lkernagh's 2015 Reading Charter - 3rd Section

Image 2013, Patrick O'Brien

Hello Everyone! I am back for another fun-filled year of reading, crafting, baking and pretty much whatever else that may crop up on this thread. If you are wondering about the choice of thread topper picture, well, 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta, so I thought it would be fun to start each of my threads in 2015 with images loosely related to this historic event.

Most of my 2015 reading will be focused around all of the various reading challenges I have committed to, here in this group with the British and American Author Challenges as well as my continued efforts to read books off my TBR bookcases for my ROOTs Challenge and my ongoing tour of Commonwealth countries with my Commonwealth Challenge, and of course, I cannot forget my 2015 Category Challenge. ;-)

As I had so much fun tracking my books read and pages read in 2014, I have brought back my "Luck 'O the Irish" Race to see which horse will come in first in 2015. Will it be books read "Pot of Gold" or will the reigning champion from 2014, pages read "Lucky Shamrock" command the track? It is anybody's guess!

"Luck 'O the Irish" Race






As with last year's race, the finish line will be considered crossed whichever comes first: 75 books or 25,000 pages read.

My 2015 Category Challenge (Art theme):

1. Street Art - Alternate Reality / steampunk / fantasy / dystopian themed books
2. Happening - Books that fit the 2015 Category Groups CATs, KITs and DOG challenges
3. Minimalism - Books with one word titles
4. American Realism - Books that fit the American Author Challenge
5. The London Group - Books that fit the British Author Challenge
6. Books made into Art - Books that fit my ROOTs Challenge
7. Edingburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art - Books that fit my Commonwealth Challenge
8. Art - Books that fit my 75 Group Challenge (aka my "catch all" category!)

My 2015 Category Challenge discussion thread can be found here.

American Author Challenge list:

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

Books read:
JAN: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers -
FEB: The Aspern Papers by Henry James -
MAR: Wildlife by Richard Ford -
APR: Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich -

British Author Challenge list:

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

Books read:
JAN: The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively -
FEB: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh -
FEB: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters -
MAR: The City & The City by China Mieville -
APR: Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham -
MAY: The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble -

Books Read:

JANUARY
1. Alphabetique by Molly Peacock -
2. The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri -
3. The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively -
4. August Heat by Andrea Camilleri -
5. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers -
6. The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri -
7. The Firebird Mystery by Darrell Pitt -
8. I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton -
9. The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke -

FEBRUARY

10. The Aspern Papers by Henry James -
11. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley -
12. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh -
13. Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman by Eleanor Updale -
14. Wife of the Gods by Kewi Quartey -
15. The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Two and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Three by David Ashton -
16. The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Four and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Five by David Ashton -
17. The Witch of Napoli by Micheal Schmicker -

MARCH

18. The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Six and The Inspector McLevy Mysteries - Series Seven by David Ashton -
19. Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher -
20. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters -
21. A Small Indiscretion by Jan Ellison -
22. Longbourn by Jo Baker -
23. The Babylon Contingency by Clifford Longley -
24. Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel -

Books Read:

APRIL
25. The City & The City by China Mieville -
26. Wildlife by Richard Ford -
27. How To Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell -
28. How To Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell -
29. Bayou of Pigs by Stewart Bell -
30. Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich -
31. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd -
32. Light Boxes by Shane Jones -
33. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion -
34. The Hoarder in You: How to Live a Happier, Healthier, Uncluttered Life by Dr. Robin Zasio -

MAY
35. Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham -
36. Pelquin's Comet by Ian Whates -
37. Guyana by Elise Turcotte -
38. The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble -
39. The Rosie Effect by Graham Simsion -

JUNE
40. J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton -
41. The Finish by Angela Elliott -
42. Fables: The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham -
43. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett -
44. The Wars by Timothy Findley -
45. Halcyon Days a play by Steven Dietz -
46. The House Among the Laurels by William Hope Hodgson -
47. K is for Killer by Sue Grafton -
48. Incantation by Alice Hoffman -

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MARCH RE-CAP:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

Lovely new thread, Lori! Do you MEAN Proposed February Reading just above?

Happy new thread, Lori. I'm another Station Eleven fan. I love new threads; it's the only time I'm caught up. You've done some good reading so far this year.

Hi Lori! I'm sneaking in before your thread gets too long. I also loved Station Eleven.
I love all your challenges. It seems like you have fun choosing books to match them.

>11 ronincats: - Hi Roni! Whoops, good catch..... that is supposed to be my proposed MARCH APRIL reading. ;-) Seriously, I am having a bit of trouble keeping on top of the months as they fly by!

>12 BLBera: - Hi Beth and thanks! I agree. New threads are about the only way to catch up with a number of threads in the group.

>13 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen! Sneaking in works for me!

Just popping in to say hi on your new thread. Well, we've got the sound bar now for our new TV. No more cardboard to fix the sound! :) Good luck with the phone. My husband needs a new phone, but he just won't get one. He refuses to text, even though that is so much easier sometimes, especially with our two sons.

Yay for new sound bar! I want my new phone, but I have to wait a bit longer. The 'wrong' phone I returned has been received in Mississauga (as of yesterday) so now I just have to wait for them to ship out the proper phone.

LOL, my other half has decided he will take my old phone as his new phone... he doesn't want a new phone either.

Human Bondage is on my list to read to. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think of it. You will probably get to it before I do :) Happy new thread.

>9 lkernagh: Great review of Station Eleven. I was reading it and thinking Me too!! Me too!! Hooray for no zombies and for such a mellow delivery. :)

Happy New Thread, Lori!

I loved Of Human Bondage when I read it years ago (I was in college), but I think it should join my ever-growing shelf to "to reread."

Happy New Thread! I hope your new phone arrives soon, and that it's the right color this time!

Nice review of Station Eleven, Lori. I think I may have liked it a bit more than you. I join you in the "no zombies" relief.

Happy new thread, Lori! I still have to read Station Eleven - I must be one of the few who hasn't :-)

Happy new thread, Lori! Hope you have an excellent long weekend. :)

Happy New Thread, Lori!

Happy new thread, Lori!

I haven't read Station Eleven yet, but it's sitting patiently on my shelves. Poor thing. :)

Happy new thread!

Happy Easter, Lori! Have a great weekend.

>17 Kassilem: - Thanks, Melissa! I am looking forward to reading the Maugham book. We can compare thoughts!

>18 nittnut: - Thanks, Jenn! Always nice to see a like-minded reader stopping by. ;-)

>19 scaifea: - Hi Amber! *waves*

>20 BLBera: - Glad to see you loved the Maugham read when you read it. Maugham is a 'new to me' author and I am always a little nervous as to whether or not I will 'click' with a new author's stories and writing style.

>21 cbl_tn: - Hi Carrie! So do I.... I want my phone, I want my phone, I want my phone. With the long weekend now upon us, I won't start getting antsy until mail delivery service resumes on Tuesday. I am pretty sure our posties get Good Friday and Easter Monday off.

>22 jnwelch: - Thanks, Joe. Station Eleven was good, I think I have been rather distracted lately and had trouble connecting with the story because of my distractions. St John Mandel is a great author and I am still wowed that her debut novel was published when she was 20 years old.

>23 susanj67: - Hi Susan, Station Eleven is a goodie based on the majority of reviews out there. It is easy to imagine you are one of the few still to read it, what with all the reviews that have been flying around on LT since it came out. ;-) I hope you enjoy it when you do get time to read it.

>24 MickyFine: - Thanks Micky! Happy long weekend and Happy Easter to you! I am hoping the weather will cooperate and make it a beautiful weekend to be outdoors.

>25 katiekrug: - Thanks, Katie!

>26 jolerie: - Hi Valerie, poor, poor Station Eleven..... don't you just love it when your books are capable of giving you the "guilt factor"? ;-)

>27 leahbird: - Thanks, Leah!

>28 lit_chick: - A bunny! Awe, love the bunny... he even has flowers. Thanks Nancy, I hope you have a fantastic Easter weekend!

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

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

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

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

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

Really thoughtful and interesting review of C&C, Lori. I went mad for it - interestingly - I am more of an sf reader and less of a mystery reader, generally. There was an element in it of . . . could it be satire? of the crazy things we do, pretending things that we find inconvenient simply aren't there until we actually don't see them, and I enjoyed that mind-twist.

>31 lkernagh: wanting something that would completely disconnect me from reality
I liked the connection, liked that he restrained himself from bizarrity. I've started Perdido Street Station a couple of times, and it just hasn't taken.

Great review of The City & the City, Lori. I didn't get to it last month, but I'll probably read it soon.

Have a great long weekend!

Fabulous review, Lori! I have a challenge reading anything fantasy / science fiction, but this certainly sounds interesting. Thumb. Have a great weekend!

I'm playing catch up. I just had to comment on the delicious-looking lemon tarts and wonderful herb garden on the other thread. I usually plant some herbs in a planter, but I haven't done that this year. I'll at least have rosemary. That one just keeps growing and growing.

Happy Easter weekend to you, Lori. No vegetarians in our family. We are having both ham and brisket for Easter dinner. I hope our rain moves on so we can have an egg hunt for the granddaughters outside. I'm still a kid at heart and enjoy it as much as they do.

Our book group is reading Station Eleven next month. I have already read it and wasn't in live with it. Maybe I'll read it again and give it another chance.

Happy New Thread and Happy Easter, Lori.

>32 sibylline: - Good comments, Lucy! I agree with you that there was an element of satire to C&C. As per a comment over on my category challenge thread, the story works really well from a political angle, too. I am going to continue to slowly work my way through all of Mieville's books... they are all so different!

>33 qebo: - Fair enough. I know that I enjoy steampunk stories, like Westerfeld's Leviathan because it is so grounded in with references to events taken directly from WWI. The City & The City does make for a great alternate reality kind of story. If I remember correctly, Mieville wrote The City & The City for his mother, who was a big crime fiction reader, so I find it an interesting story to read knowing it was written with his mother as the prime or first reader and probably crafted to be something she would enjoy reading.

>34 kidzdoc: - Thanks Darryl, it is a good story if you ever find the change to read it.

>35 vancouverdeb: - Hi Deb, I think of all the Mieville stories out there, The City & The City would be the best one for you to read. It has a solid police procedural, criminal investigation angle to it that I know you would enjoy.

>36 thornton37814: - Thanks Lori! I somehow managed to kill my rosemary plant so I will be buying a new one as soon as the live herb plants start to show up at the grocery store.

>37 Donna828: - Hi Donna! I have decided that we will have chicken for Easter dinner - none of the vegetarian meal ideas I have found on line appeal to me as a holiday meal - but everything else will be vegetarian. I have my fingers crossed that your easter egg hunt goes off without a hitch, with the weather cooperating!

>38 Ameise1: -Thanks Barbara! This weekend has been lovely so far. As with all holidays, food is taking center stage so I may need to cut back a bit next week. ;-)

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

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



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

Now for those reviews....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hi Lori, Happy New Thread! Sorry I haven't visited in a while. I wasn't terribly enamoured with Station Eleven, though I am curious about her other books, which I'll probably take out of the library eventually. I read (listened to) The City & The City a few years back, which was my first—and so far my only—Miéville, and I absolutely loved it. I did try Perdido Street Station at the end of March, but as you say, I was one for which it was much too sordid and freaky to be able to take much more than the first couple of hours of the audio version, if that. It's the kind of stuff my worst nightmares are made of, so I could't very well see why I'd put myself through that kind of experience voluntarily, if you see what I mean! I kind of wimped out of reading any Richard Ford too last month, mostly because I let myself be influenced by a bunch of negative comments I saw on the AAC thread, but also because I ended up going with a bunch of unplanned reads too, so lots of planned reads went out the window.

On the other hand, you've made me curious to discover How to Train Your Dragon, so will add that to the ever-growing wishlist. :-)

Congrats on your first Bingo line! I see you're on the cusp of quite a few others!

>41 lkernagh: sounds very Ford! Great review, thanks. I enjoyed reading it. Will go and thumb if you have posted to the book page.
I see Station Eleven a lot and am still keen to read, so now I also must go to the library website and request it. Your job here is done ;)

>42 lkernagh: How to Train Your Dragon is one of the favorite movies of my niece and I, but we've yet to read the books. Knowing David Tennant is attached... well, I might have to get to that sooner rather than later!

>40 lkernagh: 3:00 am - those are baker's hours. No wonder you made bread. Hope you have a relaxing (and delicious) Easter Weekend.

Happy Easter!

Here's a little treat

I'll get to City and the City at some point but since it's currently NOT on the TBR mountain, I'm not in any rush.

Wishing you a wonderful Easter, Lori!

Lori, it is always a pleasure catching up with your goings on over here. Lots of good reading as always.

Have a lovely Easter weekend. xx

>43 Smiler69: - Hi Ilana! Always lovely to see you when you stop by! Perdido is definitely not a book for the masses, that is for sure. The City & The City has some great elements and I do enjoy seeing Mieville mixing up genres like he does, just like they are putty in his hands. Quite the gifted writer, for sure.

If you get a chance, I can highly, highly recommend the audiobook of How to Train Your Dragon! I also get a kick out of Vikings talking with a Scottish accent. ;-)

>44 LovingLit: - Sounds very Ford! Ha, glad to see we found good things to appreciate in Wildlife, Megan. I don't know about my job being done considering it was all the Station Eleven love here on LT that made me break down and read it myself, so I guess I am sharing the BB on. ;-)

>45 leahbird: - I must see if the library has the movie version of How To Train Your Dragon, Leah! I did not know about the movies. David Tennant makes all audiobooks a delight to listen to, IMO.

>46 Familyhistorian: - You are right.... 3:00 am is baker's hours. ;-0 The real reason I made bread early in the morning was because I had noticed we only had 1/4 loaf left and I wanted to cube and dry out that bread for the stuffing I will be making later today. We needed something for breakfast.

>47 nittnut: - Oooohhhhh... hot cross buns! Thanks, Jenn!

>48 jolerie: - Isn't it nice to NOT be in a rush to read a book? I hope your weekend so far has been a delightful one!

>49 PaulCranswick: - Hi Paul, great to see you stopping by and Happy Easter to you!

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

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

Vegetarian Adventures Update:

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

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

Herb Garden Project - Week 5 Update

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



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



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

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

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

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

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

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

Lori, your bread looks awesome. I am starving! I might have to try the Cowell books; they sound like good future Scout books. Ford, I think I'll pass on.

Happy New thread, Lori. Sorry, it's a bit belated. Good review of Station Eleven. I definitely plan on reading her earlier books. Wildlife doesn't seem to be getting a lot of LT love, so I might be skipping that one.

Lori, I was sure I had written a lengthy reply on your thread, but I guess Alzheimer is taking over, or else I bumped the computer or worse yet, maybe I mistakenly wrote on another thread? Anyway, your kale soup looks delicious , but I have to confess that my husband and I found kale very hard to digest when I tried making several batches of Kale based soup a few years ago. You artisan bread is making me drool!

>56 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! I made a Parmesan Olive loaf this afternoon to go with tonight's vegetable chowder... it is fun making new bread combinations! I can highly recommend the Cowell books. I am guessing the age range might be starting at 8 -10 years of age but I might be wrong... I am no good at gauging age appropriate books!

>57 msf59: - Thanks Mark! Definitely read St John Madel's earlier books if you get a chance. She is such a great writer, as you have noticed already with Station Eleven. ;-)

>58 vancouverdeb: - Don't worry, Deb.... you are not losing it. You posted on my thread over on the category challenge group. I am still experimenting with the artisan breads and made a Parmesan Olive bread this afternoon as I mentioned to Beth above. It is kind of exciting to ignore recipe books, just mix ingredients together and have they come out of the oven as something edible. ;-)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nice review of The Bayou of Pigs. Wishlisted!

^ I agree!

Lori, you're one in a line of people who have me thinking about reading How to Train Your Dragon. I guess I'd better put it on the hold list at the library.

Woot! Lori, what a fabulous review of Bayou of Pigs.

I'm just beginning to dip my toes into NNFs (narrative non-fiction) and I'm surprised that I'm enjoying them as much as I do. Goes to show I'm capable of change or LT is darn good at persuasion. Or maybe it's a combination of both. ;)

Nice progress with the herbs.....can't wait till you can actually use them in your cooking!

>61 banjo123:, >62 EBT1002:, & >63 lit_chick: - Thanks!

>62 EBT1002: - The Hiccup Horrendous III books have been popping up on various threads. Hiccup, Toothless et al would be the prefect break from heavy reading.... for those moments when you want to have a good giggle or two.

>64 jolerie: - My narrative non-fiction reading started with Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which was really nicely written. LT is really good at getting people to open up their reading to take in new genres, etc. ;-)

I have my fingers crossed that come June, the herbs 'that survive' my continued care will have reached a point where I can start to harvest them for cooking. If not, its back to Plan B (nursery grown plants ready to use).
---------------------------

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

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

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

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

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

This is the point where I would have my fingers firmly plugged in my ears going la la la la and looking at my husband while he figures it all out. Good for you for sticking it out, Lori! I hope you enjoy your new phone after all this!! :)

Ouch! That's horrible. :/

Wow. I'd be tearing my hair out.

Lori, you have a lot more patience than I would have! I'm glad you finally have a working black phone! I've added Bayou of Pigs to my library wishlist as your review was so good.

Getting a new phone can be such an ordeal. We were really happy with our salesperson, too, who got us through all the red tape, but woo, it took half a day just to get a new one.

I'm glad yours seems to have worked out; fingers crossed for the promised credit showing up on your bill.

>66 lkernagh: monitoring my bill
One wonders about the spaghetti inside the company that can make such a straightforward request so difficult to accomplish.

Whew!

Oh, good grief! The smart phone caper continues … Honestly, how do companies manage to make the simplest things so ridiculously difficult?

>66 lkernagh: What an adventure and I agree, evrn though I keep my fingers crossed that it won't happen, that the show must go on.

Good grief on the phone drama. I hope it is all sorted out. Fingers crossed.

Just to add my 20 cents (inflation) to the How To Train Your Dragon chat - I'm always happy to warble about these books - we started listening to them when my kids were pretty little. Maybe age 6? For full enjoyment, I would say no earlier than that, but my youngest had no trouble getting most of the humor. He's 8 now and reads them by himself sometimes. He still likes them read out loud to him though.

What a business with the smart phones! The telecommunications business is like that, I am afraid.

Happy Friday, Lori! Hope the week went well and you have a lovely weekend.

>67 jolerie:, >68 Kassilem:, >69 charl08:, >70 susanj67:, >71 jnwelch:, >72 qebo:, >73 ronincats:, >74 lit_chick:, >75 Ameise1:,>76 nittnut: and >77 banjo123: - Thanks everyone! It has been a trying three weeks but I am happy that it is all over..... I was online last night in my account to see where I can check out my current data usage, etc and noticed that they have already applied the credit to my bill so I don't have a phone bill to pay until I use up the credit. I am starting to enjoy my new phone - my other half calls it my 'tamagotchi', which is hilarious but in a way, it is like a tamagotchi! ;-)

Thanks for all the support!

>70 susanj67: - Funny you should mention patience, Susan. The same comment cropped up on my other thread over on the category challenge and it seems fitting to replicate my response here: I need the patience. My other half may be a great negotiator but when stupidity rears its head like it has with this phone, he goes into corporate re-design mode and tends to point out the various flaws in the way the company does business (he decides he wants to fix the company), which isn't overly helpful in getting resolution for my specific problem, so I have to take over when these kinds of messes surface. ;-)

Bayou of Pigs is well worth the read, if anything, to get a glimpse into what some people will get up to.

>71 jnwelch: - Storefront sales staff are worth their weight in gold in comparison to the call centre customer service folks.... I do hope the sales staff receive higher remuneration and are not relying on commission or sales quotas.

>72 qebo: - One wonders about the spaghetti inside the company that can make such a straightforward request so difficult to accomplish That would make such a great quote against a scenery backdrop.... kind of like those corporate inspirational posters, but different. LIKE! :-)

>76 nittnut: - I think the How to Train Your Dragon books deserve warbling.... they are fantastic! I was wondering at what age the jokes would go over a child's head, so good to know that your kids were able to get the humor.

>78 msf59: - Thanks Mark!.... and thank you for AAC and Erdrich April. I absolutely loved Shadow Tag.... love probably is the wrong word to describe it but I think my review (see further down this thread) explains all.

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

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

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

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

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

>60 lkernagh: When I read the blurb for Bayou of Pigs it sounded like some fantasty caper, then you wrote that it was based on a true story. I guess at times truth is stranger than fiction!

>82 Familyhistorian: It really does come across as a caper. These 'out there' real life stories are such perfect fuel for a good read. I have never understood the attraction of reality TV... probably because it comes across as fake, because of the video footage and interview commentary. But write a good story, supported with facts, and you have my undivided attention. ;-)

>81 lkernagh: - I have Shadow Tag on my shelves. Great review. I seem to recall reading somewhere that she wrote it as a result of, or during, or in response to, her rather acrimonious divorce from the writer Michael Dorris. Not sure about that...

Hi Lori, I'm glad you liked Shadow Tag so much. It is indeed a great story. I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Nice review of Bayou of Pigs, Lori!

Your bread looks fabulous. I may give your warm kale bowl recipe a try later this week.

>81 lkernagh: Intriguing Louise Erdrich review - my book for the challenge is still in the pile, I must get to it...

Lori - Great comments on Shadow Tag; it is a powerful book and really different from other Erdrich novels.

Happy weekend Lori! Sorry about your cell-phone woes. If I'd gotten the wrong color I probably would have just stuck with it just to avoid all of that mess. But I'm glad you got the right color in the end. You deserve to get what you pay for!

Woot! Shadow Tag sounds excellent, Lori!

>81 lkernagh: We read Shadow Tag in my library book club in February, and we all hated it! But it made a fabulous discussion, and I definitely think it made for compelling reading (like watching a train wreck?) and could see how someone would like it.

Shadow Tag sounds like a good one. Onto my list it goes and thumb as well. It's my first experience with Erdrich as well, but I'm really enjoying her storytelling.

>84 katiekrug: - Interesting piece of information, Katie! Makes me think about Shadow Tag in a whole new way.

>85 Ameise1: - Thanks Barbara and yes, Shadow Tag was a very good read, IMO. ;-)

>86 kidzdoc: - Thanks, Darryl! The bread worked out rather well and I hope you enjoy the kale recipe if and when you make it.

>87 charl08:, >88 BLBera: & >90 lit_chick: - Thanks, Charlotte, Beth and Nancy!

>89 The_Hibernator: - Happy weekend, Rachel! Yes, the cell phone woes are over and I am going to try and make this one last as long as my flip phone did, even if the store rep doesn't think smart phones are designed to last 8 years. ;-)

>91 bell7: - "like watching a train wreck" sums up Shadow Tag quite nicely. I can see how this story would make for a fabulous discussion!

>92 jolerie: - Erdrich does have the gift for story telling, Valerie. I must go find out which Erdrich you are reading, and see what you think of it.

Herb Garden Project - Week 6 Update

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



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



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

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



Spearmint, Spanish Tarragon, Italian Oregano



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

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

Wow, your herbs are looking wonderful!
Have a great week!

Have a most wonderful week. I love your herb photos.

>81 lkernagh: woah, lookout. That is a very well rated book there you have just read. I must add it to the list. I have been meaning to read more of hers, as have been let down by the last few I read. (not that I can remember what they are called now) But this one sounds great.

I hope you have a wonderful week offline, Lori.
I continue to follow your herb project with anticipation. Hopefully one day I will find the motivation to start up my own little experiment.

I read and finished The Round House and highly recommend it. She is great at drawing you into her character's situations.

>93 lkernagh: Good to hear that the saga of the cell phone is over. I hope this new one lasts 8 years. Looks like you are getting very ambitious with your herb garden, Lori.

That's a lovely herb garden you have growing! Happy weekend Lori!

Hi Lori, I wish you a relaxed weekend.

>102 Ameise1: That's a gorgeous picture. Do you know where it is?

Unfortunately, no. We have similar views at some rivers.

>96 scaifea:, >97 Ameise1:, >99 jolerie: & >101 The_Hibernator: - Thanks Amber, Barbara, Valerie and Rachel!

>98 LovingLit: - It was a great read, Megan, but I understand from others here on LT that Shadow Tag is different from Erdrich's other stories.... which may be a good thing for both of us. ;-)

>99 jolerie: - Well, considering I seem to be a bit hit and miss when it comes to growing herbs from seed, maybe I can convince you to buy some nursery grown herbs. ;-)

Good to know Erdrich is great with the character development. I prefer those kind of character situation stories.

>100 Familyhistorian: - I would love it if the new phone last for 8 years but sadly, I envision the technology companies have built in some obsolescence to ensure that I will need to replace my cell phone sooner than 8 years. It was very handy to have the phone with me on my trip, so that was a big plus for all the hassle acquiring the phone was. ;-)

>101 The_Hibernator: & >102 Ameise1: - Weekend was lovely and now I groan at the thought of returning to work tomorrow. ;-(

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>108 lkernagh: Oooh I like the sound of that one!

Hi Lori! I wishlisted Light Boxes as I am one of the ever lasting winterers!
Your herbs are off to a great start. My advice: Keep your spearmint potted. I made the mistake of planting in ground at it spreads like wild fire.
I had the same response to The Secret Life of Bees. I read it during its publication and all the praise etc etc it was getting at the time. I felt it didn't live up to the hype and was disappointed by it.

ETA: I check two local libraries and could only come up with one other book by Shane Jones Daniel Fights a Hurricane. Have you read it?

>109 scaifea: - It was definitely a different type of story, Amber and a fun read!

>110 Carmenere: - Good advice to keep the spearmint potted! Glad to see I am not the only one who had a 'meh' response to The Secret Life of Bees. I haven't read any of Shane Jones' other works and sadly, my local library does not have anything written by him, so I will probably check out the used book stores I usually haunt and see if they have anything.

So glad you had a lovely week with family, Lori! Your thoughts on The Secret Life of Bees are similar to mine: it also failed to captivate me.

Glad you had a nice visit, Lori. :)

Have you read The Invention of Wings yet Lori? I think that is a far better book by the same author.

Glad to see you got to spend some time with family and celebrating such wonderful milestones as well. :)

>112 lit_chick: - Trips home are always an adventure and this one was a good one. Another reader who wasn't taken with The Secret Life of Bees makes me feel better about not really enjoying it as much as my Mom probably was hoping I would.

>113 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky. Alberta is showing signs of having experienced a drier than usual winter... the dust was flying around those windy days I was in Calgary! They need a good rainfall.

>114 jolerie: - No, I haven't read The Invention of Wings. I see the local library has a number of copies in different formats available. Do you think it would work as an audiobook read? It was quite the jam packed week home. I am starting to think that 6 days isn't enough time to make the rounds of everybody. ;-0

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

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

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

Happy Saturday, Lori! Good review of Light Boxes. It sounds like a treat. I hope you enjoy The Rosie Project. That one was a lot of fun.

Hi Lori, I wish you a wonderful weekend.

Hi Lori! I'm getting caught up here after a busy few weeks. I'm sorry to hear of your additional frustrations with your phone company's customer service, but after my Comcast experience earlier this year, I'm not surprised. I think poorly designed software must be part of the problem. It really makes no sense that employees don't have access rights to do what they need to do for their customers.

Bayou of Pigs sounds interesting. I haven't "visited" Dominica yet for my Commonwealth Challenge. I checked the public library catalog and there isn't a copy in the system, so I guess I'll stick with my plan to read The Orchid House.

Stopping by to say hi, Lori! As for your herb growing, I had my son and his finace over on Friday night and apparently Serenade, my daughter in law is planning to try to grow Rosemary , among other herbs on the balcony of their condo. If they run into trouble, I'll know who to ask! :)

Is it just me or are the days just flying by? Blink and it is suddenly Friday. Not just you, Lori, when you consider that we're quickly approaching the 1/2 year mark it just is mind boggling how quickly we've gotten here! I'm certainly hoping for long lazy summer days to put a halt on time for a little bit. I picked up the Shane Jones from the library and hope I can slip it in to my tbr's. It's small and if I put my mind to it, could probably read it in a day.

>116 msf59: - Thanks Mark! The Rosie Project is such a great book! I have only 20 pages left to go, so I will be finished it later this evening. Perfect weekend reading material, IMO.

>117 Ameise1: - Thanks Barbara! I know that type of tree (but the name alludes me right now). It is always a great indicator of Spring.

>118 cbl_tn: - After what you went through with your service provider, I have learned to demand what I want but to also expect that they won't always get it right the first time (or the second time, for that matter). Friday night my other half decided to switch our internet service over to a new plan (still with the same provider) and ended up spending over an hour on the phone with them today because our internet was almost non-existent. It is better now but still.... *sighs*

Like you, I have been relying on the public library catalogue to help me choose books to 'visit' for the Commonwealth Challenge. Looking forward to finding out what you think of The Orchid House.

>119 vancouverdeb: - I have my fingers crossed that your daughter in law has success and enjoys her balcony herb garden! I find it so rewarding to just step outside to clip the herbs I want to add to the evening dinner. ;-)

>120 Carmenere: - I am glad its not just me but I still find it very disconcerting that time is flying by like it is. ;-) Long, lazy summer days are something to look forward to. I look forward to seeing what you think of your Shane Jones read!

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

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

Herb Garden Project - Week 7/8 Update

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

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



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

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



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



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

Lori, it's a magnolia tree. How I love your herb garden. Thanks so much for keeping us updated. It looks fantastic.

>123 lkernagh: Impressive herb garden. Have just 'discovered' large pot in the garden that was hidden by something else, so thinking of similar plantings. I enjoyed The Rosie Project - as you say, great weekend reading.

Love how your herb garden is looking! I just killed a cilantro. I can't keep a potted cilantro alive for anything. I think I must over water, but I'm really not sure.

Loving your herb update, Lori.

Are all your plants fully outside now? Was there ever a time when you kept them indoors?
I can't imagine how satisfying it would be to be able to use fresh herbs grown from your own garden when cooking. :)

>124 Ameise1: - That is what they are called! Thanks Barbara.... I am terrible when it comes to remembering plant names, which is why I leave the 'identifier sticks' in with the herb plants. ;-)

>124 Ameise1:, >125 charl08:, >126 nittnut: and >127 jolerie: - Thanks Barbara, Charlotte, Jenn and Valerie. As I mentioned over on my category challenge thread, I enjoyed my attempt at a herb garden last year that I have decided to go the full nine yards with this year's herb garden. I will continue to try and grow different herbs from seed but I really do appreciate the ability to buy nursery grown plants so I can start cultivating the herbs. Tonight's dinner was a roasted Garlic, Mushroom & Tomato in a Parmesan cream sauce with fresh Basil and Oregano. Soooo good!

>125 charl08: - Love the large pot 'find'! The Rosie Project was the perfect weekend read from start to finish. Kind of glad I waited so long to read it, I can now jump right into the next book The Rosie Effect. ;-)

>126 nittnut: - Poor cilantro plant but I do understand the 'killing' that can occur, especially under my care. I struggle with over watering so what I do now is I give all the plants a good 'bottom up' watering, usually on a Saturday or Sunday and then just give the plants a light sprinkling of water from a watering can if they seem to be drying out during the week. So far, so good.

>127 jolerie: - I managed to kill more plants than successfully grow them from seed. I started out trying to grow from seed Marjoram, Lemon Balm, Tarragon, Spinach, Basil, Dill, Chives and Parsley and only the last three plants have survived germination and continue to thrive outdoors. I still have seeds for Peppermint, Summer Savoy and Chevil that I haven't attempted to plant and grow yet so the herb garden updates will continue. My Dill, Chives and Parsley plants are still too young to harvest any of those herbs so thank goodness for the various nursery grown plants that I have managed to add to my herb garden collection. While I was in Calgary I visited one of the nurseries located in the south end of town - cannot remember which one - and I was rather surprised that they wanted $6 and up for their small herb plants. Ouch! I am used to paying $2.5-$3.00 per plant here on the island for the same size plant but this place isn't known as the granola capital of Canada for nothing. ;-) I was unsuccessful in enticing my mom to let me buy her one or two plants but she is in her 80's and is used to cooking with dried herbs.

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

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

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

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

>129 lkernagh: Excellent review. Definitely nudged me towards picking it up sooner rather than later.

Hi Lori, tickled you enjoyed The Rosie Project so much! I did as well. It's just as you say: a quick, delightful, weekend read.

Your herb garden is doing FABULOUSLY! Well done!

>129 lkernagh: I enjoyed that one too when I read it back in February for my book club. The sequel certainly delivers on the Don side of the story but it fails to keep the other characters really likable so it felt a bit more uneven to me. But still worth reading since you enjoyed the first one so much.

>130 MickyFine: - Thanks Micky. Always happy to help nudge you -and anyone else - towards a good book. ;-)

>131 lit_chick: - Hi Nancy, it is such a fun story. The nursery grown herbs that I have supplemented my herb garden with are amazing but I am still rather pleased that I have been able to grow three herbs from seed on my own, and they are still thriving! I don't need much to get super excited when it comes to gardening accomplishments.

>132 leahbird: - Good to know about the sequel, Leah. I read the first book and will listen to the sequel so I am not sure how that will work and if it will make any disparities even more apparent.

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



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

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



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

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

On the reading front I have finished what will probably be my last April read, as I am only 42% of the way through Of Human Bondage and there is no way I will finish it before May kicks in.

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

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

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

>134 lkernagh: Wow, that's gorgeous.

The Hoarder in You sounds like an excellent read, Lori. This is a condition I do not understand at all, being completely anti-clutter and anti-"stuff." Like you, Iwould need to explore in order to support another.

>133 lkernagh: That's how I consumed them as well, read the first and listened to the second. The audiobook is well read except for the female characters sounding alike. I don't think the format affected how I felt about the story.

Oh! I shrink away from The Hoarder in You. I definitely have hoarder instincts. I've been thinking of hiring my niece to help de junk. Not sure if she is up to the task. Ah oh, now Nancy knows I have hoarder problems. I have to say that my SIL and BIL moved from one condo to another and seemed to get rid of any hoarding problems. I do love their oh so clean and small condo! I'm not really a hoarder so much as I have hobby that requires" stuff" , but then it can get out of control. I do know someone's mom who is genuinely a hoarder and had to build a second floor on her house to add on room for her stuff. At least it has not come to that for me! :)

>136 Ameise1: - Thanks, Barbara! I am looking forward to making use of the new shelving unit.

>137 lit_chick: - I admit I knew very little about the condition before reading Zasio's book (I have never watched "Hoarders"). I do feel more informed now.

>138 leahbird: - Perfect!

>139 vancouverdeb: - Oh, come Deb. According to the book, we all have some hoarding/clutter instincts when it comes to certain things. Like me and my shoe collection. ;-) Nothing to be ashamed of . I love clean spaces too but I cannot live in a small condo and keep it perpetually clean. Sometimes, I just don't have a place for something but good grief on the mom that actually built an extension to her home because she needed the extra space for her hoarding tendencies! My shoe collection still fits under the bed and I doubt it will ever grow to the size of Imelda Marcos' shoe collection... she had some 3,000 pairs of shoes. 3,000. That number just blows my mind.

APRIL RE-CAP:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

I finished my Temple Grandin book. I'm off to start The Rosie Project. On that subject, have you seen Salmon Fishing in the Yemen? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGb4OT3Oiew
I really liked it.

I LOVED the movie Salmon Fishing in Yemen! I haven't read the book and I tend to not bother once I have watched a movie adaptation but that was a surprisingly good movie. Pn the topic of movies, my current favorite - and one that has made it onto our 'watch and watch again' list - is The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. I love everything about that movie, including the soundtrack. ;-)

Hi Lori - You had a good April. I haven't seen SFiY, but I've heard good things about it. The story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is quite good. I'll have to look for the movie.

Thanks Beth. I was surprised to discover that the 'Walter Mitty' story was in fact a short story, forst appearing in a magazine - I am thinking The New Yorker, but I could be wrong - and is very different when compared with the moderniation of the story starring Ben Stiller. I agree with you, the written story is quite good.

>134 lkernagh: Congrats on your new shelf. It was so nice of your husband to surprise you with it. Have a great weekend!

>146 The_Hibernator: - Thanks Rachel!

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

What a great weekend this has been. Friday night we had our usual 'homemade pizza and movie' night and watched The Hundred Foot Journey. What a fantastic movie! The foodie in me loved it and it was the prefect movie to watch while I made my mom's Mother's Day card which is now in the mail and will hopefully get to her before next weekend. I already gave her the heads up it may arrive a little late. ;-)

The weather has been glorious. Perfect for the annual newspaper-sponsored book sale. I went to the sale yesterday looking for vegetarian cookbooks and books on herb gardening and came away with the following:


Herb Garden (American Horticultural Society Practical Guides) by Richard Rosenfeld
Little Herb Gardens by Georgeanne Brennan
The Ultimate Herb Book: The Definitive Guide to Growing and Using Over 200 Herbs by Antony Atha


Herbal Celebrations Cookbook by Noel Richardson and Jenny Cameron - a great crossover book about herbs with recipes


The Vegetarian Cookbook by Linda Fraser
The Vegetarian Gourmet by Dagmar Von Cramm
The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook by not really sure, might be a editor published book
The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook by Roz Denny
Great Vegetarian Dishes by Kurma Dasa
Step-by-Step Vegetarian Cookbook by Kate Cranshaw

I thought about not going back to the sale today because I figured I have enough books and don't really need any more. Oh dear.... did I just hear a collective "GASP!" from LTers? Yes, it is probably sacrilege to make a statement like that here. ;-) Don't worry, I did go back to the sale to browse through the fiction section and came home with the following books:



The Good Thief's Guide to Venice by Chris Ewan - Did not realize until I got home that this is Book 4 in a 'new to me' series so I will need to see if the library or the used bookstores in town have the first three books.
The Disappearing Spoon: and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean - Yes, I found an interesting non-fiction read in the fiction section.
Road Ends by Mary Lawson - I absolutely loved Crow Lake and already own The Other Side of the Bridge so finding her third book was a happy occurrence.
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith - I currently own books 1-9 in the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency so I was happy to discover book 10 nestled in a box with a bunch of earlier books in the series.
All That Follows by Jim Crace - just 'cause.
The Problem with Murmur Lee by Connie May Fowler - Love the cover and the "part family saga, part murder mystery" billing for this one appeals to me.
Merde Actually by Stephen Clarke - I have been meaning to read the Merde series of an Englishman living in France. Just need to track down Book 1 in the series.
Hy Brasil by Margaret Elphinstone - mythical island, old-fashioned piracy, a lost treasure, modern-day drug smuggling, political intrigue all wrapped up in a mythical fantasy story? Sounds intgriguing!
Skinnybones and the Wrinkle Queen by Glen Huser - Yes, I grabbed this one for the title alone!
The Bookman's Tale by Charlie Lovett - Billed as "Shakespearean literary mystery for fan's of Geraldine Brooks' People of the Book". Sounds good to me.
Solea by Jean Claude Izzo - This is Book 3 in the Noir Marseille Trilogy. I already own a copy of Chourmo, Book 2 and I now just need to track down a copy of Book 1 Total Chaos to have the complete trilogy. Oh, and of course, it is a Europa Editions. ;-)
Diary by Chuck Palahniuk - I have not read any of Palahniuk's books - not even Fight Club - but this one caught my eye and seems like as good as place as any to start.
Strawberry Fields by Marina Lewycka - I rather enjoyed Lewycka's novel A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian so decided this was worth picking up.
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - I know there is a fair bit of love on LT for this one so on the purchase pile it went.
The Secret Book of Grazia Dei Rossi by Jacqueline Park - I cannot leave the booksale without bringing home at least one chunkster read and I love the Renaissance Italy setting and time period.

Oh wow, that is quite a book haul. Look forward to your comments. The Bookman's Tale has a lot to live up to from that description, hope it is as good.

Wow! Fabulous book haul.

>148 charl08: & >149 banjo123: - Thanks!

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Vegetarian Adventures:
I was in the mood to experiment in the kitchen this evening and came up with a dish that I think is 'post worthy'. ;-) I call it "Lori's West Coast CousCous". A light, vegetarian dish that is colourful - with its medley of greens, reds and yellows - and packed with protein from the quinoa and lentils. I am thinking of bumping up the lentils and the kale the next time I make it. I got two-thumbs up from my other half in the flavour department. Keep in mind that the recipe below would be a main dish for two or a side dish for between four and six people.

"Lori's West Coast CousCous"

Ingredients:
1/3 cup green lentils
1/3 cup tricolour couscous
1/3 cup quinoa
2/3 cup of broth of your choice (for the couscous)
1 & 1/2 cups asparagus - chopped fine
1 & 1/2 cups kale - chopped fine
1/4 cup dried (not in oil) sun-dried tomatoes - chopped fine
1/2 cup chopped fresh grape tomatoes (can substitute with Roma tomatoes)
Roughly 1/4 cup (combined - in total) of the following finely chopped fresh herbs: Parsley, Cilantro, Dill, Chives
2 Tablespoons of chopped onion
1 Tablespoon of chopped garlic
2 Tablespoons lime juice
Salt and Pepper to taste

Process:
1. Cook the lentils in 1/2 cup of water in a small pot over medium heat, stirring regularly until done. Chop the asparagus, kale, tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes and the fresh herbs which the lentils cook.
2. In a separate small pot, cook the quinoa in 1/3 cup of water, partially covered and stirring regularly, until done, then remove from heat and cover.
3. In a third small pot, bring to boil 1 teaspoon of oil or butter with 2/3 cup of broth of your choice - I use a professional vegetable broth so I bring the water to boil and then add the broth - remove the pot from heat, stir in couscous, cover and set aside.
4. In a deep sided frying pan, heat up 1 Tablespoon of oil (I use Avocado oil) over medium heat. Sautee chopped onion and garlic for 1 minute. Add asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in kale. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh herbs. Cook for 1 minute. Season with black pepper and lime juice. Stir to blend all ingredients. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in cooked lentils. Turn off heat. Blend in cooked couscous and cooked quinoa and you are ready to eat!

Can be served hot or cold.

... and I did remember to take a picture this time!

>147 lkernagh: Nice Cranswickian book haul there!

Your couscous looks delicious.

Great haul! My husband has read all four of the The Good Thief's Guide to Venice - in order I might add, because I purchased them for him. They do look interesting , even to me! I've have and have read The Road Ends and really enjoyed it! Hubby and I were over to my son and his fiance's place last night for supper and sure enough, his finace is growing a herb garden on their balcony, which has glass sides, so even more light. I think they are growing rosemary, basil and two others, but I forget the two others. My son's fiance commented that now that they have that one planter with four herbs, she feels that they need more planters on they balcony, to look less lonely . The domino effect! :)

Hi, Lori! Hope you had a nice weekend. Glad you enjoyed The Rosie Project. I was a fan too and I am looking forward to the next one.

Lori, your herbs are coming along really well! I wouldn't even dare :-) And how nice to get new shelving for them.

I love your book haul - I originally read the post on my BlackBerry and the covers seemed to go on and on. I loved The Song of Achilles and, after a bit of hunting around to see why I hadn't heard about Strawberry Fields, discovered that it was published here are Two Caravans and I have read it. It's lucky you've already turned vegetarian, because you'll never want to buy chicken again after you read it! It's a very sad book, but well-written. I've added a second-hand copy of Hy Brasil to my Amazon basket, as the library doesn't have it. If only I'd checked out the basket yesterday, before they doubled the minimum spend for free delivery!

>150 lkernagh: The couscous looks mightily healthy Lori, I have to say. I enjoy both that and quinoa so it is nice to see you have combined them so. Probably some chili added for me to pander to my asiatic taste-buds.

Thanks for regularly popping in on my thread when I was off chasing rainbows. xx

Woot! Lori's West Coast Couscous looks awesome! This one reminds me of one of my favourites, something I made this weekend actually: Turkish Bulgur Pilaf.

Yes, you definitely should have gone back for more. Look at all the books you would have missed out on if you didn't. I don't even want to dwell on that thought.
LOVE the haul. Love living vicariously through you..hahaha!

Your couscous looks great, Lori!

>151 thornton37814:, >153 vancouverdeb:, >155 susanj67: and >158 jolerie: - Thanks! I still need to figure out where to put the new books so for now they are sitting on a trunk in the living room. ;-)

>152 Ameise1:, >156 PaulCranswick:, >157 lit_chick: and >159 kidzdoc: - Thanks! The recipe is already on the "must make again' list. Glad I could share it with you.

>153 vancouverdeb: - Very happy to hear your husband has read The Good Thief series and I am assuming enjoyed them since he read all four books you bought for him. Lawson is quite the writer and I think I remember reading your review for Road Ends so I am super happy I stumbled across a copy of that one. Ha, ha, ha.... I totally understand your son's fiance's comment about needing more planters on the balcony.... growing herbs is an addiction, just like collecting books. Think of all the wonderful meals they will prepare for you with the fresh herbs! ;-)

>154 msf59: - Hi Mark! The weekend was wonderful, but never seems to be long enough to do all that we want to do. Simsion really nailed Don Tillman as a loveable quirky character one cannot help but love.

>155 susanj67: - Ha, two years ago I wouldn't have dared attempt a herb garden and look where I am now. ;-) the new shelving unit is already being put to good use. I drives me crazy when books have one title in one country and a different title in another country. I remember seeing Lawrence Hill's Someone Knows My Name and thought it was a new book, only to discover that in Canada it goes under the title "The Book of Negroes". I will consider myself forewarned about chicken when I start reading Strawberry Fields.

>156 PaulCranswick: - I love quinoa. It is such a versatile grain, you can add it to almost any dish being prepared. My dad would join you in adding chili... he loves his chili sauce. ;-)

Glad to see you are back making the LT thread rounds, Paul!

>157 lit_chick: - Ooooohhhh, the Turkish Bulgur Pilaf looks interesting, Nancy!

>158 jolerie: - Glad to see you are enjoying the book haul. I don't know what I was thinking when I thought I didn't need to buy any more books. I must have been feeling unwell at the time. ;-)

Herb Garden - Update:

I had the day off from work yesterday so I went out and purchased some slightly larger pots for some of the 'growing like a weed' herbs such as the Oregano, Thyme, Mint and Parsley plants. I spend the afternoon puttering around and re-potted the plants mentioned above. I know.... going from a 4" square pot to a 6" round pot does not seem like much of a difference - especially as I see how well the plants seem to fit into their new pots - but I am sure any size is an improvement and I don't want the plant to not take to the transplant. At least this time the bottoms of the planter pots have rocks to aid in drainage, which the original pots did not have. They seem pretty darn happy:



Worst case, I can think about transplanting them into larger pots in about 6-8 weeks and then use the smaller 6' pots for some of the smaller plants.

>143 lkernagh: We also love the Walter Mitty movie - and the soundtrack. :)

Good grief! What a book haul!

ETA: I also meant to say that your herbs look amazing.

>162 lkernagh: Congrats, Lori. Your plants are looking very goid.

>162 lkernagh: Looks lovely. Any tips on what you are cooking with this lovely fresh supply of herbs? Or are you doing a Jamie Oliver and freezing as you go?

Great book haul, Lori! Nice couscous recipe, too. I haven't ever used lentils, but that sounds like a good idea.

>163 nittnut: - Such a great movie! I rave about it to anyone who will listen to me. ;-) Thanks on the book haul and the herbs. I can now safely cut myself off from any further book purchases this year and spend my spare time puttering around in my herb garden. ;-)

>164 Ameise1: - Thanks Barbara!

>165 charl08: - No freezing of herbs. No. I won't do that. We manage to find uses for some of the herbs most meals. Tonight we added fresh cilantro to the cauliflower carrot curry. The oregano and basil get added to most pasta dishes as well as being used in our homemade batches of pizza sauce. Thyme and chives are great additions to egg-based dishes. The dill is perfect in any dish that can be zipped up with a bit of lime juice. Tarragon, rosemary and to a lesser extent sage have been used in vegetarian dishes with portabello mushrooms, when we are going for a 'meatier-flavoured' vegetarian dish, especially when black beans are part of the recipe. I also like to make my own seasoned bread crumb topping for some casseroles which is tend to season with thyme, sage, tarragon and parsley.

>166 BLBera: - Thanks Beth, on both counts. Lentils are fun to experiment with but you have to use the right kind of lentils, depending upon the recipe. Red lentils tend to cook the fastest and also tend to cook down into a mush so they are great for curries and dishes where you are looking to add protein and thickness to a sauce. Green lentils take longer to cook and can retain some of their shape so they work well in broth based soups and stews. Black beluga lentils are good when added to salads or any type of dish where you want the lentils to retain their shape. That is the extend of my lentil experimentation so far! ;-)

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

On the reading front, I continue to struggle with reading Of Human Bondage, so this morning I decided to see if I can download an audiobook version through my local library system. Yup, Hoopla has an audiobook version so I downloaded it and spend my walk into work this morning getting the audiobook to where was at in the story. I think the audiobook is going to work for me better that actually reading it so fingers crossed, I will get to the end of this one.

.... now I need to decide on a physical read as my bedtime reading.

Hi, Lori! I'm impressed by both your book haul and your healthy herbal garden! I've never tried growing herbs.

I never heard of Bayou of Pigs -- either the book or the events it describes. Sounds like quite an audacious plan.

I'm trying to de-clutter and thinking maybe I should read that book about hoarding . . .

>167 lkernagh: I was confused by cilantro (it's the less exotic sounding 'coriander' to me) - the breadcrumb topping sounds amazing. My lettuce seedlings are just poking up out of the compost, so it's going to be a while before I'm eating from the garden (even if they do claim to be 'speedy' growers...).

Lori, I read The Book of Negroes back when it first came out. I really loved it. Really an eye opener. I understand that in the USA that name would not fly, so they had to call it Someone Knows My Name. I think in Canada we have less of a history, so it worked in Canada, and who knew that in one of the Atlantic Provinces we had a bit of a problem with the slavery issue ourselves. Really an excellent read!

My husband bought himself a quinoa salad from the local deli, so I might have to look into your recipes a bit more thoroughly. And yes, my DIL to be loves to bake too, so I'm going to be well fed! Or at least my son is! She is in her second year of teaching and right now has a mat leave contract, so with the wedding planning and teaching and report cards, she is pretty busy, so I am suffering a lack of cookies and goodies right now.

Okay, when I get a chance, I'm going to try your recipe @ 150.

>168 tymfos: - Hi Terri! The foodie in me loves having ready access to fresh herbs, but I am still learning a lot about how to grow and care for it. As for the book haul, my groaning bookshelves are bearing the new weight without too much fuss but I think my other half is on the look out for another bookcase.... I just don't know where we would put it.

I can recommend the hoarding book.... just ignore some of her recommendations as the author really wants to help streamline an individuals possessions, more so than I do, anyways!

>169 charl08: - Ha, I have to admit that I was baffled when I came across recipes asking for fresh coriander, as all of our stores refer to it as cilantro. Strangely (or not) I have a bit of a problem connecting my ground coriander to my fresh cilantro. ;-)

Fresh lettuce! Something to look forward to consuming when they are ready for harvesting!

>170 vancouverdeb: - I agree Deb. Our sensitive spots based on history seem to be more focused here in Canada on appropriate terms for Canadian aboriginals, even though at the federal level the Indian Act still has that title. As you say, different histories generate different responses to different terms and how they are used.

Yay for your husband buying a quinoa salad! I love cooking with quinoa, although it is such a tiny grain it can get lost in any dish you make.

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

On the reading front, my struggles with Of Human Bondage have evaporated now that I have flipped from reading it to listening to it on audio. I am making much better progress through it now, either because I find it easier to listen to or the fact that the story has now hit a 'high melodrama' wave and just wants to ride the wave out. ;-)

Do you have a go to recipe for a quinoa salad, Lori! I want to use it more but haven't found something I love yet....
Your herb garden is so inspiring. I may give it a go next year. May is the operative word here..haha!

Hi Lori, I wish you a lovely weekend.

>160 lkernagh: Lori, Someone Knows My Name was published in the UK as The Book of Negroes as well. I thought it was excellent.

Our canteen at work has added two "Goodness Grains" salads to the salad bar, which are proving very popular. There are so many grains! (The recipes are different every day) I've tried quinoa before but there are others that I prefer. Still, it seems that they're all super-good for us!

Whew! All caught up again, Lori. I find your herbs are growing well. Such a lovely visual display as well as adding extra zest to your meals. I have never tried growing them from seeds. I see you had to give up on a few of them. I'm surprised at the Lemon Balm because it is such a hardy perennial in my garden. I have to pull it up because it keeps trying to take over…but it does make my hands smell good when I am weeding.

Speaking of visual displays, your book haul was magnificent. You may have to use the spacious storage shelves your husband bought as bookshelves! That was a good call on switching to an audiobook for one you were having trouble getting into. Kudos for not giving up. I find some books do work better in audio for me.

Hi Lori! I'm all caught up, and hoping everything is okay with you (you're not trapped by your parsley or anything)? I've really enjoyed catching up, and have been wondering when might be a good time to drop by for a bite? Your herbs are amazing -- what a great project, and what great additions for your garden!

>47 nittnut: Gasp!! Is that a one-day haul? Terrific selections! Callia bought The Disappearing Spoon from the museum gift shop when she volunteered for the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and really enjoyed it, and if you need a long, take-me-away-Renaissance saga to lose yourself in, you can't do better than The Secret Book of Grazia dei Rossi. I took it to Cyprus as a beach read a few years ago, and left it (deliberately) at my mother in law's house. Next time we go I'll bet the girls will pick it up (a few books have made their way home again like that).

Callia also watched The Hundred Foot Journey in her French class and insisted the family watch it as well. Great movie!

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

How did I get so far behind? But better late than never. Bayou of Pigs sounds like a great book -- totally weird and fascinating. The Erdrich review was really good - it is hard to recommend a book that is so hard emotionally to read, isn't it?

I'm glad you like Mieville too.

Hi, Lori! I'm just stopping by to say hello.

Hi Lori, I hope everything is fine at your place. I wish you a lovely weekend.

I love the progress on your herbs, wow. They look great.

Wow.... an entire month since I last posted on my own thread. Sorry about the absence. All is well, just RL throwing curve balls and issues my way on a daily basis, making me seek relaxation in gardening, cooking, reading and beading instead of on-line time. The days have been kind of blurring together and I did not realize how long it has been since I was last here. Thank you Judy (DeltaQueen50) for checking in. June is shaping up to being as annoying as May, so I will probably have a rather low profile presence here on LT for the next little while. In the meantime, I have responses to write and some reviews to post. No monthly update this time round. On the gardening front, the garden is growing at a fantastic rate. I will try to find some time next weekend to post an update.

I hope everyone has been having wonderful spring/summer weather and finding time for some wonderful reading.

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>172 jolerie: - Oh, not really. The beautiful thing about quinoa is that it can be added to almost anything you make - the cooked grains are so tiny they just blend in with the rest of the food items. Quinoa is not as bulky as barley, rice or lentils are. Even couscous, as small as it is, has more of a 'body' to the grain when cooked. If you want to make a quinoa salad, I would suggest adding 1 cup of cooked quinoa to any salad that isn't lettuce-based. How about adding it to a cold spinach, tomato and feta cheese salad with a vinaigrette dressing?

Oh, do try a herb garden! I am finding 'puttering' in the herb garden - okay, I know, I have a container garden on my small balcony - very therapeutic and relaxing when I have had an annoying / stressful day. Some herbs are super easy to grow.... basil, oregano and chives are super easy to grow.

I remember those wonderful "Springs" in Calgary - weeks of warmer 15'C - 25'C weather, and then -WHAM!- three days of winter wrecks all of your Spring gardening. ;-)

>173 Ameise1: & >179 Ameise1: - Lovely to see you stopping by Barbara! All is good in my part of the world... just annoying. ;-)

>174 susanj67: - It must have been in the US that the title was changed. I agree... great story! I continue to experiment with grains - Farro is the latest grain to hit my cooking 'vocabulary'. I really like the taste and texture of Farro. Definitely prefer it over rice or barley if I need to add some 'bulk' to what I am preparing, and it is just as easy to prepare.

>175 Donna828: - Hi Donna! My attempt to grow herbs from seeds has been a bit of a hit and miss but I am learning a lot in the process! I am attempting a second batch of Lemon Balm and I have my fingers crossed this time it will take hold. Time will tell. I am getting better at choosing which type of book to read / listen to but the classics seem to work better for me in audio... don't know why.

>176 AMQS: - Hah! Not trapped by my garden but I am enjoying my time spent tending it! We are enjoying the fresh herbs and I am learning the cycles for harvesting the leaves... the basil plant seems to have a new batch of leaves ready for harvesting every three weeks! I am going to start experimenting with freezing the fresh herbs.

So happy to see Callia enjoyed The Hundred Foot Journey!

>177 sibylline: - I am so far behind with threads I applaud you for making your way over here and getting caught up, Lucy! I love the books, like Erdrich's, that push emotional boundaries but as you say, kind of hard to review!

>178 tymfos: - Hi Terri!

>180 LovingLit: - Thanks Megan!

Book #35 - Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham - audiobook narrated by Steven Crossley
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: The London Group
Reading BINGO square: published in 1915
CAT(s): N/A
Source: Project Gutenberg / GVPL (Hoopla)
Format: e-book/Audiobook
Original publication date: 1915
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 720 pages / 25 hours, 55 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the penguinrandomhouse.com website listing:

This classic bildungsroman tells the story of Philip Carey, a sensitive boy born with a clubfoot who is orphaned and raised by a religious aunt and uncle. Philip yearns for adventure, and at eighteen leaves home, eventually pursuing a career as an artist in Paris. When he returns to London to study medicine, he meets the androgynous but alluring Mildred and begins a doomed love affair that will change the course of his life.

Review:
EM Forster once wrote: "The final test of a novel will be our affection for it, as it is the test of our friends, of anything else that we cannot define." Good point. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with this book. While it didn't win my affection, I will give Maugham some admiration for being able to capture and portray the essence of his characters so well. I absolutely despised Mildred and found Philip at time equally frustrating/infuriating. At least Maugham's writing style is geared towards the everyday reader, which I found to be a bonus as nothing turns my mind off a novel faster than going all high-brow with elegant writing unless it fits with the story. Of Human Bondage is not an elegant story washed in filtered lighting. It has a directness to it that would be at odds with any flowery prose. I also found the story to be at times overly melodramatic, but my impatience with the melodrama was at part being fueled by my loathing of the whole Mildred/Philip scenario that just wouldn't end. Thank goodness for the entrance of Athelny and his family - which had me thinking about H.E. Bates' The Darling Buds of May - as a nice jolt of sunshine to what was becoming a rather dour read for me. I read the first 40% of the book as a e-read before flipping over to audiobook. This story definitely worked better for me in audio format - as do most of the classics I have tackled of late - so kudos to Crossley for managing to draw me back into a story that was doomed to be a long drawn out reading affair for me.

What I didn't know until after I had finished reading the story is that Maugham wrote the manuscript when he was only 23 years old and was fresh out of medical school. I had read somewhere that some view Of Human Bondage to be the most autobiographical of all of Maugham's works but I had always assumed that the story had been written closer to its publication date when Maugham was in his mid to late-30's.

Overall, I am glad to be able to cross this title off my "Classics still to read" list.

Book #36 - Pelquin's Comet by Ian Whates
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Street Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: LTER
Format: e-book
Original publication date: March 30, 2015
Acquisition date: April 2, 2015
Page count: 289 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website listing:

In an age of exploration and expansion, the crew of the freetrader Pelquin’s Comet – a rag-tag group of misfits, ex-soldiers and ex-thieves – set out to find a cache of alien technology, intent on making their fortunes; but they are not the only interested party and find themselves in a deadly race against corporate agents and hunted by the authorities. Forced to combat enemies without and within, they strive to overcome the odds under the watchful eye of an unwelcome guest: Drake, agent of the bank funding their expedition, who is far more than he seems and may represent the greatest threat of all.

Review:
I am a big fan of Firefly, and in particular, the movie Serenity, so when I read a positive review of Pelquin's Comet here on LT and then saw the book was listed in the March LT Early Reviewers Program, I made sure to request a copy. This story hits all of the right chords with me as a wonderful bit of escapism adventure reading. The amazon.ca listing for the book has the following quote by Gavin Smith:

“Intrigue and action in this high octane collision between Firefly, the Bourne films and Indiana Jones. A two-fisted SF adventure, space opera as it should be written!”

I have read all of Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne books - they were part of my favorite summer time beach reads as a teenager. I am also a big fan of adventure-style movies like Indiana Jones and National Treasure, so I can easily concur with the Smith quote that Pelquin's Comet is a solid sci-fi treasure hunt adventure with the secrets, past lives and hidden agendas of the characters bubbling near the surface to tantalize the reader. The character mix is good and for a first book in a new series, the character development already has some traction. Pelquin comes across as the typical charismatic swaggering space ship captain who like to run things fast and loose. Drake and Leesa are interesting enigmas and I found myself wanting to know more about their hidden pasts, but my favorite character is Mudball, Drake's 'genpet'. If you have read Scott Westefeld's Leviathan series, think of a highly intelligent Bovril who engages in telepathic banter with Drake (and has a few secrets of his own) and that is Mudball. I also really like the world build in this story. It is a nice blending of the familiar (human inhabited cities with ground transportation, landing ports, etc) with the sci-fi (extinct Elders who were behind the creation of the highly sought after artifacts and the alien race Xters).

Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this one. If you are a fan of Firefly/Serenity, if you enjoy Chris Wooding's Tales of the Ketty Jay series, or if you just love a good treasure hunt adventure, I can recommend this as a book worth picking up and reading. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Book #37 - Guyana by Elise Turcotte - translated from the French by Rhonda Mullins
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth
Category: Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2011 (Original French text); April 30, 2014 (English translation)
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 144 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca website listing:

Ana, a free-lance journalist and her nine-year-old son, Philippe, are grieving the loss of Philippe's father when Philippe's hairstylist, Kimi, dies in an apparent suicide. Driven by a force she doesn't understand, Ana starts digging into Kimi's past in Guyana in 1978, which leads to nested tales of north and south, past and present, and to the Jonestown Massacre.

Review:
I will start the review off by saying that the book description above is probably not the best to give an impression of what this story is all about but it is what the publisher's came up with... I just added in Ana's career and the age of her son. For me, this story is more of an introspective examination of how death (and violence) leaves its scars on the psyche of the living. Written with wonderful sparse prose - Turcotte is a poet/novelist - Turcotte captures the essence of her characters' emotional turbulence, slowly drawing out not only Ana's burning need to understand Kimi's death, but also frightening details of Ana's own past and her dependence on her young son to ground her. The shifts in narrative work well to flesh out just how in tune Phillipe is with his mother's emotional balance and when she is withholding information from him. While Turcotte does bring into the story information about the November 18, 1978 mass suicide of the People's Temple cult members, she is elusive with Kimi's past in Guyana and Guyana in general, painting a half finished portrait of Guyana in quick, post-colonial strokes. The threads driving Ana forward with her personal examination of Kimi's death are tenuous at best and left me with some questions and somewhat unsatisfied with how the story made it to the ending.

Overall, a story that seems to be a bit at odds with its sparse, eloquent prose trying to contain the emotional turmoil that is pushing its way to the surface.

Book #38 - The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: The London Group
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2001
Acquisition date: 2009
Page count: 384 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website listing:

In the early 1900s, Bessie Bawtry, a small child with big notions, lives in a South Yorkshire mining town in England. Precocious and refined in a land of little ambition and much mining grime, Bessie waits for the day she can escape the bleak, coarse existence her ancestors had seldom questioned. Nearly a century later Bessie's granddaughter, Faro Gaulden, is listening to a lecture on genetic inheritance. She has returned to the depressed little town in which Bessie grew up and wonders at the families who never left. Confronted with what would have been her life had her grandmother stayed, she finds herself faced with difficult questions. Is she really so different from the South Yorkshire locals? As she soon learns, the past has a way of reasserting itself-not unlike the peppered moth that was once thought to be nearing extinction but is now enjoying a sudden unexplained resurgence.

Review:
I struggled with this one. The writing style is solid, but the story has that meandering quality to it that kept bring up the same question over and over in my head: "Why?" I probably should have read the Afterword first.... A story that is an author's attempt to develop understanding and meaning of the life of a departed family member through a fictional writing exercise is bound to leave some readers wondering about the direction of the story they are reading. For me, The Peppered Moth is more of a Drabble's catharsis then about the family stories contained on the pages. At least she admits that the exercise had mixed results, even for her. I did enjoy the historical detail the story contains and parts of the story reminded me of the manner in which Carol Shields chose to write her story The Stone Diaries... another book that some readers sings praise over while others wish to see it confined to the dustbin. If you haven't already guessed, The Peppered Moth is not an easy book to write a review for, so lets turn this review into a quick Q & A session instead:

Do I regret the time I invested to read this story? No. It didn't jump out and grab my attention but part of me could relate to or at least express sympathy for some of the emotions and experiences... although I did find the story to have a rather dour effect on me, which isn't a great positive.

Do I understand the choice for the title? Not really, so if anyone can explain their thoughts about why the title, I would appreciate it!

Will I read more books by Margaret Drabble? Not sure. I think the summary would really have to grab my attention, or if it was the only book available to read.

See.... even my Q & A isn't overly helpful in trying the capture my thoughts regarding this one. Let's try something a little different. The following quote, in my opinion, sums up this story quite nicely:

"There are too many memories here. Impatience is overcoming Faro. She has several plastic bags full of rubbish, and she is sure she is about to discard something important. Though how could any of this be of any importance? These are such little lives. Unimportant people, in an unimportant place. They have been young, they have endured, they have taken their wages and their punishment, and then they have grown old, and all for no obvious purpose. And now she is throwing them all into a plastic bag.

Book #39 - The Rosie Effect by Graham Simsion - audiobook narrated by Dan O'Grady
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2014
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 432 pages / 9 hours listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the gvpl.ca library listing:

The Wife Project is complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married, living in New York. But they're about to face a new challenge because, surprise! Rosie is pregnant. Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father, but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with the law. As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting friends Gene and Claudia to reconcile, and staying on the right side of the social worker, he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most.

Review:
Not as good as the first book, The Rosie Project, IMO. Don manages to find himself in otherwise implausible situations that have a serious as well as comical side and the friendships continue to provide the story with added structure, as does the New York City setting. The "Baby Project" makes for some interesting reading but overall, more or less just a 'meh' read for me.

Currently Reading:


Audiobook:
J is for Judgement by Sue Grafton; narration by Mary Peiffer
ebook:
The Finish by Angela Elliott - LTER book / Historical fiction mystery set in 1700's London
Physical book:
The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham - for my "based on a fairytale or myth' Bingo square

I was just thinking about you earlier today, Lori, and telling myself to check in, as I hadn't seen you around lately! Sorry for the RL curve balls - hope they end soon :)

Glad to hear you are fine, if busy. Hope the herbs are flourishing!

>188 lkernagh: I've read The Finish. Lovely cosy mystery.

Happy Sunday, everyone! The past week has been fantastic, weather-wise, and I am finding RL is starting to settle down and give me some breathing room.

Thanks you >189 katiekrug:, >190 ronincats: and >191 Ameise1: for stopping by and dropping a line!

As promised last week, here is a quick update on the Herb Garden.

Herb Garden Project
The garden is growing at a fantastic rate. Here are some quick snaps of the various plants as of this morning starting with a quick shot of almost all of the plants:



Here are some more detailed close ups:


Starting at the top row, going left to right, we have English Thyme (growing like a weed!), Orange Thyme (a recent acquisition that I am looking forward to trying out in some recipes), Marjoram (a plant I enjoy growing more as an experiment in learning how to shape the plant to grow the way I want - more bush-like, as I have yet to add this herb to any of my culinary dishes), Triple Curled Parsley (which I am rather proud of since I grew this plant from seed!).

Bottom row, we have Dill (another plant I have grown from seed), Chives (again, grown from seed), Garlic Chives, Mojito Mint (love the flavour of these leaves!), Spearmint (fantastic in drinking water with a wedge of fresh lemon), Creeping Rosemary (a plant I am trying to train like I have the Majoram), and tucked in the corner behind the plant stand leg, Fernleaf Dill.



Starting at the top row, going left to right, we have Italian Oregano (another plant that grows like a weed), French Tarragon, Purple Sage (I wasn't sure which type of Sage plant to grow but decided I didn't like the gangly look of Pineapple Sage), Parsley.

Middle row in picture (bottom row on plant shelf), Fernleaf Dill (more on this plant below), French Lavender and Spanish Tarragon.

On the deck in front of the plant stand, Basil (this plant is amazing! I am harvesting leaves every 3 weeks!), another shot of the Creeping Rosemary and Cilantro.

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

I have a thread over on the Gardens & Books group where I am posting my herb gardening adventures. Here is a link to the latest update to my Herb Garden Thread if you want to see more pictures.

Book #40 - J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton - audiobook narrated by Mary Peiffer
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Books Made Into Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1993
Acquisition date: July 14, 2013
Page count: 375 pages / 9 hours, 10 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the gvpl.ca library listing:

Wendell Jaffe looks great for a dead man! He's been six feet under for five years ago--until his former insurance agent spots him at a dusty resort bar in Mexico. Now California Fidelity wants its insurance money back. Can P.I. Kinsey Millhone get on the case? Just two months earlier, Jaffe's widow pocketed $500,000 in insurance benefits after Jaffe went overboard. Was his "pseudocide" a last-ditch effort to do right by his beloved wife? Perhaps. But how would that explain the new woman in Jaffe's second life? Kinsey is in for the long haul as she delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Jaffe's life and death...and discovers that, in family matters as in crime, sometimes it's better to reserve judgment...

Review:
I usually enjoy my visits with Kinsey and the trips back in time courtesy of Grafton's attention to detail. This story was no exception, although it did have its slow bits where my mind would wander. Even the introduction of previously unknown family members into Kinsey's life had a bit of a "ho-hum" effect on me. As far as the mystery goes, this one was okay. Enough missing pieces, questions and suspicious characters to give the plot some depth, but still, not one of my favorite Kinsey reads so far. The last hour of the audiobook did grab my attention, as did the the rather surprising reveal of the guilty party at the end.

Overall, I am looking forward to the next book in the series as they are always a fun way to escape from reality. I am also curious to see if the new characters introduced in this story will reappear and be built upon in future stories.

Book #41 - The Finish by Angela Elliott
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: LTER / TBR
Format: e-book
Original publication date: March 1, 2015
Acquisition date: May 1, 2015
Page count: 277 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.50 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing:

It is 1769 and these are violent times. London’s Covent Garden has long been a centre of hedonistic pleasure with its whores and harridans, aristocrats and artisans, actors, drunks and thieves. Prostitute, Kitty Ives, takes a man to her bed and wakes to find him dead. Fearing the gallows, so begins Kitty's quest to uncover the identity of the murderer.

Review:
I am a bit torn regarding my thoughts of this one. The historical details and setting of a gritty, uncompromising and unfeeling 18th century London, where the gallows and the Bow Street Runners are a very real threat to the lower masses, is portrayed rather well. I really enjoyed the Covent Gardens setting of street hawkers, bawdy houses, gin shops and coffee houses. The plot is interesting enough with more than one potential suspect for the murders, but I struggled with our heroine's rather quicksilver behaviour shifts of a gritty whore determined to protect her interests (her life) and a rather naive young woman who seems to fall in love/lust at the drop of a hat (as do a number of the men in this story). This made this story an unusual blending of a gritty suspense mystery - which I was expecting - with a rather light-weight romance - which I was not expecting. In my mind I was expecting Kitty to be more like Sugar in Michel Faber's The Crimson Petal and the White, so I struggled a bit when Kitty exhibited the more flighty, contrasting nature of a romance heroine. The inclusion at the end of the book of a teaser for the next book in the series was enough for me to add this series to my cozy-style future reads list for when I am feeling under the weather or I am in search of a bit of historical escapism reading.

Overall, this was a decent read. If you are expecting a gritty mystery suspense read, you may find this to be a bit of a disappointment, but if you don't mind a heroine who is a bit flighty in nature and you want a bit of romance in your historical mystery reads, this first book in a new series may appeal to you.

Book #42 - Fables: The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Street Art
Reading BINGO square: based on a fairytale or myth
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Graphic Novel
Original publication date: 2005
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 168 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the back cover:

With the Battle of Fabletown over, and the surrounding city of New York none the wiser, Bigby Wolf visits with an old friend, reminiscing about another, even deadlier war, while Snow prepares for a major life changing event and the Mayor of Fabletown faces a rude awakening to the harsh realities of civic administration and its conflicting demands

Review:
I did not realize how much I missed Fabletown until I settled in to read this installment. Great to reconnect with Willingham's modern twist on the fable and fairy tale characters of my childhood. I continue to enjoy the artwork - such wonderful attention to detail! - as well as the adult banter the characters engage in. Now I am itching to read the next installment.

Lori, your herb garden looks FANTASTIC! Way to go, you!

Your herbs are looking wonderful. I'm quite envious!

Waving hello and just in cases, telling you not to miss the Google Magna Carta thingy. :)

>197 lit_chick: and >198 thornton37814: - Thank you, Nancy and Lori! I guess I do have a bit of a green thumb after all. ;-)

>199 nittnut: - Hey Jenn, I did miss it, or maybe it hasn't posted yet? Time zones are soooo confusing some times! Not to worry.... someone has kindly posted a YouTube video of the Google Magna Carta thingy. Here is the link for those of you who may have missed it.

Yeah, I guess I'm a few hours ahead of you. :) Glad you found it.

Love the herb garden. My lettuces are mostly feeding the birds!!

The herbs are looking great!

Hi Lori -- I'm so impressed by your herbs -- wow! Hope you're having a good week.

Good morning, Lori. I like your herb garden. It looks terrific. Congratulations.

What a marvelous herb garden!

Hi Lori. I'm way behind here but you are one among many who have mentioned the Fables series. Kim bought a couple of editions for her kids when we were at Powell's back in the spring.... I think I'll try to get my hands on the first (I'll need to figure out where the starting place is) and see how it lands on me.

Lovely herb garden!

You know, I was addicted to the Kinsey Milhone series when it was new; I think I gave up around M or N..... I'm glad you're enjoying them. I could imagine rereading A is for Alibi just to get that taste of a new series from that era.....

Hi Lori, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Hi, Lori!


glitter-graphics.com

Hi >202 charl08:, >203 ronincats:, >204 AMQS:, >205 Ameise1:, >206 tymfos: and >207 EBT1002:. Thanks for the lovely comments regarding the herb garden. I am super pleased with how well the garden is growing. It is even getting a little bit of attention from the neighbors. I enjoy harvesting the herbs as much as I do growing them. I have started to freeze the herbs so that I have fresh herbs for the winter months. Below is a picture of thyme, sage, tarragon, oregano and rosemary that I am freezing together in one small ziploc bag as a "stuffing mix" for when I want to make some homemade stuffing as a casserole topping.



>201 nittnut: - How does it feel to be living in the part of the world that gets to be the first to experience things like New Years' Day? :-0

>202 charl08: - Sounds like the birds know where the good stuff grows. ;-)

>207 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen, the Fables series is such a fun way to revisit all the childhood characters, with a more adult perspective. A nice bit of escapism reading!

>208 Ameise1: - Thanks Barbara. I love the yellow roses!

>209 tymfos: - Yay, Summer is finally officially here!

----------------------
The weekend was absolutely fantastic. Great weather and tons of events what with the Aboriginal Cultural Festival, the start of Jazzfest 2015 and the Car Free Day 2015 street party in downtown on Sunday all happening.

Sunday morning while out for a walk in the neighbour hood I stumbled across a Little Free Library that is currently not on the LFL map which made for an exciting find during my walk.

On the reading front, I have finished two more books towards completing my Bingo challenge: The Secret Garden for "that reminds you of your childhood" square and The Wars for 'centered around a major historical event" square. I just need to find time to write the reviews.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Sounds like you had a gorgeous weekend, Lori. Good idea to freeze the herbs for the winter cooking. It's so lovely to have his own herbs all year.

You are so organised with your herbs! I could do with a leaf from your book...
I get the rosemary I need from local shrubs. Newish subdivisions seem to have the herb as a planted bush out front of the houses fences. They thrive, and a sprig or two missing is not a problem :)

^ Ha! We went to Hawkes Bay at the end of April and climbed Te Mata peak. If you want to truly be first, that is the place to be at sunrise. :) It was pretty cool.
We had fun teasing our family last year as they were waiting for "midnight" on New Years Eve in the US. We called them and said, Oh, that is soooo last year. Lol

Love the herb photos. You are getting a nice harvest!

>221 BLBera: - It was wonderful, Barbara. I am new to freezing herbs but the good news is they really don't take up much room in our freezer!

>222 bell7: - Thanks Megan! I am a little bit OCD about the gardening because: 1) I don't have the space to get let nature takes it course, and 2) I am really still learning the ropes. I figured the safest way to learn/experiment was to have separate pots for each plant. Brilliant way to obtain the rosemary you need! As you say, no one is really going to notice the odd sprig missing.

>213 nittnut: - I love the "sooooo last year" statement! Sitting on a mountain peak when the sun rises... that is my idea of perfection. sighs

Book #43 - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - audiobook narrated by Josephine Bailey
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Happening
Reading BINGO square: that reminds you of your childhood
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL / Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: autumn of 1910 in serial format: 1911 in its entirety
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 234 pages / 8 hours listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing:

This timeless classic is a poignant tale of Mary, a lonely orphaned girl sent to a Yorkshire mansion at the edge of a vast lonely moor. At first, she is frightened by this gloomy place until she meets a local boy, Dicken, who's earned the trust of the moor's wild animals, the invalid Colin, an unhappy boy terrified of life, and a mysterious, abandoned garden...

Review:
I loved this story as a child.... the secrets, the adventures of roaming free out of the sight of controlling adults and the wonderful woodland creatures that befriend Dicken captivated my childhood mind. So, you are probably wondering how the story stands up to an adult read? Pretty good. Yes, some of the dialogue and plot is a bit sugar-coated but the idea of a huge, 100-room mansion to rattle around in and seemingly endless grounds for fresh air adventures continues to catch my fancy, as did all of the secrets, and not just the garden secret. One aspect of the story that appealed to my adult mind that I probably glossed over as a child is the wonderful manner in which Burnett portrays nature's bounty and the overall joys of spring and rebirth.

A delightful story that I continue to love today, albeit for slightly different reasons that the joy it provided me with in my youth.

Book #44 - The Wars by Timothy Findley
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Books made into Art
Reading BINGO square: centered around a major historical event
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: trade paperback
Original publication date: 1977
Acquisition date: May 15, 2011
Page count: 240 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing:

Robert Ross, a sensitive nineteen-year-old Canadian officer, went to war—The War to End All Wars. He found himself in the nightmare world of trench warfare, of mud and smoke, of chlorine gas and rotting corpses. In this world gone mad, Robert Ross performed a last desperate act to declare his commitment to life in the midst of death.

Review:
I have to start this review off by saying that I was a little shocked to see this book displaying as a "Beach Reads" book on the amazon.ca webpage. The gritty and yet metaphysical examination of the meaning of life, survival and the atrocities that humans have inflicted upon other humans doesn't quite equate into a "beach read"... not in my mind anyways. I mean, this has some similarities to the story telling of Brideshead Revisited but with the grim brutal futility of war as a full frontal assault, minus the whole drinking and waxing philosophical bit. Now, don't get me wrong. I happen to be a huge fan of Findley's stories, especially the way he gets under his character's skin to expose the human condition for the flawed thing that it really is. I can highly, highly recommend Findley's The Last of the Crazy People, but I digress. In The Wars, Findley experiments with story telling by presenting the narration of this story as one of an unnamed individual's work to cobble together fragments of memories, snapshots and facts to tell Ross's story. I am still undecided if this was the best mechanism to use, as the story tends to jump around a bit and I was a bit confused as to what exactly happened to one of the characters, but Findley's ability to make me experience the trench warfare of World War I in all of its mud, confusion, harrowing despair, coupled with the determination to rise above it all is what continues to resonate within me long after I finished reading this story. Findley has a knack for producing wonderful quote-worthy passages, like the following monologue by Robert's mother early in the story:

For a moment she looked at what she'd done and then, without looking up, she spoke in a voice as passionless as sleep: "You think Rowena belonged to you. Well I'm here to tell you, Robert, that no one belongs to anyone. We're all cut off at birth with a knife and left at the mercy of strangers. You hear that? Strangers. I know what you want to do. I know you're going to go away and be a solder. Well - you can go to hell. I'm not responsible. I'm just another stranger. Birth I can give you - but life I cannot. I can't keep anyone alive. Not anymore.

I close off this review with two more quotes that really resonated with me while I was reading this story:

The first dead man he'd seen, I think. And he said that after a while you saw them everywhere and you sort of accepted it. But the acceptance made him mad and he said this marvelous thing: I still maintain that an ordinary human being has a right to be horrified by a mangled body seen on an afternoon walk. So what it was we were denied was to be ordinary. All our ordinary credos and expectations vanished. Vanished. There was so much death. No one can imagine. These were not accidents - or the quiet, expected deaths of the old. These were murders. By the thousands. All your friends were...murdered.

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

Someone once said to Clive: Do you think we will ever be forgiven for what we have done? They meant their generation and the war and what the war had done to civilization. Clive said something that I've never forgotten. He said: I doubt we'll ever be forgiven. All I hope is - they'll remember that we were human beings.

Overall, another brilliant, thought-provoking read from one of my favorite Canadian authors. I can see why this won the 1977 Governor General's Award. A worthy read.

Nice reviews! I am also a big fan of The Secret Garden. And I have to read something by Findley -- he has been on my list for a while.

Hi, Lori! Great review of the Findley novel. I have not heard of this author. Sounds really good.

Glad you enjoyed The Secret Garden, too, Lori! I thought it was wonderful on audio.

I re-read The Secret Garden a few years ago and had the same reaction, Lori. It stands up well. A Little Princess did, too.

Lori - I'm another fan of The Secret Garden, and the Findley novel sounds powerful -- not exactly a beach read, though.

Lori, your herb garden may have been hit or miss, but the plants you have look fantastic! I'm in awe of anyone who can grow something from seed or garden, as I have a notorious black thumb (I have killed two basil plants already this year, finally killed an African violet that had survived me for four years, and have killed cacti in the past).

That is an amazing looking herb garden, Lori. You have proven that you have a green thumb!

>215 lkernagh: I too have fond memories of The Secret Garden from childhood. I have enjoyed reading it with my kids too. I agree that as an adult, I see things about the story differently. It is one of the things I really like about reading books I loved as a child. Little Women is one I have read at different times in my life and loved for different reasons.

It's been awhile since I read The Secret Garden, but I did enjoy it. I've read it since becoming an adult. I'm certain that I'll tackle it again one day, but right now I have too many other books calling my name.

>217 banjo123:, >219 lit_chick:, >220 jnwelch:, >221 BLBera:, >224 nittnut: and >225 thornton37814: - It is great to see all The Secret Garden love here! I always worry that a favorite read from my childhood will disappoint me as an adult, so I tend to be a bit leery about re-reading them as an adult. It made for a perfect spring time audioread.

>217 banjo123:, >218 msf59:, >221 BLBera: - Findley is a really great writer and I hope you find his stories to be as good a read as I do.

>222 bell7: and >223 Familyhistorian: - Thanks! Growing from seed has proved to be more of a challenge, obviously, compared to buying a small plant and helping it grow. I have another batch of plants I am growing from seed with more success, probably due to the wonderful warm weather we have been having - more on that below - so I have been able to grow them outdoors without trying to 'greenhouse' them first.

I have killed two basil plants already this year, finally killed an African violet that had survived me for four years, and have killed cacti in the past

I can relate to your experience! I managed to kill both previous attempts to grow basil from seed. I still remember being horrified when, years ago, my new boss had bought me an african violet plant for my cubicle. I am to this day terrible at keeping house ornamental plants alive and I ended up agonizing for months to take care of the plant, almost as if I was going to be a failure as his assistant if I couldn't keep the plant alive. It eventually died and the boss learned that chocolates or cut flowers were a better "thank you for a job well done" gift than a plant. ;-)
--------------------------------

Out here on the west coast we have been having a wonderful stretch of weather but boy, has it been dry! May was the driest May on record since 1937, the year they started recording rainfalls. June if proving to be just as dry which means a total ban on campfires. Not good for a region that is an a old growth rain forest and known for its rainfall. I know my herb garden has been sucking up water like crazy. Luckily, since I bottom water the plants by placing them one by one in a large pail of water, I am not wasting any water but it was still a surprise to see the plant pots take in over 10 litres of water last night, after having been watered just three days earlier. It is supposed to be another hot one today so I am taking advantage of the office appropriate sun dresses that I have in my wardrobe to help keep me cool.

>193 lkernagh: Your herb garden is beautiful ~ and impressive! You're doing an amazing job for someone who can't keep a cactus alive. (I say that tongue firmly in check because, though I can bring back dying ficus trees and do very well with most other high-maintenance houseplants, I am very good at killing cacti and succulents, and even failed with a mother-in-law tongue plant.)

I don't seem to do well with most herbs here in Colorado. The only ones I managed to overwinter in the house are the scented geraniums. This year, I planted a garden and included cilantro (my sister loves it!), chives, basil, parsley, dill, and oregano. Only the oregano is thriving; the basil is full of little bite marks (I can't identify the culprit though I've been out all times of the day and night with a flashlight to check), the chives are hanging on by the skin of their teeth (so to speak), and the rabbits got the cilantro and parsley. The dill didn't even manage to sprout.

I wish I could send you a little of our cool weather and rain for some of your sunshine and heat. End of June, and we're having hailstorms and cool rain. Mosquitoes are loving it, but me, not so much.

Thanks, Mary and lovely to see your post! Regarding my black gardening thumb, the cacti mentioned above wasn't me but I have killed other plants on a regular basis - my other half had to resurrect our calathea plant multiple times to the point where I wasn't allowed to water it or ever go near it. Given my success with the herb garden this year, he will now let me 'occasionally' step in to water the plant. ;-)

I think part of my success with the herb garden is due to: Our now unobstructed eastern exposure (the garden gets uninterrupted morning sun until noon); the wonderfully warm and sunny weather we have been having over the past 45 days (which is very unusual) and the wonderful trick I have learned to fill the bottom of each plant pot with 1" of loose gravel for drainage.

I love your herb selection! My cilantro plant is not doing too well which is upsetting me because I love cilantro but it was purchased as a small plant and I am thinking there may be something with the soil the plant is in. Interesting that 'something' in your neighbourhood likes to nibble at the basil! I am also a little surprised that the chives are not thriving... that is the one herb plant that comes back year after year on its own in my parent's garden in Calgary, which has similar temperate and unpredictable weather as you have in Colorado. Dill is a challenge. Trust me. The dill I planted from seed continues to struggle/limp along. The fernleaf dill I picked up months ago as a small plant is the one that is thriving and I have learned that it really likes a lot of room for roots and to be harvested/pruned on a regular basis.

Thanks for the offer to send cool weather this way, if you could.

Book #45 - Halcyon Days a play by Steven Dietz - a full cast dramatization
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth Challenge
Category: Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL / Hoopla
Format: Audiobook, full cast performance
Original publication date: play world premiere October 24, 1991
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 72 pages / 1 hour, 35 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com book listing:

Senator Eddie Bowman cannot see the point of invading a miniscule Caribbean island to rescue a bunch of overly tanned medical students. But as the 1983 invasion of Grenada gets underway, the Senator finds himself at odds with a mysterious foreign-policy specialist who cultivates roses, the President's sexy new speechwriter-and his own son.

Review:
Political satires are a bit of a challenge for me. Either I understand the underlying circumstances - in this case, the US invasion of Grenada - or I don't and when I don't, I am a bit lost as to what is occurring. Luckily with this play, I had enough knowledge of the US invasion of Grenada, the cut throat political world of Washington DC and the misguided political agendas that can impact foreign policy decisions, to settle in and enjoy the play for what it is. Performed by a wonderful cast starring Ed Begley, Jr., Richard Masur and Anne Archer, this recording has all the wonderful characterizations and sound effects of a fully staged radio play, including sound bits of some of President Regan's actual speeches. Dietz has fun poking at the establishment, including the CIA, and incorporates enough factually correct information - like the code name "Operation Urgent Fury" for the invasion - to give the audience a focal point for Dietz's satirical romp to launch from. I liked how the play shifts between Washington DC and Grenada, giving the audience the chance to experience the situation from the point of view of the average Grenadian Ruby, who runs the gift shop in the Holiday Inn, and the people controlling the American political/foreign policy machine. As a big fan of the British comedy series, Yes Prime Minister, I was a little put out when I read a quote by a Cincinnati city reviewer on the Halcyon Days Wikiepedia page that Halcyon Days plays more like a Saturday Night Live sketch than theatre. I do not believe that all theatre needs to rise above the fun that political satires are meant to be and I do not view Halcyon Days as a light-weight, cheap digs satirical attack at the establishment like the Saturday Night Live sketches I have viewed over the years. It is a solid piece of political satire and deserves to be recognized as such. If you enjoy political satires based on actual historical events and if you have access to the audio recording, I can recommend Halcyon Days as a wonderful radio play-like audio experience.

Book #46 - The House Among the Laurels by William Hope Hodgson - audiobook narrated by David Ian Davies
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Happening
Reading BINGO square: that is completely outside of your comfort zone
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL / Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: February 1910
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 38 pages / 51minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the apple iTunes preview listing:

Ireland's Gannington Manor has remained empty for years, and rumor has it that the mansion is haunted. There appears to be blood drips from the ceiling, and two men have been found dead within - both in the great entrance hall, neither displaying any signs of violence. Perhaps it is a prank, or perhaps something more sinister. Psychic detective and ghost finder, Thomas Carnacki, recruits a group of strong men from the village - and their dogs - to accompany him during his investigation at Gannington Manor. Their mission is to spend the night in the mansion and see what occurs…

Review:
I usually have troubles with horror stories. I was hoping that this "Fantasy and Horrors Classic" short story would send a chill or two down my spine while I listened. It didn't from a horror perspective, although I did get a flicker or two as the focus of the story is on a paranormal investigation. Paranormal stories do tend to send a shiver down my spine. Not the best of stories, although I do not note that the original publication date for this one was back in February of 1910. It isn't as dated as I thought it would be. Overall a decent story if you are into classical paranormal investigation-style stories focused more on describing the occult investigations approach to paranormal detection than on presenting the reader with an emotional spine chilling experience. According to Wikipedia, this story is one of six short stories Hodgson wrote featuring his fictional occult detective Thomas Carnacki that were published in magazines between 1910 and 1912. Not sure if I will read more of the Carnacki short stories, but they do make for a quick audiobook read.

Hi Lori, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Not sure how I fell so far behind . . . but I've read through the reviews to catch up as best I can. Lots of good reading. Interested too in your assessment of the Drabble--she is uneven but interesting--and the Findley. I'll have to look and see what I have read of his. It sets off positive bells, at least. But I wouldn't have thought beach reading either!

So fun to revisit the great classics. The Secret Garden. I loved reading those books again with my daughter!

>228 lkernagh: I had trouble with cilantro when I tried to grow it once. I've read that it is hard to grow because it goes to seed so quickly. They say that you should turn the plant so that you work your way around it as you use it. If you don't need some, you should still get some every so often so that it will continue to grow and not go to seed. I'm not sure if I explained it very well, but you can find stuff on Pinterest (or via Google) on the topic.

My fault with the chive semi failure. I say semi because it seems to be coming back. *crossed fingers* As for the poor cilantro, it never had a chance to go to seed. The rabbits got it long before that.

>231 Ameise1: - Thanks Barbara!

>232 sibylline: - It is so easy to fall behind the threads, Lucy. Happy to see you stopping by! I think I appreciate the classics more as an adult than I did as a child, but re-reads still evoke fond memories, which is wonderful. ;-)

>233 thornton37814: - That is probably my problem, Lori. I tend to do better with plants that don't go the seed quickly or that will continue to produce so long as the summer weather continues. I am starting to be more ruthless in harvesting the herbs so that they will continue to produce but it is something I need to develop into a habit.

>234 Storeetllr: - I will join you in crossing fingers that the chives come back. At least the rabbits got to enjoy the cilantro. ;-)

Happy Sunday, everyone! Plans for today are to takes things easy - probably reading, baking and some gardening. Maybe a little laundry if I am up for it. I may even pull out my sewing machine a do some sewing. I bought some fabric a couple of weeks ago that would make into great summer tops. It has been a while since I last tackled a sewing project.

Yesterday was another wonderful day of weather. Impulse purchase yesterday while out and about was this cute single serve blender (and yes, mine is red, just like in the picture):



As you can probably guess, yesterday afternoon was spent experimenting with cool smoothie drinks... perfect for a hot summer day! Right now the vanilla blueberry milkshake made with fresh blueberries is my favorite, but I am going to experiment with the fresh cherries today. I think a chocolate cherry milkshake should be pretty darn tasty!

On the reading front I have two more books finished and reviews ready for posting. We replaced our stereo system a week ago and I love that the new system is wi-fi and bluetooth compatible. I can now play the audiobooks on my iPod through the home stereo system while I am puttering around dusting, cooking/baking and even when I am gardening. Pretty easy to make short work of an audio read that way!

Book #47 - K is for Killer by Sue Grafton - audiobook narrated by Mary Peiffer
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Books Made into Art
Reading BINGO square: N/A
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1994
Acquisition date: July 14, 2013
Page count: 320 pages / 9 hours, 30 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the penguinrandomhouse.com book listing:

When Kinsey Millhone answers her office door late one night, she lets in more darkness than she realizes. Janice Kepler is a grieving mother who can’t let the death of her beautiful daughter Lorna alone. The police agree that Lorna was murdered, but a suspect was never apprehended and the trail is now ten months cold. Kinsey pieces together Lorna’s young life: a dull day job a the local water treatment plant spiced by sidelines in prostitution and pornography. She tangles with Lorna’s friends: a local late-night DJ; a sweet, funny teenaged hooker; Lorna’s sloppy landlord and his exotic wife. But to find out which one, if any, turned killer, Kinsey will have to inhabit a netherworld from which she may never return.

Review:
Thankfully, I have never suffered with insomnia. I am a bit of the reverse in that I have troubles staying awake past 10:00 pm and my perfect sleep potion seems to be reading while lying in bed. In this Alphabet series book, I got to experience insomnia through Kinsey. I found this mystery to be one the better one's so far n the series. The little details had me trying to pin the possible murder on four different characters at different points in the story. The prostitution/call girl/porno movie angle and the night investigations gives the story a grittier edge to it. While we don't see much if anything of the now regular cast of the "Alphabet series - Kinsey's landlord Henry Pitts, his brother William, her somewhat friend restaurant owner Rosie, etc - it was nice to have a new character in the form of Officer Cheney Phillips potential new love interest for Kinsey? arrive on the scene. As with previous stories in the series, I continue to enjoy the nostalgic trip back in time to a pre-cell/smart phone world where one looks for a payphone or asks to use someone's phone when one need to place a call.

Book #48 - Incantation by Alice Hoffman
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Minimalism
Reading BINGO square: whose author shares an ancestor's fist name - Bingo Challenge Completed!
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: October 1, 2007
Acquisition date: January 22, 2011
Page count: 192 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing:

Estrella is a Marrano: During the time of the Spanish Inquisition, she is one of a community of Spanish Jews living double lives as Catholics. And she is living in a house of secrets, raised by a family who practices underground the ancient and mysterious way of wisdom known as kabbalah. When Estrella discovers her family's true identity--and her family's secrets are made public--she confronts a world she's never imagined, where new love burns and where friendship ends in flame and ash, where trust is all but vanquished and betrayal has tragic and bitter consequences.

Review:
This is a solid piece of historical writing, with a focus on the Jewish persecution that occurred in Spain. While the story does not include any specific dates, I think it is safe to say that it is set during the earlier years of the Spanish Inquisition, which would place the story around 1500's. The story chapters are uniquely named and their meaning becomes clear near the end of the story. Geared towards a YA audience, the three main characters - Estrella, Catarina and Andres - came across a bit-light weight against the backdrop of events occurring in their town/village, but that is just my observation. The romance angle seems to crop up in a lot of the YA books I have read. It cropped up in this book and I felt it really didn't add anything extra to the story.... more of an add on to justify the division in friendship, the acts that follow and to possibly attract an audience type that likes to see a bit of romance in their stories. The story also has a mystical feel to it, giving it the effect of experiencing the story as seen through a lace or gauze veil.

Favorite quote:

Knowledge was the way of our people, and knowledge was dangerous. It was the thing that freed you and the thing that put you in peril.

A true statement that can be applied to any number of situations and a valuable lesson for inclusion in any book.

You remind me that I should get going on the Grafton series. I'm on "C." The Hoffman sounds good, too.

>229 lkernagh: I love the cover of this book, and that it is political. But I don't know the circumstances of the object of the satire, so I don't think I will read this. It might just go over my head :(

>236 lkernagh: good luck with your smoothies! My fave is fresh orange juice blended with frozen mango. Yum! And then in the evening....just add vodka! (I have never done this actually, but I reckon it would be good).

>239 BLBera: - It is a fun series to read.. Not fun in the 'Ha, ha' sense but fun in the trips down memory lane Grafton provides. The Hoffman book was an okay read. I always tend to struggle a bit when a book is focused for a YA audience as it has been too long since I last fit into that category of reader and don't really have the patience for some of the stuff that usually goes on in a YA book.

>240 LovingLit: - the politics behind Halcyon Days is very American in nature. What with Canada being so close to the US the news was very much a part of my high school years and, as such, still remains rather prominent in my mind. As for the smoothies, they are a huge success. I usually make my morning coffee with a Bodum/French Press, so I now let the left over coffee at the bottom of the Bodum cool down and then use it to make my own iced coffee drinks. Take that, Starbucks!

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I won't be finishing any more books tonight so it seems like a good time to post my June and mid-year summaries.

JUNE RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ (ranked from most to least favorite):
The Wars by Timothy Findley -
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett -
Halcyon Days a play by Steven Dietz -
K is for Killer by Sue Grafton -
Fables: The Mean Seasons by Bill Willingham -
The Finish by Angela Elliott -
Incantation by Alice Hoffman -
J is for Judgment by Sue Grafton -
The House Among the Laurels by William Hope Hodgson -

June STATS:
# of Books Read: 9
# of Pages Read: 1,916 completed books
Average pages read per day: 63.87
Original Publication Date Range of books read: 1910-2015
Largest Book read: J is for Judgment at 375 pages
Smallest Book read: The House Among the Laurels at 38 pages
Books still in progress at the end of the month: The Map of Time by Felix Palma for my physical read and Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton as my audiobook read.
Interesting Fact: Nothing that springs to mind.

CHALLENGES:- as of June 30th
ROOTs Challenge:
Books read this month: 5 (14 in total)
Status: 56% completed (11 books still to go)

Reading Bingo Challenge:
Books read this month: 5 (25 in total)
Status - Challenge completed June 25, 2015

Commonwealth Challenge: - this is a multi-year challenge started in 2013.
Books read this month: 1 (16 in total)
Status: 30% completed (36 books still to go)

Category Challenge: Each category completed when 8 books AND 2,015 pages read is reached - *changing from original plans of a "whichever comes first" approach
Street Art - 5 books/ 1,273 pages
Happening - 4 books / 720 pages
Minimalism - 3 books / 685 pages
American Realism - 4 books / 899
The London Group - 6 books / 2,704
Books made into Art - 9 books / 2,761 - Category completed June 22, 2015
Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art - 4 books / 824 pages
Art - 13 books / 3,415 pages - Category completed June 22, 2015
Status: ~ 65% completed (~ 22 books still to go)

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



Pot of Gold has taken a decided lead in the race over Shamrock. We are still only half way through this year long race so it is safe to say that anything can happen.

MID-YEAR STATS:

No. of Books read: - 48
No. of Books acquired (included early reviewers): - 40
Largest book read by page count: - Of Human Bondage by Somerset Maugham at 720 pages
Smallest book read by page count: - The House Among the Laurels by William Hope Hodgson - short story audioread at 38 pages.
# Pages read: - 13,281 pages
Average # pages per book read: - 373 pages
Best Month, by:
----- Books read: April (10 books read)
----- Pages read: April (2,546 pages read)
----- Book rating: February (4.07 / 5.00 average decimal rating)
Top 3 Reads:

Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh - 4.85 / 5.00 decimal rating
Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich - 4.80 / 5.00 decimal rating
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers - 4.65 / 5.00 decimal rating

Bottom 3 Reads:

The Wings of the Spinx by Andrea Camilleri - 2.90 / 5.00 decimal rating
The Babylon Contingency by Clifford Longley - 2.90 / 5.00 decimal rating
The Happiest People in the World by Brock Clarke - 2.70 / 5.00 decimal rating