Mamzel's 2015 Challenge, Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my Doctor Who challenge!
Part 1 was here.

I came relatively late to the series (David Tennant) but I thoroughly enjoy them now. Saturday night is the night both of my kids come home for dinner and we enjoy watching the program together. I find the time between seasons rather hollow.

Each category is dedicated to one of the doctors. Thanks to Wikipedia I had a list of episode titles and pictures from the episodes to decorate each one.

Allons-y - the TARDIS is underway. Who knows when or where we'll end up!

Running tally:

1. YA and children lit - 24
2. Fantasy - 9
3. empty
4. Technolit - 1
5. Nonfiction - 6
6. ROOTs - 6
7. Tomes - 3
8. Mystery - 10
9. Non-American authors - 10
10. 1001 Books - 2
11. Cross-genre - 1
12. Audiobooks - 3
13. Miscellaneous - 6
Group reads and CATs - 15

Total books read to date: 81

Outstanding books (4.5-5 stars)




Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
The Martian by Andy Weir
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin and Samantha Norman
The Creative Collection of American Short Stories by various authors
Uprooted by Naomi Novik

The Unearthly Child
This was the very first episode starring William Hartnell and is dedicated to YA and other children literature.

1. The Green Man by Michael Bedard (2012)
2. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black (2014)
3. Death Cloud by Andrew Lane (2010)
4. Brain Jack by Brian Falkner (2009)
5. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (2014)
6. Zel by Donna Jo Napoli (1996)
7. Disconnect by Lois Peterson (2012)
8. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (2014)
9. Dragonseye by Anne McCaffrey (1997)
10. Shipwrecked! by Rhoda Blumberg (2001)



1. The Terrorist's Son by Zak Ebrahim (2014)
2. The Martian by Andy Weir (2014)
3. The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton (2014)
4. Crossover by Kwame Alexander (2014)
5. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2014)
6. The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely (2014)
7. Noggin by John Cory Whaley (2014)
8. In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang (2014)
9. Shakespeare's Star Wars Collection written by Ian Doescher, read by Danny Davis, et al (2014)
10. Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson (2014)
11. This or That?: The Wacky Book of Choices to Reveal the Hidden You (National Geographic Kids) by Crispin Boyer (2014)
12. Girls Like Us by Gail Giles (2014)
13. Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale byRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla (2014)
14. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (2014)

The Abominable Snowman

Patrick Troughton was the second doctor and I chose this episode to represent the fantasy genre.

1. Locke & Key 6-volume series by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (2012-2014)
2. Lost Horizon by James Hilton (1933)
3. Libriomancer: (Magic ex Libris Book 1) by Jim C. Hines (2012)
4. Codex Born: (Magic ex Libris Book 2) by Jim C. Hines (2013)
5. The Liar's Key by Mark Lawrence (2015)
6. Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2011)
7. King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2013)
8. A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (2014)
9. Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015)

Frontier in Space

John Pertwee is the third doctor and I thought the title of this episode was perfect for a science fiction category.

I'm closing this category but leaving the post open since I don't want to delete a Doctor. There are too many other categories these books could fall into.

Robots of Death

Tom Baker was the Doctor when I became aware of the series. I was in college at the time. I've been reading a lot of what I like to call technolit which involves computers and other high tech stuff - as it exists today.

1. Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992)

Terminus

I better remember Peter Davisson from his role in All Creatures, Great and Small but he was also the fifth doctor and came back for the great reunion shows. This will be my category for nonfiction.

1. More Library Mashups: Exploring New Ways to Deliver Library Data, edited by Nicole C. Engard (2015)
2. The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo, translated by Henry Yule, revised by Henri Cordier (2012)
3. The Writing on the Walls: Discovering Medieval and Ancient Graffiti for Middle School Social Studies by Toni Rhodes (2015)
4. The Barefoot Lawyer: A Blind Man's Fight for Justice and Freedom in China by Chen Guangcheng (2015)
5. Oh Myyy! by George Takei (2013)
6. More Awesome Than Money: Four Boys and Their Heroic Quest to Save Your Privacy from Facebook by Jim Dwyer (2014)

The Ultimate Foe

The sixth Doctor, Colin Baker, sure had the 80s hair! I thought this title was very apropos for my ROOTs category.

1. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (2010)
2. Roman Dusk: A Novel of the Count Saint-Germain by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (2008)
3. The King's Sword by C.J. Brightley (2012)
4. Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden (2003)
5. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014)
6. A Plague of Sinners by Paul Lawrence (2010)

The Greatest Show in the Galaxy

Sylvester McCoy, the seventh Doctor, starred in this episode which I chose to represent the doorstops (books with >500 pages) I will read in 2015.

1. Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell (1959)
2. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanha Clarke (2004)
3. Legends, edited by Robert Silverberg (1998)

Doctor Who

Paul McGann, the eighth Doctor, only appeared in one movie. At least the title is good for my mystery category.

1. A Rare Benedictine by Ellis Peters (1990)
2. Sandman by R. Robert Janes (2012)
3. Monk's Hood by Ellis Peters (orig. 1980, audio 2010), narrated by Johanne Ward
4. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley (2015)
5. Second Street Station by Lawrence H. Levy (2015)
6. St. Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters (1981)
7. State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy (2008)
8. The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters (1981)
9. The Blue Dragon by Ronald Tierney (2015)
10. The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye (2012)

Aliens of London

This episode title from Christopher Eggleston's Doctor will represent my non-American reading.

1. The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café by Alexander McCall Smith (2014)
2. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott (orig. 1884)
3. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke (1972)
4. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (orig. 1892)
5. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (2013)
6. River of Darkness by Rennie Airth (1999)
7. Little Red Lies by Julie Johnston (2013)
8. The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (orig. 1894)
9. Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (1999)
10. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (orig. 1912)

The Shakespeare Code

David Tennant, the 10th Doctor and my favorite to date, stars in one of my all time favorite episodes. The Bard's name refers to any books from the 1001 Books-to-Read-Before-I-Die list. I try to get to two or three per year.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (orig. 1795)
2. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (orig. 1898)

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

The eleventh Doctor, Matt Smith, had one of his giddiest moments in this episode. I'll list my books which can be classified in two or more genres. Of course.

1. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (2012)

Listen

Peter Capaldi is our twelfth and most recent Doctor. As I write, this was the episode viewed last weekend and it blew me away! It also will represent audiobooks, either on CD or via Overdrive on my phone.

1. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris, narrated by David Sedaris, Dylan Baker, Elaine Stritch, Sian Phillips (2010)
2. 2006 Bones by Kathy Reichs and narrated by Linda Emond (2009)
3. Storm Cycle by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen (2009), narrated by Tanya Eby

The Day of the Doctors

This was the epic episode where John Hurt was the War Doctor and starred with both David Tennant and Matt Smith with a special appearance by Tom Baker. I'm not sure what books will end up here but will make it available for any titles that don't fit in the other categories, i.e. miscellaneous.

1. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (orig. pub. 1940)
2. The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin and Samatha Norman (2015)
3. The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich (2005)
4. The Creative Collection of American Short Stories, illustrated by Yan Nascimbene, introduction by Ray Bradbury (2010)
5. The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner (1976)
6. The Coffee Trader by David Liss (2004)

Group reads

I want to try and participate in more of the group reads, CATs, KITs, etc. this year and will record my success here. All of these books will be counted in one of the other categories making this a glorified place holder.

American Authors Challenge
January - Carson McCullers - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (orig. pub. 1940)
February - Henry James - The Turn of the Screw (orig. 1898)
March - Richard Ford
April - Louise Erdrich - The Painted Drum (2005)
May - Sinclair Lewis
June - Wallace Stegner - The Spectator Bird (1976)
July - Ursula K. Le Guin
August - Larry McMurtry
September - Flannery O' Connor
October - Ray Bradbury
November - Barbara Kingsolver
December - E.L. Doctorow

Science Fiction/Fantasy CAT
January -- Other Pasts -- Steampunk, Gas Lamp and other historical SFFF - Death Cloud by Andrew Lane (2010)
February -- The Classics -- SFFF Written before 1980 -- Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott (orig. 1884)
Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke (1972)
March -- It's the End of the World As We Know It -- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014)
April -- Fair Tales and Mighty Myths -- Zel by Donna Jo Napoli (1996)
May -- Girl Power -- SFFF Written By Women or featuring a strong female main character -- Dragon Eye by Anne McCaffery (1997)
June -- Does Anybody Know What Time It Is? -- Time Travel & Alternative History -- Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004)
July -- Critters and Creatures -- Non-Humans from Aliens to Dragons -- A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (2014)
August -- Other Worlds
September -- Slightly Out of Wack -- Slipstream and Interstitial (This includes Magic Realism and Genre Benders) - Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (orig. 1912)
October -- What Was That? -- Supernatural, Paranormal and the Just Plain Inexplicable (Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy and Gothic)
November -- Off on a Quest -- Heros, Superheroes, Puzzles and Epic Journeys
December -- Under the Influence

History CAT
January: BC to 1 -- Myths & Legends - Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden (2003)
February: 1 to 500 -- Religion Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell (1959)
March: 500 to 1000 -- Exploration & Conquest The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo, translated by Henry Yule, revised by Henri Cordier (2012)
April: 1000 to 1300 -- Crime & Mysteries - The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin and Samatha Norman (2015)
May: 1300 to 1500 -- Plagues & Disasters
June: 1500 to 1600-- Culture & the Arts
July: 1600 to 1700 -- Immigration & Migration - The Coffee Trader by David Liss (2004)
August: 1700 to 1800 -- Medicine & Disease - The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters (1981)
September: 1800 to 1850 -- Lifestyles of Ordinary People - The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye (2012)
October: 1850 to 1900 -- Science & Technology
November: 1900 to 1945 -- War & Peace
December: 1945 to 1990 -- Civil Rights & Equality

Biographies
First Quarter - Call the Midwife
Second Quarter - Thomas Becket
Third Quarter - The Black Count
Fourth Quarter - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Congrats on the new thread Mamzel!

Leonard Nimoy

:-(

>17 mamzel: :( His last tweet made me cry.

Happy new thread. And, very sad news indeed about Mr. Nimoy.

Happy new thred, Mamzel. I have also been slowly working my way through the Sherlock Holmes stories. I still have quite a few to go, but I am enjoying them very much.

Happy new thread, mamzel. R.I.P. Leonard Nimoy.

WOO HOO!!!
(copied from Shelf Awareness for Readers)



The Siege Winter
by Ariana Franklin and Samantha Norman

Ariana Franklin (aka Diana Norman), author of the acclaimed Mistress of the Art of Death series, died in 2011 before completing The Siege Winter. But her daughter Samantha Norman finished the novel, allowing readers to enjoy Franklin's exciting historical fiction once again.

The year is 1141. England is in the grip of a civil war, as Empress Matilda and King Stephen battle for the throne after the death of Henry I. The chaos means that lawless men roam unhindered, and Emma, a young girl from the fens, is kidnapped by a depraved monk, brutally raped and left for dead. Gwyl, a kindhearted mercenary archer, finds Emma and nurses her back to health, disguising her as a boy and renaming her Penda. Little do Gwyl and Penda know that their paths will soon cross with the Empress herself.

Meanwhile, Maud of Kenniford has been forced into marriage with a loutish, much older man, because her castle and lands are considered vital to Stephen's cause. Defying her husband, Maud makes a treaty with Matilda's forces, triggering events that will lead to a long winter's siege.

Although the subject matter is grim, the jocular attitude of several of the main characters makes The Siege Winter surprisingly amusing. Penda's feistiness, Gwyl's determination and Maud's intransigence are all likable qualities, and the vividly depicted historical setting will keep the reader simultaneously engaged but sad at the knowledge that Franklin won't be writing any more books. Fans of British history and historical fiction are sure to love the intrigue and scope of The Siege Winter. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm

Discover: A thrilling historical novel set during England's tumultuous civil war of the 1140s.

I put a hold on The Siege Winter and hope in comes to me in time for April's History CAT! For those of you who have yet to savor the series, it takes place in the 12th century and features a woman medically trained in Sicily who is recruited to work in England. She uses her skills to solve murders and in one of the episodes has to determined whether a skeleton is Arthur Pendragon or not. A must for fans of medieval mysteries!



The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton (2014)

To many, I was myth incarnate, the embodiment of a most superb legend, a fairy tale. Some considered me a monster, a mutation. To my great misfortune, I was once mistaken for an angel.

If I had to put a label on this book it would have to be "odd." It is an odd story. Full of unexplained things like why this girl was born with nonfunctioning wings. And her brother could see ghosts but couldn't tell others about his visions in terms they could understand.

One odd thing I certainly appreciated was Ava's French heritage. Her grandmother came to America on the SS France, a ship that I always admired for its sleek lines even when it became the SS Norway. I also drooled over the descriptions of the French pastries they created in their bakery.



Ava and her twin brother, Henry, were born from rape. Their father was obsessed with their mother but couldn't marry her because she wasn't pleasing to his father, a drunk bully. (For those sensitive to violent scenes there are actually two in this book.)

As Ava tries to get the courage to join with other young people, the nephew of a neighbor moves in and becomes obsessed with her and her wings (are you getting the theme yet?). He is stereotypically a fanatic zealot who thinks she must be an angel. After butchering as many birds he can get his hands on, he finally turns his attention to Ava with terrible ferocity.

I have to say I probably would not have finished this book if it wasn't part of the HUB challenge.

CATEGORY: YA FICTION (HUB CHALLENGE)
(WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD FOR FIRST-TIME AUTHOR)

Crossover by Kwame Alexander (2014)

at the top of the key,
I'm MOVING & GROOVING,
POPping and ROCKING -
Why you BUMPING?
Why you LOCKING?

Wonderful book! A novel in verse, it tells the story of Josh Bell (nicknamed Filthy McNasty by his father after a jazz song), twin brother of Jordan, both of them star basketball players for the Reggie Lewis Junior High School Wildcats. Their mother is the principal of the school and their father is a sidelined player who dedicates his time to coaching his boys.

Things could not be better for the talented twins until Jordan starts to pay more attention to a pair of pink Reeboks and the girl who wears them and the father starts to show symptoms of hypertension untreated because of his fear/distrust of doctors and hospitals.

The rhythm of the verses match the mood and setting of each scene from the tense and loving moments with Josh's parents to the energetic pace of the court.

I highly recommend this book for boys in middle and high school.

CATEGORY: YA FICTION (HUB CHALLENGE)
BEST FICTION FOR 2015 AND QUICK PICK

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (2014)

At dusk they pour from the sky. The blow across the ramparts, turn cartwheels over rooftops, flutter into the ravines between houses. Entire streets swirl with them, flashing white against the cobbles. Urgent message to the inhabitants of this town, they say. Depart immediately to open country.

The words in this opening line set the tone for the whole book - danger, doom, fear, and calamity.

We are introduced to three main characters, a blind French girl, a white-haired German boy, and a man dying from cancer. The girl carries a gem of great value, the boy is talented at building radio receivers, and the man is bent on finding the aforementioned gem which he hopes will give him life as legends promise.

Taking place mainly in France, we follow Marie-Laure and she leaves Paris with her father to go to the coastal fortress town of Saint-Malo. Taking with them is a fabled diamond he smuggles while three replicas head off in different directions. He was the keeper of keys for the Museum of Natural History and has a talent of building magic boxes. He builds toy replicas of the neighborhood so his daughter can learn her way around. He hides the gem in the toy designed to replicate the house they live in in Saint-Malo. This house they escape to is owned by his uncle who has a secret transmitter hiding in the attic of the house. It does not take a genius to figure out how these three characters come together, but how will things end?

Ordinarily I am impatient with books with short chapters but in this book it works. We follow three main characters, and a number of secondary characters, and bounce back and forth in time. I had a queasy sense of danger during the whole time I read this book. This book is recommended for teens but I'm afraid it may be too long (530 pages) for the great majority of my patrons. If just one or two would tackle it, I think I'll be happy.

CATEGORY: YA FICTION (HUB CHALLENGE)
(ADULT BOOKS WITH SPECIAL APPEAL TO TEENS)

Adding All the Light We Cannot See to the list. It looks like a must-read.

You have just reviewed a couple of books I have on my book radar, All the Light We Cannot See and The Seige Winter. It's encouraging to see you liked them both.

>26 pamelad: I think a lot of people have enjoyed it. I hope you get a chance to as well.

>27 Roro8: That wasn't my review of Franklin's book. I copied it from Shelf Awareness. I put a hold on it at my library and I'm 3rd in the queue. Her series were quite popular here on LT and many members were sorry that she died. I thought I would share the good news that the fourth book was released. I find it curious how this book, the fourth book of the Millennium series by Steig Larsson, and the recently discovered book by Harper Lee were announced in such a short period.

>28 mamzel:, it was an excellent review anyway. I just read one for that book in the Historical Novel Review. It was equally flattering. It certainly is a curious thing when books are published 'from beyond the grave'.

Hey V.C. Andrews, Carolyn Keene and Frank W. Dixon have been writing from beyond the grave for decades! And then there's authors like James Patterson, who, even though he is still alive, no longer has to write his own books.

I'm going to skip the Steig Larsson, since the trilogy was good as it was. As for the Harper Lee, I'll wait until the reviews come in.

>29 Roro8: The only book that was a surprise was Lee's (it was for me anyway). Franklin and Larsson fans knew about the books that hadn't been released before the authors' deaths and (if they were like me) were eagerly awaiting the legal/publishing road blocks to be cleared before we could savor their last work.

>30 RidgewayGirl: My brother went to Penn State (in the 70s) and belonged to an organization that scheduled guest speakers. He knew they most often just returned to their hotel rooms and invited James Michener out for a drink. It was then I learned that authors, once they get to the point their name appears larger than the title of the book, generally only write an outline and leave the rest of the writing to unnamed ghost writers. Kind of like how fashion designers draw a dress and leave it to others to actually fabricate it and are never named.

The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely (2014)

In order to tell you what really happened, what you don't know, what the journalists didn't report, I have to start at Mother's annual Christmas Eve party.

Told from the viewpoint of a sixteen-year old boy, we see the damage from the betrayal of an adult in a position of respect and responsibility.

Aidan's father deserted him and his mother but they were not in financial difficulty. His mother was a party planner and Aidan attended a private school, the Country Day Academy. We find that he abuses Adderall, a medication prescribed for ADHD, and helps himself to the supplies of alcohol left behind by his father. He volunteers to work at Most Precious Blood, a Catholic church, and this is where he comes in contact with Father Greg. Father Greg, like a typical sexual predator, targets Aidan knowing he is dire need of comfort and direction from a strong male person, and uses all the buzz words that Aidan needs to hear. He admonishes him to keep silent for Aidan's own good and generally runs the script of a successful abuser.

What finally shakes Aidan is that he overhears Father Greg tell the same tired lines to another boy, reports of abuse by priests, and an attempted suicide of a friend. He realizes that the only way to move on is to tell his story and hopefully help other boys in the process.

I have to admit I would not have picked this book up if it weren't for the HUB challenge and I could not for the life of me, remember the title when I didn't have the book in front of me. I probably won't remember it after I return it to the library either.

CATEGORY: YA FICTION (HUB CHALLENGE)
2014 BEST FICTION

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs and narrated by Linda Emond (2009)

Cold.
Numb.
Confused.
I opened my eyes.
To dark. Black as artic winter.

This is the first Tempy Brennan I've read and the 12th of the series. I have watched the TV show but this takes place in a different setting. No Booth, no Angela, no Jeffersonian. She is now working for the Surete in Quebec and is called in on an apparent series of murders of older women. The story, however, opens with her waking up in an underground burial place. She recalls the events of the past days trying to figure out who would have wanted to bury her alive while working to get herself out.

Reichs' style of writing is short simple sentences with terse descriptive words. It goes with the subject matter and the character.

I listened to this on CDs in my car and had no trouble keeping up with the twists and turns. I had never read any of this series before and was a taken a little aback that there were no Booth, Angela, or Jeffersonian, but I figured I should just follow along and forget about my preconceptions which worked for me.

CATEGORY: AUDIOBOOK



Noggin by John Cory Whaley (2014)

Listen - I was alive once and then I wasn't. Simple as that. Now I'm alive again.

Fifteen-year old Travis had cancer which ravaged his body but his brain was untouched. He and his parents agreed to a revolutionary new possibility of cryogenically freezing the head and attaching it to a donor body sometime in the future. Before the separation operation, his friends and family say their good byes. Five years later he wakes up to find it has been possible and he now has a healthy (and very well built) new body. He feels like nothing has changed since he went to sleep and faces quite a challenge when he discovers that life went on in his absence.

His parents seem unchanged but his best friend, who when he last saw him was struggling with his homosexuality, continues to live while denying the truth. His girlfriend has gone on to college and is now engaged to a perfectly nice guy. One major thing he has in his corner is his optimism and sense of humor. One person who understands what he is going through is another man who also got a new body but had an advantage of a family who waited for him.

A vey interesting story, quite different from the waking-from-a-coma story.

CATEGORY: YA LIT (HUB CHALLENGE)
2014 BEST FICTION

I read the earlier installments of the Tempe Brennan series, the ones that don't have "Bones" in the title. The first three are my favourites, because they have the most Montreal content. Does the show go to Montreal at all?

>34 rabbitprincess: Not that I've seen. Out of curiosity, does she list every single bone in any of the other books. I was close to switching off at that point!

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2014)

The king stood in a pool of blue light, unmoored.

I loved the use of the catchphrase from Star Trek: Voyager - "Because survival is insufficient," not the least because it was the series with a female captain but because this book shows that humans can be more than the violent, selfish survivalists that appear in most PA books, fighting off desperately hungry people and zombies.

Civilization shows in a band of roaming actors and musicians who travel from settlement to settlement putting on Shakespeare plays and classical music. There is also the formation of a museum in an airport made up of devices that no longer work like cell phones, or have become superfluous, like stiletto-heeled shoes.

It was a slow starter for me. I was worried that I had a book on my hands that everyone loved and I somehow couldn't bond with. All the flashbacks were getting in the way of what I had assumed was the main story since everyone was raving about the beacon of civility in the expanse of despair. But as I began to see the relationships forming, how people touched by the life of one man crossed paths again and again, I switched gears and enjoyed the ride. I'll have to reread this some day to make sure I got everything straight.

Thought of the day: "None of the older Symphony members knew much about science, which was frankly maddening given how much time these people had had to look things up on the Internet before the world ended."

CATEGORY: ROOTs
SFF CHALLENGE

>36 mamzel: Your review is the first one that has actually made me want to read this book.

36> I had the same experience of missing the story when I read 11/22/63 by Stephen King.

Just finished Station Eleven myself. I enjoyed the storytelling, but thought the author went a bit too far with some of the coincidences.

>37 luvamystery65: I'm touched and proud. I hope you will enjoy it.

>38 BookLizard: I find I frequently gloss over reviews, especially if it's a book I intend to read so I often have misconceptions about them. Either that or I just plain forget what I have read. (The latter is probably more true than I want to admit!)

39>I'm the same way. I put a book on hold at the library, and by the time it finally comes in, I'm wondering what it is and why I ordered it. LOL.

The description of Station Eleven on Amazon pretty much gave away the whole book.

See? I even bought the Kindle version of the book but if I read the Amazon blurb I forgot about it by the time I got around to reading the book. My memory sucks!

The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo, translated by Henry Yule, revised by Henri Cordier (2012)

The Venetian Marco Polo is not only the most renowned traveler in world history, but he and his book have also generated more speculation than almost any other person or volume in world literature.

On the plus side - the time spent with Kubilia Khan and the Mongols is fascinating. The illustrations from Le livre des merveilles du monde were delightful and I loved the photographs of statues, art, and relics of the period.

On the negative side - the font used was really small (I guess I need reading glasses) and uncomfortable to read. The modern maps of the areas somehow never showed me the places that were discussed.

I did also like in the inclusion of modern descriptions and interpretations of the work. I am even more intrigued/confused by the character of Prester John who I first met in Eco's Baudolino. His mention by Polo prompted me to go online and try to learn more about this mysterious person.

I have to admit that I read the first half and scanned through the second half. It became tedious trekking to a new town and reading about what the people did. The sections on Khan and the Mongols were much more interesting.

CATEGORY: NONFICTION
HISTORY CAT: EXPLORATION

Last night I opened my Kindle and sighed as I tried to continue the Philip K. Dick story, A Scanner Darkly which deals with drug use. I decided I needed some fluff after the serious reading I've been accomplishing lately and moved on to Libriomancer, the first of a series and found a great weight had lifted off my shoulder as he reached into a science fiction book, pulled out a blaster and blew away one of the vampires that had just entered his library.

43> I love the Libriomancer series. Did you appreciate the name of that type of vampire?

>44 BookLizard: It was quite the tongue twister. I tried it two or three times in my head. Mananananggal. Sounds like something a cat would type (or upchuck). I love his buddy, Smudge. I made myself stop at the half way point this morning so I would have more to enjoy tomorrow.

Went to the first day of the library's FOL book sale with my friend. I thought we had gone late enough to avoid the commercial vultures, but no.
Did end up with a few audio books and print books.

Storm Cycle by Iris and Roy Johansen - audio
Gypped by Carol Higgins Clark - audio
The Kingdom by Clive Cussler - audio
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkein - audio (wish I could have found the rest of the trilogy - alas!
Small Favor by Jim Butcher - ARC

and the best one of all - something everyone's been raving about - Longbourn by Jo Baker

45> I was thinking of the Meyerii vampires. :-)

Oh, yeah! The sparklers! I am really enjoying all of the book references. Harry Potter, Dr. Who, Star Wars, Alice in Wonderland, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and so many others. His explanation for wearing his brown coat cracked me up.

In Real Life by Cory Doctorow and Jen Wang (2014)

from introduction: In Real Life is a book about games and economics.

It is - for kids. Doctorow has taken the theme he wrote about in the YA novel, For the Win, and brought it to life for younger readers in an effort to try and teach young gamers to boycott gold miners whose jobs are to collect items and gold in the game and sell them for cash in the real world to gamers who want to get ahead faster and have extra cash to help themselves along. These miners generally work in conditions similar to sweat shops in countries like China and Malaysia with little pay and no benefits such as health care.

In this book Anda joins a MMORPG in a guild made up of all female players/avatars. She is also recruited to join another experienced player who gets her to help attack groups of miners and then pick up all the stuff they had been collecting. Anda talks to one of the miners and learns about the life they lead. Anda learns about organizing and striking from her father and shares it with the Chinese boy. He gets fired for his attempt.

The style of the art is quite similar to manga and is simple enough to be read in just a few minutes. Hopefully, some kids will learn about this form of exploitation and will not support it.

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE
HUB CHALLENGE - GRAPHIC NOVEL

Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines (2012)
Magic Ex Libris No. 1

I cleared the screen. I couldn't count the number of times I had helped patrons track down ancestors on genealogy sites or locate long-lost classmates, and I had found books with far less information than a character's name. I was a pretty good libriomancer, but I was a damn good librarian.

This was a fun book and I had to go back to Amazon and buy the next two in the series.

Isaac Vainio is a libriomancer, a person who has the ability to reach into a book and pull out some artifact into real life and use it. He has a fire spider side kick who is really good at warning him of imminent danger. He is also helped by a nymph who was born from an oak from an acorn pulled from a book. They have to find out who is enslaving vampires who are attacking libriomancers, an act which seems to be creating conditions for a major war.

Very likeable characters and a lot of books. A bibliography at the end helps the reader know which books were real and which were made up.

CATEGORY: FANTASY

49> I'm so glad you liked this. I don't know why more people don't read it. I was very disappointed that some of the books mentioned were not real - I wanted to read them, too.

>49 mamzel: Libriomancer sounds like an appealing book. I've seen some of Hines's blog posts, including the hilarious pose-off with John Scalzi, and I've been meaning to try one of his books.

>50 BookLizard: and >51 mathgirl40: I needed a little fluff and this new (to me) series fit the bill! It made me happy.

I went back to the book sale yesterday and found the audio for The Lord of the Ring: The Two Towers. I dug and dug and could not find The Fellowship of the Ring to complete the series. Drat!

(Why is it impossible to find a touchstone for the book version of these titles. All I get are movie tie ins, films, and video games. Even going to the Tolkein's page I could not find them. Has no one on LT read the trilogy??? I find that very hard to believe!)

These touchstones can be really messed up. I find that if I add an audiobook to my collection (by finding it by ISBN number on Amazon), I usually have better luck with the touchstones.

Unfortunately, they are trying to get us to download their audiobooks through Audible and consequently don't give the ISBNs. Maybe I'll try Barnes & Noble's site.



Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (2014)
Dorothy Must Die No. 1

I first discovered I was trash three days before my ninth birthday - one year after my father lost his job and moved to Secaucus to live with a woman named Crystal and four years before my mother had the car accident, started taking pills, and began exclusively wearing bedroom slippers instead of normal shoes.

Amy Gumm does not have a nice life and has grown up taking care of her impaired mother and growing a thick skin to keep off the attacks of the bullies at school, especially a pregnant girl named Madison. Kansas, in a trailer park, during tornado season. Here we go!

I'm afraid that fans of the Oz books and movie will have a hard time with this story but I am no such fan. I actually took the recommendation of one of my students for a change, and when I saw it offered as a Kindle special I took a chance.

With tornado warnings on TV, Amy's mom leaves her and a pet rat named Star to go drinking with her gal pals. It is no surprise to the reader when her trailer is picked up by the twister. However, this is when things really go awry. Instead of landing on a witch and being an instant hero, Amy lands at the edge of a pit and is rescued by Nox. She finds herself on the yellow brick road being magically towed along towards the Emerald City. The landscape, however, is desolate. She is told, but has to learn over and over, that nothing is as it seems. Dorothy has returned to Oz with a boundless hunger for magic and she is sucking it out of the ground. Amy learns that Dorothy must die to save Oz and they have been waiting for her arrival to accomplish it.

An interesting twist on the story.

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE

The Siege Winter by Ariana Franklin and Samatha Norman (2015)

It is a wood-paneled room of sumptuous size - the abbots of Perton have always done themselves well.

An abbot dictates a story to a young and naïve scribe about the events of a bunch of people that are brought together during the war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda. They range from lowly peasants to royalty, lay and clergy, soldiers and servants. Franklin weaves a masterful story and gives life to all of them.

I won't go into the plot, there's too much and I want to just assure you that it scores. Big time!

CATEGORY: MISCELLANEOUS

>49 mamzel:
Yep, BB taken.

>53 BookLizard: I tried to get an ISBN from Amazon but it seems that they aren't selling books on CD any more but want us to order audio books through Audible. I guess I could try Barnes & Noble or Library of Congress.

>56 -Eva-: Eva, you won't be disappointed.

March Roundup
I read a respectable 14 books this month (thanks to the HUB challenge) of which there were several standouts, especially All the Light We Cannot See and The Siege Winter.

Total to date:
1. YA and children lit - 13
2. Fantasy - 3
3. empty
4. Technolit
5. Nonfiction - 3
6. ROOTs - 4
7. Tomes
8. Mystery - 3
9. Non-American authors - 4
10. 1001 Books
11. Cross-genre
12. Audiobooks - 2
13. Miscellaneous - 2
14. Group reads and CATs - 5

Total books read to date: 39

Science Fiction/Fantasy Challenge: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

History Challenge: The Travels of Marco Polo by Marco Polo

I read 6 books for the HUB challenge and I'll use that excuse for not reading something for the American Author Challenge or continuing with the next Austen. Oh, well.

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles (2014)

My name is Biddy.
Some call me Retard.
Quincy call me White Trash sometimes and Food most of the time.
Most kids call me Speddie. That's short for Special Education.

This story is told alternately by two girls both newly graduated from high school and the special education program. One girl was born slow and the other made that way by a brick to the side of her head by her mother's boyfriend. Both have suffered abuse and misery and now they have to live together.

They have been placed in an apartment over the garage of a wealthy woman. One girl works for her, cleaning house and caring for her. The other has a position in the bakery department of a supermarket. Both have trouble learning, not only book learning, but learning trust.

A quick but powerful read.

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE (HUB CHALLENGE)



Afterlife with Archie: Escape from Riverdale byRoberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla (2014)

This is how the end of the world begins.

I was never a big fan of the perennially young and clueless Archie with two girls, Betty and Veronica, bickering over him like he's the last guy on Earth, Jughead, big-hearted and loyal, and the other students of Riverdale High. Jughead's dog, Hot Dog, is hit by a car and grief-stricken Jughead carries him to some witches to reanimate him. Well, you can imagine that what emerges is not the same happy dog, but a rabid beast who bites Jughead and turns him into a zombie. Thus begins the zombie apocalypse. Oh, and did I mention I'm not a big zombie fan either?

I only read this for the challenge and can't really recommend this unless you're a zombie fan and would get a kick out of ancient teenagers fight for their lives.

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE (HUB CHALLENGE)
GRAPHIC NOVEL



Through the Woods by Emily Carroll (2014)

When I was little I used to read before I slept at night. And I read by the light of a lamp clipped to my headboard. Stark white, and bright, against the darkness of my room. I dreaded turning it off. What if I reached out...just past the edge of the bed and SOMETHING, waiting there, GRABBED ME and pulled me down, into the DARK.

This book was wonderful. The illustrations perfectly accompanied the creepy little stories. Fans of graphic novels should check this one out!



CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE (HUB CHALLENGE0
GRAPHIC NOVEL

So happy to see another Ariana Franklin book has been published! I am looking forward to reading The Siege Winter.... lovely review!

>59 lkernagh: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!



Shakespeare's Star Wars Collection written by Ian Doescher, read by Danny Davis, et al (2014)

It is a period of civil war.
The spaceships of the rebels, striking swift
From base unseen, have gain'd a vict'ry o'er
The cruel Galactic Empire, now adrift.
...
In time so long ago our play,
In star-crossed galaxy far, far away.


As you listen to these words you can easily picture them scrolling up the screen in front of you gradually disappearing into the distance. You can continue to imagine the whole Star Wars, Part IV and V, as the ensemble presents the familiar story in iambic pentameter. George Lucas has given permission to the producers to use the theme music and sound effects. Ian Doescher adds a lot to the original stories by using Shakespeare's devices such as asides and the chorus.

I admit that this might not be the thing for many LTers but if you give it a try you might find yourself laughing out loud and wishing for red lights to give yourself more time with the story.

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE (HUB CHALLENGE)
AUDIOBOOK

Today is the last day of our spring break and I feel like I accomplished quite a bit. I got new glasses (bifocals this time), applied for a passport ( my previous one expired a long time ago), cleaned my pantry (with daughter's help), played with the chickens, returned books to the library, started Mansfield Park, went to see Lady in Gold (Helen Mirren was terrific), cleaned my drawers and closet shelves, and ironed enough shirts for a couple of weeks. I also started a new character in Skyrim. I can go back to work tomorrow guilt free. I also found a very cute series on Netflix called Murder in Paradise which I watched while I ironed.

Wow, that is quite an accomplishment. Today, I've managed to make breakfast and then parked my butt on the couch with my laptop and that's about it...

>61 mamzel:, you must be feeling pretty good about getting all those things done.

>62 -Eva-: and >63 Roro8: I was pretty proud of myself. Usually I waste vacation time and then berate myself for not getting anything accomplished. Another thing I did was get a very short haircut, very drastic. I've received a lot of good reviews about it. And it's ever so nice to go into the pantry without trepidation and able to find what I'm looking for.

Zel by Donna Jo Napoli (1996)

"Oh, Mother, the goose is on her nest again." Zel rests her weight on the windowsill and leans out. Her feet dance on tiptoe.

I loved this retelling of the Rapunzel story. Zel is a beautiful child, full of joy and appreciation for life. Her mother is protective of her, perhaps too protective. On a trip into town they each have a chance run in with young Count Konrad, the son of the ruler of the area. He sees Zel calm his horse for the blacksmith and is grateful to her. He finds that he actually is quite infatuated with her when his parents bring up the subject of marriage.

But there is more to her mother's hovering. The story alternates between the three characters and we learn of the mother's overwhelming desire for a child which drives her to making a terrible deal. In order to avoid paying the price, she locks her daughter in the fabled tower where Rapunzel grows her hair in two impossibly long braids.

Written for teens, there is implied sex. I read it in one day.

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE

60> I enjoyed them when I read them, but wasn't planning on continuing with the series. Maybe I will on audiobook.

I'm reading a Rapunzel story at the moment too, Bitter Greens. I hope I like it as much as you liked yours.

Disconnect by Lois Peterson (2012)

"Are you listening?"

This book is one of many published by Orca Book Publishers and sold as HiLo (High Interest, Low Readability) to try and reach the many students who find reading a chore. We have quite a number in my library and when this one came back I decided to give it a read. It only took a couple of hours.

Daria's family had just moved to a new town and she stayed connected with her old friends with her cell phone. While babysitting she takes a call and one of her charges has a potentially dangerous fall. Daria's phone and computer privileges were taken away for a month. Another new student, Cleo, smart and technology-free, convinces Daria that she is suffering withdrawal and that technology can be an addiction.

Good, quick read. Do you know anyone who suffers from this addiction?

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE

Ms. Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson (2014)

This is the first episode of a new Marvel superhero, Ms. Marvel. What makes this one special is that SHE is a teen-aged girl with a family from Pakistan. Kamala undergoes a transformation after a mysterious mist descends on Jersey City. When she realizes she can change herself she immediately goes blond bombshell. Her first rescue is a classmate who falls off a pier. As she learns what she is capable of, however, she tones it back to a more respectable form with her regular brown hair and Arabic features. For a costume she uses her burkini, the garment Islamic women wear for swimming.

If I had to choose one word to describe this new series it would be "refreshing" since the hero has a whole new bunch of conflicts like Islamic parents trying to keep her away from boys and other bad influences. How is a superhero expected to save the world if she's grounded? There are examples of the conflict of cultures like her older brother who hides behind his faith to avoid working since many employment options would not be acceptable.

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE (HUB CHALLENGE)
GRAPHIC NOVEL

I was just recommending Prince of Fools to someone and it occurred to me to check to see if the second book in the series was available yet. Well, it will be June 2 so I pre-ordered it. Perfect reading for the summer!!

This past week it felt like I was coming down with a cold. This feeling lasted three days but never fully developed into anything which led me to believe that I may be having a little allergy problem (I did sleep with an open window one night). I seem to be better now and decided I needed to do a serious job of dust removal around my sleeping area which includes a couple of book shelves. An alternate motive was that I am organizing a book giveaway on campus and I figured I should seed the offerings with my own donations. I removed three books of read books from my shelf and went ahead and made sure they were all cataloged while I was at it. I added almost 30 more books to my TBR collection.

>69 mamzel:
Sounds like an interesting take on superhero - BB for me!

>72 -Eva-: It sure helped renew my respect for graphic novels! I hope you will enjoy it. A male student saw it on my desk and commented that it was one of his favorites.



The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich (2005)

Leaving the child cemetery with its plain hand-lettered sign and stones carved into the weathered shapes of lambs and angels, I am lost in my thoughts and pause too long where the cemetery road meets the two-lane highway.

A few years ago I read Erdrich's The Round House and I was eager to read another one of her books centered on the lives of Native Americans. I knew nothing about this one but I was not disappointed.

The first third is about Faye, a middle-aged woman who lives with her mother in New Hampshire. Together they have a business where they buy furniture from estates. She has a gentleman caller, a sculptor, who sneaks into her house at night and leaves before the mother gets up in the morning. Faye isn't quite sure if this relationship should continue. She is called to appraise the house of a man whose father was a trader on a reservation in South Dakota. Among many artifacts she comes across a drum in the attic. She is moved to take this drum home and return it to its original home. She smuggles it out and to her room. She knows how to treat it with respect, keeping it up off the ground and covered, and gives it occasional gifts of tobacco.

The second third takes place after the drum is returned. We meet a family of three very young children left in their house alone. Their mother had to hitch into town to get food vouchers and apply for an emergency supply of oil. Hungry and cold the kids start a fire in their house which quickly burns down the house. The six-year old tries to get them to their neighbor's house. When it almost seems that they won't make it, she hears a drum that guides them to their neighbor's house. Bernard later brings the drum to the infant boy's hospital room to try and use the old songs to return him to life.

The last section brings us back to New Hampshire where Faye is making decisions about her life.

This is very much a character-driven book. We spend most of the time in the heads of these ordinary people as they struggle to make it in their worlds. Erdrich really helps us to feel all the fear, hope, misery, love, and life they experience. The drum unites their stories and serves as a focus for their interwoven histories.

CATEGORY: MISCELLANEOUS
AMERICAN AUTHOR CHALLENGE

The Creative Collection of American Short Stories, illustrated by Yan Nascimbene, introduction by Ray Bradbury (2010)

from Bradbury's introduction: In your hands are 272 pages containing 17 superb short stories. You may choose, as I do, to look upon this collection as one might an emerald. This is a fitting metaphor, I think, for a couple of reasons. First, writing a short story masterpiece is not unlike cutting and polishing a gemstone - both tasks require a keen eye, practiced technique, and a confident hand. Second, reading this anthology is akin to examining a cut emerald with many surfaces: depending on how you hold and look at it, you'll see many different facets. In short stories, each of these facets can reflect its own truths about life.

Every year I inventory part of the collection here and this year was it was time to go through (what I call) not-fiction (whatever isn't fiction). Besides finding out what books have sprouted legs and walked out, I watch for books that can be weeded. But the real plus is becoming acquainted with books I never noticed before. This was one such book.

It is an anthology of what might be considered the best examples of short stories - stories that knock the breath out you with their power and set you back in your chair in surprise. Among my favorites were the first one out of the box by Poe, The Black Cat, and one by one of my favorite authors, Willa Cather, called Paul's Case. I'm not a Hemingway fan but I had to read Hills Like White Elephants over a couple of times to get the full gist of it. It was told almost completely in dialogue and more was not said than was said. Thank You, M'am by Langston Hughes was a hoot.

Other authors represented were Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Stephen Crane, Katherine Anne Porter, John Steinbeck, James Thurber, Wallace Stegner, Shirley Jackson, Ray Bradbury, John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Alice Walker, and Rick Bass. All giants in the genre.

Each story had its own watercolor illustration, charming. Biographical information was given all at the end of the book though I would have preferred the blurbs were placed before each story.


(illustration for The Lottery by Shirley Jackson)

CATEGORY: MISCELLANEOUS

Shipwrecked! by Rhoda Blumberg (2001)

This is another book I came across during my inventory that I decided to read. It is almost a picture book except that the content and vocabulary are rather high. The pictures that accompany the story are historic photographs and artwork, some of which was done by Manjiro himself.

Manjiro was a young man from a very poor fishing village in Japan. While working on a fishing boat, they are swamped by seas and forced to swim to a deserted island. At the time the story takes place Japan is strictly isolated (think The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet and there are harsh penalties for contact with foreign demons. It was desperation that drove them to flag down an American whaling ship. The fishermen ended up working on the ship for three years and accompanied them to New Bedford. By then Manjiro showed his intelligence and desire to learn navigation. He worked hard enough to buy a boat and finagled a ride with another whaling ship that dropped them off close enough to Japan for them to get home. Manjiro helped convince (not without difficulty) the Japanese to discuss trade with the U.S. This story is well known in Japan and Manjiro is something of a hero. It certainly took a lot of courage to return home.



CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (2013)

I may have found a solution to the Wife Problem.

As I started reading this book, I immediately thought of the character of Dr. Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory since Sheldon and Don share many behaviors attributable to the autism spectrum. If it's Tuesday a certain t-shirt must be worn and dinner is always the same. Sarcasm is totally beyond their comprehension and strict organization is mandatory. Where Don is different is that he cooks his own meals and has studied aikido and karate to stand up to bullying so he is very physically fit. In fact he mentally calculates other people's BMI like most people register hair length.

Don is a respected genetic scientist and has come to a point in his life that he should have a life partner. He devises a questionnaire, scientifically perfect, to winnow out non-starters who smoke or who are vegetarian. His best friend, Claude, sets him up with a woman who fails on many levels but Don is drawn back to her for reasons he cannot fathom. Rosie relates to him the mystery of her father's identity since her mother died before revealing his name. Rosie grew up feeling abandoned by her stepfather even though logically and scientifically she understands why he might feel aloof and saddled by her care. Using the few clues the mother gave her, they narrow the field to a manageable test pool and they come up with a method of obtaining their DNA to test.

What made this book fun was Don's misinterpretation of other people's behavior, just like Sheldon. As I read I worried if my finding his mistakes amusing might be making fun of his condition, like laughing a cripple falling down (which I would not find funny). There is a scene where, for their first date, Don makes reservations at a very upscale restaurant. When he arrives he is told that a jacket is required and he cannot understand why his very expensive, totally practical, Gore-ex rain jacket is not acceptable. He ends up putting two employees on the ground.

Needless to say I was uncomfortable at the idea of being redressed in an item of public clothing of dubious cleanliness. For a few moments, I was overwhelmed by the sheer unreasonableness of the situation. I was already under stress, preparing for the second encounter with a woman who might become my life partner. And now the institution that I was paying to supply us with a meal - the service provider who should surely be doing everything possible to make me comfortable - was putting arbitrary obstacles in my way. My Gore-Tex jacket, the high-technology garment that had protected me in rain and snowstorms, was being irrationally, unfairly, and obstructively contrasted with the official's essentially decorative woolen equivalent. I had paid $1,015 for it, including $120 extra for the customized reflective yellow. I outlined my argument.

My library has always been a safe haven for kids and at present I have no less than five guys and one girl, two with autism/Asperger's, who regularly spend lunch with me or other free time. One, that really connected with me after he learned I play RPGs, cracks me up with his amazing ability at creating puns. Frequently he wants to excitedly share them with me and I have to gently remind him not to interrupt when I am helping other students. I think I understand them after spending so much time with them and so I can really appreciate their personal growth just like the growth Don exhibits in this book. I don't think I find their behavior funny but I can laugh at Sheldon and Don who are so literal they end up holding mirrors to us "normal" people and showing us how ridiculous we are.

I read this book in one sitting.

CATEGORY: NON-AMERICAN AUTHOR

Great review of The Rosie Project! I have only watched a couple of episodes of The Big Bang Theory but even with that limited exposure, I knew right away which one is Sheldon. I think it is great that your library is a safe haven for kids and I think you nailed it in one when you state "they end up holding mirrors to us "normal" people and showing us how ridiculous we are."

Sheldon surely does stand out. I was a late comer to the series but have enjoyed the reruns immensely. The casting director was a genius, IMO.

I am very fortunate in that the administration of my school understands the value of the library and has done things to ensure we stay open. For instance, we got all new computers last summer and we are the only computer lab left on campus. Or will be when the other computers gasp their last breaths. They have also made all of the libraries headquarters for the laptops which meant the clerks all got additional hours. However, I am still the only clerk that has a full 40 hour week and this library is open from 7:30 until 4:00 every day. The teacher-librarian (credentialed) covers the three high schools so I am alone for 2/3s of the time (which suits me fine). We will have a new principal next year and I hope the new one will keep up the support.

End of another month already?!?!?!

April totals:

1. YA and children lit - 17
2. Fantasy - 3
3. empty
4. Technolit
5. Nonfiction - 3
6. ROOTs - 5
7. Tomes - 1
8. Mystery - 3
9. Non-American authors - 5
10. 1001 Books - 2
11. Cross-genre
12. Audiobooks - 2
13. Miscellaneous - 4
14. Group reads and CATs - 12 (already included in other categories)

Total to date: 45

Favorite of the month: The Creative Collection of American Short Stories, illustrated by Yan Nascimbene, introduction by Ray Bradbury (2010)

I just saw a trailer for the BBC adaptation of Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell and I have GOT to take it down from my shelf and get it read. I think it will be my major summer read. I think I will be able to get over the intimidating size and get into it now.

>80 mamzel: I enjoyed that one a lot! My particular copy is in three volumes, which I think helped me a lot. It was like reading three normal-to-short books rather than one monstrous one!

>81 christina_reads: I'm thinking I might end up with the Kindle version which is a reasonable $8.00.

As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley (2015)

If you're anything like me you adore rot.

Flavia is back. Yay! At the end of the last episode her mother's body is returned to the family. As we open the latest episode, Flavia is on a ship bound for Canada and the boarding school also attended by her mother. Flavia is not happy, to say the least, but things look up when a girl bursts into her dorm room, climbs up the chimney to hide from her pursuer, and comes back down with a desiccated and decapitated body.

After six books where she is 12-years old, it is only right that she grow up a little. A trans-oceanic voyage and new setting are just the things to let her test her independence and show a new audience how intelligent she is. She finds a new mentor for her love of chemistry and a new law man to share her investigation. She is also in a place where she can see how important a person her mother was.

I still love the series. As I was reading it I was reminded of my favorite childhood heroine, Eloise, who was also quite intelligent, prone to stick her nose into other people's business, and able to deal with adults at their level. I was surprised to see a blurb on the back combining Eloise with Sherlock Holmes.

CATEGORY: MYSTERY

River of Darkness by Rennie Airth (1999)

The village was empty.

A friend pushed this book on me saying I would love it. It sat and taunted me for several weeks before I finally gave it a go. It was a slow start. Detective Inspector John Madden of Scotland Yard is called out to the country to investigate a brutal and puzzling murder scene. A maid, a cook, and a man had been bayoneted. A woman had been dragged up to her bed and her throat slashed. There was no apparent robbery and she had not been assaulted.

Why this book was loaned to me was because my friend knew how much I enjoyed historical mysteries. This one takes place in England after WWI when the English people were trying hard to recover and put the war behind them. Madden had served for two years and was not without his own after effects.

The story starts to get really interesting when we get chapters from the murderer's viewpoint. He is setting up to attack another family. While the team is trying to understand the motive and dig up possible other attacks, we see the meticulous steps he takes, his inner beast driving him on. Will they be able to intercept him in time?

Well worth the time to read. I particularly enjoyed the tidbits of period memorabilia like the story of the shillings given to returning soldiers.

CATEGORY: NON-AMERICAN AUTHOR

Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the moms out there! I hope you all were pampered and duly honored.

Monsieur, Fille, and Fils, Amie de Fils, and I went out to eat at a rather expensive place popular with tourists. Fille made me happy and proud when she announced that instead of flowers she made a donation in my name to the Heifer Project and paid for bees and a flock of chicks. Those items will last much longer and do more good than some pretty, but short-lived flowers. Best of all, I don't have to take care of them! I always feel guilty about throwing them out. Last week she asked me which, from a list of about 10 authors, was my favorite. Included on the list was Hemingway (not even!), Stephen King (I've read a lot but he's not really a favorite), Margaret Atwood (brilliant but I've had my ups and downs with her), Harper Lee (wrote my favorite book of all), and Neil Gaiman. I picked Gaiman because I've enjoyed his books, he writes all different kinds (kids, graphic novels, etc.) and because we went to see him at a book reading together. I think I have a mug in my future.

I was interested to read about the hoopla at the PEN Awards. Gaiman really stood up for free speech. Touchy topic, though.

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson (2014)

This is how it all begins.

Oh, dear.

I really, truly wanted to like this book. After all, it did win a Printz and I usually agree with their decisions but this one practically exploded with hyperbole and over-the-top emotions.

Jude and Noah are twins who live in a artsy coastal town. Dad studies parasites and Mom is a latent artist. They are all very close until things start to unravel. Mom starts to see another man and is about to ask Dad for a divorce but ends up dying in a car accident before she can get to him. The twins don't handle her death very well. To add to the drama, Noah is gay and is bullied. He wants to get into an art school where he hopes that he will be accepted more for his abilities than his sexual orientation. But Jude gets in instead. The story continues to get complicated with boy crushes and girl crushes with an older guy and there is spying, lying, attempted suicide, destruction of other people's creations, and other poor behavior. Really poor behavior. That none of them is held accountable is hard for me to accept. Adults as well as kids. But, gosh, they're artists so it's OK?

Sorry to be the naysayer but this one is a no-go for me.

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE

Codex Born by Jim C. Hines (2013)

People say love changes a person. They have no idea.

In this adventure of the libriomancer, Isaac Vainio and his friends battle ... well, it's too complicated to explain without boring/spoiling so I'll just say that the magic continues, we learn more about Lena, the dryad's, backstory, and continue to love the magic spider.

An interesting component was that ancient Chinese books are involved and the reader learns how they were produced.

CATEGORY: FANTASY

Little Red Lies by Julie Johnston (2013)

"Rachel! Come along."
"In a sec."
"The train will be here any minute."
"Coming!"
Nag, nag! My parents dash away, my mother clutching my father's arm, his coattails flapping.

Rachel's brother, Jamie, is returning from the war in France and the family is eager for his return to their home in Canada and returning to normal. At least that is the plan. Unfortunately, like so many others Jamie is deeply affected by his experiences and is far from normal. Unable to speak about them to his family, we get glimpses of what he went through in 'letters not sent'.

Rachel is almost 14 years old and is trying to grow up fast. The name of the book refers to the bright red color of lipstick she tries to wear before her mother confiscates it and stores it in a kitchen cabinet for when she is older. A typical teenager, she is not very intuitive to the feelings of others and is more concerned in how events will affect her. She and her family are ill equipped to deal with the veteran's return and his problems. Mom and Dad can try to help each other but she goes in a different and possibly perilous direction.

Her history teacher dies and is replaced by a much younger and very handsome man. While many of the girls in his class vie for his attention, he senses a vulnerability in Rachel and zeroes in on her.

Possibly one of the most shocking parts of the story is the reaction of the family's neighbors when Jamie is struck with a terrible disease. Since he is newly returned from France they all assume he has 'the clap'. Since leukemia has only recently been recognized, the family can't fight against this unwelcome slur.

I deem this book small in stature and big in heart.

CATEGORY: NONAMERICAN AUTHOR

>88 mamzel: Another BB I cannot avoid.

>89 Chrischi_HH: It garnered a lot of awards in Canada with good reason. I hope you enjoy it.



Second Street Station by Lawrence H. Levy (2015)

The Boston boat was late, and the Frenchman was livid.

I received this book from the Early Reviewers program in exchange for a review.

I really wanted to give this book a good review. It had all the right notes for me - gutsy girl, historical mystery, inventors, murder - however, they were all a bit sour.

Mary Handley was a very bright young lady recently fired from a job in a hat factory, one of the few jobs available to women at the time. What she really wanted was to be a police officer like her less able brother. She had the fabulous luck of being at the scene of a murder of one Charles Goodrich, an ex-bookkeeper of Thomas Edison. She makes observations that attracts the attention of the police chief who happened to be under pressure by the public and his superiors to hire a woman. Since she showed up the men at the scene, he hired her and assigned her to investigate. She is suddenly immersed in the world of inventors like Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla and major businessmen like J.P. Morgan and George Westinghouse. This backdrop should give us a fabulous historical mystery but instead it felt like major name dropping. While I wanted to like Mary with all my heart, I found her rude and unnecessarily disrespectful.

What sealed this book's demise for me was this totally unrealistic scene.

A gunshot rang out, its flash piercing the blackness. Mary instantly dropped to the ground, her body hugging its hard, cold surface. She watched carefully as the bullet ricocheted off the cement floor and stone pillars, flashing again with each hit and making a pinging sound as it bounced her way. At the last minute, she rolled over to avoid it, the bullet striking dangerously close to her before moving on. Another shot was fired, causing more pings and flashes. Mary again trained her eye on the zigzag path of the bullet and Moved just in time to elude it. A third bullet eventually ripped the lower part of her dress, but she herself was unharmed.

The picture I had in my head was of Neo leaning backwards as the bullets' tracks missed him.

The author claims to have done extensive research on the case and the characters but they all seemed caricatures instead. There was even an assassin, Bowler Hat, that reminded me of Odd Job.

CATEGORY: MYSTERIES

>90 mamzel: I went back and looked at my review. I made a comment that many of the minor characters were more fully developed than Mary.

The Creative Collection of American Short Stories sounds like an excellent anthology. I need to fill up my Short Story category and will keep this one in mind.

I just finished reading Ms. Marvel, Volume 1 myself and agree that "refreshing" is an apt word to describe it.

>91 thornton37814: I came away thinking this was a book that would benefit for a couple of hundred more pages to give us a more complete feel for the historical figures. Being a terrible student of history I did not know that Edison was such a jerk. I did know about the battle between AC and DC power. I better since my dad is an engineer.

>92 mathgirl40: It's a beautiful book and the stories were top notch!

Dragonseye by Anne McCaffrey (1997)

This is the 14th of 24 in the series featuring a an off-world colony called Pern. As the number of colonists grew they created new holds, each autonomous. 250 years before this book took place, they came in contact, so to speak, with a rogue planet. It came close enough to Pern to send over Thread which stripped all life wherever it touched. In this episode, Thread is expected again and the inhabitants have to get ready for it. While on the planet they bioengineered the native fauna, including a flying dragon-like creature. They impress with a human upon hatching and form a telepathic link. The book opens at a hatching where chosen young people anxiously await to be chosen by a dragon. At the last minute, a girl named Debera was chosen to be a rider by a large green dragon. Her father had tried to keep her home to use her as a reason for gaining more land but her desire to be a dragon rider impelled her to run away. The other main character was a young man named Iantine, a gifted artist.

One thing that amused me about this book is the plot where one of the holders refused to believe that the Thread was coming and was any threat. He refused to amass the things needed to protect his people, refused to even share the information with them, and then blocked their way out of the area. It reminded me of all the people who don't believe in global warming and continue to drive the largest vehicle they can buy and water their useless lawns.

Even though I came in the middle of the series, I learned what I needed to know about the back story and enjoyed the ride. The ending was open, however, to lead the reader to the next in the series.

CATEGORY: YA LITERATURE

MAY RECAP

1. YA and children lit - 18
2. Fantasy - 4
3. empty
4. Technolit
5. Nonfiction - 3
6. ROOTs - 4
7. Tomes
8. Mystery - 5
9. Non-American authors - 6
10. 1001 Books
11. Cross-genre
12. Audiobooks - 2
13. Miscellaneous - 4
14. Group reads and CATs - 5

Total books read to date: 51

Seven books read this month but I don't feel like I've read anything. Two of them were ERs that I have been neglecting. The only CAT I read was for the SFF CAT. One that stood out was Little Red Lies by Julie Johnston.

I've started reading Jonathon Strange and Mr. Morrell which will take me a while to get through. Yesterday the temperature was positively perfect and I sat in my quiet living room and just read. Delightful! I am relistening to Prince of Fools in anticipation of the sequel coming out in a couple of days. I'm enjoying it just as much as the first time I read it.

I'll have to keep an eye out for Little Red Lies. River of Darkness is going on my list too!

>83 mamzel:
I'm still wary after not loving the installment before this one, but with a 4-star rating, I will have to try it soon.

>95 mamzel:
I adored Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and am due for a reread soon. Hope you like it!

>97 -Eva-: That's the way it is with series. One episode will be through-the-roof fantastic and the next so-so. They can't be all home runs.

I couldn't resist opening The Liar's Key which just came out and may be putting JS&MM on hold for a little while. I've gotten about 20% through it so far and enjoying it.

>95 mamzel:, I'm reading Strange and Norrell too. It's taking me a while, the story is pretty good though, certainly an interesting concept.

>99 Roro8: I took a break to read Liar's Key but I'm back into it. It's rather strange that it is so slow and conversation heavy but I can't put it down. I'll be checking your thread to see if you've finished it yet.



The Liar's Key by Mark Lawrence (2015)

Two men in a room of many doors. One tall in his robes, stern, marked with cruelty and intelligence, the other shorter, very lean, his hair a shock of surprise, his garb a changing motley confusing the eye.

We are back with Prince Jalan Kendeth (Jal) and Snorri ver Snagason (not the two men mentioned in the opening line) who have obtained a key created by the trickster, Loki, which can open any door. It is Snorri's hope that he can open the door to Hel and be reunited with his dead wife and children. Jal is not so sure this is a good idea but travelling with Snorri has its upsides and sticks with him for now. They are headed back north to Jal's home in Vermillion where his grandmother, the Red Queen, and her sister, The Silent Sister, reside. The Silent Sister, in the first book, threw a curse that binds Snorri and Jal together. When it was created, Jal's accession to the throne moved up a couple of notches from tenth.

In this episode Jal is visted by a dark angel, Aslaug, every evening and Snorri is visited by Baraqel, an angel of light, every morning. Both of these angels whisper to them that they would be better off alone. Considering that Jal's main goal is to enjoy life with women, gambling and drink, it is only the curse and self-preservation that keeps him at Snorri's side. His philosophy is summed up with, "I'm a liar and a cheat and a coward, but I will never, ever, let a friend down. Unless of course not letting them down requires honesty, fair play, or bravery." He knows what his short-comings are and doesn't try very hard to overcome them. Anything remotely heroic that he accomplishes usually involves an element of accident. They narrow the location of the door to Hel to three locations and head of to find them. Jal's only goal is to return home to receive his deserved praise (?!) and return to his life of comfortable beds and soft women.

I did not notice in the first book (maybe because I listened to it instead of reading it) the references to an earlier history which ended with an event known as the Day of a Thousand Suns. There are mentions of "poured stone" and the Builders, and the Wheel which is "a complex of buildings laid above a vast underground ring, a stone tunnel, many miles long and going nowhere. A place where the Builders saw new truths." (A super-collider perhaps?) What is bizarre/interesting/puzzling is how this more recent history is shrouded but the Norse and Christian theologies are not.

The only thing that put me off a little was Jal's stomach problems after drinking or while on a boat. Luckily this finally slowed down half way through the book. Otherwise I enjoyed the adventures of these two and marvel at Jal's resistence to becoming a real man and passable prince. In his own words, his philosophy is, "I'm a liar and a cheat and a coward, but I will never, ever, let a friend down. Unless of couse not letting them down requires honesty, fair play, or bravery."

CATEGORY: FANTASY

By the way, greetings from the USVI. My dad's house is on the second little bump from the top peak on the right of the picture.



I have been here for 6 days now running around with my daughter and her boyfriend and visiting with friends. They are heading back to the States today and I am staying another week with my dad who is making a marvelous recovery from surgery to return circulation to his leg. Very, very happy that this is the incentive he needed to finally quit smoking. I hear a marked improvement in his breathing and much less coughing. The island has changed very little in the past years, I still get eaten up by mosquitoes, and his 4 dogs never get enough attention to suit them. We had a total of ten people here for dinner Sunday night and I made jerk chicken, rice and beans, and a fruit salsa with mangoes and papaya. A good time was had by all. He has dinner up here every Sunday for whoever can come, which generally is a small mob. Next Sunday I brought stuff with me to make an Indian dinner. Before I left I found curry paste in packets and brought some yellow lentils, both of which I had difficulty finding last year. The reason for having Indian food is to feature the home made mango chutney using mangoes from my dad's trees. There are still some jars left over from last year. Unfortunately the mangoes aren't ripe quite yet.

What a beautiful sight, and a wonderful place to have family to visit. Enjoy your time on the Island!

How pretty! Hope the rest of your trip is pleasant - the food sounds quite delicious!

That place looks wonderful! And good to hear your dad is recovering. :)

Beautiful photo!

Beautiful photo! I'm glad your dad is recovering well and that he's making some lifestyle changes that should improve his overall health. Enjoy the rest of your stay!

What a beautiful location! Enjoy your trip!

Thanks everyone! Summer is usually a little iffy but it looks like there will be a very low likelihood of a tropical storm this year. It's muggy and partly cloudy most days but I can get away with a minimum amount of clothes! That picture was most likely taken in the winter when the air temperature is a little lower and it's less humid. Then one is able to see far off to the horizon. They could use rain now, though. Most houses depend on catching water on the roof and storing it in a cistern under their houses. When it hasn't rained water has to be trucked to the house. Dad has never had to buy water. He is frugal to say the least.

I love when you go to visit your Dad. Lots of cool stories and the food sounds delicious. Say hello to the island dogs for me.

Glad your dad quit smoking.

>109 luvamystery65: One of the fun things this time was introducing island life to a newbie. Daughter's BF had never been to the Caribbean before. When we rented a car at the airport we had a choice of a Mustang or a Jeep. Mustang? Yeah, that's the car for going up and down steep hills and a maximum speed limit of 35 mph! I took the Jeep without even asking if it was stick or automatic (I can drive either). BF had thought that they would be able to take one day to drive themselves around but daughter nixed that. She made him sit in the shotgun seat. She just sat behind him and snickered. I asked if I should take the scenic route or the direct route home and she wanted to give him the full experience and chose direct. Part of the way is a road that is very steep, narrow, pot-holed, and winding with two-way traffic. Oh, and did I mention we drive on the left? He was certainly wide awake when we got home! Any thoughts of driving themselves wafted away on the tradewinds.

The next day was beach day to lay down a basic burn. We went to Magen's Bay, 1 mile of pure white sand. There is a little bar at one end of the bay that serves food. I swear there is nothing in this world better than eating a cheeseburger on the beach. I was driving and just enjoyed a sip of daughter's pina colada. Yum!



The next day was the adventure in St. John. Due to recent hurricane action and other bad things attacking our reefs, good snorkling is hard to come by. On St. John there is a little cay called Water Lemon Cay that is reached by a hike and swim out to it. It is worth the effort to escape most of the tourist traffic (forbid they get too far away from air conditioning) and see some awesome fish. The swim out was really hard as we were headed into the wind and a light chop. I kept going knowing that the return would be much easier. BF kept veering off and following other people but we managed finally to get together and enjoyed the wild life. On the windward side of the island we found ourselves surrounded by small transparent jellyfish. Luckily they weren't a stinging kind. We got out of the water for a while before heading back to the shore and the car.



We left the car where it says Dinghy Landing and swam from the point called Annaberg Point. We followed that up with a stop at a shack that sells smoothies (one shot of rum free).

Saturday there were no cruise chips so we went into town that day and wandered around. They bought some liquor to take home with them and we had lunch at Glady's which features local cuisine. I had curried goat (delicious but bony). Unfortunately their fryer was broken because we really wanted some conch fritters. We had a delicious dinner at some friends' house. They just built the house and had moved in a month ago. It is perfectly suited to island life. Open veranda around three sides, open shelves to promote air ciculation and prevent mildew. Easily hurricane-proofed. They managed to get everyone dancing! And singing! Great fun.

Sunday was dinner for Dad's friends so we cleaned up a little (with four dogs you can imagine the need to sweep) and cooked.

Monday we went to another beach for a while. Daughter and I were standing ankle-deep in the water when a man came down the beach to warn us that something was moving in the water. I looked where he was pointing and it was round in shape (not a threatening shape) and no fin was sticking out of the water so we waved, and thanked him for his warning. It was either a turtle or sting ray, neither of which was very dangerous. The kids spent the night in a hotel walking distance from the airport for a little resort life and a nice shower. They went home on Tuesday and all bottles made it safely.

No big adventures until next Tuesday when I head home. I will be making Sunday dinner again which will be Indian and featuring mango chutney we made last year. Dad's mangoes won't be ripe before I leave this year, darn it!

Your photos are making me long for a trip to the Caribbean! Looks like you are having fun.

How fantastic Mamzel!

Daughter had a GoPro with her and I will hopefully get some real pictures to share when I get back.

Lazy day today which is good since it gives me a chance to put a chink into Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Almost at the 2/3s point. Tried to work a little on Dad's toenails this morning, all the while extolling the virtues of a professional job. A friend of his periodically visits a chiropractor so maybe he'll give that a try. A palm frond just dropped off a palm outside the front door. I think I will go around and pick them up. Dad has a lot of palms - royal palms and miniature royals - to help break up the wind during hurricanes. Dropping fronds are relatively easy to take care of.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanha Clarke (2004)

Some years ago there was in the city of York a society of magicians. They met upon the third Wednesday of every month and read each other long, dull papers upon the history of English magic.

I have had this book on my shelf for a long time. When I heard they were showing a mini series based on the book on BBC America I took that to be my incentive to finally get it read. However, I looked a little aghast at the size of the book worrying about my arthritic thumbs. Luckily the Kindle version was a reasonable price so I enjoyed it in that form. Written as a history of magic in England, the book is rife with footnotes and I fear I may have missed a number of them because the numbers linking to the notes were dim and easily (to me) missed.

I admit to interrupting about one third of the way through to enjoy another book but I think the little break was probably a good thing. I returned refreshed and eager to finish it off.

The story is about two men who brought magic back to England. Mr. Norrell started by purchasing (and hoarding) all the books he could find on the subject and studied them. He took on a student, Jonathan Strange, who showed an aptitude for magic and begrudgingly loaned him books, keeping the best out his reach. When he was able, Strange went to France to serve Lord Wellington in his battle against Napoleon. Strange and Norrell started to have conflicting views of proper use of magic and Strange went off on his own.

This book reads like a history book as much as a novel. The footnotes make the reader feel like she is getting full background for a fascinating topic. The dialogue makes it return to novel form. I think I may have missed a number of the footnotes since the number linking them is lighter in color and smaller than the font and I may have dismissed some of them by accident. I don't think I missed anything too important.

A fun challenge and I'm glad I read it.

CATEGORY: DOORSTOPS

Reading your thread is like going on vacation!

Last night I made dinner for the gang. A bunch of people have been coming up to Dad's house for Sunday dinner for a number of years. Last year I made a batch of mango chutney and so one Sunday I made Indian food to serve with the chutney. It was quite an adventure going from store to store to find everything I needed so this year I went shopping at an Asian market in Vacaville to find curry paste in packets I could take with me. I stood in front of the selection for a good 20 minutes comparing the choices until I narrowed down to two - a red curry and a green curry from Thailand. I knew I could get the coconut milk in St. Thomas. I also bought a pound of orange lentils to make dahl.

Not ever having cooked with these seasonings, I was guessing at what ingredients would go with them. For the green curry I decided on shrimp, potatoes, and spinach. It was OK but I hit a home run with the red curry. I used pork, Caribbean pumpkin, and peas. I browned the meat, took it out of the wok, and following the directions, sauteed the paste in the oil in the pan. After it had cooked a little I added the coconut milk and brought it to a boil. Then I added the pumpkin and meat and let it simmer until the pumpkin was cooked. Minutes before I served it I added a bag of frozen baby peas. I had also made the dahl and brown rice. We had a total of 11 people and there was very little left. Two of the guests were graduate students living in the house next door. Nice guys. They were very helpful cleaning up afterwards.

I'm heading home tomorrow. At least I'll leave everyone well fed!

The food sounds divine, Mamzel. Thanks for sharing your vacation, I am heading over to visit my Mom in a week or so on Vancouver Island which is, of course, very different from your island!

Have a safe journey home.

>117 DeltaQueen50: I do some day hope to visit your V.I. I need someone to join me for a nice long car trip.

I'm back to post my latest book. I just looked at my poor performance on the CATs and decided to try a Wallace Stegner for the American Author Challenge. I chose The Spectator Bird solely because of its length (or lack thereof).



St. Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters (1981)

The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #4

It began at the normal daily chapter in the Benedictine monastery of Saint Peter and Saint Paul of Shresbury, on the thirtieth of July, in the year of OUr Lord 1139. That day being the eve of Saint Peter ad Vincula, a festival of solemn and profitable importance to the house that bore his name, the routine business of the morning meeting had been devoted wholly to the measures necessary to its proper celebrations, and lesser matters had to wait.

I'm slowly working my way through this series. I will always have an image of Sir Derek Jacobi as the good brother as I read them.

In this episode, Shrewsbury is gearing up to host a major fair where people will come from all over to trade goods and gossip. Cadfael is given special permission to spend as much time as necessary to assist one merchant who is also Welsh and doesn't speak English. This puts him in a perfect place to help investigate the disappearance of a merchant during the night before the fair is due to begin. His niece reports his absence and he is eventually discovered in the river, stabbed and stripped of all his clothes and belongings. This is the first of several related events that call upon Cadfael's excellent skills of observation and deduction.

I love this series because the character of Cadfael is so well developed. He has a history of life as a soldier and a sailor but has retired to enjoy the quiet life as the herbalist and Benedictine monk. He has gladly set aside the life of adventurer for the quiet and stuctured life of the abbey. That being said, he is always ready to assist the sheriff investigate crimes outside the abbey's walls.

Mayber I'll get to another one or two this summer.

CATEGORY: MYSTERY

Brother Cadfael is one of my all time favorite series!

>118 mamzel: That's one of my favorites among other he books I've read so far in the series!

>119 luvamystery65: >120 cbl_tn: How far have you guys gone into the series?

It was a looooonnnnnggggg day yesterday. Left St. Thomas around 2:00, sat in JFK for three hours (weather delays) and arrived in San Francisco at 2:00 am. Darling daughter picked me up and brought me home. Husband had to get up at 5:30 to go to work. Ugh. I'm sure I'll be going to bed early tonight! On the STT-JFK leg, the sound didn't work at my seat so I had to settle (!) for reading. I finished this book and read half of my next, State of the Onion, a book I have seen mentioned several times in this group.



The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner (1976)

On a February morning, when a weather front is moving in off the Pacific but has not quite arrived, and the winds are changeable and gusty and clouds drive over and an occasional flurry of fine rain darkens the terrace bricks, this place conforms to non of the clichés about California with which they advertise the Sunshine Cities for the Sunset Years.

The thing that hit me as I got into this book was that it was an adult book. Meaning that younger people could not possibly feel as connected as someone as old as the story teller would. I certainly felt that connection. I understand his aches and pains, concern about his friends finding the ends of their years, and realizing that he will never feel hale and hearty again with some measure of regret.

Joe Allston is a retired literary agent married to the wonderful, patient and understanding Ruth. Twenty years earlier their son, a professional surfer bum, died or may have committed suicide. Joe still feels a haunting sense of failure in not being able to save him. When he learns that a friend of his is divesting himself of stuff anticipating his end and Joe receives a postcard from an old acquaintance in Denmark, he is moved to pull out some diaries he had written when he and Ruth had taken a there to find the house where his mother lived. When Ruth sees he has pulled out the books, she insists that he read them out loud to her both to remember the events that had taken place 20 years earlier and to try to get Joe to confess whatever secret he had been harboring all that time.

This was a story that slowly worked itself under the skin as you grew to know Joe and understand all of his concerns. There are shocking things at the end of the story but these were like icing on the cake.

I originally chose this book to fill the American Author challenge for this month because it was the shortest of his novels. Since it's not the highest rate book of his, I am determined to read more by him.

CATEGORY: MISCELLANEOUS

>120 cbl_tn: I've read the whole series Mamzel. Some are better than others but the series as a whole is good.

>122 luvamystery65: I'm looking forward to reading all of them!

This is a book that I downloaded because it was in the Kindle Daily Specials, I had read many positive remarks here, and I wanted something mindless to read on the plane. It was perfect for that.



State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy (2008)

I slid my employee pass into the card reader at the Northeast gate of the White House, and waited for verification - a long, shrill chirp that always made me wince.

Olivia (Ollie) Paras is as assistant chef at the White House and this makes for an interesting and action-packed setting for a series. In book one she is in the process of applying for the Executive Chef position to replace the retiring one. As she walks in to work today, however, she lands in the middle of a fracas because a man has leapt over the fence and is running towards the building. She uses a pan she is carrying to stop him and hears him trying to say he needs to warn the President as he greets one of the Secret Service agents by name. Should she try to pass on his warning?

This was a pleasant enough diversion, not a strain to follow through the turbulence of the flight. The one thing that got me, however, was how little cooking she actually accomplished. Recipes do follow the story and the one for the Honey-Almond Scones sounds delicious.

CATEGORY - MYSTERY

Hi mamzel, I have finally finished Strange and Norrell. I hope to put my review up later today.

Went to see Jurassic World with Monsieur today. What a blast! Who ever thought the T-Rex would be the hero of the day?

I've skipped around in the Cadfael series. I've read the ones that were available either from my grandmother or in audio from the public library. I need to go back and fill in the gaps.

State of the Onion is perfect for light reading!

>101 mamzel:
That looks like a really dull and tedious place to spend time in. :) *not envious at all*

>110 mamzel:
More boring pictures... :) Looks like paradise, for sure!

>111 thornton37814:
1000% seconding that!! :)

>126 cbl_tn: I've got the next one loaded up on my Kindle waiting for a break from other more enticing books.

>127 -Eva-: Yeah, I know, right? I make my kids laugh when I tell them how I complained about going sailing yet again when I was in high school. Typical obnoxious teen. Kids never know how good they have it until they look back in retrospect.

Adding three books to my June reads.



A Plague of Sinners by Paul Lawrence (2010)
The Harry Lytle Historical Thriller Series No. 2

When Hedges fell face first into his dinner after giving birth to an almighty sneeze, the rest of us just sat and stared at the gravy dripping down the backs of his ears.

This should have been right up my alley since, to date, I have never been disappointed by a medieval mystery. Unfortunately, it was not anything I can rave about. It is 1665 in London and the plague is in full bloom. Harry Lytle works as an investigator along with Dowling the Butcher. He is asked to investigate this death and as he does, more deaths make it more challenging.

My problem with the book has to do with London at the time, which was a miasma of odors from open sewers, animal droppings, and dead bodies. The author makes sure to remind us at every turn of this fact. The quotes taken from the Christian Anthology which headed the chapters made little sense to me and seemed rather unnecessary. For example:
"Of the goodness or the badness of the land or house
If you find in the fourth house the two infortunes, very potent, or peregrine, or of the Lord of the fourth be retrograde or unfortunate, or in his fall or detriment, 'twill never continue long with your posterity." (157)
Huh?

What I did find interesting was how Lytle used a medic's outfit to sneak into his own home which had been marked as a plague house. The scenes that took place in the debtor's prison known as Bedlam brought history alive.



CATEGORY: ROOT



The Writing on the Walls: Discovering Medieval and Ancient Graffiti for Middle School Social Studies by Toni Rhodes (2015)

I received this from the Early Reviewers program.

I must have misread the blurb for this book since I was expecting a nonfiction book, not an activity book. In any case, I was interested to see how this topic could be presented to middle school students.

One thing that puzzled me was how cave drawings were part of the cover art but never mentioned. Another thing that concerned me was how the three eras, Medieval England, Ancient Rome, and Ancient Greece, were presented in reverse historical order.

That being said, I enjoyed how activities to collect rubbings were included as was a lesson in the Greek alphabet. The examples of graffiti were given with cultural background to explain why the authors created them. I could easily see how a conversation about modern graffiti could arise from these lessons.

For teachers that have to teach within the Common Core Standards, the standards that were addressed are listed so that they can justify using these activities while teaching ancient history.

CATEGORY: NON-FICTION



Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2011)
The Broken Empire No. 1

Ravens! Always the ravens.

Having revisited Prince of Fools and read Liar's Key by this author, I decided to try his earlier series. While the main character, Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath, was not as charming and humorous as Jalel, he was no less compelling. At the age of nine he witnessed the murder of his mother and younger brother by Count Renar, an enemy of his father, the king. He had been thrown into a thorn bush which not only held him with cruel hooked barbs but also hid him. He was discovered and rescued by palace guards but it took a while to heal from wounds from the wicked plant. He burned with a sense of revenge.

The story goes back and forth from this time to four years later. When he was ten he escaped the palace with a band of rogues he helped escape from the dungeon and execution. For several years they did those things that bandits did while he grew and became able to cause major damage. After killing a son of the count, he decides it's time to return home and reveal the fact that the report of his death was premature. His reception was underwhelming. Instead his father instructs him (he is 14 now) to capture Castle Red in the neighboring region of Gelleth. That the king is remarried and his new wife is pregnant with a child who might be an heir is a fact not lost on Jorg.

In any case, Jorg is a remarkably brash youth and it was fun to watch him better experienced adults right and left. There are more of the hints of an earlier, more advanced civilization that make for intriguing reading.

While very different, this series is no less readable. I am already well into the second of the series, King of Thorns.

CATEGORY:FANTASY

JUNE RECAP

June was truly a 'fantastic' month, heavy with that genre. I was introduced to a new author I hope to read more of and returned to an author that is becoming one of my favorites. I was glad to remove at least one book from my shelf, one of which was a biggie. All together, a good month. Interesting to note that except for the Early Reviewers book, all books were read on my Kindle. Boy have I swung to the other side of the pendulum.

The Liar's Key by Mark Lawrence (2015)
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanha Clarke (2004)
St. Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters (1981)
The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner (1976)
State of the Onion by Julie Hyzy (2008)
A Plague of Sinners by Paul Lawrence (2010)
The Writing on the Walls: Discovering Medieval and Ancient Graffiti for Middle School Social Studies by Toni Rhodes (2015)
Prince of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2011)

Running tally:

1. YA and children lit - 23
2. Fantasy - 6
3. empty
4. Technolit
5. Nonfiction - 3
6. ROOTs - 6
7. Tomes - 2
8. Mystery - 7
9. Non-American authors - 7
10. 1001 Books - 2
11. Cross-genre
12. Audiobooks - 2
13. Miscellaneous - 5
Group reads and CATs - 15

Total books read to date: 63
Total pages read to date: 20,179

ETA: I just finished updating my spreadsheet and making sure my totals were correct. Pretty decent mid-year total, if I can say so myself.

>129 mamzel: Very decent nuzmbers indeed! And thanks for the review of Prince of thorns, I've got that on my list as well.

June was a good reading month for you!

>128 mamzel: I just picked up Prince of Thorns just over a month ago so I'm glad to see that you enjoyed it.

I've had Prince of Thorns on the wishlist for a while now - I'll push it further up the list for sure!

I love hearing so many people intend to read Prince of Thorns. I hope you all like it. King of Thorns is twice as long as Jorg grows in age as well as title. Prince of Fools still remains my favorite, though.

I'm enjoying my summer and filling my time with binge watching on Netflix. I am all caught up on Orange is the New Black and I discovered another series called Sense8. I am enjoying Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell on BBC America. Last night I came across something I dismissed as too dumb but is hysterically funny - Lip Sync Battle. Hosted by LL Cool J, two participants, some kind of celebrity, lip sync two songs and the audience determines the winner. I'm not exaggerating the humor - I was laughing out loud. I am also enjoying all the action in the Tour de France every morning. It's amazing that such flat stages can offer such drama. Yesterday's crash of the yellow jersey was truly dramatic. It was rather cute that today Tony Martin sent out a picture of himself in his hospital bed watching the Tour on the TV.

For some reason, the computer game I have been enjoying, Skyrim, is all of a sudden not working. It was purchased through Steam which apparently, and occasionally, has problems with their games. Maybe it spurs players to try new games, which is what I have done. I bought a new game called Witchers III (I have not tried the earlier games) and I am getting used to the new controls and game play. I cheat and play with a game guide since it is, for me, more about getting through the game and not solving every challenge on my own. It is a gorgeous game and Monsieur has been watching enviously over my shoulder. He finally decided to purchase his own copy. One of the things I'm not real happy is about is being unable to choose a female character. Here is the star of this game:



In any case, I have managed to read another book.



King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2013)
The Broken Empire No. 2

From the Journal of Katherine Ap Scorron
October 3rd, Year 98 Interregnum
Ancrath. The Tall Castle. Fountain Room.

The fountain room is as ugly as every other room in this ugly castle.

This story is the continuation of Prince of Thorns as we learn more about Honorous Jorg Ancrath, now sitting on the throne of his murderous uncle Renar. Again we follow a zig zag course as we start towards the end and flash back through Jorg's memories and the pages of Katherine's memoirs. Katherine is the sister of Jorg's father's new wife who carried a child that would potentially displace Jorg as his father's heir.

Jorg carries some of his memories in a copper box, potentially so devastating as to sway him from his course.

There is an evil dream walker named Sageous by his father's side and Jorg blames him for many of the potentially poor decisions he has made. It doesn't help that Katherine is learning how to tiptoe through people's thoughts as well since she is bent on protecting her sister.

One of the things that makes this series different from other epic fantasies is the frequent mention of a previous civilization known as the Builders. Jorg has come to realize that many of the relics left behind can help him in his various quests. At the end of the first book he uses what appears to be an atom bomb to destroy Renar's castle and create some interesting new characters with the nuclear fallout. Some of the references are downright humorous. An example is this throw-away line rather early in the book:
When a game cannot be won, change the game. I read that in the book of Kirk. When reading along in a story with swords and horses, lines like this come as a surprise and it made me laugh.

I look forward to reading the last of the series. I'm taking a break for now and enjoying A Natural History of Dragons which I am totaling loving so far.

Back to my game...

CATEGORY: FANTASY

>135 mamzel: - The yellow jersey does seem to be a bit cursed this year. Who knew so much chaos would occur on the seemingly simple flat stages?

>135 mamzel:, I watched that lip sync show the other night. It was funny watching Dwayne Johnson lip syncing a Taylor Swift song. Good show for a laugh.

Fantastic first mountain stage in the TDF today. Hats off to Chris Froome. Hang in there, Tejay! I'm waiting for a surprise spurt by Nairo. I think he's a sleeper. Sorry to hear about Ivan Basso's cancer. My thoughts are with him and his family. Hopefully he'll be able to come back like Lance did (but without the doping).

Highlight of the day - the spectacular Basque scenery!
Lowlight of the day - those spectators who mob onto the road and yell in the riders' faces. How do they think that helps?

Another scenic mountain stage. Froome didn't have to chase down the guys in the front and let them have a day. Those downhill sections have me gripping my seat. You could hear the squeal of the tires of the cars trying to keep up with the bikes around those corners. No barriers at the edge of the road make it that much more exciting. Fortunately everyone stayed on the road.

Highlight of the day - The Polish rider, Rafal Majka, worked hard for his win.
Lowlight of the day - There really wasn't one. Maybe the spectators heard me yesterday since they seemed to be much more respectful today.



A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (2014)
Lady Trent's Memoirs, No. 1

(from the preface)
Not a day goes by that the post does not bring me at least one letter from a young person (or sometimes one not so young) who wishes to follow in my footsteps and become a dragon naturalist.

This book was written as if a woman from a Victorian-style era were to overcome the prejudice of sex and become a naturalist focusing on the understudied species of dragons. The only girl in her family, she was indulged in her early passion to collect specimens of sparklings and was allowed to read the only book written on the subject. She eventually married a man who admired her for her interests and she pushed to have him and herself join an expedition to a remote village to study their local dragons.

I kind of had in mind Diane Fossey and Jane Goodall when I read this, as well as any other women who dedicated their lives to the understanding of creatures in their own habitats. And like them, Isabella discovered amazing behaviors that had been previously unknown. And like the chimps and gorillas, the dragons were threatened by human greed.

I look forward to more of this series. I hope it continues to be bright and inspiring.

CATEGORY: FANTASY
SFF Challenge

>139 mamzel: I am reading A Natural History of Dragons right now and I must say I am really enjoying it. It reminds me a little of the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters. I am looking forward to continuing on with these books.

The lip sync show sounds like fun! I'll have to see if I can find it.

140> Another character I was reminded of was Flavia since Isabella was also self-taught.

>141 cbl_tn: I hope you'll get a kick out of it. Every show I watched (I caught the tail end of a marathon) made me laugh.

The word of the day in the Tour today was "brutal". Brutal weather started out hot and ended up with cold rain and the riders endured no less than 4 brutal climbs.

Highlights of the day: I had to hand it to the die hard fans who withstood cold rain and even hail to watch a few seconds of riders whizzing by them. That's dedication!
The excellent coverage by the French television network that provides the shots. Those camera men on the back of the motorcycles do a great job.

Lowlight of the day: The helicopters had to land for part of the race depriving the viewers of the overhead coverage. Apparently they have a high latitude plane that receives all the signals from the various cameras on the ground and shoots them back down to their control room. Their coverage while going under trees is greatly improved this year. A few leaves aren't breaking up the signal any more. Those tunnels, however...

The race leaders stayed together and no one was dropped. I kept hoping that Nairo Quintana would manage to break away but it wasn't his day. He'll have more chances in the Alps.

I started reading an Early Reviewer book that I've been ignoring for too long - The Barefoot Lawyer: A Blind Man's Fight for Justice and Freedom in China. Just cracked it but the description of his escape from his home was riveting.

Today's Tour was hot, hot, hot...in more ways than one.

We got to see the medical teams in action as Jean Cristophe Peraud took a terrible spill and left quite a bit of his skin on the road. One team was right there checking to make sure he had no broken bones or concussion. His own team car was there in case he or his bicycle needed attention. After he got back on his bike he rode along the doctor's car as he washed down the road rash and applied bandages.

Highlight of the day - Peraud managed to get back up to the peleton with bandages on both arms and torn up jersey.

Lowlight of the day - The breakaway struggled valiantly but was caught just a couple of hundred meters from the finish line. What a disappointment for them!

Now for my own woes - I am trying to get out and walk each day after the Tour is finished. Today I went over the little hill by my house and was wondering about some papers stuck the door of a house with a Sold sign on it when the toe of my shoe caught an uneven slab and I went down. I scraped one knee a little (luckily I was wearing jeans) and my forearm. Some painters in a different house were very nice and gave me some toilet paper to stop the bleeding and I went home to clean up and put ice on my arm. I feel like such a klutz! It's been that kind of week. Yesterday I was cutting back my lemon tree and invariably suffered a couple of scratches from the wicked thorns on it. Not a surprise. The night before I was sautéing a couple of pork chops and some grease splashed up and burned me pretty well on my collar bone. OK, folks, that's three! Enough already!

Yesterday I was reading tor.com and loved watching some trailers that had been released at San Diego's Comic-con.

Doctor Who Season 19 on BBC Sept. 2015

The Shannara Chronicles (Terry Brooks) on MTV Jan. 2016

Childhood's End (Arthur C. Clarke) on SyFy Dec. 2015

The Man in the High Castle (Philip K. Dick) on Amazon this fall

Sherlock Christmas special on PBS "soonish"

I have had the Dick book on my Kindle for a while. Guess I'll get around to it sooner now. I have never read any of Brooks' books yet but looks like I will now. I am on a fantasy kick at the moment and they will fit in nicely. So much to look forward to on TV!

Absolutely spectacular scenery on this stage. The gorges formed by the Tarn River must be a rock climber's paradise!

Highlights of the day - the stunning views from the helicopter and the man from the African team winning the stage on Mandela Day.

Lowlight of the day - Did Froome really need to steal the finish line from Quintana?? A whole bunch of guys had already crossed so there weren't any points in play and Quintana couldn't gain any seconds back since Froome was right behind him. That seemed rather harsh to me. One of the things I enjoy about the Tour is the way the riders give way to others on occasion when nothing could be gained by beating them out.

>143 mamzel: - I have been rather accident-prone this weekend too but not tumble so far for me. Here is hoping the abrasions from your fall heal quickly and that you have had your 'three' events and can now sail through with no more accidents.

>145 lkernagh: From your lips...

The tour was fast from the start today. Those sprinters are trying to get their last licks in before they arrive at the Alps. Peter Sagan was able to get the points at the Sprint point to keep his green jersey.

Highlight of the day - Peraud is hanging in there looking like a survivor from a major battle. I heard that he got a personal interview with the President of France so that must have been pretty cool.

Lowlight of the day - News about bad behavior on the part of a spectator. Apparently there have been whispers about the Sky team (Froome's team) doping. Someone threw a cupful of urine in his face at the beginning of yesterday's race. Maybe that's why he passed Quintana - just to show that he can do it without doping (either that or to get to the shower earlier).

Still reading The Barefoot Lawyer and all about how horrible it was to be a disabled person in China. On one page he describes what an extreme hardship it was on his family to pay for his special school and on the next page he was bugging them for money for a tape recorder so he could learn English! I found that a little off-putting.

Still playing Witcher (the original game). I got stuck very early in III and decided that I liked the game and went back to start at the beginning. I am 3/5s of the way through and am at a point with a big boss that is beating me over and over again. I just have to keep trying until I get lucky and beat her (giant mama bug).

My arm is doing well. I didn't realize until I got up in the morning yesterday that I must have landed on my shoulder since my upper arm was sore. My forearm is ugly so I go out in long sleeves to spare others of the sight. It's amazing to me that things like this happen so fast that I don't have any memory of the actual event. One second I'm walking along and the next I'm on the ground and I can't remember exactly what got hit until I check for damage.

>139 mamzel:
Great to see another endorsement! Thoroughly BB'ed. :)

>147 -Eva-: ;-)

Another gorgeous day for the Tour. Peter Sagan tried valiantly, again, to win a stage and was, again, thwarted (fifth time). Always the brides maid... If it is any consolation (and I'm sure it is) he pretty much has the green jersey sewn up.

Highlight of the day: Got to say that the event that one of the team directors (Tinkoff-Saxo?) was banned from his team car today because one of the crew threw a water bottle at a camera man. The guy was just doing his job when Sagan pulled over for a bike change. It's not like they could keep something like that secret. Glad to see that someone had to take responsibility for this dangerous and unnecessary action.

Lowlight of the day: The riders had a little problem with the warm, sticky tar on the roads but it was not unexpected and they dealt with it with no mishaps.

Rest day for the Tour today so I was able to finish my book this morning.



The Barefoot Lawyer: A Blind Man's Fight for Justice and Freedom in China by Chen Guangcheng (2015)

We watched them as they watched us.

I received this book from the Early Reviewers Program in exchange for a review.

Wow! This book was like a splash of cold water to remind me not to take for granted the freedom I enjoy here in the U.S. As much as we grump and complain, life here is nothing like what is endured in China.

Guangcheng was born in a poor rural village, the fifth son of the family. When he was very young he suffered a disease that left him blind to all but splashes of color. He grew up running around the village with his brothers and friends learning to rely on his other senses of touch and sound. His desperately poor family managed to raise enough money to send him to a school for the blind where he learned to read. Their hardships continued as he went on to higher education.

When he was at school he began to feel all the prejudices against handicapped people. Even though the state created laws to support them, they were rarely observed and local agencies continued to ignore them. He was able to bring this to light by suing the Beijing MTA for not allowing him to ride public transportation for free.

In Beijing he created a strong network of other activists and media, including international contacts. He needed these because his next crusade was against the violent and cruel steps taken to enforce the one child laws. He was thrown into prison on trumped up charges and held for over four years. During this time he suffered frequent beatings and near starvation. When he was released he was placed under house arrest which meant guards constantly outside their gates, electronic surveillance, frequent searches for radios and cell phones, and not being allowed visitors.

One such visitor turned out to be an iconic hero. Christian Bale was in China filming a movie and was not allowed to meet Guangcheng. Guangcheng only learned about this later and was honored that Batman was one of many people who attempted to contact him.

Against all odds, he managed to escape by hopping over walls into his neighbor's yards and eventually found his way to a friend's house who helped contact others who organized his transport to Beijing. He managed to contact the U.S. Embassy and eventually, with great determination and sacrifice, made it to the U.S. with his wife and two children.

The style of writing may not be the most inspiring but his determination to improve the life of his people certainly is. Well worth the time!

CATEGORY: NONFICTION

This week I've been working in my library returning books to their shelves after a remodel that involved taking out a number of those precious pieces of furniture. We've been under a little pressure to reduce the ratio of fiction to nonfiction so I decided to swap their locations thereby giving the nonfiction more shelf space. It feels a little like playing with those plastic games where you move tiles around to complete a number order.



I am unpacking books that came off of the removed shelves and packing others until their shelves become available all the while culling my fiction down by at least 20%. On the chopping board are classics that are available online (we are a New Tech school now) and ratty old paperbacks. We still have books from the 80s and 90s that look new (since they're never read) that are being retired as well. It's my least favorite part of my job, believe me. It hurts like heck to lose them but it has to be done. I put in a full day yesterday and felt it last night.

The Tour is almost finished and my hero is Nairo Quintana even though he didn't win. He sure pushed Froome to his limit. Tomorrow is the run into Paris and the interminable laps around the Champs Elysees. The views of the Alps make me regret that any chance I may have had to climb such mountains is lost.

I have managed to finish a book.



The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (2012)

For a week Mr. R. Childan had been anxiously watching the mail.

This was the fascinating story of characters in an alternate history where the Allies lost WWII and the U.S. was now occupied by Japan on the west coast and Germany on the east, Germany was colonizing other planets after razing the entire continent of Africa, and people rely on the I Ching as the driving force of their lives and fortunes.

This is a book I will have to revisit to fully comprehend the nuances of the relationships between the different characters. There was so much to learn about this new civilization.

Of interest were the book banned on the east coast but read on the west coast called "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy" which is itself an alternate history where Japan and Germany lost WWII. The reliance on the prophesies of the I Ching were alien to me.



The names of the German leaders gave me chills. Martin Borman, who was the leader of Germany, dies and throws the leadership of the country into disarray. Japan sits poised to either fill in a void or fend of an attack. In the middle are Americans trying to exist in this new hierarchy.

I can't wait to watch the production on Amazon.

CATEGORY: CROSS-GENRE (HISTORICAL FICTION AND SCIENCE FICTION)
SSSF CHALLENGE

>150 mamzel: - Quite the task you have been working on. I love those sliding tile puzzle games! Sometimes, during rush hour, the bus patrons become their own human version of the sliding tile puzzle, with a number of people having to shift to enable the person who wants to get off the ability to move through the crowded bus to one of the doors. Mention sliding tile puzzle and everyone nods their heads and smile. ;-)

Almost had this done for July. It will be included in July's History Challenge, though.



The Coffee Trader by David Liss (2004)

It rippled thickly in the bowl, dark and hot and uninviting.

Coffee is one of those things (IMO) that many of us could not live without but I wonder who was the first person to imagine that the bitter hard drink could be so fantastic.

In this book, Miguel is a trader in 17th century Amsterdam, a Jew who fled Portugal before the Inquisition could get him. He lived in his brother's cellar and enjoyed the pleasures of his brother's wife's maid. He trades in futures in the commodities exchange which became the model of trading that is still used today.

Miguel is not a nice person. Even though he was the target of other traders, he also targeted others and brought about as much trouble as he suffered. Read the book for the period and subject, not the characters.

CATEGORY: MISCELLANEOUS
HISTORY CAT

>152 mamzel: I wonder who was the first person to imagine that the bitter hard drink could be so fantastic.

Reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes comic where Calvin wonders why people drink cow's milk. "Who was the guy who first looked at a cow and said 'I think I'll drink whatever comes out of these things when I squeeze them'?"

It sounds like an interesting subject!

>152 mamzel:
I read one of Liss' books a while back and it made me put others of his on the wishlist - this one will be added now too.

>154 -Eva-: Make sure you are brushed up on your trading devices so you can follow their machinations better.

July wasn't a big month but successful. I managed to catch up with my Early Reviewers' book. (I am waiting for two to come, likely they'll both arrive on the same day.) I'm still deep into fantasy though I took a side trip into SciFi. All were 4 stars!

King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence (2013)
A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (2014)
The Barefoot Lawyer: A Blind Man's Fight for Justice and Freedom in China by Chen Guangcheng (2015)
The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (2012)

Running tally:

1. YA and children lit - 23
2. Fantasy - 8
3. empty
4. Technolit
5. Nonfiction - 4
6. ROOTs - 6
7. Tomes - 2
8. Mystery - 7
9. Non-American authors - 7
10. 1001 Books - 2
11. Cross-genre - 1
12. Audiobooks - 2
13. Miscellaneous - 5
Group reads and CATs - 15

Total books read to date: 67

I'm in a real quick read right now, Oh, Myyy! by George Takei, and then I think I want to read something for my technolit category which is notably vacant. Maybe I can find something that will fit the SFF Cat.

>155 mamzel:
"Make sure you are rushed up on your trading devices"
Haha, not sure that'll happen. :)

Eva, a casual knowledge is plenty. I dabbled in the stock market in my earlier life and also took a finance course in college. Wikipedia should be able to catch you up enough.



Oh Myyy! by George Takei (2013)

How in the world did a common, everyday exclamation come to be so associated with me? "Oh My!" truly has become my signature.

Even as I type in the title I can hear his voice utter those words. He has become quite the snarky presence on the Internet through his Twitter comments and Facebook page. Let me say that I rarely ever look at Facebook and do not have a Twitter account even though my school has been pushing them down our throats and after reading this book I have reason not to bother with them.

George Takei, for those of you who may not be aware of him, was the helmsman on the original Star Trek series. Years later he came out and has since become a standard bearer for gay marriage and making people aware of the horrors of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

In this book he chronicles his emerging presence as a witty and outspoken man and has millions of fans and followers (most of which were probably born long since he was on TV). He genuinely cares deeply for his fans and is always trying to make sure he keeps the links open to them. He talks about problems that he had with Facebook and how he conversed with their techs to overcome them.

This is a short read (less than 250 pages) with screen shots of some of the tweets that he posted and things that he retweeted because he found them funny.

CATEGORY: NONFICTION

I spent most of this past week trying to get the library ready for the start of school next Wednesday. After the remodel we have dubbed it Library 2.0.

I'm glad I managed to finish this book before the fun begins.



Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992)

The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He's got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out his third mission of the night.

And what is this mission, you ask? Delivering a pizza. For Cosa Nostra Pizza. With grave consequences if not delivered a certain number of minutes after the order is placed. However, tonight he discovers that very little time is left for him so he takes a number of short cuts. Along the way, a young, female, skateboarding messenger has attached herself to his car. When he lands nose first in an empty swimming pool, she picks up the pizza and completes the delivery for him, saving his butt.

As I read this opening scene I wondered how it never got turned into a movie. This stuff was fun and perfect for those CGI wizards. There is loads of action in this book as our delivery person, Hiro Protagonist, discovers there is a computer virus that scrambles a person's brain if he happens to be looking at a screen, like what happened to his good friend, Da5id. (It took me a little while to figure that name out.) The skateboarder is named Y.T. (short for Yours Truly but everyone pronounces it Whitey).

Stephenson certainly has a sense of humor. For instance, he gives us a three page memo that went out to federal employees about toilet paper titled "NEW TP POOL REGULATIONS" that was hysterically funny. This was the first time I experienced a chase scene that took place in real life and virtual reality simultaneously.

The only place it bogged down a bit was with the lecture of Sumerian mythology. Somehow it did get associated with the action, however, so it was worth it.

CATEGORY: TECHNOLIT

Storm Cycle by Iris Johansen and Roy Johansen (2009), narrated by Tanya Eby

The trees on the hill should be perfect cover, Pelham thought.

This book starts with a literal bang as Rachel Kirby is almost killed by a sniper. I have to admit that I wasn't paying the closest attention to the story as I listened to it in the car, pretty much for the last couple of months. It was a used copy purchased at a library book sale and there were skips on a couple of the discs. Even though, I was able to predict pretty much every move and there were no surprises.

Rachel's sister is dying from a degenerative disease and Rachel is utilizing a huge computer and many home computers to find a cure for her. She joins forces with a megarich adventurer who was trapped in an Egyptian tomb. He promises her information in exchange for a rescue and helps her find the tomb of an ancient healer named Perseshet. Of course, where would the fun be without a bad guy racing them to find it first.

I am no a Johansen fan and unfortunately there wasn't enough in this book to convert me into one.

CATEGORY: MYSTERY

I really liked Snow Crash as well, but I liked The Diamond Age even better. Have you read that one yet? I've got Anathem on my shelves and I hope to get to it before the end of the year.

I have not but will keep an eye out for it. I've got Cryptonomicon on my Kindle for a time when I have weeks with nothing else pressing to start. I have to gear myself up to reading his books.

The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters (1981)
Brother Cadfael No. 5

Brother Cadfael set out from the gatehouse, that Monday afternoon of October, in the year 1139, darkly convinced that something ominous would have happened before he re-entered the great court, though he had no reason to suppose that he would be absent more than an hour or so.

As I was exploring through the unread books on my Kindle I remembered I had loaded a lot of the Cadfael series with the intent of reading the whole thing. I found the next one in the series and to my amazement found it could fit the theme of this month's History CAT, Medicine and Disease. Sold!

A wedding party arrives at the monastery. To be married are the older man, Huon de Domville, and the lovely, young Iveta de Massard. In the lord's service is the handsome Joscelin Lucy who is immediately struck by the beauty of Iveta. The night before the marriage was to take place Domville goes off on his horse and does not return. He is found dead, apparently clotheslined off his horse and then strangled to death. Cadfael notices something unusual about the marks left by the hands on his neck but keeps it to himself. Suspicion falls on young Joscelin who ends up hiding in plain sight with the lepers. Cadfael uses his excellent skills to track where and why Domville had travelled the night before.

Another wonderful adventure.

CATEGORY: MYSTERY
History CAT theme - Medicine & Disease

This morning as I was doing my crossword I came across a clue that read, "Where Rudolf of Ruritania was imprisoned." How did they know I started reading The Prisoner of Zenda this very morning!?!? How random was that!

The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (orig. 1894)

"I wonder when in the world you're going to do anything, Rudolf?" said my brother's wife.

This was a very short and fun adventure about Rudolf Rassendyll who sports the distinctive red hair of the Ruritanian royal family (his family having been visited by an ancestor 100 years earlier). He decides to go to Ruritania to observe the coronation of his distant relative to the throne. Along the way he is discovered by the king's friends who immediately notice the family resemblance. When the king is poisoned and is too ill to return to the capital for the ceremony, they persuade Rudolf to fill in for him for a little while. What he did not count on was falling in love with the king's intended bride and her with him.

I know I've seen the movie version of this book. It has been done several times starring such notables at Stewart Granger, Ronald Coleman, and (a favorite of mine) Peter Sellers.

It's a short book, thankfully, in not the best style of writing. But it is fun and charming.

CATEGORY: NONAMERICAN AUTHOR

>163 mamzel:, it is a bit weird when things like that happen. Perfect timing of that book choice I say.

AUGUST RECAP

I'm still heavily into fantasy titles but managed a month without a single one.

1. YA and children lit - 24
2. Fantasy - 8
3. empty
4. Technolit - 1
5. Nonfiction - 5
6. ROOTs - 6
7. Tomes - 2
8. Mystery - 8
9. Non-American authors - 8
10. 1001 Books - 2
11. Cross-genre - 1
12. Audiobooks - 3
13. Miscellaneous - 6
Group reads and CATs - 15

Total books read to date: 74

Snow Crash was a hefty book and took up a lot of time. I am presently reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik and loving it!

Yay Uprooted! Haha, sorry, just had to say that. :)

Root, root, root!

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (2015)

Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley.

I finished reading this morning and let out my breath in a sigh. I hadn't even realized I had been holding my breath. I can't recommend this book enough.

I have enjoyed Novik's Temeraire series and was a little concerned when this book came out instead of another book about dragons. I should not have been concerned.

This is the kind of book I read slowly, making sure I completely visualized the story in my head. I loved the world, the magic system, and the characters.

I found it, IMHO, a perfect book.

CATEGORY: FANTASY

Wow, I haven't seen one review that has anything bad to say about Uprooted, this is one I will definitely have to work into my reading list soon!

Wow, 5 stars! Reminds me that I really need to get back to reading the Temeraire series.

>169 mamzel: YES!!!!!

The Blue Dragon by Ronald Tierney (2015)

It wasn't my assignment, I was told, to find the murderer.

I received this book from the Early Reviewers program.

The Blue Dragon is an apartment building in Chinatown in San Francisco. Peter Strand has Chinese parents but grew up in Arizona, away from any cultural influences. He was asked to calm the tenants in the building after the murder of one of them. After all, he is Chinese and should blend right in. He admits he doesn't speak "Chinese", not even acknowledging that there are more than one language spoken in China. He views the tenants as stereotypes. The only benefit from his racial heritage is that he can hang out on the corner observing the tenants without calling attention to himself.

I know this book was written for adults who are struggling readers and I tried to imagine how this book would appeal to them without success. The interrogation of the tenants was as dry as Sgt. Friday. In fact I can't imagine recommending this book to anyone.

CATEGORY: MYSTERY

I caught the series premiers of Arthur & George on PBS' Masterpiece Mystery last night. Paired with Sherlock, it was quite a Sunday night treat. Martin Clunes (Doc Martin) stars as Arthur Conan Doyle. Based on the book by Julian Barnes, it gives an image of the creator of Sherlock. He uses his character's methods to solve who is behind the injustices piled on an Indian man.

>174 mamzel: I'm really looking forward to watching this! Wasn't expecting it to air over here until next year, though, so the book has only just now been added to the on-deck pile.

>157 mamzel: I'm hoping to see George Takei in the new musical Allegiance. I had no idea he had been in a Japanese-American internment camp. He spoke about it in all the press for the show.
>169 mamzel: If I don't get to Uprooted this year it will be my first book for 2016. I might save it just to have 2016 start on a good note.

>175 rabbitprincess: I hadn't heard of the book until this series popped up. I'll keep an eye out for it.

>176 VioletBramble: I look forward to hearing how you liked the musical. Uprooted would be a perfect first-book-of-the-year. Enjoy!

>174 mamzel: I've been wanting to read that book and now even more if there's a PBS series! Hopefully it will air in the US sometime.

>178 japaul22: KQED started the three-part miniseries last Sunday. I think you could stream it from their website.

>174 mamzel: - The book was really good so I'm looking forward to watching the series.

I was given a gift card for our local bookstore and went last night to see what wonderful treat I could find. I found a signed copy of Neal Stephenson's Seveneves! That and a copy of Christopher Moore's The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore. I think I might save the Stephenson book to jump start my 2016 challenge.



Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (1999)

The notice informed them that it was a temporary matter: for five days their electricity would be cut off for one hour beginning at eight P.M.

Nine stories are told here about Indian and Pakistani people both at home and abroad. A gentleness of tone smoothens the harsh conditions and raw emotions experienced by the characters.

A bagful of books written by foreign authors was donated to my library and this (along with a deal on Kindle) finally prodded me into reading this amazing book.

Little things, like how the trailing edge of a woman's sari was grabbed by a little dog, bring to light the very different lives others lead. And how even the most desperate people take time to care for a woman with epilepsy.

This book is not very long and is well worth the time to read. I highly recommend it.

CATEGORY: NON-AMERICAN AUTHOR

First World Problem - We get our games through Steam. One reason we do is that games update when we update our computers and we don't have to fuss with fixes. The flip side is when their site is down I'm out of luck. Like today. I looked forward to my weekend hack and slash all week. I did play a little yesterday but I am doing laundry today and I like to play while waiting for the next load to be done. Alas, Geralt of Rivia, today isn't a good day for us!



To my surprise there are actual sites dedicated to the subject of Steam being down! I guess there is comfort in knowing that I'm not alone in my distress. ;-{

>169 mamzel: I'm really looking forward to reading Uprooted. Unfortunately, the library has a long waiting list, so it'll be a while before I get to it.

>181 mamzel: Wow, a signed copy of Seveneves! That's a real keeper.

My friend and I are doing our annual pilgrimage to the San Francisco Library's ginormous book sale tomorrow.
Lunch will follow at the excellent West Coast Deli featuring sandwiches you guys on the east coast are so familiar with.

And! New. Season. Of. Doctor. Who.

>174 mamzel:
I love Martin Clunes, but is the series good? It popped up on my PBS app the other day, but I hadn't heard anything about it, so I went with the British Bakeoff instead. :)

>185 -Eva-: It's not something I would hold my breath waiting for the next episode but, for three parts, it's not bad.

Went to SF Library books sale today. It was tough getting to the site since there was an Alzheimer's Walk to patiently wait for an opening, and they moved it one pier over so we were lost for the amount of time it took for me to find the new location on my phone. I got a bunch of books for my school in addition to the following for myself:

Cool Kitchen by Lauren Chattman
Shinju by Laura Joh Rowland *
Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh *
Mind over Ship by David Marusek

* I was particularly mindful of books for my 'skin' category for next year. I'll have to resist reading them until then.

Did I miss Talk Like a Pirate Day???
Drat!

How much did the pirate pay for his peg leg and hook? An arm and a leg! :D

Happy belated!

>188 -Eva-: lol. Took a little of the sting away. I loved doing the treasure hunt last year.

Me too! That little treasure chest makes me happy! :) I saw somewhere that they were planning on doing something this year too, but ran out of time, so hopefully we'll get something else fun next year.

Legends, edited by Robert Silverberg (1998)

This was a big book, a collection of short fantasy novels but some of the greatest fantasy authors. Not all were to my liking but overall I really appreciated them since I am on a big fantasy kick at the moment.

The Dark Tower: The Little Sisters of Eluria by Stephen King - dark, creepy, typical King

Discworld: The Sea and Little Fishes by Terry Pratchett - love, love, love this story featuring Granny Weatherwax

The Sword of Truth: Debt of Bones by Terry Goodkind - good "gutsy girl" story

Tales of Alvin Maker: Grinning Man by Orson Scott Car - I read this whole series years ago and still like it

Majipoor: The Seventh Shrine by Robert Silverberg - I couldn't finish this one

Earthsea: Dragonfly by Ursula K. LeGuin - another good "gutsy girl" story

Memory, Sorrow and Thorn: The Burning Man by Tad Williams - did not finish

A Song of Ice and Fire: The Hedge Knight by George R.R. Martin - I know I've read this story before but can't remember when - enjoyed it again in any case

Fern: Runner of Pern by Anne McCaffery - Silverberg really likes the "gutsy girl" stories - this one was really good

The Riftwar Saga: The Wood Boy by Raymond E. Feist - good story

The Wheel of Time: New Spring by Robert Jordan - I read the first of TWOT series and remember thinking that it's a shame that this culture has stagnated for thousands of years without any progress and that it really sucked to be a peasant.

All in all I can't say that any of the stories inspired me to read or return to any of the series.

CATEGORY: DOORSTOPS (720 pages!)

I wish I could remember where I saw the idea for this display.
I had no idea we had that many books with orange spine labels. I had to make two back-to-back because the shelf it's on is diagonally placed.

The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye (2012)

When I set down the initial report, sitting at my desk at the Toms, I wrote:
On the night of August 21, 1845, one of the children escaped.

I consider myself very lucky to have discovered the first of what promises to be a wonderful historical mystery series which takes place in 19th century New York City. It's the time when waves of destitute and starving Irish are flooding the city and distrust of the Catholics by the Protestants is as high as any such bigotry can grow. When child prostitutes are discovered with cross shaped wounds and missing organs, suspicion immediately falls on the Papists.

Timothy Wilde takes a job in the newly created police force after a fire destroys his home and his life savings. He is left scarred (inside and out) and is reduced to taking a room above a bakery owned by the widow, Mrs. Boehm. His life takes a drastic turn as one night he collides with a young girl dressed in nothing but a nightgown which is covered in blood. After ensuring the blood is not hers and placing her in the safe hands of his landlady he begins to investigate what turns into a major event.

This is a great story and I really like this new hero. He is like a knight with chivalrous tendencies to the young and disadvantaged, unable to believe the evil in people until it is proven beyond a doubt. I can't wait to read more of his adventures.

CATEGORY: MYSTERY
HISTORYCAT: 19TH CENTURY AND REGULAR PEOPLE

>193 mamzel:, I really enjoyed Gods of Gotham too. I have also read the next two books and they are equally as good IMO. I can't remember reading a trilogy that quickly since I was a kid. I love that reading your review reminds me of how much I liked it.

>193 mamzel: What Ro said in >194 Roro8: It is an excellent trilogy. One of my all time favorites. It only gets better.

>194 Roro8: and >195 luvamystery65: I'm really happy to hear the series continues well. I will definitely look them up.
In the meantime...



The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski (2008)
The Witcher series No. 1

She came to him toward morning.

I have been enjoying the Witcher RPGs at home and following my progress in the user guide I discovered that they were based on a series of novels by the Polish author, Sapkowski. Last weekend, when I was having withdrawal pains because Steam (the company that we bought the game through) was down. I thought that I might be able to ease my anxiety by trying the novels. Looking them up on Amazon I found that mass paperback was my only choice other than Kindle. I was amazed to see that the hardcover was offered at one of the secondary markets for a whopping $500! There are some hard-cored gamers out there, I guess.

I have enjoyed the game because the character of Gerault of Rivia has a compassionate and wryly humorous side which makes the game more than just killing monsters. The player is given choices to develop the character which I (in my limited game playing) had never encountered before. The story arcs between the games so I have essentially been enjoying one long game (I'm on the third episode now).

The character in the novel, I have found is reflected accurately in the games. He has a compassionate side that makes him consider whether a monster really deserves or needs to be killed. He wanders the world looking for work but picks up a companion, Dandilion, a troubadour who follows Geralt to get fodder for his ballads. They make quite a pair.

It has been fun to meet the characters I have come to "know" by playing the game. I will continue with the four book series.

CATEGORY: FANTASY

>193 mamzel: >194 Roro8: >195 luvamystery65: With all these positive comments there is no chance for me to avoid this BB...

>197 Chrischi_HH: I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.



More Awesome Than Money: Four Boys and Their Heroic Quest to Save Your Privacy from Facebook by Jim Dwyer (2014)

If his laptop had been a mirror, the face staring back at Dan Grippi would have been some blend of boy and wild man.

This book describes how four young college graduates attempted to build a social network to rival Facebook. They did not like how FB tracked every move made by their users and sold that information. They also thought the social network might be improved by allowing the user to be selective on where their posts went. Their idea was to be called Diaspora*.

As one might surmise, there is more to a project like this than sitting around one night eating pizza, drinking Red Bull, and writing code. Along the way they had to enlist help for legal issues and fund raising. They met many people who believed in their project and gave them the assistance they needed. They also met with a lot of frustration.

I learned more about Facebook than I wanted to - most of it disturbing. I did know that every post and picture was saved forever and ever and that it was impossible (no exaggeration) to remove something once it went up on the site. What I didn't know was that things were saved even before hitting the post button.

This quote stuck with me:

Indeed, by the spring of 2010, it was finally dawning on Facebook's users, as the columnist Michael Hiltzik wrote in the Los Angeles Times, that they "are not the sites' customers; they're the merchandise. The real customers are the advertisers and the aggregators who suck up the data on the users and use it to target commercial come-ons more effectively."

I have a Facebook page that I only really used when my daughter was away at college. I have not even opened it since then but I feel their presence every time I open a program and am prompted to link to Facebook. *queasy*

Yes, there is a lot of computerspeak to wade through but it is possible for a casual user to understand or just gloss over those parts without losing track of the story.

CATEGORY: NONFICTION

Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (orig. 1912)

As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.

I read this to sneak in an entry in the SFFCat before the month ended. I have been aware of this story but never actually read it and I'm glad now that I have.

This is a longish short story (44 pages) which is just right to explore the ramifications of such an alteration. It is interesting how some things are ignored while others are focused on. For instance, the sensory input from his antennae is never really mentioned while the gradual loss of his sight is.

In all, this was a fascinating story and well worth the small effort to read.

CATEGORY: NON-AMERICAN AUTHOR
SFFCAT: SLIGHTLY OUT OF WHACK

Love the pumpkin-themed book display and great review of The Gods of Gotham. I have a copy of that one waiting for me on my TBR shelves. Interesting about More Awesome Than Money. Like you, I have a Facebook page I set up 8 years ago and never visit it. LT is my social media home.

>200 lkernagh: Mine too! And I don't have the feeling that they're watching every keystroke I make.

SEPTEMBER UPDATE

1. YA and children lit - 24
2. Fantasy - 9
3. empty
4. Technolit - 1
5. Nonfiction - 6
6. ROOTs - 6
7. Tomes - 3
8. Mystery - 10
9. Non-American authors - 10
10. 1001 Books - 2
11. Cross-genre - 1
12. Audiobooks - 3
13. Miscellaneous - 6
Group reads and CATs - 15

Total books read to date: 81

8 books read this month - not bad! Especially considering one of them was a bunch of short novels in one. Without a doubt my favorite was Uprooted by Naomi Novik but I really enjoyed The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye and Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. I think the later inspired me to dedicate one of my next year's categories to authors of color.

I will continue this on a new thread to finish out the year.