into Art - Books that fit my ROOTs Challenge
Not a defined art period per se, but I do love the wonderful three dimensional artwork that can be created out of books and magazines - preferably after they have been read, that is! ;-)

Books read: 6
Pages read: 1,826

1. I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton - (review)
2. The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke - (review)
3. The Babylon Contingency by Clifford Longley - (review)
4. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - (review)
5. Light Boxes by Shane Jones - (review)
6. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - (review)

Mary Sibande, "I am a Lady", 2009 - part of her "Triumph over Prejudice" series

7. Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art - Books that fit my Commonwealth Challenge
The 2014 Edinburgh Art Festival "Where do I end and you begin" focused on what it means to join ‘common’ with ‘wealth’, reflecting on the notion of the Commonwealth as a problematic historical and contemporary construct and offering international perspectives on the range of associations which common-wealth evokes, from the challenge of ‘being in common’ in a truly global world, to ideas of the common good, common land, public ownership and alternative exchange systems.

Books read: 2
Pages read: 608

1. Wife of the Gods by Kewi Quartey - (review)
2. Bayou of Pigs by Stewart Bell - (review)

Leonid Afremov, "Night Fantasy", palette knife oil painting
I absolutely love the rich, vibrant colours in Afremov's paintings! I could just sit and stare at them for hours.....

8. Art - Books that fit my 75 Group Challenge (aka my "catch all" category!)
Art is a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities. Art may be characterized in terms of mimesis (its representation of reality), expression, communication of emotion, or other qualities. The nature of art has been described by philosopher Richard Wollheim as "one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of human culture".

Books read: 11
Pages read: 2,706

1. The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri - (review)
2. August Heat by Andrea Camilleri - (review)
3. The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri - (review)
4. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley - (review)
5. Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman by Eleanor Updale - (review)
6. The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Two and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Three by David Ashton - (review)
7. The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Four and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Five by David Ashton - (review)
8. The Witch of Napoli by Micheal Schmicker - (review)

Category Completed (February 22, 2015)

9. The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Six and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Seven by David Ashton - (review)
10. A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison - (review)
11. The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Dr. Robin Zasio -

2015 Bingo Challenge:
Instructions for my own reference: When filling a block, add the number of the block after 'green=' and add more using a dash between each."

I am going to attempt the Bingo the same way I did in 2014 - I will just read books and if they fit, great! At a minimum, I should be able to complete a line.



1. ...With a protagonist of the opposite gender - August Heat by Andrea Camilleri -
2. ...Chosen by someone else - The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd -
3. ...you've owned more than one year - I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton -
4. ...with scientists - The Witch of Napoli by Micheal Schmicker -
5. ...on a subject you are unfamiliar with - Wife of the Gods by Kewi Quartey -
6. ...translated from a language you don't speak - The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri -
7. ...with a natural disaster - Wildlife by Richard Ford -
8. ...about autism - The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion -
9. ...with an LGBTQ main character - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters -
10. ...set in a country other than your own - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers -
11. ...about language - Alphabetique by Molly Peacock -
12. ...published in 1915
13. ...read a CAT - The Aspern Papers by Henry James -
14. ...that reminds you of your childhood
15. ...where prophecies or portents are part of the plot - The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively -
16. ...based on a fairytale or myth
17. ...inspired by another piece of fiction - The Firebird Mystery by Darrell Pitt -
18. ...with correspondence or letters - Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher -
19. ...by an LT author - Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel -
20. ...where an animal is of importance - The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri -
21. ...with a mythical creature - How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell -
22. ...centered around a major historical event
23. ...whose author shares an ancestor's fist name
24. ...that is a genre bender - The City & The City by China Mieville -
25. ...that is completely outside of your comfort zone

February 'Planned' Reading:

I don't as a general rule give my reading much advanced thought or planning so this is just a list of some of the books that I have lined up as possibilities for reading in February, time permitting:

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley - just cause - COMPLETED
Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey - Commonwealth Challenge - COMPLETED
The Aspern Papers by Henry James - AAC - COMPLETED
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - BAC/ROOT - In Progress
..... and anything else that crops up.

Currently Reading:


Audiobook:
to be determined
ebook:
The Witch of Napoli by Micheal Schmicker
The The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas - not really reading right now but want to keep it on my radar screen to complete at some point.
Physical book:
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Next one's yours! This thread is now open for business!

Woo hoo! :D Happy thread #2!

You are a speedy rabbit, RP! ;-)

Book #13 - Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman by Eleanor Updale - audiobook narrated by Stephen Fry
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2004
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 240 pages / 5 hours, 12 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca web listing:

When a petty thief falls though a glass roof in his attempt to escape from the police, what should have been the death of him marks the beginning of a while new life. After his broken body is reconstructed by an ambitious young doctor, he is released from prison, and--with the help of Victorian London's extensive sewer system--he becomes the most elusive burglar in the city. He adopts a dual existence as a respectable, wealthy gentleman named Montmorency, and his degenerate servant Scarper. But Montmorency must always be on guard. The smallest mistake could reveal his secret and ruin both his lives.

Review:
For a debut novel, and a YA novel as well, I found this story to be entertaining, and not just because Stephen Fry is the reader for the audiobook I listened to. Updale has captured the key elements of Victorian London, with an interesting glimpse into the lives of both the elite and the poorer, working class. Updale uses to advantage this great divide between rich and poor to get away with his alternating persona - one really never expects to see a gentleman and his servant together except in the sanctity of one's private rooms. I did start to wonder when Updale added espionage to the mix - thieving coupled with gentlemanly pursuits seemed good enough to me - but she does manage to make it work without ruining a perfectly good story. Some of the details get glossed over or missed and the characters are a bit two dimensional but overall, an enjoyable read for readers like me who like a bit of intrigue in a Victorian England setting. Listening to Fry read the story was amusing, especially when he would adopt his 'Jeeves' voice, with that note of disdain.

Overall, a good piece of brain candy that isn't overly taxing.

Book #14 - Wife of the Gods by Kewi Quartey
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth
Category: Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art
Reading BINGO square: on a subject you are unfamiliar with - Trokosi
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 2009
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 336
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the book inside cover:

In the shady grove outside the small town of Ketanu, a young woman - a promising medical student and accomplished young AIDS worker - has been found dead under suspecious circumstances. Eager to close the case, the local police focus their case on a poor, enamored teenage boy. When Detective Inspector Darko Dawson is sent from the capital city of Accra to investigate the case, tensions mount. Darko's investigation brings up haunting memories of his own mother's disappearance from Ketanu many years previously as well as clashes with the Trokosi fetish priest Togbe Adzima and threatens to rise to the surface the small community's long-buried secrets of some of its residents.

Review:
I don't think I can add much to the over 60 reviews already on LT. As far as a first book in a police procedural/mystery series, Darko is like any number of other fictional police detectives I have read of late: compassionate, with deeper, darker undercurrents to his personality that can bubble to the surface. What makes this on different is that Quartey does a great job capturing modern Ghana with its sharp contrasts between the large cities with their more glitzy style and modern viewpoints and the smaller, more rural communities still steeped in traditional systems and beliefs. I was fascinated and horrified to learn about Trokosi, which is a ritual servitude (including sexual servitude) where virgin girls are given to village priests as a way of appeasing the gods for crimes committed by family members, a practice that under Ghana's 1992 Constitution, was legally required to eradicate all slavery and slavery-like practices within the country, which is still being practiced in some parts of Ghana. The police procedural aspect of the story was okay, with enough interesting characters and developments to keep the story moving forward but for me, it was the Ghanian setting and lifestyle depicted that I found to be fascinating reading.

>17 lkernagh: And that BB has hit me! Sounds great!

Nifty new thread, Lori! Congrats!

>16 lkernagh: You almost had me with this one until I realized it was YA...I think I can dcuk.

On the other hand, you got me with Wife of the Gods. The Ghana setting sounds great - thanks!

I hope you're have a wonderful weekend!

I'll add Wife of the Gods to the list as well.

Happy Valentines Day, Lori. I also really enjoyed Wife of the Gods when I read it, and I recently read the second book in the series, Children of the Street and I think I liked that one even more!

I noticed when I was reviewing your books read above, that you've already got 10 Bingo squares. Well done!

>16 lkernagh: - although not the biggest fan of Victorian stories, I think this sounds interesting enough to add to my consideration list.

>18 Chrischi_HH: - I tend to like police procedural/mysteries when there is more to the stories than just solving the crime and catching the 'bad guy', as it were. With the Darko Dawson series, the added cultural and societal aspects of Ghanian life really made the story more than just another crime novel. I hope you find it interesting reading!

>19 Dejah_Thoris: - Thanks Dejah! Montmorency didn't feel like a YA read until I have reached about the half way mark but it did start to show signs of its intended audience after that, so safe to avoid. Glad to see another victim reader for the Darko Dawson book! ;-)

>20 LisaMorr: - My work here is done, then. ;-)

>21 DeltaQueen50: - Happy to see that the second book is a goodie, Judy!

>22 dudes22: - Thanks, Betty. Like you, I am a bit surprised that I have managed to keep filling Bingo squares. That is bound to slow down pretty soon..... although I do need to start reading some fantasy style books for my Street Art category. Montmorency is a quick read and an interesting dip into Victorian England but don't expect amazing character development if you do decide to read it.

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Woke up this morning to wonderful sunshine and blue skies. Looking forward to possibly enjoying some time outdoors today.... got to get that vitamin D into the system. ;-) I took a detour in my reading yesterday to make my way through some of my magazine stash. I cannot remember if I have posted about this back in the start of January, but one of my de-clutter activities for 2015 is to finally read and then get rid of the over 7 years of fashion magazines I have acquired. I used to purchase every issue of Instyle magazine (finally stopped last year when I realized I was buying them but not reading them), along with the September issues of Vogue and the odd other magazine thrown in as airport purchases, etc. For the Instyles, I am now caught up to September 2010... just 65 more magazines to go. ;-)

>23 lkernagh: Wow - good for you, that's an amazing challenge.

I made the decision a few years ago to just get rid of the years of magazines that had piled up, with all the best intentions to read them. I guess it's a symptom of how busy my life has become. I only regularly read probably 1-2 short periodicals a month now.

Answering your question from the last thread, I'm usually using a big squeeze of lemon or lime juice in a chowder, soup or stew just before serving. Whenever you taste and think your stew is almost perfect but there's just something missing, a squeeze of lemon is just the thing. It brightens the flavors. Lime is best used when you want that brightness along with a little spice, like for Thai or Indian recipes, though I've used it in a vegetable chowder and it was great. Also, for Thai peanut sauce.

Ah! Nice new digs!

I've been eyeing the Montmorency book for a number of years and have never gotten around to it. Some day...

Happy new thread Lori! I enjoyed both Montmorency and Wife of the Gods. As you say, the slavery-like practices are shocking.

Regarding your lime question, I read somewhere that most foods are enhanced by a squeeze of lime juice. Actually, I've found a few things that it doesn't complement, but for the most part it works.

>23 lkernagh: Wow! Quite the decluttering initiative to read all those back issues! I'm spearheading a home "Re-Do" this year and I'm slated to purge the stacks in six weeks. When I moved across the country, I had to ditch thousands of titles because we couldn't afford to move them. When I arrived in our new home, the library system closed down for six months, and I was without work (so no discretionary funds to buy books.) Friends and family members sent me books, and I went around to book exchanges and yard sales to stock up. Until the library funding issue was resolved this past November, I was hoarding books. I'm keeping the hardbacks, first editions, signed copies, and a couple of antique books; and letting go the paperbacks. Anything that I want to truly read, re-read or refer back to I can either purchase a nice copy of (Hardback/first edition/signed) or an eBook version of. I had this idea for a little while that I would save the paperbacks, especially the Classics, for my Only Child to use in school; but then I realized that her assigned reading was probably going to be an edition different than any of mine, and that OC really is more of the eBook generation.

>16 lkernagh:
I have Montmorency on the wishlist purely because of the narrator. :)

>17 lkernagh:
I really like that one - I do like me a flawed detective with a heart of gold.

>24 LisaMorr: - I started to work my way through the magazines between Christmas and New Years so the original pile was probably closer to the 130 mark. I could have been buried by my own magazine pile. ;-)

Good for you on clearing out you unread magazine pile(s)! My plan is to now only buy magazines if I intend to read them right away.

>25 mstrust: - Great information and pardon me while I engage in a momentary act of 'head slap' - I could have added a dash of lime juice to tonight's meal.... it just didn't occur to me.

>26 mamzel: - Thanks, mamzel! Montemorency's Victorian England will still be there if and when you do decide to pick it up. ;-)

>27 VivienneR: - Thanks, Vivienne! I do believe it was a BB from you that had me pick up Montmorency in the first place, so thank you for that!

I really need to work lime juice into my cooking repertoire. Some habits just are hard to kick, but I will do it! ;-)

>28 Tanya-dogearedcopy: - Purging stacks in six weeks - that is one daunting task! I love how books will always find readers, be it through libraries or yard sales.... books know where home is! I wish you success in your 'Re-Do' initiative!

>29 -Eva-: - Stephen fry is the best, isn't he? ;-) I am a sucker fo flawed detectives with a heart of gold. They are like diamonds in the rough in a police procedural.

Wow. I am super behind with my Vegetarian Adventures update! here is the catch up post:

Vegetarian Adventures Update

Day 28: Friday - Ladies Choice Night, or otherwise explained as "the night my other half had a dinner meeting and I was on my own for dinner options". When left alone to my own devices, what do I do? Well, I decided to make it a 'non-vegetarian' night and eat the remaining heat and serve pub style chicken fingers we had in the freezer, with plum sauce for dipping. ;-)

Day 29: Saturday - As mentioned back on my previous thread, we did a low-key Valentines Day pasta dinner of roasted eggplant, mushroom and Parmesan pasta dish with homemade garlic foccaccia. Delish.

Day 30: Sunday - I wanted comfort food, so we had a repeat of Day 25's meal - Asparagus, Leek, Mushroom Risotto - Sooooo good!

Day 31: Monday - Stuffed Bell Peppers. In the past, I have usually made stuffed bell peppers with cooked wild rice, scallops (or shrimp), some veggies and grated cheese of choice. Tonight, I decided to replace the rice with cooked quinoa. As the quinoa was cooking, I sauteed chopped zucchini and asparagus in avocado oil (discussion to follow) with minced garlic and some Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning and then tossed the quinoa, the sauteed veggies in a bowl with diced tomatoes and a generous helping of feta cheese. Stuffing prepared. Cleaned and prepped two red bell peppers and proceeded to stuff - and overflow- the bell peppers. Cooked in oven uncovered at 300'F for 25 minutes and dinner was ready. OMG, quinoa was such a great improvement over rice! I feel full but not bloated, if that makes any sense. Definitely will be making this again, with quinoa. Sorry, I didn't pay a lot of attention to the proportions.

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.... and that wraps up the 30 day vegetarian adventure we embarked upon. Good news, we do not feel as though we have deprived ourselves by steering clear of our usual more carnivore diet. In fact, we have no desire to stop and go back to the fish/chicken/beef/lamb menus of our previous lives. We will have the occasional meat/fish based meal but we are both enjoying the food experience too much to stop now. ;-) Even better, I believe I have lost a couple of pounds - nothing substantial, but I have noticed my clothes fit a lot looser than they did previously - I have noticed that my finger nails are stronger and they grow faster, and I can go longer between hair washes - seriously, before I had to wash my hair every second day! I am also more alert now. A lot of positives have been noticed as a result of a 30 day change in diet. I won't continue to keep a daily log but I will continue to share new recipes with the group.

Before I forget, I was going to post a little bit about cooking oils. We are - or were - a butter and olive oil kind of family but over the weekend my other half came across this interesting article, Why you should never eat a bacon sandwich, which generated a great discussion between us and got us on the topic of cooking oils, healthy fats and smoke points of oils. Long story short, after much research, we have discovered that the Filippo Berio Mild and Light olive oil I have been using in my baking has a good high smoke point, but we wanted something that would be good for sauteing and flash frying - as opposed to cooking with butter which has a much lower smoke point. We finally settled on cold pressed 100% pure avocado oil as our cooking oil of choice to experiment with. We have used it for the past two days with great success. It is definitely more expensive than some other oils but I decided if we are going to be eating healthy, time to go full boar, and besides, it leaves no residue taste. ;-)

Glad to hear you've been enjoying your vegetarian adventures so much (and have been reaping great benefits). Always a good thing! And I'm looking forward to seeing more recipes, even if there won't be any daily food logs. I'm building a recipe database and hope to have a lot of vegetarian options. I've nicked quite a few from you and others on your thread. :)

Happy New Thread. :)

Wife of the Gods sounds like a great read.

>32 PawsforThought: - Ha, glad to see the recipes are catching attention! I will continue to use the Vegetarian Adventures heading to make new recipes and ideas noticeable.... like tonight's dinner.

>33 andreablythe: - Thanks Andrea! Wife of the Gods was a nice change of scenery for a police procedural.

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Vegetarian Adventures - Tonight's dinner idea was 'borrowed' from this Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs recipe. Basically, I took the idea of a hash and made one up using sweet potato, mushrooms, leeks, black beans, spinach and quinoa, seasoned with salt, pepper, oregano and paprika. Of course, the trick is the order in which the ingredients are added to the pot and the timing. Roughly put, cook sweet potato first (4-5 minutes), add leeks (2 minutes), add mushrooms (3-4 minutes) add seasoning, add drained and washed black beans (2-3 minutes), add cooked quinoa (2 minutes) and add chopped spinach right before serving. Makes a good hearty dish but it was missing that little extra finishing touch in the flavour department. I have enough left over for my lunch tomorrow, so I have added some chopped tomato and a splash of lime juice to see if that makes a difference. We also discussed that it would probably be better if made with shiitake or portabello mushrooms, not the white and brown mushroom mix that went into tonight's dish. Still a good recipe that is now added to the vegetarian recipe repeat pile. ;-)

Book #15 - The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Two and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Three by David Ashton - BBC radio plays narrated by a full cast
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: Episodes originally radio broadcast between June 19, 2002 and December 22, 2003
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: ~170 pages / 5 hours, 46 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from various web summaries:

Inspired by the real-life memoirs of a Victorian Inspector in Scotland, James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bringing criminals to justice, with the assistance of Constable Mulholland.

In Series Two, the episodes are:
A Good Walk Spoilt - After a murder on the links,McLevy contemplates a game of golf with desperate stakes; Wild Justice - Stretching out a bony hand towards him, a ghost from the past returns; The Wild Spark - When a tobacco warehouse goes up in smoke, McLevy sets out to investigate; and Stab in the Back - Mclevy faces a desperate race against time, as a hired killer roams Leith's dark alleys.

In Series Three, the episodes are:
Behind the Curtain - When a theatrical first lady receives a chilling death threat, McLevy investigates; A Voice from the Grave - Summertime, a mystery lover, naughty photos and a nasty murder. McLevy is feeling the heat; The Dark Shadow - A jewel theft brings an infamous criminal within McLevy's grasp; and Servant of the Crown - With a royal visit due, McLevy joins Her Majesty's protection squad to find an assassin.

Review:
I listened to the first series last year, fell in love with radio plays and then promptly forgot all about the other six series my local library has available for download. As I seem to be on a bit of a Victorian kick right now - I am currently reading Fingersmith by Sarah Waters as my physical book read - and most definitely on a mystery kick, I thought I would go back to this series and carry on where I had left off. Edinburgh of the 1860's is still a teeming rat warren of a place with a colourful collection of residents, where everyone, except McLevy and his reliable country raised constable, Mulholland, seems to be on the take or is up to something that McLevy does not approve of. As with the Inspector Montalbano series, McLevy is a bit of a crusty copper, full of self-righteous opinions and he tends to find himself on the bad side of his Lieutenant. Jean Brash, the mistress of the "Just Land" - the name she has given to her house of ill repute (and the "best" brothel in Edinburgh) - continues to dance around McLevy, and Mclevy around her, helping him when it suits Jean's personal agendas of vendetta and business comeuppance. The mysteries are great fun to try and puzzle out and I do enjoy 'experiencing' the book with sound effects. As the plays progress, we get to see glimpses of the hidden side of McLevy. One of my favorite bits from this series is Mulholland teaching McLevy how to fish for trout, which leads to McLevy peppering his speech with fishing terms when investigating crimes.

>31 lkernagh: Congratulations on the 31 days of veg! It sounds as though it was a resounding success and I enjoyed reading along as you discovered new recipes. Thanks for sharing!

I didn't realize you were doing a vegetarian challenge that would come to an end, but you've really immersed yourself in it and found some great recipes.
My vegetarian dish last night was collezione pasta, which is just spaghetti that is hollow. I topped it with scrambled eggs cooked with tomato, fresh parsley, garlic and Parmesan. I liked it, my husband was underwhelmed.

>36 Dejah_Thoris: - >37 mstrust: - Thank you both! It has been a wonderful food journey!

>37 mstrust: - Don't worry, the journey/adventure hasn't ended. One month was the goal we had set that we would complete, come hell or high water, but we have enjoyed it so much and have already noted a number of great positives, so that we will continue our vegetarian adventures. Even better, we have both agreed that we don't feel as though we have deprived ourselves in any way by making such a radical departure from what was our previously more carnivore/Paleo/Atkins diet.

I have never heard of collezione pasta... hollow spaghetti.... I never knew that kind of pasta was even available! Sounds yummy to me... sorry to see the husband was underwhelmed. ;-)

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Since I am now only going to report new recipes going forward, you probably were not expecting something tonight.

Vegetarian Adventures - Was in the mood for quiche, and the other half was on-board with the idea. I am still crap at pastry but, Google to the rescue, Phyllo/Filo pastry can apparently make an awesome substitute for unsweetened pie crust or other pastry. Even better, it is a healthier option.... why didn't anyone tell me this sooner? I had phyllo pastry in the freezer, as well as asparagus, mushrooms, spinach, leeks, tomatoes, eggs, milk, cheese and garlic on hand, so phyllo pastry quiche it is. I used this Asparagus Quiche with Phyllo Pastry to understand how to prep a phyllo pastry crust. Good news is you can follow the crust instructions to pretty much make any quiche of your choice! Because the phyllo pastry I buy comes in larger sheets, I used four sheets and folded each sheet in half before brushing with butter. I then just strategically folded in the overhanging phyllo, prior to pre-baking it. End result:

>38 lkernagh: That looks quite tasty!

Yum! The Asparagus Quiche looks good. When are you having us over for brunch?

>39 thornton37814: - Thanks Lori! It was tasty, both last night and today as my lunch. ;-)

>40 cammykitty: - Ha, it might be a bit of a commute for a brunch. I would have one shipped to you,but phyllo pastry is as crumbly as dry parchment paper.... I fear the state it would be in when it arrives on your doorstep. ;-)

I love quiche and luckily my husband is willing to consider it for supper and he likes it leftover for breakfast so a win-win for me. And it's so versatile with what you can add.

>41 lkernagh: I made a broccoli cheese casserole for which I acquired the recipe in grad school. It's really simple to make, but it is oh so good! The person from who I got the recipe used sliced cheese, but I tend to use shredded which I think makes it even better. You just use frozen broccoli in the casserole dish. Add a little water to it so that the broccoli doesn't "burn" in the oven. A tablespoon or two is all that is needed, depending on how much you make at a time. Then you add the cheese. Then on top of the cheese you do a ritz cracker crumb/melted butter topping. Bake in 350F oven for about 35 to 40 minutes. The crumb mixture will be lightly browned when it is done.

>42 dudes22: - Win-win meals are the best!

>43 thornton37814: - That broccoli cheese casserole looks fantastic, Lori! Adding it to the list of dishes I am thinking about preparing for Easter. Right now we are mainly eating one-dish meals at dinnertime. I think the broccoli dish will go perfectly with the roasted vegetables recipe I was provided with over on 75 group.

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

Happy Saturday, everyone! No big plans this weekend for me. Just the usual chores, maybe go shoe shopping for new walking shoes, and some baking as my other half loved my zucchini cranberry coconut pecan muffins so much he devoured them all. Other than that, I am hoping to get in lots of reading time as the only reading I have gotten in all week has been listening to more of the Inspector McLevy radio plays during my walking commute.

Zucchini coconut pecan muffins sound yummy!

Huh, I've never used phyllo as quiche dough. Not sure that's the right texture for me, but I am going to have to try it out.

>45 thornton37814: - Very Yummy, Lori! Coconut makes everything yummy, IMO. ;-)

>46 -Eva-: - I was worried that it wouldn't work, given that quiche is really such a sloppy mess when it goes into the oven, but giving the phyllo pastry a quick 8 minute bake into the over first stabilized the pastry. If you are used to a lovely unsweetened pie crust as a base for your quiche dough - or a biscuit style crust - then the phyllo pastry crust will seem very strange. Good luck!

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

I have the day off today and hope to continue taking things easy, although I might do a little shopping and see about setting in some seedling supplies so that I can start growing herbs for my summer balcony garden. On the baking front, I made pineapple coconut muffins on the weekend. So moist and good! I don't see those muffins lasting for very long so I will probably make some raisin bran muffins this afternoon.

On the reading front, I finished my e-book The Witch of Napoli and the next two series of The Inspector McLevy audio plays, and reviews are now ready for posting.

Currently Reading: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters for the BAC and Dear Committee Members as my e-book read and a perfect fit for the epistolary square for my Bingo challenge.

Book #16 - The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Four and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Five by David Ashton - BBC radio plays narrated by a full cast
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: Episodes originally radio broadcast between April 3, 2006 and February 17, 2009
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: ~170 pages / 5 hours, 46 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from various web summaries:

Inspired by the real-life memoirs of a Victorian Inspector in Scotland, James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bringing criminals to justice, with the assistance of Constable Mulholland.

In Series Four, the episodes are:
A Piece of Cake - A chef is the toast of the city, but McLevy investigates when murder is on the menu; The Sea Change - The town fair's star attraction is a beautiful mermaid, but something fishy is going on; Sins of the Fathers - A runaway bridegroom and a blackmailer spark trouble for McLevy; and The Devil's Disguise - With an outbreak of street robbery at razer-point, the Devil comes a-calling for McLevy.

In Series Five, the episodes are: To Keep Him Honest - With big bets on a champion boxing bout, the local crooks keep McLevy busy; Picture of Innocence - McLevy probes a judge's murder, as his allegedly cheating wife claims her innocence; The Chosen One - The 'Princess of the Occult' is an Edinburgh sell-out, by McLevy wonders if she is a fake; and The Reckoning - As Jean prepares for a wedding, someone wants revenge, but death stalks the detective.

Review:
I continue to love these radio plays. The characters have developed into wonderful personalities. Even Lieutenant Roach is becoming more involved with the cases on hand. The relationship between Jean Brash, the brothel mistress, and McLevy keeps providing fleeting glimpses of a budding romance of sorts, which makes for a fun tease. Even better, we now have some repeat/return characters popping up in the stories, which have a nice continuation feel to them.

Onwards to series 6 and 7!

Book #17 - The Witch of Napoli by Michael Schmicker
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
Reading BINGO square: with scientists
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR / NetGalley
Format: e-book
Original publication date: January 2, 2015
Acquisition date: January 13, 2015
Page count: 294 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.com website listing:

Italy 1899: Fiery-tempered, seductive medium Alessandra Poverelli levitates a table at a Spiritualist séance in Naples. A reporter - Tomaso Labella - photographs the miracle, and wealthy, skeptical, Jewish psychiatrist Camillo Lombardi arrives in Naples to investigate. When Alessandra materializes the ghost of Lombrdi's dead mother, he risks his reputation and fortune to finance a tour of the Continent, challenging the scientific and academic elite of Europe to test Alessandra's mysterious powers. She will help him rewrite Science. His fee will help her escape her sadistic husband Pigotti and start a new life in Rome. Labella joins the tour to document the supposed supernatural activities that defy explanation. As Newspapers across Europe trumpet her Cinderella story and baffling successes, Nigel Huxley, an icy, aristocratic detective for England's Society for the Investigation of Mediums, is convinced Alessandra is simply another vulgar, Italian trickster and is determined to expose her as a fraud. When Tomaso discovers that the Vatican is quietly digging up Alessandra's childhood secrets, desperate to discredit her supernatural powers, he tries to find a way to protect the emotionally explosive Alessandra from the powerful people who want to see her silenced.

Review:
Books that have a paranormal or spiritualism focus to the story tend to catch my eye, especially when they are set in the Victorian time period when spiritualism was in its heyday, with rich and famous clamouring to participate in parlour room séances while other equally well connected individuals made it their life work to discredit the mediums who claimed to be able to communicate with the dead. Add in a church that wants these activities discredited and the fourth estate - the press - that can smell a story that will sell their rag sheets to the demanding public and something interesting is bound to happen.

Schmicker has taken all of these elements and, inspired by the true-life story of Eusapia Palladino, has given readers a wonderful story with a vibrant, explosive character in Alessandra. Alessandra is life and energy personified and not as straightforward as one might initially think. As the story progresses, the reader continues to be exposed to more and more layers of Alessandra, her hopes, her dreams, her fears, her insecurities and her horrifying past. Having the story communicated by a much older Tomaso as he reminisces about that eventful year works well for me as a reader as it provides a clean, linear storyline from one vantage point. It is also a great mechanism for keeping the reader somewhat in the dark as we only know and experience what Tomaso knows and experiences. A strategy that works well with this story as the pressure mounts and even Tomaso starts to question what he should believe as events unfold. As much as I appreciate the character development of Alessandra and the way Schmicker captures turn of the century Europe, it is the presentation of the debates within the scientific and academic communities as they try to explain the unusual events that occur during Alessandra's various spiritualism sittings that fueled my fully engaged, page-turning read of this story.

Overall, a well crafted story that captures the age of Spiritualism. If you are like me and enjoy reading books set in the Victorian era with a focus on scientific investigation of spiritualism, like Joseph Gangemi's Inamorata, or are just fascinated by stories of that kind - which are usually set in England or America - you may enjoy this story with its Italian setting.

>49 lkernagh: This one is a definite possibility...and so is the phyllo crust.

>49 lkernagh:
I also like that period of when spiritualism and science crossed paths and The Witch of Napoli sounds great. BB!

>50 Dejah_Thoris: and >51 andreablythe: - I hope you both enjoy The Witch of Napoli. It is currently a free download as a "Read Now" from NetGalley.

and so is the phyllo crust.

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

I have had a wonderful week and I am looking forward to an even paced weekend. On the reading front, I am 250 pages into Fingersmith. The story is moving along and I think I am going to pull a marathon reading session this evening so that I can finish it and count it as a February read.

>47 lkernagh:
Yes, I just do a crust with flour, butter, and water, so I'm not expecting to love the phyllo, but I can't not try. :)

>53 -Eva-: - Fair enough! ;-)

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

It is a beautiful sunny day with Spring in the air so - of course - my mind is on other things than reading Fingersmith, which strikes me as rather Dickensian in feel and more suited for colder, frosty, grey days of winter than the fresh bloom of Spring. With the beautiful weather, I bought the necessary supplies to start my herb garden from seed:



I will report back when I have the container garden prepared and will post weekly updates to track my successes (and failures - I have previously reported that I don't have much of a green thumb.) Wish me luck folks, as I have never grown a herb garden from seed before!

For those of you trying to read the seed packets, I am starting off with the following:

- Tarragon
- Parsley
- Basil (sweet)
- Spinach
- Dill
- Chives

I plan to expand upon the variety of herbs I will attempt to grow. The seeds listed above were all that was available for immediate purchase from the local handy/garden store in our area.

I love that you haven't given up on the dill! I got a big bunch from Whole Foods today and that'll have to be good enough for me. :)

Happy gardening! I want to plant some basil. Need to get around to it. The last stuff I planted got too wet and died.

Herbs are reasonably easy to grow from seed. I've done it, so the difficulty setting is very low. Have fun growing them.

Getting caught up here. The herb garden looks like a fun project. It will certainly come in handy for cooking!

Ooh, homegrown spinach! That would be cool to try. Good luck with this year's crop!

I'm always jealous of your energy and talents. I don't believe those herbs would dare not grow for you. :-)

Your talents are all your own, but what's your secret for all the energy?

We were thinking along the same lines yesterday, as I picked up a large parsley plant. Not nearly as ambitious as you, but I have to keep mine indoors. Good luck with your new project!

Good luck with your garden, Lori. There is nothing like being able to go outside and pick your own herbs and/or veggies in the summer!

Nice to see your review of Wife of the Gods, as this is a book that I've been considering reading. I always enjoy mysteries set in different parts of the world.

Good luck with your garden. It's lovely to hear about the signs of spring on the West coast. We're still buried in winter here in Ontario.

Howdy Lori. As usual I've caught a couple of book bullets from you, >17 lkernagh: & >49 lkernagh:.

I'm glad your 30 day veggie trial was a success. Good luck with your herb garden.

I'm set to read Perdido Street Station this month. I've got the copy you sent me. Thanks again.

Happy planting!

I'm notorious for killing off all plant life in my vicinity, so I never try to garden anything.

HI Lori, What fun to start a herb garden. Some major sunshine here today and thoughts do turn to the garden. I wish you luck!

FEBRUARY RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ (ranked from most to least favorite):
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - 4.85 /
The Aspern Papers by Henry James - 4.40 /
The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Four and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Five by David Ashton - 4.30/
The Witch of Napoli by Micheal Schmicker - 4.20 /
The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Two and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Three by David Ashton - 4.10 /
Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartet - 3.80 /
Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman by Eleanor Updale - 3.60 /
As Chimney Sweepers Come To Dust by Alan Bradley - 3.30 /

STATS:
# of Books Read: 8
# of Pages Read: 2,122 completed books
Average pages read per day: 75.79
Original Publication Date Range of books read: 1885 - 2015
Largest Book read: Brideshead Revisited at 432 pages
Smallest Book read: Any of the Inspector McLevy radio plays, each series at roughly 85 pages
Books still in progress at the end of the month: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - currently at 340 pages , and Dear Committee Members at 43 pages read.
Interesting Fact: Nothing that springs to mind.

CHALLENGES:- as of February 28th
ROOTs Challenge:
Books read this month: 0 (3 in total)
Books still to go: 22

Reading Bingo Challenge:
Books read this month: 3 (11 in total)
Books still to go (if I go for a blackout): 14

Commonwealth Challenge:
Books read this month: 1 (1 in total)
Books still to read to complete my challenge: 40

Category Challenge: Each category completed when 8 books or 2,015 pages read is reached
Street Art - 0 books / 0 pages read - (0 book / 0 pages read in total)
Happening - 0 books / 0 pages read - (1 book / 352 pages read in total)
Minimalism - 0 books / 0 pages read - (1 book / 141 pages read in total)
American Realism - 1 book / 96 pages - (2 book / 467 pages read in total)
The London Group - 1 book / 432 pages - (1 book / 688 pages read in total)
Books made into Art - 0 books / 0 pages read - (2 books / 704 pages read in total)
Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art - 1 book / 336 pages - (1 books / 336 pages read in total)
Art - 5 books / 1,258 pages read - (8 books / 2,031 pages read in total) - CATEGORY COMPLETED

75 Books Challenge: - My "Luck 'O the Irish" Race (books read versus pages read): Bringing this fun reading snapshot race back, my 75 group challenge will be considered completed whichever comes first: 75 books read or 25,000 pages read.



Pot of Gold appears to be taking a slight lead over Shamrock - probably to do with the shorter radio plays I have been listening to lately. Still early days and anything can happen between now and December - or the completion of the challenge - whichever comes first.

Proposed February Reading:
Complete the following reads in progress:
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
Start reading:
The City & The City by China Mieville - for the March BAC
The Babylon Contingency by Clifford Longley - a loooong over due LTER read
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - a read recommended by my Mom
Bayou of Pigs by Stewart Bell - for my Commonwealth Challenge
A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison - a NetGalley read
..... and anything else that crops up.

How lovely to check in and see so many wonderful visitors!

>55 -Eva-: - Not giving up on the dill! I am determined to conquer this wonderful herb. Re, Whole Foods, there is a news report circulating locally that Whole Foods will be coming to Victoria in 2016. Given the very interestingly recently withdrawal of Target from the Canadian market - what flippin' retailer assumes it can win over a foreign market in under two year -especially when shelves are noticeably empty the entire time - and the fact that we already have two well established organic foods stores in town, I will be very curious to see if Whole Foods becomes the next Target or they actually make a mark for themselves. Time - and product selection - will tell.

>56 nittnut: - Fresh basil is the reason for my attempts at herb gardening from seed, Jenn. Love the stuff but I have found that the store sold fresh basil plants have gone through some sort of accelerated growth rate that concerns me. I am hopeful to propagate basil that doesn't have limp stems and all the other ills.

>57 RidgewayGirl: - That is what I am hoping for. Question now becomes if I sprinkles enough or not enough seeds in the various pots.

>58 cbl_tn: - I am looking forward to it Carrie! I see a herb garden as being rather low maintenance and with such great healthy benefits, too!

>59 rabbitprincess: - Spinach is the one non herb that I want to attempt this season - we go through much spinach, growing our own just makes sense.

>60 BookLizard: - They better not dare to not grow for me! - but I think I have the system down now so that it should be fool proof.
Re energy - It is amazing what one can accomplish when one has the occasional bout of insomnia. ;-) Seriously, I credit our complete lack of cable TV as my energy source. It is easy to have energy when you limited time isn't being consumed by the TV.

>61 mstrust: - Great minds think alike! My garden will grow indoors until we hit mid-April. It is still too cold outside to germinate a garden from seed.

>62 DeltaQueen50: - I loved spending my early mornings pruning the garden, Judy, and my after work time clipping herbs for dinner that a herb garden will be a continued presence in our household going forward. My othe half loves the dinners that are prepared with the fresh herbs so there is no going back now!

>63 mathgirl40: - The Quartey book is well worth reading if you get a chance to do so, Paulina. My herb garden will start out indoors but you are correct that the West Coast is well on its way to spring. Here is hoping the East starts to see signs of spring real soon! As much as I love snow, even I can get sick and tired of it so I can only imagine what you are feeling right now.

>64 luvamystery65: - Thanks, Andrea! I am pretty bad with plants as well so fingers crossed the germination process takes. ;-)

>65 andreablythe: - Hi Mary! I will take all the luck that anyone wishes to send my way.... as >57 RidgewayGirl: said, herbs are reasonably easy to grow from seed, so I am confident that I will see some green popping up at some point. Sunshine is always welcome, in my books!

-----------

Sunday was another relaxing day - baking bread and muffins, a load of laundry, and more herb seed shopping. Came home with the following new herb seeds:



This evening was spent sitting in front of the latest episode of Once Upon A Time while playing with my craft things to create something that can pose as a fascinator.... the group I work with is having an impromptu and voluntary Fascinator Day at work. I love participating in fun stuff like this!

Looks like February was a good month for you. The luck of the Irish Race challenge looks fun.

What did you think of the latest episode of OUAT?

If you can find fresh herb sprigs in your market you might be better off starting the mint from them. Loosen the bunch, put them in a jar of water. When you see roots start to form plant them directly into a pot. You can also do this with rosemary, thyme, oregano, and tarragon.

Be careful where you put the mint - it's invasive and will, gien an ounce of a chance, take over the entire herb patch on the blink of an eye. Chives I've had success with, they're quite happy to thrive on neglect and occasional snipping.

>70 bookwormjules: - February was a pretty good month. I am still having difficulties accepting the fact that it is now March and we 'Spring Forward' this weekend. I hate springing forward... means my current day lit walk home from work will be pushed into the dark once again, for another three weeks. ;-(

I have a lot of fun seeing how my books verse pages read compares.

As for OUAT, I was a bit distracted but came away with the following good/bad thoughts: I am glad to see the end of our Frozen characters, for now (unless they are brought back in future episodes) and I really enjoy seeing Cruella as a character. Not sure I like the Maleficent.... she comes across as wooden and two dimensional compared to Angelina Jolie's portrayal in the movie by that same name.... and what is up with Snow White and Prince Charming having some sort of 'arrangement' from the past with the three new 'evil' ones?! In summary, I am curious to see what happens next week.

>71 mamzel: - I can purchase some fresh herb sprigs but I am not sure if mint is one that they sell. The water to root is something that I will keep in mind, especially if I completely fail at my attempt to grow the herbs from seed!

>72 Helenliz: - Invasive is such a scary word, and a darn good one when it comes to gardening! Luckily, I am growing each herb in its own separate container so if the mint does take off, it can't impact the other herbs, but still very good information to know should I every decide to grown a herb garden that could be impacted by invasive habits. Neglect is something I am not known for.... I tend to over pamper/water/etc plants. Now I am getting a bit worried...

Fascinator Project: - As per a request received on my thread over on the 75 group, I have decided to post pics of my rather impromptu attempt to create a fascinator. I had less than 24 hours notices so I had to make do with the craft supplies I had on hand, which means, no feathers! Of course, I also wanted to come up with something that I could kind of coordinate with an office wardrobe. I really wanted to create a steampunk fascinator but I had no time and I was missing some 'stuff' to make it happen so I settled for a simple confection of lace, brown-black ribbon and pearl accent attached to a hair comb:



Simple and fun and thanks to my other half for taking the last photo!

The Witch of Napoli sounds good. I quite like a bit of science, and it cost less than $1 to download the book to the Kindle. Thank you for pre-reading this Kindle bargain!

Quite a fetching hat!

I agree about Maleficent, they already had her on there, and killed her off, so it's weird they have her back and have gone more to the Jolie version, instead of the one the originally had .

My main reason for watching the show is Captain Hook.

I'm also shocked it's March - but it does mean spring and not frigid weather will be here soon.

How pretty!

>68 lkernagh:
For your sake, although I have nothing against Target, I'm hoping it's Whole Foods that takes hold! Target is a fun store, but food-wise, they don't have anything on Whole Foods.

>75 pamelad: - Sounds like a great find for $1.... I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

>76 dudes22: - Thanks, Betty!

>77 bookwormjules: - I some how missed that change and now I am doubly ticked! ;-) Hook is a darling.... Given me a handsome man with a Scottish or Irish brogue and I am a happy girl... good thing my other half is Scottish and he is willing to overlook my swooning over other Gaelic speaking men. ;-0

Spring has to show up at some point, or will certain areas of North America go directly from winter to summer? I hate it when there is no transition period to enjoy. I also hate daylight savings, but that is a completely different topic.

>78 andreablythe: - Thanks, Andrea!

>79 -Eva-: - I have my fingers crossed that Whole Foods takes hold as well, Eva. One can never have enough grocery stores. ;-)

Happy weekend! Life is good when the sun shines and one does not have any pressing business to deal with. ;-) I attempted -for the first time ever - vegetarian styled cabbage rolls. Maybe I should back up that statement and say that this was also the first time I have attempted to ever make cabbage rolls. Question: How does one get the cabbage leaves to come off the head in one hole piece, and not with a bunch of tears in it? Such a frustrating experience and yet I remember my grandmother making perfect cabbage rolls all the time. Is there a secret I never paid attention to - like the type of cabbage used? I was using basic green cabbage but good grief, those leaves did not want to leave the head/hive and enter the boiling water to slightly cook them. Taste wise, the vegetarian cabbage rolls worked out rather well - just cooked wild rice, green lentils, sauteed onions and mushrooms for the filling - but I have already informed my other half that I am just not cut out to make cabbage rolls. He now has to spend the next 24 hours in trepidation as I plan to make a new broccoli tofu dish - he doesn't like tofu.

On the reading front, I have finished the last two series of the Inspector McLevy radio play mystery series and the e-book read Dear Committee Members. Now I just need to find the time to pull together the reviews.

Herb Garden Project - I never did get around to posting my Day 1 pic of my herb garden, so here is the picture of the Spinach, Parsley, Basil, Chives, Dill, Tarragon I am attempting to grow. I decided to grow them in individual pots and cover them with saran wrap to create separate germination chambers for each plant type. :



Seven Days Later: The only plants so far showing strong signs of germination - as you can see by the pictures below taken earlier today - are Basil, Chives and Spinach.



Dill is showing some signs of life, as is Tarragon (if you look really closely at the middle picture below you will see two tiny whisps of greenery peaking up) but Parsley so far is a no show - seriously, it is like looking at Mars, without Mark Watney's (The Martian) traces of life.



I think I planted the seeds too deep - this is an experiment after all - and something I will keep in mind for the next batch of herbs. I have been using these 10 seed starting tips to get the garden going. given what has already popped up in a short 7 days, I am pretty excited about the next 7 days!

Good luck! Fun to see the progress. Yeah Ms. Dill!

The way I get the cabbage leaves off the head is to cut the core out from the bottom and then immerse the whole head in boiling water until the leaves are soft. Then they come off much better. Of course that may leave you with way more cabbage than you're planning to make rolls. I use the leftover another day by cutting it up and putting it in a fry pan with a little water and some butter and maybe caraway seeds and just eat it as a side dish. Or I make a soup and use it in that.

>83 mdoris: - Thanks, Mary! I am so happy to see the green popping up already.... makes me hopeful I can actually grow these things. ;-)

>84 dudes22: - I wondered about that.... that makes sense! I could always make a big batch of cabbage rolls since they do freeze rather well, at least my grandmother's cabbage rolls did. Something I will try next time. Thanks, Betty!

Book #18 - The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Six and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Seven by David Ashton - BBC radio plays narrated by a full cast
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: Episodes originally radio broadcast between December 21, 2009 and March 23, 2011
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: ~170 pages / 5 hours, 46 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from various web summaries:

Inspired by the real-life memoirs of a Victorian Inspector in Scotland, James McLevy prowls the dark streets of 1860s Edinburgh bringing criminals to justice, with the assistance of Constable Mulholland.

In Series Six, the episodes are:
A Bolt from the Blue - The young gentlemen of the university's student clubs are competing to play the most audacious pranks on unsuspecting citizens. Just harmless youthful high spirits - until a body is found floating in Leith docks; End of the Line - Two ladies make an unusual discovery on Waverley station: the body of a drunken Italian aristocrat. What on earth was he doing on a late-night train from Newcastle?; Jack O 'Diamonds - Jean Brash plans revenge on a sadistic client, but the malign Mr Caleb Grant has a finger in every criminal pie in Edinburgh and is not a man to cross lightly; and Queen of Spades - The deadly battle with Caleb Grant has heartbreaking consequences for Jean Brash's household, and leads McLevy to a final reckoning on the windswept coast of Northumberland.

In Series Seven, the episodes are:
The Firebrand - McLevy investigates the kidnap of a women's rights campaigner; Dead Reckoning - Inspector McLevy investigates a curious case of grave robbing; Prince of Darkness - Jean Brash is confronted by a former lover back from the dead. She had once poisoned him - fatally, or so she thought - and now he is out for revenge. Meanwhile, McLevy dreams of death by drowning. Is it a premonition or just the result of drinking too much coffee?; and A Distant Death - McLevy's dreams of death by drowning are about to become a reality when he and Jean Brash are trapped in a sea cave while the tide rushes in. Outside the cave a rifle marksman is ready to shoot them if they try to escape.

Review:
I have now reached the end of the radio plays my local library has available with a bit of a wistful sigh. Such fun stories and of course, having the same cast throughout all of the episodes has made listening to the radio plays a real treat. Like anything else that has a long run, the characters have become full personalities with delightful little quirks and foibles. As for the romance/relationship between Jean Brash and Inspector McLevy, well, you will just have to listen to the audio plays yourself to find out how that is going. ;-)

The good news is that the webpage where I copy the episodes summaries from lists a Series 8 and four more episodes and BBC Radio 4 lists Series 9.... now I just need to figure out how to get a hold of these episodes. ;-)

Book #19 - Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Happening
Reading BINGO square: with correspondence or letters
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR / NetGalley
Format: e-book
Original publication date: August 19, 2014
Acquisition date: January 25, 2015
Page count: 96 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca website listing:

Jason Fitger is a beleaguered professor of creative writing and literature at Payne University, a small and not very distinguished liberal arts college in the midwest. His department is facing draconian cuts and squalid quarters, while one floor above them the Economics Department is getting lavishly remodeled offices. His once-promising writing career is in the doldrums, as is his romantic life, in part as the result of his unwise use of his private affairs for his novels. His star (he thinks) student can't catch a break with his brilliant (he thinks) work Accountant in a Bordello, based on Melville's Bartleby. In short, his life is a tale of woe, which comes out in a series of letters of recommendation that Fitger is endlessly called upon by his students and colleagues to produce, each one of which is a small masterpiece of high dudgeon, low spirits, and passive-aggressive strategies.

Review:
Schumacher story conveys a message of social criticism and outrage for beleaguered, underfunded and under-appreciated creative writing departments of higher academia, but she does so in a refreshingly unique manner by using epistolary as her format of choice for story telling. I love epistolary novels and appreciate that it takes skill and finesse on the part of the author to keep a reader like me enthralled from cover to cover with only a series of letters to read. Schumacher's crotchety and rather opinionated Fitger dispenses his point of view through the only weapon left in his arsenal: His pen. While Fitger doesn't have a horse or a battered set of body armor to wear, he is, in my personal opinion, the equivalent of a Don Quixote who has discovered that chasing windmills is a never ending and thankless task. Someone who is too stubborn to give up the fight and too weary to leave the battlefield, making Fitger such a great anti-hero. Some of the letters of recommendation are satirically cringe-worthy, like the one Fitger wrote for his ex lover. Fitger's inclusion of "too much information" in his letters helps to turn Fitger from being just a name at the bottom of each letter into a well developed character. Through his own self-exposing comments, some of them made inadvertently, we get to understand his past days at the Seminar, his rather mediocre writing career and his broken relationships. Under all of the "high dudgeon, low spirits, and passive-aggressive strategies" of Fitger's letters lies a story of dogged determination that one cannot help but admire.

Overall, a delightful, and at times touching, laugh out loud read.

Dear Committee Members sounds interesting. I'll have to keep an eye out for it!

I'll take a BB for Dear Committee Members.

>87 lkernagh: You me with a BB too. Looks good!
>82 lkernagh: Great pics! Isn't it a rewarding feeling?

>88 cbl_tn:, >89 LisaMorr: and >90 mstrust: - Wow, did not think the BB would be flying fast and furious but it is a wonderful fun and fast read, if you did lay your hands on a copy to read. ;-)

>82 lkernagh: - It is! I now just need to temper my excitement.... I was actually the hardware store yesterday looking at large size planter pots.... toying with the idea of a small vegetable garden on the balcony. ;-)

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Happy Monday! After a beautiful weekend of sunny skies and reasonably - for early March - warm weather, today has been cloaked in fog. I have the day off and have finished the necessary trip to the library to return books, dropped off my completed tax return, bought some groceries and now looking forward to an easy afternoon of bread baking and reading.

Vegetarian Adventures - Update:
I decided to make - for the first time ever - vegetarian stir fry with tofu. I came across this great recipe for pre-baking the tofu and made a stir fry with broccoli and roasted cashews, cooked in a sauce made from dried onion soup mix, soya sauce, teriyaki sauce and some water and served over cooked oriental stir fry noodles. My other half - the tofu hater - grudgingly admitted that the tofu didn't taste too bad but I still haven't managed to convert him over to tofu as a food item yet, even though I absolutely loved the meal. *sighs* Sorry, no picture of this wonderful meal. I forgot to take a picture before eating and my other half managed to pick around the tofu as he was serving up his portion so the leftovers - which will now be my lunch later this week at work - didn't look picture worthy.

Book #20 - Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, BAC, ROOT
Category: The London Group
Reading BINGO square: with an LGBTQ main character
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2002
Acquisition date: December 31, 2011
Page count: 560 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website listing:

London 1862. Sue Trinder, orphaned at birth, grows up among petty thieves - fingersmiths - under the rough but loving care of Mrs Sucksby and her 'family'. But from the moment she draws breath, Sue's fate is linked to that of another orphan growing up in a gloomy mansion not too many miles away.

Review:
I really, REALLY wanted to love this one. I enjoy Water's atmospheric settings, the way she gets inside the characters' minds and the intricate plots she weaves, but darn it all..... this was a bit of slog for me. I have learned that Waters works best as an author when I am able to commit 100% to reading her stories, like when I am on vacation, and RL doesn't interrupt my reading. I plowed through the first 150 pages in one afternoon and was hooked but having to resort to dipping in and out of the story with a busy RL schedule made it impossible for me to reconnect with the story. I had lost that bond. I also found the story to be rather Dickensian in feel, more so than her other books I have read so far - The Night Watch and The Little Stranger - which didn't work in my favor after my somewhat disastrous encounter with Bleak House this time last year. I still have evil thoughts about that one. ;-)

On the positive side, I really like the way Waters shifts the point of view from Susan, to Maud and back to Susan again. I just wish the story didn't go on and on and on for the last 150 pages and as for the ending.... well,.... a bit sloppy IMO and kind of a quick out for Waters to wrap up the story.

All that being said, I still appreciate the gifted writer that Waters is and will probably read more of her books, but not rushing out to pick up Tipping the Velvet or Affinity any time soon.

Fingersmith was a favorite read from last year, but was indeed very Dickensian and I can understand that it might put some off.

Dickensian is a perfect description for Fingersmith.

Not sure if you've heard or if it's already been mentioned, but the American Test Kitchen people have a vegetarian cookbook that was just released - The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook. It even includes a make your own tofu section (according to what I read online)!

I loved the first section of Fingersmith. And then I wanted to love the rest so badly, but it was so convoluted that I just got frustrated. I understand that it was a nod to Dickens, but she really got too caught up in plot twists, which is a shame because Susan was a fantastic character. I've read three of Sarah Waters's books now and each one has had elements that drove me crazy, but something about it that keeps me wanting to read her books.

>91 lkernagh: vegetable adventures. HI Lori , Very reluctantly today I had to return Deborah Madison's New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone to the library. It is fabulous!! So complete, I might have to buy it! Have a peek too at her Vegetable Literacy. She knows a thing or two about vegetables. p.s. I loved the descriptions of the "other half"'s exploratory behaviour (the tofu hater)!!

>93 andreablythe: and >94 RidgewayGirl: - Glad to see it isn't just me that see the Dickensian influences in Fingersmith. ;-)

>95 LittleTaiko: - Oh, no I had not heard that news..... that will be worth hunting down. Thanks for mentioning it, Stacy!

>96 japaul22: - First section was great, wasn't it? I think revisiting the events of the first part from Maud's point of view is what started to lose my interest. Convoluted plots can work for me but I think Fingersmith was a bit 'over the top' for convolution and attention to detail and that is what started to wear on me.

>97 mdoris: - Yay, more vegetarian cookbooks to check out! *does happy dance* Right now the majority of my recipes are found based on google searches of a couple of ingredients I have on hand but sometimes it is nice to refer to a good cookbook. ;-)

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So far this week it has been a mix of fog, light rain and blue skies.... in other words, March is acting like March should, weather wise. My other half is fighting what I can only assume is a bacterial infection in his throat so he is off to the doctor this morning. He has been asked not to be generous and share whatever ails him with me so fingers crossed I stay healthy and the docs are able to give him something for it. He sounds terrible, but thankfully no overall body aches or fever.

>98 lkernagh: - I listened to part of the Fresh Air podcast that had two of the people from ATK discussing the cookbook. Kind of fascinating to hear about the tricks to make vegetarian foods savory, it involved tomato paste, soy sauce, and mushrooms. I might need to get a copy for myself as I only have about 8 vegetarian dishes that we make regularly and would like to have more options.

>98 lkernagh:
There's a rash of strep throat going on in my vicinity (two friends and three coworkers), so I'll send some wishes that it isn't that!

>99 LittleTaiko: - Tricks are always handy to know! I will admit that back in January when we started our mainly vegetarian diet, I had a bit of a learning curve when it came to making use of herbs, spices and things like tomato paste to give extra 'umph' to meals. Before, I used to scan the grocery store flyers for sales on meat, chicken and fish. Now I scan them for sales on tinned chick peas, black beans and tomato paste! Over the past two months I have learned enough about spices and the wonder of tomatoes to make a curried carrot lentil soup from scratch and it tastes wonderful! My previous curry dishes had made use of pre-packaged curry sauce packets. I don't need to rely on those any more.

>100 -Eva-: - Strep throat is evil. I do hope he hasn't come down with that and I commiserate with your sick friends and colleagues. He saw the doc. They took a throat swab. We now wait two days for the lab results to determine what he has come down with so they can prescribe the right course of treatment. To help make him feel better I made a curried carrot lentil soup this evening for dinner.

I just read your February recap and it looks like you had a good month! I'm looking forward to hearing about your March reading and especially interested in seeing what you think of The City and the City, which I thought was brilliant.

Your tofu adventures and the reactions of your tofu-wary partner made me laugh. Many years ago, I tried various recipes from Tofu Quick and Easy, including a tofu lasagna and a tofu cheesecake. My husband still shudders at the memory of these and was thrilled when I eventually gave away the cookbook. These days, I use tofu in traditional Asian recipes and don't try to get "creative" with it.

>101 lkernagh: You should also keep an eye out for the tubes of tomato paste for those times when you only need a tablespoon full. It keeps wonderfully in the fridge and is very handy. You can usually find it in the same section as the canned tomato products. I've kind of gotten lazy and purchased the tubes of already chopped ginger, garlic, and lemon grass. I chop ginger for some things but I use the tubed stuff for stir fries. We have these in our produce section.

The tubes of tomato paste are the best. It beats those cans of tomato paste in the fridge, although you can keep an open can of tomato paste good by covering the top with a thin layer of olive oil. The oil seals off the paste and keeps it from going bad and is usually fine when added to whatever you're using the tomato paste in. But the tubes win for sheer ease of use.

>103 mamzel: & >104 RidgewayGirl: - Happy to see those tips. Too often, I end throwing out the other half of the can since I can't use it in time. I'm definitely going to look for the tube version next time. Ah the things we learn on a book site!

>104 RidgewayGirl: I love the tubes of tomato paste!

I use the tubes of tomato paste and anchovy paste too. I've also seen that you can put excess paste into ice cube trays and freeze and then take them out and put them in a bag in the freezer.

I've got Dear Committee Members in the TBR pile. Must move it up the ranks.

Sorry about your tofu hater. I kind of understand. Tofu gives me migraines. However, before I quit eating it, there was a recipe my family liked. You cut the tofu into sort of domino size pieces and toss it in cornstarch then fry it up hot and fast before serving with stir fry. It was pretty nice.

>102 mathgirl40: - Thanks, Paulina! I will get around to reading The City & The City but I have a NetGalley read that will expire in 14 days - why they send out ARCs and then apply DRM that lock you out of the book after 60 days I will never understand but it is a free book so I will stop complaining - and I still need to read an LTER book that I am waaaaaaaaay overdue reading and reviewing. After those two books, it will be The City & The City!

I can see tofu lasagna but tofu cheesecake... Really?! I love cheesecake too much to ever think about attempting something like that so good on you for being experimental, even if it did make your husband shudder. My other half will only eat tofu if he is allowed to pick around the tofu so I think if I make tofu, it will be just for me. ;-)

>103 mamzel:, >104 RidgewayGirl:, >105 LittleTaiko:, >106 thornton37814: and >107 dudes22: - I have seen anchovy paste and pesto in a tube but I have never seen tomato paste in a tube in the grocery stores up here. Maybe they hide those in the produce department like they do the jars of ready minced garlic that I purchase. I will need to investigate this weekend when I go grocery shopping. Thankfully, I find enough uses for tomato paste that it usually only takes me three days to use up the small tin of paste once opened so no worries there... I just store it in a small plastic container in the fridge as I use it. My other half likes to joke that I am the "Tupperware Queen" although in truth, we do not own one piece of Tupperware brand products. I just have a large collection of other brand plastic container products that he grudges having to wash (he does the washing up). ;-)

>104 RidgewayGirl: and >107 dudes22: - I never thought about covering the top with a layer of olive oil or freezing it in an ice cube tray. Great suggestions to keep in mind!

>108 nittnut: - Jenn, if you find Dear Committee Members just half as funny as I did, you will still be chuckling as you read some of the letters. ;-)

Sorry to discover that tofu gives you migraines. I feel for you and would avoid tofu too if I had such a reaction to it. That sounds like a great - and rather easy - way to cook tofu! I must keep that in mind.

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

OMG! What a glorious today was, weather wise! Sunshine with a high of 14'C is nice March weather, IMO. It feels almost.... decadent. ;-)

As my other half continues to feel terrible, I brought home fish and chips to: 1) hopefully make him feel better as he loves fish and chips, and 2) to give myself an easy night. Looking forward to curling up with a book and then early to bed.

Lori, i have seen the tomato paste in a tube but it's in specialty stores, (ethnic) especially Italian. But you do have to keep your eyes peeled for it. It is not commonly found in B.C. parts!

>111 mdoris: - I wondered about that. I also wondered if I was losing my mind by not being able to remember ever seeing something tomato paste in a tube in the grocery stores. ;-)

Question for the group:

It looks like a conversation with a senior (as in elderly) member of our family and their driving needs to occur. It is not going to be an easy conversation to brooch as the individual in question is rather independent and of a determined personality. I know it is always best if the person in question can be lead to a realization where they are then willing to voluntarily give up driving, but that it not always easy to achieve. I am wondering if anyone knows of any good resources I can read and share with other family members to prep for that conversation or if anyone has any insights from personal experience that they might be willing to share.

Thanks!

Could you seek the assistance of a third party, like their doctor?

113> Check with your Department of Motor Vehicles or whatever they call it where you are. They might have something on their webpage. I'm in Massachusetts and here there are hospitals or rehabilitation centers (for injuries not drugs) that can evaluate his/her driving.

>114 mamzel: - Good thought. I am removed from the situation in that I do not see the day to day... I am just trying to help with the situation. What makes this awkward is that where the individual in question lives, there already exists mandatory cognitive testing for anyone over the age of 75 and they passed that mandatory testing. I don't know much about how the cognitive testing is conducted so I cannot comment on that. I think the main goal to be achieved is to try and raise awareness of detected diminishing response times, etc in a preemptive manner without having the party in question take a defensive posture.

>115 BookLizard: - Good call! I did manage to find the following Canadian Automobile Association's Seniors Driving site and it has some good information for both senior drivers and family members. Feeling better about this already.

As a related topic, I find it very interesting that these kinds of difficult conversations are now so much a part of our (North American) culture... I am unable to comment on its prevalence in Europe, etc. When I go and look back just two generations, the dependence on cars and driving wasn't there like it is now. Both of my Grandmothers never drove, so the families never had to have this kind of conversation with them (they outlived their respective spouses), and both of their spouses had given up driving by choice long before it became something that needed to be discussed. Now we are in a situation where seniors are protesting mandatory cognitive testing at 75 and taking their protests to the political powers that be. As much as I cringe at the thought of self-driving cars, part of me thinks it isn't happening fast enough. ;-)

My grandmother initially resisted giving up driving until she discovered how much she would be saving on insurance by not driving. She still owned the car and we always referred to it as her car, but it was kept at my parents' house and used to take her to doctor's appointments, grocery shopping, etc.

>117 cbl_tn: - Saving money by giving up driving is a great incentive! That won't work in this case but I think we are more at the stage of making the individual aware that their reflexes and awareness of the drivers around them is not what it used to be and that they would be better driving during off-peak times and avoiding the high speed, high traffic routes if they can.

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Happy Sunday, everyone! Yesterday was a good day. Finished a book that I have been struggling a bit with and wrote the review (see below). Did laundry, made some orange coconut cranberry muffins and messed around a bit with my herb garden (see below). It is a wet morning so other than some grocery shopping I think it will be another easy day. I may be coming down with my other half's sore throat - he was told not to share this bug! - so taking things easy will be on the agenda.

Book #21 - A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR/NetGalley
Format: e-book
Original publication date: January 20, 2015
Acquisition date: January 30, 2015
Page count: 265 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website listing:

At nineteen, Annie Black abandons California for a London winter of drinking to oblivion and looking for love in the wrong places. Twenty years later, she is a happily married mother of three living in San Francisco. Then one morning, a photograph arrives in her mailbox, and an old obsession is awakened. After a return trip to London, Annie’s marriage falters, her store floods, and her son, Robbie, takes a night-time ride that nearly costs him his life. Now Annie must fight to save her family by untangling the mysteries of that reckless winter in Europe that drew an invisible map of her future.

Review:
A bit of a tough book to review for me. For one, the family secrets/family in turmoil stories are not something that I usually gravitate towards, but as a favor to my Mom, I requested a copy through NetGalley and read it. So what can I say about this one. I kind of scrunched up my face during the first couple of chapters as the event that is the focal point played out in real time. Parts of those opening chapters did not work for me, as it felt contrived, with forced dialogue. I was a little worried about what I had agreed to read but the story, and the writing, did improve as I got further in. It calmed down from an over-hype type of story and moved on to more of an introspective monologue, with Annie communicating her thoughts, feelings and what happened all those years ago in the form of a written record for her son. This worked for me and I liked the more even, contemplative tone the story assumes. I did find it difficult to feel anything for Annie - or any of the other characters - as I was reading. They are there... but not, if that makes any sense. Not a big deal as the story, for me anyways, is not about the characters. It is more about understanding what happened and why. To that end, I came away a bit mixed. I understood what had happened and I like how the events connect together like a well cut jigsaw puzzle but I still struggled a bit with the whys as I wasn't overly happy with the reasoning provided in the story. We will chalk that up to personal preferences. As for the writing, the writing is good. The even flowing, reflective style is soothing and muffles, like cotton wool, the angst, confusion, panic and hurt Annie feels now and what she thinks she may have felt in her the past.

As I was reading, I felt detached from the story. Maybe that is the intention - along with the story shifts - to keep changing things up, in line with Annie's shifting thoughts. I tend to prefer stories that keep things interesting with shifting plots/ points of view and I felt the story shifts worked well here, keeping the reader in the dark about key pieces of information until the reveal moments.

Favorite Quote:

"You can't rely on memory. You can't rely on ancient artifacts, either, to tell you a story you can live with. You can rely only on the sculpture of your life you carve out of the available material, the one that stands by while you muddle your way into your future."

Overall, I appreciate the story for it's writing style, and the gifted way in which the author presents the interconnected nature of the events of the story, but it still fits into a category of stories that only somewhat works for me as a reader.

As an aside, I am a bit bugged that the amazon.ca listing for the book mentioned it as being a "page-turning literary debut about a harrowing coming-of-age and a marriage under siege". I find this statement very misleading about the story. There is no 'harrowing' coming of age, and as for the marriage 'under siege' bit...... not. It is a story about a woman who makes some more or less random choices when she is 19 years-old and how one's past choices can have unexpected ramifications on our present and future.

Herb Garden Project - Week 2 Update
After two weeks, some of the herbs are thriving and others are.... not. Of course, it doesn't help that I have just realized I have forgotten some key factors: I haven't fed them (they are supposed to receive some plant food on a weekly basis once they sprout), I forgot to place them by the big window for the necessary sunlight (photosynthesis 101) AND I haven't been rotating the pots so that the plants will grow up straight and strong..... I was wondering why some of them were tilting. ;-)

Here are pictures taken yesterday to show progress after two weeks:



The main thriver is Chives - not surprising considering even I know those things can thrive in almost any conditions - and my big surprise this week is Parsley - who was a complete 'no show' this time last week. Basil is growing at a slow but steady rate. Now that I have feed them and placed them where they can have direct access to sunlight, I am hoping these will continue to thrive.



My stragglers are Spinach, Dill and Tarragon, which seem to be more or less in the same growth stage as they were this time last week. Actually, tarragon has regressed.... the single shoot that was showing last week is gone.

I planted second pots of Basil, Dill and Spinach yesterday, adjusting my planting methods slightly as I forgot to tamp down the soil with the first batch of herbs to ensure that they had direct contact with the moist soil. That, and I paid more attention to the seeds and their placement. At the rate that Chives is growing, I will probably be able to move the plant to the outside plant stand next weekend. I will then probably attempt a new batch of Tarragon and plant some of the other herbs I have purchased.

Looks great!! I'm rooting for the dill, obviously, but I'm not sure that'll help. :)

We were fortunate that my father chose to limit his driving to just around town as he got older. He had to give up driving because of macular degeneration though. He still owns his car, but he no longer has a drivers license. My brother and sister-in-law are listed as the primary drivers.

>121 -Eva-: - Ha, I am rooting for the dill, too. I am rooting for all of them but I would love it if I can get dill to grow!

>122 thornton37814: - I think that giving up driving is a very difficult decision, and a harsh reality that our bodies are not what they used to be. Grey hair, wrinkles, putting on a few pounds may be the very visible signs of aging but having to stop driving because your motor responses are not what they were or like in your father's case, a medical condition sets in, is a "no turning back the clock now" kind of realization. It is probably a rather scary one to face.

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

Happy Tuesday and if it wasn't for my other half, I wouldn't have remembered that today is St. Paddy's Day and I probably wouldn't have the beginnings of a head cold, either. ;-)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Any pictures of the Northern Lights to share?

>113 lkernagh: This is a tough one. I don't know that my story is helpful. Might be a little depressing. My grandmother was fiercely independent and did a fair amount of traveling around the country on her own. My father and his siblings were legitimately nervous about asking her to give up driving, and reluctant to curb her independence. About 7 years ago, she was killed in a car accident. She pulled out onto a rural highway not far from her home and was broad sided by a truck. Admittedly, the truck was traveling way too fast for the road, but at the same time, my grandmother's ability to see well and reaction time were not what they should have been. My father and his siblings deeply regret waiting to have that talk with her. She was in relatively good health, just getting past it as far as driving.

Sad, but I suppose it's the reality of ageing. At some point, we can't be as independent as we like. Does this relative live where there is a good public transport system?

>124 BookLizard: - Well, I have to admit to being a bit confused by your question until I read about the Northern Lights/Aurora Borealis display on St. Paddy's Day. No pictures from me but if you Google "Aurora Borealis March 17, 2015" and click on images, some fantastic pictures display!

>125 nittnut: - The story of your grandmother is sad one, Jenn. Thank you so much for sharing as it will help make the conversation a little easier. Loss of independence is a hard pill to swallow. While I may be able to give up a vehicle, I am sure when I get older there will be some other frailty or limitation that I will have a very difficult time coming to terms with... something I will try to keep in mind during the conversation.

Not the greatest of public transport but a number of family members live in the vicinity so I am sure that if anything needs to be sorted out, assistance can be parceled out amongst the group.

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I continue to wage war against the virus/bug my other half decided to share with me. The good news is that beyond a bit of scratchy, tickley throat, some stuffiness and a lack of energy, I am holding my own pretty good against the beastie. Two more days and then I can crash in bed for the weekend for rest so that I can return to 100%.

124> I've seen some of the pictures, but I don't know anyone who's actually seen them. Someone on Twitter last night was joking that they're not even real.

Hope you feel better soon.

It has been years since I have last seen the Northern Lights. They are beautiful and I would describe them as interesting washes of colour against the night sky, almost as if it was a colourful sea above our heads.

I made it through almost all of the work week before the cold finally made me call 'Uncle' and head home. I now have a three day weekend so I am hoping that I can make use of that time off to rest and fully recover from this cold.

Book #22 - Longbourn by Jo Baker - audiobook read by Emma Fielding
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Minimalism
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: October 8, 2013
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 352 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca website listing:

A below-stairs point of view for readers of Pride and Prejudice, this is a story of the romance, intrigue and drama among the servants of the Bennet household at Longbourn estate. Our heroine is Sarah, an orphaned housemaid beginning to chafe against the boundaries of her class. When the militia marches into town, a new footman arrives under mysterious circumstances, and Sarah finds herself the object of the attentions of an ambitious young former slave working at neighboring Netherfield Hall, the carefully choreographed world downstairs at Longbourn threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, up-ended.

Review:
Having finally read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice a mere two years ago, the timing to dip into Baker's book seemed right. Enough time had past that I was able to allow the references in Longbourn to refresh my memory of certain characters and events. Why I could not for the life of me remember the Bennet girl Mary, I am at a loss to explain. As others reviewers have mentioned, this one has a scaled down Downton Abbey feel to it. I enjoyed the downstairs POV, even if Sarah annoyed me a bit as a character. I also found the James back story to be a bit disruptive to the even flow of the story.

Overall, a good story but I am left wondering if more or less references to the events of Pride and Prejudice would have made this a better story. Always a bit tricky when creating a story based on a story. One can never really gauge how readers will respond. I think it works here, but still, I wonder if I would have enjoyed this one more if I had never read or had any knowledge of Pride and Prejudice.

Hope you feel better soon! I am starting to get a cold as well, which is annoying as it's interfering with my sleep. Stupid immune system -- sleep is what you need to fight off colds!

>129 lkernagh: I think it works here, but still, I wonder if I would have enjoyed this one more if I had never read or had any knowledge of Pride and Prejudice.

Good point Lori. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn't been related to P&P.

>130 rabbitprincess: - Thanks! I hope you are feeling better soon, too. Colds are the worst for interrupting one's sleep. The other half has been making himself useful as a good nurse maid and dosed me up with one of his wonderful toddies to make me sleep through the night.

>131 VivienneR: - I noticed as I was listening to the audiobook that my ears would perk up when a P&P event was mentioned, which meant I quit paying attention to the story for its own sake and started making a mental assessment of how Baker handled the event from the servant's POV. Not the best way to enjoy a story. ;-)

Book #23 - The Babylon Contingency by Clifford Longley
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Books Made into Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR / LTER
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: October 30, 2014
Acquisition date: December 23, 2014
Page count: 336 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.com website listing:

Investigating a burglary at an English country house, Detective Chief Inspector Robbie Peele comes face to face with one of the most mysterious objects in world archaeology, the Phaestos Disk—and with a Middle Eastern terrorist cell determined to steal it. The vital clue leads Peele and his assistant, Sarah Shipton to Crete and an abandoned Muslim village, where a Victorian gentleman explorer witnessed horrors that were meant to be secret and recorded what he saw in coded diaries, leading Peele and his team to dig deeper and ask harder questions to solve what proves to be much bigger than the original burglary case.

Review:
While I did realize going in that this was not going to be your typical police procedural novel, I wasn't quite ready for the "cop meets spy world" approach to the story. I also wasn't prepared for the rather complex - and somewhat academic - archaeology/religion angle that at times made me feel more like I was back in university attending a class than reading what I was expecting to be a more action-packed story. Don't get me wrong, the historical information made for some interesting reading and it did make me curious to learn more about the persecution/expulsion of the Ottoman Muslims from Crete in the early 1900's but the action itself was lackluster, but I did grow tired of the barrage of police, spy agencies and government officials that seem to dance their way through the pages of this story like a swirling, muddled mess - MI5, MI6, CI7, Mossad, Interpol, etc.

I am chalking this one up as a beach read, not the intense, adrenalin pumping action packed ride I was expecting/hoping it would be.

>131 VivienneR: >129 lkernagh: I think it works here, but still, I wonder if I would have enjoyed this one more if I had never read or had any knowledge of Pride and Prejudice.

Interesting, I loved Longbourn, but it's been a good thirty-five years since I read P&P so my memory of the story wouldn't be very strong. I wondered at the time whether someone who had more recently read P&P would feel the same as I did about the book.

"the virus/bug my other half decided to share with me"
Ah, such generosity.... :)

>134 DeltaQueen50: - This has turned into an interesting conversation over on my 75 group thread, but I don't think we are reaching any sort of decision on whether or not the reader experience of Longbourn is enhanced by a recent read of P&P. ;-)

>135 -Eva-: - I have tried to explain that we really don't need to share everything but he is such a giving person.... ;-)

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

Happy Sunday everyone! On the health front, I am almost back to 100% after taking things easy Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. Sleep truly is the best cure for the common cold. ;-)

On the reading front, I have started reading The City & The City and, of course, I have been sucked right into the story, figuratively speaking since we are taking about a Mieville read. Still waiting for my hold of Wildlife to come available but at least I know the previous library patron has returned the book and it is now "in transit" for me so fingers crossed I will be able to read it before the end of the month for the March AAC.

Other than that, just some baking planned for this afternoon. All the maple talk over on mstrust's thread has me thinking about making a batch of maple butterscotch pecan muffins.... now I just need to track down a recipe that I can use of adapt to make the muffins. ;-)

Herb Garden Project - Week 3 Update

I think I have mentioned more than once that as much as my goal is to grow a wonderful container herb garden, this is very much an experiment for the brown thumb that I have when it comes to gardening. Week 3 into the project and my brown thumb reared its ugly head. I managed to kill almost all of the plants by: 1) over watering, and 2) with probably overfeeding them with a biofish plant food I had in the house. Now, to give my other half credit, he had suggested that I don't use the biofish plant food and that I get rid of it. Looks like he was right and I was wrong. Biofish plant food now ditched and a new batch of herbs - in fresh soil and sterilized containers - has been planted.

Now I mentioned that almost all of the plants were dead (or in such a sorry state they might as well have been dead), so you are probably wondering what survived my brown thumb? Surprisingly, not the Chives, which blew my mind considered Chives grow like a weed on their own. I seem to be very skilled at killing plants. The plant that survived - and in fact seems to be thriving - is Dill. Yes, you read right.... DILL! Who knew?! Below is a picture of the original Dill plant (on the left) and the second batch of Dill I planted last week:



Of course, I am still a little concerned that this plant is going to survive.... it seems so lanky and wispy. Time will tell.

Last week I also planted new batches of Spinach and Basil. The Spinach (picture on the left) has taken off like no tomorrow in just a short 7 days and Basil (picture on the right) is peeking its tender little shoots up.



At least this time the poor things didn't have to fight their way through a slug of soil as thick and wet as mud - I am getting better at prepping the soil for planting - and will use the 'water from the bottom' method to water the plants when they need water, so that the roots will grow downwards.

New batch of herbs planted are: second batches of Chives, Tarragon and Parsley and new batches of Peppermint, Lemon Balm and Marjoram.

Tune in next week folks for another exciting installment in "Herb Gardening with Lori". ;-)

One of the vendors at the farmer's market Sat had wonderful basil plants. In 4" pots, they were about 6-8 inches tall and very lush. I couldn't resist at only $5 a plant and now wish I had bought a few more.

>138 dudes22: - That sounds like a steal of deal, especially for a plant in a 4" pot! Good score! I must admit that we cannot go without fresh basil in the house - we use so much of it - that I picked up a smaller, 2 1/2 inch potted basil plant at the grocery store yesterday. The decision was a pretty easy one to make - I either pay $2.99 for the plant - which I have to admit has the appearance of a fast grow, root bound plant that I may attempt to repot - or the exact same same price for a small package of fresh basil. Kind of a no-brainer decision considering the package fresh basil is already on its way to wilting before it even reaches the store, let alone me.

Yeah - I recently made something that I needed fresh basil for and had to use the packaged stuff that is already limp when you open the package. I'm hoping he has some next week so I can pick some up for my sisters. I have it on the windowsill behind the sink (although I'll probably move it to a sunnier window) and love to just stick my nose in it and smell.

>137 lkernagh:
"I seem to be very skilled at killing plants."

Hah! Yeah, me, too, Lori. Glad to hear the Dill survived, though, and good luck with the rest of your herb garden experiments. :)

Maple, butterscotch pecan muffins? You're too cruel.

>140 dudes22: - I love sticking my nose in the basil plant, too. ;-)

>141 andreablythe: - I happy the Dill survived, too, Andrea. Now to see if I can keep the Dill alive long enough for it to produce the Dill I want for my cooking.

>142 BookLizard: - LOL, I ended up making butterscotch oatmeal muffins sweetened only with maple syrup (no pecans). Of course, it meant messing around a bit with the recipe I had found on-line but the muffins turned out pretty darn good. ;-)

143> Well, the pecans only add protein anyway. Who needs 'em? ;-)

>136 lkernagh: I'm glad I wasn't the only one who couldn't resist the thought of maple. Yea for experiments!

Lori, it is so interesting to read about your experiments in gardening. I've never had much success starting plants from seed and gave up entirely. Now I buy bedding plants and don't kill nearly as many!

>146 VivienneR: me too. I don't think I have the patience to gorw from seed. Fortunately we have a very good local grower and I get all my vegetable plants from here. Also means I can have 3 different tomato plants, rather than having to buy multiple sets of seeds to get 3 varieties.

I think you should enter the Edible Books contest. You like food- you like crafts- and you like books. It's perfect for you!

>144 BookLizard: - Good point on the protein. Must remember to add pecans next time. ;-)

>145 mstrust: - Love experiments, especially when they are tasty experiments!

>146 VivienneR: - Still have yet to see if I have any glowing success with growing a herb garden from seed, so don't be surprised if come May, I break down and buy plants. It is fun trying, though and I do get satisfaction when I see delicate green sprouts poking through the dirt. ;-)

>148 BookLizard: - LOL, it has been a really long time since I created any kind of edible product as a visual display.... I don't think I would know where to begin! Maybe next year, if i have more time on my hands. It has been a rather crazy month and I don't see things slowing down anytime soon.

My days have been busy with work - we are approaching fiscal year end, which always means some form of mad scramble - and not much reading. I cannot seem to focus on The City & The City.... I am just not drawn into the story like I have been with other Mieville reads. My current audiobook read, Station Eleven, was also a bit of a challenge for me at first. I liked how the story started out but I am struggling a bit with the time shift, which is strange for me. I guess I am going through a bit of a reading funk.

I have also been distracted lately with telecom matters. As shocked as a number of you may be to learn this, I still have a flip phone as my personal cell phone. I have had the same cell phone for 8 years now and I am finally taking the plunge for a personal smart phone. I have never felt the urge to join the smart phone market but it is probably time for a new cell phone. I have a work issued iPhone that has its pluses and minuses - I am not 100% sold on Apple's products - so I thought I would check out the Android phone market and possibly get another Samsung phone. My cell phone carrier is currently offering the Samsung Galaxy Alpha for $0 with a 2 year plan, so I checked it out. I found the perfect plan for my usage, only to have the carrier inform me that I cannot have the Alpha for free with that plan, I would have to either take a more expensive plan - for an extra $25 per month - or pay $199 to get the phone on the plan I wanted. I am like, "No Way." Suffice to say, this conversation with the carrier's corporate customer service department became a 2+ hours negotiations, thankfully managed by my other half, who stressed that a plan anyone off the street can get as a first time customer is unacceptable to offer to a loyal customer of 10 years. In the end, we finally managed to get a plan that I like and the phone for $0. I was absolutely drained of all energy by the end of that call and I was just listening to the back and forth conversation. Thankfully, my other half lives for stuff like this. He was just warming up - after 2 hours! - when the deal was reached.

Imagine my excitement last night to come home to a Canada Post notification of attempted delivery of a package for me, a mere two days later. Imagine my deflated disappointment when I opened the box this evening to discover that they had shipped me the phone, in the wrong colour. Two colours to choose from - black or white - and they managed to ship me a white phone when I had asked for black. *sighs*

Another conversation with customer service this evening and the new phone is now being shipped back - postage prepaid - to be replaced with a black one as originally requested. They won't ship out the replacement phone until they are in receipt of the wrong shipped phone, which makes sense but I am a little leery in that the customer service rep stressed repeatedly to me to keep the tracking number that Canada Post gave for the return product. I was kind of hoping to have the new phone before my next trip home, but that is looking now to be a rather remote possibility at best. I hate dealing with telecom companies.... they make used car salespeople look good.

>150 lkernagh: Has Comcast gone into the mobile phone business? It sure sounds like their customer service. I'm glad that you ended up with a plan that fits your needs. I'm sorry it took so long to make it happen.

Ah, the joys of dealing with the customer service departments of any large corporation. I've found that your husband's approach, of being willing to stay on the phone for hours, is the only one that works (sometimes). I'm glad he was willing to deal with it for you.

Oh no, that makes me the last person on the planet with a flip phone....

>153 kac522: My BF has a flip phone, so you're not the last one ;)

>153 kac522: I still have a flip phone!

My husband has a flip and I'm only one step away with one that slides.

>151 cbl_tn: - HA, it kind of sounds like Comcast, doesn't it? My personal concern with cell/wireless carriers in Canada - actually with the telecom companies in general - is that we have an oligarchy in that there are only three telecom providers for most of Canada to choose from - Rogers, Bell and Telus. We do have Virgin Mobile which givens the outward appearance of four mobility players in the market but they were acquired by Bell Mobility, so we are back to just the big three. The big three are anything but customer service driven. They spend most of their time in front of the The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (Canadian regulatory body) because of their business practices. Interestingly, the President of Bell Media has been in the hot seat lately for overstepping his authority by intervening in how CTV new journalists covered the news. He has now apologized for his actions since the news broke but seriously, the writing is on the wall for this guy and I hope the shareholders take him to task because I think that is the only way he will be removed from his position.

.... telecom companies, I tell you. *sighs*

>152 RidgewayGirl: - As I mentioned to Carrie above, I think our telecom companies need to be reigned in a bit. It is a sad state of affairs when customer service becomes such a blatant oxymoron. ;-) My other half if a gem, between his abilities to fix all things electronic and to take care of all difficult negotiations - he deals with our internet provider on a very regular basis making sure they don't throttle down our internet access speeds, etc - so I spoil him with all the home cooked meals he loves so much.

>153 kac522: & >154 rabbitprincess: - As RP said, you are not the last flip phone user on the planet. I have work colleagues who still have flip phones and I should mention that my other half has no desire to give up his flip phone. He has the same flip phone I have, but his has been dropped a few more times so he will probably use my phone and same his for spare parts when he wants to fix it. I live with a MacGyver of sorts. ;-0

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Happy Saturday Everyone! I was so exhausted last night I fell a sleep at 8:30 and sleep right through the night. I feel great this morning.... I obviously needed the sleep! Just grocery shopping and reading planned for this weekend, to see if I can get another book or two read before we say goodbye to March and welcome April.

I still have a flip phone too! It's new-ish; I just got it last year. A friend refers to it as my "Atari phone." I also don't have texting. It costs too much and there's nobody I want to talk to that badly.

Glad to know I'm not alone out here, taking hours to send a text that says "I'm on my way" or something equally brief.

>159 casvelyn: "Atari phone", HA! Someone called mine a "toilet seat phone." (Can I say that on LT? Will I get flagged??!)

I must be a real Luddite as we only have a landline, no mobile phone at all!

>159 casvelyn:, >160 kac522: & >161 hailelib: - YAY for flip phones and no cell phone at all! I feel better knowing that the technology companies have not taken over the world. Part of me lives in fear that we will reach a point in our lives where technology becomes the all powerful and basic services become unreachable unless you have the latest and greatest technology.

A friend refers to it as my "Atari phone." I would be proud to have an "Atari phone". Badge of honor, that is!

"Toilet seat phone"...that is a new one for me. Makes me laugh and rather difficult to wipe the image from my mind one it is there!

Landlines have their uses... in fact, because of the building we live in, we cannot give up our landline. It is s through the land phone that the front door intercom system operates. Of course, one could always receive a cell phone call - or a text message - when one's friends or service/delivery people are downstairs but you would then have to go downstairs to open the front door for them so, we keep our landline. Cell phones have not totally taken over the world. ;-)

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Happy Sunday! Saturday was a day planned for just grocery shopping and reading. Got the shopping done but managed yet again to distract myself with other tasks than reading. I made some lemon tarts as I had four lemons in the fridge that I needed to use up. I managed to use up two lemons - they were large lemons! The tarts turned out divine, if I do say so myself:



Recipe can be found over on the 75 group kitchen thread, at post 192

Other than that, we watched A Million Ways to Die in the West, a fun, mindless western comedy that made me think ofBlazing Saddles so of course, we had to watch that next. ;-)

Mmmmmm lemon tarts! Those look divine. :D

Our apartment intercom can be used with cell phones, so we decided not to get a landline when we moved in. Both of us have cell phones and our respective friends and family have at least one of those numbers, so we can be reached somehow. Getting a landline at this stage would really only be for preserving connectivity in the event of an extended power outage; otherwise, it would probably just end up being another way for telemarketers to bother us.

Ooh. I will have one of those lemon tarts please. :)

One more flip phone user - my husband. And we still have a landline at home.
And love, love, love Blazing Saddles!

Those tarts look amazing!

>163 rabbitprincess:, >164 nittnut: and >166 LittleTaiko: - Thanks! The other half has been happily devouring the lemon tarts.

>163 rabbitprincess: - Our building - and its related 'equipment' - is too old so our intercom system doesn't work with cell phone technology. The plus for where we live is that the units are larger, almost 1.5 times the square footage of newer units. I like the larger rooms, so I am good with foregoing newer technology as a trade off. ;-)

>164 nittnut: - Hurray for another flip phone user! Blazing Saddles is a classic.... cracks me up every time we watch it.

Herb Garden Project - Week 4 Update

Having spent the past week recovering from what I will call a head cold, I neglected my plants, beyond ensuring that the plants that had already sprouted were placed in front of the window every morning to catch the direct morning sun and the indirect afternoon sun and giving them a watering mid-week from the bottom. The Dill continues to thrive - and needs to be thinned out based on good advice provided by fuzzi over on the Gardens and Books group - but I am completely crushed to report that the Basil - at week 2 (my second attempt) - has what I can only guess is mold growing (the white stuff in the picture below):



Darn it all.... and the plant only received the one watering mid-week. I am guessing that they received too much water because they haven't been exposed to anything else to cause this to happen. I am starting to see just how delicate the water balance is with these young herbs. The Dill is still doing fine- and it received the same amount of water as the Basil, go figure - so it is a good thing that I bought a Basil plant at the grocery store last week to help keep us in fresh Basil while I continue to try and grow my own from seed... which brings me to my re-potting sub-project: the Basil plant I purchased seemed cramped in it 3" pot so this weekend I re-potted it in a clean 5" pot with added fresh soil:



Yes, the poor store bought Basil plant has a bit of the droopsies but right now I am just glad to have a live plant that I can rely on for my fresh Basil. ;-)

The new batch of Chives are doing really well - as you can see by the picture below - and I am happy to report that the second batch of Tarragon (and the first batch of Marjoram) have already sprouted mini shoots after only 7 days. They are too tiny for pictures this week.



My "one step forward, two steps back" approach to herb gardening still continues to keep my interest and I am looking forward to hopefully moving the Chives to the outdoor plant stand in the next week or two, now that we have consistently warmer temps with evenings only dropping down to 6'C.

Those lemon tarts look wonderful! Nice to see your herb garden progress too. "One step forward, two steps back" actually sounds pretty good, as far as gardening is concerned. I usually plant a large variety of vegetables and herbs each summer and if half of them do well, I'm pretty happy. :)

mmmm. Those lemon tarts look lovely.

Love to see that your herb garden is progressing, even if it's a one step forward, two steps back kind of progress.

Pass me one of those tarts! They look beautiful, very professional.
I landed on a P. Allen Smith program last week when he was scattering epsom salts on his potted plants as food. He put it on houseplants but also said he uses it on tomatoes and citrus too. Maybe check out if it can go on herbs? I've never heard of that before.

I've always used Epsom salts when planting my tomato plants into the garden, but I've never heard of using them in house plants. I'm going to check that out.

>137 lkernagh: & >168 lkernagh:
Yey! Go dill!!!!

>150 lkernagh:
I didn't know cellphones could last 8 years... :)

>162 lkernagh:
Those look gorgeous!

>169 mathgirl40:, >170 andreablythe:, >171 mstrust: & >173 -Eva-: - Glad to see lemon tarts are a hit with everyone!

>169 mathgirl40: - I figure, If I accomplish growing any of the herbs from seed, I will be a very happy girl... yes, I have a low expectation threshold for success. ;-) I could more or less manage helping my Mom with the vegetable garden as a kid but, as you say, if half of what is planted does well, that is a successful gardening season!

>170 andreablythe: - I am having a lot of fun with the 'garden', even if we are talking about small planter pots. I am learning a lot through trial and error. Some folks think trial and error is a laborous way to learn but I am a hands on kind of learner. ;-)

>171 mstrust: & >172 dudes22: - I have heard about epsom salts and gardening but I never really paid much attention at the time. I must investigate further!

>173 -Eva-: - Hi Eva! Go figure.... Dill is resilient to my brown thumb gardening skills.... who knew!

Ha, my other half is now determined to see how long my cell phone will continue to work. He has decided he will take it over and use it once I am up and running with my new one.... if it ever shows up.

Book #24 - Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - audiobook narrated by Kirsten Potter
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Street Art
Reading BINGO square: by an LT author
CAT(s): All the cool kids are doing it! - Books everyone else is reading
Source: GVPL
Format: audiobook
Original publication date: September 9, 2014
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 352 pages / 10 hours, 30 minutes of listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.00 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca website listing:

One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a production of King Lear. Jeevan Chaudhary, a paparazzo-turned-EMT, is in the audience and leaps to his aid. A child actress named Kirsten Raymonde watches in horror as Jeevan performs CPR, pumping Arthur’s chest as the curtain drops, but Arthur is dead. That same night, as Jeevan walks home from the theater, a terrible flu begins to spread. Hospitals are flooded and Jeevan and his brother barricade themselves inside an apartment, watching out the window as cars clog the highways, gunshots ring out, and life disintegrates around them.

Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, Station Eleven tells the story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.

Review:
Yahoo, an apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novel, and no zombies. Okay, that is probably a bit unfair. The Road also has no zombies in it. The lack of zombies is not the focus of this review, just a refreshing observation I wanted to make. I love Emily St. John Mandel’s earlier novels, Last Night in Montreal and The Singer’s Gun. Both touched on dark topics – the first on abduction and the second delving into the psyche of criminal of the minds of criminal fugitives – and both had great characterization with well-drawn, sophisticated plot development. Station Eleven was a bit of a departure and a bit of struggle for me to adjust to. I finally got into the rhythm of the character/time shifts and the overall flow of the story by the half way mark and that is when it all started to click for me. Unfortunately, this one ended up having a bit of a lackluster effect on me. St. John Mandel continues to exhibit finesse for delving into and exposing the haunted psyche of her characters. She also continues to impress me as a gifted author who I believe will continue to draw readers in with her stories but this one had more the feel of a tale told - a yarn spun with a more muted realism to it. I don't know if it is the story itself or the narration by Kirsten Potter, but I came away after reading this one with an overall sense of calmness.... not something one usually expects to experience when reading an apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic novel.

Overall, I understand the attraction that this novel has received and I hope first time readers of St John Mandel's works will now read her earlier stories….. Which reminds me, I really must get around to reading The Lola Quartet. ;-)

MARCH RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ (ranked from most to least favorite):
The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Six and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Seven by David Ashton - 4.20/
Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher - 4.10 /
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel - 4.00 /
Longbourn by Jo Baker - 3.60 /
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters - 3.30 /
A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison - 3.20 /
The Babylon Contingency by Clifford Longley - 2.90 /

STATS:
# of Books Read: 7
# of Pages Read: 2,131 completed books
Average pages read per day: 68.74
Original Publication Date Range of books read: 2002-2014
Largest Book read: Fingersmith at 560 pages
Smallest Book read: Any of the Inspector McLevy radio plays, each series at roughly 85 pages
Books still in progress at the end of the month: The City & The City by China Mieville - as of March 30th, I had roughly 50 pages still to go.
Interesting Fact: Nothing that springs to mind, except that it was nice to see the majority of my reading in March (5 books) were by female authors.

CHALLENGES:- as of March 31st
ROOTs Challenge:
Books read this month: 2 (5 in total)
Books still to go: 20

Reading Bingo Challenge:
Books read this month: 3 (14 in total)
Books still to go (if I go for a blackout): 11

Commonwealth Challenge:
Books read this month: 0 (1 in total)
Books still to read to complete my challenge: 40

Category Challenge: Each category completed when 8 books or 2,015 pages read is reached
Street Art - 1 book / 352 pages read - (1 book / 352 pages read in total)
Happening - 1 book / 96 pages read - (2 books / 448 pages read in total)
Minimalism - 1 book / 352 pages read - (2 books / 493 pages read in total)
American Realism - 0 books / 0 pages - (2 books / 467 pages read in total)
The London Group - 1 book/ 560 pages - (3 books / 1,248 pages read in total)
Books made into Art - 1 books / 336 pages read - (3 books / 1,040 pages read in total)
Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art - 0 books / 0 pages - (1 books / 336 pages read in total)
Art - 2 books / 435 pages read - (10 books / 2,466 pages read in total) - CATEGORY COMPLETED

75 Books Challenge: - My "Luck 'O the Irish" Race (books read versus pages read): Bringing this fun reading snapshot race back, my 75 group challenge will be considered completed whichever comes first: 75 books read or 25,000 pages read.



Pot of Gold continues to maintain its slight lead over Shamrock, but it is still early days in this year long race.

Proposed April Reading:
Complete the following reads in progress:
The City & The City by China Mieville - just 30 pages to go!
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell - Audiobook read by David Tennant
Start reading:
Wildlife by Richard Ford - Yes, I am behind on my March AAC reading
Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich - my planned April AAC read
Bayou of Pigs by Stewart Bell - for my Commonwealth Challenge
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - My Mom loaned this one to me my last trip home. I need to read it before my next trip home!
Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham - for the April BAC and a perfect fit as a 'published in 1915' book for my Bingo Challenge
..... and anything else that crops up.

>175 lkernagh:
Station Eleven sounds right up my alley.

>176 lkernagh:
The City & The City! Yes! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

If you have more dill seed you might try throwing them in a corner of your yard and forgetting about it. It seems to grow best as a weed and not a pampered house plant. What I do is buy a nice fresh looking bunch in the store, giving it a good chop, putting it in a plastic container to store in the freezer. It lasts for months that way.

>177 andreablythe: - Both stories were quite good, but not stellar reads for me.

>178 mamzel: - It seems to grow best as a weed and not a pampered house plant. I had heard that somewhere. We don't have a yard so scattering the seeds and just letting them do their thing isn't an option but I am starting to appreciate all of the grief Eva has gone through trying to grow dill. Storing fresh dill in the freezer is a wonderful idea! Thanks!

----------------
I have now officially started my 5-day long weekend - YAHOO! No big plans beyond trying to come up with an exciting vegetarian menu for Easter Sunday. I may end up stretching things a bit and add some chicken or fish to the menu, but I still have two days to get creative so we will see.

Book #25 - The City & The City by China Mieville
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: The London Group
Reading BINGO square: that is a genre bender
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2009
Acquisition date: January 5, 2013
Page count: 352 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website listing:

When a murdered woman is found in the city of Beszel, somewhere at the edge of Europe, it looks to be a routine case for Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad. To investigate, Borlú must travel from the decaying Beszel to its equal, rival, and intimate neighbor, the vibrant city of Ul Qoma. But this is a border crossing like no other, a journey as psychic as it is physical, a seeing of the unseen. With Ul Qoman detective Qussim Dhatt, Borlú is enmeshed in a sordid underworld of nationalists intent on destroying their neighboring city, and unificationists who dream of dissolving the two into one. As the detectives uncover the dead woman’s secrets, they begin to suspect a truth that could cost them more than their lives. What stands against them are murderous powers in Beszel and in Ul Qoma: and, most terrifying of all, that which lies between these two cities.

Review:
Mieville has done it again….. bending the boundaries of genres to come up with something new, different and yet at the same time, with recognizable elements to attract readers of science fiction, fantasy, mystery, police procedural and crime thrillers. Mieville continues to be one of the authors I would love to meet over coffee because I am pretty sure the conversation would be a fascinating one! His world build continues to captivate me - I love the whole idea of crosshatched cities and Breach! - but this story fell a little short for me in that police procedural and crime novels in general are not my usual reading fare, and I didn’t feel as absorbed into the setting of Beszel/Ul Qoma as I was with Bas-Lag and my read of Perdido Street Station. Probably because Mieville has kept our world (all those references to Canada, etc) connected to the story. This one works as a good grounding mechanism for readers who like to only lightly dip into the sci-fi/fantasy genre, but it left me wanting something more…. wanting something that would completely disconnect me from reality. The investigation into the crime was alright as far as investigations go but I really wasn't taken with any of the characters or the circumstances. As per other reviews I have read, The City & The City is a great book for a new Mieville reader to start with or if they find his other stuff – like Perdido Street Station – just a little to gritty, bizarre and ‘out there’ weird for their reading tastes.

Overall, an alright police procedural/crime story with ‘other world’ elements that kept me reading. Without the other world elements of the crosshatched cities and Breach, I probably would have abandoned this one.

>180 lkernagh: I still have this (along with a couple of others of his work) on my tbr shelves. Shame it didn't quite hit the mark for you but at least it held enough interest for you to finish it.

Hi, Lori, it's too bad The City & The City didn't work out as well as you'd hoped.

But it sounds like you enjoyed Perdido Street Station, which is the next Mieville I'm planning to read.

He would would definitely be an interesting person to sit down and have a conversation with.

>180 lkernagh:
I read that one more from a political angle (as I tend to do with his novels), so it worked very well indeed for me. Perdido is amazing, though!

>181 AHS-Wolfy:, >182 andreablythe: & >183 -Eva-: - It took me longer to read that I had thought it would, mainly because it wasn't the page turning read I was hoping it would be. As Eva has pointed out, Mieville does write great stories from a political angle, which then makes The City & The City a bit of a possible future peek at our world and where political controls are taking us. Overall, it was a good story, but Perdido continues to be my favorite Mieville read!

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Happy Saturday! Yesterday was a delightful holiday Friday. I got up early - okay, I was up at 3 am - so I took the opportunity to get all caught up with LT threads and had a fresh loaf of bread in the oven by the time my other half crawled out of bed. I finished two books - one physical read and one audio read - and will be posting the reviews shortly. Dinner last night was homemade Potato Leek soup (my other half's favorite). To go with the soup I made, for the very first time, my very own Garlic, Parmesan and Sun-Dried Tomato artisan bread. All of my breads to date have just involved a blending of flour combinations - I have finally come up with a multigrain bread made from spelt, kamut, red fife, barley, buckwheat and light rye flours that we like - so this was my first foray into adding things like grated cheese, minced garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. This is also the first time I have made a bread that free forms on a cookie sheet for baking, not a loaf baked in a loaf pan where the sides of the pan help give the bread its shape. Overall, the bread turned out beautifully.



Even better.... this bread was perfect toasted and then spread with garlic roasted humus as breakfast this morning. The humus helps tone down the stronger sun dried tomato flavour of the bread, just like the soup did last night.

Now for those reviews....

Book #26 - Wildlife by Richard Ford
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: American Realism
Reading BINGO square: with a natural disaster
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 1990
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 177 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from various sources:

A sixteen-year-old boy, Joe Brinson, faces adulthood in the small Montana town of Great Falls in summer/fall of 1960, when observing love, marriage, adultery, the working life, and unemployment set against the backdrop of a season of raging forest wildfires.

Review:
Ford writes with a straightforward, clean manner. He doesn't tangle this story with a bunch of elaborate prose or character shifts. We follow the events as they unfold through Joe's rather naive sixteen-year-old eyes. Eyes that are unsure of what they are seeing and wary of what it all means for Joe's family and himself. It is a quick read and on one level, a rather simplistic one, but beneath the surface of Joe's story is a wealth of information and meaning for the reader to mine, if they choose to. The inside flyleaf of the copy I read explains this story better than I can:

"Wildlife examines the limits of how fully we can know one another, no matter how close the bonds of passion or blood. And with compassionate intensity Richard Ford offers an abiding sense of family and love, and how both can suffer and yet somehow withstand the gravest uncertainties and sorrows.

This story has a lot to offer, except any likeable characters. Joe comes across as overly naive for his age and his parents, well, they strike me as two loose cannons with put on facades that just come across as "fake, fake, fake".

Overall, an alright coming of age story that feels dated to me.

Book #27 - How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell - audiobook read by David Tennant
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Street Art
Reading BINGO square: with a mythical creature
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2004
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 240 pages / 3 hours, 30 minutes of listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website listing:

Chronicles the adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III as he tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan, the Tribe of the Hairy Hooligans, by catching and training a dragon.

Review:
This was so much fun to listen to! Think Hagar the Horrible meets Harry Potter and you get the gest of this first book in Cowell's delightful children's book series. Read by the incomparable David Tennant, I pretty much laughed, chuckled and snorted my way through this one. Who knew Vikings and Dragons would make such a comic team! Hiccup - son of the tribe's Viking chief - makes a wonderful child hero, along with his band of friends and terrorizers. Toothless, Hiccup's dragon, is quite the show stealer of this story, along with Hiccup's granddad, Wrinkles. Cowell has a wonderful imagination and a gift for humour. The serious adult reader that I am cannot wait to start listening to the next book in the series!

This makes my first Bingo line completed! Now to go for a blackout of the card.

I have the audio of How to Train Your Dragon as well and am looking forward to it even more thanks to your review! :)

Hooray!! Another Hiccup fan!

Also liked your review of Wildlife. Am I the only one who wants to call it Wildfire? Anyway, I think there is a consensus among the group of us who've read it. Incomprehensible characters.

>187 rabbitprincess: - RP, it is a wonderful audio read! I will be absolutely 'gobsmacked' if you don't enjoy it. ;-)

>188 nittnut: - Hiccup is hilarious! I have difficulties in not calling the Ford book "Wildfire".... of course, the cover of the book I read, with all that red flame, adds to my difficulties. Incomprehensible characters.... best two word summary for a book yet. ;-)

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

Happy Sunday! Today will be spent lazing around reading and cooking dinner for this evening as well as getting cracking on making a birthday card for my dad..... boy, this year is flying by! In the meantime, I have some project updates to share, if anyone is interested.

Vegetarian Adventures Update:

I haven't been posting my more recent vegetarian meals because they have been random slap together meals that really don't have a recipe. Last night we had what I will call "Warm Kale Bowls" for dinner. Basically, I cooked 1/4 cup of black beluga lentils in one pot. In a separate pot I cooked 1/4 cup of quinoa, timing the cooking so that both would be finished at roughly the same time. While those were cooking, I washed and chopped one leek, kale leaves from four large stalks, one large portabello mushroom - the big ones that can be used for grilled mushroom burgers - and two handfuls of cherry tomatoes I had in the fridge. Pan fried the leeks in avocado oil in the largest deep dish frying pan I own for a couple of minutes, tossed in a tablespoon of minced garlic and pan fried for another minute. Added the chopped mushrooms. Cooked for three to four minutes. Tossed in the cooked beluga lentils. Stirred things around for another minute. Tossed in the chopped tomatoes and 2 cups of previously cooked wild rice I already had in the fridge. Stirred things around as it all cooked. Added the chopped kale. Blended the ingredients as best I could and then covered the pot to steam cook the kale for a couple of minutes. Once the kale had cooked down, I tossed in the cooked quinoa, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste and dinner was ready. ;-)

Sorry... no picture. I will try to remember to take a picture next time.

Herb Garden Project - Week 5 Update

It has been warm enough this past week and a couple of the plants have progressed enough that I have taken the plunge and moved the following second batch of herbs to the outdoor plant stand during the days:
Chives, Dill and Parsley



I continue to coddle/pamper what appear to be more delicate herbs:
Marjoram, Tarragon (which one can barely see) and Lemon Balm



I will hold off on planting any new plants while I see how these ones progress over the next couple of weeks.

I admire you starting with seeds. I'm planning on planting some herbs next weekend but they will be established plantings from the nursery.

I may still end up caving and buying established plants again this year, but for now, it as been a lot of fun growing, as my other half says, the 'wee planties' from seed. ;-)

>186 lkernagh:
That is such a sweet series! And, yes, Tennant is a great reader.

>191 lkernagh:
And look at that dill go! :)

I can see myself making sort work of the Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III series! ;-)

I am still amazed at the Dill.... go Dill!

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

It is a holiday Monday where I am so I am going to enjoy a relaxing day. Probably get a couple loads of laundry done and make some bread / crackers but other than that, no plans to leave the house.

Dinner last night was a success. I ended up bailing on the complete vegetarian meal idea. We had breaded chicken breasts with steamed brussels sprouts, roasts yams and sweet potatoes with homemade stuffing and a very good mushroom gravy. We were stuffed but at least in a contented way and not bloated and sleepy when turkey is the on the menu. ;-)

Book #28 - How To Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell - audiobook read by David Tennant
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Street Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2004
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 224 pages / 2 hours, 52 minutes of listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website listing:

Follows the further adventures and misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III as his Viking training continues and his father leads a stranger and the Hairy Hooligans to the Isle of Skullions in search of a pirate's treasure.

Review:
A quick read/listen. Not as good as the first book but still an entertaining way to pass 3 hours while doing household chores. Toothless, Hiccup and Hiccup's best friend Fishlegs are for the most part the only voices of reason as tense moments, mayhem and adventure continues for the Hairy Hooligan tribe. The continuing lessons in 'dragon identification' are also a lot of fun.

You are such a healthy eater, Lori! I need to take a page from your book. I must admit to having trouble digesting kale. I used to make a vegetable soup that had quite a bit of Kale in it and freeze up small packages for myself, but both my husband and I had trouble with kale. Impressive reading, Lori! Oh but your artisan bread is making me hungry!

>197 vancouverdeb: - Well, we - meaning my other half and I - decided to adopt a more healthy eating regime because I was getting sick and tired of coming down with a cold every time someone in the office or on the bus was sick. The change has made a huge improvement in how I feel and I no longer get sick, except when my other half decides he wants to share his illnesses, so it has been a very positive change. We do balance our 'healthy' eating by staying try to one motto: "A house without chocolate, is a house without love." Chocolate abounds in our house.... it's a monumental crisis if we every run out of chocolate. ;-)

Sorry to read that you have trouble digesting kale. I love to cook with it because it doesn't cook down to nothing like spinach does, but there is no point in eating something if it doesn't agree with you.

Book #29 - Bayou of Pigs by Stewart Bell
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth (Dominica)
Category: Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 2008
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 272 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website listing:

In 1981, a small but heavily armed force of misfits from Canada and the United States set off on a preposterous mission: invade an impoverished Caribbean country, overthrow its government in a coup d'etat, install a puppet prime minister and transform the island into a crooks' paradise. Their leader was a Texas soldier of fortune named Mike Perdue. His lieutenant was a Canadian Nazi named Wolfgang Droege. Their destination: Dominica. For two years, they recruited fighting men, wooed investors, stockpiled weapons and forged links with the mob, leftist revolutionaries and militant Rastafarians. They called their invasion Operation Red Dog, and they were going to make millions. All that stood in their way were two federal agents from New Orleans on the biggest case of their lives. Set in the Caribbean, Canada and the American South at the end of the Cold War, and based on hundreds of pages of declassified U.S. government documents, as well as exclusive interviews with those involved, Bayou of Pigs tells the true story of Canadian and American men who tried to steal a tropical paradise.

Review:
I am not a big non-fiction fan, but narrative non-fiction can grab my attention. Bayou of Pigs tells a very interesting true story, and one I had no knowledge of before reading Bell's book. Bell uses his investigative journalist background to paint a very detailed picture of the people, the events and the background history of the small, poor Commonwealth island country of Dominica... a mere 750 square kilometers (290 square miles) in size, 47 kilometres (29 miles) in length, and 29 kilometres (18 miles) in width, with mountainous terrain and a political/economic instability that made it a prime focal point of a mercenary-backed coup d'état. I had to remind myself as I was reading this one that the events unfolded during a time period (1979-1983) when the United Kingdom was divesting itself of colonies "as fast as they could create country flags" for the to-be independent countries and Cuba was flexing its communist wings looking for communist alliances in the Caribbean, so I probably shouldn't be as surprised as I am that an opportunist from Texas saw this as a chance to take over an island and turn it into a get rich haven for himself and the 'partners' that would join/finance this venture. It was also troubling to discover that in the process some odd alliances had been formed:

"His coup had united right-wing North Americans and Caribbean leftists; white nationalists and black revolutionaries; First World capitalists and Third World socialists. Only one type of man could have managed such a political juggling act: one who believed in nothing at all."

Overall, a disturbing glimpse into the personalities that would be drawn to such a venture and a fascinating examination of the country of Dominica, its political and economic troubles as well as its problems with the Dreads, a rag-tag radical Rastafarian group that wanted to see the island run in a manner that would allow them to continue to grow and smoke their 'ganga' and terrorize the visitors and inhabitants.

.... and, just because I enjoyed it so much, here is the "Six Tips for Planning a Mercenary Invasion of a Tropical Island" from the book back cover:

Don't hire foreign mercenaries without checking their credentials; they might have overstated their experience.

They could also be right-wing Klansmen and Nazis, which might not go over too well if your coup is supposed to install a leftist regime called the Black Revolutionary Council.

Make sure the captain of the ship hired to transport your mercenaries and their weapons isn't a federal informant.

If you catch one of the ship's crew wearing a mini tape recorder under his T-shirt, you might want to ask whether your operation has been infiltrated.

Advertising an invasion in advance by giving interviews to a radio news reporter is not recommended.

Above all, if you're going to overthrow a third world regime, make sure it isn't on friendly terms with the United States Government.

>195 lkernagh:
I tend to listen to a new installment after a heavier read to get a little break - they're very good for that.

Bayou of Pigs sounds like one of those truth is stranger than fiction, fascinating slices of history. Astounding. I may have to add it to my non-fiction TBR list.

I enjoyed reading your thoughts on Station Eleven and The City and the City, even if you did not enjoy them quite as much as I did. :) I will definitely look for Mandel's earlier works after seeing your recommendation.

>200 -Eva-: - I can see where Hiccup, Toothless et al would be the prefect break from heavy reading. ;-) I have managed to lay my hands on the next three books in the series.... for those moments when I want to have a good giggle or two.

>201 andreablythe: - That story continues to boggle my mind. I didn't go into in my review, but there was also a fair bit of information about the KKK - how it had waned in popularity and had changed its focus to just extreme right-wing 'whatever' - and I was shocked at the low dollar amounts being quoted.... $20,000 as seed money and the 'organizer' thinking he was hitting pay dirt by expecting $150,000 for organizing the whole shebang. Thankfully, I like to think organizers in this day and age would add a couple of zeros to that amount before they would lift a finger to work, unless they were fundamentalists which just raises the scary quotient.

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

Happy Wednesday! Today was positively glorious weather-wise and put a spring into my step as I was coming home this evening. On the reading front, I am currently 186 pages into Shadow Tag, my April AAC read. Erdrich is a 'new to me' author and I am really enjoying her sharp presentation of the characters and events... no sugar coating happening here. Should be finished by the weekend. In the meantime, for all my technology adventure followers, I have an update about my cell/smart phone woes for posting.

>203 lkernagh: - Thanks, Paulina! Mandel really shines as a writer for me.

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

Smart Phone Upgrade - Update:
So, some of you will remember that I was so happy to receive my new smart phone two weeks ago, only to be deflated in that they had sent out the wrong colour, which was promptly shipped back at the recommendation of customer service.

Imagine my surprise when I received a call Tuesday morning from my cellullar service provider asking why I had cancelled my new plan. Cancelled my new plan? Saaaaayy Whaaaat?! Another hour and two call to customer service - first call sent me to distribution which placed my call on hold five minutes and then hung up on me - and customer service was then busy recreating my cancelled new plan. New Problem: customer service was unable to process my new plan with requested black phone. Had to put me on hold while they went to check with their supervisor. Came back and informed me that they - corporate customer service - was unable to process my request for the black phone as their entry system would not let them enter 'black' as a phone colour associated with the loyalty plan they were giving me. Thankfully, this rep agreed with me that there is no point shipping out a white phone if I am just going to turn around and ship it back to them. They checked and found one of their store front shops in town had the black phone I wanted in stock and that the store would be able to get me set up. Yahoo!

I went to the store they had communicated with - thank goodness I had the day off! - and talked with the very knowledgeable sales rep. As you can imagine, there was another snag.... the stores are unable to process the plan with the phone I wanted for $0 as agreed to because they are not set up to access account screens corporate customer service can access. or process special deals arranged through corporate customer service. *BIG sighs* No worries, the sales rep was on it and had the loyalty department on the phone and explained the situation. After some more being placed on hold - the sale rep and I agreed that they really need to get better hold music or at least add in some variety to it - a solution was presented: I would pay the amount the store required to give me the phone I wanted with the plan I wanted and the loyalty department would then process a credit to my account in the same amount, creating financially the $0 price for the phone. I agreed and walked out of the store with my brand new phone operational.

..... Of course, I am now going to be monitoring my bill to make sure the credit shows up or I will be back on the phone again with the loyalty department. Loyalty shouldn't be this much work/hassle, although it was nice of the loyalty person yesterday to apologize to me on behalf of all of her colleagues for all that I have been through. Frankly, it had reach the point where I just found the whole thing comical. I am pretty sure I haven't seen the end of this one. ;-)

At least you found it comical! All this fuss, probably because of poor computer programming! Can accept white but not black? A freakin' luddite system would've let you cross out white and write in black. Problem solved. They should give you an extra credit or at least some black feathers for your next steampunk jewelry!

I would have loved to request a further extra credit but by then I was to tired to care and the thought didn't even cross my mind. I do like the idea of requesting black feathers for my next steampunk jewelry! THAT would definitely cause a void in the conversation while they digested that request. ;-) I will keep it in mind if I have to take them to task for something else. A technology company that has technology issues - love it. *rolls eyes*

Oh I am sorry for all of the fuss with your smart phone! You remember the bit of a hassle I had when we got our smart TV. In the end, everything worked out, but I did get a call from a " manager" from my company who listened to my complaints and then offered me a couple of free services in lieu of the hassle. Oh it gets to me. I am sorry for the hassle you had. I'll see how everything goes this month at billing time re the company we switched from to the one we switched too. If there is any trouble from anyone.............................WATCH OUT! I'll be on the war path! ;)

By the way, my library, which I went to last night -and we have 4 or 5 branches in my city - we have not only self checkout machines ( forever know) , we have a 3 - D printer. * simpers around* but really I take books over all that any day! :)

Oh my, what a fiasco with the phone! Glad to see you have a sense of humor about it though, as it really is ridiculous.

You sure kept your patience through all of this. I used to have a black phone but I kept losing it when it would blend in too well with its surroundings. I have a bright color now and do better at not leaving it around.

I've had a lot of fun getting cuaght up here, Lori. From your delicious looking baking - I could certainly go for one of those lemon tarts right now - to your cell phone woes, and of course, some great reading as well. I finally have my own copy of Station Eleven and after it's win at the Tournament of Books, I am doubly looking forward to it. I also have The City & the City on my shelves. I am another one who loved Perdido Street Station, but I am a little leery as to whether I will fall in love with this one as well. I guess time will tell!

My current phone case is black. It was what was available at the time. I occasionally misplace it for a few minutes (usually just leaving it in another room when I thought I'd brought it with me), but I'm pretty good at not really losing it.

Lori, I thought I 'd posted about your phone and yes I did, but on this thread! Apparently I have trouble knowing which of your threads I've posted on! Doh!

>207 vancouverdeb:, >208 andreablythe:, >209 mamzel:, >210 DeltaQueen50: & >211 thornton37814: - Thanks everyone. It has been a trying three weeks but I am happy that it is all over..... I was online last night in my account to see where I can check out my current data usage, etc and noticed that they have already applied the credit to my bill so I don't have a phone bill to pay until I use up the credit. I am starting to enjoy my new phone - my other half calls it my 'tamagotchi', which is hilarious but in a way, it is like a tamagotchi! ;-)

Thanks for all the support!

>207 vancouverdeb: - I do remember your TV woes, Deb! Your library has a 3-D printer? Wow, I have only see 3-D printers in YouTube videos..... I am now trying to figure out what someone would go to the library to print on a 3-D printer.

>208 andreablythe: - After I had handed to phone back to the store sales rep so she could talk to her colleague, I did hear her answer, "Oh no, she is actually laughing right now." so I guess the question had been concern over how angry I might have been. Hum.... I wonder if people lose their tempers in the stores over frustrations with corporate customer service.

>209 mamzel: - I need the patience. My other half may be a great negotiator but when stupidity rears its head like it has with this phone, he goes into corporate re-design mode and tends to point out the various flaws in the way the company does business (he decides he wants to fix the company), which isn't overly helpful in getting resolution for my specific problem, so I have to take over when these kinds of messes surface. ;-)

>210 DeltaQueen50: - Always happy to provide fun thread reading, Judy! Short of Mieville's usual darker story lines and grittier characters, The City & The City is very different from Perdido. I wonder if there is anyone out that that absolutely loved both books?

>211 thornton37814: - I have ordered on line a black leather wallet case with a tan interior. I like cases that protect the screen as well as the back, but I have to wait for the case to ship from the UK. Good thing about misplacing a phone is you can always call it to find it!

>212 vancouverdeb: - You did, but I enjoy seeing you on both threads, Deb!

Book #30 - Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category,
Category: American Realism
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 255 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website listing:

When Irene America discovers that her artist husband, Gil, has been reading her diary, she begins a secret Blue Notebook, stashed securely in a safe-deposit box. There she records the truth about her life and marriage, while turning her Red Diary—hidden where Gil will find it—into a manipulative charade. As Irene and Gil fight to keep up appearances for their three children, their home becomes a place of increasing violence and secrecy. And Irene drifts into alcoholism, moving ever closer to the ultimate destruction of a relationship filled with shadowy need and strange ironies.

Review:
I was blown away by this one. Such a powerful, disturbing story, written in a sharp, poignant manner that took my breath away. Not a story that I can easily recommend as it touches on some issues that some readers may not be comfortable reading, but that is exactly what made this such an amazing read for me. Erdrich gets under the skin of her characters and brings to the surface their troubling personality and control issues, depicting a manipulative relationship as the damaging and destructive force it can be for all caught within its vortex. I seem to appreciate disturbing, shattering reads like this one. Not sure what that says about me but I think it says a lot about Erdrich's ability as a writer to unflinchingly paint a picture, draw me in as a reader and keep my attention while the subject matter continues to disturb and then throw me over the precipice like she did with that ending. A brilliant portrayal, but as I mentioned, not a book that is easy to recommend to others.

>213 lkernagh:
Oh, I'm sure that happens from time to time. When I worked at a coffee shop I'd be yelled at every once in a while just over the price or some other insignificant aspect of a cup of coffee and that's not half as frustrating as what you went through.

>214 lkernagh:
Shadow Tag sounds like an emotionally brutal read. I'll have to wait until I'm in the right mood for that one.

Trying to catchup on threads. Happy to hear that How to Train Your Dragon is good on audiobook. It's been on my "someday" list for quite a while.

I really need to get to Louise Erdrich sometime soon. I've never read any of her books, but she sounds like an author I need to get to know. Too many authors, too little time!

>215 andreablythe: - Ha, you are probably right. I abide by the principle that the individual having the deal with the complaint is usually not someone in a position of authority to do anything about it so I tend to request supervisor or higher if things are not going well... it is amazing how well shielded supervisors are from having to deal with customer complaints.

An emotionally brutal read is a good way to describe Shadow Tag.

>216 BookLizard: - Catching up with threads can be a losing battle so just happy to see you stopping by! I can happily, joyfully recommend How to Train Your Dragon.... such fun!

>217 japaul22: - I really do need to thank the AAC challenge for introducing me to Erdrich's books.... otherwise, I never would have bothered to pick up one of her books!

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The work week in now officially over. Wahoo! Beer, homemade pizza (dough is rising at the moment) and TV are on the agenda this wet evening. I want to finish watching the BBC 2014 adaptation of Jamaica Inn, and not sure what we will watch after that.

>214 lkernagh: - I was just over on Lori's (thornton37814) thread and she just finished a Lousie Erdich book too. I was saying that I have a few of her books on my TBR and hope to get to one later this year. Not sure this one is actually my thing though. Think I'll wait to decide til I've read a couple of others.

219> Love Medicine might be a good place to start - first in a series (which, if I remember correctly, is tied more to a community than to any one individual). If you're doing the SFFFCAT, it will fit in September for magical realism.

Yay for beer an homemade pizza!

Shadow Tag was a book that has stayed with me since I read it a few years ago.

>219 dudes22: - They beautiful thing about owning books on your TBR pile means that you can get around to reading them whenever. ;-) There was a post over on my 75 group thread that Shadow Tag is very different from Erdrich's other books, so I am keeping that information in mind as I consider my next Erdrich read.

>220 BookLizard: - Good suggestion!

>221 andreablythe: - Yup, perfect way to end the work week!

>222 RidgewayGirl: - I can see how Shadow Tag would stay with a reader. quite the powerful read!

Herb Garden Project - Week 6 Update

So, My hit and miss approach to container gardening continues, but I still feel pretty positive, even with the setbacks that have occurred. The second batch of Chives, Dill and Parsley continue to flourish outside:



The Marjoram and Lemon Balm are not doing so good, even though they have been spending a more pampered time of it indoors:



I have done something wrong.... just not sure what.

When I went grocery shopping yesterday, I noticed that the first batch of nursery grown herbs were available for purchase. I resisted yesterday but I have a weakness for fresh herbs so I went back today and came home with the following plants:
English Thyme, Parsley, Cilantro



Spearmint, Spanish Tarragon, Italian Oregano



I know French Tarragon was mentioned as preferred, and I do still have an eye out for any French Tarragon that may show up, but at $2.50 per plant, I could not turn up these beauties. They need to be re-potted in larger pots but I won't be able to get around to doing that for at least another week, so they are aclimatizing to the balcony for this week.

I am going to be off-line for the week so I will take this opportunity to wish everyone a great week and I will check in next week.

Impressed with the seed growth though it is a bummer that marjoram and lemon balm aren't working out. I just planted some herbs this past weekend and we've had a lovely rain today so hopefully they are getting off to a good start. One of things planted was French Tarragon. Hopefully it works out okay.

I loved your review of Shadow Tag. Fast on my list!

Have a good week, Lori.

I could have sworn I had read something by Louise Erdrich, but none of the books on her author page looks familiar. Adding to the wishlist....

I'll have to check out Louise Erdrich. Shadow Tag sounds like a great read, and I've also had The Round House recommended to me.

Great to catch up on your thread, Lori, whether it is cooking, gardening, smart phones, or reading. The Lemon Tarts look fabulous.

>226 LittleTaiko: - I seem to be striking out with a number of my attempts to grow herbs from seed. Good thing Chives will grow anywhere! ;-) I went grocery shopping today and came home with a Dwarf Marjarom plant and a Garlic Chives plant. The nursery does a much better job than I do when it comes to growing herbs. I have my fingers crossed for your herbs, including the French Tarragon!

>227 mdoris: - Thanks Mary!

>228 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks Judy! I had a great week. It is just amazing how quickly time flies.

>229 -Eva-: - It drives me crazy when I think I have read something by an author and the title (and story) alludes me.... or I confuse them with another author. ;-) Shadow Tag is apparently quite different from Erdrich's other stories, whihc makes me a little wary of picking up another one of her stories... I hate it when the first book I read by an author is spectacular and everything else I try to read by them leaves me feeling deflated in praise.

>230 mathgirl40: - Round House has received some really good reviews. Not sure if that will be my next Erdrich but it is up there on the list. ;-)

>231 VivienneR: - Lovely to see you stopping by Vivienne! After a week offline, I cringe at the thought of trying to get caught up... it will probably take me a couple of weeks.

Thank you everyone for stopping by while I was offline. I went home for a week to visit with family and to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday. Quite the milestone. I had a great week getting caught up with various family members. Weather was good and it even gave me a wonderful sprinkling of snow Tuesday evening to play in, which of course was all gone by the morning. I also took advantage of the timing of the trip to attend Cirque du Soleil's Kurios with my sister and brother-in-law. What an absolutely amazing show! The YouTube preview at the link above doesn't do the show justice. The music is what I will call "Parisian Jazz" and a perfect accompaniment for a steampunk themed circus show. Cirque du Soleil's Varekai is coming to Victoria but the steampunk lover that I am was determined to see Kurios and very happy I did.

I did manage to find some time to read so I have a couple of reviews to post. I am still working my way through Of Human Bondage as an April BAC read and I still hope to get around to reading The Rosie Project this month for Autism April.

....... now for those reviews.

Book #31 - The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Books Made into Art
Reading BINGO square: chosen by someone else
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2004
Acquisition date: August 28, 2014
Page count: 302 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website listing:

When Lily’s fierce-hearted black “stand-in mother,” Rosaleen, insults three of the town’s most vicious racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina—a town that holds the secret to her mother’s past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love—a story that women will continue to share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.

Review:
I am lumping this book in with the other 1960's civil rights stories that I have read in the past couple of years, books like Saving CeeCee Honeycutt and The Help. An okay story but it failed to captivate me as a coming of age read like Saving CeeCee Honeycutt did or the more prominent civil rights angle of The Help. It has all of those things and then some but I found it hard to connect with a character who kept on lying about her past and the whole minor romance angle that was thrown into the story, almost as if to provide something further for readers to discuss. I never really bought into Lily Owens as a character. She lacks the clarity of wisdom of Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird, she doesn't have the same tenacity of the Help's "Skeeter" Phelan, and while she kind of tries to come across a bit like Idgie Threadgoode from Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, she just didn't work for me as a character. I received the copy I read from my Mom and while I can appreciate that this story received some awards and accolades when it was released, I found it to be a bit of a 'ho-hum' story in comparison to the other books mentioned in this review. There was a fair bit of interesting information about beekeeping I did not know about before reading this one but overall, a good read, but on the 'ho-hum' side.

Book #32 - Light Boxes by Shane Jones
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Books Made into Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: May 4, 2013
Page count: 160 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website listing:

With all the elements of a classic fable, vivid descriptions, and a wholly unique style, this idiosyncratic debut introduces a new and exciting voice to readers of such authors as George Saunders, Kurt Vonnegut, and Yann Martel. In Light Boxes, the inhabitants of one closely-knit town are experiencing perpetual February. It turns out that a god-like spirit who lives in the sky, named February, is punishing the town for flying, and bans flight of all kind, including hot air balloons and even children's kites. It's February who makes the sun nothing but a faint memory, who blankets the ground with snow, who freezes the rivers and the lakes. As endless February continues, children go missing and more and more adults become nearly catatonic with depression. But others find the strength to fight back, waging war on February.

Review:
This was such a great fairytale type read and one I recommend for everyone who suffers through that 'never ending winter' that the month of February can feel like to this Canadian. I love reading stories written by authors who are poets first / novelists second. There is a poignant, whimsical, emotional feel to their stories and Light Boxes is a perfect example of this wonderful synergy of poetry and prose. Some may call this one a miniscule fairytale. Others may call it a literary dalliance to tantalize the reader. I call it a delightful fantasy escape that is fresh, surprising in it's delivery and spontaneous in its radicalism against an personified oppressive force of nature. A quick read that can be completed in one sitting, or in my case, during a short 1 hour plane trip. ;-) Because I am just no good at getting to the deeper meaning of this story, I will instead quote what Steven Poole wrote in his Guardian review of Light Boxes:

"Early on, a list of remedies (including the titular light boxes) suggests dourly that this is, in one sense, a fable of seasonal affective disorder; but eventually the awful truth dawns that it is an allegory about a depressed and unhealthy writer"

Makes a lot of sense after reading Poole's review! Still, I really enjoyed my read of this one and I will now check out his other works.

Closing this review with the following list from the story (just 'cause):

List of Artists Who Created Fantasy Worlds to Try and Cure Bouts of Sadness
1. Italo Calvino
2. Gabriel Barcia Marquez
3. Jim Henson and Jorge Luis Borges - Labyrinths
4. The creator of MySpace
5. Richard Brautigan
6. J.K. Rowling
7. The inventor of the children's toy Lite-Brite
8. Ann Sexton
9. Davide Foster Wallace
10. Gauguin and the Caribbean
11. Charles Schulz
12. Liam Rector

You got me with Light Boxes- it's on the WL! The cover is great. Is it Gorey?

>233 lkernagh:
Ah! I loved Kurios when I saw it, too! It felt very steampunk to me and was just delightful.

>235 lkernagh:
LOVE the Light Boxes cover. The tale is right up my alley and it now on my TBR list.

Add me to the list who are intriged by Light Boxes, Lori.

>232 lkernagh:
Oops, I think I may have confused her with Leslie Marmon Silko and, after some Googling, I've realized they weren't exactly simpatico and would probably not enjoy being mistaken for each other... Mea culpa.

>236 mstrust:, >237 andreablythe: and >238 DeltaQueen50: - Happy to provide a BB to you. ;-)

>236 mstrust: - Light Boxes is not gorey... its more fleetingly whimsical in nature. The cover art depicts the people that represent "The Solution", a group of ex-balloonists that dress in the flowing cape coats and bird masks.

>237 andreablythe: - Kurios was amazing and I now appreciate why Cirque du Soleil has such a following.

>239 -Eva-: - Really? Now I am intrigued to check out Leslie Marmon Silko. ;-0

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

Is it just me or are the days just flying by? Blink and it is suddenly Friday. No plans this weekend except get some sleep. My visit home last week involved a number of late evenings and early mornings and I don't bounce back as quickly from days of lack of sleep.

On the reading front, I am still working my way through Of Human Bondage and starting to find it to be a bit of a long-winded read. I think I will be carrying this one into May before I finish it. My current audiobook read is The Hoarder in You by Dr. Robin Zasio, which is proving to be a very interesting audioread. Getting some useful tips that I hope to be able to communicate to someone who may benefit from the information Dr. Zasio presents in her book. For my physical book read, I plan to start The Rosie Project this evening. Hopefully, I will be able to get two more books finished before we roll over in to May.

>236 mstrust: >240 lkernagh: I'm sorry, I should have used his full name- I was asking if the cover was illustrated by Edward Gorey. If that drawing isn't him, somebody was channeling him. ; )

Oooohhhhh...

*lightbulb goes on over head*

Ken Garduno is the artist for the Light Boxes book cover. A better shot of the book cover can be seen here.''

ETA: Ken Garduno showcases some of his work on this Tumblr site

>214 lkernagh: Lori I just started The Master Butchers Singing Club but now that I've read your review I am waiting anxiously for the library to open at 1pm so I can go pick up Shadow Tag.

I don't know what that says about me either but I'm going there.

>243 luvamystery65: - I will be very curious to see what you think of Shadow Tag, Roberta!

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

A good Sunday spent reading and a lot of baking today. What with my trip home last week and overall business at work, I was a little horrified to discover this morning that not only were we out of bread, but there were no homemade crackers, muffins or scones in the house for 'nibbling'. Made a batch of banana oatmeal mini-muffins (my other half has become a huge fan of 'tiny pop in your mouth' muffins), crackers made with black bean flour (something I have never baked with before), cheddar scones with fresh dill, thyme and chives and a loaf of oat/barley bread. I can now relax on the baking front for a week. ;-)

Herb Garden Project - Week 7/8 Update

Kind of a good news/bad news story. I was away for a week visiting family and, of course, a bit of a cold snap came through. No below freezing temps but still, I have a good indication of hardy plants compared to the more fragile variety.

On the good news front, the second batch of Chives, Dill and Parsley continue to flourish outside:



The Basil did not fair as well - it was not a happy plant! - so I have harvested the leaves and disposed of the plant and soil. Marjoram and Lemon Balm also regressed during my week away so those plants have also been disposed of. *sighs* Overall, I am still happy that I have been able to grow Chives, Dill and Parsley from seed as a first second attempt.

Resorting to expanding my nursery grown herbs, I picked up a Fernleaf Dill and Rosemary for my burgeoning mini-herb garden:



I actually managed to kill my rosemary plant over the winter, which is a testament to my brown, "not green" thumb so a replacement plant was a necessary purchase. Here is a picture of the current plants on my balcony:



Obviously, I will need to get in some larger planter pots, especially for the store bought Cilantro, Parsley, Mint and Oregano plants. I am a little leery about transplanting them into larger pots if they are plants that do not like to be moved from pot to pot, but I am enjoying being able to cook and bake with the fresh herbs.

Your herbs are looking good. A friend of mine posted her herbs on Facebook. She has put all the planters in one of those little red wagons that we used to love to be pulled when we sat in them as kids.

>242 lkernagh: Thanks! I clicked on his Tumblr and he has lots to see there.

Love the stand you have for your plants, makes for a great little corner of green.

Looks great!

>244 lkernagh: Loved the sound of all the wonderful baking you did! Tummy rumbling and smell perfection!

>246 thornton37814:, >248 andreablythe: and >249 LittleTaiko: - Thanks Lori, Andrea and Stacy! I enjoyed my attempt at a herb garden last year that I have decided to go the full nine yards with this year's herb garden. I will continue to try and grow different herbs from seed but I really do appreciate the ability to buy nursery grown plants so I can start cultivating the herbs. Tonight's dinner was a roasted Garlic, Mushroom & Tomato in a Parmesan cream sauce with fresh Basil and Oregano. Soooo good!

>247 mstrust: - Excellent! I spent about 15 minutes flipping through his Tumblr account and was intrigued by some of the work he has posted.

>250 mdoris: - Thanks Mary. I was shocked to discover that we had no baked goods in the house. We are not big sweets/cake eaters but the more I read what goes into commercially prepared foods, the more I am for making my own so I know exactly what goes in the 'goodies'. ;-)

Book #33 - The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Books Made into Art
Reading BINGO square: about autism
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2013
Acquisition date: June 7, 2014
Page count: 324 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website listing:

A first-date dud, socially awkward and overly fond of quick-dry clothes, genetics professor Don Tillman has given up on love, until a chance encounter gives him an idea. He will design a questionnaire—a sixteen-page, scientifically researched questionnaire—to uncover the perfect partner. She will most definitely not be a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker or a late-arriver. Rosie is all these things. She is also fiery and intelligent, strangely beguiling, and looking for her biological father a search that a DNA expert might just be able to help her with.

Review:
Simsion has written an absolutely delightful, endearing romantic comedy that made me smile and laugh as I read it. The romantic comedies I have read in the past have all followed the same old pattern of boy/girl develops interest in boy/girl and pursues the object of their attraction, usually with mixed/comic results. Simsion has incorporated a number of romantic comedy elements into his debut novel, with an interesting twist: The key protagonist, Don, is a logic-driven autistic genetics scientist with OCD tendencies and who is incapable of feeling or experiencing emotions such as love – that key ingredient that usually ‘runneth over’ in other romantic comedies - because, as he states, he is 'wired differently'. It came as no surprise that Simsion chose to craft Rosie as the perfect “opposites attract” personality, opening the story up to a myriad of possibilities and entertaining dialogue as Don helps Rosie with the 'Father Project'. I really enjoyed the academic setting and the awkward scenarios that crop up. I also really appreciate the inclusion of the supporting cast of Don’s friends – his Melbourne university hormone-sex driven colleague Gene and Gene’s psychologist wife, Claudia – to exemplify the differences in Don’s way of thinking/acting and how some individuals may interpret his actions. As you can imagine, I was cheering for Don from the very start of the story – who wouldn’t? – even as I was trying to picture what it must be like to try and live in a world where deciphering, understanding and registering emotional cues is so essential for social interactions. I think all of us can relate to an instance in our past where an inability or insensitivity to the nuances of what we said/meant ended up having disastrous social consequences. Try living you whole life confused or baffled as to why people act a certain way or say certain things. I would feel as though I was an alien dropped in from a different planet, which makes me appreciate all that much more how challenging our social world must be for individuals with developmental disorders that make up the autism spectrum.

Overall, a quick, delightful weekend read that has given me some food for thought regarding the human diversity that surrounds us, and how everyone has something special to offer.

I am a bit of a food anarchist (what ever that means) and your "do it your self plan" vs. "commericially produced" makes great sense to me! Just munched down on some Thetis Island oatcakes with our tea.

Loving the update on your herbs. I'm a few days away from going home to Sweden where I will indulge in huge amounts of dill!! :)

>245 lkernagh: - Your herbs are looking great. Winter was so depressing here that I bought a decent size basil and a thyme plant for my kitchen window sill at the farmer's market a few weeks ago just to cheer me up. And then my sister gave me a small container with oregano, rosemary and thyme for my birthday. These will all be moved outside when the weather permits, but it's so nice to have some fresh herbs to use instead of the wilty stuff from the market. Some days I just stick my nose into the basil and inhale - helps me think the weather will get warmer eventually.

>252 lkernagh: - Now I understand your comment on my thread about 600 Hours of Edward. I saw it yesterday when I was at the library and looked at the flyleaf and wondered why you thought they were connected since it didn't indicate that the book had anything to do with autism.

Th Rosie Project sounds really sweet and I love seeing someone on the spectrum as a main character. :)

>252 lkernagh: I loved how sarcasm impaired he was like when he gave the lecture to the "aspies".

>253 mdoris: - Thanks Mary! Now I have to go investigate Thetis Island oatcakes.... my other half would probably love oatcakes and I haven't made any for a really, really long time.

>254 -Eva-: - Have a great trip and a wonderful visit, Eva! Here is hoping my Dill plant will continue to flourish... I am getting rather excited about actually being able to harvest my personally grown Dill. ;-)

>255 dudes22: - Betty, your windowsill herb garden sounds wonderful! Like you, I love to stick my nose into the fresh plants and just enjoy the wonderful fragrant smell they have.

Good point and good detecting on your part. I didn't exactly explain the connection between the two books. ;-)

>256 andreablythe: - I can highly recommend The Rosie Project as a wonderful read, the next time you are in the mood for a romantic comedy, Andrea.

>257 mamzel: - I "Loved" the lecture to the "aspies".... that was awesome!

I came home this evening with a new Basil plant. The grocery store near work had nursery grown herb plants on sale for $1.99 each and since my last Basil plant did not survive my trip away, I bought a new plant for the balcony herb garden:



Isn't he a cute little plantie? ;-)

My other half then surprised me with the following auction purchase:



Now I not only have a great place to store my various herb garden supplies, but the top shelf will be perfect for the larger planter pots. Soooo exciting! Of course, he is invested in the whole herb garden as he is enjoying having fresh herbs in his meals every evening.

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

On the reading front I have finished what will probably be my last April read, as I am only 42% of the way through Of Human Bondage and there is no way I will finish it before May kicks in. I will post the last review and find time to post my monthly wrap up and then set up a new thread.

Book #34 - The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Dr. Robin Zasio - audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2011
Acquisition date: June 7, 2014
Page count: 240 pages / 7 hours, 30 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website listing:

Recently, the once little-known condition of hoarding has become a household phrase--in part due to the popularity of the Emmy Award-winning television show Hoarders, which has captivated audiences with its stark and heartbreaking look at the people who suffer from this paralyzing condition. Contributing expert to Hoarders Dr. Robin Zasio believes that our fascination with hoarding stems from the fact that most of us fall somewhere on the hoarding continuum. Dr. Zasio shares behind-the-scenes stories from the show, including some of the most serious cases of hoarding that she's encountered--and explains how readers can learn from these extreme examples. She also shares psychological and practical advice for de-cluttering and organizing, including how to tame the emotional pull of acquiring additional things, make order out of chaos by getting a handle on clutter, and create an organizational system that reduces stress and anxiety.

Review:
I decided to download and listen to this audiobook as a way to further understand hoarding tendencies, what the triggers are (if there are any) and how one can be supportive when a friend or family member is trying to deal with their hoarding/cluttering habits. I love how Dr. Zasio admits in the opening chapter that even she has the 'dreaded' makeup drawer, full of products that she has either worn only once or not at all, but cannot seem to bring herself to get ride of the unused products. Always nice to see the 'human' side of the professional so early on in a self-help book. ;-) While the book contains some extreme case studies of hoarding - where health and safety issues are paramount - the book really covers the whole spectrum of hoarders/clutters and had some really useful suggestions for organizing and de-cluttering one's life. Of course, I didn't agree with everything Dr. Zasio mentions, like her suggestion that a new pair of shoes should not be purchased unless you are prepared to get rid of a pair of shoes (something I cannot and will not do, thank you very much Dr. Zasio), but I was happy to see that she did acknowledge that there is a difference between "bibliomania" and "bibliophilia" (WHEW - we can all breath a collective sigh of relief over THAT one!). I also like the importance she places on not just treating the hoarder/clutter but also the members of the family. Family members unwittingly, or without understanding their effect on the individual, actually contribute to the hoarding tendencies when they try and change someone without being supportive in a nonjudgmental manner or in not fully appreciating that 'hoarding' is a mental condition that can be triggered by anxiety, past experiences and even depression. Hoarding is socially isolating and a horrible downward spiral that can overcome the sufferer, making the removal of all judgmental comments, actions and behaviours so important when helping and supporting a sufferer. I wish the book had taken on more of an in-depth clinical/psychological presentation but I can appreciate where the book's focus on organizational tips and tricks will appeal more to a larger reading audience, including readers who are not hoarders but just want some insight into how to de-clutter their lives.

Nice new shelving piece! I love finds like that.

I have The Rosie Project sitting here on the shelf. I want to read it so bad, but I'm trying to read two books at once and finish them over the next two days, and I'm not sure how that's going to work out. One is by Temple Grandin for Autism April and the other is Once Were Warriors for the ANZAC challenge. That one is killing me. It is so awful and depressing. Sigh.

Interesting remarks on the hoarding book.

Love your new shelves - what a thoughtful hubby.

My problem with de cluttering is that I either think that "someone" could use it or I wonder if it could be worth some money. (blame Antiques Roadshow for that) I'm trying to do some decluttering in case we decide to downsize, but it's hard.

What a wonderful surprise with those shelves!

Very interested in the hoarding book as I'm very much in agreement with the "you buy something, then something needs to go" mentality. Hate, hate, hate clutter!

she did acknowledge that there is a difference between "bibliomania" and "bibliophilia"

That's good to know! ;)

I used to watch the TV show Hoarders, which always showed the extreme side of hoarding and always had my sister and I wanting to clean out our closets. Both of us regularly go through our things to let go stuff we don't need. But the issue is far more complicated than just having a mess of stuff. It's a multi-layered psychological issue. (Extreme Couponers (another TV show) shows another form of hoarding, except in an extremely organized way with entire rooms dedicated to the collection of goods neatly stacked, organized, and labeled, rather than heaped up.) And I've noticed sometimes the anxiety of throwing out something in my closet because I might need/want it someday, even though I know that a de-cluttered and more organized room makes me feel more calm and relaxed.

The Hoarder in You would be an interesting read.

>265 andreablythe: Ha! That's the reaction I have to watching "Hoarders"- I jump up and start cleaning something.

>252 lkernagh: - >255 dudes22: - I found The Rosie Project today when I went to the library sale. Might not get to it right away, but at least it's mine now.

Oh I love the look of your herbs. Happy growing! I have the new ( to the library) book out The Vegetarian Flavor Bible. It is fabulous and tells you what pairs well with all those herbs/spices that you are growing. It is over 500 pages, a whopper so loaded with information. >258 lkernagh: I call them Thetis Island oatcakes because I got the recipe from my island friend and the yummy recipe came from her grandfather who made them.

Just catching up on threads. I'm amused to see how many of us get up and clean after watching Hoarders.

>244 lkernagh: I started Shadow Tag yesterday and finished it today. The only reason I didn't finish it yesterday is that I was also finishing up The Talented Mr. Ripley and my Freddy was very ill and had to have emergency surgery yesterday.

I did not want to put this book down. It was elegant and disturbing. Your review drew me to this book so THANK YOU!

>261 nittnut:, >263 dudes22:, and >264 LittleTaiko: - Thanks! I love the new shelving unit and I am looking forward to putting it to good use!

>261 nittnut: - Sounds like you will be able to 'treat' yourself to reading The Rosie Project after you finish you current reads, Jenn. Not sure I am up for tackling Once Were Warriors so kudos to you for taking that one on! Harrowing reads are a struggle for me at the best of times and it doesn't help when the story is of historical, political and social importance... and depressing.

>262 RidgewayGirl: - Thanks. It has it's eye-opening moments and has me now on the hunt for further information, which is a positive thing. ;-)

>263 dudes22: - I hear you on the Antique Roadshow (and eBay for that matter) and wondering if things we own could be worth selling. We manage to stay on top of any collection/cluttering/hoarding that my other half and I may engage in because I refuse to move into a larger place and I insist on routine 'de-clutter' activities, which usually becomes a tense weekend experience, but we get through them and feel better for purging things.

>264 LittleTaiko: - I am not quite at the 'hate clutter' level but I refuse to allow further clutter to take hold and we do engage in purging activities so overall, I guess my other half and I are in a manageable place when it comes to our 'stuff'.

>265 andreablythe: - I know!

I can admit to engaging in a mini-purge after listening to the audiobook. ;-) There is a show about extreme coupon collectors?! REALLY? I cannot even remember the last time I saw a couple, let alone when I last made use of one. Coupons are not a big thing in Canada - or I am not on the coupon mailing list.

>267 dudes22: - Yay for snagging a copy of The Rosie Project!

>268 mdoris: - Thanks, Mary! I love visiting my herb garden, although I have to admit I had a 'horror' moment this evening: All the plants were fine this morning when I went to work but this evening, the nursery grown dill plant was completely limp. Over the course of the day - in the sun and wind - the soil in the small pot had dried out. The poor plant was completely parched. Gave it an emergency bottom feed water soak and one hour later, the plant stems were all back in their happy vertical positions. *whew*

Recipes that are handed down through family and friends are the best.

>269 Nickelini: - LOL, the perfect motivator!

>270 luvamystery65: - Awesome! I am sooo happy to see that you also found Shadow Tag to be unputdownable, Roberta. I am not sure Erdrich's other books would appeal to me as much as Shadow Tag did. I have never read The Talented Mr. Ripley but I do remember finding the movie to be well done.

APRIL RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ (ranked from most to least favorite):
Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich - 4.80 /
Light Boxes by Shane Jones - 4.40 /
How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell - 4.20 /
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion - 4.10 /
Bayou of Pigs by Stewart Bell - 3.85 /
The Hoarder in You by Dr. Robin Zasion - 3.85 /
How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell - 3.70 /
The City & The City by China Mieville - 3.60 /
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd - 3.40 /
Wildlife by Richard Ford - 3.10 /

STATS:
# of Books Read: 10
# of Pages Read: 2,546 completed books
Average pages read per day: 84.86
Original Publication Date Range of books read: 1990-2013
Largest Book read: The City & The City at 352 pages
Smallest Book read: Light Boxes at 170 pages
Books still in progress at the end of the month: Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham - as of April 30th, I had roughly 56% or 403 pages still to go.
Interesting Fact: Nothing that springs to mind.

CHALLENGES:- as of April 30th
ROOTs Challenge:
Books read this month: 5 (9 in total)
Books still to go: 16

Reading Bingo Challenge:
Books read this month: 4 (19 in total)
Books still to go (if I go for a blackout): 6

Commonwealth Challenge:
Books read this month: 1 (2 in total)
Books still to read to complete my challenge: 39

Category Challenge: Each category completed when 8 books or 2,015 pages read is reached
Street Art - 2 books/ 464 pages read - (3 books/ 816 pages read in total)
Happening - 0 books / 0 pages read - (2 books / 448 pages read in total)
Minimalism - 0 books / 0 pages read - (2 books / 493 pages read in total)
American Realism - 2 books / 432 pages - (4 books / 899 pages read in total)
The London Group - 1 book/ 352 pages - (4 books / 1,600 pages read in total)
Books made into Art - 3 books / 786 pages read - (6 books / 1,826 pages read in total)
Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art - 1 book / 272 pages - (1 books / 608 pages read in total)
Art - 1 book / 240 pages read - (11 books / 2,706 pages read in total) - CATEGORY COMPLETED

75 Books Challenge: - My "Luck 'O the Irish" Race (books read versus pages read): Bringing this fun reading snapshot race back, my 75 group challenge will be considered completed whichever comes first: 75 books read or 25,000 pages read.



Pot of Gold seems to be stretching out its neck and taking a firmer lead in this race. Maybe time to read a chunkster or two to tighten the race? ;-) Maybe.... maybe not.

Proposed May Reading:
Complete the following reads in progress:
Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham - for my April BAC read and my 'published in 1915' book for my Bingo Challenge
Lilliput by Sam Gayton - a NetGalley read
Pelquin's Comet by Ian Whates - March LTER book
..... and anything else that crops up.

Yes, I am setting the bar rather low for May, and shock of shocks, I am thinking of by-passing both the AAC and the BAC for May.

New thread is now up.... come on over!