lkernagh's 2015 Reading Charter - 4th Section

Image 2008, Ben Kinrade, Magna Carta Monument CC BY-SA 2.0 license

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

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

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

"Luck 'O the Irish" Race






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

My 2015 Category Challenge (Art theme):

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

My 2015 Category Challenge discussion thread can be found here.

American Author Challenge list:

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

Books read:
JAN: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers -
FEB: The Aspern Papers by Henry James -
MAR: Wildlife by Richard Ford -
APR: Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich -
MAY: Main Street by Sinclair Lewis -
JUN: Remembering Laughter by Wallace Stegner -
AUG: The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry -

British Author Challenge list:

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

Books read:
JAN: The Ghost of Thomas Kempe by Penelope Lively -
FEB: Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh -
FEB: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters -
MAR: The City & The City by China Mieville -
APR: Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham -
MAY: The Peppered Moth by Margaret Drabble -
JUL: A Society by Virginia Woolf -
AUG: The Third Man: The Screenplay and The Living Room, a play in two acts by Graham Greene -

Books Read:

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

FEBRUARY

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

MARCH

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

Books Read:

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

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

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

Ooh! First one here! Happy new thread. :) Oops. Did I mess you up?

Books Read:

JULY
49. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton -
50. Redshirts by John Scalzi -
51. The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma -
52. The White Rhino Hotel by Bartle Bull -
- A Society by Virginia Woolf -
53. Remembering Laughter by Wallace Stegner -
54. Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth -
55. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis -
56. Henri, le Chat Noir: The Existential Musings of an Angst-Filled Cat by William Braden -
57. The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson -
58. The Ghost Mountain Boys by James Campbell -
59. Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel -

AUGUST
60. The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry -
61. The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost -
62. The Little Free Library Book by Margaret Aldrich -
63. The Third Man: The Screenplay and The Living Room, a play in two acts by Graham Greene -
64. The Lost Garden by Katharine Swartz -
65. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton -
66. Getting Stoned with Savages by J. Maarten Troost -
67. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane -
68. The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo -
69. Pure by Andrew Miller -
70. Mariana by Susanna Kearsley -
71. Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina -
72. Crazy by William Peter Blatty -

SEPTEMBER

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

OOH. Sorry. Too early to the party. *Hangs head in shame*

>10 nittnut: - No, you are not too early.... you made it just in time! See, even the Welcome mat is laid out to greet you and everyone else who stops by! ;-)

Ha! Thanks, just ignore my post back at >7 nittnut: and everything will be fine...

LOL! Love it! Now I see.... you came early to join the hostess in the kitchen where all the appies and wine was happening.....



Best place to be, IMO. ;-)

So, more welcome say, than the early arrival at a yard sale? Lol
I'll have one of those lovely toasts, thanks.

Happy new thread! I've got a touch of insomnia. A glass of that wine might be good . . .

Happy New Thread, Lori. Love the appies.

>13 lkernagh: he he, the best place to be, IMO ;)
Happy new thread, reading, crafting and baking. June was a good. Reading month, but May not so much!?

Apples and wine... Mmmmm!

Happy new thread, Lori!

Happy new thread, Lori. I love the topper. You have a lot of stars in your list of books read; it's been a good year of reading for you so far.

Congratulations on the new thread, Lori! There's been a lot of discussion here in the USA about the Magna Carta, too, on its anniversary. It was influential in the creation of the U.S. constitution, as you probably know. Canada?

Great new thread, Lori!

Happy new thread and happy Canada Day, Lori!

Thank you >15 tymfos:, >16 Ameise1:, >17 LovingLit:, >18 drneutron:, >19 scaifea:, >20 BLBera:, >21 jnwelch:, >22 lit_chick: & >23 MickyFine: for stopping by and the happy new thread wishes! Enjoy the food and drink!

>14 nittnut: - The early arrival to yard sales can be ackward, can't it? I can do one better: I am a morning person and went shopping last Sunday morning, making a stop at a local family run store I tend to frequent. Imagine my embarrasment and profused apologies when I realized, after making my purchases, that they did not open until 8am on Sundays and it was only 7:50. ;-)

>15 tymfos: - Insomia is no fun. ;(

>20 BLBera: - I am quite happy with the reads so far this year.... just a couple of duds so far!

>21 jnwelch: - Hi Joe, yes, the Canadian Constitution was also influenced by the provisions and principles contained in the Magna Carta. That 800 year old document gets around!

Book #49 - Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton - audiobook narrated by John Bedford Lloyd
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth
Category: Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art
CAT(s): June RadomCAT - Reading about being 'on the water'
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: November 26, 2009 (posthumously)
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 304 pages / 9 hours listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.60 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing:

The Caribbean, 1665. A remote colony of the English Crown, the island of Jamaica holds out against the vast supremacy of the Spanish empire. Port Royal, its capital, is a cutthroat town of taverns, grog shops, and bawdy houses. In this steamy climate there's a living to be made, a living that can end swiftly by disease-or by dagger. For Captain Charles Hunter, gold in Spanish hands is gold for the taking, and the law of the land rests with those ruthless enough to make it.

Review:
My love for rollicking adventure stories continued with my read of Crichton's Pirate Latitudes. Building upon an actual event and grounded in a rather accurate portrayal of 17th century Jamaica, it is easy to see why a number of readers may compare this story with the movie The Pirates of the Caribbean. I admit I did, more so for the mere fact that both are adventures with boats, treasure, damsels in distress and a crew of potential disreputable individuals than for any noticeable direct comparisons. The characters are lively, with some wonderful banter and I will admit that I always seem to have a soft spot for ship captains who like to play things fast and loose while still abiding by a personal moral code of ethics, be they pirates or privateers. Part of the story dragged a little bit, and yes, I did catch myself rolling my eyes when the kraken makes its appearance but overall, this was a decent read and is what it is - an adventure story, pure and simple.

Happy new thread, Lori!

>25 lkernagh: interesting sunding book, I have only read one of his. And althugh it pleasantly surprised me I am not sure I will revisit his work.

>26 ronincats: - Thanks, Roni!

>27 LovingLit: - Pirate Latitudes is the only Crichton book I have read so far. I am not a big fan of the movies adapted from his books, so I have never gotten around to reading any of Crichton's books before now. I think Pirate Latitudes is probably a bit of a departure from his other books and I also think it works well as an audio read. I had the same experience with Michael Chabon's Gentlemen of the Road, another adventure-styled story that I understand is quite different from Chabon's other stories. I tried to read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and ended up abandoning it after 100 pages as not something I was interested in reading.

>25 lkernagh: Lori, I read this one a few months ago and had the same feeling as you have.

Ha! I had the opposite experience with . Gentlemen of the road: I was hoping it would be another Yiddish Policemans' Union, or Kavalier and Clay. Disappointing!

>30 charl08: - So the information I read, that Gentlemen of the Road was a big departure from Chabon's usually stories, is true! I can see where readers who have enjoyed his other stories may not take to The Gentlemen of the Road. I couldn't stop raving about it.... I am such a sucker for an adventure story! ;-)

Vegetarian Adventures Update:
I know... it has been a while since I last posted about my on-going adventures in vegetarian cooking. Tonight's diner - a Lori original vegetarian dish - hit all the right notes to be post-worthy.



Lori's Zucchini Mushroom Tomato Kale Farro Hot Bowl:

INGREDIENTS:
1 medium zucchini - peeled and chopped into 1/2" cubes
8-10 medium brown mushrooms - washed and chopped into 1/2" cubes
~ 1/3 cup chopped fresh tomato - I used grape tomatoes but Roma tomatoes or other firm tomatoes should work just as well
~ 2 cups chopped kale
1/2 medium yellow onion - diced
~ 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
~ 1 cup farro
2 & 1/2 cups of water or vegetable stock
1 heaping teaspoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh tarragon
~ 2 Tablespoons of Avocado Oil (or cooking oil of choice)
Salt and Pepper to taste

PROCESS:
Rinse the farro in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain. Bring the washed farro and water/vegetable stock to boil over high heat. Once rolling boil has started, turn down to med-low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for roughly 20-25 minutes until softened while still slightly chewy in texture (kind of like cooking barley). Drain excess liquid, cover and put aside.

While waiting for farro to cook, prep vegetables and spices. After the farro has been cooking for ~ 15 minutes, warm oil in a large, wide rimmed frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add smoked paprika and continue to stir for another minute. Add diced zucchini and mushrooms and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes. When it looks like the zucchini and mushrooms are almost cooked, add chopped kale and tomatoes. Cook, for another 2 minutes, stirring gently to blend the ingredients. Just prior to removing from heat, add chopped fresh tarragon and salt and pepper to taste. Serve over cooked farro.

Recipe will serve two as a single meal or 4-6 as a side dish.

NOTES:
I have become a huge fan of farro. As mentioned above, it cooks just like barley but with the added bonus of having a naturally nutty flavour and it absorbs the flavours that it is cooked with, which is why I recommend cooking it in a stock of your choice. According to some websites, farro is packed with health benefits comparable to quinoa and one site even goes on to mention that farro was the standard ration provided to Roman legionaries when they were sent out to conquer the world. Love this grain!

Mmmmm... :)

Quick question - do you use pearled farro? I've seen some debate about it out there and people bemoaning buying the "wrong" kind.

Good question. I checked my shopping source - Bulk Barn - and they list their farro as organic, semi-pearled. Rule of thumb to distinguish between whole, semi-pearled and pearled farro is that whole has more of the fiber- and nutrient-rich bran intact than the semi-pearled and the semi-pearled has more than the pearled. Also, whole farro should soak in the water for a longer period of time if you want to reduce its cooking time. Otherwise, the whole farro takes the longest to cook while pearled farro takes the least amount of cooking time.

Lori, your dinner creation looks divine! Love grains, and must meet farro ... thanks for that!

Delurking to say Happy Friday, Lori! Now, I'm off to check out this Bulk Barn...

>30 charl08: and >31 lkernagh: - Interesting about Chabon. I loved both Gentlemen of the Road and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, though I did read them fairly far apart (at least 7 years or so)...

>34 lkernagh:

Thanks! Yes, I was reading comments from people who'd bought the wrong kind (or it wasn't clear from the packaging) and had their recipe go kerflooey. :)

>37 katiekrug: I do find that I like some of Chabon's works more than others. I loved Kavalier and Clay and Summerland ; hated The Yiddish Policemen's Union. The Mysteries of Pittsburgh was pretty good. I haven't read Gentlemen of the Road l; and I can't decide if I'd like it.

I loved Gentlemen of the Road and The Final Solution, but I disliked The Yiddish Policeman's Union. Two out of three isn't bad!

>32 lkernagh: The recipe looks delicious. I'd like to use more farro. We really like quinoa.

>32 lkernagh: Looks gorgeous. Lori, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Happy New Thread, Lori! And Happy 4th! Hope you are having a nice holiday weekend!

Are you planning anymore AAC reads?

Happy new thread!

Now I have to go look at stuff about the Magna Carta - I assume the monument marks where it was signed (more or less?)

>35 lit_chick:, >41 nittnut: and >42 Ameise1: - Thanks. I am always on the lookout for meals that don't take a long time to prepare, although I have to admit that there does seem to be more prep work involved when making vegetarian dishes. ;-)

>36 scaifea: - I don't know if there are any Bulk Barn locations in the US. It looks as though Bulk Barn's US counterpart is Bulk Nation The pictures on their website show a similar store setup/layout as Bulk Barn. Sadly, it looks like Bulk Nation only has locations in Florida.

>38 lyzard: - Glad I was able to answer your question!

>37 katiekrug:, >39 banjo123: and >40 cbl_tn: - Great to see Chabon's stories can generate different reactions in different readers!

>41 nittnut: - Quinoa is fantastic, isn't it! ;-)

>42 Ameise1: - Thank you for the weekend wishes. That garden looks so inviting!

>43 msf59: - Hi Mark! Happy belated 4th wishes to you! I am going through a bit of challenge burn out at the moment... I think I bit off more than I can chew when I decided to take on both the AAC and the BAC along with my Bingo challenge and my Commonwealth challenge. I will be joining more of the AAC reads - I have a Larry Watson book waiting for his AAC month to come up and I do want to read a Cory Doctorow book. I may go back in the fall and read books for the months that I have missed. I don't think I will be a purist but I figure I will probably get 8 AAC reads in this year.

>44 sibylline: - Thanks Lucy! You are correct, the Magna Carta memorial shown in the pic at the top of this thread is said to mark the site where King John sealed the Magna Carta. As an interesting fact, the building of the monument was funded by the American Bar Association.

Happy Sunday, everyone! Yesterday was spent doing some baking. I am in the process of trying to come up with a basic reduced sugar bran muffin recipe that I can add dried or fresh fruit, etc to. I prefer to bake with softened butter as opposed to vegetable oils and I tend to not buy things like buttermilk for home, so the recipe is a bit of a departure from the majority of bran muffin recipes I have encountered so far. This is also part of my on-going process to cut down the sugar that goes into the foods I prepare. I cringe at the thought of 3/4 cup of sugar (or more!) going into a recipe that produces 12 medium sized muffins. I am close, but not post worthy yet with the recipe.

This morning I took a lovely walk to the grocery store, detouring to donate a couple of books to the new Little Free Library I stumbled across two weeks ago. During the walk, I encountered an adult buck black-tailed deer with a nice antler rack standing near the sidewalk on the front lawn of one of the houses. He just stood still beside a tree and calmly watched me walk over to the other side of the road and walk past. I tried to take a picture with my phone but it didn't come out very well.

Plans today may include some sewing and will probably include some reading. I am currently at the halfway mark in The Map of Time as my physical read, and in the middle of the first coda of RedShirts as my audiobook read.

Forgot to mention - because of all the BC forest wild fires, the sky over Victoria is shrouded in a thick haze today, giving everything an orange-tinged and rather surreal look/feel to the place. It is not something that we are used to seeing here in Victoria and I had a lively debate with my other half as to what it was... he didn't want to believe me that this is probably particulate matter from the forest fires happening in the BC interior and Port Hardy at the northern tip of Vancouver Island.

Book #50 - Redshirts by John Scalzi - audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Minimalism
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2012
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 320 pages / 7 hours, 48 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca book listing:

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It's a prestige posting, with the chance to serve on "Away Missions" alongside the starship's famous senior officers. Life couldn't be better...until Andrew begins to realize that 1) every Away Mission involves a lethal confrontation with alien forces, 2) the ship's senior officers always survive these confrontations, and 3) sadly, at least one low-ranking crew member is invariably killed. Unsurprisingly, the savvier crew members below decks avoid Away Missions at all costs. Then Andrew stumbles on information that transforms his and his colleagues' understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is...and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

Review:
Ha.... how can any Trekkie fan not enjoy this fun romp. Having grown up on all generations of the Star Trek franchise - and yes, some of them have been rather cheesy in their story lines - I found listening to this audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton to be highly entertaining, even when the story starts to get metaphysical and just plain meta. I giggled and chortled my way through the story and had great fun when the "Narrative" was explained and visions of the original Star Trek shows popped up in my mind. The first coda was just a tad too strange for me and really didn't work all that well in audio format. Not surprising, considering it is supposed to represent blog postings. The second coda was better and provided some interesting insight. The third coda was just darn perfect. Loved it! Made me smile and cry at the same time.

Overall, fantastic fun presentation that appeals to my humorous side by taking a fun, satirical dig at Hollywood and the wonderful TV industry while opening the doors of my mind memories of old sci-fi TV shows and movies I have watched. Escapism with an interesting meta angle to it.

Happy Sunday, Lori! I never want to see the AAC become a chore. Jump in when you feel like it. If you hit 8, that isn't bad at all.

The AAC is my only real Challenge, but I have been dipping in and out of the BAC. Good way to experience a new author.

Thanks Mark. I have been enjoying how the AAC - and the other challenges - have been expanding my reading horizons. I also just noticed my 'flub' at >45 lkernagh: above - I am assuming that Cory and E.L. are not one and the same person. ;-)

I did not catch your flub! LOL! I do no think they are related.

BTW- I've been meaning to read Redshirts forever. I have still not read Scalzi. What??

I know! Perfect summer reading, IMO.

>48 lkernagh: Well, you got me with that book bullet! Happy new-ish thread!

Happy to send that BB your way and thanks for stopping by!

Stopping by to say , Lori! Like you in Victoria, we in Metro Vancouver are shrouded in a smokey haze today. When I woke up early this am, both my husband and I were surprised by the smoke in the air. Supposedly it is from the interior, but knowing that Sechelt and Burnaby Mountain have all been suffering with forest fires, as well as Port Hardy - I think we are surrounded. Supposedly the wind direction will change as of Monday afternoon and sweep out the particulate matter, but of course I believe that when I see it. I do recall several summers ago when the peat bog land fill area in Burns Bog caught fire and we had some dreadful smoke here for a few days, though I am not sure if I recall how bad that was compared to the ash/ smoke we have now. Ah, like you , my other half and I have had a few discussions on where exactly the smoke is from. Dave believes it to be mainly from Sechelt, and I have given up and decided there are so many forest fires going on that it must be the result of the entirety of BC. :)

Happy New Thread! I am sticking with my fairly easy reads, the Elly Griffith series that I recently discovered. I am on my third book in the series . Perhaps after our son's wedding and maybe some cooler weather I'll get back to more challenging reading.

Hi Deb, I just checked the Environment Canada weather and it looks like both Victoria and Vancouver are in for another day of smoke haze. We do seem to be surrounded with forest fires.

Thanks for stopping by and for mention of the Elly Griffith series. I will have to look into that one.

I've been meaning to read Redshirts, too. That's a very encouraging review, Lori. We watched all the Trek shows, and movies, with TNG our favorite.

Disappointed that I haven't been able to find the audio of Redshirts at any of the library sites I belong to. Time to use one of my Audible credits?

Hi Lori, and happy summer to you! I'm sorry things are so smoky. We've had drought and terrible fires here in recent years, so we were very glad to have a wetter-than-usual spring this year. Hope things get better.

Great reading you've been doing, and cooking, too!

I thought Redshirts was great fun too. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing about Old Man's War which is the only other Scalzi I've read.

>57 jnwelch: - I think you will enjoy Redshirts, Joe. It was quite different than I was expecting, and in a good way. ;-)

>58 Storeetllr: - Are you a big Star Trek fan, Mary? Half of my enjoyment of Redshirts was in the subtle - and not so subtle - ways in which it pokes fun at the original Star Trek episodes. Of course, having Wil Wheaton as narrator gives the story a whole new level of giddy trekkie geekiness. ;-)

>59 AMQS: - Hi Anne! Droughts and forest fire effects are unusual for Victoria to experience. So far, no drought but unless we get back to our normal rainfall later this month and have a decent amount of precipitation over the coming fall and winter, we may be in for some sever water restrictions come next year. Good thing they expanded the reservoir a number of years ago!

>60 SandDune: - Redshirts is my first Scalzi so good to learn your impression of Old Man's War, Rhian.

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Reading progress is a little slow right now and not helped by the fact that both my current physical read - The Map of Time - and my audiobook read - The White Rhino Hotel - are both big reads. We still have overcast smoke haze as of this morning so I will be forgoing my usual lunchtime walk and will curl up with my book instead.

>32 lkernagh: That sounds wonderful!

I hope the fires and the accompanying smoke end soon. It's drifting down here but I know how awful it is to be in the thick of it.

>62 Copperskye: - Hi Joanne!

Woke up to another red sun this morning, which means the particulate matter from the forest fires is still prevalent in the air. At least we are far enough away from the fires that we don't have falling ash or strong smoke smells to deal with.

Looks like some of the BC smoke has blown into town again tonight. Our sunset is quite red at the moment and it's a bit hazy outside my office window.

We had air quality alerts in Minnesota yesterday that were attributed to fires in BC and Alberta. Must be a heck of a fire to reach us.

Hope smoke clears for you. We sometimes get farmers using fire to clear their fields near us, but nothing on the scale you're describing.

>64 MickyFine:, >65 Oberon: and >66 charl08: - The smoke from the forest fires are blowing far and wide. We remain on high alert across the province, because we still haven't had any decent rainfall to help the situation. Another red sun this morning but at least Environment Canada now reports 'hazy' and not 'local smoke' in their forecast, which is an improvement.

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I decided on Monday to take today off as a vacation day, so of course Murphy's Law dictated that Monday through Thursday was to to be just insanely busy. I hate when things are that busy. I don't even feel like reading in the evening or listening to audiobooks during my commute, so it is going to be a while before I have another book review to post, unless I treat myself this weekend to a day of nothing but reading, which I just might do. ;-)

>65 Oberon: I still remember when I was in my early teens that we got smoke in northern Alberta from forest fires in Russia. The atmosphere is weird. :P

>67 lkernagh: Do it!

>32 lkernagh: Yum! That looks good!

A day of just reading sounds just like the perfect thing!

Happy Sunday, Lori.

>68 MickyFine: - I did, Micky, for part of the weekend, anyways! ;-)

>69 tymfos: - Thanks Terri and reading did happen.

>70 Ameise1: - Love your Happy Sunday wishes, Barbara. Sunday was delightful. I hope yours was equally delightful.

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Another weekend down and what to show for it? - Well, I did a lot of puttering around in the garden and in the kitchen. On Saturday I made Red Fife bread, oatmeal apricot muffins and home made tzatziki sauce to go with Saturday night's dinner of spicy yam and zucchini fritters. The fritters are based upon a zucchini fritter recipe I came across in my copy of Australian Women's Weekly Cookbook for All Seasons cookbook (page 72 for anyone who has access to it) and boy, were they good, if a bit on the labor-intensive side (says the person who just made a second batch of home made tzatziki sauce, which is also a bit labour intensive, but soooo good!). I didn't take pictures but there are leftovers so I may take pictures when we have the leftovers. The tzatziki sauce is based upon this wonderlustkitchen recipe. Of course, I changed the recipe by adding a tablespoon of lemon juice and some black pepper. Fantastic recipe!

On the weather front, we got rain! Not a lot - in fact, barely enough to dampen down the growing dust levels - but welcomed all the same.

Sunday was more relaxed with some reading - got a book finished! - and some more puttering around in the kitchen. Dinner was a lazy casserole of black beans, frozen mixed veggies, canned diced tomatoes, cooked farro seasoned with fresh tarragon and summer savory from the garden and baked in the oven with a topping of garlic pan fried hash brown potatoes. Yummy comfort food idea that made great work of clearing out some items in the cupboard/freezer. It was a hit and will be a great fast meal idea for the colder winter months.

... now back to the work week grind. Don't get me wrong, I do love the challenges that crop up in my job. They are never boring and they are never the same challenge... everything always has a new twist/aspect to it. I just wish that the summer slowdown everyone talks about would actually happen. That's all.

Now for that book review....

Book #51 - The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma - translated from the Spanish by Nick Caistor
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOTs
Category: Street Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 2008
Acquisition date: May 4, 2013
Page count: 656 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the public library book listing:

London, 1896. Andrew Harrington's lover Marie Kelly was murdered by Jack the Ripper and he longs to turn back the clock and save her. Meanwhile, Claire Haggerty, forever being matched with men her family considers suitable, yearns for a time when she can be free to love whom she chooses. As their quests converge, it becomes clear that time is the problem--to escape it or to change it. Hidden in the attic of popular author--and noted scientific speculator--H.G. Wells is a machine that might offer them the hope they need!

Review:
Just what I needed to distract me from the summer heat. Palma has taken H.G. Wells' The Time Machine and launches from there into a wonderful premise that has the reading believing / disbelieving / believing in time travel. Palma's all-seeing narrator leads us through three intertwining stories set in Victorian England, a wonderful time period for a good genre-bender read. Palma brings the author H.G. Wells - along, to a lesser extent, Henry James and Bram Stoker - to life in his stories which is good for a potential reader of Palma' story to know. I for one, tend to enjoy stories where real historical figures are characters and I don't analyze whether or not the author gives an accurate portrayal of these individuals. Let just say Palma brings enough accuracy to our three literary figures for me to settle back and enjoy the story.

Fans of Wells' novel and the subsequent movie adaptations may enjoy the details that Palma brings to his story. I know I did, but it is so much more than a Time Machine story. It is a wonderful historical fiction story first and foremost but it is also a genre-bending delight. It is a historical, literary, mystery, fantasy, steampunk-styled adventure wrapped up into one page-turning package. I have read a number of novels that have taken Victorian England and adapted it to suit the author's needs, but this one is different. The story doesn't try to tamper with the known Victorian England time period. Palma leaves that firmly intact for readers to ground themselves as they follow his characters down the train of thought of possible parallel universes and the "map of time" that parallel universes may create. I really enjoyed how Palma plays with the reader, leading them along and feeding them with tantalizing information that may, or may not, be proven correct as the story progresses, kind of like a carnival's maze of mirrors where one tries to find the right way through the maze. Palma has a gift for painting a detailed picture and for crafting his characters, drawing the reader into the scene and engaging with the characters. He also knows how to pace his story: slow enough to lay the groundwork and to bring all the subtle details to the readers attention while still carrying the plot forward at a decent pace, keeping my interest from waning.

Favourite quote:

"True literature should rouse the reader, unsettle him, change his view of the world, give him a resolute push over the cliff of self-knowledge."

If you are a fan of The Time Machine and H.G. Wells' novels, and if you are like me and enjoy reading stories where historical literary figures are characters in the story, this first book in a currently three-book series may appeal to you. I thoroughly enjoyed my escapism romp through Victorian England under Palma's pen and I am looking forward to reading book two in the series - The Map of the Sky.

New Challenge ALERT:

My Trans Canada Walking Journey



Okay, I am not really about to embark upon a walking journey of Canada, but this past weekend my older sister's participation in the Sinister 7 Ultra race as a solo runner has inspired me to get off my butt and to challenge myself. For those of you who have never hear of the Sinister 7 race, here is a brief blurb copied (with a grammar error edit by yours truly) from the race organizers webpage:

Welcome to the Sinister 7 Ultra — a race that may be the greatest challenge of your life. The 100 mile (161km) course will take you through the most rugged, remote and beautiful terrain in Alberta's stunning Rocky Mountains. With 5,687m of elevation gain across the course, this race will punish those who are not prepared. The Sinister 7 is open to solo runners or teams of up to seven and racers have 30 hours to complete the grueling event. The course is split into seven stages, each featuring a geographic and historic highlight of the area. The race's name is inspired by the treacherous Seven Sisters Mountain that looms over much of the course.

I am not a runner like my sister is. I prefer walks, but I still feel that it is high time I gave myself a personal challenge to conquer so I have decided to track my walking and map it. The goal: To walk - in two three calendar years (730 1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles). At 10.7K 7.14K per day, every day, this may choose to be a bit of a challenge, especially during the winter months, but I think it will be a lot of fun and the idea of following the kilometers on a map with a distant end goal should prove motivating.

I don't have a FitBit or other pedometer tracking device. This is just going to track planned walks, like my walking commute to and from work and any additional planned walks that I may embark upon. I plan to report back once a week over on my Category Challenge thread as a way to log my walking journey and to help keep me motivated to continue with this walking challenge, but if there is an interest, I will be happy to post the updates here as well. The posts will be clearly marked so feel free to ignore the posts, as they are really more for my benefit but I will still try to make them interesting entries nonetheless.

Here are the tickers to record my progress:







For anyone interested, here is a link to the Google map where I will be adding daily place markers to track my virtual Trans Canada walking journey as visuals are half the fun! (fingers crossed the link works for everyone):

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1KHnFm1cFwlwwQf9YAJl2hWTSnUk&usp=sharing

Let the journey begin!

Footnote: Good thing I enjoy listening to audiobooks. They are going to come in handy with this challenge. ;-)

Lori, your kitchen adventures sound superb! What goodness: yam fritters and homemade tzatziki sauce. YUM!

What a fabulous challenge you've set yourself in your trans-Canada walk! You go!

Sounds like a cool idea. Will you be reading about the places where you virtually walk? Or perhaps sampling local culinary delights? Don't forget to send photographs, and a postcard or two!

>72 lkernagh: Lori, what a great review. You hit me with a BB. My local library has a copy and an audio. I suppose when I'm back frim holiday I'll take it.

>73 lkernagh: Wow, what a fantastic challenge. Wishing you good luck. I like to follow it on your map, unfortunately the link doesn't work. I'm sure you'll have done a lot ofaudio books by the end.

Good luck on your challenge, Lori. It's a great idea.

Hi Lori! What a great challenge you've set for yourself!

If you're interested, your shiny new smartphone can act as a pedometer. I use the Google Fit app to track my steps on my Android phone. It gives me a notification when I hit my goal for the day, which is nice.

>73 lkernagh: More entertaining and motivating than the same ol' loop every day. I have recently acquired a FitBit, and would not recommend it (I have the minimalist version) for mileage tracking; you can give it a stride length but this varies considerably with terrain and purpose (e.g. walking for exercise vs puttering around the house).

I decided to start all over with threads, so I'm doing the waving thing again!

Thank you for the encouraging posts >74 lit_chick:, >75 kac522:, >76 Ameise1:, >77 BLBera:, >78 norabelle414: and >79 qebo: for my proposed fitness program! ;-) I think I have started out a tad ambitious... I don't think I will be able to maintain 10.7K per day. I think I will stretch it out to a three year goal. Mapping the distance on a map is proving to be fun. For example, over the course of the past two days, I have walked the equivalent distance as if I had walked from the Mile Zero marker to Goldstream Provincial Park. How cool is that!

>74 lit_chick: - I have found that I really enjoy spending my non-work time in the kitchen. It has been both a fun and rewarding adventure. For example, last night I started out prepping eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms with the idea of making individual ratatouille rolls. Half way though the prep process I changed my mind and used the thinly sliced veggies as the base for a vegetarian lasagna. I got two thumbs up from the other half and I don't think I will be making lasagna the old way any more. ;-)

>75 kac522: - Good Question! Over on the Category Challenge group one individual asked if I was going to read books set in the province as I was journeying through it. While I have no set plans, I posted the following idea in progress in response on that thread: Maybe I can add an author/location reading challenge to my walking challenge. I am planning on checking out locations as I pass through and maybe have fun with Google Street View to see where I am at the end of each day's walk.... hopefully close to a lovely restaurant/cafe or maybe even a bookstore. I am sure I will mix things up a bit as it will take me quite some time to walk my way through each province on the journey but a combined culinary and reading adventure could prove to be fun!

>76 Ameise1: - Glad to see I managed to catch you with a BB for The Map of Time Barbara. As I mentioned over on my other thread, it was a better read than I was hoping it would be. I always tend to struggle through the first bit of detailed historical fictions but once I get the setting and the plot down, I tend to find myself being wrapped up in the story. Palma is a pretty god story teller!

I thought I had fixed the map problem.... Hopefully it works now. Audiobooks will be my salvation. ;-)

>77 BLBera: - Thanks!

>78 norabelle414: - Hi Nora! I wanted something that would last long enough to establish a fitness pattern while not being, well, boring. I kind of like the idea of "armchair traveling" across the country and still getting the health benefits of a fitness routine and the added bonus of visiting locations I probably would never visit unless I was driving across the country and had all the time in the world to stop and take in the sights.

.... Oooohhhh... I hadn't thought about a pedometer app. I like the idea of a notification. Must look into the apps. Thanks!

>79 qebo: - I agree. I try to mix up my walking routes, which is easy enough to do on my days off. It is a little more challenging when trying to squeeze in a walk during my lunch break at work. Because we are in the summer months, I am taking advantage of the wonderful early morning weather to plan extra long routes for my walk into work, which is fun as I get to check out neighbourhoods I don't usually walk through. Good to know about the FitBit. For mileage I have gone back to tracking/mapping my walks using mapmywalk.com. Kind of handy it also gives me a rough calorie burn based on the distance walked and the time period (start/finish) of the walk. I then add the mileage to my Google map so I can see map my trip. I wonder if there is an app that interfaces with mapmywalk/FitBit with the idea of creating distance traveled map. Someone should create an app for that, I think. ;-)

>80 connie53: - Hi Connie! Lovely to see you here!

Sorry, I still get an error notice when opening the link. I don't know if others can open it and it's only my problem.

>82 Ameise1: - Strange. I tested it in both Firefox and IE and the map shows up with no error message. I even made sure that I was not logged into Google to make sure I was just anyone who had access to the hyperlink. I have Chrome on my office computer so I will give it a test when I get into the office.

Your Trans Canada challenge looks very interesting and I hope you keep us updated on this thread. Bet you will be able to go through at least 5 audiobooks getting through Ontario - that's how long it felt when we drove through it many eons ago. Big plus about doing it virtually, Lori, is that you won't run into any road construction!

Good luck with the challenge -sounds like a great way to keep motivated to walk. I occasionally think about stretching my bike ride into work, but have yet to actually do it! Maybe your local explorations will be the inspiration I need...

>84 Familyhistorian: - Thanks Meg! I will post updates in both groups. No road construction is a definite bonus to having this walking challenge a virtual trip across the country. ;-)

>85 charl08: - Thanks Charlotte! I have been stretching out my morning walk to work - it is too hot at the end of the day! - and luckily I get to walk through a mix of downtown and residential areas so there is always something interesting to look at when I extend the walk down different streets.

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I am feeling a little accident-prone this weekend after managing to burn my right index finger last night while making dinner and managing to knock my coffee cup over this morning so this weekend will be spent close to home and doing as little as possible.

Book #52 - The White Rhino Hotel by Bartle Bull - audiobook narrated by Fred Williams
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth
Category: Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL/Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: May 1, 1993
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 416 pages / 17 hours, 39 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the public library book listing:

The Great War has ended, tragically for many; but for some more fortunate, East Africa holds the prospect of vast estates, fabulous wealth, and limitless opportunity in this powerful, grandly crafted novel of the natural and human perils that await pioneers in a promised land. It is in colonial Kenya, at Lord Penfold's White Rhino Hotel, that the paths of these new settlers cross. Here they meet the cunning dwarf Olivio Alevado, a man whose lustful desires and vengeful schemes make him a formidable adversary to his enemies and a subtle ally to his friends. Here the destinies of the English gypsy adventurer Anton Rider and the courageous, war-hardened Welsh Gwenn Llewelyn intersect. Here hope is corrupted by greed, love by revenge, and loyalty by betrayal as the future is trampled into history.

Review:
I never thought I would encounter another epic tale on par with McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. I am happy to report that The White Rhino Hotel, book one chronologically in Bull's Anton Rider trilogy, is that book. With lush, descriptive details of the land, the people and the animals of colonial East Africa, this is a story that will transport you back to a place and time, like the American West of Lonesome Dove, where each settler is very much on their own to defend their property and settle in a land that seems determined to test their strength and will power to carry on. Filled with a cast that includes "an English aristocrat, his disgruntled wife, a gorgeous Welsh ambulance driver, a proud Goan dwarf, a German soldier of fortune, an American Safari hunter, and a brutal Portuguese aristocrat and his oversexed sister", this story has the characters and the backdrop for a wonderfully enthralling epic adventure filled with good guys, bad guys and the ones you are just not sure which side of the battle they are on.

If you loved Lonesome Dove as much as I did and are on the look out for another epic tale written on the same grand scale, I can highly, highly recommend The White Rhino Hotel.

Book # not assigned - A Society by Virginia Woolf - audiobook narrated by Jo Anna Perrin
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: The London Group
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL/Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1921
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 6 pages / 37 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.8 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the public library book listing:

In "A Society", a young woman receives a substantial inheritance from her father, on the condition that she reads all of the books in London Library. Distressed by the unsatisfactory quality of the literature itself, she shares her woes with a group of female friends. The women agree that "before we bring another child into the world we must swear that we will find out what the world is like” and decide that they all must seek out knowledge for themselves, visiting some of England's most iconic landmarks and report back to the group, 5 years later, their findings.

Review:
At a mere 6 pages in length, I am not counting this as a book read but I am counting it as a Virginia Woolf read for the BAC. Having read Mrs. Dalloway, which I absolutely loved, and To the Lighthouse, which was just an okay read for me, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the languid, reflective storytelling of those two books do not give a good representation of Woolf's literary genius. A Society is told at a full gallop - or at least that is how it came across as read by Perrin - and has a wickedly satirical bite to it, akin to Muriel Sparks' sharp, penetrating wit. It is also written in a more straightforward manner than the stream of consciousness style of Mrs. Dalloway. As for the findings, they are an insightful commentary on war, art, and the societal roles of men and women. What is delightful is the manner in which some of the women go about conducting their "research". On its own, this short story has merit in displaying a satirical side of Woolf I was not aware existed but it also provides further insight into Woolf's opinions of the society of her era.

Woot! I'm one who loved Lonesome Dove and am always on the lookout for an epic tale of its caliber. Great review of White Rhino Hotel, Lori, and onto the list it goes!

>86 lkernagh: Yikes. Playing it safe sounds good. Definitely want to hang on to all your appendages. ;)

>88 lkernagh: I haven't found a Woolf novel I've enjoyed but A Room of One's Own is a great read.

Lori, we got some of that BC smoke all the way down here in Missouri. It made for some beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Lucky for us, the smoke itself wasn't an issue. A few years ago, we were in Denver when the forest fires in the foothills made breathing difficult. My husband lost his voice and it made my eyes water.

I absolutely love the idea of your trans-Canadian walk. What a great way to fit more audiobooks in. My husband and I do a shortish 30-minute walk each morning. I'd love to listen to a book, but that is about the only time when I can have his complete attention so I will save my audiobooks for nighttime and road trips.

Hi Lori - White Rhino Hotel sounds great; I'm going to look for it. I love Woolf but haven't read A Society - I'll look for it.

Happy Sunday, Lori! Good review of The White Rhino Hotel. I also loved that book and I have to say, the other 2 books in the trilogy are very good too. These books are criminally under-appreciated.

Nice review of The White Rhino Hotel, Lori! A Society sounds good as well.

>89 lit_chick: - Nancy, I will play the LT oracle here and say that I think it is highly likely that you will like The White Rhino Hotel. ;-)

>90 MickyFine: - Playing to safe worked. No more accidents and I even managed to clear two books at the same time. ;-)

My Woolf reading has so far been limited to all of the books listed in my review above. Thanks for your personal rec for A Room of One's Own.

>91 Donna828: - Wow, on the smoke that is traveling North America. What a crazy fire season this one has been. I would give anything for some rain right now. Good thing my garden is a container garden and not subject to watering restrictions.

The Trans-Canadian walk is proving to be more fun that I thought it would be for me. I am now excited every evening when I map to distanced walk and see where I end up on the map. How wonderful that you and your husband start out each day with a walk. My other half and I won't do that only because we have very different circadian cycles.... I am a morning person while he is more of an evening person.

>92 BLBera: - I do hope you are able to enjoy it as much as I did and don't groan too much at the thought of three books to enjoy. I am looking forward to reading the other two books in the trilogy at some point. Thankfully, Hoopla - where I downloaded The White Rhino Hotel from - has the other two books, also read by Williams, always a bonus when they maintain the same reader.

>93 msf59: - Hi Mark! I agree with you. These books are criminally under-appreciated. The word needs to get out.

>94 kidzdoc: - Thanks Darryl!

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Happy Sunday everyone! I took things easy yesterday and managed to clear two more books. today is going to be another day of taking things easy and probably a little bit of baking.

Book #53 - Remembering Laughter by Wallace Stegner - audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, AAC
Category: American Realism
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL/Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1937
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 152 pages / 3 hours, 10 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.85 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website book listing:

Margaret Stuart, the proud wife of a prosperous Iowa farmer, sets high standards for herself and others. Happy in her marriage, she tries to look the other way when her genial husband, Alec, takes to the bottle. When Elspeth, Margaret's sister, comes to live with them, the young woman is immediately captivated by the beauty and vitality of the farm, and by the affection she receives from those around her. But as summer turns into fall, and the friendship between Alec and Elspeth deepens, Margaret finds her spirit tested by a series of events that seem as cruel and inevitable as the endless prairie winters.

Review:
What is interesting is that the book description above seems to give the impression that the story is Margaret's story and told from Margaret's point of view. In fact, the story digs deep into the inner thoughts, feelings and emotions of both Margaret and Elspeth, and to a somewhat lesser extend, Alec. It must be tricky to write about the inner conflict that the opposite gender from the author may experience under certain situations. I think Stegner pulls this off rather well. Repression is a key theme running through this story, as is the fleeting glimpses of joy and exhilaration that uninhibited laughter can bring. For a first novel - novella, really - I was rather intrigued by how this story brought memories of Ethan Frome to my mind as I was listening to it. Nothing specific to connect the two stories, it was more a similarity in the tone/starkness of the words, the secluded environment and fleeting glimpses into an emotional reaction of a character than in anything specific.

Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by how much I found myself being drawn into the story. Some of the thoughts/actions of the characters were questionable in my mind, but then again, I have to remember that this story was originally published back in the 1930's, in very different times from what we live in today.

Book #54 - Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR / LTER
Format: ARC Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date: June 1, 2015
Page count: 278 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the back book cover:

What do Ogopogo, Jackie Chan movies and earthquakes have in common? They are three of Perry Richter's favorite things. Perry (aka Master Disaster) is autistic - high-functioning but still prone to what his twin sister Justine (aka Just Jeans) calls "inappropriate behaviors." He is also smart, funny and wise. Justine has been taking care of Perry since their father's death, but things are about to change. Perry wants independence, and Justine doesn't know what she wants. Maybe the answers are in British Columbia, home to lots of seismic activity, Ogopogo and their long-gone mother. Or maybe the answers are already in their hearts.

Review:
I really enjoyed this story, and I am not just saying this because of all of the great references to British Columbia I can personally relate to, although that is always a bonus when reading a story. This is a story with a big heart. At times funny, quirky and entertaining, Groth hits the right balance between levity and gravity as he brings home the meatier issues of family, relationships and the fact that being independent doesn't mean going it alone, separate and apart from the ones we love. His characters are well drawn and I really liked how Groth makes use of journal entries as the mechanism to bring the father's point of view into the story. I also liked the shifting POV, providing the reader with unique insight into both Justine and Perry's thoughts and feelings. Perry's shifts - when he goes from reality to a form of dreamworld and then back - were unpredictable and it would take me a minute to clue in and follow the thread but I think it worked well to communicate Perry's coping mechanisms as well as how he sees and reasons things through.

Overall, a great feel good story with a wonderful message and a great presentation of a character with autism spectrum disorder.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

UPDATE: WEEK 1

Kilometers walked this week: 58.2
Kilometers walked in total: 58.2
Current province: (BC)
My current location on the map: On Vancouver Island, north of the Cowichan Golf and Country Club and south of the Koksilah River, heading to Duncan.
Points of interest along the way:
If I was physically making this journey I would have stopped halfway through Day 2 to go swimming in Thetis Lake - it has been warm enough that the water would have been lovely! Evening of Day 2 would have been spent camping in Goldstream Provincial Park, eating something cold, what with the open fire ban in effect, but enjoying the lush canopy of trees to cool things down. I would have been completely stunned at climbing the Malahat and cresting its summit on Day 3 considering the summit is some 356m (1,156 ft) above sea level. All downhill from there! ;-) I would have definitely stopped to catch my breath at the observation deck for the wonderful view of the valley and the bay. Day 4 would have been a rather boring day of highway walking, but luckily passed through Mill Bay, a quaint community with all amenities so would have probably stopped at a cafe. Day 5 would have been another boring day of highway walking. Sadly, all of the vineyards, cidarworks and wineries - Unsworth, Merridale, Damali, Silverside, Cherry Point, Rock Creek and Blue Grouse - are all located a short drive off the highway but close enough if you have a vehicle for a fun day of vineyard hopping, just make sure you have a designated driver with you. ;-) Would have ended Day 5 near one of my favorite shopping stops, Whippletree Junction, a delightful blending of farmers market with rustic antique shops and hand crafts. Day 6, my shortest walk of the week, is more highway walking.

Currently Reading:


Audiobook:
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis - reading as part of the AAC, which I am a bit behind with
Physical book:
The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson - for the July Random CAT "read a book with a title with the word "light" in it, or with a word or words that refer to some form of light."

I love your walking goal! Brilliant. The Bull trio looks very intriguing indeed, nice review!

>73 lkernagh: >99 lkernagh: I love this idea! (really, I LOVE it)
What a great way to get more exercise, and then when you get to walk the real thing you will be thoroughly prepared.

Catching up and I just copied your recipe from >32 lkernagh:, it looks sooooo good, and I still got some kale in my freezer which I have to use asap (we have kale/cavolo nero in winter only). Farro is very popular here, the only ingredient I won't find is the smoked paprika which of course will make a bit of a difference.
And also the other foods you mention - I'd love to eat all of them, just the cooking will have to wait until it has cooled down a bit.

I LOVE your walking challenge! What a fantastic idea, also adding those points of interest!

I read some Woolf, but never heard of The Society before - BB caught! :)

Superb review of Remembering Laughter, Lori. I adore Wallace Stegner, but this one has not even been on my radar, so that must change. Ethan Frome is one I have waiting in the wings on audio … time to move it into rotation, too.

I love your walking tour descriptions, Lori. The Stegner and Groth sound good, too. I have yet to read Stegner and would like to fix that soon.

I've added Are You Seeing Me to my list! Great review!

I love your trans-Canada walking tour challenge! Go, Lori!!

>101 sibylline:, >102 LovingLit:, >103 Deern:, >105 BLBera: and >107 EBT1002:- Thanks everyone! The walking challenge will be an epic adventure, even if I don't 'physically' make the journey. ;-)

>101 sibylline: - Thanks! As Mark said, the Bull trilogy is "criminally under-appreciated".

>102 LovingLit: - *snort!* Walking the real thing? Not. Happening. I will just settle for getting more exercise. ;-)

>103 Deern: - You know me and food go hand and hand. The recipe is open to versatility, which I love. I have never been a stickler for following a recipe "to the letter" so feel free to get creative, knowing that I will be looking forward to discovering what interesting combination you come up with!

>104 lit_chick: - Good to know you adore Stegner! I never know how I will respond to an author's writing and their first novel/novella isn't always the best place to find out if I will click with them as a reader but if Stegner is a fave of yours, I feel more confident that I can read more and not experience the dreaded "what the .....?" feeling.

Ethan Frome is a very interesting story so I will be most curious to see what you think of it.

>106 tymfos: - I don't know the release date for the Groth book in the US. It looks like the Canadian publishers have listed a mid-August release date, but it was a goodie.

My other half greeted me this evening with the mail and a raised eyebrow. The reason for the raised eyebrow: a parcel that was a book. Just so you know, I have not gravitated to the online book purchase community. I feed my reading through library books, e-book/audiobook downloads and second hand book purchases, so book parcels through the mail can only mean one of two things: Someone has shipped me a book or I have won another book through LT's early reviewer program. In this case, it was an LTER copy of The Lost Garden by Katharine Swartz, but it is fun to see his expression every time I receive another LTER book. I don't bother to inform him of the months when I don't win a requested book, I just inform him that LT is the gift that keeps on giving (he paid for my lifetime membership as he has a paypal account and I don't). It makes him all happy and smiley. ;-)

Love the idea of a walking challenge. I've just started using a free app called MapMyWalk. I really like it. It syncs with all the different devices, so it's flexible. It works great. It even mapped my circuit around the hockey field - I walk on Mondays while my kiddo is at practice.

>109 lkernagh: I won that same book. I will probably start on it today. I have two books sitting out to read, and it is one of them! Because I have the obligation to review it, it will probably nudge its way ahead of the other one.

>110 nittnut: - I love MapMyWalk! I use it to track 'map' my walking distances. I also love how it can sort of tell you the calories burned, if you enter how long it took you to walk the distance. I haven't tried using it on my phone yet.

>111 thornton37814: - You will start reading it ahead of me then, Lori. I plan to finish my current print read before starting the Swartz book. I was a little surprised to discover that it is book two in a series, but it sounds like one of those loosely woven series where the location and not the characters are consistent from book to book.

Love this, Lori: My other half greeted me this evening with the mail and a raised eyebrow. Make me smile : ). You're certainly spot-on that LT is the gift that keeps giving!

Hi Lori! Yum -- your yam and zucchini fritters with tzatzaki sounds really good! I make tzatzaki all the time, but usually for grilled meats. I have made Nigella Lawson's zucchini fritters for years: http://www.food.com/recipe/zucchini-fritters-pancakes-nigella-lawson-388301 The girls have always loved them, even during the "vegetables are suspicious" years!

Big BB with The White Rhino Hotel. If you loved Lonesome Dove as much as I did and are on the look out for another epic tale written on the same grand scale, I can highly, highly recommend The White Rhino Hotel. Sold!

>113 lit_chick: - He still jokes that LT is the best gift he has given me in the over 20 years we have been together. It is not all about expensive jewelry or fancy gadgets! ;-)

>114 AMQS: - They were soooooo tasty Anne! I have found a second use for tzatziki sauce: As a topping on an open face cheese and avocado sandwich, with toasted bread. Yummy!

I think you will really enjoy The White Rhino Hotel, Anne. Great story!

Rain. We FINALLY have rain. :-)

>112 lkernagh: Yeah - love the calorie counting, though I don't think it's totally accurate. I like an approximation anyway.

>116 lkernagh: HOORAY!!

Yes, having rain here today, too! First time since Apri!

Lori, I was just at Library2Go checking on an audiobook, which I found. When I went to login, I was redirected to Okanagan Regional Library. My own library and Library2Go is now integrated! I love this! Have you noticed the same?

>117 nittnut: - I am sure the calorie count is just an estimate but it does remove my guilt a little bit when I get a mid-afternoon chocolate or potato chip craving and I am able to remind myself that I have already walked off the calories I am about to consume. Probably not the way it is supposed to work but it works that way for me. ;-)

>117 nittnut: and >118 lit_chick: - The rain only last one day but I will take any rain that comes this way. At least the storm clouds are still swirling around in the sky so I am hopeful we may see more rain this evening.

As to the Library2Go, I was saddened to see the notice posted June 5th on the Greater Victoria Public Library webpage that "Due to circumstances beyond our control, OverDrive will be removing GVPL’s access to eBooks and eAudiobooks in the BC Library2Go collection on July 1, 2015. This does not affect GVPL Library to Go. As of July 1, no outstanding holds in your BC Library2Go account will be filled, nor will you have access to your list of holds." I Don't know why my local library system was removed .... "circumstances beyond our control" sounds somewhat ominous and sad to see the message worded the way it is.. :-( I can only hope that my local library continues to build its own GVPL Library to Go and keeps the third party services like Hoopla, etc available to patrons.

>119 lkernagh: I'm in the wrong province so I can't provide insight on that one. My guess is licensing agreements came in to play somewhere.

>112 lkernagh: I did start it, but I haven't read much the last few days. I've been distracted by other things.

>119 lkernagh: Hmm, maybe I'm too quick to like the integration between my local library and Library2Go. Must investigate further.

eta: And I'm back … the same notice is posted at my library. NOOOOOO! Sounds like all libraries serving more than 100,000 patrons were forced by OverDrive to negotiate individual contracts, which has resulted in the change: In late 2011, OverDrive, the company that licenses our access to eBooks and eAudiobooks through the collection, changed its business model and required all libraries serving populations of over 100,000 people to negotiate individual contracts with them, resulting in the creation and launch of the ORL eBooks collection in 2012.

>120 MickyFine: - That would make sense.

>121 thornton37814: - Distractions can be a good thing. I know my reading tends to wane if I have a project that I am interested in. ;-)

>122 lit_chick: - So, Micky was bang on in that it was probably due to licensing agreements. Sad to think that the purpose of having a province-wide e-book and audiobook collection for all BC library patrons was so that smaller libraries could have the same access to e-books and audiobooks as larger library systems is now subject to the terms of a third party, but it also explains why my local library entered into arrangements with Hoopla and other third party providers over the past two years. The GVPL Library to Go is okay but if my memory serves me correctly, it doesn't have the same selection of books as BC Library2Go, or at least it didn't when I was able to download from either collection. Maybe that has changed.

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

Happy Sunday!

So far it is looking like another overcast day so I have my fingers crossed that more rain will fall. I have joined PawsForThought in a July 25-27 weekend readathon - which is open to anyone who wants to pop in and join - and have managed to finished two books so far. Hoping to complete another one or two books if possible. Here is the link to the readathon thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/193670

Hooray for rain.

>124 BLBera: - We actually had a 10 minute spell of thunder, lightening and a heavy sheet of rain this afternoon, which is rare for this part of the world. The thunder and lightening part is rare, not the heavy rain. ;-)

Book #55 - Main Street by Sinclair Lewis - audiobook narrated by Lloyd James
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, AAC
Category: American Realism
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL/Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1920
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 480 pages / 19 hours listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website book listing:

Young college graduate Carol Milford moves from the city to tiny Gopher Prairie after marrying the local doctor, and tries to bring culture to the small town. But her efforts to reform the prairie village are met by a wall of gossip, greed, conventionality, pitifully unambitious cultural endeavors, and—worst of all—the pettiness and bigotry of small-town minds.

Review:
I am so glad I listened to the audiobook as read by Lloyd James and didn't attempt to read a print copy. I think reading it would have been the perfect cure if I was suffering from insomnia. The story isn't bad but it tends to float from the mundane to the mundane. The lead character, Carol ("Carrie") is a rather insufferable woman and I refuse to accept that her husband Will would put up with as much as he does, but that is just my personal opinion. Even with those negative comments, this story is an excellent portrayal of small town America - or small town anywhere - during the 1910's. Lewis perfectly captures that small town culture, the resistance of the town folks to change or to any nonconformity to their ways. That is the hardest nut to crack: a population where everyone knows everyone and has a set of beliefs, values and prejudices that should not be tampered with. Well-meaning and patriotic but narrow-minded. The fact that the town folks have as much to teach Carol as Carol has to teach them seems to be the big divide that never gets crossed. Each party stays more or less entrenched in its own 'camp', trying to get the other side to change/conform.

Overall, the story speaks to human nature and presents some interesting perspectives on topics of marriage, politics, socialism, capitalism and social/cultural dynamics but for me, I probably would have abandoned the book if I was reading it. I found it worked better as an audiobook playing in the background while I was out walking or working in the house, thanks in large part to James' ability to act out the story as he read it.

Book #56 - Henri, le Chat Noir: The Existential Musings of an Angst-Filled Cat by William Braden
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Hardcover
Original publication date: 2013
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 96 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the back book cover:

My name is HENRI, and I am filled with ennui. As an existential cat philosopher, it is my fate to contemplate the world around me and ponder my tormented existence. They say I am an internet sensation on YouTube, thanks to a thieving filmmaker. I am told that my video won the People's Choice award at the first Internet Cat Video Film Festival, and Roger Ebert declared it "The best internet cat video ever made."
-----
This brings me no joy. I am surrounded by comfort and ease of living, but I can never be content. This book is a window to my soul.

Review:
I cannot remember were I saw mention of this book - I can only assume either somewhere on LT or in one of the book-related email spam I receive on a regular basis - but the thought of a existential, angst-filled cat seems reasonable to me so I decided to read it. As a collection of photos with thought captions, this was a fun, quick read. Braden has given Henri the perfect voice to pair with his aloof, disdainful facial expressions and body language that only a cat can pull off with full aplomb. What adds to the fun is that not only does Henri disdain the humans, he tends to look down on his fellow feline house companions as lacking his level of intelligence, referring to one cat as the "white imbecile". In Henri's own words, "If I am referred to as a deep thinker, it is only because the majority of cats are barely concerned with thought at all." Ouch! ;-)

Having enjoyed the book, I then had fun watching the videos on the Henri, Le Chat Noir YouTube channel and his Twitter feed while drinking my morning coffee. I know understand why Henri is the internet sensation the book says he is. Waxing philosophical with a wry, sarcastic wit has its appeal. As Henri states:

A vast universe of metaphysical truth lies undiscovered all around us, yet I'm supposed to be placated by chasing a little bit of string?
-----
My spiritual cup is not so easily filled.

Book #57 - The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Happening
CAT(s): July RandomCAT - Let there be Light!
Source: TBR
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2011
Acquisition date: December 1, 2012
Page count: 400 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the book back cover:

Drawn to a confident and artistic wealthy older man she barely knows, bookish Eve recklessly embarks on a whirlwind affair that soon offers a new life and a new home at Les Genevriers, a charming yet decaying farmhouse in a hamlet nestled amid the fragrant lavender fields of Provence. But with autumn's arrival the days begin to cool, and so, too, does Dom. Though Eve knows he bears the emotional scares of a failed marriage - one he refuses to talk about - his silence arouses suspecion and uncertainty. And, like its owner, Les Genevriers is also changing. Bright, warm rooms have turned cold and uninviting; shadows now fall unexpectedly; and Eve senses a presence moving through the garden. Is it a ghost from the past or a manifestation of her current troubles with Dom? Can she trust Dom, or could her life be in danger?

Review:
I love gothic tales so when I stumbles across this one - with is captivating cover and an author quote that it is "Reminiscent of Daphne du Maurier's classic Rebecca" - I figured this would be a good rainy day kind of read. The story has a slow build to it - at times, a painfully slow build - and Lawrenson's use of pronouns when she shifts the story narration from Eve in the present to Benedicte in the past left me in a bit of a muddle at times with the story and its overall direction. It seemed to just ebb and swirl, dancing around a mystery of mysteries not to be named or openly discussed. That was frustrating, at least for the first 2/3 of the book. Yes, it drags the reader around that long. Lawrenson spends a lot of time describing the story thorough the olfactory senses, which works well for the perfume angle of the story but seems a bit much when she is setting the scene or building the atmosphere of the story. What did work was the last 1/3 of the story and it worked so well that I am willing to forgive Lawrenson the slow, meandering build that it took to get us there. Sometimes, the view at the top of the hill is worth all of the struggle and effort to climb the hill to see it. Lawrenson shows promise with this debut novel for writing an atmospheric, gothic tale that creeps up on you. I still don't see the Rebecca angle but since I wasn't a big fan of Rebecca as a spellbinding gothic story, that reflects positively on this story by Lawrenson.

Overall, a slow build that takes a level of concentration to stay on top of the rapid shifting points of view while you collect the pieces of the mystery, but the ending does reward you for persevering.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

UPDATE: WEEK 2

Kilometers walked this week: 54.1
Kilometers walked in total: 112.3
Current province: (BC)
My current location on the map: On Vancouver Island, in Nanaimo, just south of Needham Street heading for downtown and the Departure Bay ferry terminal for my 'walk' across the Strait of Georgia/Salish Sea to North Vancouver.
Points of interest along the way:
Continuing my "If I was physically making this journey" musings, I would have cruised through the city of Duncan on Sunday. I know all about the "City of Totems" moniker Duncan has, given its First Nations history, but I was surprised to see that on Wikipedia, the city of Duncan is actually considered to be Canada's smallest city by area at a mere 2.07KM / 0.8 miles. It is its proximity to North Cowichan that makes it seem so much bigger than it really is. Monday would have been a somewhat scenic day of highway walking. Tuesday, because I am sticking to the Trans Canada Highway, I would have walked past the lovely seaside town of Chemainus, which is known for its wonderful outside murals and for its ice cream parlors/shoppes on Willow Street. Wednesday would have been spent walking through the town of Ladysmith. What is cool about Ladysmith is that it is located on the 49th Parallel and has wonderful, quaint antique shops. It's Hollywood claim to fame is being the town that Pamela Anderson grew up in before heading south for that Baywatch bathing suit. Thursday would have been more highway walking, passing the Naniamo Airport. Friday was a no walk day due to RAIN here in Victoria. ;-) Saturday would have been just a short walk in Naniamo heading for downtown and the Ferry Terminal. And, because I want to see, using Google Street View, where I end up in communities, it looks like I ended week 2 within short distance of an ABC Restaurant. Otherwise, just boring residential.

Woot! You are getting much more reading done than I, Lori! Fabulous reviews. The Lantern appeals to me; I very much enjoyed Du Maurier's Rebecca.

Love love love the idea of your trans-Canada journey. Wonderful musings!

Must get my hands on the Henri boook!
Thank you for taking us all on that journey. Looking forward already to the next leg.

Lori, enraged at Cdn government antics regarding literature in the PUBLIC DOMAIN I read about today at Gutenberg. See the post on my thread about emailing government contacts! Pass this along to Canadian readers, please!

>130 lit_chick: - Nah... It just looks like more when I post a group of reviews at the same time. Wait til I hit the BC interior. How many wineries are there within reasonably close proximity of the Trans Canada Highway? ;-)

>131 Deern: - If you can't get you hands on the book, the YouTube videos and Twitterfeed are just as good! The next leg of my walking journey will be rather boring as approximately 56 KM will be spent crossing the Strait of Georgia/Salish Sea. Not much to report there unless I get creative and report Orca pod sightings. ;-) Once I hit the mainland, it will get very interesting.

>132 lit_chick:- Oh, I thought you knew. Yah, not the best way to present a major change to federal copyright law by burying it in a financial budget omnibus bill. You do realized it was just to appease major American-based industry lobbyists and had nothing to do with Canadian lobbyist input, which was next to nil. I am horrified that this has now opened up a friggin' can of worms in that other interest groups are now going to want the same extension of copyright term to be applied to books, photographs, etc. A lot of people don't realize that under the original Statute of Anne (1709 Copyright Act) copyright only had a copyright term of 14 years before works entered the public domain. It has crept up over the years. The International Berne Convention only requires that countries who ratify the Berne Convention establish a copyright term of life of the author/artist plus 50 years. It is all thanks to Disney's lobbying of the US government to protect Mickey Mouse (in particular, Steamboat Mickey) that copyright term in the US was changed to life of the author/artist plus 70 years and the whole campaign has been to get all of the other countries in the world to agree to this. They convinced Europe to change their copyright term some years ago and now the focus is to convince the world that it needs to be in lock step with the US. Absolute rubbish because the only entities really reaping the benefit of the longer copyright term is the corporations - like Disney - and not the artists. Capitalism gone bad (and greedy).

I will come off my soapbox now.

As lovely as it was to have the rain come down this past weekend, long range forecast is another 14 days of sun, sun and sun. They really need to start using the word 'drought' in these parts. If we have a snowless/rainless winter, we are in serious trouble.

My current reads - ironically enough - have more of a non-fiction slant to them:
Audiobook:
The Ghost Mountain Boys by James Campbell - a Papua New Guinea read for my Commonwealth Challenge
Physical book:
Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sorbel - for the July HistoryCAT 1601-1700 CE time period

as a distraction - since I won't be finishing either book in the next few days - for those interested, I have posted a herb garden update over on the Gardens & Books thread. My most recent update can be found here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/189202#5224774

Otherwise, I am a bit distracted at the moment. I am trying to plan a Las Vegas getaway for just my sister and I this fall and feeling a little overwhelmed at the hotel and vacation package offerings out there. Last time I was in Vegas I was knee-high to a grasshopper so no clue what is good/what is bad. A work colleague was able to offer some sage words of wisdom: local transit day passes are the way to get around, mid-week is always better than weekend, check the Groupon site for deals and make sure to take a night and check out Fremont Street.

If anyone has any additional comments/suggestions, they will be happily welcomed here!

Over 50 Kim's walked in one week! Fantastic. I need to walk more....

>135 lkernagh: - No advice re: Las Vegas as I've never been :) But I totally get about being overwhelmed with options. We are starting to look at options to go to the Dominican Republic in January with friends and all the different resorts, room options, activities, etc. are a bit much to sort through...

>135 lkernagh: Lori, thank you! No, I didn't know about the copyright extensions until I saw the notice at Gutenberg. Appreciate your taking the time to provide the background. You're much better informed than I. Need to read more about this. And thank you, freaking Disney and Mickey freaking Mouse!

PS I've not been to Vegas at all so can't help you there. I often browse Trip Advisor when I'm going travelling, though. There is some valuable info there. Of course, you also have to sort through that.

And here I am again, Lori!

Hi Lori! I am trying to plan a Las Vegas getaway for just my sister and I this fall How wonderful! I went to Las Vegas once -- a few years ago with some colleagues form work (Chorale colleagues, I should say -- we travel together for work all the time, so we decided to travel for fun and for Bette Midler:) Mid-week is probably good advice. Everything else we did a la carte, so to speak. We got really great deals at the MGM Grand, and purchased our tickets (Bette and Cirque du Soleil's O) individually. There's probably a better way to do this -- it was certainly before Groupon. We spent most of our days at the pool:)

Have you tried a travel book from the library? That's always where I start when I'm planning a trip. I check out several. They often have suggestions about how to purchase packages, and what the deals are.

I love your Trans Canada Walking Journey. What an excellent idea! Will you be adding a literary supplement too?

>136 LovingLit: - It is pretty easy for me to rack up the Ks what with my daily walking commute being close to 6K and I have been going out for walks during my lunch hours. Of course, I had to go and wear new shoes this past week without breaking them in first and got a blister on my heel so the K's will be down for this past week's walking.

>137 katiekrug: - I know I shouldn't complain but as you have pointed out, too many options can be rather unhelpful when trying to make a decision! I am half tempted to just wing it, which wouldn't be a problem if it was just me but I do want to make sure that what we do is what my sister is up for so, you know.....

>138 lit_chick: - I tend to read a fair bit on the whole copyright thing so happy I could provide some information here.

>139 connie53: - Hi Connie!

>140 AMQS: - A travel book from the library is a really great suggestion, Anne! You think a reader like me would have thought of something like that but.... nope.... it never occurred to me. ;-) So cool that you got to see Bette Midler! I love her! She is so awesome!

>141 Trifolia: - Thanks! I have been thinking about adding something literary to my walking journey, just haven't decided what that might be... authors, book settings, themes.... something I am still pondering.

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Not much to report. The weeks are more or less blurring together this summer. Continuing to enjoy the gardening, reading and walking although I think I overdid it yesterday and had too much heat or sun (or both) so had a very lethargic afternoon and evening yesterday. Feeling better today but planning to pace myself and not overdue things like I have been. I should sit back and enjoy the summer. ;-)

Time for reviews and July re-cap.

Book #58 - The Ghost Mountain Boys by James Campbell - audiobook narrated by Stephen Hoye
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth
Category: Edinburgh Commonwealth Games of Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL/Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2007
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 408 pages / 10 hours, 30 minutes of listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website book listing:

A harrowing portrait of a largely forgotten campaign that pushed one battalion to the limits of human suffering. Despite their lack of jungle training, the 32nd Division’s “Ghost Mountain Boys” were assigned the most grueling mission of the entire Pacific campaign in World War II: to march over the 10,000-foot Owen Stanley Mountains to protect the right flank of the Australian army during the battle for New Guinea. Reminiscent of the classics like Band of Brothers and The Things They Carried, The Ghost Mountain Boys is part war diary, part extreme-adventure tale, and—through letters, journals, and interviews—part biography of a group of men who fought to survive in an environment every bit as fierce as the enemy they faced. Theirs is one of the great untold stories of the war.

Review:
I am not going to even attempt to review this one. There is a wonderful review posted by J. Green on the book page here that speaks to the book better any attempt I may make. I do have some personal thoughts that I will add:

- The details provided of the wounded and the fighting are graphic and not for the faint of heart.
- The presentation of MacArthur is not an overly positive one as it tars the war hero, explaining some of the 'fictions' MacArthur wrote and said about the war effort. This didn't surprise me - I had refused to believe he was the amazing leader that he was painted to be - but I was still horrified to learn that he made sweeping statements without even setting foot on the battlefield, AND that his wife and child travelled with him in the Pacific theater during WWII while he was overseeing activities. He took his family into the war zone with him. Good Grief.
- Great presentation of Papua New Guinea, its population, their customs, history and geography which was the real reason I decided to listen to this audiobook as I usually don't read war books of this nature. Some cringe-worthy mentions - like the cannibalism bit and the fact that a wife is shut up in her hut with the dead body of her husband were rather unsettling to read about.

Overall, a well presented, intimate examination of a battle between the Japanese and Allied forces that really reminded me just how global the battles of WWII were, touching corners of the world that do not get the same mention or importance in the history books as the battles that were fought in Europe and the Northern Pacific regions receive.

Book #59 - Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Happening
CAT(s): July HistoryCAT 1601-1700 CE time period
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: 1999
Acquisition date: May 12, 2012
Page count: 420 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca website book listing:

Inspired by a long fascination with Galileo, and by the remarkable surviving letters of his daughter Maria Celeste, a cloistered nun, Dava Sobel has crafted a biography that dramatically recolors the personality and accomplishments of Galileo. Moving between Galileo's grand public life and Maria Celeste's sequestered world, Sobel illuminates the Florence of the Medicis and the papal court in Rome during the pivotal era when humanity's perception of its place in the cosmos was about to be overturned. During that same time, while the bubonic plague wreaked its terrible devastation and the Thirty Years' War tipped fortunes across Europe, Galileo sought to reconcile the Heaven he revered as a good Catholic with the heavens he revealed through his telescope.

Review:
A fascinating exploration of not only Galileo's struggles to publish and make known his agreement - with theoretical and mathematical evidence - that Copernicus was correct in his belief that the Earth revolves around the Sun and not the other way around, and how the Church was determined that Copernicus was wrong as it countered what was spelled out in the Scriptures. Anyone who stayed awake during history and science classes while in school will know a fair bit about Galileo, his writings and his battles with the Catholic church, but I will admit to having no knowledge of his family life before reading Sobel's book. Being able to read the text of his daughter Suor Maria Celeste's letters and the context Sobel provides them in really helped to bring not only Galileo, but also the time period into clear resolution for me. The paternal love and respect Galileo had for his daughter and her intellect, and her unwavering devotion to her father, shines here. Some memoirs come across as rather dry reading for me, because I am usually not interested in the minutia of famous or historical figures. Being able to read about Galileo through his daughter's letters to him was anything but boring, even when she talks about the minutia of her cloistered life. That was very interesting!

Overall, a different approach to a memoir that I felt really works well and presents the details of Galileo's thoughts, beliefs and struggles in a manner that would have been a welcome replacement to any school textbook I had to slog through, back in the days.

JULY RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ (ranked from most to least favorite):
The White Rhino Hotel by Bartle Bull - 4.70 /
The Ghost Mountain Boys by James Campbell - 4.30 /
The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma - 4.20 /
The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson - 4.20 /
Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth - 4.10 /
Henri, Le Chat Noir by William Braden - 3.90 /
Remembering Laughter by William Stegner - 3.85 /
Redshirts by John Scalzi - 3.80 /
Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel - 3.80 /
Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton - 3.60 /
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis - 3.20 /

July STATS:
# of Books Read: 11 - the Woolf short story doesn't count as a book, but it does count for pages read.
# of Pages Read: 3,936 - A great reading month!
Average pages read per day: 126.97 - Double my June average of 63.87!
Original Publication Date Range of books read: 1920-2015
Largest Book read: The Map of Time at 656 pages
Smallest Book read: Henri, Le Chat Noir at 96 pages
Books still in progress at the end of the month: The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost - my third Non-Fiction read in a row - as my audiobook read.
Interesting Fact: Considering I don't usually read Non-Fiction it is kind of interesting that I managed to line up three Non-Fiction reads in a row.

CHALLENGES:- as of July 31st
ROOTs Challenge:
Books read this month: 2 (16 in total)
Status: 64% completed (9 books still to go)

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

Commonwealth Challenge: - this is a multi-year challenge started in 2013.
Books read this month: 2 (18 in total)
Status: 33% completed (34 books still to go)

Category Challenge: Each category completed when 8 books AND 2,015 pages read is reached - *changing from original plans of a

"whichever comes first" approach. Status as of July 31st:
Street Art - 6 books/ 1,929 pages read
Happening - 6 books / 1,540 pages read
Minimalism - 4 books / 1,005 pages read
American Realism - 6 books / 1,531 pages read
The London Group - 6 books / 2,704 pages read
Books made into Art - 9 books / 2,761 pages read - Category completed June 22, 2015
Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art - 7 books / 1,952 pages read
Art - 15 books / 3,789 pages read - Category completed June 22, 2015
Status: ~ 80% completed (~ 13 books still to go)

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



Pot of Gold remains secure in its lead over Shamrock, but I do have some chunksters I want to read so we will see if Pot of Gold is able to retain the lead or not.

>144 lkernagh: I loved this book too. Wonderful insight into the history of science, as well as a family.

>72 lkernagh:, Oh, I cannot resist adding this book to the tbr pile. Your review is excellent!

>146 charl08: - I was going to donate my copy to one of the Little Free Libraries in the neighborhood only to have my other half surprise in wanting to read it himself before we pass the book on. He usually only takes a passing interest in the books I read so that was rather exciting!

>147 Whisper1: - Thanks Linda! I have been lax about my LT thread visiting. I will stop by your thread and see how you are doing.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

UPDATE: WEEK 3

Kilometers walked this week: 43.1
Kilometers walked in total: 155.4
Current province: (BC)
My current location on the map: 5/6th of the way across the Salish Sea, getting ready to round the southern end of Bowen Island for final approach to Departure Bay and North Vancouver.
Points of interest along the way:
Since 6 days of this week is spent walking the BC Ferries/Trans Canada route across water, the only things I have to comment on are the Sunday and part of Monday spent in Nanaimo. Now I like the downtown of Naniamo. It is a compact, harbour center. A bit on the hilly side for walking but one can gets lots of great views of the harbour. Probably why it is known as "The Harbour City". So, you may be wondering what Nanaimo is known for? Well, from a famous people perspective, Jazz musician Diana Krall hails from the Harbour City, but for me the first thing mention of the city brings to my mind is one of my favorite bakery treats - the Nanaimo Bar:



There are too many recipes out there, but here is a link to the recipe I more or less follow when I make a batch of Nanaimo Bars. Now you know why I am embarking on this walking journey.... I need to burn the calories I love to consume. ;-)

>149 lkernagh: Yummy! And I'm in awe of your walking plans!

I loved Galileo's Daughter, and I'm glad you did, too, Lori. The first Dava Sobel book I read was Longitude, and it's a really good one, too.

>150 connie53: - Thanks Connie! I am sure my walking will taper off when the winter weather comes but right now it feels good to see the progress I am making.
>151 jnwelch: - I was pleasantly surprised with the Sobel read, Joe. I have seem good ratings and reviews for Longitude and if you found it to be a good one, than onto the future reading list that one goes!

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

Another wonderful Symphony Splash last night. It was kind of strange to feel the cold after an entire month of warm/hot weather but my preference is for the cold. It is always easier to put on a jacket or sweater to warm up than it is to try and stay cool without appearing indecent.

Another book finished - more of a novella than a novel - and as today is a civic holiday for BCers (and most Canadians), I am looking forward to another lazy day of reading, walking and not much else.

Book #60 - The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT, AAC
Category: American Realism
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: Hard cover
Original publication date: 2014
Acquisition date: November 29, 2014
Page count: 196 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the barnesandnoble.com website book listing:

The Last Kind Words Saloon chronicles the closing of the American frontier through the travails of two of its most immortal figures, Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. Tracing their legendary friendship from the settlement of Long Grass, Texas, to Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in Denver, and finally to Tombstone, Arizona, The Last Kind Words Saloon finds Wyatt and Doc living out the last days of a cowboy lifestyle that is already passing into history.

Review:
What can I say about this one? McMurtry effortlessly captures the essence of the American West: its cowboys, is broad sweeping frontiers and its lawlessness as only he can. Billed by Joyce Carol Oates as being a "comically subversive work of fiction" I appreciated the banter that McMurtry has his characters engage in and their rather "ho-hum" approach to any disaster that seem to occur, from an enormous cattle stampede to sandstorms. McMurtry's story evokes a sparseness in both prose and description, almost as if the memories are no longer as sharply depicted as they once were. The story tends to jump around a fair bit, with more than one loosely-knit storyline to follow. McMurtry's female characters continue to be strong, determined and independent women, with underlying insecurities that occasionally bubble to the surface. The men, except for Doc Holliday, are taciturn and dare I say, a bit hen-pecked, at least the married ones seem to be. Problem with the book, for me anyways, is that after having dined at the succulent and abundant banquet that is Lonesome Dove, The Last Kind Words Saloon comes across as a poor man's sparsely-laden salad bar, leaving this reader craving so much more than this book has on offer.

A quick read, written almost as a last hurrah of the American Wild West before being assigned to the dusty shelves of history.

Great review of The Last Kind Words, Lori. This is one I'll pass on, having dined, like you, at eh succulent and abundant banquet that is Lonesome Dove.

Wow, Lori. Look at all your stars in July. I just added The Ghost Mountain Boys to my list.

>154 lit_chick: - Hi Nancy! The Last Kind Words is a quick read but I can see where you might want to avoid a story that doesn't have the exquisite detailed beauty of Lonesome Dove. ;-)

>155 BLBera: - It is a fantastic read, Beth! Really gave me a greater appreciation of the lesser known WWII battles that ranged and the soldiers involved.

Book #61 - The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost - narrated by Simon Vance
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth
Category: Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2006
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 272 pages - 8 hours, 30 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.ca website book listing:

At the age of twenty-six, Maarten Troost—who had been pushing the snooze button on the alarm clock of life by racking up useless graduate degrees and muddling through a series of temp jobs—decided to pack up his flip-flops and move to Tarawa, a remote South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati. He was restless and lacked direction, and the idea of dropping everything and moving to the ends of the earth with his stalwart girlfriend Sylvia and her NGO job was irresistibly romantic. He should have known better. Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles through relentless, stifling heat, a variety of deadly bacteria, polluted seas, toxic fish—all in a country where the only music to be heard for miles around is “La Macarena.” This travelogue is a two year history of battling incompetent government officials, alarmingly large critters, erratic electricity, a paucity of food options (including the Great Beer Crisis) and contending with a bizarre cast of local characters, including “Half-Dead Fred” and the self-proclaimed Poet Laureate of Tarawa (a British drunkard who’s never written a poem in his life).

Review:
I am a firm believer that true stories are wilder than any fiction the highly paid minds in Hollywood can come up with and Troost proves this, in an entertaining way, as he takes the reader through his metamorphosis of a stunned 20-something American from Washington DC trying to fit in and understand the local population of a small atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean into an islander. I had to look up the location of Kiribati on the map and, thanks to Google, I now know that this tiny chain of islands is due south of Hawaii and couldn't be more smack dab in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, almost as if someone had picked them islands up and placed them there. I like travelogues to be informative, witty and detailed enough to really give the reader an insight into day-to-day life. Troost does this in spades. I will admit that I struggled with the first couple of chapters when I thought I was in for, you know, one of those cheap "I don't know what to do with my life beyond aimlessly drifting from job to job and country to country" kind of drivel writing, but once Maarten and Sylvia had reached Tarawa and Maarten started to investigate where they had chosen to move to, it opened up into a more insightful read with segues into nuclear and chemical testing conducted in the South Pacific, that childhood dysentery is what first world aid should focus on (and not AIDS counseling) and the sad irony that garbage was never a problem - although sanitation was - until first world items like plastic bags, tinned corned beef, beer in cans and disposable diapers found their way to the region. Where exactly does one create a landfill - a first world solution to the problem - on an atoll?

A read/audiobook well worth experiencing for Troost's delightful wit and uncanny ability to capture the "what the ......" nuances of trying to assimilate into island life, with the hope of not always being the complete laughingstock of the natives.

"I am a firm believer that true stories are wilder than any fiction the highly paid minds in Hollywood can come up with"

I agree!

>126 lkernagh: I think I had a similar reaction to Main Street. Carol drove me nuts as well. I kind of wanted to smack her. :)

>144 lkernagh: Galileo's Daughter has been in my pile for a long time. I must move it up the ranks. Great review.

>158 Whisper1: - *Smiles*

>159 nittnut: - Carol is a 'smack-worthy' character, isn't she? ;-) The Sobel book is amazing, Jenn. I hope you find it as interesting to read as I did.

Book #62 - The Little Free Library Book by Margaret Aldrich
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Hard Cover
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 264 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the amazon.com website book listing:

"Take a book. Return a book." In 2009, Todd Bol built the first Little Free Library as a memorial to his mom. Five years later, this simple idea to promote literacy and encourage community has become a movement. Little Free Libraries—freestanding front-yard book exchanges—now number twenty thousand in seventy countries. The Little Free Library Book tells the history of these charming libraries, gathers quirky and poignant firsthand stories from owners, provides a resource guide for how to best use your Little Free Library, and delights readers with color images of the most creative and inspired LFLs around.

Review:

"Little Free Libraries are an oasis of serendipity in what is a fairly programmed age.

It is thanks to two LTers that I am even aware that this book exists. Being the huge fan of LTLs that I am, I found this great glossy coffee table book filled with wonderful pictures to be a wonderful presentation of some of the creative LTLs out there as well as providing the reader with a number of heartfelt and inspirational stories from various LTL stewards about the community support they have received for their LTLs. I also got a chuckle when I read one steward's story about finding a copy of The Sex Lives of Cannibals in her LTL and promptly "yanked it out of the bus" (her LTL design is a miniature VW bus). Upon reading the offending book - she reported it as being rather funny and not about sex at all - she happily returned it to the LTL. Having just finished reading the Troost book, it was a wonderful example of the serendipity that exists with LTLs.

While the "bring a book, take a book" community exists in all its forms - bookcases in communal laundry rooms and coffee shops, tables and cupboards in offices - I would be remiss if I did not close out this review with pictures of the wonderful LTLs I have encountered in the past three weeks during my daily walks around town:

Yay -- love the Little Free Libraries! The staff at my school wants to build one somewhere in our community. I don't think we can actually put one on school property, but we know we can find somewhere in our small community for one. So glad they love the idea as much as I do!

>153 lkernagh: I have been eying The Last Kind Words Saloon for months, and I am a HUGE fan of Lonesome Dove so... looks like you got me!

If the LFL gets the green light to proceed, I am expecting to see a picture of it in situ on your thread, Anne. The LFL in Iceland sits in a city park in the centre of Reykjavik. What I think is so cool about that LFL is that it has an anvil (painted bright yellow) as its base to secure it in place, but otherwise it is a non-permanent LFL as it can - with considerable effort! - be moved. I also like the planter pot idea. It may be easier to get permission for a LFL if you don't have to dig a hole in the ground to secure it.

I know I gave The Last Kind Words Saloon a rather low star rating, but that is more to do with my 'not a Lonesome Dove' disappointment. It probably should be a solid 3 stars, maybe a 3.5, but now I am waffling. It is a quick read so no great time investment is required to read it.

Lori, great line about truth being far wilder than any fiction imagined by the highly paid minds of Hollywood! And I love love love the LFLs! But having trouble with acronyms: LFL is little free library; LTL is ...

>164 lit_chick: - *Snort!* LTL is a bad repeating typo on my part. Seriously, my fingers have a mind of their own first thing in the morning, before the rest of me properly wakes up. Post fixed. ;-)

>161 lkernagh: That one caught my eye on another LT thread. Sounds like a fun book although I'm afraid that I would be in trouble if I purchased a copy. I'll have to try to find it in a library!

The library is where I found the copy I read so I have my fingers crossed that your library also has a copy!

Book #63 - The Third Man: The Screenplay and The Living Room, a play in two acts by Graham Greene - full cast live recording performances by L.A. Theatre Works
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, BAC
Category: The London Group
CAT(s): N/A
Source: Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1949?
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 256 pages / 2 hour, 47 minutes of listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the gvpl library listings:

The Third Man: Somewhere in shadowy post-war Vienna, where everyone has something to sell on the black market, lurks the third man who witnessed the murder of Harry Lime. Novelist Holly Martins is haunted by the death of his friend. His search for the killer makes electrifying drama, in this witty and sophisticated audio adaptation of the Graham Greene classic.

The Living Room: London in the 1950s. A mysterious house, home to a family that has seen better days, will not yield its secrets. And a love affair turns to tragedy...

Review:
The Third Man - I will start of this mini-review with the following quote by Graham Greene, as posted in the New York Times March 9, 1950:"The Third Man" was never written to be read but only to be seen." Well, we can now add 'heard/listened" to that sentence. An absolutely brilliant performance by the L.A. Theatre Works with the recording pulling off for the auditory senses what Greene wanted to accomplish both visually and audibly with his screenplay. Suspenseful with a truly Noir vibe to it, this one has poorly light street corners, men in trench coats, hidden agendas and the chase written all over it. Almost a shadier, edgier Casablanca in feel and presentation. Now I am the hunt to see if I can find a copy of the original movie directed by Carol Reed to watch.
The Living Room - Wow, talk about one conflicted story/play. Greene digs deeps - more like tries to strip bare - Catholicism in this one as if he is trying to find a shard of, I don't know, truth that may make sense of the suffering some pay all in the name of religion. This one is said to be somewhat autobiographical in nature and if that is correct, than I can understand the strong emotions that Greene throws into his writing. Just, wow.

Two wonderfully different and yet both strongly powerful stories to electrify/rivet the reader/listener/audience. If you are able to access the audiobooks of the L.A. Theatre Works productions of these plays, I can highly recommend both performances as being well worth listening to.

>167 lkernagh: They don't have it yet, but then our director just resigned so she could stay home with her children, and someone is "acting" in that capacity. I hope they are tracking "no hit" searches as they debate what to order.

>169 thornton37814: - I have my fingers crossed they get a copy in that you can borrow, Lori!

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

For a short work week, I was so happy to see the weekend arrive! I am taking advantage of the overcast and cooler weather - thanks to a fog bank off the water - to do some baking. Dill Asiago scones have been baked (and quality control tested!) and I am now just bringing the butter to room temperature so I can do something I haven't done in a long, long time: make cookie cutter cookies! Because I avoid using granulated sugar in my baking, and I am craving something citrusy, I am going to attempt these Brown Sugar Citrus Cookies. Will report back if they are a success or failure.

In the meantime, I managed to finish a book last night so review to follow.

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

Currently Reading:


Audiobook:
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - a South Africa read for my Commonwealth Challenge (which is narrated by Michael York)
Physical book:
The Given Day by Dennis Lehane - for the August RandomCAT Dog Days of Summer and as a ROOT read

Book #64 - The Lost Garden by Katharine Swartz
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: LTER
Format: Trade Paperback
Original publication date: 2015
Acquisition date: 2015-07-21
Page count: 352 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website book listing:

Marin Ellis is in search of a new start after her father and his second wife die in a car accident leaving her the guardian of her fifteen-year-old half-sister, Rebecca. They choose the picturesque village of Goswell on the Cumbrian coast and settle into Bower House, the former vicarage, on the edge of the church property. When a door to a walled garden captures Rebecca’s interest, Marin becomes determined to open it and discover what is hidden beneath the bramble inside. She enlists the help of local gardener Joss Fowler, and together the three of them begin to uncover the garden’s secrets.

In 1919, nineteen-year-old Eleanor Sanderson, daughter of Goswell’s vicar, is grieving the loss of her beloved brother Walter, who was killed just days before the Armistice was signed. Eleanor retreats into herself and her father starts to notice how unhappy she is. As spring arrives, he decides to hire someone to make a garden for Eleanor, and draw her out of - or at least distract her from - her grief and sorrow. Jack Taylor is in his early twenties, a Yorkshire man who has been doing odd jobs in the village, and when Eleanor’s father hires him to work on the vicarage gardens, a surprising - and unsuitable - friendship unfolds.

Review:
This is one of those stories that I view as a rainy day read: a quiet blending of family dynamics and budding romances; of secrets and mysterious pasts; of loss, grief and hope. Swartz captures the essence of coastal village life in two time periods - post WWI and more or less present day - and shifts between two stories in alternating chapters, where the village of Goswell and the walled garden are the connecting points between Marin and Eleanor's stories. Swartz does a wonderful job managing the shifting time periods and story-lines, making it easy for the reader to transition between the two without feeling as though it is all jumbled together. On a downside, I struggled with Eleanor's character. For the most part, I found her mannerisms and reckless behaviour to be of the nature I would expect from a younger girl of 14-years and not from a young woman of 19-years. The romance parts of the story is muted and kind of rings a bit false for me, but that is just my personal impression.

Overall, Swartz captures the setting and the time periods nicely and presents the reader with a story that glimmers of hope and redemption. A perfect rainy day read.

Nice review of Galileo's Daughter, I also really liked that book.

>153 lkernagh: I,like the sound of McMurtry's portrayal of women in this book. I haven't red any of his fiction, only a book about books he wrote. And I really want to read Lonesome Dove ...at some stage.

Yes, I hope to read Lonesome Dove before year's end. So many in our challenge group rave about this book.

Hi Lori, I've read The Given Day three years ago and I enjoyed it very much. I hope you like it, too.

>172 banjo123: - Hi Rhonda, I need to check out Sobel's other books. She did such a great job presenting Galileo's life and the time period. Well researched!

>173 LovingLit: - McMurtry does a good job of creating strong female characters.... of course, a one would have to have some strength and determination to live in the wild west like that! I am surprised Mark hasn't been over on your thread warbling about Lonesome Dove! I know it is one of his favorite books. ;-)

>174 Whisper1: - Linda, it is a wonderful story! I avoided reading Lonesome Dove for the longest time because westerns aren't my thing, but Lonesome Dove is so much more than just another western novel. I hope you enjoy it!

>175 Ameise1: - Hi Barbara, I am really loving The Given Day. At first I thought, "I bought a baseball book?!" and now I see that it is more about Boston, unions and policing, so I settling into the story quite nicely.

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

Happy Sunday! The cookies were a bit of a bomb. Okay, they weren't bad but a little too fussy for me to make and not very citrusy considering I even added lemon flavoring instead of vanilla, so my hunt for a really citrusy brown sugar cookie cutter cookie continues. I guess I could always ice them with some lemon icing.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

UPDATE: WEEK 4

Kilometers walked this week: 61.2
Kilometers walked in total: 216.60
Current province: (BC)
My current location on the map: In Coquitlam, east of Burnett Avenue and within stone throw distance of IKEA Coquitlam and heading for the Port Mann Bridge.
Points of interest along the way:
Sunday would have seen me pass the southern tip of Bowen Island, heading for land. Monday I would have finally reached Horseshoe Bay and been back on land after 7 days of walking across the water. Tuesday would have been spent walking the Trans Canada as it goes through West Vancouver, heading for North Vancouver. I could have walked the more scenic Marine Drive, but I wasn't up for the extra Ks I would have to log on the map, so I stuck with the highway. Wednesday was a bad weather day back in Victoria so I didn't log any walking that day. Thursday would have seen me walking through North Vancouver and crossing the Capilano River - and I would probably have detoured here to go visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park because it has been a while since I was last there. Friday would have seen me crossing the Ironworker's Memorial Bridge (aka the Second Narrows Bridge) from North Vancouver into Burnaby.

Interesting Fact: The Second Narrows Bridge was renamed the Ironworker's Memorial Bridge in 1994 to honour the workers who lost their lives during its construction. On June 17, 1958, several spans of the new bridge collapsed, when 79 workers were injured and 18 died. It is considered one of Vancouver's worst industrial accidents. Tragedy at Second Narrows, written by Eric Jamison, is a book that reconstructs the accident. My local library has copies of this book available so I plan to read the Jamison book as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.

Friday I would have ended the day at Burnaby Lake Regional Park. Open fire ban still in effect but that is okay. Saturday would have been spent walking along the southern border of the park and then heading on to Coquitlam and... IKEA! For those of you who do not understand the excitement, there is no IKEA on Vancouver Island. Not one store. Not even a pickup counter. There used to be a tiny satellite IKEA store in Victoria down on Yates Street, but it operated for only three years, from 1985 to 1988. It turned out that Victoria was just too small a population shopping base for an IKEA store to be financially viable. Instead, 'islanders' destination shop IKEA as part of day trips to the mainland. It is just one of those things. ;-)

>144 lkernagh: Gallileo’s Daughter
I’ve had this around for years and never gotten to it. Dunno why, because I enjoyed Longitude.

>161 lkernagh: What a creative bunch! My LFL is a generic box; I was afraid that if I had to decorate, I’d never get it set up.

Enjoying your virtual journey across Canada.

>177 lkernagh: You should have stopped off at Bowen Island. Summer is a great time to visit there!

Hi Lori, just love following your culinary and walking adventures, as well as your literary ones : ).

>177 lkernagh: Awesome!

I join several others here in having Galileo's Daughter languishing on the TBR shelf. I think your review will result in its popularity moving up the ranks. I like my history best in well-told historical fiction. Thanks for calling it to our attention, Lori! Also glad you enjoyed the Little Free Library book. You are so lucky having more than one in your area to visit.

>178 qebo: - I tend to love a book, buy more by the same author and somehow, just never get around to reading them so you are not alone there! I love the LFLs that have been all 'dressed up' and as you say, so creative! I would probably agonize over how to decorate an LFL. I like that you set up your generic box.... it still serves the same purpose!

>179 Familyhistorian: - Darn, I should have stopped off! *face palm*

>180 lit_chick: - Thanks Nancy, I just wish I had more time in the day!

>181 EBT1002: - Thanks, Ellen!

>182 Donna828: - I hear you Donna. I also like my history told through well written historical fiction. Brings it more to life, doesn't it? ;-) Love the LFLs.

Book #65 - Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - audiobook narrated by Michael York
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth
Category: Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1948
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 316 pages / 9 hours, 49 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the barnesandnoble website book listing:

Cry, the Beloved Country is the deeply moving story of the Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo and his son, Absalom, set against the background of a land and a people riven by racial injustice.

Review:
Knowing, as I do now, that this story was published in 1948, in advance of the passage of legislation later that same year that would institutionalized the apartheid political system in South Africa, it makes for a very interesting - almost personal - piece of social protest on the part of Paton. Paton uses clear language and a gentle voice to convey his story. Zulu pastor Stephen Kumalo's desire to try and protect his family from a path of destruction runs through this story. Witnessing the teeming world of Johannesburg and the justice system through Kumalo's country pastor's eyes is an unforgettable experience. There is a lot of pain and sadness in this story but there is also a glimmer of hope, as if Paton had written this story with that end hope in mind. Wonderfully performed by Michael York, the characters' personalities really shined through as I was listening to this audiobook.

I am very glad that I have finally experienced this story.

Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear. Let him not love the earth too deeply. Let him not laugh too gladly when the water runs through his fingers, nor stand too silent when the setting sun makes red the veld with fire. Let him not be too moved when the birds of his land are singing, nor give too much of his heart to a mountain or valley. For fear will rob him of all if he gives too much.

^ Great review. I love that book. To this day, the opening lines are my favorite of any book I've read. I read the first page and I was there. Such great writing.

ETA: Oh, right, before I was distracted by the book (ha!) I was going to express my sorrow that the cookies were a disappointment. I was feeling pretty excited about brown sugar citrus cookies. Sigh. But now I have a mission for my daughter who wants to bake All.The.Time.

I agree, Jenn. Great writing in the Paton book. As for the cookie recipe.... fear not, I continue my quest for a good brown sugar citrus cookie recipe. It might not be cookie dough suitable for cookie cutters but the hunt does continue!

Hi Lori, I'm trying to catch up a little. Your walking challenge is such a good idea! It will be fun to follow along as you post updates.

I have a copy of The Last Kind Words Saloon but haven't read it yet. What I should do is reread Lonesome Dove- what a great book! Have you read Mary Doria Russell's Doc? It's another wonderful western.

I hope you're enjoying The Given Day. I loved it. There are two more books that follow Joe through his life, but that first book is my favorite.

Hi Joanne! I am really enjoying how the walking challenge is motivating me to get in more walks and longer walks. This week I am going to see if I can beat last week's km total (61.2 km), but they are predicting rain for tomorrow which could curtail some of my planned walking.

Lonesome Dove is such an amazing book! I have not read Doc or any other books by Mary Doria Russell. Doc is on the future reading list, though. Someday I will get around to reading it.

I am loving The Given Day, although I am still trying to figure out why it is book one on a series based on Joe's character. I am currently at page 272 and he has hardly put in an appearance. Something must be brewing in further in the story. ;-)

I am struggling a bit, trying to come to terms with the fact that we are now half way through August. Summer will soon be gone. Where does the time go?! *whimpers* I have had a great week. Wednesday night watched the Canadian military aerobatics squadron, the Snowbirds, perform in Victoria, along the waterfront. Thursday I got all excited when the weather forecast was for rain and thundershowers. No thundershowers occurred and just a drizzle of rain materialized. This weekend has been the annual dragon boat festival in the Inner Harbour, another fun event.

On the reading front, I did manage to log a fair bit of km as part of my walking challenge so I do have one more book finished and review ready for posting.

On the baking front, my hunt for a good brown sugar citrus cookie recipe continues. In the meantime, I made what I consider to be awesome pineapple, coconut brown sugar muffins this afternoon, based on the following Pineapple Coconut Muffin recipe. As you will expect, I did take some liberties with the recipe, namely: replaced 3 egg whites with 2 eggs (I cannot be bothered to separate eggs - I never know what to do with the unused parts); upped the coconut to more like 1/2 cup (I LOVE coconut!) and I replaced the dark rum with vanilla, as suggested in the recipe. Great news: it even gave me an out for some sour cream I had in the fridge that needed to be used up. Gotta like that! End result:



Now for that book review....

Book #66 - Getting Stoned with Savages by J. Maarten Troost - audiobook narrated by Simon Vance
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth
Category: Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2006
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 239 pages / 7 hours, 30 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.10 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.ca website book listing:

After two grueling years on the island of Tarawa, battling feral dogs, machete-wielding neighbors, and a lack of beer on a daily basis, Maarten Troost was in no hurry to return to the South Pacific. But as time went on, he realized he felt remarkably out of place among the trappings of twenty-first-century America. When he found himself holding down a job—one that might possibly lead to a career—he knew it was time for him and his wife, Sylvia, to repack their bags and set off for parts unknown. Getting Stoned with Savages tells the hilarious story of Troost’s time on Vanuatu—a rugged cluster of islands where the natives gorge themselves on kava and are still known to “eat the man.” Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles against typhoons, earthquakes, and giant centipedes and soon finds himself swept up in the laid-back, clothing-optional lifestyle of the islanders.

Review:
Not as good as his first book, Sex Lives of Cannibals. This felt more like a memoir than a travelogue and had lost a fair bit of the wide-eyed innocence that made Sex Lives of Cannibals such a fun read. There are still some good humourous bits to be enjoyed, but this one focuses more on Maartan, his love for the native drink, kava, and his family than the finer details of Vanuatu life.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

UPDATE: WEEK 5

Kilometers walked this week: 73.3
Kilometers walked in total: 289.90
Current province: (BC)
My current location on the map: In Chilliwack, heading for the Lickman Road interchange.
Points of interest along the way:
I like to call this week my "walk through the municipalities" week as I managed cover the distance that would have had me walking through the following municipalities: Burnaby, Coquitlam, Surrey, Langley, Abbotsford and into Chilliwack, while waving as I past Walnut Grove, Fort Langley, Aberdeen, Kilgard and Barrowtown. Not much to report as the Trans Canada route I am walking involves a fair bit of farm land, although I am a little upset that I would have walked past the Greater Vancouver Zoo, a place I have yet to visit in person.

Oh! Those muffins sound (and look) amazing! Mmmmm.

It's truly astonishing to me how fast the year's going by. Can you say Christmas? *shudder*

I hope you get a chance to read Doc soon. It is so good!

Hi, Lori! Just checking in. It looks like you are doing a fantastic job on the Trans Canada walk. Keep up the good work.

>191 lkernagh: Hi Lori, you just went through my area but I think you left out a few cities. If you were going from Burnaby to Surrey you must have passed through Coquitlam which is where I live. Waving back at you!

Lori, your trans-Canda walk is moving right along! Wonderful you got to see the Snowbirds perform: love watching them!

Muffins look fabulous! You are my kitchen inspiration!

Hi Lori! Just playing a little catch-up, and hope you're doing well!

>192 Storeetllr: - I had forgotten how yummy muffins are when made with sour cream. Good thing I have my walking challenge to help burn off the calories. ;-)

OH! You said the "C" word..... and it's still August! Noooooooo!

One of these days I will get around to reading Doc. I promise. Just not sure when.

>193 msf59: - Hey Mark! Thanks for the encouragement. When we have hot days, it is hard to get motivated to go outside and exercise. Good thing I am a morning person. Lets me take advantage of the cooler mornings for my longer walks.

>194 Familyhistorian: - OMG! How did I miss Coquitlam?! You are in the "municipalities walk" now. *Waves back*

>195 lit_chick: - Love the Snowbirds! The walking is really moving along. It has become a bit of a game to see if I can increase the weekly Ks in comparison to the last week total. I am pretty sure I am about to reach saturation point but it is fun!

The muffins are awesome! I even made a batch of little mini muffins. They are the perfect size to just pop in your mouth. ;-)

>196 LauraBrook: - LAURA! So happy to see you here! Things are good... can't complain. ;-)

Book #67 - The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Happening
CAT(s): RandomCAT - Dog Days of Summer
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: September 2008
Acquisition date: May 5, 2011
Page count: 702 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.40 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website book listing:

An unflinching family epic that captures the political unrest of a nation caught between a well-patterned past and an unpredictable future. This beautifully written novel of American history tells the story of two families—one black, one white—swept up in a maelstrom of revolutionaries and anarchists, immigrants and ward bosses, Brahmins and ordinary citizens, all engaged in a battle for survival and power at the end of World War I.

Review:
Having never read any of Lehane's works before now, and having only seen the movie adaptation of Shutter Island, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was not expecting a Babe Ruth baseball story, which is what I thought I was in for while reading the first 50 pages. I am not much of a sports fan at the best of times and wouldn't gravitate towards a baseball story so I was relieved to discover that I hadn't been mislead in acquiring a copy of this one. It is not a baseball story. It is a solid historical fiction circa 1918-1919 Boston, Massachusetts kind of story, which is more in keeping with my usual reading preferences. Lehane has a writing style similar to some other authors on my 'must read' list when in the mood for a sweeping saga kind of story. He writes with an attention to detail while controlling the pacing of the somewhat melodramatic plot so the reader doesn't feel as though they are facing an onslaught of description and action. I also really like how he has taken the big picture historical items - the influenza outbreak, the Great Molasses Flood, the growing anarchist movement, race relations, and labour strikes that were all part of post WWI Boston - and worked them into his family saga-styled story. With all of these positives working in the books favor, this is still just a moderately good read for me. Why? As much as I was enjoying the story, it felt long. I kept checking to see how much more I had to read. Never a good sign with me as that means I am not enthralled with the story and hoping that it will end at some point. For those who don't know, this one is the first book in the Joe Coughlin series. It started to really bug me that Joe was such a minor character and never really took center stage in the story except for two incidents. I can appreciate how a series usually has a name and maybe Joe is the central character in the other books in the series but his lack of presence in this book probably clouded my enjoyment a bit. I kept wanting to see when it was going to become "his" story.

Overall, a solid historical fiction period piece packed with enough historical material to captivate some readers of the genre and in particular readers with an interest in 1918-1919 Boston. Well written but not the page-turner I was hoping it would be.

Glad to hear you say that it turns out not to be a baseball book, because I started it and put it down after maybe 40 pages because I just wasn't interested. Now I'll have to get it back from the library and give it another go.

Happ Weekend, Lori. Glad you didn't turned down the book. I liked it.

Hello Lori, great reading -- wow!

Hope you have a wonderful week.

Just passing through and waving hello. I am also shocked at how fast August has gone by. I am ready for summer, but not necessarily Christmas...

>199 Storeetllr: - Those first 50 pages really do give the impression of a baseball story, don't they, Mary? It has a really good immigrant family story (Coughlin and a number of other characters are from Irish immigrant stock) and really presents the low pay and health conditions that Boston police officers had to endure back then, along with everything else that happened at that time. It is really an interesting snapshot of Boston and worth giving the story a second chance.

>200 Ameise1: - Hi Barbara. Love the picture and I am also glad that I stuck with the book and didn't walk away from it. Lehane is a good writer!

>201 AMQS: - Hi Anne! I am hoping for a wonderful week too so it should be so, if we are both hoping for it!

>202 nittnut: - Hi Jenn! I know.... the tail end of August means the approach of fall up in this hemisphere. I will send happy summer wishes your way to help speed the change of seasons along.

I had a wonderfully busy weekend. DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse opened it's first BC location here in Victoria on Thursday so, of course, I went shoe shopping on Saturday. Having already been to a DSW during my last trip to Calgary, I was not one of the masses that lined up early (and took time off from work) to go shoe shopping on the opening day. Their sales are good, but not that amazing. ;-)

I also spent the weekend doing a major harvest of my herb garden, prepping and freezing a number of herbs for winter use. I aired out/washed all of my shawls, silk scarves and sweaters in prep for the hopefully fall weather to come. Shawls may sound a bit matronly/grandmotherly, but if you work where I do, the building struggles to maintain an even temperature/air flow and it is not unheard of for the air conditioner (or the heat to stop pumping in) during the colder winter months, so I have a stash of fashionable pashmina and wool shawls to get me through the winter months.

Some of you may recall that, besides edible herbs, I have been growing a French lavender plant. That plant has been a prolific grower over the past three months. On Saturday, I sewed 12 cotton cloth sachets which I have now filled with the fresh lavender harvested from my plant and placed them between my shawls, scarves and sweaters. On Sunday, I did a bit of a wardrobe purge and donated a large garbage bag of clothes to a local charity. That is my weekend in a nutshell.

On the reading front, I managed to finish my audiobook read but I continue to struggle with my current physical book read, Pure by Andrew Miller. What a peculiar story! I am too far into it to abandon it so I will persevere and see if I can get it finished in the next couple of days.

Review of the finished book to follow.

Book #68 - The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo - audiobook narrated by the author
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, Commonwealth
Category: Happening
CAT(s): SFFCAT - Other Worlds
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: August 2013
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 384 pages / 12 hours, 8 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.90 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the author's website book listing:

One evening, my father asked me if I would like to become a ghost bride…
Li Lan, a young Chinese woman, lives in 1890s colonial Malaya with her quietly ruined father, who returns one evening with a proposition — the fabulously wealthy Lim family want Li Lan to marry their son. The only problem is, he’s dead. After a fateful visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lim’s handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracy. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family’s darkest secrets, before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever.

Review:
Set in colonial Malaya (as Malaysia was called back in those times), the story's historical details alone make this a wonderful read of 19th century Chinese customs, religion and myths, but it is so much more than that. Choo makes use of the Chinese tradition of ghost or spirit marriage, where one or both parties to the marriage are deceased at the time of the marriage to weave a fanciful alternate reality tale that is part murder mystery, part coming of age story and part romance. Yes, ghosts/spirits abound in this one, so it can be also be categorized as a paranormal read but I wouldn't call it a paranormal romance. I tend to cringe at the idea of paranormal romances. Choo's world build of the afterworld, where spirits may reside in the Plains of the Dead and enjoy the funeral offerings burned for them by family members before moving on to the courts of judgement, is vividly portrayed. As much as I was looking forward to a historical fiction read, the ghost/spirit world angle really amped up my interest as I read this story. I should mention that the story has a slightly YA feel to it, but that may be more to do with the seventeen-year-old protagonist than with the overall story itself. Did I mention that this is the author's debut novel? You wouldn't know that from reading this story. Choo manages the delivery like a seasoned pro. I particularly enjoyed the protagonist Li Lan's encounters with the character Er Lang. So much so that I was saddened to discover that this is Choo's only book published, so far. I can totally see a follow-up novel or a story focused on Er Lang. Such a fascinating character.

Overall, a good historical fiction read that turned into a great historical fantasy/alternate reality read for me.

My Trans Canada Walking Journey


The goal: To walk - in three calendar years (1,095 days) - the distance that it would take me to walk the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero marker located here in Victoria BC to its end point in St. John's, NL, a distance of 7,821K (4,860 miles).







Here is the link to my Google map where I am tracking my journey: http://tinyurl.com/p8vu9n3

UPDATE: WEEK 6

Kilometers walked this week: 75.5
Kilometers walked in total: 365.40
Current province: (BC)
My current location on the map: Still in BC. North of Hope on the Trans Canada Highway, heading for Yale.
Points of interest along the way:
This week's walking journey would have taken me through Chilliwack, Popkum, Bridal Falls, Laidlaw, Floods, Silver Creek, Hope and Haige, pretty much hugging the Fraser River once passed Popkum. For those of you not knowledgeable of or used to driving through this section of BC, Hope is important being the south end of the Coquihalla Highway and the point where a traveler decides if they are going to follow Highway 1 (the Trans Canada Highway - my choice for this walking challenge) or travel Highway 5 (the Coquihalla). The Coquihalla was a toll highway until 2008 when tolls received had by then covered its construction costs. It is a fantastic when you want to get from A to B - or when I was making road trips between Victoria and Calgary - but it is a brutal drive in the winter months. I used to always marvel at the the fact that the toll booths were located just south of the Coquihalla Summit, the highest point on the highway 50km north of Hope and 65 km south of Merritt (the other end of the Coquihalla) with no local communities in the immediate vicinity. Talk about a drive to work!

>204 lkernagh: I used to shop at DSW when I lived in Cincinnati. We have GB Shoe Warehouse around here. I like the Asheville/Hendersonville, NC store better than the Knoxville, TN one so I usually stop over there when I'm over that way. They also have several stores between Asheville and Columbia, SC right off I-26, so I could potentially stop at those when I'm headed toward one of my favorite destinations, Charleston!

I'm glad you enjoyed The Ghost Bride, Lori. Having spent a lot of time in Asia, I'm familiar with the practice of ghost brides, and have seen a number of Chinese movies involving this practice. I recently read a graphic novel, The Undertaking of Lily Chen that dealt with this practice.

I've seen funerary practices on the anniversary of the 'wedding' where the families will burn paper goods they think the couple will need in their afterlife, such as mobile phones, iPads, cars, a bigger house than the one they had offered the year before, paper money, etc. It was interesting although when I heard how much the funerary offerings cost I was staggered.

>207 thornton37814: - I went online to check out GB Shoes and I can see why you like to shop there! We won't talk about the shoes I already own, we will just categorize my shoe collection as my second shopping indulgence, after book shopping. ;-)

>208 cameling: - It was a wonderfully descriptive and captivating read. I hear you on the costs of funerary paper goods - even the story mentions the costs to acquire paper money, etc to be burned for use in the afterlife. I appreciate a family unit banding together to take care of the living, as well as the idea (also mentioned in the story) of providing food offerings for the deceased to sustain them in the afterlife, but I tend to draw the line at the idea of burning paper versions of luxury goods. I like to think I am open-minded but I still struggle a bit with the concept of an afterlife that requires offerings from the living to house and provide luxury comforts for the deceased. ;-)

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

Wow, is it already Thursday?! The days seem to blur together lately. I am long over-due for some extended down time, I think. Annoyingly, I think I may be in a bit of a reading funk. I finished a read the other day and I am still happy with my audiobook read but I just seem to be waffling over my next physical read. I pick up a book start reading and within 10 pages decide I am not in the mood for that type of story at the moment. Rather frustrating. Maybe the weekend will help me to settle into a new book.

Book #69 - Pure by Andrew Miller
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category, ROOT
Category: Minimalism
CAT(s): HistoryCAT - 18th Century / Medicine and Disease
Source: TBR
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: June 9, 2011
Acquisition date: May 4, 2013
Page count: 342 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 2.70 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the amazon.com website book listing:

Jean-Baptiste Baratte, an engineer of modest origin, arrives in the city (Paris) in 1785, charged by the King’s minister with emptying the overflowing cemetery of Les Innocents, a ancient site whose stench is poisoning the neighborhood’s air and water and leaving a vile taste in its inhabitants’ food. At first the ambitious Baratte sees his work as a chance to clear the burden of history, a fitting task for a modern man of reason. But before long he begins to suspect that the destruction of the cemetery might be a prelude to both his own demise and that of the monarchy. Baratte expects the task to be unpleasant but cannot foresee the dramas and calamities it will trigger, or the incident that will transform his life. As unrest against the court of Louis XVI mounts, the engineer realizes that the future he had planned may no longer be the one he wants. His assignment becomes a year of relentless work, exhuming of mummified corpses and listening to the chants of priests, a year of assault and sudden death. A year of friendship, too, and of desire and love. A year unlike any other he has lived.

Review:
Love the cover art of my copy but what a peculiar story. At times descriptive and flowing, and other times rather obtuse, vague and disjointed, I struggled as I tried to follow the author's logic - I am assuming there was some logic at work here - in piecing together this tale. My appreciation of the story - more the lack there of - could be chalked up to my impression that the story has a resigned Dickensian quality to it: The engineer's task is one that borders on the monumental, set in a time and place not wholly dissimilar to the dank, festering world of Dickens' grimy London. Dickens is very much a hit-or-miss author for me and sadly, this does not lend assistance in getting me to appreciate Miller's story. The whole story gave me the overall impression/feeling of ruin and crumbling decay - that was done rather well - but I found Miller's prose to be a bit stilted, almost as though it was a poor translation, even though it was written in the English language. Interesting story concept with a lot of potential but the delivery just fell flat for me. Part of me was hoping that this was the author's debut novel - it kind of had that 'debut' feel to it - but, no, this is novel number six so I am at a loss to explain my review and rating except to say that I am not Miller's target reading audience, even though the LT Will you like it? gave it a very high prediction confidence that I probably will like it. Always fun to click that after I finish a book!

Oh, not a reading funk! I've been there, too, as I'm sure we all have from time to time … not fun! I like your idea of sticking with your audiobook until a next printed read strikes you.

>209 lkernagh: I'm with you on the concept of an afterlife where the living have to provide luxury goods and money in order for them to have a good time wherever they are. Plus, I also wonder what happens to those without families who share the same 'faith' and don't offer funerary paper goods? Do they borrow their 'neighbors'? And what if they don't like what their families have offered? How do they make their preferences known? I'm probably overthinking this. What I need to do is find someone whose family are Taoists and find a way to ask these questions without offending them.

>209 lkernagh: Yes. I pick up Clarks for about 1/3 of what they would cost elsewhere. One of my favorite things about their stores is that all the narrow widths are kept in a back corner all together. Since I wear narrow and can usually wear either an 8.5 or 9, I can quickly check out what they have in my size, try one what I like, and make decisions.

Just got in from walk with the dog, Poppy. I've purchased a fit bit, but so far I've not got it synced up with my computer, so it's just sitting around as of now. :) Your thread is making me very hungry - especially the famed Nanaimo Bar! I first ate Nanaimo Bar in Winnipeg back in the late 60's , at my Grandma's and I was suspicious of all of those layers. My mom pinched me and told me " your grandma went to a lot of work making those and you'll have a piece." A new food love was born! :)

I was pleased that the rain did not hit while Poppy and I were out walking. It is really parched here too. Some of the trees look like it already fall, losing their leaves and turning colour. I think that is a sign of a parched tree. The younger treees are finally being watered by the City with " reclaimed water' as the trucks read. Past due to water those poor young parched trees, reclaimed water or not.

Sorry to see your last read was a bit of a bomb. Happens to the best of us!

Wanted to let you know I just finished Redshirts and enjoyed it so much I had to thank you for recommending it!

I also enjoyed Ghost Bride when I read it last year and am so glad you enjoyed it too.

Have a great weekend!

>206 lkernagh: I'm finally able to follow your track which is great fun. Great review of Ghost Bride. My library hasn't got a copy, unfortunately.
Happy Sunday, Lori.

>211 lit_chick: - I know! What the hey?! The audiobook continued to keep me content while I struggled with my next choice of read. *Whew!* The reading funk/slump has been safely averted, thank goodness for e-books! I tend to forget my e-book collection when I am scanning my shelves for a book to read. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess....

>212 cameling: - what happens to those without families who share the same 'faith' and don't offer funerary paper goods? Do they borrow their 'neighbors'?

Good question! Choo covers that off in her book in that spirits that do not receive funerary offerings become "hungry spirits" - when food offerings have not occurred - and basically, "scroungers" but she gave her afterlife an interesting caveat: That no one in the afterlife can steal the possessions of another afterlife spirit.... any acquisitions must be freely given. If Choo's presentation of the afterlife is to be believed, then spirits with no funerary offerings made on their behalf would then be at the benevolent mercy of the spirits in possession of money and funerary goods. I think Choo gave a lot of thought to this in her story given the whole no spirit can "steal" the possessions of another spirit, it must be freely given thing. That kind of fits the Taoist philosophy, as I understand it. In the story, wealthy spirits can and prefer to have human spirits wait on them (as opposed to their paper offering servants that are burnt for their use). In the story Choo makes it clear that having human spirits as wait servants is not just a status symbol thing.... apparently the paper servants are pretty vacant automatons and tend to do things like accidentally dump soup in the lap of a guest spirit during dinner. ;)

It really is a fascinating topic.

>213 thornton37814: - Now, that is a great deal for Clarks. Clarks are great shoes!

>214 vancouverdeb: - Yay for fitbit purchase, Deb! Naniamo bars are the best but I can totally understand the apprehension while looking at the layers. I was okay with the crust and the chocolate topping but I really wanted to know what was in the yellow center bit!

Trees here on the island are really showing the signs of lack of rainfall. My work colleague, and others, have been struggling to find ways to get moisture down to the roots for the trees. Coiled soaker hoses seem to work but it is sad that even roots that deep are parched for moisture this summer.

>215 Storeetllr: - YAY! So happy to see you enjoyed Redshirts! Ghost Bride was a surprisingly good read and I am really glad it was the book that caught my eye when I was searching for an audiobook read that would cover Malaysia for my Commonwealth Challenge.

>216 Ameise1:- Darn on your library not having a copy of The Ghost Bride but happy you are now able to follow my walking challenge. Love the lilacs! Lilacs are always gone by June here... makes me cry.

As with most weekends, this one flew by way too quickly. On Saturday I managed to do some thing I have not been able to do since June: I sat outside on our covered balcony and enjoyed the rain pouring down. We are back to sunshine today -seriously?! - and I can only hope that we will see more rain this week as Victoria did not receive the buckets of rainfall that fell on Vancouver.

Today has been spent getting laundry done, baking bread and muffins. I have discovered a new favorite Banana Pecan Muffin Recipe and I no longer cringe when my bananas are overripe. I used brown sugar in the recipe and added an extra egg but otherwise followed the recipe and it makes the most wonderful light banana muffins (not dense like a banana loaf).

I have managed to climb out of my reading funk/slump, thanks to a delightful steampunk story I found lurking on my Kobo. Time for some reviews.....

Book #70 - Mariana by Susanna Kearsley - audiobook narrated by Carolyn Bonnyman
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Minimalism
CAT(s): N/A
Source: GVPL
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 1994
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 384 pages / 11 hours, 20 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.80 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the author's website book listing:

The first time Julia Beckett saw Greywethers she was only five, but she knew that it was her house. And now that she’s at last become its owner, she suspects that she was drawn there for a reason. As if Greywethers were a portal between worlds, she finds herself transported into seventeenth-century England, becoming Mariana, a young woman struggling against danger and treachery, and battling a forbidden love. Each time Julia travels back, she becomes more enthralled with the past...until she realizes Mariana’s life is threatening to eclipse her own, and she must find a way to lay the past to rest or lose the chance for happiness in her own time.

Review:
My first Kearsley read and definitely not my last. A contemporary/historical fiction read with a time travel and ghostly spirits angle to it. A romance story without being one of those annoyingly sweaty reads. This story is more about the mystery of unlocking the past and discovering the secrets waiting to be exposed. Julia works for me as a lead character/heroine. There is a sensible balance to her thoughts and behaviors. She is not some flighty heroine who ruses headlong into situations as if she had left her mind and reason elsewhere, even though there is a rather sexy Lord of the manor and a fantastically described manor house to distract her. There is wonderful dreamlike quality to the story that made this more of a relaxing read, even with its suspenseful moments. As for the ending, no spoilers but I do want to mention that I found the ending to be wonderfully crafted and a bit of a surprise for me.

Overall, a very satisfying read for me and Kearsley now joins my list of rainy day authors when I just want to curl up under a blanket with a good book. If you enjoy modern Gothic novels like I do, with a wonderful spin to them, you will probably enjoy reading this one.

Book #71 - Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Street Art
CAT(s): N/A
Source: TBR
Format: e-book
Original publication date: May 2011
Acquisition date: June 16, 2015
Page count: 256 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 4.20 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: adapted from the author's website book listing:

London, 1889. Victoria is Queen. Charles Darwin's son is Prime Minister. And steam is the power that runs the world. At 17, Claire Trevelyan, daughter of Viscount St. Ives, was expected to do nothing more than pour an elegant cup of tea, sew a fine seam, and catch a rich husband. Unfortunately, Claire's talents lie not in the ballroom, but in the chemistry lab, where things have a regrettable habit of blowing up. When her father gambles the estate on the combustion engine and loses, Claire finds herself down and out on the mean streets of London. But being a young woman of resources and intellect, she turns fortune on its head. It's not long before a new leader rises in the underworld, known only as the Lady of Devices. When she meets Andrew Malvern, a member of the Royal Society of Engineers, she realizes her talents may encompass more than the invention of explosive devices. They may help her realize her dreams and his . . . if they can both stay alive long enough to see that sometimes the closest friendships can trigger the greatest betrayals . . .

Review:
This was the perfect story to pull me out of my reading slump, but I do have to say that the cover art is atrociously bad and really gives the wrong impression of the story. *sighs* I know, you are thinking there are a lot of steampunk Victorian England adventure novels out there, but this one has a nice cachet to the story that makes it stand out as different from the rest. It has some of the same sparkling fun of Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series, without all of the sexual innuendos or any of the werewolves/vampire characters. Lets call this the clean PG steampunk version, with a bit more of a Georgette Heyer feel to it. What it does have, besides a delightful lead heroine, is a wonderful gang of street urchins that will probably win over your heart as they did mine. Adina has done a beautiful job capturing 19th century Victorian England and infusing it with steampunk elements such as steam-powered landau carriages, airships and electrical force firearms. Just enough to give the Victorian story a rather fanciful edge to it. The story is firmly grounded in Claire's story as a engineering-minded young woman who's wealthy and titled family suffers an extreme setback. At first I had the impression that Claire was an older (and yet still school age) girl to rival Alan Bradley's Falvia de Luce but no, their similarities only extend to their mutual love for science and their ability to get in trouble for that very passion. I know... I am not doing a very good job explaining this one.

Basically, if you like steampunk-styled stories set in Victorian England with street urchins, scientists and a potential romance angle with titled/scientific connections, you may find this story to be as delightful a read as I did.

Now comes the warning: Lady of Devices is currently a free e-book download on the Canadian Kobo website - or at least it was at the time of this posting - and it is also the first book in a currently eight book series. Damn those free books!

Book #72 - Crazy by William Peter Blatty
Challenge(s): 75 Group, 2015 Category
Category: Minimalism
CAT(s): N/A
Source: Hoopla
Format: Audiobook
Original publication date: 2010
Acquisition date: N/A
Page count: 187 pages / 4 hours, 30 minutes listening time
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.30 out of 5 /
Book description/summary: from the macmillam.com website book listing:

New York, 1941: Joey El Bueno is just a smart-aleck kid, confounding the nuns and bullies at St. Stephen's school on East 28th Street when he first meets Jane Bent, a freckle-faced girl with red pigtails and yellow smiley-face barrettes who seems to know him better than he knows himself. A magical afternoon at the movies, watching Cary Grant in Gunga Din, is the beginning of a puzzling friendship that soon leaves Joey baffled and bewildered. Jane is like nobody he has ever met. She comes and goes at will, nobody else seems to have heard of her, and is it true that she once levitated six feet off the ground at the refreshment counter of the old Superior movie house on Third Avenue? Joey, an avid reader of pulp magazines and comic books, is no stranger to amazing stories, but Jane is a bewitching enigma that keeps him guessing for the rest of his life--until, finally, it all makes sense. Rich with the warmth of a bygone era, Crazy captures both the giddy craziness of youth--and the sublime possibilities of existence.

Review:
Definitely not The Exorcist and much more my type of story. With Crazy, Blatty returns to his comic roots - Yes, he wrote comedy and humor before his world-renowned excursion into horror - with his 82-year-old former screen writer (the Joey El Bueno of the story) busy at work in a Belleville hospital bed, writing his memoirs. With time warps into the past, Blatty brings to life a bygone era of growing up in the immigrant community of Manhattan's Lower East Side, the rough and tumble nature of boys and the magic of Coney Island. I am not going to go into details as this story is one that should be experienced - kind of like one 'experiences' a Garrison Keillor book - which is also why I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version. The humour is a bit off beat and made even quirkier by Jane, Joey's mysterious friend, when she puts in her appearances. My favorite character is Nurse Bloor, the elderly Joey's diminutive 4 foot tall, stiletto wearing and wise cracking nurse. She is awesome! Given the time warps, this story tends to jump around an awful lot and left me in a bit of a muddle at certain points in the story.

Overall, a fun slice of life fictional memoir with a wonderful ending that made up for the earlier, muddled bits and always nice to see a book cover that perfectly fits the story!

As I doubt that I will complete any more reads this month, it is time for the monthly summary:

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AUGUST RE-CAP:

BOOKS READ (ranked from most to least favorite):
The Third Man and The Living Room by Graham Greene - 4.30 /
Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina - 4.20 /
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - 4.10 /
The Little Free Library Book by Margaret Aldrich - 4.10 /
The Ghost Bride by Yangzse Choo - 3.90 /
Mariana by Susanna Kearsley - 3.80 /
The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost - 3.80 /
The Given Day by Dennis Lehane - 3.40 /
The Lost Garden by Katharine Swartz - 3.40 /
Crazy by William Peter Blatty - 3.30 /
Getting Stoned with Savages by J. Maarten Troost - 3.10 /
Pure by Andrew Miller - 2.70 /
The Last Kind Words Saloon by Larry McMurtry - 2.70 /

August STATS:
# of Books Read: 13 - the two Graham Greene plays count as one read.
# of Pages Read: 4,150 - My highest monthly pages read since I started tracking this type of information 4 years ago!
Average pages read per day: 133.87 - Does not include any pages read for the last two days of August.
Original Publication Date Range of books read: 1948-2015
Largest Book read: The Given Day at 702 pages
Smallest Book read: Crazy at 187 pages
Books still in progress at the end of the month:
Interesting Fact: I am a little intrigued at the number of books I read this month (6) that include death/ghost/spirits or other worldly characters.

CHALLENGES:- as of August 30th
ROOTs Challenge:
Books read this month: 4 (20 in total)
Status: 80% completed (5 books still to go)

Commonwealth Challenge: - this is a multi-year challenge started in 2013.
Books read this month: 5 (23 in total)
Status: 44% completed (29 books still to go)

Category Challenge: Each category completed when 8 books AND 2,015 pages read is reached - *changing from original plans of a "whichever comes first" approach. Status as of August 30th:
Street Art - 7 books/ 2,185 pages read
Happening - 8 books / 2,626 pages read - Category completed August 22, 2015
Minimalism - 7 books / 1,918 pages read
American Realism - 7 books / 1,727 pages read
The London Group - 7 books / 2,966 pages read
Books made into Art - 9 books / 2,761 pages read - Category completed June 22, 2015
Edinburgh's Commonwealth Games of Art - 10 books / 2,689 pages read - Category completed August 3, 2015
Art - 17 books / 4,405 pages read - Category completed June 22, 2015
Status: ~ 93% completed (~ 4 books still to go)

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



I think at this point it is safe to say that Pot of Gold has won the race this year as I have no planned reads that will clear the 3,638 pages to place Shamrock in the winning position. Some races are just like that.

Happy Sunday, Lori. Good review of The Ghost Bride. Sounds like one I would like.

I read the free Lady of Devices ebook and also enjoyed it. Enough that I bought a "packet" of books 1-4 for $9.99 back a year and a half ago (probably before the later 4 were written), but I haven't gotten back to them to read them yet. You remind me that I need to move those up on my Kindle.

Woot! Just back from Amazon, where I got Lady of Devices free for my Kindle. Thanks for the tip, Lori!

>224 msf59: - Hi Mark! The Ghost Bride was a really good read. I can highly recommend it!

>225 ronincats: - I am sooooo tempted to buy the other books in the series. Really good escapism reading! They 4-book pack seems to now be $10.99 but considering they are asking $5.49 and $5.99 for the books as singles, it is still a good deal. The newer books in the series appear to be focused on the Mopsies (as young adults) and some of the other street urchins. Nice way to progress the series.

>226 Storeetllr: - YAY! So glad to see if is a free Kindle download! Just don't blame me if you feel tempted to acquire the other books in the series, okay? ;-)

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Rain today..... YAY! As tomorrow is a new month, probably time to migrate the discussions to a new thread. Please follow the magic continuation thingee below to the new thread!