tymfos 2nd thread -- Looking for Spring Right Around the Corner

It's been a long winter, and as I begin this thread I am looking forward to Spring. I hope it's right around the corner!
(And, no, Sig the Cat isn't levitating. He's on top of the bookcase on the other side of the doorway.)

I'm Terri, and this is my second thread of the year for this challenge. I'm committed to reading for fun this year, and not pushing myself to fit my reading into a lot of challenges. So my Lt-ing is mostly limited to this 75 Challenge and a mildly active thread in the 2015 Category Challenge which is devoted to series reading, with no real goals or pressure.

All visitors are welcome, and I look forward to your comments!

BOOKS READ IN FIRST QUARTER
*starred books are from my own bookshelf, real or virtual

Books finished in January:

1. A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey e-book (1/1/15)
2. Crusaders Cross by James Lee Burke AUDIO (1/2/15)
3. *The Hanging Valley by Peter Robinson (1/2/15)
4. *A Murder in Passing by Mark de Castrique (1/4/15)
5. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (1/8/15)
6. Pegasus Descending by James Lee Burke AUDIO (1/10/15)
7. The Penguin who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews e-book (1/10/15)
8. The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman (1/15/15)
9. Let It Burn by Steve Hamilton e-book (1/18/15)
10. Tin Roof Blowdown by James Lee Burke AUDIO (1/20/15)
11. *The Third Man Factor by John Geiger (1/23/15)
12. The Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill e-book (1/31/15)

Books Finished in February

13. *Dead Wake by Erik Larson (ER book, non-fiction) (2/1/15)
14. Gallows Lane by Brian McGilloway e-book (2/3/15)
15. Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaret Maron AUDIO (2/3/15)
16. *Deer Season by Aaron Stander e-book (2-5-15)
17. *The Body in the Kelp by Katherine Hall Page (2-7-15)
18A. Wait for Signs by Craig Johnson short stories AUDIO (2-8-15)
18B. An Event in Autumn by Henning Mankell novella AUDIO (2-11-15)
19. Finders Keepers by Belinda Bauer (2-11-15)
20. *Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott (2-18-15)
21. *The Waters of Kronos by Conrad Richter e-book (2-18-15)

Books Finished in March

22. Swan Peak by James Lee Burke AUDIO (3-3-15)
23. The Secret Place by Tana French (3-7-15)
24. Bleed a River Deep by Brian McGilloway e-book (3-7-15)
25. Baseball in Altoona by David Finoli non-fiction e-book (3-8-15)
26. Take Me Out to the Ballgame by Timothy Shutt (Modern Scholar Series) AUDIO (3-9-15)
27. *Buried in a Book by Luchy Arlington (3-11-15)
28. Black Irish by Stephan Talty AUDIO (3-14-15)
29. Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman (3-15-15)
30. The Third Rail by Michael Harvey e-book (3-17-15)
31. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (3-27-15)

BOOKS FINISHED IN THE SECOND QUARTER

Books Finished in APRIL

32. The TerraCotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (4/2/15)
33. House of Echoes by Brandan Duffy (4/3/15)
34. Blood of the Prodigal by P. L. Gaus e-book (4-8-15)
35. Be Different by John Elder Robison (4-11-15)
36. Fanny Crosby the hymn writer by Bernard Ruffin (4-13-15)
n/c The Hangman by Louise Penny (e-book short) (4-16-15)
37. The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke AUDIO (4-16-15)
38. *The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill (4-21-15)
39. All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (4-26-15)

Books finished in MAY
40. *Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lamott (5-1-15)
41. Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo e-book (5-2-15)
42. The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb AUDIO (5-4-15)
43. A Superior Death by Nevada Barr AUDIO (5-13-15)
44. Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway by Sara Gran e-book (5-15-15)
45. *Close Case by Alafair Burke (5-17-15)
46. Hangman by Stephen Talty e-book (5-19-15)
47. *Having Everything: A Father's Gift by Daniel J Carlson (5-19-15)
48. Listening Woman by Tony Hillerman (5-23-15)
49. *The Theft of Memory by Jonathan Kozol (5-24-15)
50. Creole Belle by James Lee Burke AUDIO (5-25-15)

Books finished in JUNE
51. Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi e-book (6-1-15)
52. Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie AUDIO (6-6-15)
53. *Le Mans '55 by Christopher Hilton (6-11-15)
54. *A Question of Identity by Susan Hill (6-15-15)
55. Dry Bones by Craig Johnson AUDIO (6-17-15)
56. Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen e-book (6-19-15)

currently reading
Thin Air by Ann Cleeves
Aquamarine Blue 5 edited by Dawn Prince-Hughes
Light of the World by James Lee Burke AUDIO
*Out of Tune edited by Jonathan Maberry e-book short stories

ongoing devotional reader for the year:
*Near to the Heart of God: Meditations on 366 Best-Loved Hymns by Robert J. Morgan

on deck
next on hold list for Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
also awaiting hold for American Ghost by Hannah Nordhaus

temporarily suspended

These are the categories I'm working with in my category challenge. The focus there is on series reading.

Category 1: "Start of Something Good" -- First book in a series
Category 2: "What's New?" -- Most recent book in a series
Category 3: "Keep On Trucking" -- Book from the "middle" of a series (anything between the first and the most recent)
Category 4: "All Shook Up" -- book from a series that I'm reading out-of-order
Category 5: "Hello, Again" -- book from a series I've read before but not in 2014.
Category 6: "Irish Eyes" -- series book set in Ireland
Category 7: "Rule, Britannia" -- book from a British series
Category 8: "Norwegian Wood" -- book from a Scandinavian series
Category 9: "Good Morning, Vietnam" -- book from series set somewhere in Asia
Category 10: "The African Queen" -- book from series set somewhere in Africa
Category 11: "Home, Sweet Home" -- book from a series set in Pennsylvania
Category 12: "Southern Nights" -- book from Southern mystery series
Category 13: "Marian the Librarian" -- book from series involving books/writers
Category 14: "Wide World of Sports" -- book from series involving a sport
Category 15: "Once Upon a Time" -- book with a historical element

I think I've written my categories so I read what I want but don't get stuck in a rut. It encourages me to continue & complete favorite series, but also to try something new now and then. And it gives me permission to go at that odd volume or two in a series I don't want to commit to reading in its entirety. I have a hard time letting myself do that sometimes. It also gives me series close to home and in far-flung places of the world.

Of course, not all my books will be series books. Everything I read doesn't have to fit in those categories.

Welcome, everyone! Pull up a chair and join the discussion!

Sig looks like he is about to pounce in the last photo in your topper. Happy new thread.

I am glad you are reserving the right to have some flexibility in your reading choices--not too "planned." Happy second thread!

Happy new thread, Terri. Lovely Sig pics.

Happy New Thread! Love the Sig topper!

>1 tymfos: Cute photo sequence of Sig. Snowing here, but I bought seeds yesterday, a bit too soon to start, but not too soon to plan.

I like your categories Terri.

Congratulations on your new thread. You have been a little quieter than usual this year so far but I guess the better weather will see you back to full bloom. xx

Sig is such a CAT! Molly sends her love from the snugginess of a warm chair.

I hope you are correct about spring being right around the corner. We usually have daffodils in bloom by March 9, my sister-in-law's birthday. I may not be able to tell this year, though, as my garden is buried under the snow!

From your last thread…

>172 tymfos: Those political rants by Anne Lamott turned me off of her books. I'm glad to hear the last one is free of them. I will reserve my copy at the library as I do like her writing and approach to christianity Thanks for the "heads up", Terri.

Happy New Thread, Terri! Sig is so adorable.

>13 Donna828: I don't know if we'll have daffodils in March around here either.

>1 tymfos: Oh how cute!

Happy New Thread, Terri!

Happy new Thread!

Happy new thread, Terri!
Sig is quite the acrobat. :)

*waving* at Terri

Happy new thread Terri! Another great sig-pic!

Oh, how nice to have so many visitors! Welcome, Meg, Kim, Barbara, Carrie, Katherine, Paul, Linda, Donna, Lori, Joanne, Amber, Rachel, Valerie, Stasia and Connie!!! Thank you for all the good wishes and kind words about my crazy cat.

I actually finished a book today -- the first in almost two weeks!!! It was an audio book, but at least I finished something.

Book #22 Swan Peak by James Lee Burke AUDIO
#17 in the Dave Robicheaux series.
This isn't a favorite for me in this series, but it was a solid enough mystery with some very complex characters. The setting is the wilds of Montana this time, rather than the usual Louisiana locale. Dave, Molly, and Clete are trying to be on vacation, but they get drawn into a gritty drama involving a powerful family and their associates, an escaped convict, a brutal prison guard, a sleazy televangelist, and some awful murders.

Well, I found something today that I've never encountered before. I checked out an audio book, and when I went to look for a paper copy to buy for my son for a present, as he'd expressed interest in the title, I found that the item was only available in audio form -- no paper copies, not even an e-book. Apparently it's part of an educational series of lectures put out by a history professor. I'm still counting it as a book. I see it is in LT, as there is a touchstone for it.

Take me Out to the Ballgame: A History of Baseball in America by Timothy Shutt, from the Modern Scholar audio book series.

>22 tymfos: Tim Shutt was a fellow faculty member at Kenyon College (to clarify: he still is on faculty there). He's a real character, I have to say, but the students all pretty much love him and I suspect that the lecture will be a lively one.

Happy new thread, Terri! I have my fingers crossed that spring is on its way for everyone out east still buried in winter.

Love the Sig toppers!

Hi Terri. I'm praying that you're right about spring because I can't take too much more winter. Sig is quite the crafty cat:-)

>23 scaifea: It is quite lively, Amber. He's very engaging. I've found it very interesting. Apparently Recorded Books has this whole Modern Scholar series available on a wide variety of subjects with various professors. There are even course guides on their website.

>24 lkernagh: Lori, today started out cold, but warmed up a bit. Seems it will keep getting a bit warmer in days ahead.

>25 brenzi: Sig is quite crafty, Bonnie.

I stayed up late, figuring it was high time I finished the book I was reading. I was about to go to bed when I heard the fire siren and wanted to listen to the scanner and see what was happening. There have been several tragedies lately to first responders in our region -- an EMS was struck by a truck and killed while assisting at an icy accident scene, and a firefighter was critically injured when a porch roof collapsed in a fire -- so my concern level for those at emergency scenes is at an all-time high.

Book #23 The Secret Place by Tana French
Dublin Murder Squad series book #5
This book was very well done, I must say, but it didn't engage me the way Broken Harbor, the previous volume in the series, did. It seemed to take me forever to get through it. I could only take a little of it at a time. Holly Mackey, detective Frank Mackey's daughter, visits young detective Stephen Moran with a postcard that was posted on a school bulletin board, relating to a year-old murder on the school grounds. The chapters alternated between Moran's account of investigating based on the postcard lead, and an account of what was going on at the school leading up to the murder the year before. I think the boarding school setting and the attitudes and behavior of the teenage girls just really got to me.

I'm not sure what I'll read next. An ER book arrived yesterday which looks promising, House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy. I'm intrigued by the fact that the first thing after the title page and copyright is a family tree diagram. . .

Terri, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Morning Terri! Happy Saturday. I am glad you enjoyed The Secret Place. I have that one saved on audio. I love this series and especially Broken Harbor.

Hi Terri, I was thinking of you this morning. Over on FB, in the Forgotten Chicago group, there has been a lively discussion of Chicago's Fine Arts Building complete with photos and memories of music lessons.

Anyway, if you recall, when we (you, your husband and son, and I) got together, we went to the Artist's restaurant in the Fine Arts Bldg and then to the used bookstore/sheet music store in the building. I wish I'd wandered around there more as that was the only time I'd ever been in the building.

Very nice new thread, Terri. I hope that it will bring in at least the beginnings of Spring for you. My younger son felt pretty good about upper New England/New York being in the 40's for a couple of days; he insists this is the beginning of the end of winter.

Love the Sig sequence, of course.

>28 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! I wish you the same!

>29 msf59: Hi, Mark! I absolutely adored Broken Harbor. That was one that I could hardly put down. This one wasn't that good, but was well done, though a bit weird.

>30 lindapanzo: That was a really neat afternoon, Linda!

>31 Matke: We were warmer today, and supposed to get warmer still over the coming days. Think Spring, Gail!

Sig is meowing piteously at me. I'm not sure what he wants.

Book #24 Bleed a River Deep by Brian McGilloway
Inspector Benjamin Devlin series #3

I didn't like this quite as much as the previous books in the series, but it was still pretty good. Devlin is dealing with security for a US senator visiting the area, and also stumbles into a case of immigrant smuggling and exploitation. This is a story that got better as it went along.

Hi Terri! I read the first Inspector Devlin mystery last year and felt pretty "meh" about it. Does the second book pick up a bit more action?

>34 LauraBrook: I loved the second book, but I wouldn't say there's a lot of action. If that's what you're looking for, probably not for you.

Book #25 Baseball in Altoona by David Finoli

This is a book for Central Pennsylvanians or those who are extremely interested in minor league baseball. There are lots of photos of baseball players and the various ballparks that have existed in Altoona, PA over the past 100+ years. There's a history of the various teams that have come and gone, as well as the modern-day Altoona Curve. It was published in 2008, so it's a tiny bit outdated. It's interesting to see how many "hot prospects" didn't make the majors; yet, at the time this was published, Andrew McCutchen was still a bit of a "question mark" as to whether he'd fulfill his potential. (He seems to have done just fine for the Pirates!)

Tomorrow I report for Jury Duty. I've been told there's a lot of sitting around while waiting to be called for a jury, so I decided I want to take a light paperback that's easy to carry which will occupy my mind but won't require too much concentration. A cozy seems suitable. I'm going with Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington. I'm about done my current audio, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, so I've downloaded Black Irish to listen to on the drive to and from the courthouse in the county seat.

Glory hallelujah, I think Spring is coming!

Monday was Jury Duty day. They only needed to choose a couple of juries; I wasn't picked and was out by noon. Having taken the day off, I took advantage of a very nice day to do some errands and shopping. I stopped in a local used bookstore, bought a couple items at the herbal store, bought a new pair of athletic shoes at the discount shoe outlet, etc.

Yesterday was rainy and foggy but in the 40's. Today it was sunny and in the 50's! Everyone was in a good mood. I even went for a walk after supper in my new shoes, which are cushioned and are kind of like walking in a pillow. Really nice. I have bad feet, and these are great.

Book #26 Take Me Out to the Ballgame: A History of Baseball in America (Modern Scholar Audio Book) by Timothy B. Shutt

This is only available in audio, as it is a set of lectures for a college class about baseball. You can even go online to the Recorded Books website and get a course handout and take the final exam. I found the lectures pretty interesting, and they gave me some fresh insights to think about regarding the sport.

Book #27 Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington
Novel Ideas Mystery series #1

Lila Wilkins loses her newspaper job, and goes to work for a literary agency. The first day, she winds up with a dead body in the office. The victim, regarded as a vagrant, is low priority for the police to investigate, so Lila decides to do some detective work. This started off slow and a bit annoying for me, but as it went along I got caught up in the story. It wasn't bad for a first in series.

Ooh, jury duty. I got called for that once. It was a whole lot of hours waiting around with a whole bunch of other people. I was never even asked any questions. They picked on some people who had to come up with excuses or accept the duty and the rest of us were just let go. It was an interesting experience just to know what happens and the people watching was interesting as well.

>38 tymfos: Would you share what kind of shoes they are? I think my Mom needs to think about athletic shoes, as she has some foot issues, and has an awful time finding shoes. She won't like the idea, but if I could get her into a pair that FELT good, she might change her mind. (She's a classy lady, and athletic shoes just don't fit her image of herself! I tell her ALL the classy ladies wear them these days, but it doesn't help much.)

I've never been called for jury duty. I've been quite surprised.

>42 thornton37814: Your turn will come.

Glad to hear your jury duties are all done. Good thing about bringing a book to pass the time. I imagine just sitting around doing nothing can be mind numbing..ha!
Sorry to hear about all the tragedies with emergency workers lately. They are a special group of people.

I have been called for Jury Duty three times and got out of twice (due to nursing and health issues). I have never been selected. My husband has been chosen both times he has been called. Just once, I would like to get back in to the court room. Lest I jinx myself, lets be clear that I only want a short (one week or less) trial. : )

You are on a book reading roll!!!

I've been called for jury duty twice and I've never been selected for a jury. One time I got as far as the jury box but I was excused by the lawyer for one side or the other. It was a lawsuit over a car accident. The grilling I received from the lawyers made me feel like I had done something wrong. Later I realized that I was probably excused because I live close to the accident site and I drive past it several times a week. I think they prefer to have jurors who aren't familiar with the accident site. The second time I got within two people of being called for the panel. It was a malpractice suit against a pediatric cardiologist for the death of a 4-year-old. I was relieved that I didn't have to serve on that one. I would have been the second person called for the next trial but the plaintiff didn't show up and they sent us all home.

Both times I've been summoned for jury duty it has been for Circuit Court. The way it operates in our county, jury duty for this court lasts two weeks. Everyone has to report on the first Monday for orientation. If you're not selected to serve on a panel that day, they give you a number to call after 5 p.m. to find out if you have to report the next day. Both times I served I only had to report on two days during the 2-week period. It's hard to make plans at work when you don't know until the night before whether or not you'll be at work the next day or at the courthouse.

I like hearing about people's experiences with jury duty. I've been a voter since 1979 but have never in my life been called for jury duty.

>40 Familyhistorian: Meg, I had expected the sitting around part, but was surprised by the long line I had to stand in to check in before the sitting started! I wasn't asked questions either, though all of us went through a juror orientation and were sworn in as jurors that we'd truthfully answer any questions asked of us. I was never even considered for a trial -- they drew juror numbers at random for the questioning, and mine never came up.

>41 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, the shoes are Asics Gel-Enhanced Ultra, as shown here:
http://www.famousfootwear.com/en-US/Product/39221-1020137/ASICS/Blue+Light_White...
Not only are they among the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn, I think they're pretty, too!

>42 thornton37814: Lori, I was sent jury questionaires years ago, but was excused as the primary caregiver of a (then) young child with a disability. I didn't even ask to be excused this time, as my son is older and doing well enough to easily arrange for me to do the kind of short-term service this type of jury (Court of Common Pleas) required.

I just typed "Court of Common Please" and had to correct it. I must say, all the officials at the courthouse were very courteous to us as jurors, and thanked us for our services multiple times, even those of us who just came for the selection process.

My husband has received more jury notices than I have, but neither one of us has ever made it onto a panel. I've been on the "B" list at least twice, and been told not to report when I called in the night before as instructed. Once I was excused as I was traveling back and forth to NYC with my Dad for his medical treatment. Once my boss pulled strings and said I couldn't be spared at that particular time from work (he knows the Court Administrator); he pre-empted me on that one, and I wasn't pleased. Once I made it to the courtroom, but there was only one case on the docket (it was criminal court) and the prosecutors decided they didn't have enough evidence to proceed (I think a witness stood them up), and dropped the charges, so we were all sent home. As I have worked in the legal profession in this city for nearly 40 years, it's highly unlikely anyone would want me on a jury, but you never know. A secretary from our office was picked for a jury in a medical malpractice case years ago; she was tied up for 3 weeks. The closest my husband came to serving was in an accident involving a motorized 3-wheel all-terrain vehicle. He had to fill out an extensive questionnaire, and when asked if he had any opinions about the safety of such vehicles he told the truth--he tipped one over himself once, and thinks they are highly unstable and dangerous (naturally, it wasn't HIS fault, you know!). Surprisingly, he found himself excused from that panel!

>43 Familyhistorian: LOL, Meg!

>44 jolerie: Valerie, the news regarding our emergency workers became even more tragic when the critically-injured firefighter died several days after the fire. He was only 18, and his fiance is expecting his child.

>45 Berly: Kim, it's funny, people I talk to either loved or hated jury duty. One woman I know was actually sent out-of-county for a murder trial (the defense there had asked for an out-of-county jury due to pre-trial publicity) and found it all thoroughly exciting.

>46 cbl_tn: Carrie, I think you may well be right about why you were excused from that jury. We received specific instructions that we were not to go and look at the scene of anything involved in a trial we were picked for.

>47 lindapanzo: Linda, it's funny how some people get called over and over, and some never seem to be called. I ran into a friend from church who was there for the second time in 18 months. The previous time, the case he'd been picked for was plea-bargained and he didn't have to report back for the trial.

>49 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I get the feeling that a lot of folks initially called never make it into a trial setting as juror. I like the story about the ATV case! One of the potential jurors at our session (criminal division court) had been a crime victim multiple times, and admitted that it would probably bias her. Another knew one of the victims. They were excused in the first wave of dismissals.

I think I would need to ask for a medical excuse if I got a summons now. I get weekly allergy shots and the allergy clinic has limited hours. I have to make sure I get my shots within a certain time frame. If I miss that window, the dosage has to be reduced the next time. I'd have a real problem with sequester if it was called for. I have enough food allergies that I would be hard to feed.

>50 tymfos: People I know who live in Cook County, where Chicago is located, get chosen for jury duty pretty regularly. In my suburban Chicago county, there are relatively few lawsuits, compared to the size of the county. Admittedly, it's a small sample size, but of family and friends who live in my county, I know of only person who was chosen for jury duty and she got excused after the first day.

>52 cbl_tn: The very first question asked of the entire panel by the judge was whether anyone had a medical condition that would prevent them from serving. Everyone who raised a legitimate medical issue of any kind was excused -- back trouble, nervous condition, stroke (with resulting difficulty concentrating), bladder issues, hearing loss.

>53 lindapanzo: Linda, that makes sense. Here, I don't think it's the county, as most of the folks I've talked to about jury duty live in this county.

Book #28 Black Irish by Stephan Talty
Book #1 in Absalom "Abbie" Kearney series
I don't think I ever read a mystery set in Buffalo before. Having spent some time there, that was part of my interest in this book. Abbie Kearney is the adopted daughter of a Buffalo detective, who has returned to serve as a detective in her hometown. A mutilated body is found in an abandoned church in Abbie's old Irish-American neighborhood of South Buffalo. There are secrets galore to be explored. Talty really did a great job bringing the atmosphere of Buffalo to the reader. I don't know the realities of South Buffalo well enough to know if the plot of this book is really feasible, though I know there are a lot of Irish folks there. It did make for suspenseful reading. I usually listen to my audio books when my hands and eyes are too occupied for regular reading, but I found myself sitting and listening to this book when my chores were done for the day.

I think it was Bonnie (brenzi) who brought this book to my attention, and I'm glad I took this "book bullet!"

Love everyone's stories of jury duty (or almost jury duty). I managed to be called 3 times before the age of 30, was excused by a lawyer once, served on a 4-day trial as an alternate once, and sat 'til lunchtime and there were no trials so everyone went home the third time. I had a fourth summons, but it was within the three years, so I was able to check that excuse off and not get it. I think the 3 years is up though!

>55 tymfos: Hmmmm... sounds interesting.

>56 bell7: HI, Mary! Glad you dropped by. The jury duty stories are interesting. Three times by age 30? They must have loved you!

I finished 2 books since I last posted:

Book #29 Dance Hall of the Dead by Tony Hillerman
Joe Leaphorn series book #2
A boy is murdered; his best friend goes missing and Joe Leaphorn is called in to hunt for him. Is he the killer, another victim, or just running because he's scared of what happened to his friend? I liked this a lot more than the first book in the series. A quick and interesting read, though I'm not sure I liked the ending.

Book #30 The Third Rail by Michael Harvey e-book
Michael Kelly series book #3
A sniper strikes on the L train platform, then again later targeting riders on a train. Somehow, he seems to have Michael Kelly especially in his sights, though he passes up a chance to kill him early when they're one-on-one. Or is it all one killer? This Chicago-based book really drew me in at the beginning. The back story includes an L train crash based on (but different from) the real L train crash/derailment that happened in 1977. (He talked about it in the Author's note, and included links to a news story about the 1977 crash, as well as to other stories related to his plot.) I liked this book a lot until near the end. He just added one too many layers to the conspiracy stuff. I found it hard to swallow.

Hi Terri, I've finally found time to drop into your thread. I wish you a lovely weekend.

>57 tymfos: Terri, you've given me the push to finish Dance Hall of the Dead. For some reason, I quit that one a couple weeks ago when I was about 1/2 way through. It just wasn't ringing. I liked the first one so I think I'll give this one another try.

Ah, I don't work today! I managed to get some extra hours at work last week to help make up for the time I missed due to jury duty. Helpful to the pocketbook and getting things done at work, but not a boon to free time and keeping my house in order. I "lost" my day off last week when I normally get things done at home (including a bit of reading). It's amazing how a re-scheduled few hours here and there can knock one's usual tasks out of kilter.

It's like a postcard outside today -- the kind of snow that I like. It looks lovely on the grass and trees and dusing the roofs of the houses -- but it's NOT sticking to the roads and sidewalks!

>58 Ameise1: Barbara, thank you for the good wishes and the lovely flowers! :)

>59 tututhefirst: Tina, I found the style very different from the first one, but I actually liked it better. The focus was more with Joe Leaphorn, and I got a better sense of him.

When it comes to LT, I'm feeling a bit like the old song, "Don't get around much anymore." Part of it is the schedule thing noted above; part of it is doing extra computer work at the library for a project we're doing and not wanting more computer time at home; part of it is being on the edge of a reading funk. I seem to be reading in fits and starts this year. Binge reading? I've read a lot of books, but they get done in bunches. Right now, I'm not enthralled with my bunch of books.

Current reads in a nutshell:

House of Echoes, an ER book by Brendan Duffy. This should be right up my alley. So far: 1. It's set in the Adirondacks, an all-time favorite area for me. 2. It's got a family tree for the fictional family in the front of the book. 3. It's got a spooky old house with a history, a "watcher in the woods," and rumors of evil doings. So why am I nibbling at it like it's a chore I must complete? At this point, I'm seeing the characters as caricatures, stereotypes. There's the couple that lost everything in the economic downturn. There's the bullied schoolchild. There's the wife who's had a nervous breakdown, and the husband who is walking on eggshells to deal with her. There's the alcoholic mother. There are the insular villagers. There's the kindly priest (at least kindly so far; who knows, he may turn out to be an ax murderer). There's a lovable dog who manages to get into mischief. I don't know, it's just not clicking for me yet. I'm not quite a quarter of the way in, so there's still hope.

A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie (AUDIO) I know Crombie is supposed to be good, but I'm not getting particularly drawn into this whodunit, either.

Blood of the Prodigal by P.L. Gaus e-book: I've heard great things about this Amish mystery series from folks who are usually pretty picky in their reading, and who I wouldn't expect to find the subject matter to their taste. It's just not making me want to pick up the e-book and read.

Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Annje Lamott. This is probably the most appealing to me of the lot, but it's one to be read and savored in small segments, I think. I like that she's mellowed a bit, and even can poke some fun at her earlier, more politically strident rants. Not that she's changed her political views, but she doesn't seem to feel the need to blast her readers with them -- which I often found unhelpful even in those cases where I'm in agreement with her views.

>60 tymfos: Pretty sure you should still get paid for the day(s) you were on jury duty (I do, but I don't know if that's an employer policy or the law). It doesn't help get your work done of course, but for what it's worth ;)

Sorry to hear about your reading funk, Terri. Maybe you should try something short and completely different from the books you usually like, your usual favourites will be waiting for you when you feel in the mood to read them.

>61 tymfos: Re A Share in Death - I love the series as a whole, but book #1 not so much. I don't think you'd miss anything essential if you stop where you are and proceed to book #2.

Hi Teri, I think the Deborah Crombie series is an acquired taste. I wasn't too taken with the first couple that I read but they do get better and now (after 4 books) I am eager for my next Crombie as I am as interested in their relationship as I am in whatever the current mystery will turn out to be.

What a strange day! Finally spring seems to have arrived for a few hours -- around 70 degrees! -- but now the cold front is coming in, rain has arrived with gusty winds and the temperature is dropping. It's supposed to turn to snow tonight. Ugh!

Such horrible news to contemplate about the German plane crash, and that the co-pilot would have done that deliberately. Tornadoes in Oklahoma. Now a bad fire and building collapse in NYC.

Closer to home, a much more mundane issue -- my bowling leage is ending because the bowling center is going out of business. It's silly how sad that makes me. It's been a regular part of my weekly routine for years, and I will miss it.

A book arrived in the mail yesterday, authored by a friend. I'm anxious to get to reading it!

>62 bell7: Mary, we get a small stipend from the court and mileage for the days we report, I understand (though I haven't received it yet). In Pennsylvania, employers don't have to pay employees for the days they miss at work while on jury duty (though some do).

>63 Familyhistorian: Meg, those are good suggestions. I may try them if the funk doesn't lift.

>64 cbl_tn: Carrie, I'm almost done with A Share in Death now, and I've gotten interested enough that I want to know how it ends!

>65 DeltaQueen50: It's good to know that the series picks up as it goes on, Judy.

I just realized I haven't cataloged several books that I've gotten over the past few months. I thought that a while back they had changed the "date aquired" field in the book records so you could put just the year or the month and year if you didn't know a specific date. Now, if you just indicate the year and month, it sets it to the first of that month as the date.

Hi, Terri! Just checking in. I also liked Black Irish and also enjoyed it on audio. I am not sure if I will continue the series. I've been gun-shy lately, about following through on a crime series, unless it really blows me away.

Hope your next batch of books, give you better results.

I have fond childhood - and teenage - memories of bowling at the local bowling alley. Sadly, I think I only managed to go bowling at the bowling alley in Victoria once before it closed down, and it was closed sometime way back in the 1990's. I also remember rollerskating rinks but I don't feel any loss that those do not seem to exist where I live anymore. ;-)

>66 tymfos: Oh, yeah, I hadn't even thought of that being a state law thing. In Massachusetts, we get a $50 stipend from the court starting on the 4th day, no mileage reimbursement, but the town I work for pays me for the work hours missed.

And terrible news about the plane crash - I saw a news article about that this morning and it's just unfathomable to me that someone could do that.

>66 tymfos: "Closer to home, a much more mundane issue -- my bowling leage is ending because the bowling center is going out of business. It's silly how sad that makes me. It's been a regular part of my weekly routine for years, and I will miss it."

Oh, no! That has happened to me twice in the last 20 years, but fortunately there was another house near enough for our league to move to each time. Bowling is still fairly popular in this area, so I'm hoping I can keep it up as long as I want to. We have some women in our league who can barely walk, but wouldn't dream of missing that Tuesday night out--and their aim is still good!

>68 msf59: Hi, Mark! I hear you about not continuing series unless they wow you. I struggle about that -- I know so many series don't start off with their best stuff, so I tend to think things may be more promising than perhaps they are. Perhaps that's why I'm so buried in series!

>69 lkernagh: Lori, bowling is definitely in decline. So is roller skating, but I never tried that -- knew I'd be lousy at it!

>70 bell7: I think government employees in PA do get paid their wage when on jury duty. But our library isn't considered a government employer -- we get a state subsidy, but are a non-profit controlled by a board of trustees.

>71 laytonwoman3rd: I know at least one of the leagues is trying to arrange a move to another bowling center. The home locations of our league members don't seem to work well for that, as it would make an already long drive for some of us even longer; so we've going our separate ways. I'm weighing my options as far as finding another league. One center is actually closer to home than where I've been bowling, but another is close to the community college my son will be attending -- and since he doesn't drive, I suspect I'll be traveling out that way on a regular basis, anyway.

Speaking of series (and I was in the post to Mark above) I'm going to give the Inspector Montalbano series another try. I wasn't wowed by the first one, but so many folks here seem to love him . . . and he's available on audio via Overdrive.

I finished a book! Yes, it was the audio, the Crombie. It turned out to be a decent read.

Book #31 A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie
#1 in Duncan Kincade/Gemma James series
Murder happens at a time-share where Scotland Yard Superintendent Duncan Kincade is vacationing. He faces hostility from the local police when he tries to help the investigation.

The book kind of grew on me. I think I'll like it better when there's a case where Gemma James is on scene from the start. Funny Crombie didn't start the series on their home patch.

Hi Terri--You sound really busy, but you are still getting some great books. I am sorry your bowling alley is shutting down. Sadness. I hope you find a new bowling home.

Hi Terri, I love the Duncan Kincade/Gemma James series. That reminds me to read soon another book of it.
I wish you a wonderful weekend.

>74 Berly: Hi, Kim! Thanks for the kind words. I wish you a great weekend!

>75 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara! Glad to hear you love that series -- I do think I'll continue it. A great weekend to you, too!

I've started my annual April Autism Awareness thread:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/189589#

I'm a huge fun of Duncan & Gemma!

>78 thornton37814: Lori, I think I'll be reading more of them!

Book #33 House of Echoes by Brandan Duffy

A family leaves the city to start a new life on a rambling estate in the Adirondack Mountains. They hope to restore the mansion and turn it into a bed and breakfast, but trouble begins to brew. The son is the first to sense something out of the ordinary, someone watching in the woods. The wife, who has struggled with mental illness, is having difficulty coping. And the husband abandons the book he is writing to start a new one, based on the history of the property, which soon becomes his obsession.

I'm struggling with a review for this ER book. Lots of folks seemed to love it, but as for me, not so much. My initial impulse is to write "characters who are caricatures wrapped in a plot that is a cliche." That doesn't really do the book justice. The author did a good job of setting the scene and creating atmosphere. But I could sense where it was headed -- it was, at it's core, much too similar to a horror classic that I read not that long ago, though Duffy put his own spin on the situation. I didn't like the characters, and they seem a bit like stereotypes, though that lessened toward the end. I've given it three stars for the moment, and not yet posted the formal review.

Hi Terri, I wish you Happy Easter.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter weekend, Terri!

Happy Easter Terri!

>80 tymfos: Terri, I can see why you're struggling. I often have difficulty reading books that are "look-alikes"...I find myself saying "Did I read this before?" Those are the ones I have to set aside and read two or three books that are totally different genres, settings, etc and then go back. It's actually one of the reasons I'm more and more giving up writing reviews on my blogs and not taking publisher ARCs because I don't feel I can do them justice. Not fair to writers, but my brain is getting fried and I think it's too much reading.

Thank you, Barbara, Valerie, and Kim! I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend.

>84 tututhefirst: Thanks for the understanding, Tina. This one wasn't so derivative that I felt I'd read it before, but it just felt like it had taken too many bits that felt familiar and woven them into something that aimed toward the type of -- what? Solution? Explanation? Crisis? -- that had too many echoes of a particular horror classic that I read (and eventually disliked) last fall. It wasn't a carbon copy, but the same type of idea dressed up differently. I guess, when you think of it, most books are that way. There are only so many kinds of things one can write about, just put together in different ways.

I just didn't much like the book. I think that's it, for the most part.

Life has been a bit overwhelming in recent days, and things don't seem to be getting any calmer in the days ahead. Yesterday was one day that wasn't scheduled to death, and the weather was too nice to be pecking away at a computer or even reading. I washed windows, started cleaning the front porch, and went for a much-needed walk in the sunshine.

I'm almost done Blood of the Prodigal, which turned out to be pretty good, with just a few quibbles. I'm reading a Susan Hill and listening to a James Lee Burke.

I hear you with life being overwhelming. I am feeling that a lot myself and have taken a few walks in the sunshine for a remedy. I hope things become a bit more manageable soon.

>87 Familyhistorian: I think many of us go through life a bit overwhelmed a lot of the time. It seems to be the nature of things.

My reading has slowed down a bit, but I finished my e-book

Book #34 Blood of the Prodigal by P.L. Gaus
#1 in the Ohio Amish Mystery Series

This was an unusual mystery, set in Ohio Amish country. An Amish bishop takes the unusual step of reaching out to an "English" (non-Amish) pastor and a professor for help when his grandson (of whom he has custody) is taken from his farm by the boy's father -- the bishop's son who is under the ban (shunned). They agree to handle the matter discretely, but the case soon takes a turn which brings the local sheriff into the matter.

This developed into a pretty good mystery. I liked the characters, and the author was informative about the Amish, and looked at their culture in a balanced way. I may read more of these books.

I missed posting a book

Book #32 The Terracotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri
#2 in the Inspector Montalbano series

OK, I'm starting to like Montalbano. There are still times when he's a little too vulgar for my taste, but I like him better on this outing than the last. This book was a mish-mash of semi-related cases that the inspector waltzes through with elan. An over-the-hill mobster wants to be arrested. A truck full of groceries is stolen, then re-appears. Hidden guns are found. There are murders. And, as per the title, a long-dead couple are found sealed up in a cave, guarded by a terracotta dog. Somehow Montalbano makes sense of it all.

My internet service is not working well tonight, so I'm going to give up without visiting threads.

>88 tymfos: Glad you enjoyed the Gaus mysteries. They seem to be better written than many of the fiction books focusing on the Amish.

>89 tymfos: It took me a couple of books to warm up to Montalbano, but I am a fan. I agree with you, however, that he can be too vulgar.

Hi Terri, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Good grief... a whole thread has passed e by. I am skimming, but will need to make a return visit. Love Sig pics!

>88 tymfos: Terri - I too enjoyed the Gaus book, and have read the next in the series and another one The Name of our tears that is further along in the series. In fact, you jogged my brain that I want to fill in the gaps and catch with this series. I too found the characters interesting, and was fascinated by learning about a value system I wasn't too acquainted with. And as you said, the mysteries aren't too bad either.

>91 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! they both seem like worthwhile series to continue!

>92 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! I hope your weekend was great!

>93 mckait: Kath, I've missed whole threads, and done much skimming when I get the chance to do any LT at all. You haven't missed much here; probably the most exciting thing was jury duty. (not!) Maybe a few books.

>94 tututhefirst: Tina, we have a lot of Amish folks living in our area; many of them frequent our library. I've always been interested in their culture, even before I lived here. Why? A book, of course -- Virginia Sorenson's Plain Girl, read back when I was in second or third grade, I guess.

Friday I realized that I had two ILL books that were due back at the library Monday (today) that I hadn't even started. Thus, I had a bit of a readathon. Fortunately 1) they were both relatively short and 2) We had a college open house to attend Saturday, and my husband drove. I'm so glad I no longer get carsick when I read in the car! That gave me a good stretch of reading.

Today was a lovely day, very warm, really almost hot -- 70's, even a stray 80 on the bank thermometer. I had to work all day, but at least had a nice walk to and from work.

I got my ILL's back to our library on time, all read. One was excellent, the other rather interesting and provided some material for my Sunday sermon.

Book #35 Be Different: Adventures of a free-range Aspergian by John Elder Robison

I loved this book! I'm going to buy a copy for my son, so he has time to read it. It offers lots of good insights and advice for those on the "high-functioning" end of the Autism Spectrum. Robison wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome until he was 40, and the diagnosis explained a lot to him about his struggles as a youth. He managed to compensate successfully (and then some) for his autistic traits, building a successful career in music electronics and special effects (working with KISS and Pink Floyd, among others) and now operating a high-end auto repair business. (Got a vintage Rolls Royce that needs a tune-up?) Robison is an exceptionally intelligent man, but many of the insights he offers will be helpful to a lot of people on the autism spectrum.

Book #36 Fanny Crosby -- the Hymn Writer by Bernard Ruffin.

A patron ordered this book through ILL and returned it early. I've always loved some of Fanny Crosby's hymns, and I was interested in learning a bit about her, so I arranged to read the book, too. She was a pretty remarkable woman, especially for her time (born 1820). She lost her sight as a very young child, but was educated, worked as a teacher, and eventually wrote thousands of poems and hymns. I found her a bit of a study in contradictions. Much of her life was devoted to church work, yet late in life she largely stopped attending church, saying she could worship God fine at home. Also, late in life (she lived to be almost 95) she decried the feminist movement, yet she had a thriving career, kept her maiden name except for signing legal documents, and lived apart from her husband for many years later in their lives. She lived in poverty most of her life, but in her later years it was by choice, as she asked little compensation for her labors and gave much of what she got to charity. She was deeply devoted to helping poor and disadvantaged people.

The book was fairly thorough, but lacked any footnotes or bibliography, so I'm not sure how much I can trust its accuracy. As part of a Heroes of the Faith series, it's a bit over-enthusiastic in extolling Crosby's virtues.

>95 tymfos: we have a lot of Amish folks living in our area; many of them frequent our library. Different clientele from the library that I frequent. My usual library is the downtown Vancouver library and many homeless people frequent it.

e-book short The Hangman by Louise Penny

I'm not counting this Thee Pines short story, but I enjoyed it. I do think Gamache makes a few too many assumptions in the end but (of course, since he's the hero) he's correct.

>97 Familyhistorian: Interesting how different city vs. town and country libraries can be!

HMMMM......I haven't read this Penny-lette... will have to go find it. How can Gamache not be enjoyable.

Book #37 The Glass Rainbow by James Lee Burke AUDIO
Dave Robicheaux series #18

Dave is dealing with a lot of stuff. There are a couple of dead teenage girls who appear to have been tortured; a sleazy pimp; a rich young writer who is dating Dave's daughter Alafair, and that writer's ex-con buddy, who seems to be up to something untoward. There's a deputy from a neighboring parrish who becomes suspect, a prison guard who may have deliberately done away with a witness . . . and more. Before Dave's done with this mess, he's into "black helicopter" kinds of stuff, and seeing things that aren't there. (or are they?)

Sometimes I wonder why I keep on with this series. There is so much violence and unhappiness, so much class warfare, exploitation, profanity, you name it. The protagonist Dave and his best buddy Clete are very flawed and too often out of control (especially Clete). Yet I keep coming back. Part of it is the Louisiana setting, and most of it is Burke's amazing skill as a writer, which brings that setting vividly to life as his gritty tales unfold.

The rain had slackened, and the light on the bayou was a dense green, the wake from a passing tugboat swelling over the banks into the roots of the cypress and oak trees. Our windows were open, and the air was cool and fresh, and I could smell the heavy fecund odor of the bayou, and the wet trees, and the soaked ground . . .

And I love those surprising moments of introspection, philosphy, even a bit of theology that Burke works into the consciousness of his main character.

The peculiarity of entering one's eighth decade is that questions regarding theology do not sharpen but instead become less significant. Better said, need for proof of the supernatural beomes less imperative. At a certain point, perhaps we realize that we have been surrounded by the connections between the material and the unseen world all our lives, but for various reasons, we chose not to see them.

Dave sees portents (real or imagined?) of death and disaster to come. There is real suspense in these books, because Burke has already demonstrated his willingness to kill off key characters in his stories. Dave's and those close to him (especially his wife and daughter) are once again in peril, and I will not give a spoiler to say how it all turns out.

Hi Terri, I wish you a relaxed weekend.

Hi Terr--Hope life is calming down a bit for you. Wow! You have been packing in the reads. I haven't been sucked into either Montalban or Three Pines...yet. I am trying to get my Longmire mystery read this weekend. If I ever get caught up on LT that is....! Happy Saturday.

>100 tymfos: "Sometimes I wonder why I keep on with this series. There is so much violence and unhappiness, so much class warfare, exploitation, profanity, you name it. The protagonist Dave and his best buddy Clete are very flawed and too often out of control (especially Clete). Yet I keep coming back. Part of it is the Louisiana setting, and most of it is Burke's amazing skill as a writer, which brings that setting vividly to life as his gritty tales unfold. " I myself have had to say "enough" to Dave and Clete's adventures. I wish I had stopped before reading Tin Roof Blowdown, but I didn't. Like you, I hated to leave an author who I once considered among my favorites. But I just can't believe in these guys anymore; Dave has gone through too many women, he hasn't mellowed or achieved any personal peace, and the books are devoid of even the blackest of humor. I think Hurricane Katrina did a lot of damage to Burke and Robicheaux.

>96 tymfos: I just weeded my copy of that book on Fanny Crosby. I don't remember if our library already had a copy or not. It went into the collection or into the booksale stuff.

I am so impressed with all the books you read so far this year. I've been recovering from some serious surgeries and sine February haven't had the time or energy to be on LT. I miss not visiting your thread and that of others.

Happy Spring!

>99 tututhefirst: Tina, I remember posting a reply to your post. . . and it has disappeared. I think, as I recall, the Penny short story was initially a strictly Canadian release, but it has migrated and made its way into our Overdrive system.

>101 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Wishing you a great week!

>102 Berly: Kim, life continues at a rather hectic pace, but at least things seem to be moving in a positive direction. I did manage to attend two days of a three-day retreat at our church camp this past weekend. Saturday was a beautiful, warm (almost hot) day, and a group of us did a three-mile hike in the woods, along creeks, up and down rock formations . . . good exercise!

>103 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I'm not ready to say "enough" yet to the series. I still find things that move me in the books. The quotes I included in my comments above in >100 tymfos: weren't the best in the book, by far. (It's HARD to pull quotes out of an audio book -- hard to locate them, and hard to transcribe them, like taking dictation!) I checked the hard-copy out of the library Monday before I left work, just so I could find better ones.

>104 thornton37814: It's not a book I'd want to own, Lori, but it was interesting to borrow and read.

>105 Whisper1: Happy Spring to you, Linda! I've been praying for you through the surgery and recovery, though I've only made a few trips to your thread. I'm not getting around LT much anymore either, though in my case it's not due to health.

>106 tymfos: I think I'd read that the Penny short story was written for new adult readers.

It's a wonder I'm reading anything these days, what with the NHL playoffs and the start of the baseball season.

Book #38 The Betrayal of Trust by Susan Hill
Simon Serrailler series book #6
The books in this series are very complex, and tackle difficult isssues. This one was full of end-of-life issues. It wasn't just the end of the lives of the two teenage girls whose bodies are found years after their disappearances, re-opening one cold case of a missing girl, and creating a mystery as to who the other victim might be. It's also the hospice that's struggling to stay open; the Alzheimer's care home opening up nearby; Lenny's struggle as her partner Olive is turned into a stranger by Alzheimer's Disease; Jocelyn, who plans to take her own end-of-life into her own hands, rather than wait for a degenrative nerve disease to leave her helpless. Oh, and Simon's in love! But the woman is married and her husband is suffering with Parkinson's Disease. And the death of Simon's sister arises again in the memory of those who loved her.

If this all sounds depressing, well it sort of is, but it's also fascinating and stunningly well done. The ending was odd, not a neat package but somehow satisfying nonetheless.

One odd thing: the descriptive blurb on the inside flap of the dust jacket was not accurate at all. It had the name of the murder victim incorrect, and it also said her mother had committed suicide. While suicide was an issue in the story, there was no suggestion in the book that the victim's mother had killed herself.

BTW, by some fluke I found myself reading two British mysteries at the same time that deal with assisted suicide -- my audio is Deborah Crombie's All Shall Be Well, which deals with a possible suicide by someone with cancer. I find this kind of odd, as it's not a topic I'm very comfortable with.

I just picked up The Betrayal of Trust and A Question of Identity at a second hand book shop, but first I need to read No. 5 in the series, and I put it on hold at the library. I enjoy this series, which doesn't always follow the "rules".

Hi Terri, I wish you a wonderful weekend.

Today Sig decided to try a high-wire act on a curtain rod. Sig landed on his feet, but the curtain rod did not survive. :(

>109 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda! I love that series. I have A Question of Identity sitting on the shelf, and our library has the newest one.

>110 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Lovely flowers!

A crazy week done, and another hectic week on tap. I finished another audio book. I've been doing 3 to 4 books on audio each month, a significant portion of my "reading." Next up on audio is The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb. It's been ages since I've read her, and she was a favorite of mine for quite a while.

I'm really annoyed, though, that the "sample" of the audio book offered by the library before checkout was the reading of the copyright notice and dust jacket blurbs. Hardly a "sample."

Book #39 All Shall Be Well by Deborah Crombie AUDIO
Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James series #2

Now I've done the first two books in this series on audio. I liked this one much better than the first. Again, rather than a case Duncan was called in on at work, it is one that arose out of the circumstances of his life. A neighbor is found dead. She had cancer, but did it kill her? The possibilities of suicide and murder both are present and Duncan and Gemma must investigate. I got much more of a sense of Duncan and Gemma as people, and much more of Gemma's back story. I'll definitely keep on with this series!

>112 tymfos: I loved that one, too.

Hi Terri, Sig can get a job in a circus any time!

I was starting to wonder when we would be entertained with another 'Sig' activity. Poor curtain rod by YAY Sig!

Sig on a curtain rod - now that I would like to see.

Hi Barbara, Connie, Lori, and Meg!

Sig does like to be up high! We try to provide safe and secure perches for him, but the curtain rod was not one of them.

One night when he was a kitten, he managed to get stuck up on top of a door with no safe way down. I still can't figure out how he managed to get to that particular spot. Frantic mewing ensued until hubby rescued him.

Book #40 Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lamottt

This is a collection of essays, some new, some reprints. They're all good. I'm glad she's gotten less strident on the political rants. There's still a bit of it in this collection, but not too much.

At one point in one of the new essays she even pokes a bit of gentle fun at her earlier tirades:

(the mother of her son's classmate) asked me if I had an extra copy of the book I had written about being a mother. It is black-humored and quite slanted. Geroge H.W. Bush was president when Sam was born, and perhaps I was a little angry. I had these tiny opinions. I wrote an anti-George Herber Walker Bush baby book.

So when she asked for a copy, I tried to stall. I tried to interest her in my anti-Reagan writing book. But she insisted.

(Later) She was the one who seemed to have already forgiven me for writing a book in which I trashed her political beliefs . .

This mellowing is good, because even when I agreed with her (and I often did), the rants got in the way of the good energy I could otherwise glean from her writings.

Book #41 Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo

Harry Hole series book #2

This time, Harry is sent from Norway to Thailand to investigate the death of an ambassador. This plot is complex and has surprises even when you think there's nothing left to surprise you. I didn't have time to finish this today, but I did anyway. When seemingly settled things started to get turned upside-down, I just had to see how it ended!

>118 tymfos: Hello! Now that some energy is returning, I'm slowly visiting threads. I stopped by in the hope there would be some Sig photos, and I'm ever so happy to see your opening! What a cat!

Maybe I will return to Anne Lamott. I grew very weary of her peppered pages of political diatribe. I very much like her writing, except for the fact that I deeply resent purchasing a book and then tricked into reading her strong opinions. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, I simply don't want to pay, or spend time hearing hers.

>120 Whisper1: Linda, I most strongly recommend Lamott's Help, Thanks, Wow: the Three Essential Prayers. It's short but profound.

Great to see you here! You've been in my thoughts and prayers.

Thanks Terri. I appreciate your prayers. I've added the Lamott book to the tbr pile.

Happy Sunday.

>122 Whisper1: Best wishes to you, Linda dear!

Lately our internet connection has been totally unreliable; we never know from moment to moment whether we'll be able to connect/stay connected, so I've been mostly staying off the computer to avoid frustration. Coming off a call to automated tech support this afternoon, it seems to be working for the moment. I'm kind of skeptical if it will keep working, but so far so good.

The weather is lovely today, sunny and hot with a nice breeze.

This book reminds me of a family outing, and part of my family's story. When I was young -- not sure how young, maybe elementary school or junior high? -- my family took a trip to a real estate open house at a farm along a river. We were going to see a farm where my dad lived as a child during the Great Depression. He had no intention of buying it -- he idly batted around the idea, but really intended only a trip down memory lane. We went through the farmhouse and looked around.

Then, as we stood in the yard, he recalled the day the sheriff came to evict them due to the bank foreclosure. The story included a vivid recollection of Grandpop on the front porch with his rifle!

He obviously didn't shoot anyone because the family history doesn't include a lengthy jail stint for old Grandpop. The family's future might have been a lot different if he had. Land can do funny things to people, make them do things they can live to regret.

Book #42 The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb

Land! Mountain land, farm land, hardscrabble living land. The old man is dying, and the sons -- a car salesman, a soldier, a naturalist, and a country singer -- can't agree on what to do with the land. The neighboring farm is in foreclosure because the owners can't pay the taxes. And into the midst of it all, Nora Bonesteel brings a mysterious rosewood box to be buried with the old man.

Is the Rosewood Casket the coffin the dying man requested the boys to craft from old planks in the barn? Or is it Nora's box? Or both?

The decline of the American family farm is front and center in this well-written and thought-provoking novel.

Sig is loving the spring weather. When we have the back door open (with the screen door locked), Sig loves to stand up on his back legs, with his front paws resting on the door closer, looking out at the world -- the birds, the bunnies, and the chipmunk that lives in our back porch. My, Sig gets excited over that chipmunk!

Great photo, Terri. Isn't he aloud to go outside?

>125 tymfos: Molly has her pet chipmunk too!

>125 tymfos: Terri your picture of Sig is so cute. Our cat too will stand or sit by the door all day. Deer, wild turkeys and squirrels don't bother him, but doves and chipmunks drive his crazy. There's no screen open so it can't be a scent thing, but I''d love to know why those two particular species bother him so much. But then of course, he's a cat!

>125 tymfos: How I love photos of the adventures of Sig!

I finished Help, Thanks, Wow. Thanks for recommending this. I really enjoyed it.

>126 Ameise1: Thanks, Barb! I've (grudgingly) taken advice of the cat experts who say that cats live longer, healthier lives if they are kept indoors.

Of course, I can't help thinking that our kids might live longer, healthier lives if we kept them in the house 24/7, too, but that would be considered cruel because a certain amount of freedom is important. On days like today, I can't help feeling that cats should have a little freedom, too, but what do I know?

The reality is that on those rare occasions when Sig has managed to get out of the house, he hasn't gone far. One day he shot out the door when my hubby opened it. Hubby wandered the neighborhood looking for him; when he returned to the house, Sig jumped out of the bushes at him, right by the front door!

>127 laytonwoman3rd: Great photo, Linda! Molly's chipmunk looks a lot like Sig's chipmunk! ;-)

>128 tututhefirst: But then of course, he's a cat!
I find I have to accept that as the explanation for much of Sig's behavior!

>129 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! I'm glad you enjoyed Help, Thanks, Wow.

BTW, the internet has been fine since my automated chat with the internet provider. Maybe whatever they did from their end (if they did something -- all they said they did was test the connection) relly helped?

Terri, that's new to me. We have/had always cats who were/are aloud to go outside. They always went to the age of 17 to 19 years and were/are very healthy.

>131 Ameise1: The indoor cat thing is fairly new here in the US, I think, and still hasn't caught on much in our area where barn cats are plentiful. I can see where there is much less chance of being hit by traffic, attacked by other animals, or exposed to diseases and such.

I am so pleased that our internet seems much better now! It makes me feel like using the computer again!

I think the indoor/outdoor issue with cat owners is unlikely to be resolved soon. Molly is strictly an indoor cat. We live in an area where there isn't a lot of traffic, but there are owls, hawks, the odd fox or bear traveling through, and, of course fleas and ticks. We have an occasional visit from one or two other cats who clearly belong to someone; Molly goes quite insane if she spots one on the road, let alone if one gets bold enough to come onto the patio or into the yard. In my experience, the cats I have known who were kept indoors were more companionable and affectionate with their humans than those who had that "wild" outdoor time. Molly shows no interest whatsoever in getting out, just in looking out, which she can do from many vantage points.

>124 tymfos: I meant to comment on the Sharyn McCrumb--I've read that one and The Ballad of Tom Dooley from her ballads series. I liked Tom Dooley better, but the character of Nora Bonesteel is a good creation, and I believe she appears in some of the others as well. I have two more of them in my tbr boxes.

Oh, that Sig! Adrian has his own favorite spot on the back of the sofa where he stares out the window for ages. He is fond of the outdoor cats across the road. Most of them run when they see Adrian coming, but the ginger one will come and rub against him.

Good to hear that your internet service has improved! I loathe dealing with their customer service.. It sounds like your experience was relatively painless.

I'm glad that the second Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James book worked better for you. I usually tell people to skip the first book in the series. It really isn't representative of the rest of the series.

I've always had indoor/outdoor cats until my current one. Three year old Boomer desperately wants to go outside, especially when the dogs are in the yard and she cries in the window. She attempts to dash out the door with us and we can't leave the slider open or she'll open the screen door with her claws. I feel bad for her but she's so much safer.

Just last night we were all awakened by a coyote in the neighbor's yard. Boomer spent the rest of the night sitting high on top of the armoire, rather wide-eyed. I won't even let the dogs out back at night without stepping out with them.

Boomer will just have to be happy with sitting on the window sills and enjoying the view!

Hi Terri, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Love the pics of Sig and Molly!

Our cats were indoor/outdoor cats but they were usually outdoors only when we were, either while weeding the garden or just sunning in the back yard. My folks have a pretty big back yard so the cats were content to stay in the yard. They were also pretty good about coming - or at least poking their head up from under a bush - when called. The older cat loved to lie in the grass in the shade under my hammock while I was reading. ;-)

Belatedly catching up, Terri!
Great news that your internet seems to be more stable now?

Haha..that picture of Sig is so endearing. My kinds are the same way. All you see if you were walking by are their bobbing heads as they find anything to stand on to see out the window or the screen door. :)

Great picture of Sig. Our cats have always been indoor/outdoor cats but I must admit that I lost a lot of young male cats that way. Females tend to stay closer to home. Our last female cat lived to 18 but since we have had Sally we have moved closer to the river park and the coyotes. Sally is only outside for very short periods of time which seems to have worked because I just found out she is 17.

Hi Terri, I love seeing the pictures of Sig and Molly watching the great outdoors. Since I have no pets my yard seems to be equally shared by all the neighbourhood cats. I have one Siamese that comes regularly to call, she's very friendly and is most curious to get inside my house. If I am outside she comes and spends time with me whereas most of the other cats who visit don't seem to want any attention from me.

Sorry, I've been neglecting my thread. So nice to have so many nice visitors in my absence! I think it says something about my life that my last two completed books were almost 10 days apart, and both were audio books. I'm not getting much reading time.

Today I worked a shift at the library, and am going back for an hour a bit later, to fill in for a co-worker who needs to leave early. The weather is nice, though it started out quite chilly. We had a frost warning overnight, but my lilacs were fine this morning.

>134 laytonwoman3rd: We have our wildlife, too, Linda. If Sig went out and strayed too far, he could encounter bears. More likely, he'd tangle with some neighborhood dogs. There's a calico cat next door who spends time outdoors, and sometimes visits under Sig's favorite window. I think he likes her.

>135 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I love the character of Nora. As I recall, she's in all the Ballad novels by McCrumb.

>136 cbl_tn: Carrie, Sig's usual hangout is a padded bench by the window in the den. He can look out on the side yard and back porch from there. He doesn't get that much time in that screen door spot, as I don't have the solid door open that often.

>137 Copperskye: Joanne, I think coyotes are a great reason to keep a cat indoors!

>138 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! I hope your weekend (and week) was super!

>139 lkernagh: Hi, Lori! Sounds like your cats were pretty well-behaved.

>140 jolerie: Hi, Valerie! Cats do like to look out windows. As for our internet, it was fine for a while, painfully slow last evening, and went down for a while again today.

>141 Familyhistorian: Meg, I do suspect Sig would be one to get in trouble if I let him out.

>142 DeltaQueen50: Judy, it sounds like you have interesting cats around, even though none of them are yours! Do you think they all belong to people in the area, or are some of them feral? I'd bet that the Siamese cat at least had a home at one time, given her level of friendliness toward you and interest in the house.

Book #43 A Superior Death by Nevada Barr AUDIO

Book #2 in Anna Pigeon series

This was OK -- not a favorite. I like how she captured the region, and her use of the old shipwreck (a real one) as part of the setting for the story. That provided some creepy atmosphere. But part of how the overall solution hung together required a coincidence that was just not to be believed. Also, I was chilled by how a pedophile employee was handled by the Park Service in this book, circa 1994. Did they really do that "don't say anything and send him somewhere else" routine, too? I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

>143 tymfos: Terri, all the cats that visit my yard are local ones with homes on the street. The Siamese belongs to our neighbours across the street. Her family is away from home most days and I think she visits me cause she's lonely.

Hi Terri! Just passing and waving.

>144 tymfos: Terri, I think I liked that one better than you did. I do think it was the setting though that made me like it so much. I've wanted to go visit Isle Royale National Park ever since then. I haven't made it yet, but it's on my "bucket list." I remember being bothered by the pedophile too, but I read the book a long time ago. I really remember the setting more than the plot of that one.

Hi Terri, I wish you a wonderful weekend.

>145 DeltaQueen50: Glad your neighborhood cats all have homes. I bet you're right about the Siamese cat being lonely while its people are out for the day!

>146 connie53: Hi, Connie!

>147 thornton37814: Lori, I wish I'd read it before our trips to Michigan. We might have visited the park.

>148 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! I hope your weekend is great!

Book #44 Claire DeWitt and the Bohemian Highway by Sara Gran

Book #2 in the Claire DeWitt series.

I read the first book in this series and found it quirky and fun for a change of pace, though the protagonist isn't particularly likeable. So I kept an eye out for this second book, and put a hold on it when it appeared in Overdrive.

I found this one weird and annoying. It meandered between solving the murder of a musician she used to know, flashbacks to the disappearance of a friend she knew back in Brooklyn when she was young, other minor cases she undertook, and way too much drug use. I almost abandoned it multiple times, and in the end wasn't particularly glad that I'd kept reading. I barely finished it before the 21-day loan period expired.

Obviously, someone liked it a lot better than I did, as it has a 3.77 rating here on LT. I gave it 2 1/2 stars, and one-half star was just for the great names she gave to the bands in the story -- seriously!

I've figured out one reason why I tend to not read the e-books I buy -- one more thing I don't like about them as compared to the old-fashioned kind of books sitting on my shelf. They just sit there with their virtual covers showing on my reader, and there's no easy way to just glance at them and see what they're about. I have to go look on LT or other websites to see if the story is something I'm in the mood for. I miss having the inside flap of the dust cover or the back of a paperback, etc., to read.

Tomorrow we are having our Blessing of the Animals. I'm not taking Sig, as he hated it last year -- hated the drive, the crowd, all the other animals, etc. So I gave him his blessing this evening. He seemed quite unimpressed with the process. :)

Our church doesn't do a Blessing of the Animals. I think Adrian would love it. He loves being around other animals, and he loves people. He's a friendly little guy.

Happy Sunday, Terri! I liked the first Claire DeWitt book and have the second one saved on audio. You have not encouraged me to bump it up. Oh well, it's not like I don't have a million other books clamoring for attention.

Hope all is well for you!

Terri, count me in as another one who prefers the old fashioned dead tree version to the electronic one. There is something about being able to feel the book in your hand and being able to rifle through the pages. It doesn't even come close. :)

>151 cbl_tn: Carrie, Adrian looks like a friendly little guy! I bet he would like a Blessing of the Animals. This year, there were a lot fewer animals than in previous years. I think there were only five dogs and one cat. They were all very well-behaved, unlike my Sig last year!

>152 msf59: Happy Monday, Mark! Sorry I can't be more positive about the DeWitt book, though as I said, somebody must have liked it. It felt like she took the quirkiness of the first book and amped it up until it was just plain weird to me. Also, I really hated all Claire's drug use, drugged driving, and stealing drugs. And the very ending, after the case was concluded, came out of nowhere and left one hanging. Bah.

>153 jolerie: Valerie, I will say, I like getting library e-books. The Overdrive website gives a good description so I know what I'm going to read, more or less, and what I get is usually something otherwise not easily available to me in paper form. It's often good for getting the next book in a series when we don't have it on our shelves. But the ones I buy, generally on sale or freebies, I often don't read right away, and then I only have the covers to help me figure out what they are and why I bought them, unless I got to LT or Ammy or whatever and look them up. It's not nearly as convenient as pulling the book off the shelf and looking at it.

I seem to have dragged myself back to reading. I finished another book. And I've downloaded a library book that I'm having a hard time putting down!! The un-put-downable (at least at this point) book is Hangman, second (and I think most recent) in Stephan Talty's Absalom Kearney series, set in Buffalo. The one I finished, that I've been working on for a while, is this:

Book #45 Close Case by Alafair Burke

I don't know why it took me so long to finish this one. It was well-written and had a good plot without the kinds of unbelievable coincidences and inconsistencies that drive me crazy in so many mysteries. It was also timely despite being ten years old, with the police shooting of an unarmed African-American motorist -- touching off demonstrations -- figuring into the plot. I guess I'm just not big into the legal thriller genre, or maybe I didn't want to deal with the variety of conflict in the story.

>150 tymfos:, >153 jolerie: You can put me on that list too!

Hi Terri, I am another one who quite liked the first Claire DeWitt book, but have held off of continuing on with the next book for some reason. As overdone or forced quirkyness can drive me crazy, I will probably give this one a miss, there are so many other good books and series to follow.

>156 connie53: Hi, Connie!

>157 DeltaQueen50: Judy, glad to help you avoid being driven crazy!

Book #46 Hangman by Stephan Talty

Second book in Absalom Kearney series

Oh, boy, this book kept me up late, and kept me reading today on my day off when I should have been housecleaning, getting ready for a visit from my in-laws! This second-in-series book, set in Buffalo, was a good thriller. The escape of the dreaded "Hangman" killer during transfer between Auburn and Attica State prisons sets off a full-scale manhunt involving police from Buffalo to Syracuse. But he manages to slip through the dragnet and return to his old killing grounds in North Buffalo, where Absalom "Abby" Kearney, second-generation Buffalo homicide detective, is assigned as lead detective when he strikes again. His target vicitm: teenage girls from the wealthy North Buffalo neighborhood.

This book was really suspenseful, and the end contained a stunning twist I didn't see coming.

Book #47 Having Everything: A Father's Gift: Living Simply and Gratefully in An Age of Acquisition by Daniel J. Carlson.

Ok, I'll say right up front that a friend wrote this book, so I can't write an impartial review. I enjoyed the book very much, but my interest in what the author had to say was surely influenced by the fact that he and his wife are friends of mine.

This book could be called a memoir, perhaps, but maybe it's more of a reflection. The author has recalled his father's life, various events and details from it, and has reflected upon the significance of his father's life on the lives of family and community members. It's an eloquent testimony about how an "ordinary" life, the life of a husband, father, hospital orderly, and community member, can benefit a great many people. It's about placing more value on kindness than on cash; on mentoring rather than material wealth; on compassion rather than possessions. The author is a pastor, so it's written from a Christian perspective.

Yesterday was a glorious day, and I took a long walk after supper, then sat on the porch reading a (backlit) e-book until after dark. Lovely.

Then I rushed in the house, in the dark, to answer the phone, and stepped on the cat -- not sure if I tagged a tail or a foot. Oh, dear. Poor Sig! He seems OK, just rather annoyed with me.

Today is cooler, but still nice, IMO. I'm going to walk downtown for my hair appointment.

My next non-fiction book is an ER I need to review, The Theft of Memory. Odd, I just read a sort of memoir about a father, and now I'm reading another one, however different it may be.

Hi Terri, I'm trying to stay awake after that triple overtime Blackhawks playoff game last night. Second one this playoff season. Late nights.

I've long wanted to read A Superior Death. I've read a few Nevada Barr books, out of order, but this one appealed to me due to its setting. Since it's the second in the series, I keep telling myself I'll read it after I read the first in the series. Track of the Cat perhaps?

We gave up watching the game at midnight. Glad the Blackhawks won!

Barr really captures the atmosphere of the location well in that book, near as I can tell having not been to the park.

>159 tymfos: Your friend's book should resonate with so many people who are wanting to simplify their lives.

>161 lindapanzo: >162 tymfos: I think what I like best about Barr's books is the way she does capture the atmosphere of the parks in each book. The mysteries themselves are perhaps not as strong as others out there, but I've always enjoyed traveling. I've camped in many of the National Parks over the years. Barr doesn't always use the best known parks in the National Park System.

Hi Terri, I wish you a relaxed weekend.

>163 thornton37814: Hi, Lori! I'm planning to contiue Barr's series, for just that reason -- it's like visiting one of the parks each installment!

>164 Ameise1: Thankis, Barbara! Wishing you a great weekend.

My reading had slowed down for a while, but now I seem to be back in the groove of reading. Current reads:

A Question of Identity by Susan Hill, #7 in the Simon Serrailler series
The Theft of Memory by Jonathan Kozol, LT ER book, memoir about his father and dealing with his decline from Alzheimer's disease
Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi, e-book, horror genre
Creole Belle by James Lee Burke, #19 in the Dave Robicheaux series, audio book.

Book #48 Listening Woman by Tony Hillerman

Third book in Joe Leaphorn series, this month's read in the group read of the Leaphorn/Chee and Longmire series.

I really enjoyed this. I like the fact that it was rather short, but very complete. There was a lot of suspense toward the end, and I thought the plot was very well thought out.

Book #49 The Theft of Memory by Jonathan Kozol

This was an ER book, so I'll need to write a real review eventually. My immediate thoughts -- Fascinating and touching, the story of the author's experience with his father's battle with Alzheimer's disease. The father was a noted neurologist, who approached his illness, at least in the early stages, with the curiosity of a clinician studying a patient's progress. I was a bit uncomfortable with how much the author revealed of his father's notes about his more famous patients. I thought such notes would be covered by confidentiality, even after the patient's death.

I finished my audio book while housecleaning in preparation for family coming to visit.

Book #50 Creole Belle by James Lee Burke AUDIO

#19 in the Dave Robicheaux series

I mostly liked this one. I love Burke's writing, though I wish he'd just have Dave solve ordinary crimes and not deal in massive conspiracies. There were some interesting moral ambiguities here. It wasn't as violent as many in this series until the very end, at least in terms of Dave and Clete's actions, and then innocent lives were at stake in regard to most (though not all) of what our protagonists did. I don't think it's a spoiler to say this -- these books always seem to build up to some kind of violent confrontation.

One more to go in this series, and I'll be caught up.

>166 tymfos: I thought such notes would be covered by confidentiality
I had some of the same reaction. IIRC, the comments about Patty Hearst were presented in a public trial. Others, I'm not sure.

I was thinking more about the info regarding Eugene O'Neill and his family. Frankly, that whole part felt a bit like name-dropping, besides the medical confidentiality issues.

Mmm, good point about the breach of patient confidentiality by Jonathan Kozol in The Theft of Memory. I should have thought about that, but I didn't; I agree with the two of you.

Hi, Darryl! I decided to make note of that issue for my formal review, since I didn't see it mentioned in any other reviews.

I "won" an ER book this month -- Automotive Wiring and Electrical Systems Vol. 2: Projects by Tony Candela. Unfortunately, I hadn't meant to request that. I must have hit the request button by accident while scrolling down the list with my smartphone. I know absolutely nothing about the subject of this book. Even having requested it, I can't imagine why the algorithm picked me to receive it, as I have no other books remotely similar.

I messaged back to explain my dilemma in hopes they could give it to someone who actually wanted it, but I don't think LT has any provision for that.

I wish they had a two-step request process to confirm if you really meant to request something. I can deal with accidentally ignoring threads when I scroll on my phone, and even putting a book in a collection where it doesn't belong -- those errors can be fixed eventually -- but something like requesting an ER book ougt to have a safeguard built in to be sure it's intended.

I think I'll stay off the ER list page except when I'm at a real computer.

With the recent beatification of Oscar Romero by the Roman Catholic Church, I started reading the biography Romero: A Life by James R. Brockman, which has been sitting on my shelf for years. However, my brain is presently too frazzled to efficiently process the political details I'm seeing in the first chapter. So I'm going to put it aside and read it during a calmer time of year.

Right now, for non-fiction, I'm more in the mood for disaster reading, or maybe sports. Or maybe both. June 11 will be the 60th anniversary of the disastrous wreck at the 1955 24 Hours of LeMans race, and I have a book about it waiting to be read, Le Mans '55: The Crash that Changed the Face of Motor Racing by Christopher Hilton. That seems a timely read.

>172 tymfos: And it is vol. 2 (maybe that means not only that you have to understand something about the subject but that you should have some idea what was in vol. 1). Too bad you got the book that you selected by mistake, Teri.

>172 tymfos: If you actually receive the book (if LT doesn't have a provision to cancel this out), you could look it over carefully, and write a "review" that makes it clear you received it by mistake, didn't read it in its entirety, but read a few short sections and see if they seem to be clearly written. Assess its layout, quality, illustrations, etc. As long as you put together 25 words or more, it will count as a review, and you will have done your best to meet the terms of the program.

>172 tymfos: Yikes, hope they can fix this. 25 copies w/ 211 requests, so surely somebody else would be happy to have it. Does make one wonder about the algorithm; is it far more weighted toward having a track record of reviews than toward having related books?

You can always check what you’ve requested via the ER list link (http://www.librarything.com/er/list). I typically request books upon announcement, then pare down toward the end of the month.

>174 Familyhistorian: Yes, I thought of that, Meg. Apparently vol. 1 was the basic know-how, and this is specific projects. So I'll really be clueless.

>175 laytonwoman3rd: That's exactly what I plan to do, Linda -- evaluate it on the clarity of writing, quality of layout, diagrams, etc.

>176 qebo: Katherine, I think maybe I'll need to do a check of the books requested list near the end of each month. I'd hate to go to the actual listing of books if relying on my phone, as I fear I'll just accidentally hit request for another book!

Our internet was out for much of this month (on and off) and it limited what I was doing online -- especially since my son used up 3/4 of our smart phone's small data plan just a week into our billing period, so I even had to ration my 4G internet access. :(

Well, tomorrow is the big day my son graduates from high school! Where did the years go?

From the momentous to the slightly more mundane:

My in-laws are here for the event. Dad always does some fix-it projects around the house when he's here. I now have a new faucet set in my downstairs bath, and a properly working toilet installed in the upstairs bath! You may recall that we remodeled that bath a few years ago, but the water-saving dual-flush toilet we installed was a disaster almost from the start. It has now been replaced. Yay!

Congratulations to your son, Terri. The years do seem to fly by, don't they.

Congratulations to your son! I hope you all enjoy his big day.

Thanks, Judy and Carrie!

Congratulations to your son. Indeed, with kids the years are flying by.

Happy Saturday, Terri! And congrats to your son.

I hope your books are treating you well!

yikes on the book. I requested one that had mention of this area in it, and so thought I might like it Maud's Line..and did not read it beyond page 2. Horrific scene that I never expected kept me from going further.

Hope all is well.

Ah, our internet is working today. Yay!

>182 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara

>183 msf59: Thanks, Mark! My books are behaving well and keeping me etertained.

>184 mckait: Kath, sorry about the horrific scene in your ER book. I won't recommend that you read the book I'm about to post, despite it being deliciously spooky, because of a few stories as the protagonist reminisces about his boyhood which I know would bother you.

Well, my son is all graduated. The ceremony was beautiful, and it's all done now.

I managed to finish my e-book. It was pretty good.

Book #51 Floating Staircase by Ronald Malfi

Travis is forever haunted by the drowning of his younger brother, for which he feels a sense of responsibility. He is a horror writer whose books reflect a drowning/water theme over and over. He and his wife move into an old house near a lake. They learn that a boy who previously lived there had drowned in the lake, and his body was never recovered. Odd things happen which make Travis think that the boy's ghost is reaching out to him, and Travis becomes obsessed with the notion that the child was murdered. He drops his current writing project to focus on a new book about the child's death.

This was pretty good. It was a ghost story that kept the haunting subtle and creepy, not over-the-top like a lot of modern horror stories. It was, for the most part, very well written. I liked the atmospheric descriptive passages, though on one or two occasions Malfi's use of metaphor and simile was a little heavy-handed. The real focus of the story was less on the paranormal events, and more on Travis's guilt over his brother's death and his obsession with the boy who drowned near their home, and how it impacts his mental state and relationships with others. In fact, he becomes unstable enough that the reader might easily begin to wonder if the haunting is all in his mind. But the author does a good job of creating a spooky atmosphere and building up tension.

Travis repeatedly voices a strong sense that books and writing should be honest -- perhaps a reaction against how he has hidden the details of his brother's death even from those closest to him.

I liked the Western Maryland setting, and mention of familiar places like Frostburg and Cumberland. I do wonder why Malfi felt the need to invent a Frostburg Medical Center that is brick and looks like a castle and houses a cancer ward; the real Frostburg Medical Center is an urgent care center (no inpatients) in a shopping plaza. (So much for honesty in writing.) That little quibble aside, this was a pretty well-written novel for those who like a little spookiness, a bigger dose of psychological tension, and a great twist at the end.

HI Terri, I'm just passing through to wish you a Happy Thingaversary!

It's your Thingaversary today! Happy Thingaversary!

Thank you, Judy and Carrie! Gosh, that crept up on me -- I forgot I was supposed to be celebrating today! I spent the day at a district-wide library worker training session.

My smart phone died today. It went totally wacky, lines down the display screen, not responsive to touch screen in any way, and when I tried to use Siri voice control to command it to shut down (since it wouldn't shut down manually), it dialed somebody instead. Weird, and frustrating. That particular phone is less than a year old, and we're still paying for it.

Congratulations to both you and your son on his high school graduation! If you figure out where those years went, please let me know. I've been missing a few myself.

Sorry about your phone...but happy Thinga!

Hi Terri, I wish you a fbulous weekend.

>189 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne!

I after consulting with the folks where I got my phone, I drove to Pittsburgh to the Apple Store in Shadyside and was able to get my phone repaired under warranty. Yay! I had never been to an Apple Store before, and it's pretty cool. VERY good service. I had an hour to kill while they were working on it, and spent a good bit of it in a card store down the block that also sold books. They had a nice, eclectic selection, but I didn't buy any.

On the way home, I stopped and got a pizza from a place along the way that people rave about. I understand why -- best pizza I've had in this county!

>190 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! The same to you!

Shadyside is my old neighborhood! Was the Apple Store on Walnut Street?

Which pizzeria did you go to?

Yes, Darryl, it was on Walnut Street. That's a neat neighborhood. I had a great iced latte at a place called Coffee Tree Roasters. The card shop with the books was Kards Unlimited. I noticed them because of a sign out front promoting a summer reading program. These were all in the same block.

The pizza place wasn't in Shadyside, but many, many miles away on the way home.

Triple Crown! Beautiful horse led the whole race.. A piece of history.

I can't watch horse racing anymore, but that is one magnificent animal, and I'm thrilled there is a Triple Crown winner again at last.

>195 laytonwoman3rd: Indeed, a magificent animal! (Linda, I'm thinking there's probably a history behind your not being able to watch the horse races . . . )

Book #52 Leave the Grave Green by Deborah Crombie AUDIO

#3 in the Duncan Kincaid / Jemma James series

Kincaid and James are called in to investigate the drowning of the son-in-law of a conductor and former opera diva. An odd family dynamic is apparent from the start, since the victim was dining regularly with his in-laws while estranged from his wife, their daughter. The family history includes the drowning of a son, brother of the current victim's estranged wife.

This was a police procedural which also let us see more of the personal side of our protagonists and their reactions to the subjects/suspects they encounter, as well as to each other. The ending of the book is a bit of a stunner.

Terri--Congrats on your son graduating! I am feeling the same joy. Sorry about the wrong ER book--good luck with the review. ; ) And I totally agree with audio downloads and deciding what to read >150 tymfos:. I was just wrestling with that this week. I lost the battle and did eany meany.

>196 tymfos: Oh yes, there's a history. In 2006, Barbaro shattered a leg running the Preakness (after winning the Kentucky Derby), and had to be euthanized six months later; in 2008, Eight Belles essentially ran herself to death, suffering the same type of fracture in both front legs running the Derby, and was euthanized on the track immediately following the race. That did it for me. These are such noble, glorious creatures-- I continue to revel in their strength and beauty, but I just can't watch them run in real time anymore.

>198 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: I feel the same way; they're amazing athletes, but I can't help but think it's cruel to race them in that way.

Hi, Terri!

I can't believe I forgot to watch the Belmont last night! I'm old enough to remember watching Secretariat win the Triple Crown. American Pharoah is the closest we've seen to Secretariat in a long, long time.

>197 Berly: Thanks, Kim. Congrats to you and your daughter, too. As far as choosing reading, sometimes eeny meny is the easiest solution ...

>198 laytonwoman3rd:, >199 scaifea: I see your point, remembering those equine tragedies.

>200 cbl_tn: I almost forgot to watch, too. I remember Secretariat. I watched a clip on You Tube today of his Belmont run in '73. Amazing! I'd almost forgotten just how dominant he was in that race.

Book #53 Le Mans '55: the Crash that changed the face of motor racing by Christopher Hilton

Sixty years ago today, on Jun 11, 1955, the worst accident in the history of motor racing occurred at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. At 6:27 p.m., just shy of 2 1/2 hours into the race, a chain of events culminated in a Mercedes race car going airborne and flying into the grandstands. Over 80 spectators were killed/mortally wounded as the car and its components (including the engine and front axle, which had separated from the body of the car) knifed through the crowd. Also killed was driver Pierre Levegh.

This well-researched book includes endnotes for each chapter, an index, and English translations of some pertinent documents in an appendix, as well as photographs of key racing figures, the accident itself, and its aftermath. Hilton does detailed analysis that involves lap times, speeds, and other pertinent information. For those not inclined to such analysis, the details can be a little tedious. Where the book shines is in its descreptions of the people who were involved in the race and the context in which it was run; also, in studying the aftermath of the crash and its influence on the future of racing, particulary in the move toward greater safety.

Congratulations on reading so many books thus far. I am lagging behind and doubt I'll reach 75. Sadly, it will be the first time I haven't reach the goal since the group began in 2008.

Blessings to Sig, the wonder cat who found his way into the hearts of many and who chose just the right home where he could be well fed and well loved.

Linda, given what you've been through this year, you shouldn't feel bad about not getting to 75. I'm impressed with the reading you've done.

Sig says hello and thanks! He has been a joy to us.

>202 tymfos: I've never heard of this. Will have to look for this one.

Congrats to your son and your family on your son's graduation. My 14-year old niece just finished middle school but no graduation. She didn't care but the grandparents and the auntie are disappointed that their school doesn't hold a graduation.

Busy at work these days but I've managed to be home for every exciting Stanley Cup finals game.

The finals have been exciting indeed! They are two evenly matched teams.

Congrats to your niece!

I've come up on the hold list for the audio of the new Longmire novel. I'm suspending my current Dave Robicheaux audio for now, because I'm really not in the mood for it and I really want to listen to the Longmire.

The other night, I was thinking that my current reads are a bit heavy for my present mood. I decided I wanted something lighter. It was another Linda (laytonwoman3rd) who commented in a recent review of a Carl Hiaasen novel: I'm going to keep a few of Hiaasen's books around for those times when the brain wants a real vacation and the psyche needs a little nonsense. That sounded like just the thing, so I checked out an e-book of Double Whammy.

Having finished the book about Le Mans, I've started an ILL book containing essays by college students with autism about their experiences.. I seem to have all sorts of books started, and am not getting much read with any of them this week.

I took my son to a town an hour away for an appointment with a specialist, only to get a call while we were stopped for lunch that the appointment was cancelled. They can't reschedule until late August, as one doctor left the group, and another practitioner is going on maternity leave. It's a good thing my son is doing well these days.

>207 tymfos: That reminds me, I need to visit the e-library and download something. I'm out of Kindle books.

What the heck, they couldn't tell you sooner that they had to cancel your appointment? Unless that one doctor just walked out the door this morning, they surely realized they'd be short-handed sooner than that!

>208 laytonwoman3rd: Actually, she was handling an emergency at the hospital. I can totally understand that -- if my son was the one with the emergency, that's what I'd want -- but it's still frustrating. What bothers me is that they don't have appointments available to reschedule within a reasonable time frame. I "get" the reason why they're shorthanded, but there ought to be some mechanism (overtime?) to deal with it and take care of patients who need to be seen.

Hi Terri, sorry to hear about your appointment issue. That can be really frustrating. I hope you have a relaxed weekend.

Thanks, Barbara!

I posted about the book I accidentally requested -- and won -- from LT Early Reviewers. This is the review I just posted for the book
Automotive Wiring and Electrical Systems Vol. 2: Projects by Tony Candela

First, full disclosure: I received a free copy of this Early Reviewer book by mistake. I was browsing the LT list of available books on my smart phone and must have accidentally hit the "request it" button. The change to "requested" status really doesn't show up on that small screen. I love classic cars, but I know nothing about automotive wiring; the fact that this is Vol. 2 places me at a further disadvantage, as it assumes either having read Vol. 1 or having some knowledge of the subject.

Nonetheless, I've given the book a good looking-over (it's not the sort of thing you read cover-to-cover like a novel) and I am reasonably impressed. The writing seems clear and concise: there are step-by-step instructions accompanied by clear photos of each step. There are also schematics (wiring diagrams), and the author includes a handy key to the standard symbols used in schematics.

The author begins with a note on safety, which I appreciate. He is very clear about what the book is and what it isn't. It's designed more for the person working on classic cars (pre-onboard-computer-era) rather than for those working on modern vehicles. He says it up-front at the start, that working on the more computerized cars requires a lot of specialized equipment and know-how that the average person just will not have. However, to work on those older, classic models, these are projects that can be done in a typical garage. He brings that point home by using photos of the work all taken in his and his friends' garages, not the more professional installations that he has had access to.

This is a step-by-step guide to doing specific wiring projects. The chapters are: Adding a Basic Circuit to Any Hot Rod; Performance Lighting; Performance Guages; Electric Fans; High-Performance Charging Systems; and Aftermarket Wiring Harness. There's also a Source Guide for the comapnies whose parts and components are used in the projects.

There is at least one project where he does not have a key component for the project at the time of writing. At first this struck me as odd, but I imagine it is useful how he shows the way to prepare and work around that while waiting for a component to arrive. One project also is designed to facilitate a later planned upgrade. He also discusses finding problems which drain voltage, things that may not be obvious unless one is looking at the overall electrical system. I would think this is all useful knowledge for the classic car buff who is alway upgrading his or her favorite vehicle.

The author does tend to recommend specific products for use. This may be handy for those who want clear easy-to-follow instruction, but may irk those who prefer other brands.

>211 tymfos: Well done, Terri! I think you did full justice to that review, and I'm going to go give it thumb.

>209 tymfos: Ah, well, that puts things in a better light. Still an inconvenience, but not something you can rail about in all good conscience. Scheduling in medical practices must be a real bear to manage, from everything I've seen. My own doctor's office can't give you an appointment with the doctor inside of 10 days or so, but you can usually see a PA within 24 hours of calling. AND, when you do have an appointment, you are seen when you are scheduled...none of this waiting for 45 minutes past your time. That's huge, for me.

>211 tymfos: That's the most thorough review posted so far. :-)

>196 tymfos: I love Crombie. Sorry to be so late to comment, but I'm catching up on threads after the busy-ness of being a conference host!

>212 laytonwoman3rd: Believe it or not, Linda, it was quicker to see one of the doctors than with the PA. We'd have to wait until September for the PA. Go figure. I think our area just has a terrible shortage of all kinds of healthcare professionals. Oh, and thanks for the thumb!

>213 qebo: Thanks, Katherine!

>214 thornton37814: Don't worry about "late" comments, Lori -- I'm late to chime in on a lot of LT stuff these days. Don't get around much anymore . . . Glad to see your conference went well.

A Question of Identity by Susan Hill

#7 Simon Serrailler series

Elderly women are being murdered in Lafferton, and Simon must find a killer. Of course, there are all kinds of other plotlines. Several focus on Simon's sister Cat and her family, as they undergoing major stresses; Cat is at a career crossroads; and Cat must deal with issues between her father and beloved stepmother, and a health crisis for Molly the medical student. Simon's relationship with Rachel continues on uneasy terms, and faces a major upheaval.

The premise of this was annoying. I know about witnesses getting new identities when they've testified against dangerous people -- the Witness Protection Program here in the US, and I suppose the Brits have something similar. But I never heard of a crime suspect, acquitted of major crimes, who is given a new identity to protect him from an angry public. I think this premise is obvious early enough in the book that it doesn't qualify as a spoiler to mention it.

Nonetheless, it was a very good read.

Hi Terri! As someone else who has been a bit absent from LT and trying to catch up, I can appreciate how audiobooks are helping your reading along.

I love the idea of a Blessing of the Animals service! I had never heard of the idea until I watch a Vicar of Dibley series episode where they opened up the Dibley church to a Blessing of the Animals service. The show is set in a small rural village so I was intrigued by the ideas of riders bringing their horses, etc.... of course, this was tv show. ;-)

Graduation from high school.... that is an important milestones/passages during the journey of life. Congratulations to your son!

Whew.... I am all caught up, for now.

>217 lkernagh: Hi, Lori! In the years I've been there, our service with Blessing of the Animals has just had smaller animals -- dogs, cats, hamsters, a rabbit or two, etc. They used to schedule the service for outside, and people would bring larger animals. However, the weather sent the service inside so often, they finally gave up on doing an outdoor service.

Thanks for the congrats!

I finished the latest Longmire book:

Book #55 Dry Bones by Craig Johnson AUDIO

Walt Longmire #11

I don't even know how to describe this one. There's a legal battle over a dinosaur skeleton discovered in the county. There's a dreadful tragedy in Walt's family. There's the usual gang of characters that I've grown to love. Frankly, I wasn't that taken with the "mystery" -- I found the whole legal situation regarding the dinosaur a bit of a muddle, but I gather that's how it was intended to be portrayed, being the work of grandstanding politicos. However, I love visiting with the folks of Absaroka County.

Terri, your review of Dry Bones has my resolve not to add another series to my OWL weakening.

Like Lori, I'd watched Blessings of the Animals on the episode of 'Vicar of Dibley' and thought it was just a cute idea thought up by the writers. How cool is it that this actually does take place in RL in some places. I wonder what the response would be if I were to suggest this at church.

Caroline, there's a long-standing tradition in some Roman Catholic circles for Blessing of the Animals -- it goes back to Saint Francis, and has been carried forward by the Franciscans. Of course, it rubbed of on some of us Protestants. (It's often done by Roman Catholics and Anglicans on the Feast Day of St. Francis, October 4, but we do ours in conjunctiuon with a local community festival.)

some web pages about it:
http://www.americancatholic.org/features/francis/blessing.asp
http://www.franciscanfriarstor.com/archive/stfrancis/stf_blessing_of_animals.htm
http://www.episcopalchurch.org/files/st_francis_day_resources_1.pdf

Hi Terri! I don't know if you noticed on my thread, but I went to a Johnson author signing, a little while back and bought a copy of Dry Bones.
The book sounded really good, as he described it. LOL.

I am only on book 7 and I hope to get to it soon.

Mark, I did notice that, and envied you greatly . . . ;)

It's a good book. I just love the way the characters interact.

I do not make many author signings but I am sure glad I made that one.

Are you a fan of the TV series too?

I watched it once and couldn't make it fit my image of what the characters looked and sounded like. I do most of my Longmire on audio, and George Guidall's rendition "is" Longmire to me. The guy on the TV show didn't seem like I imagine Walt to be. Maybe I should have given it more of a chance, but I'm not really into watching much TV except sports and non-fiction stuff.

>224 tymfos: I had the same problem, Terri. Only I watched the TV show first and then struggled with George Guidall being Longmire. To me, Robert Taylor was Longmire! I've warmed to the audio versions now and am listening to Hell is Empty. Guidall does a great job.

No way to catch up, Terri, although I wanted to. I'm so glad that you're reading Crombie & Hill....
I was lucky enough to start Crombie with what I see as her break-out book, Dreaming of the Bones. It's number 5 and is really, really good. Then I went back and picked up the first four. I do love the series!
Even if I get frustrated with Hill, I love the S. Serrailler books too - have little patience with him, but love the rest of them, especially Cat.
I was confusing Longmire the character with Christopher Brookmire, the writer. I enjoy the latter once every couple of years. I'm not sure how a politically conservative reader would take him, but I laugh out loud.

>225 Copperskye: Interesting, Joanne! I guess first impressions can be pretty strong. BTW, don't worry about not catching up -- I'm well beyond being able to properly catch up with folks here anymore.

>226 LizzieD: Peggy, I do think Longmire and Brookmire are a tad different ;) Easy name to confuse, though.

Book #56 Double Whammy by Carl Hiaasen e-book

OK, I needed some nonsense. You can't take this story seriously, though there are certainly some serious issues underlying the madness on the pages. Hiaasen takes on cheating bass tournament fishermen, greedy land developers, phony televangelists, and assorted redneck thugs versus an ex-con photographer-turned-private detective and an ex-governor who quit to became an eccentric hermit. Oh, and there's a great Florida state trooper and a Miami detective . . .

There's no point in analyzing whether the storyline is plausible -- this is satire, this is a snarky tongue-in-cheek parody of the state of things in Florida as Hiaasen sees it, replete with over-the-top mayhem, but allso more subtle digs.

Both the Overdrive catalog and LT list this book as #1 in the Skink series, though FictFact doesn't recognize it as such and Hiaasen's own website doesn't give any "series" listings. I do know that Skink appears in other books, so I'll count it as the start of a series.

Hi Terri, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

I love Longmire in all its formats. I've only listened to one of the three books I've read so far, so I've spent much more time with Robert Taylor as Longmire.

The last time I talked to my brother he had just discovered a new TV show on Netflix and he wanted to know if I had seen it. Of course, it was Longmire! He's never read any of the books and still loves the show.

Hi, Carrie! Our library has now got 2 seasons of the Longmire TV show on DVD, so maybe I'll give it a go and see if I can get used to the TV Walt.

ETA to add This thread is getting a bit long. I think tomorrow after church I'll start a new one to celebrate the start of Summer! I took just the right photo of Sig yesterday to top off a Lazy Days of Summer thread.

OK, the new thread is ready and this one is CLOSED.

Join me here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/192374