CBL Hums Along in 2015, verse 3

My 2015 categories are inspired by songs. I plan to read a minimum of five books in 15 categories, with a bonus category for free reading. I only need to read 75 books to complete my challenge, but I'll continue adding books after I reach the minimum threshold. The 2015 categories are:

Daisy Jane by America - Books by, about, or inspired by Jane Austen
Mystery Lady by Billy Ocean - Books by Agatha Christie
God Save the Queen - Books by British authors for @PaulCranswick’s British Author challenge
My Country ‘Tis of Thee - Books by American authors for @msf59's American Author challenge
Old Days by Chicago - Books read for the HistoryCAT and/or Reading Through Time
In My Life by The Beatles - Family history/genealogy
Daniel by Elton John - Books about war
Second Hand News by Fleetwood Mac - Borrowed books
If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot - Books picked for me
Fantasy by Earth, Wind & Fire - Books for the SFFFCAT
Sing by Gary Barlow & the Commonwealth Band- Books for my Commonwealth challenge
People by Barbra Streisand - Biographies
Everybody’s Talkin’ by Harry Nilsson - Audiobooks
Sweet Little Mystery by Wet Wet Wet - Mysteries
New Kid In Town by the Eagles - New books& ARCs
Bonus category: Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free reading

Daisy Jane (America) - Books by, about, or inspired by Jane Austen

1. The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su & Kate Rorick (4.5) - completed 1/3/15
2. Lovers' Vows by August von Kotzebue; liberally translated by Mrs. Inchbald (2) - completed 3/5/15
3. Edmund Bertram's Diary by Amanda Grange (3) - completed 3/6/15
4. Pride and Prejudice and Kitties by Jane Austen, Pamela Jane, and Deborah Guyol (2.5) - completed 3/22/15
5. Pride and Prejudice, Retold in Limericks by Seamus O'Leprechaun (3.5) - completed 3/14/15
6. Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope (3.5) - completed 6/6/15
7. Emma by Alexander McCall Smith (2.5) - completed 7/5/15
8. The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan (3) - completed 9/9/15
9. North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris (3.5) - completed 9/27/15
10. Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners by Josephine Ross; illustrated by Henrietta Webb (4) - completed 9/30/15

Possibilities:
Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope
Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid
North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris
Jane Fairfax by Joan Aiken
A Visit to Highbury by Joan Austen-Leigh
Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Mystery Lady (Billy Ocean) - Books by Agatha Christie

I'm in the middle of a years-long project to reread Christie's books in publication order.

1. Sparkling Cyanide (3.5) - completed 2/18/15
2. The Hollow (3.5) - completed 4/20/15
3. The Labors of Hercules (2.5) - completed 6/7/15
4. There Is a Tide... (3.5) - completed 8/15/15
5. The Witness for the Prosecution (BBC Radio adaptation) (2) - completed 8/24/15

God Save the Queen - Books by British authors for @PaulCranswick’s British Author challenge

1. Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro (3.5) - completed 1/21/15
2. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (3.5) - completed 2/16/15
3. The Scapegoat by Daphne du Maurier (4) - completed 3/9/15
4. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (3.5)
5. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham (4.5) - completed 4/30/15
6. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (4) - completed 7/12/15
7. Flush: A Biography by Virginia Woolf (3.5) - completed 7/25/15
8. Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene (3) - completed 8/25/15
9. Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie (4) - completed 9/17/15
10. The Long Song by Andrea Levy (4) - completed 9/24/15

My Country ‘Tis of Thee - Books by American authors for @msf59's American Author challenge

1. The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers (3.5) - completed 1/24/15
2. Daisy Miller by Henry James (4) - completed 2/16/15
3. The Master Butchers Singing Club (3.5) - completed 4/8/15
4. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (2.5) - completed 5/24/15
5. Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (5) - completed 6/30/15

Old Days (Chicago) - Books for the HistoryCAT and/or Reading Through Time

1. In Search of a Homeland: The Story of the Aeneid by Penelope Lively; illustrated by Ian Andrew (3.5) - completed 1/2/15
2. Confessions by Augustine (4) - completed 2/28/15
3. Brendan the Navigator by Jean Fritz; illustrated by Enrico Arno (4.5) - completed 3/3/15
4. The Voyage of St. Brendan - completed 3/18/15
5. Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Anthony Bacon Venti (3) - completed 3/27/15
6. Brendan by Frederick Buechner (3) - completed 3/29/15
7. The Brendan Voyage by Tim Severin (5) - completed 3/31/15
8. Murder in the Cathedral by T. S. Eliot (4.5) - completed 4/26/15
9. The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois (3) - completed 5/13/15
10. A Plague on Both Your Houses by Susanna Gregory (4) - completed 5/16/15
11. In Search of Ulster-Scots Land by Barry Aron Vann (2.5) - completed 7/16/15
12. Making Haste from Babylon by Nick Bunker (5) - completed 7/30/15

In My Life (The Beatles) - Family history/genealogy. "Some are dead and some are living, In my life I've loved them all."

1. The Porcelain Thief: Searching the Middle Kingdom for Buried China by Huan Hsu (3.5) - completed 1/16/15
2. The Fiddler on Pantico Run by Joe Mozingo (4) - completed 4/26/15
3. The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble (4) - completed 5/30/15
4. The Story of Penelope Stout by Thomas Hale Streets (3.5) - completed 7/2/15
5. Penelope: The Story of the Half-Scalped Woman: A Narrative Poem by Penelope Scambly Schott (4) - completed 7/11/15

Daniel (Elton John) - Books about war

1. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris (4.5) - WWII - - completed 1/25/15
2. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (2) - Civil War - completed 4/12/15
3. Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole (4.5) - WWI & WWII - completed 5/30/15
4. The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian (3) - WWII - completed 7/11/15
5. His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (3.5) - Napoleonic Wars - completed 7/26/15
6. The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation by Maureen Taylor (3.5) - completed 7/26/15
7. Dead Man's Land by Robert Ryan (4) - WWI - completed 8/11/15

Second Hand News (Fleetwood Mac) - Borrowed books

1. Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth (3.5) - completed 2/26/15
2. Farewell to the East End by Jennifer Worth (4) - completed 3/20/15
3. Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Margot Tomes (4) - completed 3/21/15
4. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko (4.5) - completed 4/5/15
5. Spiced to Death by Peter King (3.5) - completed 5/10/15
6. Diaspora: A Very Short Introduction by Kevin kenny (4) - completed 6/7/15
7. Quietly in Their Sleep by Donna Leon (3.5) - completed 6/27/15
8. Something Special: A Story by Iris Murdoch (3) - completed 8/3/15
9. The Pox and the Covenant by Tony Williams (2.5) - completed 8/16/15
10 Cooks Overboard by Joanne Pence (4) - completed 9/6/15

If You Could Read My Mind (Gordon Lightfoot) - Books picked for me. I'll probably try LT's Random feature to pick a random book from my library. If I do the Bingo Dog challenge I'll need someone to pick a book for that square.

1. A Timely Vision by Joyce Lavene and Jim Lavene (3) - picked by Dejah_Thoris - completed 2/8/15
2. Shaking the Family Tree by Buzzy Jackson (4) - picked by Familyhistorian - completed 4/18/15

Fantasy (Earth, Wind & Fire) - Books for the SFFFCAT
1. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
2. The City & the City by China Mieville (4) - completed 3/24/15
3. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen (3.5) - completed 4/10/15
4. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (5) - completed 5/4/15
5. Kindred by Octavia Butler (4.5) - completed 6/15/15
6. Time and Again by Jack Finney (4) - completed 6/22/15
7. Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin ; illustrated by S. D. Schindler (4) - completed 7/1/15
8. Catwings Return by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler (3.5) - completed 7/1/15
9. Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler (4.5) - completed 7/2/15
10. Jane On Her Own by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler(4) - completed 7/2/15
11. Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman ; illustrated by Brett Helquist (4) - completed 7/9/15
12. Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis (3.5) - completed 8/31/15

Sing (Gary Barlow & the Commonwealth Band) - Books for my Commonwealth challenge

1. Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin (4) - Rwanda - completed 1/23/15
2. The Trembling of a Leaf by W. Somerset Maugham (4.5) - Samoa - completed 4/14/15
3. King of the Cannibals: The Story of John G. Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) by Jim Cromarty (2.5) - completed 6/19/15

People (Barbra Streisand) - Biographies

1. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth (4.5) - completed 1/12/15
2. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff (3.5) - completed 1/31/15
3. Jesus Loves Me This I Know: The Remarkable Story Behind the World's Most Beloved Children's Song by Robert J. Morgan (4.5) - completed 3/10/15
4. Thomas Becket: Warrior, Priest, Rebel by John Guy (3.5) - completed 5/24/15
5. Shakespeare by Anthony Burgess (4) - completed 6/16/15

Possibilities:
Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
Thomas Becket: Warrior, Priest, Rebel by John Guy
The Black Count by Tom Reiss
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff
Shakespeare by Anthony Burgess

Everybody's Talkin' (Harry Nilsson) - Audiobooks

1. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare (4.5) - completed 1/31/15
2. 1984 by George Orwell (3) - completed 2/20/15
3. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (4) - completed 3/10/15
4. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells (2.5) - completed 6/20/15
5. A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton (3) - completed 8/4/15
6. What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell (4.5) - completed 8/24/15
7. And Then You Dye by Monica Ferris (3) - completed 8/30/15
8. Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies (2) - completed 9/19/15
9. Deadly Heat by Richard Castle (3.5) - completed 9/30/15

Sweet Little Mystery (Wet Wet Wet) - Mysteries

1. Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle (2.5) - completed 1/4/15
2. Glazed Murder by Jessica Beck (3) - completed 3/1/15
3. A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams (3) - completed 3/15/15
4. Real Murders by Charlaine Harris (3) - completed 4/8/15
5. Fatally Frosted by Jessica Beck (2.5) - completed 5/9/15
6. Death at Windsor Castle by C. C. Benison (3.5) - completed 6/15/15
7. Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth (3) - completed 7/19/15
8. The Dogs of Rome by Conor Fitzgerald (3) - completed 8/2/15
9. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson (4) - completed 8/22/15

New Kid In Town (The Eagles) - New books & ARCs

1. Beethoven's Tenth by Brian Harvey (4) - completed 1/17/15
2. Whiskers of the Lion by P. L. Gaus (5) - completed 2/21/15
3. That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, and What Our English Says About Us by Erin Moore (3.5) - completed 3/14/15
4. Washing the Dead by Michelle Brafman (4) - completed 4/30/15
5. Shirley, I Jest! by Cindy Williams with Dave Smitherman (3.5) - completed 5/20/15
6. Haitian Graves by Vicki Delany (2) - completed 6/13/15
7. Postcards from the Middle East by Chris Naylor (4) - completed 8/8/15
8. There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets by David W. Berner (3) - completed 8/25/15
9. The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher (2.5) - completed 8/29/15

Bonus Category: Free Bird (Lynyrd Skynyrd) - Books I want to read that don't fit other categories. :)

1. Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith (4) - completed 1/1/15
2. The Eustace Diamonds by Anthony Trollope (3.5) - completed 2/12/15
3. K by Mary Roberts Rinehart (2.5) - completed 4/20/15
4. Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth (3.5) - completed 5/31/15
5. Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope (4) - completed 9/13/15

Happy new thread!

>18 mamzel: Thank you!

My Thingaversary is coming up next week. I'll be at a conference all week, so I decided to do my shopping early. Maybe the books will start arriving by the time I get back from the conference. It's my 7th Thingaversary so I'll be getting 8 books. I've ordered:

Dead Man's Land by Robert Ryan - BB from Suzanne
Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie
The Orchid House by Phyllis Shand Allfrey
Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid
Emma by Alexander McCall Smith
Rex Stout by John McAleer
Sanditon: Jane Austen's Last Novel Completed by Jane Austen and Another Lady
The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation by Maureen Taylor

>20 cbl_tn: My 7th Thingaversary is on June 8th, Carrie, and I have already ordered my 8 books as well. It's a little early, but since you're going to be away, "Happy Thingaversary!"

>21 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy! I had fun picking out which books to order. I haven't bought many books so far this year.

Wow, just caught up on your previous thread and you've had some action lately, haven't you! Hope you're fully recovered from all the nastiness!!! Happy new thread! Happy belated birthday! Happy early Thingaversary! And a big smooch to Adrian as well - he's so adorable!

>23 -Eva-: Thanks Eva!

I hope you enjoy all your Thingaversary books!

Happy Thingaversary, Carrie! I look forward to your thoughts on the Austen adaptations. I keep looking at them in the bookstore and wondering if I should read them.

>25 hailelib: Thanks! I'm looking forward to their arrival!

>26 RidgewayGirl: You won't have too long to wait. I hope to read the adaptation of Sense & Sensibility this weekend.

This morning I took Adrian with me to pick up a prescription since the pharmacy has a drive-thru window. The woman working at the window liked Adrian so much that she gave him three treats! It's so hard not to spoil him when I run into enablers just about everywhere I go. ;-)

Book #6 in my Daisy Jane category: Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope

Although she's had a successful writing career, it must have been just a bit daunting to take on a modern retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility for the Austen Project, and to have her book released first. Many Austen fans will be pleased with the results. Trollope's re-imagining incorporates most of the major plot points of Austen's original in a way that makes sense in the 21st century. For example, Marianne plays the guitar instead of the piano, and asthma gives her family a reason to show constant concern about her health. Some things wouldn't have translated well no matter who made the effort, such as Edward's commitment to following through on an engagement to someone he didn't love. Engagements aren't binding in the way that they were in Austen's day. In an early 19th century setting, Edward's behavior is honorable. In the 21st century, it's unexplainable. Also, I think it would be really difficult for anyone to deal with the difference in maturity between Marianne and Brandon that would show Brandon's infatuation with her in a good light.

Trollope's characterizations are less successful than her plotting. Edward Ferrars and Colonel Brandon are not among Austen's most popular romantic heroes. They're even less appealing in Trollope's hands. Few writers in any era have had Austen's knack for revealing character through conversation and adherence to or deviation from social conventions. In the absence of a strict code of conduct in the 21st century, Trollope's Dashwood women are moody and sarcastic – even Elinor.

While I doubt there are many readers who will prefer Trollope's version to Austen's, I think most readers will enjoy experiencing Austen's story in a 21st century context. Readers reluctant to tackle Austen's original due to the differences in meaning and style of early 19th century English may find this a good entry point to Austen's works.

3.5 stars

Book #3 in my Mystery Lady category: The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot is thinking of retirement. Before he ends his career as a private detective, he challenges himself to solve twelve more cases. But not just any twelve cases. They will be carefully picked to correspond with the mythical labors of Hercules.

I'm not a big fan of short stories in the mystery genre. The format imposes too many constraints on plot and character development. This collection is less successful than most in my estimation. The connection with the labors of Hercules is forced. Few of the cases have anything to do with murder, the usual subject of Poirot's investigations. Poirot prevented a murder or two, but many of the other cases involved drug dealing and/or smuggling. Poor Poirot has been trying to retire ever since The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. He won't manage it this time, either, since Christie wrote about a dozen more Poirot novels or short story collections after this one.

2.5 stars

>28 cbl_tn:
Well, he lucked out with that cute impossible-not-to-spoil face! :)

>31 -Eva-: Adrian is indeed a lucky dog. And I am lucky to have him!

Book #6 in my Second Hand News category: Diaspora: A Very Short Introduction by Kevin Kenny

In his brief introduction to the concept of diaspora, historian Kenny first defines the term and then examines three distinct facets of the concept. Kenny attempts to reign in the definition of “diaspora”, which he suggests has loosened to the point of becoming indistinguishable from “migration”.

The word “diaspora” originates in the Greek language. It was first used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, to refer to Jews living outside Israel. According to Kenny, the three essential elements of diaspora are a forced migration or exile from a homeland, connections between communities of exiles to each other and to the homeland, and the hope of a future return to the homeland. Historical migrations that fit the narrower concept of diaspora include Jewish migrations during the Inquisition, the expulsion of Spanish Jews, Russian pogroms, and the Holocaust; African migrations resulting from the Arab slave trade and the Atlantic slave trade to Brazil, the Caribbean, and the United States; the Irish famine of the mid-nineteenth century that resulted in Irish migration to North America, Great Britain, and Australia; and Asian migrations of Indian laborers/indentured servants to Burma, Ceylon, and Malaya and Chinese laborers to Sumatra, the United States, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

This introduction will be useful to students in a variety of disciplines, including history, cultural studies, literary studies, and religious studies. Readers who desire a more thorough exploration of the concept of diaspora may put Kenny's suggestions for further reading to good use.

4 stars

I made it to Lori's institution yesterday - all of a 45 minute drive! I spent most of the morning getting ready, though. First I had to get my weekly allergy shots, then pack Adrian's things and take him to my friend's house, then pack my things and drive over here. (I figured my packing would be easier to do with Adrian out of the house!) There have been a couple of minor snags, but nothing Lori can't handle. The opening reception had to be moved indoors because of severe weather. It rained buckets yesterday evening. There was so much rain that the top floor of one of the dorms sprung a leak. Lori had to move everyone from that floor into different, dryer dorms last night. They found a place for everyone and it's all good now. :)

Not much reading happening this week, although I did make good progress in my audiobook. I tried to read last night after an evening meeting but only managed half a chapter. Today was my busy day. I had a presentation first thing this morning, led a meeting this afternoon, and presented an award at the banquet this evening. I skipped the entertainment so that I could pick up Adrian this evening. I didn't want to wait until tomorrow to get him. It would have felt funny being home without him tonight. He's curled up on my lap right now and we're getting ready to watch Father Brown.

Glad you made it home safe and sound. Of course it went well if Lori was in charge.

Welcome home! I've started reading Death at Windsor Castle :)

>36 RidgewayGirl: Thanks! I can assure everyone that the few minor things that did go wrong were Not Lori's Fault. Lori was as well prepared as it was possible to be. One hiccup was an Act of God - torrential rain on Monday evening flooded a couple of rooms on the top floor of a residence hall and a few people had to be moved to another building.

Some of my Thingaversary books arrived while I was gone. I'll spend at least part of the evening with the biography of Rex Stout, who was my 3rd cousin 3 times removed. The first chapter is a history of the Stout family all the way back to the early 17th century. And it includes footnotes. :-)

Also, I think it's really cool that the foreword is by P. G. Wodehouse, another author I love.

Book #6 in my New Kid in Town category: Haitian Graves by Vicki Delany

Sergeant Ray Robertson of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police is on assignment in Haiti with the United Nations, mentoring and advising the Haitian police. While on patrol, Robertson and his team respond to a call from the home of an American businessman. The American had arrived at home to find his young Haitian wife floating face down in the pool. Appearances at the scene suggest that her death was accidental, but the autopsy results indicate otherwise. Robertson's authority doesn't extend to murder investigations so he's relegated to the sidelines as an observer -- as long as he doesn't interfere with the investigation. This becomes increasingly difficult for Robertson when he becomes convinced that the police's prime suspect is innocent, and that the husband, his security guards, and American embassy personnel are obstructing the investigation.

This book is part of the Rapid Reads series intended for adults with low English literacy levels, such as ESL readers. I've read a couple of other Rapid Reads books that have cross-over appeal for readers who enjoy crime fiction in a short story or novella format. This book will have little appeal to readers outside its target audience. It must be a challenge to adjust one's normal writing style to the needs of low literacy readers. Delany's writing is adequate for the purpose, but it isn't elegant. Her sentences are short and choppy. Whole paragraphs consist of sentences starting with “I”. Delany also uses a lot of sentence fragments in her writing. This is a style that some writers, such as Louise Penny, use to good effect. I'm not sure it's a good fit for a low literacy/ESL audience. These readers would be better served by a style that incorporates complete and grammatically correct sentences.

This review is based on an advance reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

2 stars

Glad to hear you enjoyed the conference. I tried to take it easy this weekend, but I'm afraid that I had to deal with a few odds and ends that needed to be tied up. I will probably have to go to campus tomorrow for a short time just to sort out the linens and make sure they are ready to be picked up. I heard that some of the pillows got put into linen bins, and I have to get them out so they can go to the mission organizations instead of the linen company since those were purchased instead of rented.

>40 thornton37814: I don't know how you could have made it more clear that the pillows were not to go into the linen bins. Maybe some of the dorm staff thought they were helping by putting them there?

Book #6 in my Sweet Little Mystery category: Death at Windsor Castle by C. C. Benison

When a body is discovered in the Throne Room at Windsor Castle just before the investiture ceremony for the Knights of the Garter, the Queen calls upon Jane Bee for her housekeeping skills. There's a rather large stain on the carpet that needs to be dealt with before the ceremony. Jane's sleuthing skills are needed after the ceremony is over. The police obtain a confession almost immediately, which troubles Jane. She doesn't believe the person who confessed to the murder could have done it. But why would someone confess to a murder he or she didn't commit? Jane – and the Queen's – sleuthing will have to fit in around the business of Royal Ascot week, when the Castle is filled with extra guests. A handsome member of the Scots Guard becomes a growing distraction for Jane. She really wants to see him again, but unfortunately she didn't catch his last name and he's not likely to find her given the story she told.

Windsor was a favorite destination for my days off during the years I lived just north of London. This fun cozy brought back a lot of happy memories. The setting, the characters, and the witty narration were so entertaining that the murder and its solution were just a side attraction. I wish the author would write one more book in this series. A death at Balmoral would be a nice way to bring closure to it.

3.5 stars

>42 cbl_tn: This one is my favourite of the three. I love Jane's narration. Definitely second the motion for a Death at Balmoral, and add a Death at Holyroodhouse to round it off completely. But should they be set in the 90s still or should they be set in the modern day, with Will and Kate and baby George and baby Charlotte?

And after rereading this I am looking forward to seeing Windsor Castle for myself in the fall!

>41 cbl_tn: Some people even bagged the linens back up and put the pillows in them. Sigh! I got the ones that I found toward the top of the bins. I'm hoping that the ones buried under dirty linens are okay because I refused to drag all of them out just to check those bags for pillows. Bruce is going to tell the linen company that if they find pillows they can donate them to a charity similar to the ones we are using or bring them back by if they happen to be coming to C-N (which they do because they furnish the cafeteria's catering department).

>43 rabbitprincess: I think a Balmoral book could be set any time since Jamie's family lives next door. It might be fun to see Jane and the Queen become reacquainted under new circumstances.

You're going to Windsor later this year?! You'll love it!

>44 thornton37814: *Shakes head*

>39 cbl_tn: This is the second mention I have come across today about the Rapid Reads books. I definitely will check into them for my library. It would be a step above the Orca books and Bluford High stories that my kids eat up. They would help by giving them confidence to read books written for adults, I imagine.

>46 mamzel: The Rapid Reads books are published by an imprint of Orca. If your students like the Orca books, they'll probably like the Rapid Reads too. I think I've won three of them from Early Reviewers. The one I liked best is Beethoven's Tenth, and I thought Orchestrated Murder was good, too. If you look at ER reviews for this series, you'll need to keep in mind that some of the ER winners didn't realize they were getting a Rapid Reads book and were disappointed with the format.

Book #5 in my Fantasy category: Kindred by Octavia Butler

Dana Franklin and her husband Kevin have just moved into a new house when Dana mysteriously begins to travel back in time. At first she spends just a few hours in the past, returning to her own time (1976) to discover that only seconds have elapsed in the present. Dana has no idea how she gets from her home in California to early 1800s Maryland, but it seems it has something to do with her ancestor, Rufus. As Dana's trips to the past lengthen, they become more dangerous for her. Dana is an African American woman, Maryland is a slave state, and Rufus and his family are white slave owners...

Dana's story starts at the end. Readers know from the beginning that Dana is back in her own time, has been reunited with her husband, and has experienced a trauma that will stay with her for the rest of her life. The awareness of something dreadful lurking in the background makes it a difficult book to put down. Butler uses Dana to explore the slave system. Between her trips to the past, Dana has time to reflect on her experience and use what she's learned to prepare for what she's likely to encounter on subsequent trips, weighing the possible consequences of each course of action open to her. She learns that there are no good choices. The slave system is an unredeemable evil, and its psychological bonds are sometimes stronger than the physical ones. Highly recommended.

4.5 stars

Next up in audio: The Time Machine by H. G. Wells

Book #5 in my People category: Shakespeare by Anthony Burgess
HistoryCAT

Burgess's foreword tells readers exactly what to expect from this biography of Shakespeare:

This is not a book about Shakespeare's plays and poems. It is yet another attempt—the nth—to set down the main facts about the life and society from which the poems and plays arose. If I discuss the content or technique of what Shakespeare and other men wrote, it is not with a view to providing literary history or literary criticism; it is because the people in this book are mostly professional writers, and what they attempted in their art often relates closely to what they did with their lives...

What I claim here is the right of every Shakespeare-lover who has ever lived to paint his own portrait of the man.

Burgess combines the scant documentary evidence for Shakespeare's life with his knowledge of Shakespeare's works, the works of Shakespeare's contemporaries, Elizabethan theater, and Elizabethan and Jacobean society to produce a lively biography. Burgess's Shakespeare isn't a “dead white man” - he's a man, not just of his time, but of all times. This is a biography meant for lovers of Shakespeare, not for academics. Burgess provides no footnotes or bibliography. However, academics shouldn't dismiss Burgess's Shakespeare as irrelevant. It's the equivalent of classroom lectures delivered by a charismatic teacher, and his passion for his subject may continue to inspire new generations of readers to experience Shakespeare for themselves.

4 stars

I've heard nothing but good things about Kindred. I really do need to read it.

>50 RidgewayGirl: I think you would like it!

Re 59: I'm about to start reading Kindred for my book club which meets next week. Glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Carrie.

>52 sallylou61: I think Kindred will generate a lot of discussion for your book club!

I'm another one who has had my eye on Kindred for some time, sounds like a great read!

>54 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! I think it's a book almost anyone would like. Everyone can get something out of it.

I spy a new thread! Well, newish, but new for me since I haven't visited it before now. ;-)

Nice Thingaversary book haul!

>28 cbl_tn: - the pharmacy has a drive-thru window. What a cool idea. I have never encountered a drive-thru pharmacy service before. Is this rather new or do I live in the boonies? :-)

>39 cbl_tn: - Ooooohhhh.... I had my eye on that one and hemmed and hawed about requesting a copy. In the end, I decided against it and it would appear I made the correct choice. Good review!

>56 lkernagh: Almost all of the pharmacies here have a drive-thru window. They're great for picking up refills. I go inside if I have a new prescrxiption. And yes, you made the right call on the Delany book!

Book #3 in my Sing category: King of the Cannibals: The Story of John G. Paton, Missionary to the New Hebrides (Vanuatu) by Jim Cromarty
RandomCAT

John G. Paton was a Scottish Presbyterian missionary to the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) in the 19th century. Cromarty's biography seems to be based largely on Paton's autobiography and on Paton's wife, Margaret's, published collection of letters and sketches. Cromarty's retelling of Paton's life story is hagiographic, with little to no reference to sources other than Paton family members. Each chapter concludes with a summary and reflection questions. Teenagers are the target audience for this book, and many of the questions are meant to encourage teenagers to consider missions as a vocation. As an adult reader, I found the tone too condescending. I would have preferred to draw my own inferences from Paton's life and not had lessons pointed out to me in every chapter. I probably would have liked Paton's autobiography better than this book, and I wish I had read it instead.

2.5 stars

It's been a while since I posted any new photos of Adrian. Here's a picture with his friend Stella. Adrian stayed with Stella's family last week while I was at the library conference. Apparently he loved Stella's dog stroller, so I guess I need to look into one.



I pulled a tick off of his eyelid earlier this morning. Now his lid is a little swollen. I don't think I have any medicine I can use that close to his eye. I'll watch it this weekend and if it looks bad on Monday I'll take him to the vet.

Carrie, the above picture of Adrian and Stella is priceless!

I am having some difficulty finding books for some of the smaller countries of the Commonwealth and I will probably be trying a few self-published stories and memoirs to complete the challenge. I still have some big countries to get to however, starting with Malaysia for which I will be reading The Garden of Evening Mists next month.

>60 DeltaQueen50: Oh, I loved The Garden of Evening Mists! I have a lot of the smaller countries left too. The ones that are giving me problems are Nauru and Brunei.

>59 cbl_tn: Awwww! So cute!

>62 rabbitprincess: I know! It's fun to have them together, although Stella is just a bit higher maintenance than Adrian. Maybe that's just because I'm not used to her like I'm used to Adrian.

WHAT

Book #4 in my Everybody's Talkin' category: The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
SFF Cat

I thought I knew what to expect from this book since there are so many references to it in popular culture. I was expecting an adventure story along the lines of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, using a time machine instead of steam ships. I was wrong. This is a dystopian novel with a pessimistic view of humanity's future. The format didn't work well for me. It's essentially a story within a story. The first person narrator recounts the story told by the Time Traveler after his return, with the Time Traveler's story also presented in first person. I like Sir Derek Jacobi, but his voice wasn't right for this book. It needed a reader with a younger voice. I love time travel stories that visit the past. After this experience with time travel into the future, I may stick with the past from now on.

2.5 stars

Next up in audio: The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

Just catching up Carrie, and wishing you Happy Thingaversary. I'll be watching for your reviews, especially for the Val McDermid book.

The photo of Adrian and Stella is so lovely. I'd no idea you could get a dog-stroller.

Thanks Vivienne! I'll be reading Val McDermid's Northanger Abbey in September or October for the 2015 Category Challenge's Jane Austen group read. I'm participating through retellings since I've read the originals multiple times.

I didn't know you could get dog strollers either until my friend bought one. Now I suppose I'll have to get one for Adrian.

>61 cbl_tn: Those same countries have been difficult for me as well, Carrie. For Brunei, I have a book called "Terror On the Wind", a self-published book by a British solider that spent 1961-64 in and around Brunei when there was a rebellion there. I don't have very high expectations for this one.

As for Nauru, there is a book called The Undesirables: Inside Nauru that's available on the Kindle but it sounds altogether too depressing. Since Nauru is considered as part of Micronesia, I may look for a book that covers that. Also from 1888 to 1914 Nauru was under the control of the Germans and they administered it as part of the Marshall Islands, so I may also look there for a book that captures my interest.

>61 cbl_tn: & >68 DeltaQueen50: I found my Nauru read Paradise for sale by Carl McDaniel was interesting - although it is bleak.

>68 DeltaQueen50: >69 VivienneR: This discussion has motivated me to search again. I found a Nauru book that sounds like it could be interesting. Island Exiles is supposed to be about Japanese occupation during WWII. I found a used copy on Amazon that wasn't too expensive.

I will probably end up reading Rebellion in Brunei because it's available from my library as an ebook.

The phosphate mining made the island wealthy in the mid-20th century but devastated the environment. McDaniel's book seemed to me to be an example of what is being done to our planet, except at a slower pace.

I quite enjoyed Brunei : the modern Southeast-Asian Islamic sultanate by David Leake. It was entertaining in its own way as Leake appeared to be intent on scoring a few points after getting chucked out of the country.

>71 VivienneR: Island Exiles arrived today. From the summary on the back cover: "In 1940 few people from the remote central Pacific island of Nauru had ever left their tiny, beautiful island...Six years later, the Nauruans had been to the heart of the Japanese war machine and back, and were ready to take on a fight for control over their island and its rich phosphate reserves." It also mentions 3 years of captivity, exile and starvation, and that 2/3 of the population were removed to a different location. It seems as if this book will at least touch on phosphate mining.

I can see how a book written by a man who had been expelled from Brunei might have some entertainment value!

Book #6 in my Fantasy category: Time and Again by Jack Finney
SFF Cat

After New York advertising artist Si Morley accepts an offer to join a secret government time travel experiment, he winds up in New York in January of 1882. Why then? Si's girlfriend, Kate, had a family mystery to solve centered on a letter mailed then. Si goes from observer to participant in subsequent events, facing great danger and finding unexpected love. The new relationships he forms in the past will require him to make a difficult choice. Which ties are stronger – the past or the present?

I loved this book until the last few pages. The author had a point to make, and he did it explicitly to make sure readers don't miss it. For me, a lot of the fun in reading time travel books is in wondering how things will resolve. The removal of uncertainty at the end of the book left me feeling disappointed.

4 stars

Book #7 in my Second Hand News category: Quietly in Their Sleep by Donna Leon
RandomCAT

Commissario Guido Brunetti is surprised to receive an office visit from a young nun who had cared for his mother in a nursing home until she was transferred to a different facility some months earlier. He's even more surprised that the woman has left her order. She was disturbed by the deaths of several patients in the facility where she worked after her transfer. The patients had all died suddenly and of causes that had not troubled them previously. Brunetti looks into some of the deaths but his inquiries don't turn up anything. Just when it looks like there isn't a case, something happens that makes Brunetti realize that the former nun's life is in danger.

I like Brunetti in both his work and home environments. However, he doesn't really do much crime solving in this book. He appeals to his friends and colleagues to use their connections to get information for him, and he surprises a murderer into a confession when there was no evidence to support a murder conviction.

The Venetian setting of this series is its strongest appeal for me. The religious themes addressed in this installment also appealed to me. There is a Catholic religious order at the heart of Brunetti's investigation, and Brunetti's daughter has a problem with her Religious Education course at school that escalates to involve the entire family. I'll keep reading this series for the setting, the relationships Brunetti has with his colleagues and his family, and the special themes that Leon explores in each installment.

3.5 stars

>59 cbl_tn:
That's a great photo!

>75 -Eva-: I know! I finally caved to the pressure and ordered Adrian a stroller of his very own this afternoon. The things we do for our pets!

>76 cbl_tn:
There's no limit, is there? :)

>76 cbl_tn: Pictures required when it arrives!

>77 -Eva-: If there is a limit, I haven't hit it yet!

>78 thornton37814: It is in transit and should be here soon. If you want an early look, I bought this one.

Can't wait for photos of Adrian enjoying his very own stroller!

>80 VivienneR: The stroller is in transit. Since it didn't come today, I'll probably have to wait until Monday for it. I'll have an extra dog next week so it will come in handy!

My dryer died last night. Rather than try to have it repaired, I've decided to replace it. I have to was bedspreads and blankets every week because of my allergies and they've been taking forever to dry. I'd like to get something that will dry them more quickly. I've done some online research, and tomorrow afternoon I will go take a look at what I think I've settled on. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll have it in place before I need to do any more laundry.

Book #5 in my My Country 'Tis of Thee category: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

Heraclitus and I, prophets of flux, know that the flux is composed of parts that imitate and repeat each other. Am or was, I am cumulative, too. I am everything I ever was... I am much of what my parents and especially my grandparents were—inherited stature, coloring, brains, bones...plus transmitted prejudices, culture, scruples, likings, moralities, and moral errors that I defend as if they were personal and not familial.

When the book opens, history professor Lyman Ward has returned to his childhood home - his grandparents' house in Grass Valley, California. A bone disease has severely restricted his movement and confined him to a wheelchair, but his mind is still active. He plans to devote his time to reading his grandmother's papers and writing the story of their marriage. Ward's grandmother was Susan Burling Ward, an artist and writer who had followed her mining engineer husband west after their marriage. Susan was a cultured woman, and she didn't intend to spend her whole life in the “wild west”. Once her husband established himself in a career, she believed they would return to the East where she would resume her position among her cultured friends. That didn't happen. Lyman's research among his grandmother's letters, diaries, and papers reveals the hopes and disappointments of his grandparents' marriage and their shared life in the West.

As Lyman tells Susan and Oliver's story, it's easy to forget that, while they're the subject of the book that Lyman is writing, Lyman himself is the central character of this novel. The opening sentence establishes a conflict: “Now I believe they will leave me alone.” Who is they? Lyman's son, Rodman, for one. But who else? What do they want Lyman to do that he doesn't want to do? Lyman sets aside his own conflict to research and write about his grandparents' lives. Lyman is good at avoiding his problems, except when he's forced to by a surprise visit from his son, or by the provocative comments of his assistant, Shelly, a product of the 1960s counterculture. Every now and then Lyman has a thought or makes a connection that inserts itself into his grandparents' story, reminding readers of his presence.

This novel will likely be among my top five reads for the year. It's a book deserving of careful study and multiple readings. I'm already thinking about my next reading of this book, when I'll pay more attention to its structure than the story.

5 stars

June Recap

Daisy Jane by America - Books by, about, or inspired by Jane Austen – 6/5
Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope (3.5)

Mystery Lady by Billy Ocean - Books by Agatha Christie – 3/5
The Labours of Hercules (2.5)

God Save the Queen - Books by British authors for PaulCranswick’s British Author challenge – 5/5

My Country ‘Tis of Thee - Books by American authors for msf59's American Author challenge – 5/5
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (5)

Old Days by Chicago - Books read for the HistoryCAT and/or Reading Through Time – 10/5

In My Life by The Beatles - Family history/genealogy – 3/5

Daniel by Elton John - Books about war – 3/5

Second Hand News by Fleetwood Mac - Borrowed books – 7/5
Diaspora: A Very Short Introduction by Kevin Kenny (4)
Quietly in Their Sleep by Donna Leon (3.5)

If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot - Books picked for me – 2/5

Fantasy by Earth, Wind & Fire - Books for the SFFFCAT – 6/5
*Kindred by Octavia Butler (4.5)
Time and Again by Jack Finney (4)

Sing by Gary Barlow & the Commonwealth Band- Books for my Commonwealth challenge – 3/5
King of the Cannibals by Jim Cromarty (Vanuatu) (2.5)

People by Barbra Streisand – Biographies – 5/5
Shakespeare by Anthony Burgess (4)

Everybody’s Talkin’ by Harry Nilsson – Audiobooks – 4/5
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells (2.5)

Sweet Little Mystery by Wet Wet Wet – Mysteries – 6/5
Death at Windsor Castle by C. C. Benison (3.5)

New Kid In Town by the Eagles - New books& ARCs – 6/5
Haitian Graves by Vicki Delany (2)

Bonus category: Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free reading

*Audiobooks

Best of the month: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
Worst of the month: Haitian Graves by Vicki Delany

Physical books – owned: 5
Physical books – borrowed: 4
Ebooks – borrowed: 1
Audiobooks – owned: 1
Audiobooks – borrowed: 1
ARCs - 1

While I went dryer shopping this afternoon, a couple of friends took my old dryer out and cleaned out the vent hose. Things are all set for the new dryer. I went to the local Lowe's where they had one of the model I wanted in stock. Surprisingly, they are making deliveries tomorrow. I'll get a call between 5 & 6 this evening to arrange the delivery time. The store is open tomorrow, but I had assumed they wouldn't make deliveries tomorrow since it's a holiday. That will work out well for me since I have several loads of laundry to do!

Book #7 in my Fantasy category: Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler
SFFF Cat

Mrs. Jane Tabby can't explain why her four kittens have wings. She decides they should put their wings to good use by flying to the country to find a home away from the dangers of the city. Readers follow Thelma, Harriet, Roger, and James on their journey to find a new home. This beautifully illustrated chapter book could be used to transition children to independent reading. The story of kittens venturing out into the world without their mother may resonate with children starting school for the first time or going to overnight camp for the first time.

4 stars

Book #8 in my Fantasy category: Catwings Return by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler
SFFF Cat

The Catwings – four sibling cats with wings – love the home they found in the country at Overhill Farm, where they are cared for by children Hank and Susan. However, they miss their mother in the city they left behind. Two siblings, James and Harriet, decide to visit their mother in the city. They're surprised by changes that have taken place since they left, and by their discovery of a black kitten...with wings just like theirs. Readers who fell in love with the Catwings in their first appearance will enjoy their further adventures. This book doesn't stand as well on its own as do the other books in the series. It seems to serve a dual purpose of sequel to the first book and setting the stage for the next two books in the series.

3.5 stars

Book #9 in my Fantasy category: Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler
SFFF Cat

Alexander Furby is a wonderful kitten. Everyone says so. He thinks of himself as Wonderful Alexander. When it seems that he's done everything there is to do within the grounds of his country home, he sneaks off one night to see the world. The world is much scarier than he anticipated. When he finds himself in a difficult situation he can't handle on his own, fortunately a cat – with wings! - comes to his rescue. This is my favorite book in the Catwings series. Alexander's predicament will help children develop a healthy sense of self-worth. Through Alexander, children will learn that it's OK to accept help from others when you're in over your head, and it's good to use your strengths to help others.

4.5 stars

Book #10 in my Fantasy category: Jane On Her Own by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler
SFFF Cat

Although young Jane, the most recent addition to the Catwings, loves life at Overhill Farm, she becomes convinced that she needs to use her wings to see the world. She doesn't listen to her siblings' warnings of what will surely happen once human beans beings discover that there are cats with wings. Jane journeys back to the city of her birth, where she finds a friendly human bean being who takes good care of her, but who makes sure that she can't use her wings to travel away from him. Will Jane ever see her family again? This final Catwings book brings the series to a happy conclusion. I'm glad to have discovered this series, and it will go on my list of children's books to give as shower gifts, Christmas gifts, or a child's birthday gift.

4 stars

June looks like it was a good month for books reads and YAY for new dryer! Dryers are indispensable, IMO. For me, a number of clothing items - blue jeans, towels, etc automatically spring to mind - are items that I will run through the dryer even if I have the ability to hang wet laundry outdoors to dry - which I don't. I don't do stiff jeans or rough-feeling towels!

>90 lkernagh: June was a bit hectic, but it wasn't bad as reading goes! I did have a few duds, but books like Angle of Repose and Kindred made up for it.

The dryer should arrive mid-morning tomorrow. It looks like I'll be able to do laundry as usual tomorrow afternoon!

Book #4 in my In My Life category: The Story of Penelope Stout by Thomas Hale Streets
HistoryCAT

Penelope Stout became a legend in her own time after surviving an Indian attack in which her husband was killed. Penelope and her first husband were among the passengers on a Dutch ship that landed at Sandy Hook, New Jersey in the first half of the 17th century. Penelope's husband was too sick to make his way to New Amsterdam with their fellow travelers, so Penelope stayed behind with him. Her husband was murdered by Indians and Penelope was left for dead. Several days later she was discovered by other Indians who nursed her back to health. Penelope later married Richard Stout and had several children. They were among the earliest settlers of Monmouth County, New Jersey.

250 years later, Thomas Hale Streets attempted to uncover the truth behind the legend. He compared accounts of Penelope's life found in several histories of the era, and he examined official records from the period. Streets reconciles chronological inconsistencies within and between the accounts. However, the earliest history that Streets discovered about these events dates from almost a century after Penelope's arrival with her first husband.

Streets updates this account of Penelope Stout's life in The Stout Family of Delaware. Readers with more than a casual interest in Penelope's life should seek out his later work. Both this work and The Stout Family of Delaware are available in Google Books.

3.5 stars

That's great news, Carrie. I once had to wait six weeks for Sears to get someone out to repair my washer. That was really not fun.

>93 RidgewayGirl: Everyone I know has a Sears delivery or repair horror story. When I was growing up, that wasn't the case. I had my first problem with Sears after I moved to Morristown. I completely quit shopping there because of the problem and have been happy with the alternative places I've used.

The new dryer arrived just before lunchtime. It's lovely! I've already done a couple of loads of laundry, and it plays a cheerful little tune when it finishes a load.

Book #7 in my Daisy Jane category: Emma by Alexander McCall Smith

'Everybody can be happier than they are.' {Emma} said. 'They may not know it – yes, I accept that – but that doesn't mean to say that they can't be made happier. Other people can make them happier; other people can arrange happiness for them.'

She was sure that she was right...And just as she worked out what she thought about this, she realized, too, that this was something she could do with her life. She could make people happier by helping them to find happiness. It was very simple, really; all that was required was a willingness to take the initiative and show people where they should look.

Emma Woodhouse is a privileged young woman. She has no interest in men or marriage. She has plans to start an interior design business when she returns home after completing a university degree, but those plans are put on hold when she adopts a mission to make other people happy. Happy as defined by Emma, of course. She is opinionated and believes that she knows better than the individuals involved what is best for them. She'll learn just how little she really knows about people and relationships.

Readers unfamiliar with Jane Austen's Emma may enjoy this book more than Austen's fans will. It's typical McCall Smith, with a moral tone reminiscent of his Isabel Dalhousie series. McCall Smith's Emma is even less likeable than Austen's Emma. Austen's Emma is thoughtless, but rarely intentionally rude or dishonest. McCall Smith's Emma is arrogant, lying, and sometimes cruel. He gives readers little evidence of any change in Emma's character that would make her more attractive to a good man like George Knightly.

McCall Smith begins his story earlier than Austen's. Most Austen fans will view this as a weakness since the back story is developed at the expense of familiar plot elements from Austen's Emma. Readers see very little of George Knightly either on his own or with Emma. McCall Smith leaves out the misunderstanding between Emma and Knightly over her feelings for Frank Churchill and his feelings for Harriet Smith that adds so much emotion and tension to the love scene in Austen's Emma. I'm a fan of McCall Smith's writing, but I'm afraid this one is badly done.

2.5 stars

>96 cbl_tn: Nice allusion to the original book with "badly done"! :) I have been very skeptical of this series of Austen rewrites, and your review is certainly reinforcing that opinion!

>97 christina_reads: Thanks! I liked but didn't love Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope. Her plot stayed closer to the original. I haven't read any of her other books so I don't know how it compares to her usual fare.

The only one of the Austen rewrites that tempts me at all is the Northanger Abbey one. And I'll read pretty much any contemporary novel based on Jane Austen's novels.

>99 RidgewayGirl: I have the Northanger Abbey one! I'm saving it for October. Then I'll have to wait for the next three to be published.

Book #11 in my Fantasy category: Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Brett Helquist
SFFF Cat

This coming-of-age tale from Norway's Viking era features a boy named Odd and gods from Norse mythology. Odd's mother has remarried after Odd's father's death. Odd decides to leave home to escape his stepfather's poor treatment. He meets a bear, an eagle, and a fox, and soon learns that they are really the gods Thor, Odin, and Loki. Together the four set out for Asgard to free it from the Frost Giants and the endless winter they've caused to fall on the land. Odd's confidence grows as he overcomes obstacles on his quest.

Readers of all ages will enjoy this enchanting myth. Children may be encouraged by the realization that they are capable of doing things of significance and of making life better for those they love. The “about the author” section is not to be missed. I don't think I've read a more entertaining author bio!

4 stars

Book #5 in my In My Life category: Penelope: The Story of the Half-Scalped Woman: A Narrative Poem by Penelope Scambly Schott
HistoryCAT
Bingo Dog

The poet tells the story of Penelope Stout, 17th century immigrant to the New World and an early settler of New Jersey, in a series of linked poems. The little that is known about Penelope Stout is woven into the poems along with imagery drawn from the Odyssey, Lenape language and customs, and feminism. I was drawn to it because Penelope Stout is a distant ancestor. The poems are written from Penelope Stout's perspective, and reading the collection helped me to imagine her as a living, breathing person who was more than a name and a legend to her family and neighbors. The book includes an afterword that explains which aspects of the poems are true and which are imagined, as well as a bibliography listing works that form the basis of the poet's knowledge of Penelope Stout and her circumstances. The collection will appeal to readers with an interest in early New Jersey or Dutch history as well as to the many descendants of Penelope Stout.

4 stars

Book #4 in my Daniel category: The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian
RandomCAT

In 1955, a killer is targeting members of the Rosati family. Not content to just murder them, he is cutting out their hearts. Police investigator Serafina Bettini believes that the murders may be related to something that happened during the war a decade earlier. The Rosatis lived on a Tuscan estate and came to the attention of the Nazis when an Etruscan tomb was discovered on the estate. German officers made frequent visits to the estate, and soon a romance developed between a German lieutenant and 18-year-old Cristina Rosati. The war years would end tragically for the Rosati family. The investigation into the 1955 murders awakens disturbing memories for Serafina, who had been a partisan during the war with a group operating very near the Rosati estate.

This book attempts to marry historical fiction with police procedural. It would probably turned out better if it had been one or the other. The purpose of the police investigation seems to be to develop the war era plot. The focus is on the motive for the murders rather than on identifying the killer, and the investigation makes little headway. The Tuscan setting was the best part of the book for me.

3 stars

Next up in audio: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

Book #6 in my God Save the Queen category: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
RandomCAT

Virginia Woolf takes a seemingly insignificant disagreement about tomorrow's weather and turns it into an analysis of human character and relationships. Woolf shifts perspective often, revealing each character's thoughts and feelings through a stream of consciousness technique. The Ramseys and a few guests are at a summer home near the sea, and Woolf uses the sea's movement as a metaphor to describe the thoughts, emotions, and interpersonal relations of the characters. The book is divided into three sections. By the end of the first section, Woolf has given the reader a pretty good idea of how some of the characters influence the others. The middle section provides a bridge to the latter section, where Woolf explores the effects of the absence of characters from the first section on the remaining characters.

Although I've read only a handful of stream of consciousness novels, I'm fascinated by the technique. Done well, it really does mirror the activity in my own head. I'm an introvert, so I tend to spend a lot of time there. I'm not sure that this technique will appeal so much to extroverts. I think stream of consciousness novels may be books by introverts for introverts.

4 stars

Book #11 in my Old Days category: In Search of Ulster-Scots Land by Barry Aron Vann
HistoryCAT

The author examines the influence of the Presbyterian religion on the formation of a distinctive culture in Northern Ireland and southwestern Scotland in the 17th century. He traces both the theology and the migrations of ministers to document patterns of migrations to and from Northern Ireland and Scotland throughout the 17th century. The focus of the final chapter shifts to Appalachia, and particularly southern Appalachia, through waves of Ulster-Scots immigration beginning early in the 18th century. Vann points out several areas of similarity between Appalachian and 17th century Ulster-Scots culture and religious beliefs.

Most of this book reads like a doctoral dissertation. The structure of the book and the technical language are best suited to graduate students and specialists. It was difficult reading, but the final chapter, “Irish Protestants and the creation of the Bible Belt,” was worth the effort it took to get through the rest of the book. Although I'm tempted to suggest that interested readers concentrate on just this chapter, I won't. The continuity of culture between 17th century Ulster/southwest Scotland and modern Appalachia is a main point of the book. Recommended for specialists in Appalachian studies or Presbyterian church history.

2.5 stars

I love your description of a stream of consciousness novel.

>106 RidgewayGirl: Thanks! It seems like readers have strong opinions about this style of writing. It may be an overgeneralization on my part, though.

It is a gorgeous day out today. I spent a good part of the morning shopping after I dropped Adrian off for a grooming appointment. Some teenagers from the local high school are doing a car wash fund raiser in the parking lot at the grocery store. It's perfect car wash weather and I was glad to take advantage of the opportunity!

Book #7 in my Sweet Little Mystery category: Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth
Bingo Dog
RandomCAT (UK title: Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders

Author Oscar Wilde is shaken by his discovery of the naked and bloody corpse of a teenage acquaintance Billy Wood. However, he doesn't immediately go to the police. While breakfasting the next morning with his friends Robert Sherard and his new acquaintance Arthur Conan Doyle, Wilde tells them about his gruesome discovery and asks them to return to the scene of the crime with him. Wilde is as surprised as anyone to find an empty room with no trace of a body or of the crime that had been committed there. It seems that Scotland Yard is not interesting in investigating a crime without a body or evidence, so Wilde sets out to solve the murder himself, assisted by his friend and diarist Sherard. Taking his inspiration from Doyle's A Study in Scarlet, Wilde assumes the persona of Sherlock Holmes.

The pacing of the investigation is uneven, with several months elapsing between the murder and its resolution. Some of the descriptive passages are repetitive. For instance, Wilde is often described as “on song” and “wearing his bottle-green overcoat with the astrakhan collar”. Although some aspects of the book are flawed, this was still an entertaining read. Gyles Brandreth's affection for Oscar Wilde is contagious.

3 stars

Book #7 in my God Save the Queen category: Flush: A Biography by Virginia Woolf

I love dogs and 19th century British literature so I couldn't resist this biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Cocker Spaniel, Flush, when I came across it in my public library's Overdrive collection. Elizabeth Barrett was an invalid when Flush came to live with her. By the end of Flush's life, she had married Robert Browning and moved to Italy. Flush's biography gives readers a dog's eye view of the Brownings' courtship and marriage. Woolf's writing reveals an understanding of and sympathy with dogs. She also slips in some interesting tidbits about Browning's circle, such as Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton believing himself to be invisible. It's an undemanding and entertaining read that will appeal to many dog lovers.

3.5 stars

Book #5 in my Daniel category: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
SFFF Cat

His Majesty's Dragon offers a fresh take on the Napoleonic Wars with aerial warfare in addition to sea warfare. As the title suggests, the aviators don't pilot machines; they pilot dragons. Naval Captain William Laurence was happy in his naval career when it took an unexpected turn. After capturing a dragon egg in the cargo of a French ship, Laurence is there to bond with the newly hatched dragon, whom he names Temeraire. Laurence finds himself starting over in a new branch of the service as he and Temeraire undergo training. Eventually they get the chance to test themselves in an aerial battle against France's dragons.

I prefer war fiction that focuses on the home front or military intelligence/espionage rather than on battlefield action. I found that this is the case even when the battles involve dragons rather than ships or planes. I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Laurence and Temeraire and the “basic training” they undergo with other dragons and their handlers. My attention wandered during the actual battle scenes. Even the excellent narration by Simon Vance couldn't hold my attention during those parts of the story. I may pick up the next book in the series at some point to see how Temeraire continues to develop, but I'm not in a hurry to do it.

3.5 stars

Next up in audio: A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton

Book #6 in my Daniel category: The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation by Maureen Taylor

Genealogist Maureen Taylor uses her specialist knowledge of photographic identification to compile and annotate a collection of photographs of Revolutionary War veterans. The longest-lived veterans were still living when photography was in its infancy. Taylor strays a bit from the main focus of the book by including photographs of individuals who didn't participate in the war but who had childhood memories of some aspect of the war. The individuals profiled include a few women, African Americans, and Native Americans. I noticed several inconsistencies between the birth/death dates given for the individuals and events mentioned in their biographical sketches. For instance, some were said to have done things after the death date listed for them. The bibliographic essay is a nice touch that will help readers locate additional information on aspects of interest to them (photographic history, costume, etc.). The high-quality paper and attractive layout make it suitable as a coffee table book. Guests with an interest in U.S. history won't be able to resist browsing!

3.5 stars

Happy to see you mostly enjoyed His Majesty's Dragon. I read the first three books in the series and then feeling I had had enough of dragons haven't read any further. Of the three, I liked the first one the best, mostly for the same reason you list, the original bonding of Temeraire and Laurence.

>113 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! I've been branching out of my usual genres with the SFFF Cat this year. I'm finding that I mostly enjoy historical fantasy.

Book #12 in my Old Days category: Making Haste from Babylon by Nick Bunker
HistoryCAT

This book examines factors that led to the success of the Plymouth Colony. These factors were largely economic and political. There’s still plenty of discussion of religion (Catholic, Anglican, Puritan, Separatist, Huguenots), but the in-depth exploration of the economic and political climate is what stands out. What did beaver pelts have to do with the success of the Plymouth Colony? A lot, it seems. With a background in investment banking and financial journalism, Nick Bunker is well-suited to explain the economic links between the Old and New Worlds in a way that the average reader can both understand and enjoy. To accomplish this, Bunker mined archival repositories for “forgotten” resources. In his words:

The very early settlement of New England was achieved entirely by private enterprise. The traces it left linger in obscure, unfashionable places, in archives relating to trade, lawsuits, and the sea. These are often hardly touched at all.

Highly recommended for readers wanting something a little different from the standard histories of the Pilgrims and the Plymouth Colony.

5 stars

July Recap

Daisy Jane by America - Books by, about, or inspired by Jane Austen – 7/5
Emma by Alexander McCall Smith (2.5)

Mystery Lady by Billy Ocean - Books by Agatha Christie – 3/5

God Save the Queen - Books by British authors for @PaulCranswick’s British Author challenge – 7/5
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf(4)
Flush: A Biography by Virginia Woolf (3.5)

My Country ‘Tis of Thee - Books by American authors for @msf59's American Author challenge – 5/5

Old Days by Chicago - Books read for the HistoryCAT and/or Reading Through Time – 12/5
In Search of Ulster-Scots Land by Barry Aron Vann
(2.5)
Making Haste from Babylon by Nick Bunker (5)

In My Life by The Beatles - Family history/genealogy – 5/5
The Story of Penelope Stout by Thomas Hale Streets (3.5)
Penelope: The Story of the Half-Scalped Woman: A Narrative Poem by Penelope Scambly Schott (4)

Daniel by Elton John - Books about war – 6/5
*The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian (3)
*His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik (3.5)
The Last Muster: Images of the Revolutionary War Generation by Maureen Taylor (3.5)

Second Hand News by Fleetwood Mac - Borrowed books – 7/5

If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot - Books picked for me – 2/5

Fantasy by Earth, Wind & Fire - Books for the SFFFCAT – 11/5
Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler (4)
Catwings Return by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler (3.5)
Wonderful Alexander and the Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler (4.5)
Jane On Her Own by Ursula K. Le Guin; illustrated by S. D. Schindler (4)
Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Brett Helquist (4)

Sing by Gary Barlow & the Commonwealth Band- Books for my Commonwealth challenge – 3/5

People by Barbra Streisand – Biographies – 5/5

Everybody’s Talkin’ by Harry Nilsson – Audiobooks – 4/5

Sweet Little Mystery by Wet Wet Wet – Mysteries – 7/5
Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth (3)

New Kid In Town by the Eagles - New books& ARCs – 6/5

Bonus category: Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free reading

*Audiobooks

Best of the month: Making Haste from Babylon by Nick Bunker
Worst of the month: Emma by Alexander McCall Smith

Physical books – owned: 3
Physical books – borrowed: 8
Ebooks – borrowed: 2
Ebooks – owned: 1
Audiobooks – borrowed: 2

>111 cbl_tn:
I have that one on the wishlist, but battles aren't my strong point either, so perhaps I'll go with the paper version so I can skim those. :)

>117 -Eva-: Ha! I had already decided to do that very thing with the next book! Great minds and all...

"Great minds and all..."
Or "fools never differ." :)

I think I have a sick puppy on my hands. Adrian threw up as soon as I got home from work yesterday, and he threw up again first thing this morning. (On my bed, but I was going to wash the bedding anyway.) Both times it had been several hours since he had a meal so I'm thinking he may have drainage that's upsetting his stomach. Weed season has started here and I think his allergies may be bothering him. I'll give him some Benadryl and keep him on a bland diet for a couple of days. If he doesn't perk up by Monday I'll take him to see the vet.

Oh no, poor little guy! Being sick is especially not fun on the weekend! Hope he is feeling better soon.

It's so hard when they can't tell you what's wrong. Hope he gets better soon.

>121 rabbitprincess: >122 dudes22: Thanks! He seems to be a bit better this afternoon. I think the Benadryl helped. I'll give him more at bedtime. Everything seems to be pointing to allergies. My "grass" (i.e., weeds) was cut Thursday evening and that could have a lot to do with his problem.

Hi Carrie, Poor Adrian, I hope the TLC gets him past his tummy upset.

Have you decided when you are going to start Dead Man's Land? I am reading a few graphic novels but should be finished with them by Monday so I can start Dead Man's Land at any time.

Hi Judy! I'm finishing a book I started last Saturday, and then I need to read a book I agreed to review for a journal. I'll plan on Dead Man's Land after that. I'll probably get to it toward the end of next week.

Great, I'll sneak in an Agatha Christie early next week and then start on Dead Man's Land after that. :)

Sounds good to me!

Poor Adrian - hope he feels better soon! And, yes, it is so difficult when they can't just tell you what's awry! *hugs*

>128 -Eva-: Thanks Eva! He seems to be better today. He had a play date this evening with his friend Stella while I went to a baseball game. He got to run around in the yard and he went on a walk with Stella and her "parents". He fell asleep on my lap and I'm going to have to wake him up to put him to bed.

Book #8 in my Sweet Little Mystery category: The Dogs of Rome by Conor Fitzgerald
RandomCAT

Police Inspector Alec Blume has a lot of “help” for his current case from other Roman law enforcement agencies. The problem is, Blume wants to find the real murderer, while other agencies are looking for a resolution that will satisfy the dead man's politician wife, the press, and the mob boss with inside connections. Although Blume has spent more than half of his life in Rome, he is American. His inability to think like a native Roman is a hindrance to his investigation.

This is an average crime novel without a hook to entice me to continue reading this series. I found it difficult to relate to Alex. It wasn't adequately explained why he wasn't returned to the United States after his parents' deaths when he hadn't yet turned 18. He isn't outstanding at his job, nor is he endearingly incompetent. The American woman he falls for, and who distracts him from what he should be doing to solve his case, has a difficult personality and gives him little encouragement. The sense of place isn't particularly strong, either, unlike Donna Leon's Venetian setting for the Commissario Brunetti series.

3 stars

Book #8 in my Second Hand News category: Something Special: A Story by Iris Murdoch

This poignant story looks at the choices available to an Irish woman in her twenties. Yvonne's mother and uncle would like her to marry her current suitor. Yvonne wants to hold out for something special. A Saturday evening date reveals just how differently Yvonne and her suitor define “special.” The evening's events lead Yvonne to reassess her options.

This story was published in its entirety after Murdoch's death as a stand-alone illustrated book. While it has a strong sense of place in the outskirts of Dublin, the characterization is a bit weak. I wonder if Murdoch didn't have it published because she wasn't satisfied with it.

3 stars

Book #5 in my Everybody's Talkin' category: A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton
RandomCAT

Alex McKnight was a Detroit cop until a crazy man shot him and his partner. His partner died, and McKnight still has a bullet lodged next to his heart. On permanent disability, McKnight makes his home in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in one of several rustic cabins he inherited from his father. Lately he's been working as a private investigator for a local lawyer. When his best friend discovers a murdered bookmaker, McKnight sets out to clear him of suspicion. A second murdered bookmaker makes things more difficult, particularly when a trail of clues points to the man who shot McKnight and his partner 14 years earlier. There's just one problem. The man is in a maximum security prison. Or is he?

I like this novel's strong sense of place near Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. I'm not really a fan of the private eye genre of crime fiction. Although this book won awards for a first novel, it's just so-so. I could tell where the plot was heading well before the end, and there were a couple of lengthy information dumps. I'm not sorry I listened to this one, but I doubt I'll continue with this series.

3 stars

Next up in audio: What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell

Book #7 in my New Kid in Town category: Postcards from the Middle East by Chris Naylor

I'm reviewing this one for publication so I'll make just a brief comment. This is a memoir about a British missionary family's experience in the Middle East, particularly Lebanon. They worked with a Christian environmental organization so their ministry focused on the conservation of a wetland in the Bekaa region rather than on evangelism. Their story will appeal to anyone with an interest in conservation or environmental issues, anyone with an interest in birding, and readers with an interest in personal accounts of cross-cultural living.

4 stars

Hi Carrie, I finished Dead Man's Land and I really enjoyed it. I have always had a soft spot for Dr. Watson so it was nice to see him front and center for a change. I thought the book was a little over-long, yet I enjoyed the side stories and all the WW I information and descriptions. I will probably post my review this afternoon.

>134 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! I finished it yesterday but haven't written the review yet. It was a tad long, but not as long as the page count makes it seem. Since the chapters are fairly short and there are a lot of them, there's sometimes as much as a page and half of blank space between chapters.

I didn't care for the ending. I didn't think Watson needed to go into No Man's Land. He didn't save anyone, and he endangered the man who rescued him. If the killer had managed to get back to the trenches alive he could have been court martialed. Other than that, I really liked the book. The next one is already on my wishlist.

Book #7 in my Daniel category: Dead Man's Land by Robert Ryan
HistoryCAT

The Great War is raging, and an aging Major John Watson has been recommissioned to train medical personnel on the front lines in the new technique of blood transfusion. After the death of a patient who had just received a blood transfusion, Watson sets out first to prove that the blood transfusion didn't cause the death, and then to identify the cause. Is it possible that someone has taken advantage of the chaos of war to commit a murder? Dr. Watson tries to imagine how his old friend and partner Sherlock Holmes might tackle the problem. Watson's pursuit of the truth brings him into great danger, and also endangers the lives of his two young VAD nursing assistants.

Dr. Watson and the Great War are an inspired pairing. Ryan hit the right tone both with the aging Dr. Watson and with the glimpses he gives of Watson's former partner and friend. I looked forward to picking up the book whenever I had a chance to read. One of the things I enjoy about mysteries is trying to piece together clues to solve the mystery before the fictional detective does. I'm always a little disappointed with books like this one where the characters acquire knowledge that isn't shared with the reader. I was also disappointed with some aspects of the ending. The setting and characters made it worthwhile, and I'm looking forward to seeing what this author will do with them next.

4 stars

>135 cbl_tn: I totally agree with you about the ending, Carrie. It seemed unnecessary and rather out of character for Watson as well.

>136 cbl_tn: Good review, and I fully intend on seeing what the next book does as well!

>137 DeltaQueen50: Book #2 is already on my wishlist. Maybe Santa will notice it...

Book #4 in my Mystery Lady category: There Is a Tide... by Agatha Christie
Group read

During a London air raid, Poirot listens to a man ramble on about a young bride who, with her brother, survived an air raid while her husband and the servants died. The newlyweds had only just arrived in London after their wedding, and the widow became the heir to his fortune to the dismay of the husband's relatives who were financially dependent upon him. Poirot has a reason to recall this story a couple of years later when the widow and her in-laws are connected to a murder in their rural village. Instead of narrowing down the suspects, each new clue seems to add more confusion. It's a mystery only Poirot could solve.

This is more of a page-turner than is usual for a Christie novel. The foundation for the murder is laid in the prologue with the story that Poirot hears during the air raid. It seems more and more certain that something dreadful is looming, but it's not quite clear how events will play out. I did spot an obvious clue and I worked out part of the puzzle, but the ending still held a surprise or two for me. I found one aspect of the ending very disturbing and it lowered my overall rating for the book.

3.5 stars

It's been a busy Saturday. I have a guest dog this weekend. I woke up really early this morning and couldn't get back to sleep. After Stella arrived, both dogs and I settled in the recliner to watch I Love Lucy. We all three fell asleep. At some point Lucy ended and Golden Girls came on. Someone rang the doorbell on TV and two of the three of us jumped up and started barking, thinking we were about to be invaded by strangers.

I spent a lot of the afternoon cooking and washing dishes. I now have a blueberry Jello salad and brownies to go with the meat loaf I made last night. I may make sweet potato casserole tomorrow if I can find time to get to the store and buy some buttermilk. That will give me plenty of leftovers for the first part of the week when I have lots of meetings to attend.

I'd like to finish The Pox and the Covenant this weekend and then start The Witch of Lime Street.

"two of the three of us jumped up and started barking"
I got a lovely image of you and one of the dogs barking at the door! :)

>141 -Eva-: Hiw did you know?! Unwanted callers tend to stay away if they think a crazy lady lives here. ;-)

Book #9 in my Second Hand News category: The Pox and the Covenant by Tony Williams
HistoryCAT

During Boston's smallpox outbreak in 1721, Puritan clergyman Cotton Mather and a young Benjamin Franklin found themselves on opposite sides of the inoculation question. One was for using a method known in Africa and Asia but only recently discovered by the European scientific community. The other was against this untried method that would likely spread the contagion rather than curb it. Surprisingly, Cotton Mather was the most prominent Bostonian advocating inoculation, while most of its physicians as well as Benjamin Franklin and his printer brother were against it. Using the smallpox epidemic as an example, the author explores the worldview of clergymen such as Cotton Mather who integrated science and religion.

The end notes and bibliography consist mainly of secondary sources; primary sources are limited to newspapers of the era, a few pamphlets, and published papers, diaries, journals, and autobiographies/memoirs. It is not suitable for an academic/scholarly audience, although it might be appropriate for a high school library collection. Recommended only for readers with a casual interest in the topic.

2.5 stars

Book #9 in my Sweet Little Mystery category: Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson

A dead Vietnamese girl triggers flashback memories for Wyoming's Sheriff Walt Longmire. He recognizes the photograph in her purse. It was taken in Vietnam in 1968, and a young Walt is one of the people in the photograph. Is this murder connected to something that happened in Vietnam 40 years ago?

This is my favorite of the books I've read in this series so far, even though it wasn't easy to follow the abrupt shifts from past to present. I also had trouble understanding what was going on in some of the Vietnam flashbacks. I remember the visual images of the Vietnam War from the evening news, but I wasn't old enough then to remember dates, names, and events, or to understand the military jargon. Walt's experience in Vietnam shaped the man he became, and the back story rounds out his character. I love Walt's friendly banter with his friend Henry Standing Bear, and I'm glad there was plenty of it in this book. However, I'm still uncomfortable with the direction in which Walt's relationship with his deputy, Vic Moretti, is headed. Ick.

One of the things I love about this series is Walt's dry sense of humor. Here's a taste:

”You got a key for room number five?”

A young woman I didn't know—with one earphone connected to a small device in her shirt pocket, the other dangling at her chest—handed me the fob from a hook behind the counter. “Is there some kind of trouble, Sheriff?” “No, I'm just checking to see if all the mattresses still have their tags.” She continued to look at me, and I could hear what passed for music to her in the one loose earbud. “I'm kidding.”

She blinked. “Oh.”

I palmed the key in my hand and stood there for a moment, enjoying the air-conditioning. “Have you seen {X} this morning?”

She nodded. “Yes, he left pretty early and then came back a couple of hours ago. Is he in trouble?”

I tossed the key in the air and caught it as I swung open the door and faced the wall of heat. “Only if he's taken the labels off.” I left her there to wonder if I really was serious this time.

4 stars

I've only watched the TV series, and not read the books, but one of the best parts of that is the relationship between Walt and Vic. If you're hinting what I think you're hinting, I will be very unhappy. While I am all in favor of romance, there are too few depictions of solid friendships and plenty of romantic relationships out there. Also, Walt is old enough to be her father.

>145 RidgewayGirl: Yes, it's what you're thinking. In this respect, the TV series is better than the books.

Book #6 in my Everybody's Talkin' category: What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
RandomCAT

All of the essays in this collection were previously published in the New Yorker and were selected by the author for inclusion in this work. The essays are grouped into three categories: “Obsessives, Pioneers, and Other Varieties of Minor Genius “, “Theories, Predictions, and Diagnoses “, and “Personality, Character, and Intelligence “.

The essays in section one are interesting and entertaining, but if you've already read them in the New Yorker there's probably no need to read them again. The content of section three is applicable to business and management, and should be on the reading list of executives and human resource managers.

The essays in the middle section stand out as paradigm-shifting insights and observations on social problems such as homelessness, information overload, plagiarism and the theft of intellectual property, and the risks inherent in a technological society. Most of these issues have become so politicized that it is difficult to discuss them without finger-pointing and name-calling. Gladwell offers fresh perspectives on these issues in a way that will appeal to many on either end of the political spectrum as well as anywhere in between. If more politicians and bureaucrats were capable of analyzing issues in this manner there might be real progress in reducing such problems. Highly recommended.

4.5 stars

Book #5 in my Mystery Lady category: The Witness for the Prosecution (BBC Radio adaptation

This BBC radio drama attempts to present the essential elements of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution in less than half an hour. It's only partially successful. While key parts of the plot are present, too much of the context has been stripped out of the drama. I've seen the play and the films based on it enough times to be familiar with all of the plot twists and I still had trouble making sense of the radio drama. I even re-listened to a couple of segments and still felt like I was missing something. I'd love to have heard the cast in an unabridged audio production of the play. If you haven't seen, heard, or read the play as written by Christie, avoid this plot-spoiling bare bones adaptation.

2 stars

Book #8 in my God Save the Queen category: Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene

Life takes a new direction for retired banker Henry Pulling after his mother's funeral. At the funeral he met his mother's sister, his Aunt Augusta, for the first time in his memory. Aunt Augusta proves to be as uninhibited as her sister had been straight-laced. Despite his reservations about her conversation and behavior, a conservative Henry loosens up enough to accompany Aunt Augusta on a day trip to Brighton. This is just the beginning of Henry's adventures with Aunt Augusta. As Henry learns more about his Aunt Augusta, he also discovers more about himself and about what he wants out of life.

I find it difficult to see this as much more than a period piece. It was published on the heels of the sexual revolution of the 1960s and it seems to channel the spirit of that movement into the lifestyle of an elderly woman and her middle-aged nephew. In a sense, it's a coming-of-age novel with a middle aged protagonist. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either.

3 stars

Book #8 in my New Kid in Town category: There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets by David W. Berner

The animal-loving author reminisces about the pets that have enriched his life in this collection of short essays. Many of his pets have been dogs, and those are the stories that resonated most with me. The stories are sentimental but not melancholy. Most of the stories have a simple life lesson. This is the kind of book to dip into when you find yourself with a few spare minutes in a waiting room at the doctor's office or picking up the kids after music lessons or sports practice. I always like to have a book or two like this ready and waiting in my e-reader for those occasions.

This review is based on a complimentary electronic copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

3 stars

Finally here is the promised photo of Adrian in his stroller. He walked the first lap with me, then I put him in the stroller for the second lap.

Lucky Adrian! He looks very interested in where he's going. :)

>152 DeltaQueen50: Yes, he's always interested in what's going on around him. We did our laps this evening in record time. We got a late start so we had to keep moving to finish before dark!

It's been a busy Saturday with a hair appointment and shopping this morning and cooking this afternoon. I took dinner to a friend who spent last weekend in the hospital. Our church has been taking them meals this week. I found a recipe for chicken and noodles that I thought might be comfort food for her since she's from the Midwest. The recipe called for frozen egg noodles, which I figured I could find in the store. Apparently not in the South. I ended up substituting frozen dumplings. I ended up with a dish that's a lot like the filling for chicken pot pie. I loved it, but the recipe makes so much that I'll probably have to reserve it for company or church dinners. In between all the running around and cooking I manged to finish my July ER book, The Witch of Lime Street. I need to let my thoughts settle so I'll wait until tomorrow to write my review. I also made good progress in my current audio book, And Then You Dye. I started it for September Series & Sequels, but it looks like I might actually finish it in August.

I have to admit that I have never seen frozen egg noodles in the shops here. Of course, I have never looked for them. Now I am going to cruise through the frozen foods section when I go shopping tomorrow and see if I can find any! Sounds like the substitution worked well.

>154 cbl_tn: I have not seen frozen ones, but they do have some pre-cooked fresh ones at Ingles here. (At least I think egg noodles are one of the varieties of pre-cooked noodles they sell.)

>155 lkernagh: The substitution worked great! I only used half of the dumplings so I can make it again. :)

>156 thornton37814: I looked for pre-cooked fresh when I didn't find the frozen. They didn't have that either. I also couldn't find lard anywhere, which I thought was strange. I was going to use lard to make cheese biscuits. Fortunately Crisco doesn't contain corn oil so I got a stick of it instead. I think I've seen lard at the Dollar General, but that's not where I was. I didn't want to stop on the way home because I had frozen food.

>157 cbl_tn: I can usually find a variety of vacuum-sealed and frozen egg and rice noodles (at very reasonable prices) at our local Asian supermarket. If you have one of those in your area, you could give it a try. Asian egg noodles might be a little different from regular egg noodles in taste but I think they are pretty similar.

I'm happy to see your positive review of Gladwell's collection of essays. I've read several of his books but I haven't gotten around to that volume yet. I don't always agree with his conclusions, but his essays are certainly thought-provoking. He's a bit of a local celebrity where I live, as he grew up in a nearby town.

>158 mathgirl40: No Asian supermarkets on my side of town. :( We do have a Mexican market. I'll have to ask my SIL if there is a similar Mexican product. I found out on the manufacurers site that Walmart sells the 24 oz packages and Publix sells 12 oz packages, which is what I needed. Publix isn't easy to get to from my home, but it's near where I get my weekly allergy shots. I get my hair done at a salon in a strip mall by Walmart. I don't like to buy meat there so I went to Food City instead, where they have in-store butchers and sell locally grown produce as well as imported produce.

What I liked most about Gladwell's essays is the freshness of his perspective. It's a place to start a conversation outside of the trenches we've dug for ourselves.

Book #9 in my New Kid in Town category: The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher

Popular interest in Spiritualism increased in the aftermath of the First World War. In the midst of the furor, Scientific American offered a prize to the first person who could provide convincing proof of psychic abilities. The panel of judges included Harry Houdini, who in addition to his fame as a magician was also known as a debunker of false psychics. The strongest contender for the Scientific American prize was Mina Crandon, the wife of a Boston physician. Mina was not a professional medium, and for a time her identity was disguised under the pseudonym “Margery.” “Margery” supposedly channeled her dead brother, Walter, who got up to all sorts of antics during the seances. While some members of the Scientific American committee were ready to award the prize to Mina, Houdini was convinced it was trickery. He publicly exposed Mina as a fraud and demonstrated how the supernatural effects attributed to “Walter” could have been produced by natural means.

Jaher's account is based on newspaper, journal, and magazine articles from the era, and on the correspondence of principle figures in the controversy. Jaher describes the events but fails to analyze them. Was Mina a complete fraud, or did she only resort to trickery and deception when she was unable to generate a psychic effect? Jaher won't say. Perhaps history offers the best answer to this mystery. Mina Crandon was not awarded the Scientific American prize money. Her “15 minutes of fame” expired long ago. On the other hand, Houdini is still recognized as one of the world's greatest magicians and entertainers.

This review is based on an advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

2.5 stars

Book #7 in my Everybody's Talkin' category: And Then You Dye by Monica Ferris

Betsy Devonshire, owner of Crewel World needleshop, has invited Hailey Brent to demonstrate her methods of fiber dyeing using natural vegetable dyes. Not long after the demonstration, Hailey is murdered in her basement workshop. Suspicion has fallen on Marge Schultz, Hailey's neighbor, who owns a local gardening center. An exchange during the dyeing demonstration revealed some bad blood between them – enough to put Marge at the top of the police's list of suspects. Marge asks Betsy to look into Hailey's murder, knowing that Betsy has successfully proved the innocence of several individuals who were falsely accused of murder.

Once again, Betsy's knowledge of the materials of her trade (needlecraft) helps her to spot clues that the police don't see as such. Betsy puts to good use what she learned about dyeing from Hailey's workshop and from one of Hailey's colleagues. All of the clues and information that Betsy gathered kept pointing to Marge as the killer. As the end of the book approached without any other viable suspects, I decided that this must be the equivalent of a case where Matlock's client was really guilty of murder. The supporting cast is part of the charm of this series, and for the most part Ferris makes good use of them in this series entry. The thread about Godwin's lover Rafael's foray into coin dealing doesn't tie in well to the rest of the book. Unless Ferris is setting the stage for the plot of a future novel, it would have been better to leave this part out.

3 stars

>151 cbl_tn:
So adorable!

>155 lkernagh:
I've never seen frozen ones at all. I too shall have to look for them at the store.

>162 -Eva-: Thanks! And let me know if you find frozen egg noodles!

Book #12 in my Fantasy category: Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis
SFFFCat

During the school holidays, Ransom, a Cambridge philologist on a walking tour meets an old acquaintance. It would be stretching things to call him a friend. The old acquaintance has a mysterious associate, and these two men drug and kidnap Ransom. He awakens on a spaceship bound for Mars. Overhearing the men’s plans to deliver him to the Martians, he determines to escape if an opportunity presents itself. It does, and Ransom flees for his life, finding shelter among one of the peoples who populate the strange planet that its inhabitants call Malacandra. The Malacandrans don’t seem to understand English, but happily the philologist Ransom is equipped to learn their language. As his understanding of the language grows, Ransom learns about the social structure, philosophy, and beliefs of the Malacandrans. He also gains a new perspective on Earth’s human race.

The story reminds me more of Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels than of Lewis’s Narnia trilogy. Maybe I’m connecting the hrossa and the “h” sounds that start their words with the Houyhnhnms encountered by Gulliver during his travels.

I’ve read Lewis’s Narnia series multiple times and I’m very familiar with its symbolism. This is my first exposure to his space trilogy. I think I need to finish the rest of the trilogy and then re-read it at least once to understand Lewis’s message. It’s obvious that there is a relationship to Christian theology, with God-like, Christ-like, angel-like, and Satan-like beings. I don’t think that the message is complete in this novel, and Lewis must have already worked out a plan for the entire trilogy. The end of this book hints at more to come.

3.5 stars

I have been largely MIA on the threads for the last few days. Ancestry released a huge database with will images a few days ago and I've been happily exploring it to find wills for my direct line ancestors. I've been all the way through my tree so I can slow down now and get back to reading.

I too have been MIA for the last month. Still catching up on threads. So glad to see a photo of Adrian in his stroller, he looks very comfortable.

Carrie, that sounds like an excellent reason to be MIA!

>166 VivienneR: Vivienne, I've been lurking on your thread. I'll try to do better about commenting.

>167 RidgewayGirl: It is and it isn't. LT threads aren't the only things I've been neglecting! At least Adrian is still getting his meals and walks on time.

August Recap

Daisy Jane by America - Books by, about, or inspired by Jane Austen – 7/5

Mystery Lady by Billy Ocean - Books by Agatha Christie – 5/5
There Is a Tide... (3.5)
*Witness for the Prosecution (2) (BBC Radio adaptation)

God Save the Queen - Books by British authors for PaulCranswick’s British Author challenge – 8/5
Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene (3)

My Country ‘Tis of Thee - Books by American authors for msf59's American Author challenge – 5/5

Old Days by Chicago - Books read for the HistoryCAT and/or Reading Through Time – 12/5

In My Life by The Beatles - Family history/genealogy – 5/5

Daniel by Elton John - Books about war – 7/5
Dead Man's Land by Robert Ryan (4)

Second Hand News by Fleetwood Mac - Borrowed books – 9/5
Something Special: A Story by Iris Murdoch (3)
The Pox and the Covenant by Tony Williams (2.5)

If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot - Books picked for me – 2/5

Fantasy by Earth, Wind & Fire - Books for the SFFFCAT – 12/5
Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis (3.5)

Sing by Gary Barlow & the Commonwealth Band- Books for my Commonwealth challenge – 3/5

People by Barbra Streisand – Biographies – 5/5

Everybody’s Talkin’ by Harry Nilsson – Audiobooks – 7/5
*A Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton (3)
*What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell (4.5)
*And Then You Dye by Monica Ferris (3)

Sweet Little Mystery by Wet Wet Wet – Mysteries – 9/5
The Dogs of Rome by Conor Fitzgerald (3)
Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson (4)

New Kid In Town by the Eagles - New books& ARCs – 9/5
Postcards from the Middle East by Chris Naylor
There's a Hamster in the Dashboard: A Life in Pets by David W. Berner (3)
The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher (2.5)

Bonus category: Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free reading

*Audiobooks

Best of the month: What the Dog Saw by Malcolm Gladwell
Worst of the month: Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie (BBC Radio adaptation)

Physical books – owned: 4
Physical books – borrowed: 3
Ebooks – owned: 2
Ebooks – borrowed: 1
Audiobooks – borrowed: 4
ARCs - 2

Book #10 in my Second Hand News category: Cooks Overboard by Joanne Pence

Culinary expert Angie Amalfi has persuaded her boyfriend, San Francisco homicide cop Paavo Smith, to join her on a cruise to Acapulco – but only by booking passage on a freighter rather than on a cruise ship. Working freighters like the Valhalla carry a maximum of a dozen passengers. Before the end of the first day, Angie notices that everyone on the ship is acting strangely. Including Paavo, who doesn't seem like himself at all. Angie has somehow become mixed up in international intrigue. Is Mexico the final destination for Angie and Paavo?

This turned out to be a funny adventure and perfect escape reading for a holiday weekend. The action and adventure make it more like Dorothy Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series than like a typical cozy mystery series. This is the first book I've read in this series so I don't know if this is characteristic of the series as a whole. I didn't have to make a mental effort to notice and remember clues. I just relaxed and enjoyed the armchair adventure.

4 stars

Book #8 in my Daisy Jane category: The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan
HistoryCAT

I had hoped that this handbook would provide context for interpreting Jane Austen's novels. Instead, the novels themselves seem to be the reference point for describing the social life and customs of the Regency era. For example, the list of “Things to do in the country” includes “produce home theatricals” and “improve your estate”, both of which were themes in Mansfield Park. The appendices proved to be the most useful section for me, particularly the bibliographies and filmography. My wallet is a few dollars lighter as a result!

3 stars

I had planned to read for a while this evening. Then I got an email from Netflix announcing the release of Season 4 of Longmire. I watched three episodes this evening. I'm sure I'll finish the rest before the weekend is over.

>172 cbl_tn: Carrie, my husband and I are so excited about Longmire, we are saving it for after we get back from our trip.

>173 DeltaQueen50: It will be worth the wait!

Book #5 in my Free Bird category: Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope

Phineas Finn ended with the hero's return to Ireland in the belief that his political career was over. Phineas Redux begins with an unexpected opportunity for Phineas to return to Parliament. He returns to London and to the circle of friends and colleagues he had left behind two years earlier. Although Phineas's Liberal party is “out” and the Conservatives are “in”, Phineas believes that his party will soon return to power and that he will be offered a salaried position in a new Liberal government. Once again he learns a hard lesson when he discovers that the political class values party loyalty above loyalty to one's friends and to one's convictions. Something more occurs that shatters his faith in the rule of law and the application of justice. Through his misfortunes Phineas discovers what is truly important to him.

Although this novel was written two centuries ago, the characters and situations could have been pulled from today's news headlines. Political divisions are as partisan as ever, and public perception is valued more than truth. Trollope's focus on character and social structure give his novels a timeless quality with continued appeal to new generations of readers. Highly recommended.

4 stars

My mom called me to tell me about Longmire showing up on Netflix. It did not, however, show up on the German version of Netflix.

>176 RidgewayGirl: Oh no! Maybe it's just taking longer to add subtitles snd it will show up soon.

No, the English language shows show up as they are. We got Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt at the same time as the US. We get a different mix of stuff - with a lot of German, Scandinavian, French and British stuff. I suppose we get fewer American shows as a result.

In any case, my Mom enjoys telling me what has happened up to the point where she is in watching them, so I know what's going on!

We were doing a rewatch of Longmire with a couple of episodes every week and are now part way through season three. I was tempted to skip to the new episodes but having forgotten a lot of the details we're just continuing on. But I am speeding up to three episodes a week.

>179 hailelib: I rewatched Longmire over the summer in preparation for the new episodes. The first episode of season 4 picks up where the last episode of season 3 left off so you'll be glad you refreshed your memory.

Book #9 in my God Save the Queen category: Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
SFFF Cat

There was once, in the country of Alifbay, a sad city, the saddest of cities, a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name.

Haroun's family is the only exception to the sadness. Haroun's father is Rashid, a storyteller known for his cheerfulness. Everything changes when Haroun's mother leaves. Rashid is no longer cheerful, and he loses the power of story. In his determination to help his father recover his talent, Haroun undertakes a fantastical journey to the Ocean of the Streams of Story.

Underneath the layers of fantastical creatures and lands is a story of a young boy in a broken home. Haroun's mother left, Haroun's father is sad all the time, and Haroun blames himself. He thinks he needs to do something to fix things. Many children in broken homes will identify with Haroun's situation. Rushdie has the skill to combine message, characters, and plot without anything seeming forced. The language is simple enough for children to understand, and the allegories are complex enough to hold the interest of adult readers.

4 stars

>171 cbl_tn:
I was looking for something to do this weekend and to “improve your estate” sounds perfect! :)

>182 -Eva-: If you want to do it in Mansfield Park style, you'll need to invite several friends to tell you what improvements they would recommend. ;-)

>183 cbl_tn:
Haha, yeah, that's not going to happen. :)

I watched Bride & Prejudice with a friend this evening. It turned out to be a fun movie. Some of the musical numbers are a little cheesy, but that just made it more fun. "Mary's" cobra dance is not to be missed! Next time we'll watch I Have Found It, which is a Bollywood version of Sense & Sensibility.

Book #8 in my Everybody's Talkin' category: Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies
RandomCAT

This novel examines the lives of residents of a provincial Canadian town who are involved with an amateur theatrical production of Shakespeare's The Tempest. Several young women are in the cast, including Griselda Webster, whose father has agreed to allow the theatre group to use his home's gardens for the performances of the play. Several of the men in the cast, both young and middle-aged, have romantic designs on the young women in the cast, especially Griselda. Some want only flirtation, one intends seduction, and middle-aged teacher Hector Mackilwraith believes himself in love with Griselda. Everything comes to a head on the play's opening night.

I had a hard time staying engaged with the audio version of the novel. I like humor, but not at others' expense. The humor in this novel seemed to have a cruel edge to it that made me uncomfortable. I doubt I'll continue with the other books in this trilogy.

2 stars

>186 cbl_tn: Aw, that's disappointing. Canadian town plus Shakespeare sounds interesting. Maybe I should try it in print?

>187 rabbitprincess: It might work better in print. The reader for the audio version wasn't very good. He breathed and paused in odd places. I'm sure that didn't help my appreciation of the book.

>188 cbl_tn: I tried the audio version too and abandoned it because of the narrator (I believe it was Frederick Davidson). The print version was much better.

I love Bride and Prejudice. I love how it's a fun Bollywood-style movie, but also true to the book. Just a fun movie.

>189 VivienneR: I didn't have a print option so I had to stick it out with the audio version. And you have the right narrator. I will avoid him in the future!

>190 RidgewayGirl: I'm pretty sure this was my first Bollywood type movie. I thought it was fun and I think I'd enjoy watching one occasionally. I think they did a great job of following Austen's story line and merging it with a different time and culture.

We had a fun afternoon at the 5K race. My friend and I walked part of the course. Her husband ran in the race. He finished in just under 30 minutes and placed in the top 15. Not bad for his first 5K!

Here are pictures of Adrian and Stella that I took this afternoon:



There are lots of event photos, including an "alumni" photo, on Facebook on the Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley's page.

>192 cbl_tn:
Looks like a great event!

>193 -Eva-: It was fun, and I think they raised a lot of money.

Two years ago today I went to the Humane Society with a friend and came home with a dog. I'm happy to have had Adrian as part of my life for the last two years. This morning my friend sent me this photo of Adrian and Stella that she took on adoption day. She stayed in the car with the dogs while I went in the store to get some dog care items. Stella was overweight then and Adrian was a little underweight. Now they're about the same size.

And both dogs are waiting in anticipation of treats! Beautiful.

>196 VivienneR: They still sit like that on the back of my sofa when Stella comes to visit!

Adrian was lucky that you found him.

>198 RidgewayGirl: I think we were both lucky! I am very grateful that my friend called to see if I wanted to go with her that day. She knew I had been considering a dog and thought Adrian would be a good fit.

Book #10 in my God Save the Queen category: The Long Song by Andrea Levy
HistoryCAT

A former slave on a Jamaican sugar plantation writes the story of a former slave on a Jamaican sugar plantation. While the story is autobiographical, it's also clear that the writer is an unreliable narrator. She confesses to exaggeration at several points in her story. This is an exceptional book as far as technique goes, but I found it difficult to connect with the characters on an emotional level except for the field slave, Kitty, in her grief at the forced separation from her child. A strong undercurrent of anger runs throughout the book, and perhaps that accounts for my inability to connect with the characters. I felt angry on their behalf, but I didn't experience the empathy that occurs when a book's characters inhabit my heart and mind.

4 stars

>195 cbl_tn:
Aw, happy anniversary!! :)

>201 -Eva-: Thanks Eva! Adrian didn't get me anything. (But all he really needs to do is be his usual sweet self!)

Book #9 in my Daisy Jane category: North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris
HistoryCAT

Elizabeth and Darcy are expecting their first child. Darcy is both happy and concerned since his own mother died giving birth to his sister, Georgiana. Darcy and Elizabeth will have plenty of other things to detract from any worries about Elizabeth's confinement. References to an unidentified Fitzwilliam family heirloom in a newly discovered letter will keep them busy searching the house and grounds of Pemberley. The couple also learn that Darcy's mother exchanged visits and correspondence with Mrs. Tilney of Northanger Abbey. Mrs. Tilney's son, captain Tilney, seems eager to renew the family friendship, but a strange visit to Northanger Abbey leaves Darcy and Elizabeth in legal danger. This requires Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Burgh, to stay at Pemberley until the problem has been resolved. Will Darcy and Elizabeth find the treasure and resolve the Northanger problem before the birth of their child?

The supernatural element that was so prominent in the first two books in this series is not as evident in this one. If anything, it leans toward religious mysticism. Bebris successfully captures the feel of Austen's characters. My only complaint is that there is too much of the unlikable ones like Lady Catherine and not enough of the pleasant ones like Jane Bingley. The action takes place between autumn and spring, and it strikes me as odd that there is no mention of the Darcy's first anniversary or Christmas and New Year observations, although much is made of Georgiana's January birthday and the anniversary of Anne Darcy's death.

3.5 stars

I'm leaving soon for a meeting out of town. I just dropped Adrian off at my friend's house since I need to hit the road soon. They have a gate by their barn, then a long driveway out to the road. I got about halfway down the driveway as I was leaving when I noticed Adrian running in front of the car. I guess he intended to go with me, or maybe he thought I forgot him. I retrieved him and my friend held him until she got the gate shut. He's never done that before when I've left him there, but it's been several months since I've traveled anywhere and left him there. I miss the little fellow already!

I finished a couple of books last night, but the reviews will have to wait until after I get back on Saturday. (One was a re-read that I've already reviewed, though!)

They really know how to dial up the guilt, don't they?
It's hard enough leaving them once but to carry them back a second time is exponentially harder.

>210 cbl_tn: Oh yes they do! My friend sent a picture of Adrian that she took this morning so I know he decided to stay after I drove off. I'm looking forward to seeing him tomorrow!

Isn't it funny how they wiggle themselves into the center of our hearts?

Aw, poor Adrian. Or, rather (as @mamzel points out), poor you - planned travels turns into guilt trip!! :)

>211 RidgewayGirl: They sure do! I don't have my Adrian, but the friends I'm staying with have a dog for me to love on this evening.

>212 -Eva-: If that wasn't enough guilt, when I go home tomorrow he'll smell another dog on my clothes.

Congratulations to both you and Adrian on your two fun years. He is such a cutie and finding pictures of him on your thread is always a treat!

>213 cbl_tn:
Haha! Hit the laundromat before you go home!

>214 DeltaQueen50: Thanks! 9/24/13 was a lucky day for me.

>215 -Eva-: Adrian was here waiting for me when I arrived at home shortly after noon. My friend had to leave for a volunteer stint with the Humane Society at 11 so she dropped him off at my house on the way. Maddie came to greet me first thing this morning and I'm sure her scent is still on my pants legs, but Adrian hasn't held that against me. :)

Most of the drive home today was nasty, and it took longer than it would have under good driving conditions. Thankfully it was only about a 90 mile trip. It's still rainy and yucky outside, and I've had to turn on the heat for the first time this season. It seems like soup weather so I've got a pot of chicken & rice soup simmering on the stove.

Book #9 in my Everybody's Talkin' category: Deadly Heat by Richard Castle
RandomCAT

While on the trail of a serial killer, NYPD detective Nikki Heat continues to follow clues that she hopes will lead her to her mother's murderer. The two cases converge in a surprising way. This is another fun entry in the Nikki Heat crime series linked to the television series Castle. I've seen every episode of the series, most of them multiple times. The book will have a familiar feel for Castle viewers, with many scenes having parallels to scenes from the television series. The reader for the audio version has a speech pattern similar to Nathan Fillion's “Richard Castle”. He also captures “Kate Beckett” in his delivery of Nikki Heat's lines. The book could be read and enjoyed independently of the television series, but familiarity with the TV series will give readers a richer experience.

3.5 stars

Next up in audio: Dracula by Bram Stoker

Book #10 in my Daisy Jane category: Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners by Josephine Ross; illustrated by Henrietta Webb
HistoryCAT

This was a re-read. My original rating/assessment hasn't changed, so I'll re-post the review from my first reading:

This brief guide to proper etiquette in Jane Austen's era is based on Austen's correspondence with her niece, Anna. Using illustrations from both Austen's novels and letters, Ross describes proper conduct in the following areas: forms of introduction, calling and conversation, dancing and dining, dress and taste, matrimony, family, and servants. This little book isn't meant to be a definitive work on the rules of society in Austen's day. The excerpts from novels and letters, the delightful illustrations, and the book ribbon bound with the book, all indicate that it is best suited as a gift item. Warmly recommended as a gift for a young lady just discovering the pleasures of Austen's novels, or for the bedside table in a guest room.

4 stars

September Recap

Daisy Jane by America - Books by, about, or inspired by Jane Austen – 10/5
The Jane Austen Handbook by Margaret C. Sullivan (3)
North by Northanger by Carrie Bebris (3.5)
Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners by Josephine Ross; illustrated by Henrietta Webb (4)

Mystery Lady by Billy Ocean - Books by Agatha Christie – 5/5

God Save the Queen - Books by British authors for @PaulCranswick’s British Author challenge – 10/5
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie (4)
The Long Song by Andrea Levy (4)

My Country ‘Tis of Thee - Books by American authors for @msf59's American Author challenge – 5/5

Old Days by Chicago - Books read for the HistoryCAT and/or Reading Through Time – 12/5

In My Life by The Beatles - Family history/genealogy – 5/5

Daniel by Elton John - Books about war – 7/5

Second Hand News by Fleetwood Mac - Borrowed books – 10/5
Cooks Overboard by Joanne Pence (4)

If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lightfoot - Books picked for me – 2/5

Fantasy by Earth, Wind & Fire - Books for the SFFFCAT – 12/5

Sing by Gary Barlow & the Commonwealth Band- Books for my Commonwealth challenge – 3/5

People by Barbra Streisand – Biographies – 5/5

Everybody’s Talkin’ by Harry Nilsson – Audiobooks – 9/5
*Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies (2)
*Deadly Heat by Richard Castle (3.5)

Sweet Little Mystery by Wet Wet Wet – Mysteries – 9/5

New Kid In Town by the Eagles - New books& ARCs – 9/5

Bonus category: Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd - Free reading
Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope (4)

*Audiobooks

Best of the month: Phineas Redux by Anthony Trollope
Worst of the month: Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies

Physical books – owned: 3
Physical books – borrowed: 2
Ebooks – owned: 1
Audiobooks – borrowed: 2

Glad you made it home safely, Carrie. That's no weather to be out and about in!

>220 RidgewayGirl: I'm glad I don't have to do it often. My tire pressure warning light came on first thing yesterday morning. The husband of the couple I stayed with overnight checked all four tires and put air in the rear tires. We didn't take time to check the spare because I needed to get to a meeting. I knew it would be safe to drive home. Since the pressure warning light was still on, one of the men from church checked the spare for me this afternoon. It was low, and once he put more air in it the warning light finally went out.