Storeetllr's (Mary) Reading List for 2015-Part Two

Moving right along... I can't believe tomorrow is already March 1! Seriously? I was just in New York celebrating Christmas with my daughter! Anyway, welcome to my second thread of 2015!

A little about me: I read a lot and have a marked taste for the fantasy and mystery genres, seasoned by a bit romance and/or horror. I really like Georgette Heyer-type romances and also some scifi, especially when it deals with social issues, though occasionally I enjoy space opera like the Vorkosigan series, as well as some westerns like Lonesome Dove and Doc. Mercy Thompson and Matthew Swift are two of my favorite urban fantasy series protags, and Mary Doria Russell's one of my favorite authors. I like themed reads to an extent: Fantasy February, Mystery March, May Murder & Mayhem, September Series & Sequels, Halloween Horror October.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2.5 stars - Not sure exactly why I bothered to finish this one. Some aspects of the story, characters or writing troubled me, or I had a hard time staying engaged. Not recommended, unless someone needs to read it to complete an author's body of work.

Books Read in March

28. Stray Souls by Kate Griffin. 4 stars. eBook. Urban Fantasy. Book 1 in spin-off of Midnight Mayor series.
29. Written in Red by Anne Bishop. 4.5 stars. eBook. Urban Fantasy. Book 1 in The Others series.
30. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop. 4.5 stars. eBook. Urban Fantasy. Book 2 in The Others series.
31. March: Book One by John Lewis. 4.5 stars. GN. History. Book 1 in Civil Rights series.
32. Lamentation by C. J. Sansom. 5 stars. Historical mystery. Book 6 in the Matthew Shardlake series.
33. Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz. 4 stars. Contemp. Romance. Standalone.
34. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. 5 stars. Audio. Nonfiction.
35. The Glass God by Kate Griffin. 4.5 stars. Urban Fantasy. Book 2 in Sharon Li spinoff of Midnight Mayor series.
36. Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf: Volume Two by Patricia Briggs. 3.5 stars. Graphic Novel adaptation. Urban Fantasy
37. Grave Sight, a Harper Connelly Graphic Novel by Charlaine Harris. 3.5 stars. GN adaptation. Urban Fantasy
38. March: Book Two by John Lewis. 4.5 stars. GN. History. Book 2 in Civil Rights series.
39. The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan. 4 stars. eBook. Book 1 of the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series.
40. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. 4.5 stars. Audio. Fantasy/Asperger's. Standalone.
41. Ashfall by Mike Mullin. 4 stars. YA. Kindle. First in post-apocalyptic series featuring the aftermath of a supervolcanic explosion of the Yellowstone caldera.
42. Deception Cove by Jayne Ann Krentz. 4 stars. Paranormal romance. Book 2 of Rainshadow series.
43. Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris. 3.5 stars. Urban fantasy. Book 1 of spinoff of Harper Connelly and Sookie Stackhouse serieses.
44. Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman. 3 stars. GN. Urban fantasy. (Gorgeous artwork but weird story; not my favorite Gaiman.)
45. The 8 Minute Organizer by Regina Leeds. 3 stars. Audio. (A few interesting life hacks, but basically espouses idea that one can get and stay organized in 8-minute increments. I already do a lot of what she advises, but obviously not enough as my place is always a mess.)
46. Psychiatric Tales by Darryl Cunningham. 4.5 stars. GN. Memoir of his time as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital and his own breakdown.
47. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Graphic Novel, Part 2 by Denise Mina. 3.75 stars. GN. Condensing it to fit into a GN made following the storyline a bit problematic, but for someone who's already read the book (twice), I didn't have any trouble with it.

Bolded=Highly recommended

Books Read in April

48. Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel, Vols. 1 and 2. 4 stars. GN. YA Urban Fantasy.
49. Inside Job by Connie Willlis. 3.75 stars. Paranormal Fantasy. Enjoyable novella about a debunker of psychics of every kind, until he meets a chaneller who could just be the real thing.
50. Nobody's Home by Tim Powers. 3.75 stars. SciFi/fantasy horror. Enjoyable short story. I'm going to have to look for the Anubis Gates series.
51. Bridal Jitters by Jayne Castle. 3.5 stars. Scifi Paranormal Fantasy Romantic Thriller. Fun short story of a ghost hunter and a psychic archaeologist battling thieves & murderers, UDEMs and their own desires for each other in the eerie tunnels of the Dead City under Cadence on Harmony.
52. Daughter of the Blood by Anne Bishop. 3.75 stars. Dark fantasy. 1st in the Black Jewels trilogy. Dark, with more violence and gore than I'd expected; still, I read almost the whole thing in one sitting, so that tells you something.
53. The Girl Who Played With Fire, Graphic Novel by Denise Mina. 3.75. GN. Mystery Thriller
54. Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf: Volume One by Patricia Briggs. 3.5 stars. GN. Urban Fantasy
55. Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs. 4 stars. Urban Fantasy. Book 3 of the Alpha/Omega series.
56. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith. 3.75 stars. Mystery.
57. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop. 4 stars. Audio. Fantasy. Book 3 of The Others series.
58. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. 4 stars. Audio. Historical fiction.
59. Daughter of Necessity by Marie Brennan. 4 stars. Short story.
60. Ridiculous by D. L. Carter. 3 stars. Regency Romance. The title says it all. I skimmed the last 1/4 of the book because it got a bit too ridiculous even for the premise, which was already ridiculous. Still, parts of it were fun.
61. Big Jack by J.D. Robb. 3.75 stars. Romantic mystery thriller. Not sure where this belongs in the series order ~ Peabody just made detective, and Eve is still having nightmares, so I know it's before her trip to Dallas.
62. Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan. 4 stars. Historical Fantasy. First in The Onyx Court series. Reread!
63. In Ashes Lie by Marie Brennan. 4 stars. Historical Fantasy. Second in the Onyx Court series, set during the reigns of Charles I and II.
64. Prudence by Gail Carriger. 3.75 stars. Steampunk fantasy. First in the Custard Protocol series, featuring the child of Lord and Lady Maccon and Lord Akeldama, metanatural Prudence, known to her friends as Rue. Along with Percy and Primrose (the twin children of Ivy of the Parasol Protectorate series) and Quesnel (Madame Lafoux's precocious son), they travel to India on a high-tech dirigible given to Rue by her vamp father, Lord Akeldama. Not as good as the Parasol Protectorate series but promising to be better (imo) than the Finishing School series, I enjoyed it.
65. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham. 5 stars. 3rd in the Fiona Griffiths series.
66. Flight of Angels by Rebecca Guay. 3.5 stars. GN. Fantasy. Some lovely illustrations, and a couple of the stories are good, but others left me saying "?????"
67. Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel. 4 stars. GN. Memoir.
68. The Harvest Man by Alex Grecian. 3.75 stars. Mystery. First to Read. 4th in Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series.
69. The Sleeping Partner by Madeleine E. Robins. 3.75 stars. Alternate historical mystery. 3rd in Sarah Tolerance series. Reread. I apparently read this before, between 2011 when it was published and now, but I didn't remember much about it so it was an okay read. I like the series a lot, and I wish Robins would continue it, but it doesn't seem as if she's going to.

Favorites

Lamentation by C.J. Sansom
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
Written in Red by Anne Bishop
Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks

Brrr! Baby it's COLD outside! So cold, across so much of the Northern Hemisphere, that I thought it would be nice to post a few pics of some warmer climes, not to make anyone depressed that they can't be there, but to provide a nice contrast and maybe a point of focus for dreams of spring and summer to come.


The Bay of Naples (2003)


Hawaii's Hanauma Bay (2005)


Ft. Myers Beach, Florida (2008)


View from my bedroom window in Aurora, CO (2013)

Happy new thread! Hope I'm not jumping in too soon.

It's such a pretty day today, I walked the dogs in the snow and sunshine and now I'm settling down in a sunny room to get some reading in. Hope your weekend is going well!

Eta- Beautiful! You're killing me with scenes of warm sunshine!

Hi, Joanne! Welcome! Nope, not too soon. Never too soon, even if I hadn't quite finished my start-up posts, which I had. Finished, I mean.

Glad you got out for a walk with Copper and Skye while the sun was still out! It's not quite so pretty here right now, but I need to get out to the mailbox and the grocery store. Not sure when we're going to get our next storm, but I'm not taking any chances on running out of things.

I know, when I was going through all the possible photos, I was doing a little too much wishful thinking...wonder how much a flight to Hawaii would cost?

Happy New Thread Mary!

Lovely new thread here, Mary!

Happy New thread, Mary! And Happy Sunday! I like all the WARM photos. We NEED plenty of those.

MDR this week! Yah!!

Lovely shots of warmer climes, Mary.

I of course am wishing for a few cooler days. It is particularly hot in Kuala Lumpur at the moment but I don't envy you all the prolonged cold snap too much.

Congratulations on your new thread. xx

Oh! Visitors! How lovely!

>10 lunacat: Thanks, Jenny!

>11 ronincats: Thank you too, Roni!

>12 msf59: Oh, Mark, ain't that the truth!

>13 PaulCranswick: I've been to all those places, Paul, and, in fact, I took all those pics. Brought back some wonderful memories from my trips! As I said on Jenny's thread, I'd go back to Italy in a flash, but, if I had unlimited funds, I'd travel the world, perhaps endlessly! There are so many amazing places I'd love to experience.

So, I just read an article about coming film adaptations and The Martian is apparently going to be one of them!!!!!

Not 100% sure how I feel about that, but on the whole I think it could be a good thing.

Nickel Shredding an Egg Carton, Looking for a Treat Inside

Happy New Thread, Mary!

Thank you, Amber.

The University of Chicago's free ebook for this month ~ Freud’s Couch, Scott’s Buttocks, Brontë’s Grave ~ sounds really interesting! According to a blurb by Shelf Awareness for Readers on the UC website:

"“Wryly funny, deeply thoughtful musings on literary pilgrimage—why readers visit writers’ houses, and what, if anything, we gain by it.… Part travel memoir, part literary inquiry, with a large dose of history and frequent dashes of dry humor, this book will appeal to bookworms, Anglophiles and anyone who loves to visit historical sites but rolls their eyes at the overpriced rubbish in the gift shop.”

Here's the link.

Happy new thread, Mary!

I heard about the movie adaptation of The Martian. I think it could be good but it really depends on the screenplay and how they balance the seriousness of the situation versus the humour and who will play the main character. It would make or break the movie since it's pretty much a one man show..ha!

Matt Damon will play Mark Watney, Val. He's a pretty good actor, so it could work.

I am not a big fan of movie adaptations of books, but I guess I will wait and see. I really enjoyed The Martian, so I hope the movie is a good one.

>15 Storeetllr: How creative! What's her favorite treat?

btw, I have a couple of phone books in the back of my car for Nickel. I just need to remember to give them to you when I see you.

Me neither, Stasia. In fact, I'm not much of a moviegoer at all. I only got excited because I loved that book too.

Thanks, Joanne! Nickel adores almonds in the shell. I have to buy large amounts of them at the holidays when they're relatively inexpensive and stick them in the freezer for later in the year. Tonight, my niece Dylan came over and insisted on giving Nickel three of them (this, after Nickel already had a few earlier in the day). Nickel, of course, abetted Dylan. They are so cute together!

Thanks for the phone books! Hope we remember when we go to TC to see MDR.

A movie adaptation of The Martian could be great fun or horrifically bad. I guess we should hope for the best. :-)

That is the truth, Julia! Only one book I read that I preferred as a film, and that was Princess Bride. Neverending Story was also better as a film, though I wasn't completely thrilled with it either as film or book. I also loved the BBC adaptation of P&P with Colin Firth, but not more than the book, and I admit to loving the film adaptations (extended versions) of Lord of the Rings, though the books are fantastic. Of course, I seldom watch movies, so I may have missed some good adaptations over the years, and I may be forgetting some.

Yes, I don't watch many movies, either. I may be the only person in America who did not care for The Princess Bride movie and I liked the book marginally better. I loved the movie of The Neverending Story (except for one scene) but I've never read the book. I've neither read nor seen Lord of the Rings, which probably makes me extremely suspect if my dislike for The Princess Bride did not already do that. :-)

You never read LotR or even saw the films? Not sure we can be friends, Julia. (Haha, just kidding.) (Sort of.)

;-b

>25 rosalita: No one should ever be allowed to admit they didn't like the film of The Princess Bride. It's an offence worthy of being pilloried I feel. We'll get Nickel to throw things at you.

OOh....I can see Matt Damon doing a good job of portraying Mark! I'm definitely excited to see the movie since I loved the book. My husband who never reads, was so engrossed in the book I had to comment to him saying who are you and what have you done with my husband?!?

I loved TLoTR movies a lot more than the books. They were EPIC and one of the few movies that we watch year after year and still find something new that catches our eye. :)

Happy New Thread, Mary! Love the pictures of summer things, all warm and sunny! And the one of Nickel! precious!

>27 lunacat: Haha, Jenny.

Poor Julia. This is supposed to be a safe place to discuss books and films and the like, and here we are threatening to pillory her for not liking one of the best films since the dawn of filmmaking. Ahem. Actually, my taste is often quite plebian, so I have no room to talk. For example, I hated Hilary Mantel'sWolf Hall, Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache series, and G.R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones, all of which many LTers love, but I adore Neverwhere and Clan of the Cave Bear, both of which I've seen excoriated by quite a few LTers, and I've enjoyed a few bawdy romances (the titles of which I've forgotten as even I admit they were so banal), as well as the movie "Independence Day " ~ you know, the one with Will Smith in it, where the insectoid aliens invade Earth and nearly destroy humanity. *sigh* I love that movie! Seriously, I know what it's like to be in the minority where books and films are concerned, so all are safe here to admit their deepest darkest secret reading and movie watching pleasures from all but the gentlest of joshing.

>28 jolerie: Hah! It was a good read, Val, wasn't it!? One that all sorts of folks with disparate tastes can enjoy. Me, you, your nonreader husband, my non-scifi-appreciating daughter.

I love both the LoTR books and films, each in different ways and for different reasons. I mean, the films left out some of my favorite parts (Tom Bombadil and the Barrow-Wights, for example), but the books were just too long and rambling for them to be made into films in their entirety, which is, for me, part of their charm. Yet the films brought it all to beautiful life, made Middle Earth real in a way the books just couldn't.

>29 connie53: Oh, hi, Connie! We both posted at the same time and I almost missed yours.

Thanks! It's snowing again right now, and pretty cold (19F currently, supposed to go up to a blistering 32F), so I too am enjoying those pics of warmer climes. I may have to post a few more if this cold snap doesn't end soon.

Since I posted that pic of Nickel, that egg carton has been demolished, the treats eaten, and the toys scattered all over the bottom of her cage. Today, she is being entertained and stuffed with treats by my 2-year old niece, so she's in no rush for a new egg carton. Tomorrow, after Dylan goes home, will be soon enough.

You must be running out of egg cartons!

>26 Storeetllr: I get that reaction a lot, Mary. :-)

>27 lunacat: If I'm ever lucky enough to meet Miss Nickel in person, I will allow her to throw things at me while screeching "Bad Julia! Bad Julia!" Should we video it so you can watch, Jenny?

>30 Storeetllr: Would it make things better or worse if I also admitted to never having seen "The Wizard of Oz" and loathing "It's a Wonderful Life"? Should I just get out and never come back?

Heh, that's the truth! I may have to put an advert on Craigslist asking for more. Actually, I alternate egg cartons with different toys that I keep a stock of in two big plastic bins so she doesn't get bored. She's like a two-year old, in need of constantly changing stimulation.

And you can re-use them endlessly!

At what point did I agree not to pillory someone for their movie tastes when they are so clearly wrong? I don't recall signing up for that!

And anyway, she's agreed to my punishment so all is good.

I love Neverwhere and liked 3/4s of The Clan of the Cave Bear. I have no interest in trying Louise Penny and I'm not that interested in The Game of Thrones, although I'll probably read them once he's finally finished them. I learnt my lesson with Robert Jordan.......I'm not embarking on a huge series until I know it's going to get finished!

Independence Day is a firm favourite around here, along with other nonsense films such as Jurassic Park, The Day After Tomorrow, Volcano............can't think of any others off the top of my head but we like rubbish films a lot!

>33 rosalita:, >34 rosalita: Haha, Julia! I don't care for It's a Wonderful Life either, though I admit to having enjoyed Wizard of Oz when watching it with my daughter when she was little, and especially when I saw her perform as Dorothy when she was on a production tour in 2008. "I'll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!" is one of my favorite lines, which I say in a very realistically witch-like voice.

When you meet Nickel, I will surely post a vid of it. I think, though, that she will be more likely to give you kisses and do her "Show Bird" routine in hopes of getting treats from you. :)

>34 rosalita: I don't like The Wizard of Oz. Massively overrated film. But then I'm not a fan of Judy Garland or her voice so I was fairly destined not to like it!

>37 lunacat: Oh! You love the same kinds of rubbish films as me (though I never saw Day After Tomorrow or Volcano)! My favorite rubbish films are the aforementioned Independence Day, plus Beetlejuice and The Time Bandits. (Notice I do not include Princess Bride or Serenity under that heading.) No wonder I like you so much, Jenny! We are birds of a feather! :)

So glad my further confessions have not sent me into permanent exile around here, Mary!

Hi Mary! Just checking in. I sure hope they can make a good film out of The Martian. What a blueprint to work off of, right?

I am a big fan of the LOTR films too and own the extended versions. Not so crazy about The Hobbit films or at least the first 2. I have not seen the 3rd.

I think it would have worked much better, with a single 3 hour film. IMHO, of course.

>41 rosalita: NEVER! You're always welcome around here, Julia, no matter how skewed your tastes may be. :)

>42 msf59: I'm crossing my fingers they don't screw up the film adaptation of The Martian. If only they stick with the blueprint...

Totally agree about The Hobbit. I saw the first two and don't know where some of the story came from. Certainly not from the book, though I only read it once a long time ago. (It wasn't a favorite.)

I liked The Hobbit. It was a fast-paced kid's story and it was only 300 pages.

I liked it okay the one time I read it back in the 70s, Mark. I just never "spoke" to me like LoTR did, and I never felt the need to reread it.

(I love the Independence Day movie, too...)

I loved it too. Just plain fun action. :D

Ha! Vindication!

(Thanks, Amber and Val. :)

The older I get, the more I seem to enjoy what some might consider frivolous, even fantastical books and movies. I've read and watched my share of books/films on more serious subjects, and still on occasion find myself preferring something more substantial or artistic or closer to reality, but I've had enough ~ I might even say too much ~ real-life drama, not to mention tragedy, in my past (and, not infrequently, in the present) to want to read about or watch it. I want entertainment, pure and simple, with characters that are larger than life dealing with situations I've never faced and where I know the good guys will prevail in the end.

Of course, good writing and good acting are requirements, but reality? Well, IMHO, reality is highly overrated.

Unless it's history, of course. Currently, I'm listening to Augustus: First Emperor of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy, whose Caesar, Life of a Colossus greatly impressed me. It's a little difficult listening to it, partly because the reader has a droning voice and pronounces names and places differently than they look on the written page and partly because, well, it's too easy to drift off in all the details. I may actually stop (I'm halfway through) and finish with the print version. My other book is Written in Red by Anne Bishop, recommended by Morphy, for which I owe her a huge debt of gratitude! I started last night after I finished Stray Souls by Kate Griffin (set in the world of Matthew Swift and recommended by Roni, to whom I also owe a debt of gratitude, more on that soon), and stayed up ALL NIGHT READING IT. When I heard my niece moving around at 6 a.m. getting ready to leave for work, I FORCED myself to put it down and go to sleep, but I'm absolutely chomping at the bit to finish it.

Edited to fix touchstone.

My new fountain pens have arrived! (Thanks, Julia, for getting me interested in them!) Here's a pic I just took showing the pens and an example of how the writing looks with each of them:

Hi, Mary! Congrats on the new fountain pen. I would have left already for the MDR event. Sad, pouty, face...

Lovely!!

Good thing they work! ;)

OMG there's that that gorgeous white pen that I remember admiring on Julia's thread! I am jealous both of the pen and of your lovely writing, Mary. My writing tends to look like a chicken scratched the page.

Aw, shucks, Judy ~ thanks! I admit though that I took special care to do a good job when I was writing those little blurbs because my penmanship has gotten much worse over the years. That white pen is rather lovely, and it wasn't all that expensive either, for something that gives so much pleasure! Last night, I used the gold pen to write in the journal I "keep," and by "keep" I mean I write in it whenever I remember, maybe 20 times a year. Until last night, I hadn't written in it since November 2014. Perhaps having a fountain pen to use will encourage me to write more often.

Oh! More visitors! I somehow missed seeing your posts, Mark, Joanne and Val! So sorry!

>50 msf59: I am so sorry you had to miss the MDR event, Mark. Damn back problems! I hope your back feels much better already and is completely recovered by the weekend so you can do something fun to make up for missing the Epitaph event.

>51 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne!

>52 jolerie: Yes, I was a bit worried. It's so cold here, and there was obviously no heating in the back of the delivery truck, that I was afraid the ink had frozen.

Last book finished in February, along with a brief thought on same:

27. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley. 3.5 stars. Audio. Strange and a bit convoluted. Either Flavia has become a completely unreliable narrator, or a number of the characters had incomprehensible motives for their odd behavior that I never was able to suss out. Set in Canada at a girls' boarding school where Flavia has been sent for a similarly incomprehensible reason. I do like Flavia, though, and enjoyed most of the novel, so I am giving it the benefit of the doubt and rated it an extra half star (or maybe full star) over what I might have rated it it weren't the latest in a series of pretty enjoyable mysteries.

Books finished so far in March, along with a few thoughts on each:

28. Stray Souls by Kate Griffin. 4 stars. eBook. I have no idea why it took me so long (almost half the book) to get into this story, but I was ready to give it up a half dozen times and would have if I didn't trust the book sense of Roni (@ronincats) so much. Am I glad I stuck with it! The whole Magicals Anonymous concept, which seemed so lame to me in the beginning, turned out to be a wonderful plot device, and the characters absolutely burst into life in the second half of the book, as did the action. In fact, some of the Magicals Anonymous members are the most original and funny I've ever come across in urban fantasy. I'd have given it a 4.5 star rating if it hadn't taken so long to grab me. Another excellent offering from the world of Matthew Swift.

29. Written in Blood by Anne Bishop. 4.5 stars. eBook. This one grabbed me right from the first page, forced me to read all night until dawn, and didn't let me go until the last word. Actually, that isn't quite true. It didn't let me go at all, so that I had to go right out and get the second in the series, which I started last night. This is the kind of "romance" ~ and by "romance" I mean a story that has "a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life" ~ that I love. The terra indigene ~ The Others ~ are a separate branch of evolution that includes vampires, werewolves, earth elementals and other "magical" creatures. Together, they rule most of the world. Humans, a much smaller branch of evolution, are allowed to live in peace in their own small areas of origin and in smaller areas controlled by The Others, so long as they behave themselves. Well, we all know the fatal flaw in humanity ~ the need to dominate. Meg Corwyn is a human, but she is special and different from most humans. For one thing, she doesn't have the scent of "prey." For another, she is what is known as a cassandra sangue, one who sees prophetic visions when she is cut. When she runs away from the prison that has been her life, she is granted sanctuary by Simon Wolfgard, the leader of The Others in Lakeside. This, of course, leads to all sorts of mayhem ~ on the outside with the humans who want to take over the world to inside the hearts and minds of The Others. Thank you, @Morphidae, thank you, thank you, thank you, for recommending this wonderful series. I loved it! And, best of all, the third book in the series is coming out THIS MONTH. Whoopie!

>49 Storeetllr: Those look really familiar! :-)

I'm glad you are enjoying them. I do find myself looking for excuses to write things down when I have a nice fountain pen to play with, and I suspect you will find the same to be true. Your penmanship will probably improve, too — for a while there I was writing by hand so seldom that my penmanship went all to pieces. But having a nice pen makes me slow down a bit and take more care to write and voilà — you can actually read what I wrote!

Oh, yes, Julia! I wrote another entry in my journal last night, just for the pleasure of using my gold pen. And this morning I wrote a little exercise for a writing class I'm taking online, as well as a TTD (Things To Do) list for today, using the white tiger one. *BAS* (meaning "Big Ass Smile," stolen from Mark)

BAS!!

>59 msf59: Mark! :)

Well, I am in one of those weird reading places where nothing has quite hooked me. Besides the books I mentioned above, which I've been listening to before I fall asleep at night (Augustus and The Wastelands, and one I didn't mention above, The Age of Faith), I'm reading The Bullet Catcher's Daughter and listening to The Rosie Effect, both of which are okay, but none of them is exactly what I want. The Rosie Effect isn't quite as good as The Rosie Project, at least not yet (I'm about 1/3 of the way through), perhaps because there's less Rosie in this one, and, although Don is a hoot, he can be a bit overwhelming. To be honest, what I WANT to read is still on hold at the library because it was just published a couple of days ago, and they probably don't even have the copies yet. (That would be Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop, third in The Others series. And, may I just say, Morphy has a lot to answer for. This series has sucked me in so deep I never want to leave The Courtyard.)

Hi, Mary! I have The Rosie Effect saved on audio. I'll toss it in the rotation, one of these days. Hope the week is going well.

I think I'm a polygamist/altruist reader, with a slight touch of neurotic reader.

Thanks, Mark. I gave up on The Rosie Effect and will get the printed book to read instead. Something about it ~ maybe the reader or maybe my mood ~ didn't work for me. Instead, I just finished (in 2-1/2 days!) Lamentation by C.J. Sansom, the latest Matthew Shardlake historical mystery. My first 5-star of the year!

Haha, Joanne ~ I was thinking Mark and Richard are definitely altruistic readers, if anyone is! But yes, you do enjoy shooting off those Book Bullets too. :) I'm a polygamist reader, occasionally neurotic ~ when nothing I pick up seems to grab me, though when I find a book (or series) that impresses me as much as Lamentation did, then I turn into a bit of a book warbler too.

Hope you're enjoying this fine weather! I heard it's supposed to be 70F on Sunday!

Mary, I am reading Lamentation but it will take me more than two days. I started it yesterday on my patio in the porch swing. Heaven. It was 73 sunshiny degrees.Rain has moved in, and I played canasta with my long-time group today, so not much reading has gotten done. Maybe this weekend... after I go shopping for a fountain pen! You and Julia are enablers!

ETA: I am a polygamist introverted reader who has learned to get out of her comfort zone occasionally thanks to LT. How else would I have discovered the fun of The Vorkosigan Saga?

I think I'm a bit of everything except for Altruist Reader and Neurotic Reader. I can't stand NOT finishing a book so that's definitely not me. :)

I hope you can find a book that snags your attention soon.

I haven't tried any of Anne Bishops other books besides her Black Jewels series but she totally knows how you suck you in.

Oh, Donna! I thought Lamentation was a wonderful entry in the Shardlake series and hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Reading it on your porch swing in 73F sunshine definitely sounds heaven! I tried to read it slowly, but it was so compelling that I found myself rushing to find out what happened next. Sansom is such a good writer!

As a child, I used to play canasta with my grandmother and a couple other of my elders all the time! And, let me tell you, she didn't cut me any slack because I was a kid. Cutthroat, that woman was! I loved the game, but I haven't played in years. Maybe I should see if I can find some people around here who play...

Take a picture of the fountain pen you bring home with you, so Julia and I can see the fruit of our enabling ways. :)

>61 Storeetllr: Oh I love this. Nice idea :-)

Hi, Val! Glad you are feeling up to getting around for a visit after your crazy couple of weeks!

I used to be like you, always feeling I must finish a book if I started it, but I'm too old now to spend what little time I have left reading something that doesn't pleasure me in one way or another. Also, I'm a mood-reader, in that I sometimes pick up a book and decide it isn't for me, then weeks or months (occasionally years) later read and love it, so I don't feel too guilty if I start something and don't finish it because chances are I will at some point, assuming I live that long. :)

I found two books (very different books, at that) that snagged me hard, and I've already finished them (I'm also a binge reader lol) ~ the aforementioned Lamentation and Trust No One, a contemporary romance by Jayne Ann Krentz. I don't read a lot of romance anymore, because so much of it is merely soft porn in disguise, but Nora Roberts and Krentz are two romance authors I can trust to usually deliver a solid story with interesting characters and very little, if any, hard sex. Oh, yes, and Heyer, of course ~ she goes without saying.

You simply must read Bishop's The Others series, starting with Written in Red. I can't get the characters and especially the world out of my head, and have even put myself to sleep once or twice fantasizing being a character in a story in that world (always one of the terra indigene). I'm going to start the Black Jewels series later this year, but I don't think I'd enjoy it as much right after finishing The Others books because I'd want the Black Jewels stories to be from the world of The Others. If that makes sense.

ETA to correct typo.

>68 charl08: Thanks! I thought it was fun when I saw it on booklikes.com! So, what kind(s) of reader are you? (I don't know how anyone can be just one type!)

I think I'm a monogamous altruist, with occasional polygamous tendencies. :-)

I'm too old now to spend what little time I have left reading something that doesn't pleasure me in one way or another.

This is me x 1000, too!

Wow, a 4.31 average LT rating is certainly impressive!
The first book in the Black Jewels series is a 4.12 so don't know what that means. I thought the first three books in the series was absolutely absorbing so I'll definitely give the Other series a try. As you can tell, it doesn't take much to convince me..ha! :)

One day I'll probably get to the point where I'll give up on a book that isn't my cuppa. One day. ;)

It certainly is impressive, Val, especially for a fantasy novel, you know?

>70 Storeetllr: I was avoiding that question, it's too hard to pick! I'm currently polygamist - reading about 10 books (on and off in different rooms around the house, different bags, phone, kindle, computer). Love being an altruist but not sure that friends necessarily appreciate the endless book recommendations!

Happy Friday, Mary! It sure was a nice day to walk around. Low 60s, partly sunny. I have still not read a Shardlake book. Bad Mark??

Heh, I hear that, Charlotte! I didn't claim to be altruistic, either, though I do brag up books I love on occasion, because when I think "altruistic," I think more of Mark (msf59), as well as Roni and Roberta and Morphy, Richard and Joe, a few of our well-known book warblers.

Hi, Mark! Happy Friday to you too! No need to ask which type of reader you are, Mr. Book Warbler. :) On the Shardlake series, I didn't care for Wolf Hall when I tried to read it a few years ago, but, whether or not you enjoy the Mantel when you read it in a little while, if you like reading about that period of history, then the Sansom series is one to consider. The Shardlake novels are billed as historical mysteries, and there is that aspect to them, but the series is rich in historical detail, as well as fictional and historical character development. The author is an historian and lawyer, and you can tell from the realism of the details, but I find the books imminently readable. Enjoy the warm weekend! We're looking for mid-70s Sunday and Monday!!!!

I know I mentioned it over on Mark's thread, but for anyone who hasn't visited him lately (and why in the world haven't you?), I just got home from the library with a copy of March: Book Two. So excited to read it as I thought the first, which I read after listening to Mark warbling about it, was excellent! Also picked up The Glass God, the latest highly original urban fantasy set in the world of Matthew Swift, featuring Sharon Li, which Roni turned me onto. Very excited about that one too.

So, it was bright and sunny and over 70F today! I took Nickel out early to enjoy the sun, and she seemed very happy to preen in the warm sunshine. It's her birdday (my little Ides of March baby bird is 13 years old today ~ or at least this is the date she came to live with me 6 years ago which I decided would be the day we celebrate).

Here's the first pic I ever took of her, on March 15, 2009:



And here she is today:



Anyway, I hope it stays warm like this for at least another few days, so we can build up some fortitude for the next cold, snowy spell which is sure to come before the end of the month. Also, tomorrow's the Mary Doria Russell book event for Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral, and I was thinking, if the afternoon was nice, I might spend an hour or two over at the Botanical Garden before meeting Joanne for dinner and the talk.

Happy Birthday, Nickel! Such a pretty girl. I am sure you are getting excited about tomorrow. Yah!

Many happy returns of the day to both Nickel and you, Mary. It's wonderful that you both have each other. :)

Awww, happy birdday to Nickel! I'm sure she must have felt showered with love and attention. :)

Happy birthday to Nickel!!

I think I must have missed Mark talking about March: Book Two (I'm not a big GN fan), but I did see John Lewis on The Daily Show recently so I picked up Book One from the library just the other day. I haven't started it yet, though.

See you tomorrow!

Thanks to all for the Nickel love!

>78 msf59: Yes! MDR tonight! And a meetup with Joanne! Plus it's so gorgeous out today I am thinking of going over to the Botanical Gardens for an hour or two before dinner with Joanne, just to be out in the summery weather in a beautiful setting of the gardens. I can't imagine Life getting much better!

>79 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! I'm not sure about Nickel sometimes, but I know I am fortunate to have her. There have been days that the only reason I've gotten out of bed was because of her.

>80 jolerie: Hi, Val ~ she had to stay in her cage for a couple of hours yesterday when I went to the grocery and library, but before and after we had fun in the sun and I let her roam around on the floor for awhile, getting into trouble trying to shred my grandmother's bedroom furniture before I could get to her to stop her. And I made her a new foraging toy. For her, that's pretty much heaven!

>81 Copperskye: I like GNs occasionally, but only a few have affected me as much as March: Book One did. If you get a chance to read it before we meet tonight (it's not a long read), we can talk about it. I won't get to book 2 in the next day or two ~ trying to finish Epitaph before tonight (not going to happen) and also started The Glass God by Kate Griffin and The Buried Giant, Ishiguro's latest, two others I picked up from the library yesterday. (I only meant to look at the first few paragraphs, honestly, just to get a taste, but then got hooked on both and read much too far into each to call it anything except "starting." Silly me.)

Happy belated birdday to Nickel. Beautiful girl doesn't look a day over 6! Have fun at Mary Doria Russell tonight — I am trying very hard not to be jealous.

We took Baby D to the Butterfly Pavilion last Monday, and I finally got around to downloading the photos I took that day. Here are some I hope you enjoy:









When I was just about ready to leave, I was standing just looking at a beautifully colored butterfly in a somewhat inaccessible place, wondering if I should try and get a picture of it, when I suddenly was engulfed by butterflies! They seemed to be fixated on my camera, and then some of them landed on my arm and hands and even my clothing. I was afraid to move, not wanting to startle them. Also, I was enchanted. The door guard (who sits at the exit and makes sure nobody walks out with a stray butterfly on their head) came over and offered to take a pic of the phenomenon, which she said was unusual. I told her my iPhone was in my back pocket, and she got a few pics of me with my new butterfly friends. I asked, and she said they might be attracted by my scent, or the saltiness of my sweat. I still think they were interested in the camera. :)

Wow! Look at all that variation in colours. So beautiful and wonderful that you were able to capture so many good pictures of them. :)

Hi, Julia! You snuck in while I was fooling around with posting those butterfly pics! Thanks for the birthday wishes for Nixie. She has no idea what a birthday is, and no idea when it should be, so anytime somebody pays attention to her is a good thing and not belated at all!

I'll try and get some good pics of our meetup with MDR tonight and post them. I'll mention to her your wish that she could visit West Branch, Iowa sometime, and that she should go back to Chicago so Mark can see her, now that his back is back in order.

Thanks, Val! Yes, I did get a few good ones, though I wasn't sure I would as it was SO humid in there that my lenses kept fogging up.

Thanks, Mary! I was surprised that MDR wasn't coming to Iowa City because Prairie Lights usually brings in some great authors but alas she is not on the schedule. Tell her your friend from Iowa City, who grew up in Wyatt Earp's birthplace in Monmouth, Illinois, would love to meet her someday!

I love the butterfly pics! And of course Nickel is a show stealer!

>84 Storeetllr: Wow. I had a lovely day with nature today (flowers and birds) but these are something else. Thanks for posting.

I hope you and Joanne have a fantastic time tonight. It sounds like MDR has been under the weather. Tough for a book tour.

Just saw the news that Lois McMaster Bujold has a new book coming out! Here's a quote from her FB page:

"I am pleased to report that a new Cordelia Vorkosigan novel has been sold to Baen Books for publication, tentatively, in February of 2016.
The title is Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen.
It is not a war story. It is about grownups.
And that is probably all I ought to say right now in a venue read by the spoiler-sensitive. It is, after all, a long haul till next February.
2016 will also mark the 30th anniversary of my first publication by Baen, which ought to be good for a little PR fun.
Ta, L."

Woot!

>87 rosalita: I told MDR she has a big fan in Iowa who wishes she would come to Iowa City. She said to let you know that she just needs an invite from the bookstore (because she can't afford to go somewhere without being underwritten), but she'd love to get there. So go talk to Prairie Lights and see if they are interested in sponsoring an event. :)

>88 connie53: Thanks, Connie!

>89 charl08: So glad you enjoyed, Charlotte! BTW, I was just over to your thread.

>90 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Getting together with Joanne was wonderful, and MDR's talk was fantastic! She wasn't feeling well, had a bad cough, but man she is a trooper! And interesting!?! I've attended a half dozen author talks in my life, by authors whose books I love, and none of them were half as interesting as MDR. In the very very brief time I had to chat (while she signed 3 books), she confessed her favorite of what she's written so far is Doc. I couldn't help but agree, though The Sparrow will always have a place in my heart.

I'm afraid I went overboard and bought two of her books (Doc and Epitaph) as well as some calendars that were ridiculously cheap on sale. As if I needed more, but they were so cool! And, you know, cheap. One was a desk Calendar for Book Lovers. Another was a perpetual calendar for my daughter that features men's mustachios. (She has a thing for mustaches for some reason.) A third was a Beatrix Potter calendar for my little niece. Finally a vividly colorful calendar with Evelyn de Morgan prints featuring mythological characters for my bedroom. That's my book-buying budget through July. :) But so worth it!

Great to see you tonight, Mary! And I could listen to MDR speak for hours, even with her cough! I had to do a google search to look up the subject of her next book and it sounds like a fascinating story.

Oh, yes, Joanne! It was a lovely evening, and I'm so glad we were able to get together for dinner and MDR! She's an amazing lady, very gracious and funny too, which was a bit of a surprise! I was just telling my sister what she said about her next project and that I wanted to look up that incident she mentioned.

Here are a couple of pics from tonight. Unfortunately, Joanne didn't get into any of the pictures (bad Joanne). :) Also, I wish I'd gotten a better shot at her at the podium, but I didn't want to be snap snap snapping while she was trying to talk, so I only got the one. :(

I am so glad you had a good time at the MDR event. She is so smart and funny. And the poor thing has been battling a cold for a couple of weeks. I hope to see her at her next book event. I plan on starting Epitaph, early next month.

>92 Storeetllr: Aw, thanks for the plug, Mary! I don't hold out a lot of hope for Prairie Lights. I love them but they can be almost insufferably snobbish about their status as a bookstore for serious literature (i.e., about obscure or unpopular topics). The OK Corral may be a little too mainstream for their delicate sensibilities. :-)

>95 msf59: That she is, Mark! I'm about a quarter of the way through Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral and am loving it, though I think Doc is my favorite of the duo, at least so far.

>96 rosalita: I see what you mean, Julia. I went to the website, and didn't recognize any of the authors scheduled to speak and only found a few staff picks that I recognized, much less would have wanted to read. The Martian is a notable exception. :) Kinda sad, because not all "popular" fiction is dreck.

Mary, I wish I could have been at the TC with you, Joanne, and MDR. Unfortunately, my services were needed here. I'm going to try to shoot out your way next month. That was a great picture of you with a favorite author.

>97 Storeetllr: It's blasphemy around these parts to say so, but I think PL is a bit full of the notion of being an independent bookstore in a City of Literature, home to the famous Iowa Writers' Workshop. I've just resigned myself to never shop there in search of something specific that's even halfway well-known, because I will be disappointed. On the other hand, I've had some lovely serendipitous finds of books that I ended up loving, so it's not all bad.

You'll just have to come out sometime and see it for yourself!

>98 Donna828: I wish you could have been with us, too, Donna! I'm not usually star-struck by authors (or any celeb, actually, at least not these days), but Mary Doria Russell has been a favorite author since I first read The Sparrow back in the mid-to-late 1990s, so it was thrilling to meet her, and I loved hearing her speak. She's a fascinating woman! When you know the dates of your next trip to Colorado, let us know so we can set up a meet!

>99 rosalita: I would love to visit you in Iowa, Julia, having only been there once when I was in my 20s, and only staying overnight in Dubuque. My grandfather was born in Ruthven, IO in the late 1800s, and it might be fun to look up his birth certificate and see where he was born (assuming the house is still standing).

Well, I've just read my second 5-star rated book this month! Here are my brief thoughts on the last few books I've read:

30. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop. 4 stars. eBook. Urban Fantasy. Book 2 in The Others series. The story of Meg Corwyn, a cassandra sangue and Simon Wolfguard, leader of The Others in the region of the Lakeside Courtyard continues. Someone is killing crows, including some of The Crowguard, and stirring up huge trouble for Simon, who suspects it has to do with the Humans First group of radical extremists who seem to have no idea what they're up against. Meanwhile, someone ~ probably her former "owner" ~ is still stalking Meg, who is now firmly entrenched in the life of The Others of The Courtyard that, were he to succeed in kidnapping her, it would doubtless ignite a war that would end in disaster for the humans of America. I love this series!

31. March: Book One by John Lewis. 4 stars. GN. History. Book 1 in Civil Rights series. Read this on the 50th anniversary of the Selma March. A powerful moving story, a wonderfully illustrated GN. A must read.

32. Lamentation by C. J. Sansom. 5 stars. Historical mystery. Book 6 in the Matthew Shardlake series. Matthew Shardlake has vowed to stay away from court, and stay away from Queen Catherine Parr, whom he cannot help loving, but events conspire to drag him back into action when a book Catherine has written titled "Lamentation of a Sinner" and which could be considered treasonous, is stolen from a locked cabinet in her well-guarded private rooms. Sansom is one of the best historical novelists around, and this historical mystery, set in the waning days of Henry VIII, is one of the best I've ever read. Another must read.

33. Trust No One by Jayne Ann Krentz. 4 stars. Romantic Suspense. Standalone. Really good, more suspense then romance, which suits me fine! Grace finds the body of her boss, dead in bed with a bottle of vodka on the bedside table, and flees to her childhood home, a cabin on a lake. There she meets Julius, a wealthy but socially inept businessman who has what I took to be a touch of Asperger's. When Grace finds she is being stalked, Julius steps up to protect her.

34. Being Mortal by Atul Gawande. 5 stars. Audio. Nonfiction. Timely for me, but also worthwhile reading for anyone who is, you know, mortal. Interesting, thoughtful and sympathetic discussion of what it means to get older, how people change as they age, the ethics of prolonging life though medical intervention way past the time it is worth living, of discussing end-of-life preferences with aging individuals, and of the morality and ethics of euthanasia. I'd say this was wonderful in the same way Stiff was wonderful: Difficult subject matter presented in a way that, if not "delights," then "fascinates" and "engages" will work. Highly recommended for everyone living today.

Saw this poem on FB today and wanted to share:

Lovely poem, Mary. I'm stopping by to thank you for all your support and for your lovely card. I love the bookmark. Thank you!

Sweet Thursday, Mary! It so nice to see the Being Mortal Love continue! It is such a special book and it should be an LT Must Read!!

I have March: Book Two waiting nearby.

Hugs, Roni. I only wish I could done or said something ~ anything ~ that would have taken away the pain. When you get a chance, look at the butterfly pictures I posted in >84 Storeetllr:. You were on my mind the entire time I was at the Butterfly Pavilion. I kept thinking: "Oh, Roni would love this!"

Sweet Thursday, indeed, Mark! Being Mortal is such a special book, I hope everyone who hears about it reads it. I've got March: Book Two waiting nearby (next to my pillow, actually) too.

Currently, I'm listening to the audio of a quirky but so-far enchanting novel I learned about from my new Book Lovers' Desk Calendar. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend was featured on March 18 (my father's birthday, by the way), and it sounded so interesting I got the eBook from the library and started it right away. Anyway, here's the blurb from the Book Lovers' calendar page: "Budo is eight-year-old Max's imaginary friend. Both a protector from and explainer of the outside world, Budo helps Max, who has Asperger's syndrome, decide what color ice pop he wants to eat, rescues him when the class bully threatens, and directs him through awkward situations. But Budo isn't able to shield Max from a teacher who thinks she knows how best to handle his issues. Jodo Picoult said of this novel, 'It has been a long time since I read a book that has captured me so completely.'"

ETA a few pics of my dad:

Here's his high school photo, ca. 1931:



And here he is with my mom in Atlantic City, in about 1949 (he was playing in a bowling tournament):



And here he is in around 1965 or 66, with my little sis (with whom I now share a home), my grandmother, and my Uncle John (dad's older brother):



And, finally, a pic of him that I love, with me when I was about 2:

I LOVED Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, Mary! I also thought it was wonderful on audio. I met Matthew Dicks at the very first Booktopia in Vermont and he was a really nice guy. Funny, smart and committed.

ETA: I also enjoyed Something Missing, which I got him to sign.

Oh, wow, Mark ~ that's so cool!

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend was a few years ago, right? He should have something new coming out soon.

Yes, 2012, I think. I've never heard of him before. I love it when I discover a new (to me) author!

Wow, Mary! Two 5 star reads in your summary. That's awesome. :)

I love the pictures you posted. What a beautiful family and your Dad is especially dashing. There is something about photos taken during that era that just can't be beat. An indescribable charm. :D

Hi, Val! I know ~ I've gone months before without a 5-star rated read, so two in one month is great!

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the pics. I love old family photos! My niece posted about someone recently developing 60 or so rolls of film taken back during WWII. Stunning images! Here's the link, in case you haven't seen it yet: http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/17/rescuing-historys-forgotten-frame...

If you click on the link at the bottom of the article, you can see more of the images.

You know I agree with you on March Book 1 and Being Mortal, Mary, and I got a big kick out of your endorsement of the latter: Highly recommended for everyone living today. LOL!

It's the truth, though, right, Joe?!? I think I may have to buy a few copies of that book (Being Mortal) and give it to my loved ones.

So, anyway, I went to a bookstore and the library today and brought home books from both (though not a copy of Being Mortal)!

I bought:

Foundation, the History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors by Peter Ackroyd
Myths of the Norsemen by Roger Lancylyn Green (a Puffin Classics)

And from the library:

The Rosie Effect, which I listened to about 1/3 of the way through but didn't enjoy on audio, so I'm going to try it in print
The rest are GNs (thanks Mark and Joe and Charlotte for getting me back interested in them):
Stieg Larsson's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Denise Mina (Vol. 1, so I'll be looking for Vol. 2 to put on hold from the library)
Alpha and Omega, Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs (this is Vol. 2, so I'm going to see if I can put Vol. 1 on hold at the library first before reading this one)
Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel (thank you Charlotte)
Fun Home, a Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (ditto)
Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman
Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days
Stieg Larsson's The Girl Who Played With Fire

Hi Mary -- that's quite a book haul!

I think I am all caught up. Thanks for sharing the photos of Nickel -- what a beautiful bird!

Any plans for the weekend? We're hoping to hike tomorrow. It's spring break at last, and we're hoping to enjoy some downtime.

Thanks, Anne! Great weather today for a hike! (Might even be a bit too warm ~ and I can't believe I'm actually saying that!) And it looks to be a great week for Spring Break, with the forecast being warm and sunny pretty much every day! Have a lovely relaxing week! My plans for today are to take Nickel to the Petco at Southlands for the monthly Gabriel Foundation event (same place Joanne brought Skye to meet Nickel last month). Should be strenuous but fun. She likes getting out and meeting new people (and giving as many kisses to as many people as possible, promiscuous little birdie that she is).

Yes, I felt a bit greedy about all the GNs I took out, but I should be able to bring most of them back by next week. And I'll be taking out more then, now that I know where they keep the adult GNs at the library. :)

>113 Storeetllr: That looks like a great book haul. Hope you enjoy Fun Home, I have Librarything to thank for that too :-)

Happy Saturday, Mary! Glad to see you have the GN disease. Grins...Fun Home! Fun Home!

We will keep you busy in that department. I have not tried Gaiman in GN form, other than some of the Sandman books.

Library hauls are awesome because you get the satisfaction of bringing all those lovelies home without dishing out the green men. ;)

Thanks for the link! There is something extra powerful about the images being in black and white.

>116 charl08: Isn't LT great for expanding one's horizons, Charlotte!?!

>117 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Gaiman's GNs are, perhaps, an acquired taste? I personally enjoy them, if the illustrations are to my taste.

>118 jolerie: Awesome indeed, Val! And glad you enjoyed the B&W images. I thought they were amazing, especially since my dad fought in WWII, though not in France. He was in Africa, England and Scotland.

So, I saw this on FB tonight and thought I'd share, seeing as there are so many of us on LT: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarrylee/the-struggle-is-very-real?bffbbooks#.wu3ge7eA9. I don't have problems with 7 & 8, mostly because I don't lend my books, and I no longer have problems with 13 & 14, because eBooks, but the rest? Yes, definitely. (I laughed out loud at 6 because that is the look I know I give to others when in that situation.)

>113 Storeetllr: you have not read any Stieg Larsson books, Mary? They are so good. You just have to give part 1 a chance to develop! The first 100 pages or so I kept thinking why everybody was so lyrical about the books but once I got past the 100pages I knew why.

Hi, Connie! Happy Sunday! Hope you've had a great weekend!

I've read all three of the Larsson books, a few times, in fact, both in print and on audio, and loved them all! And you're right, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo does take at least 50 pages, maybe even 100, before it starts getting good. At least that's how it was for me. The one I was talking about in >113 Storeetllr: is the Graphic Novel adaptation, and it apparently comes in two (or maybe three?) volumes. It was a bit gory, especially that one bit (you know the one I mean?), but I thought it was very well done.

I saw some worrisome news about one of my favorite authors, Mary Doria Russell. Seems the cough she's had for the past few weeks wasn't a cold after all but pertussis (aka whooping cough), and she's had to cancel her appearances over the next few weeks. She wrote a lovely apology (!) for having exposed her fans to this nasty disease that you can read here.

She still maintains her sense of humor, though. She wrote: "...I joked about having the Doc Holliday Memorial Cough, but by the time I got to Denver, it was clear that I couldn’t keep going.

"...The cough is exhausting and painful — so bad, my doctor did in fact consider it necessary to rule out TB as well."

I'll be praying for her full and fast recovery.

>122 Storeetllr: Crumbs, I always think of that as being an early 20C disease (like the Fossil children in Ballet Shoes). Amazed she kept going so long before going to the doc.

>122 Storeetllr:, >123 charl08: Right?!? I read the article about pertussis that she linked to her blog post, and that's exactly how it began: "We all thought it was a disease of yesteryear." MDR's a strong lady, but she's not young, and it was obvious she was having a rough time of it when she was here in Denver last week. I admit I'm worried.

I think the Stieg Larsson books were my first real introduction back to crime novels after so many years of not reading them. I read some when I was a teenager and just couldn't stomach them and not I can't stop reading them. Figures. :)

>125 jolerie: Wow, Val, that series is a pretty intense intro to crime novels! They are that good, though, so I'm not surprised you are craving more. I know I am. It's one of the reasons I reread them now and then. Have you listened to them on audio? What a treat!

Hi Mary, I love the "Struggles Only Book Nerd Will Understand" more than a few hit home for me.

Very troubling news about Mary Doria Russell, here's hoping good health is just around the corner for her.

Hi Mary! I've been following MDR on FB. What a bummer. She sure toughed it out for awhile, didn't she? A friend from work returned my copy of Epitaph. He LOVED it. I might start it, after Wolf Hall, or very close after.

>119 Storeetllr:, >127 DeltaQueen50: Haha, Judy, yes, I thought the Struggles Only a Book Nerd Will Understand" would hit home with many of us.

>128 msf59: It is a bummer about MDR, Mark, and I can't help wishing that she'd called it quits sooner, though, on the other hand, I'm so glad she made it to Denver so I could finally meet her and hear her speak. I gave my sister a(n autographed) copy of Doc, and she likewise is loving it. I know she'll be borrowing my copy of Epitaph before long.

Oh, yes, I do!



Happy Wednesday!

>130 Storeetllr: oh that's good :-)

LOL!! Two thumbs up for that one. :D

Pertussis has made a major comeback in the past 10 years or so. Our whole family had to go on a precautionary round of antibiotics after a sleepover guest was diagnosed. Hope Ms. Russell recovers quickly.

>131 charl08: :)

>132 jolerie: Thanks, Val!

>133 AMQS: My doctor had me get a DPT booster this year as a precaution. I blame the anti-vax idiots. What the hell can they be thinking?

Now there's a job I'd take in a heartbeat. Raking up books! And I wouldn't even ask for a paycheck, either.

Just dropping by to say "hi" and try to catch up. Hope all is well with you.

A tree that grows books would be even better! :D

Hi, Reba! Nice to see you here! It's been awhile, and I don't know why. I guess I "misplaced" your thread somehow. All's well, thanks. Hope you're doing well and enjoying the summery weather you've been having. I was out in the garden today, enjoying my morning coffee and then after it got shady out back doing some cleanup and cutting back some encroaching branches from my neighbors' trees, and I am sweating it was so hot in the sun! I know we'll be having a couple more snowfalls before spring, though, so I'm really enjoying the warmth!

Haha yes, Val! I would love to have a book tree planted out in the back. No trimming those branches back! I wonder what kind of fertilizer a book tree needs. :)

Today's quote from the Book Lover's Page-a-Day Calendar is the last line from one of my favorite novels:

"Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past."

Willa Cather, My Antonia

Happy Sunday, Mary. It is cold, windy and rainy here. A perfect day to curl up with the books. We begin warming back up tomorrow. 60s by Wednesday. Grins...

Mary, I loved the family photos you posted upthread. I really must spend some time with a scanner one of these days to preserve some memories. I feel bad about MDR's pertussis, too. She really takes things in stride. I hope she licks this one soon. And, thank goodness, she didn't cancel her Denver stop!

>139 Storeetllr: I love that quote from one of my all-time favorite books! I have that same calendar but have fallen behind. I guess I'm too busy if I can't tear off a page per day!

>140 msf59: 60F gets just a grin, Mark? Seems to me that warrants a B.A.G., no? Enjoy Epitaph!

>141 Donna828: Thanks, Donna. I love looking at old photos from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Actually, old photos from most eras. Yes, I was a few days behind on my Page-a-Day calendar the other day too, but it is mostly inattentiveness on my part as I have absolutely no excuses for not keeping up. I'm caught up now. :) I hope MDR is recovering well too. I want her to start on her next novel.

My bad! B.A.G. it is!

My current GN, Mystery Society is a lot of fun. You might like this one.

Oooh, Mystery Society looks like fun, Mark! I'm going to the library later (well, sooner than later, I guess, as it will be closing in an hour and a half) and will look for this one. I'm in the middle of Fun House by Bechdel, whose Dykes to Watch Out For was a favorite GN awhile back. It's a lot of fun (slightly macabre, but fun) so far.

I have never read Dykes to Watch Out For. I will have to look for that one.

Fun Home is one of my very favorite GNs.

>144 Storeetllr: Loved Fun House - Dykes to watch out for is going on the WL.

Hi, Charlotte! I just love her humor. I've got another of her GNs (Are You My Mother) on the TBR pile, waiting for me to finish The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel, Vol. 1.

Hi Mary! How is life on the Front Range? Spectacular? Glad you have been smitten with the GNs. It is such a wonderful medium and I can not imagine living without them. Enjoy!

Hahaha, Mark! Life on the Front Range is just lovely ~ today, anyway. Who knows what kind of weather Colorado has in store for us tomorrow? :)

Okay, my book acquisitions are getting out of control! As of this moment, I've borrowed the following books through the library:

eBooks

Ashen Winter
Bridal Jitters
Augustus, First Emperor of Rome

eAudiobooks

Revival
How Rome Fell
The Bull Slayer
American Ghost, a Novel
Ulysses (don't ask)

Print Books

The Buried Giant
The Rosie Effect
Neil Gaiman's Midnight Days
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Graphic Novel, Vol. 2
The Girl Who Played With Fire Graphic Novel
Fade to Black
Twelve Minutes to Midnight
A Flight of Angels
Cry Wolf Graphic Novel
Are You My Mother
Psychiatric Tales

Books on CD

Big Jack
Wolf Hall

And, if that weren't enough, today I stopped by a thrift store to see if I could find a set of drinking glasses, and instead I came home with:

Dinotopia
Bring Up the Bodies
Assassination Vacation
The Cuckoo's Calling

And that's on top of the books I brought home from Boulder Books last Thursday:

Myths of the Norsemen
Foundation: The History of England

And I recently got these eBooks from Amazon, the University of Chicago, and HumbleBundle:

Awoken
The One That Got Away
The Golden Cage and The Shadow Soul
Freud's Couch, Scott's Buttocks, Brontë's Grave


Does anyone seriously think I'm going to manage to read all these anytime in the next decade, much less the next month? Yeesh!

To top it off (more whining ahead), my Kindle died last night. I've been thinking about getting a Paperwhite or Voyager but put it off because I had a perfectly good Kindle in working order and money doesn't grow on trees, you know. (But, oh! how I wish it did! Or, at least >135 Storeetllr:.)

ETA the image of the HumbleBundle haul.

Wow, oh wow, that's a lot of books coming home! I have absolute faith in you!

Oh, but The Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox are classics and so much fun, especially the first book--NOT to be missed. And New Amsterdam is very short, as is Nobody's Home.

Too bad we're not expecting some cold, snowy weather where you could just curl up with all those books. Oh, wait...

Or maybe a beautifully sunny weekend so you could sit on the patio with a cool drink and enjoy those books. Oh, wait....

Regardless, it's all good - enjoy! I loved Assassination Vacation.

What Anne said: WOWZA!! Do you think you might have a problem, Mary?

"Hi, my name is Mary. I live on the Front Range and I can NOT control myself, when it comes to books. Thank you."

Hugs, to my pal!

>150 AMQS: Tell me about it, Anne. Thanks for your vote of confidence, but I'm afraid this time I have so many great books waiting right there in front of me waiting to be read that I will become paralyzed from not being able to decide which of them I want to read first. (First-world biblioholic's problem.)

>151 ronincats: Hi, Roni! Yes! I read Bridge of Birds and New Amsterdam already, but I wouldn't mind rereading them, and then going on with the rest of the Master Li and Number Ten Ox series. I haven't read Nobody's Home yet but am looking forward to it, as well as a few others in the pile that I've heard good things about.

>152 Copperskye: *snerk* I want to get Assassination Vacation as an audio, because I really enjoyed listening to Vowell read her Patriots book, but then I decided FOR A DOLLAR I couldn't go wrong to get the mass market paperback version too.

>153 msf59: Yeah, yeah, I know I'm completely out of control. I just hope I can keep from being overwhelmed. (See my answer to Anne above.)

I just realized I haven't done any mini-reviews of the last dozen or so books, so, without further ado:

35. The Glass God by Kate Griffin. 4.5 stars. Urban Fantasy. Book 2 in Sharon Li spinoff of Midnight Mayor series. THANK YOU, Roni!!!! You were so right that this series is a worthy spin-off in the world of the Midnight Mayor. I am liking Sharon Li more and more as I read more of her story and now that she is no longer pretending she isn't special and nothing strange is going on in the world.

36. Alpha and Omega: Cry Wolf: Volume Two by Patricia Briggs. 3.5 stars. Graphic Novel adaptation. Urban Fantasy. Fun for anyone who has already read and loves the novels of the Marrok and Mercy Thompson.

37. Grave Sight, a Harper Connelly Graphic Novel by Charlaine Harris. 3.5 stars. GN adaptation. Urban Fantasy. Ditto for anyone who loves the Harper Connelly series, which, I understand, is finished. :(

38. March: Book Two by John Lewis. 4.5 stars. GN. History. Book 2 in Civil Rights series. A must read GN for anyone who wants to learn a bit about how the Civil Rights Movement got started and how important it is to continue to be vigilant that the kind of world that brought it about is not brought back through restrictive laws such as the so-called "Religious Freedom Act" recently enacted in Indiana and Arkansas.

39. The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter by Rod Duncan. 4 stars. eBook. Book 1 of the Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire series. Interesting steam-punk alternate history fantasy. Actually, there was no magick, just magic, as in magic tricks. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

40. Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend by Matthew Dicks. 4.5 stars. Audio. Fantasy/Asperger's. Standalone. This is kind of magical realism. When he was 3, Max Delaney, a boy with Asperger's (I thought he was high on the autism spectrum) has created a very real imaginary friend. Budo can walk through doors and windows and exist away from Max in a way many imaginary friends are unable to do. He helps Max make up his mind about things that might otherwise paralyze him, such as which color popsicle he'd like to eat ("blue or yellow?"), what the right thing to do is in awkward social situations, and how to handle the class bully. I loved this GN. It was a heartwarming story of love, loyalty, and the power of the imagination, but it is not in any way schmaltzy or cloying. Also, it made me cry at the very right but kinda sad ending.

41. Ashfall by Mike Mullin. 4 stars. YA. Kindle. First in post-apocalyptic series featuring the aftermath of a supervolcanic explosion of the Yellowstone caldera. There were a few little problems, like what happened to all the people? But overall a very realistic and scary look at what might happen if Yellowstone's volcano blew. Haters of FEMA will love what Mullin imagined would happen in that quarter.

42. Deception Cove by Jayne Ann Krentz. 4 stars. Paranormal romance. Book 2 of Rainshadow series. Mindless but fun fluff. Krentz can really write light, enjoyable romances that are romantic without all the soft porn of many others in the genre.

43. Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris. 3.5 stars. Urban fantasy. Book 1 of spinoff of Harper Connelly and Sookie Stackhouse serieses. Enjoyable but only for fans of the genre.

44. Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman. 3 stars. GN. Urban fantasy. Gorgeous artwork but weird story; not my favorite Gaiman.

45. The 8 Minute Organizer by Regina Leeds. 3 stars. Audio. A few interesting life hacks, but basically espouses idea that one can get and stay organized in 8-minute increments. I already do a lot of what she advises, but obviously not enough as my place is always a mess.

46. Psychiatric Tales by Darryl Cunningham. 4.5 stars. GN. Memoir of his time as a nurse in a psychiatric hospital and his own breakdown. Recommended.

47. Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Graphic Novel, Part 2 by Denise Mina. 3.75 stars. GN. Condensing it to fit into a GN made following the storyline a bit problematic, but for someone who's already read the book (twice), I didn't have any trouble with it.

>149 Storeetllr: Freud's Couch, Scott's Buttocks, Brontë's Grave Tempted just by the title.

Love the burst of mini-reviews! I am so glad you loved Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend & the 2nd March volume.

It's okay Mary. If there is any place where you can make those kind of confessions and have people sympathetic to your problems, this is the place. We ALL have the same problems with books. Just some have bigger ones than others...ha! ;)

Way to go with the mini-reviews.

>156 charl08: Haha, yes, it is the kind of title that catches one's attention! It was the University of Chicago's free ebook for last month. (See >17 Storeetllr: for links.) According to a blurb by Shelf Awareness for Readers on the UC website:

"“Wryly funny, deeply thoughtful musings on literary pilgrimage—why readers visit writers’ houses, and what, if anything, we gain by it.… Part travel memoir, part literary inquiry, with a large dose of history and frequent dashes of dry humor, this book will appeal to bookworms, Anglophiles and anyone who loves to visit historical sites but rolls their eyes at the overpriced rubbish in the gift shop.”

I'm looking forward to reading it.

Speaking of which, books from the UC cannot be read on a Kindle, nor can some other ebooks I get for early review ~ something about Amazon's proprietary system, I guess. Since my regular Kindle died the other day, and I already have a working Kindle Fire and Kindle DX, I was thinking of getting a Kobo Glo, which would work for those other books that don't work with Kindle. Anybody happen to have any experience with Kobos? It's a little more expensive than Kindle Paperwhite, but not enough to worry about, if otherwise it's a good reading experience. (Kobo is made in Canada.)

>157 msf59: Thanks, Mark!I've made a resolution to make an effort to provide at least a few thoughts on every book I read this year, because, otherwise, I will likely forget what they are about. I did love the Imaginary Friend and March books a lot! Can't wait for the third March book, which I assume will be coming out, as the story didn't end yet. (Personally, I think it hasn't ended yet even as of today.)

>158 jolerie: Thanks for your understanding, Val. I'm not usually so uncontrolled with book acquisitions, but there have been some really great books recommended lately. What I've decided to do, until I finish at least most of the ones I have, is, rather than put them on hold to keep track of them, to put them on my library and LT wishlists.

Happy Easter, Mary!

Thanks, Reba! Have a lovely Easter yourself!

And to all my LT friends ~

Happy Easter, Mary! I saw your post on my thread and I thrilled that you gave Wolf Hall another go and you are now enjoying it. It really is a fantastic and rich story.
Are you going to watch the series, as it is broadcast or will you wait to finish the book(s) before starting? I think listening to the first 4 or 5 hours, should be more than enough for the 1st episode.

ETA: Epitaph is fantastic!! 100 pages left!! No wonder, I fell so hard for MDR!!

Thanks, Mark! Hope you have a lovely Easter too!

I'm going to watch Wolf Hall as it's broadcast, if I remember to turn the TV on, as I think you're right and if I listen to 3 or 4 more CDs tonight, that'll be enough of a head start. I should finish it within a few days, because it's got me in its grip, and then maybe on to Bring Up the Bodies, which I bought the hardcover of the other day at a thrift store. I think I got it for about $1.50, which was an irresistable deal!

Good going on Epitaph! I've got to get back to it soon, but I own it, and books on my shelf always seem to end up on the bottom of the TBR.

Bring Up the Bodies is narrated by Simon Vance, so that one works well on audio too, if you can snag it in time. You found a great bargain in print. Good for you.

I have a big stack of GNs to get through too. I just finished, Henni which was very good. Did you read the first Alex + Ada GN? I just picked up the 2nd volume. The first was very good. Cool story, beautiful artwork.

I'm excited about the adaptation of Wolf Hall. How cool that the book will be so fresh in your mind as you watch the series, Mary. I hope the series does the books justice. I love Damien Lewis. He will make an interesting Henry VIII.

Have a lovely Easter…

I may try to snag it on audio, Mark, but I just couldn't pass up that bargain. The hardcover for less than $2? Boo-yah!

Thanks, Donna! Have fun tomorrow with the grandkids (I assume there will be some egg hunting going on). The TV adaptation looks really good, from what I've seen of it (cast photos, preview), though I don't know any of the actors and always worry a little at least about adaptations ruining the books.

Happy Easter to you and yours, Mary!

I was scrounging around in a box ytoday and found this pic of my daughter when she was about 3 on Easter after what looks like a particularly successful egg hunt. I thought it would be fun to share it here.

Thanks, Val! Hope you and your family have a wonderful Easter too.

>169 Storeetllr: Your daughter looked like the cat that got the cream, Mary. We don't celebrate Easter in Malaysia really but the kids still take the small opportunity afforded them to get plenty of chocolates!

Trust that your long Easter weekend has been a wondrous one.

>169 Storeetllr: What a cutie! Love it.

Hi, Paul! Nice of you to drop by and say hi! Thanks, she always loved dressing up and getting her pic taken (still does), and the finding of so many eggs with candy inside was icing on the cake, so to speak. Plenty of chocolates is an excellent reason for non-celebrating Easter. :)

Thanks, Amber!

Hi, Mary! Just checking in. I did a reread of Stumptown, because Joe finished Vol. 2 recently. I needed a refresher. This is a good GN series. Dark, noirish, P.I. story, set in the PNW. Might be your cuppa. I have a never-dwindling stack of GNs nearby, so I have to keep one in constant rotation. Smiles...

Hi, Mark! I haven't read Stumptown yet, but it does look interesting. It'll just have to go on the WL, though, because I'm still feeling overwhelmed by the TTBR (Teetering Tower of Books to Read).

So, here's a list of "greatest" children's books that I saw on FB. Turns out I've read most of them, but I read only one of them as a child. The others I read as an adult, either with my own child or for my own pleasure.

>175 Storeetllr: Oh, I like that "greatest" list, Mary. I've read and enjoyed all of them except the Laura Ingalls Wilder. My wife and I are talking about reading that one to each other.

That's one I haven't read either, Joe, but it's on the ever-growing WL, along with the two others I missed out reading. I'm almost afraid to admit what they are as they are well-loved by pretty much everyone around here. :)

>177 Storeetllr: Mum's the word. :-)

>175 Storeetllr: That is a good list. I read all the ones written when I was a child as a child, and the others soon after they were published.

>178 jnwelch: ;-)

>179 ronincats: Hi, Roni ~ How wonderful to have read them as a child. The only one I read as a child was Little Women, which I reread at least twice because I loved it so much. As I mentioned, the others that I've read were either read for my own pleasure as an adult or to my daughter when she was little. Three that I somehow missed are now on my WL for when I manage to pare down the TTBR (Trembling Tower of Books to Read) pile.

Further to the list, someone on FB said that James and the Giant Peach should be on the list too. Not having read it, I can't comment. However, I was wondering about how a few others got left off, like The Velveteen Rabbit, The Giver, The Hobbit.

What a wonderful list, Mary. So many on there are on my all time favourite list. I would agree that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory trumps James and the Giant Peach although the latter is really good as well.

What a sweet picture of your daughter. It's nice to walk down memory lane once in a while. :)

Your daughter takes after you, Mary. That is such a cute picture!

I've missed a few of those greatest children's books. I keep meaning to give A Little House book a try.

Hi, Val! Not having read either of them (I know, shameful), I don't have a vote. Thanks, she still takes great pics!

Haha, Joanne ~ please, do NOT tell my daughter she takes after me. She would not be pleased. :) Little House is another one of those I have not read yet.

So, I just got back from the library with the following books:

The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop
Prudence by Gail Carriger
Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

Hmm, just noticed all of these are fantasies of one kind and another. They'll be a welcome change once I finish Wolf Hall, The Cuckoos Calling, Epitaph, and Ridiculous.

Hi, Mary! It looks like we have a stormy day. Wish me dry. My wife is a Carriger fan too and she has Prudence on her nightstand, thanks to Moi.

Hi, Mark! I do wish you dry and warm and wish I could send you some dry weather, but we are having our own spate of cold wet weather. Except, having just written that, the sun came out. Still, I doubt it will last long, as I see dark clouds in the sky all around it.

Are you reading Wolf Hall? I'm not watching the TV program because I haven't read it yet but I don't know if I'll ever actually get to it.

I'm loving Epitaph. It's a lot of book. I don't know why I didn't notice but it does read pretty fast.

Hi Mary, finally getting caught up with you. I love to see others that are bringing home as many books as I do. I know I will probably never get around to reading all my books, but like any collector, I just gotta keep buying! Next month at the Category Challenge I am hosting the Science-Fiction, Fantasy Challenge and our theme is girl power - so we will be reading books by women or books with a strong female main character. I am finally going to be reading a book that you recommended, The Terrorists of Irustan along with a couple of others, including Daughter of the Blood. I am looking forward to discovering some new authors.

I just finished Wolf Hall, Joanne, and I found it surprisingly good. I wanted to read it before seeing the TV miniseries, and I'm glad I did. I watched the first episode but forgot about the second one until the next day :( so am going to have to try and find it online or a rerun on PBS before the third episode. Glad to know you're enjoying Epitaph. I started it a few days after we saw MDR but got distracted. I'll get back to it soon.

Hi, Judy, and thanks for visiting! Yes, I've been very bad so far this year. Nothing like some prolific book buyers around here *cough*PaulC*cough* but still nore than usual. Oh! Two books I really enjoyed ~ Terrorists of Irustan and Daughter of the Blood (especially Terrorists). Did you read Written in Red yet? I like it even more than I did Daughter of the Blood.

Hi Mary! Congrats on finishing Wolf Hall and I am glad you enjoyed it. You should be able to watch the Wolf Hall episode online, through Masterpiece. It was another winner.
Hope you get back in the saddle with Epitaph.

My plan is to read Wolf Hall in December to follow along with the BAC challenge. Hopefully I will enjoy as I do have the sequel sitting on my TBR mountain as well. :)

Daughter of the Blood will be my first Anne Bishop, Mary. I've had the first three books of the series sitting on my shelf forever! And there you go hitting me with a book bullet - Written in Red - yipes, another series at that!

Thanks, Mark. I'll check on PBS online before Sunday as I'd like to be caught up before watching #3. I should be able to restart Epitaph in the next couple of days. Funny about how that works. I own it, both as audio and in print, and, whenever I own a book, I tend to put it aside for any library books I get, which is what happened with Epitaph. I really need to get out of that bad habit.

It took me 4 tries before I was able to get into Wolf Hall, Val. I tried twice on audio and once in print last year, and just hated it. :) What a difference a year made!

Hi, Judy. Daughter of the Blood is dark fantasy, while Written in Red is urban fantasy. Also, Daughter of the Blood contains a lot of graphic, sexually sadistic, violence which I found a bit hard to take. I'm going to continue with the series, but it may take me awhile to recover. :) Of course, everyone's tolerance level is different.

I live for meetups! Last night's was extra fun because we got to see the new location for The Tattered Cover. And Ted's Montana was a great place to eat. I llove the new short hairdo, Mary. Maybe I will get a grown-up style one of these days.


Donna, new member Kris, Joanne, Mary

Thanks for posting, Donna! It's a nice picture of us all! You did good!

I really enjoyed getting together with you and Joanne and meeting Kris aka augustau (a new Denver meetup LTer! a new Denver meetup LTer!). Sorry Anne couldn't make it, but she's one busy lady these days! Enjoy the snow and have a great trip back on Saturday!

Mary, I zoomed in a bit and added the picture to the LibraryThing Gatherings and Meetups Group. Maybe you could add some commentary. Hope is up and wanting to be held. Doesn't work well with the iPad. The snow was pretty and fleeting...just the way I like it!

It looks great, Donna! You did good! (Here's the link for anyone who'd like to see pics from our meetups here in the Denver area over the past year: https://www.librarything.com/topic/176437)

Enjoy your time with Hope!

The scene currently outside my door:



I weep for the flowering pear tree (on the right of the picture) and for the lilacs out front that were in glorious bloom yesterday.

Here's a pic of the peony bush just sprouting:



So far, the snow hasn't blown under the deck, so though it's cold enough for snow, I think the peonies will be safe.

Shouldn't hurt them if it doesn't stay below freezing for too long.

Love the haircut, Mary!

I'm crossing my fingers, Roni!

Thanks! I couldn't stand the long straggly hair anymore. It's so much easier and less messy now. Though I had to wear a hat to bed last night. :)

Great Meet-Up photo, Mary! I am also a fool for Meet-Ups. I am so glad you can get together regularly.

WooHoo for meet-ups!!

>193 Donna828: I saw the meet-up photo on Donna's thread and came over here to ask you if you got your hair cut or if it's just pulled back? It looks terrific, Mary! I wish I could have been there with you all.

We just had a random day of snow a few days back. Full on storm that lasted for about an hour and then today we are back to Spring like weather. Craziness!

It was good to see you yesterday, Mary! I love our little meet-ups!

I was worried about the two lilacs we had planted last August but they seem to have weathered this little snow event ok. One of our aspens didn't fair very well though, but I think now that the big limb on our back lawn is just a side branch and not the top. I'm afraid to go out and look since there's nothing I can do for it. :(

It's great to see the sun this afternoon!

Have a great weekend!

Meet-ups! Yes! It's great being here in Denver, Mark, with so many cool LTers in the area! When I lived in L.A. (7 years as an LTer), I never met a one!

Yay for meetups, Amber! You have your share of them, too, though you've got to travel aways further, I think, than I do to get to them.

Thanks, Julia! I wish you could have been here too! Someday....?

Crazy weather, Val. I don't remember weather like this growing up in Chicago. Well, it keeps us on our toes, one way of looking at it, anyway.

Great seeing you too, Joanne! I'm glad your lilacs made it through this round of winter. Mine are okay, but they have been in the ground a bit longer than yours, I think. Sorry about your aspen, though I'm surprised you can grow aspen down our way. I thought they needed to be higher up.

Tomorrow I'll be at Petco again, doing that bird rescue outreach event. Nickel will, of course, be with me. She's really such a hit with the people, especially the kids. Even some dogs. :)

Happy Weekend, Mary! Have a good time at Petco. Go Nickel! Go Nickel!

Hi, Mark! Happy weekend to you too! Hope you enjoyed the wedding. So nice to get off work early to go somewhere fun!

Nickel did great as usual today at the Petco outreach event. She shared the stage with Hannigan, a cockatoo who, when I first met him almost a year ago, had feather picked himself into a chicken-plucked look on his chest and broken feathers on his wings. Today, his feathers are completely grown back on his chest, and his wings are also filling out. I didn't take a picture of him, darn it, but I did take one of Mickey, a conure, who also joined our merry band. It was his first time at an event, I think, and he was a little skittish, but he's the cutest thing.



He also is a feather picker, and, though you can't tell from the angle I snapped him from, he is completely bald all over his chest and back. So sad, but Hannigan's recovery gives me hope.

Aspens grow at this elevation but they don't live as long as the ones higher up.

What a handsome bird! When they get out of a stressful situation, do they stop picking their feathers or is it something they'll continue to do? So sad.

I'm sure Nickel was the star of the day! Have a great week!

Isn't he a cutie! They can grow their feathers back sometimes, once they are removed from a stressful situation. Other times, if it's become too ingrained a habit or if they've damaged their follicles, they'll never grow them back. We have a few birds ~ gorgeous macaws ~ with naked chests that will never again have feathers. Those birds are usually sanctuary birds and can never be adopted out. It's so sad, and it makes me furious that people can treat such beautiful intelligent birds that way.

So, I was just doing the dishes and admiring my eggshell succulent garden, and I thought I'd share a picture of it:



A friend gave me some succulent clippings he rooted, and I transplanted them into empty eggshells a couple of months ago as an experiment. They are looking pretty good, don't you think?

Hi, Mary! Hope the day went well. And yah, for Hannigan!

Are those actual eggshells??

That is the coolest idea ever!

LOVE the eggshell succulent garden! How creative, Mary!

>211 Storeetllr: Those are great! Eggshell eggshells? I'd have quite a mess if I tried that.

>211 Storeetllr: Love that! Such a great idea.

The eggshell garden is so cute and clever!

>211 Storeetllr: Beautiful garden, Mary!

>212 msf59: Hi, Mark! Yes, thanks, it was a fine day, though I didn't get much done (except reading, which, now I think of it, is really all that's necessary, aside from coffee and water, food and air). Yeah, Hannigan's a real sweetie, and quite the showbird. Loves to dance and laugh out loud "HAHAHAHAHA!"

>213 jolerie: Yep, Val, they are real eggshells harvested after using a few eggs for breakfast. I chipped away one end very carefully to get the egg out, then rinsed the shells and poked holes in the other end with a large pin (or it might have been the end of a paperclip for a few). Then filled them with cactus/succulent planting mix and plopped the succulents in (okay, I did it carefully, no plopping was done), watered them, and put them in a clear plastic egg carton. I saw it on Pinterest and thought I'd try it. Fun, huh?!

>214 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. I love it too!

>215 Copperskye: Thanks, Jo. Yep, real eggshells. I was pretty careful but even then broke a few, but it was easy otherwise and I had a lot of fun making the garden and now looking at it on the windowsill.

>216 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte!

>217 rosalita: I thought it was a clever idea too, Julia.

>218 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl, and it was easy, so long as I was careful handling the shells.

Wow. I just realized I haven't mentioned any of the books I read in April yet. Most have been just okay, but a few really stand out. Here are the ones I enjoyed the most:

48. Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel, Vols. 1 and 2. 4 stars. GN. YA Urban Fantasy. Lovely illustrations for the most part, and a lot of fun for anyone who's already read the full novel, which I have done (twice, once in print and once as audio).

55. Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs. 4 stars. Urban Fantasy. Book 3 of the Alpha/Omega series. Charles and Anna travel to Arizona so they can pick out a horse for Anna. While they are there, they run into strange happenings and must stop a faerie lord run amok.

57. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop. 4 stars. Audio. Fantasy. Book 3 of The Others series. Another great installment of the saga of the cassandra sangre Meg Corbyn.

58. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. 4 stars. Audio. Historical fiction. Surprisingly compelling retelling of the rise of Thomas Cromwell from lowly blacksmith's abused son to most important minister under King Henry VIII.

59. Daughter of Necessity by Marie Brennan. 4 stars. Short story. A different, magical take on the Penelope/Odysseus myth.

62. Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan. 4 stars. Historical Fantasy. First in The Onyx Court series. Set in Elizabethan London, Invidiana is Queen Below to Elizabeth's Queen Above, but her reign is one of terror and her evil machinations adversely affect the human world as well as her fae subjects.
63. In Ashes Lie by Marie Brennan. 4 stars. Historical Fantasy. Second in the Onyx Court series, this one is set during the reigns of Charles I and II.

If you're interested in seeing the ones that I left out, check out this link.

Now reading tearing through devouring The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham, 3rd in the Fiona Griffiths series. A different but utterly compelling mystery thriller set in Wales (with side trips to London and Manchester), involving cyber-theft and murder.

Mary, you are a reading machine this month! I actually did pretty well despite being gone ten days because of the audio books on my road trip. I also have a fondness of succulents. If I can find some small enough, I may try to duplicate your project. My kitchen windowsill is so narrow that there isn't much I can put there over the sink where I spend way too much time. An eggshell garden would be perfect! I remember using them with the kids for starting seeds. When the plant got established, we could stick it - shell and all - in the ground or a bigger pot.

Heh, Donna, all I seem to want to do these days is read! I love driving places with an audiobook to listen to! One of my favorite things, actually. I never heard of eggshell gardens before or that you can stick the plant, eggshell and all, into a larger plant when it outgrows the shell. Do you have to crack the shell so the roots can escape? I am lucky my niece's significant other is a green thumb who is constantly (to her ongoing frustration) filling every available surface in their house with containers of cuttings to root. He gave me those little bitty rooted cuttings for my experiment. I'm sure my niece would be thrilled if I asked him for more.

65. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham. 5 stars. Mystery. 3rd in the Fiona Griffiths series which began with Talking to the Dead, which I think I gave a 4.5 or 5 star rating to, and the equally compelling Love Story, With Murders (the Early Review copy of which I won in January 2014). A strangely different but utterly compelling mystery/thriller/police procedural set in Wales (with side trips to London and Manchester). In this installment, Fiona goes deep undercover to try and find the mastermind behind a cyber-theft ring, and, coincidentally, discovers things about herself that reverberate throughout her whole existence.

I love this series featuring Detective Constable Griffiths of the Cardiff police force. Fiona suffers from PTSD caused by an as-yet unknown childhood trauma which can, when she is under enough stress, sometimes trigger a condition known as Cotard's Syndrome, when dissociation and depression combine to make her lose touch with her physical and emotional feelings, turn the world into shades of gray and, in its worst stages, make her believe she's literally dead. Sounds gimmicky, yeah, but, trust me, it's not.

And, great news (for me): Fiona Griffiths #4, THIS THING OF DARKNESS, is set to be published this summer, probably in July! *happy dance*

Howdy Mary. I was so behind on your thread. Looks like you have been reading some great books.

Scary you were exposed to pertussis. It is sad that it has come back.

I have to confess that I don't like the Three Pines series and I also loathe It's a Wonderful Life.

Love the new hairstyle!

I'm in good company then, Roberta, because I wasn't able to finish the first Three Pines book and have no intention of trying again, and am also not a fan of It's a Wonderful Life. I don't hold it against anyone who enjoys either of those things, but they are not for me. Having said that, I'm not much one for films or TV shows no matter how good they may be, though I do make exceptions for shows like Firefly and Wolf Hall and films like Enchanted April and Independence Day and Princess Bride, but watch them only occasionally.

Agree with you about pertussis. There's no excuse for its return, except those folks who insist that, though they aren't scientists and don't know much about science, they sure do know what they think about it. I had only recently had a Tdap vaccination, so I wasn't worried about being exposed. I was worried for MDR, though. Glad to know she's better and resuming her tour.

Thanks! I love my new short hair too! (SOOOO wonderful not to have to dig long hairs out of the shower drain.) :-/

Hi Mary. I love It's a Wonderful Life and the Three Pines books have grown on me. Are we still pals?

I saw that MDR is back on the road. Whooping Cough is scary.

We'll always be pals, Mark, no matter what! And, anyway, I'm sure everything I love is not to your taste either, so it goes both ways. :)

I'm so glad about MDR's recovery!

Whew! Marky-Mark was worried!!

Never need to worry about that, Mark!

So, today I took Nickel to the vet for her annual wellness checkup (yes, they really call it that). Last year, when I took her to see the vet for the first time in Colorado to get her health certificate so she could be boarded in case I ever decide to take a vacation and need to leave her in a boarding facility, she had blood work which showed she was slightly low on calcium and a little high on fat. Anyway, her weight is exactly the same this year as last, and the vet said her muscle tone is nice and strong, her poop looks good (yes, he really did check that), and her health in general (eyes, beak, feathers, nostrils, etc.) looks great. Bottom line, I don't have to bring her back for an annual checkup, unless she starts acting sick!

Yay, Nickel!

Mary, I am so impressed at the volume of reading you manage in a month. I am impressed and jealous all at the same time. :D

Good news about Nickel!

Not so impressive, Val, when you consider I'M RETIRED!!!! And I don't have much of a life EXCEPT in books. :-D

Thanks, I was glad to get the good news about Nickel too.

ETA that, when I was the mom of a toddler, I probably read maybe one or 2 books a month. And you have two of them!

Yay for well-bird visits!

Since Mark spoke up, I will too....I've already pre-ordered the next Three Pines book that comes out in August so I guess that makes me a fan. It's a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies. Hope we can still be friends! :)

Speaking of series, you may have gotten me with the Fiona Griffiths one. Sounds interesting!

Go, Joanne! Go Joanne!

Go Nickel! Go Nickel!

>233 rosalita: Mine needs to say, "High five! You know me better, hand me a glass of wine pronto!" ;-)

>233 rosalita: Heh, thanks, Julia! *high five back*

>234 luvamystery65: *snerk*

>231 Copperskye:, >232 msf59: Hey! Joanne and Mark! How did I miss your posts up there? I think I just got so excited that Julia gave me an i-high five that I totally forgot what I was doing.

Well, we're still friends on my part, Joanne. I hope you won't hold it against me that I DON'T like the Three Pines series or It's A Wonderful Life?

Mark! :-D

So, I finished a couple more books that I thought warranted briefish reviews:

67. Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel. 4 stars. GN. Memoir. Not as many humorous moments as Dykes to Watch Out For or even Fun Home, and containing a bit too much psychoanalytic twaddle for my taste, it was still a compelling look at the sometimes volatile relationship between mother and daughter, of which I have personal experience from both sides.

68. The Harvest Man by Alex Grecian. 3.75 stars. Mystery. Free ARC from First to Read. 4th in Scotland Yard's Murder Squad series. I loved the first two in the series but did not finish the third (Devil's Workshop) because secret societies and Jack the Ripper and outrageously bumbling police work and personal vendettas against the detective? All in one book? Sorry, but that, together with the heart-stopping suspense, was just too much for me (yes, I am a delicate flower). This one was better, though it still contained elements of all the above, plus an incipient alcoholic detective, a storyline that upped the quota of mentally deranged serial killers to a point I had a hard time accepting, and not enough background about one of the serial killers to even come close to explaining his weird compulsion. Finally, it had the grandmother of a cliffhanger ending. What did I like about it enough to give it a 3.75 star rating, you ask, if it was so bad? Well, that's the thing: it wasn't bad. Excellent writing, atmospheric London scenes and historical accuracy, generally likeable characters (except the ones who, you know, weren't, and many of those were memorable), suspense that built quickly and never really let up (without being over-the-top and offending my delicate sensibilities), the dawn of the forensic era, Fiona. And yes, I will read the next in the series, and not only to find out what happened to Inspector Day. I do suggest it's best to read the entire series, starting with "The Yard," to get the true depths of the characters and because they are really great historical mysteries.

Happy Sunday, Mary. I was put off by Are You My Mother. The angsty-babble drove me nuts. Glad you liked it more.

Hope you are having a fine weekend.

Hi Mary. just passing by and waving.

Yes, I kind of ended up skimming over the angsty-babble (which is a good description of it!), but being a daughter with a daughter and having had many angsty moments with both my mom and my daughter as a mom, I may have gotten more out of it than you did. :)

>236 Storeetllr: Nah, there's a lot more stuff we do agree on! :)

You're right, Joanne! A couple of biggies: You can never have too many books and You can never have too much time for reading. Right?

You can't go wrong with either one (or both!)!

>239 connie53: *waves madly* Thanks for stopping by, my friend!

>67 Storeetllr: Agreed with the comparison re Fun Home and Are you my mother?. Must ask the library to get hold of Dykes to Watch Out for as they've not got one (seems like a hole in the collection to me!).

>244 Storeetllr: I see the mad waving coming my way, Mary!

Had the best day! Baby D ("I'm not a baby anymore! I'm a big girl!") stayed with us overnight, and after lunch my sis and I took her to the library (Aunt Mary's library, as opposed to D's library, we had to differentiate) and spent a couple of hours in the children's section. The Smoky Hill branch of the Arapahoe Library District has an amazing Children's Library, and she had a blast! We took out a whole lot of books ~ I got 2, she got 9 ~ plus she got a copy of How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon that the library was giving away for free as part of a kids' reading program.

>245 charl08: Hi, Charlotte! Yes, you definitely need to get hold of Essential Dykes. It was one of my 5-star rated books last year!

>246 connie53: Well, it didn't take the wave all that long a time to get over there to you, did it Connie! :)

My eldest absolutely loves the How Do Dinosaurs series. I guess it helps that he loves dinosaurs. :)

Dylan loves dinos too, Val! I didn't know it was a series. Nice to know so I can buy her books she will really enjoy!

My sister and Dylan cut some lilacs sprays for the house earlier today and took a pic of D with them:



The scent is heavenly!

What a cute photo! D's adorable and your lilacs are lovely.

Farley Farts sounds cute but aren't you afraid The Last American Vampire might be a little too scary?? :)

Oh, I do miss lilacs! And D is just precious. Such a successful library trip, too--yay for the Voyage of the Basilisk.

>248 Storeetllr: No, it didn't. I really doing fine with threads now that I have the time to keep up.

>251 Storeetllr: Cute! we have those purple lilacs in the garden too. And white ones. Great scent! It is just too bad the flowers will die after a few days.

Fun news: I won TWO (count 'em, 2) Early Reviewer books from the April batch! Both look pretty good, and one will work for May M&M, assuming it arrives in time:

1. The Finish: The Progress of a Murder Uncovered by Angela Elliott, historical mystery set in late 18th century London. No reviews yet.

2. Expiration Date by Nancy Kilpatrick, short stories of the horror/urban fantasy kind. From Amazon's book page: "Nancy Kilpatrick has gathered together twenty-five original stories by Kelley Armstrong; Nancy Holder & Erin Underwood; Steve and Melanie Tem; Lois Gresh; Gar and Judy Reeves-Stevens; Daniel Sernine; Paul Kane; Sephera Giron; Kathryn Ptacek; Steve Vernon and others to look at the what-if’s of our expiring future." I don't know many of these writers, but the reviews have so far been favorable.

Thanks, Joanne! I love lilacs! As for The Last American Vampire, haha. That one's mine, along with The Voyage of the Basilisk. Farley Farts is too scary for me.

Hi, Roni! I was thinking of you when I posted that picture because I know how much you love lilacs. They are just lovely this year, and early enough that I think the blooms will be gone before the next/last snowstorm of the season.

Yes, you're so right, Connie ~ lilacs are gorgeous and then BAM they're gone.

We will be giving armsful to my nieces who are coming over today to welcome back their sister Crystal who traveled to South Africa for three weeks (and had so many wild adventures, including getting up-close-and-personal with a lion, bungie-jumping from a bridge, and sky-diving) and is returning this morning. Crys will be staying with us for a week before leaving for Alaska where she'll be working for the summer. I'll post some pics of her trip.

What a sweet picture, Mary!

>251 Storeetllr: Cute lilacs, and cuter D!

Congrats on the early reviewers - two books! The Finish sounds interesting to me, look forward to hearing what you think.

So, I went to the library today to return a book that was due. I walked out with three more. *sigh* Like I didn't have enough library books on my TBR pile already.

Holy Shit by Melissa Mohr, a brief history of swearing through the ages, from Ancient Rome to the present day (and beyond).

The Last Monarch Butterfly by Phil Shappert, explores the splendor and mystique of these amazing insects and documents the trials and tribulations of the Monarch's life, including challenges the species faces from human destruction of their overwintering sites and natural disasters.

Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick, an historical paranormal romantic mystery. Yeah, I love these light, fun fast reads.

Aw, thanks, Val. How can one go wrong with a bunch of lilacs and a happy two-year old?

Thanks, Darryl! D was so proud to help her grandma cut the lilac fronds and put them in a vase!

Thanks, Charlotte! I was pretty excited! I'll let you know about The Finish: The Progress of a Murder Uncovered . I've never heard of it or the author, and that can sometimes end in disaster, though not always. I've discovered some really wonderful reads through the Early Reviewer program (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Last Policeman, The Fiona Griffiths series, Hand of Isis, and Mr. White's Confession spring to mind), but there were also some I had to force myself to finish. Crossing my fingers that this fits into of the former category.