Terrible Terri (tymfos) tackles the tomes in 2016

Welcome to my 2016 75 Challenge thread! I’m Terri, and I’ve been an LT member, and 75 Challenger, since 2009. I live in the mountains of Pennsylvania with my husband, college-age son, and a tabby cat named Siegfried (Sig for short).

I’ve enjoyed being a part of this group. Thanks to folks here, I’ve added a lot of items to my Ever-Expanding List of books to read! I read a wide variety of books, both fiction and non-fiction, but am probably a little too partial to mysteries. I also participate in the Category Challenge each year, and once again I've focused that challenge on series reading.

I tend to be a rather moody reader, and usually don't do much with the special challenges, like the AAC or TIOLI, though I may drop into them occasionally. I have been doing the Navajo Tony Hillerman/Craig Johnson monthly reads, located here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/209475 . I'd already read all the Longmire books so far, but this has introduced me to Tony Hillerman's work, and I plan to continue this year. I like some of the monthly themes too, like Mystery March and September Series & Sequels. And I usually start an Autism Awareness thread in April.

I welcome comments by visitors (as long as you’re not bringing me spam.

MY BOOK LIST

BOOKS FINISHED IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2016

Books finished in JANUARY
1. Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor AUDIO (1/1/16)
2. The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (1-5-16)
3. Six Geese a Slaying by Donna Andrews (1-6-16)
4. Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman (1-6-16) e-book
4a. Beneath the Book Tower by Steve Hamilton e-book short story (1-7-16)
5. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon (1-8-16)
6. Last Train to Paradise by Les Standiford (1-12-16) e-book
7. Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen (1-13-16) e-book
8. Never Haunt a Historian by Edie Claire e-book (1-16-16)
9. Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie (1-17-16)
10. The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall AUDIO (1-18-16)
11. The Small Hand by Susan Hill (1-19-16)
12. Wednesday's Child by Peter Robinson (1-25-16)
13. Final Account by Peter Robinson (AKA Dry Bones that Dream) e-book (1-28-16)
14. Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology by Caroline Paul e-book (1-30-16)

books finished in FEBRUARY
15. The Riesling Retribution by Ellen Crosby AUDIO (2-2-16)
16. Out on a Limb: A Smoky Mountain Mystery by Carolyn Jourdan e-book(2-3-16)
17. Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie (2-6-16)
18. Broken English by Gaus e-book(2-9-16)
19. The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (2-10-16)
20. Shelf Ice by Aaron Stander e-book (2-15-16)
21. A Finer End by Deborah Crombie (2-16-16)
22. A Specter of Justice by Mark de Castrique (2-17-16)
23. August Heat by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (2-17-16)
24. Little Girl Blue the Life of Karen Carpenter by Randy Schmidt (2-18-16)
25. Dressed for Death by Donna Leon (2-20-16)
26. The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt (2-26-16)

Currently reading:
Winterkill by C.J. Box
Nobody Knows by Craig von Busek
The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn e-book
The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO

Lenten Devotional:
Reliving the Passion by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

As I said above, I participate in the yearly category challenge, and have recently focused it on series reading. This year, I’m adding a little “flavor” to the effort. I realize that many of my categories are too broad to be represented by any one dish, or even two dishes. I mean no disrespect to any nationality if the choice of dish doesn’t quite fit the settings of all the books, or seems stereotypical. These categories are subject to change.

1. Appetizer -- The first book in a series
2. Salad -- The second book in a series
3. Main Course -- Books in the “middle” of a series. This year, I’ll only list books here that don’t fit in any other categories, to avoid a ridiculously long list here.
4. Dessert -- The last/most recent book in a series
5. Snacks -- books from a series read alone or out of order
6. Lutefisk -- Books/series with a Scandinavian/Nordic setting
7. Cheesesteaks and Scrapple -- Book/series set in Pennsylvania
8. Jambalaya – Books/series set in Louisiana
9. Rice -- Books/series set in Asia.
10. Cappuccino and a bagel -- Books/series which feature coffee/coffee shops or baking/bakeries
11. Mint Julep -- Books/series set in the Southern US (Other than Louisiana, which has its own category)
12. Guinness Stout -- Books/series set in Ireland or featuring those of Irish descent
13. Fish & Chips – Books /series with a British setting
14. Lasagna -- Books/series set in Italy
15. Indian Fry Bread -- Books/series featuring Native Americans
16. Peanuts and Crackerjack -- Books/series relating to sports

MISCELLANEOUS CHALLENGE STUFF
January British Author Challenge: The Small Hand by Susan Hill
January Non-Fiction Challenge (bio): Nobody Knows: by Craig von Buseck (bio of Harry T. Burleigh) currently reading

>3 tymfos: I love your categories. I should be saying that on the other thread, but I found it here first!

Dropping my star and wishing you Happy New Year, Teri!

Happy Reading 2016, Terri. Looking forward to your readings.

Happy New Year to everyone! Wishing one and all a good year of life, and a good year of reading.

>5 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori. Welcome!

>6 Familyhistorian: Happy New Year, Meg!

>7 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara

I already finished my first book an hour or so after midnight, an audio that was almost done when 2015 ended.

Book #1 Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor

This audio was narrated by the author, so I truly heard the author's voice. I'm not sure what to say about it. Parts of it really resonated with me, and other parts hardly connected with me at all. I think it's interesting to look at what the Bible says and implies about darkness. White most of the imagery is negative, many important things happened in the darkness of night. It was also interesting to learn some of the effects of our artificial lighting upon our world and the creatures in it, including ourselves. Her recounting of her experiences exploring darkness -- in a cave, in a simulation of being blind, in a night retreat -- were often interesting. Her discussion of the "dark night of the soul" was informative, touching, challenging, sometimes maddening. I didn't agree with everything she said, but she sure gave me a lot to think about.

Happy New Year, Terri! Your categories for your challenge made me laugh - well done!

>5 thornton37814: Ditto! And congratulations on completing your first book for the year, not even 12 hours into 2016 in our time zone!

How soon can we expect a Sig sighting? *Tapping foot impatiently.* ;-)

>8 tymfos: I already finished my first book an hour or so after midnight
I would've done the same if I'd stayed up that late; as it is, I read the last chapter with coffee this morning.

Happy 2016!

>9 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! Glad to give you a giggle. :)

>11 qebo: I'm a night owl, Katherine, though not as often as I used to be.

>10 cbl_tn: Hi, Carrie!
How soon can we expect a Sig sighting? *Tapping foot impatiently.

He's just as handsome as ever!

>12 tymfos: Hooray! He's grown into a very handsome cat!

>13 Crazymamie: >14 cbl_tn: Sig meows his thanks for the compliments!

>12 tymfos: Aha a Sig sighting. I love that we share not only our love of books, but also our love of furry friends. I so look forward to posts regarding Sig and the books you are reading in 2016. All the best to you!

Terri, I'm impressed that you've read your first book already. Did you stay up all night. Sig looks like the lord of the manor! Happy New Year!

>16 Whisper1: All the best to you, too, Linda!

>17 Donna828: I had read most of it "last year." There was only a little left to listen to after midnight, Donna. Definitely lord of the manor: Sig managed to insert part of himself under the rocking chair's rocker. I guess I won't be sitting there for a while!

>18 tymfos: It's funny how even the smallest animals can occupy so much of our living space. Adrian has the same talent!

>19 cbl_tn: True! But now he's curled up into a more compact form for a nap:

Now I need to decide on my next audio book and my next non-fiction read!

Happy New Year, Terri.

Welcome back! Although, I can't say I've ever associated "terrible" with Terri. :)

Thanks, Beth and Jim!

My internet connection is being cranky today, zoning in and out. I checked out an audio book, but I'm afraid to try and download it. The Patience of the Spider, next up for me in the Montalbano series.

Happy new year to you and Sig!

Lovely to see your thread here, Terri! Okay, so I followed the hyperlink. Saved em the hassle of trying to find you. ;-)

Love the Sig pictures.

Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year and best wishes for 2016!

Thanks for the pics of Sig! My three have been entertaining me. They are now taking a nap so they can keep me awake all night. Congrats on your first completion! I've seen books by Barbara Brown Taylor, and I may have even read one or two. Maybe I'll try some more by her in the coming year (or two or three).

Have a wonderful bookfilled 2016, Terri.

>28 PaulCranswick: Hey there, Paul! All the best to you for 2016.

>27 thornton37814: Sig is so much fun. I never knew how entertaining fur kids could be till Sig wandered into my life.

>26 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! All the best to you this year.

>25 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! Have a great 2016.

Happy New Year, Terri!

Happy New Year and Happy New Thread, Terrible Terri! I think you are more Terrific than Terrible, but of course that is my humble opinion.

Good luck with your reading year.

Happy New Year, Terri!

Well, I see Sig has the new year all figured out....he's so handsome against that blue rug!

Welcome back, Terri! (And Sig, of course!)

>30 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne! Wishing you a great year, too!

>31 msf59: Thank you very much, Mark, especially for your humble opinion. (I guess I'm too humble to suggest, myself, that I'm even a little Terrific, but I appreciate hearing it from others! :)

>32 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl! Happy New Year, to you, too.

>33 laytonwoman3rd: Sig purrs his thanks for the compliment, Linda!

>34 lyzard: Thanks, Liz! (from both of us!)

Starred again!

Happy New Year, Terri! Great to see you and Sig settled in here. He looks a lot like our Sparks and Lulu, so he is definitely a handsome guy.
ETA: How did you like Learning to Walk in the Dark. I'm sorry to say that it was my first BBTaylor, and I wasn't particularly impressed by it. My friends here assure me that she is much better than this, and I did see many signs of things I'll want to read another time.

Hi Kim and Peggy.

Modem/router died. Left with only phone 4g connection with limited data plan. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Woe! So much for keeping up with threads!

Hi Terri, I was thinking of you today while reading my cozy, Twisted Threads, a needlepoint mystery set in Maine. The book was moving along nicely when the sleuth went to visit the reverend who collects Ouija boards.

I remember a conversation here about this last year. It really doesn't fit the book, which I like, otherwise.

Has Sig ever got his tail caught under the rocker of that chair!? Looks like he's dicing with danger! We used to have a big tabby when I was younger, he was called Henry (VIII). We adopted a black stray called Bluebottle, and they used to flop about together all ginger and black. They were sweet.

Sorry to see that you are having technology woes at the moment, Terri. I have given up trying to keep up with threads and we are still only in the first week of January.

Well, I dropped in and saw cat pictures and now I can never leave. HAPPY CAT YEAR uh, I mean, NEW YEAR! :D

Oh, I hate when technology doesn't work correctly. So frustrating. Hope you get it sorted very soon, Terri!

I found you!!! Happy New Year!

Hope your technology issues are resolved soon!!

>39 lindapanzo: I enjoyed that one.

>46 thornton37814: In the end, I really liked it too. My LT thingaversary is next week and I may use one of my book allotment of 7 books plus one bonus book for the second in this series.

Enjoy!

Wishing you a most lovely weekend, Terri.

Happy Saturday, Terri!

Stopping by to wish you a lovely week, Terri and with hopes that your technology woes have been addressed.

Visiting relatives tonight with a working internet connection. A quick post to say Hello to everyone who has visited in my absence.

Taking a few minutes to list books completed:

Books finished in JANUARY
1. Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor AUDIO (1/1/16)
2. The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (1-5-16)
3. Six Geese a Slaying by Donna Andrews (1-6-16)
4. Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman (1-6-16) e-book
4a. Beneath the Book Tower by Steve Hamilton e-book short story (1-7-16)
5. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon (1-8-16)
6. Last Train to Paradise by Les Standiford (1-12-16) e-book
7. Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen (1-13-16) e-book

Current reads:
Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie
Nobody Knows by Craig von Buseck
Never Haunt a Historian by Edie Claire e-book
The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall AUDIO

>39 lindapanzo: Linda, it really didn't fit. I'm going to try the next one if I get a chance, but I hope that particular story line disappears.

>40 LovingLit: No, and I'm always very careful when he's around that chair.

>41 lkernagh: Hi, Lori!

>42 dk_phoenix: Hi, Faith! Happy Cat Year to you, too! :)

>43 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie!

>44 cal8769: Hi, Carrie!

>45 Berly: Thanks, Kim

>48 DianaNL: Hi, Diana! Weekends are good!

>49 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara! Nice image.

>50 Crazymamie: Happy, uh, midweek, Mamie!

>51 lkernagh: It will be a while yet, Lori.

Well at least you're getting a lot of reading in! Did you like Last Train to Paradise?

>3 tymfos: Terri I love these categories....you are hereby starred. I will definitely be coming by often to see what you're posting in each of them. I always end up with a year's worth of BBs on every visit! And I sure hope the IT goblins depart shortly.

Have a lovely weekend!

Terri, I wish you a relaxed weekend. I'm impreesed by how many books you've already read.

Oh dear.... sorry to see that you are still being held hostage by technology. ;-(

Here is hoping you will be back in the connected world soon.

A quick check-in from work during my lunch break. Hopefully, I'll be back online from home soon. Our modem/router died shortly before we went on vacation, so we waited until we got back to make arrangements for a replacement. It finally arrived! Hope to have it set up a bit later today or this evening.

Later, folks . . . ;)

>59 tymfos: We look forward to having you back!

Hooray, Terri! *sits down to wait*

I'M BAAAAACK!!!!!

Hello! What a crazy few weeks. Modem/router went out just before we left for Florida. While there, we were 20 miles from where a tornado touched down. When the tornado warning went out, we were visiting family in a 4th floor condo in a building with no basement and not even a first floor -- coastal building up on pilings with an open garage underneath. Where do you shelter? Interior bathroom best bet, but glad the twister missed us. Then power out (in the middle of the Steelers' wild card game -- silly to think of at a time like that, but hey . . .)

I have more catching up to do than I have time for, so I'm mainly going to concentrate on catching up my threads and then start visiting folks' threads a little at a time. No way I'll catch up -- just have to jump in.

>54 Copperskye: Joanne, with no internet at home, and then vacation time on the road with Hubby driving, I did have lots of time to read. I liked Last Train to Paradise. It wasn't a perfect book, but it was interesting. I had read a book years ago about the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, and this writer was much softer on the people running the highway construction (regarding the lack of evacuation) but anyway, it was good. It focused more on Flagler and the actual building of the railroad. We did a night in Homestead with day runs into Key Largo and Islamorada while we were in Florida. I like reading about the place I'm at.

>55 tututhefirst: Tina, IT goblins have been exorcised!

>56 DianaNL: Thank you, Diana

>57 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! My reading will be slowing down now that I'm back to work and starting school tomorrow. Plus the catching up on LT . .

>58 lkernagh: >60 thornton37814: It's good to be connected again, Lori!

>61 Crazymamie: Here I am, Mamie!

Yay! You're back! Love the unpacking photo. : )

>62 tymfos: Sig! Did he go to Florida with you? I'm glad the tornado missed you and you got home safely.

>65 Berly: Hi, Kim! Thanks! (In reality, it was a packing photo, but it seemed a good image to use.)

>66 cbl_tn: No, he really didn't go with us. Sig hates, hates, hates, to travel in the car!!! He cries and yowls the whole time if I take him anywhere father than the vet's office a couple miles away. No, we left him in his familiar surroundings, with a cat-loving friend serving as cat-sitter.

OK, I have nine books that I read which I need to post about. No, ten. Did I forget any? I've gotten so dependent on LT to keep track of things.

I have some book purchases, too.

2016 BOOK PURCHASES (currently unread):

The free e-book-of-the-month from University of Chicago Press:
The Thousand-Year Flood by David Welky

Kindle sale e-books purchased with phone (but delayed downloading until today):
Flight 93: The Story, the Aftermath, and the Legacy of American Courage on 9/11 by Tom McMillan
White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones
and this one today, now that I'm properly connected again,
The Braque Connection by Estelle Ryan

and two real "dead tree" books purchased in Florida,
An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette
Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy

Happy New Year Terri. I can't believe how many books you've already read in this new year!

>69 brenzi: BONNIE!!!!! How are you? Of course, I haven't been keeping up the past couple of weeks because of the IT issues, but prior to that it had been ages since I saw you post, even on your own thread, and I was worrying about you. So good to "see" you; thanks for stopping by! Do you have a thread this year? I don't see one in the 75 Challenge "threadbook."

Vacation was great for reading, but I'm going to slow way down now that I'm back to work and starting school tomorrow.

Book #2
The Patience of the Spider by Andrea Camilleri (Inspector Montalbano series)

I enjoyed this a lot, but agree with a number of reviewers who felt the "mystery" was a bit thin. I did pretty much figure out what was going on and why. The focus in this book really wasn't the mystery, it was the setting (and its culture) and the characters. Montalbano is having to face some realities, and this made it more serious than some previous installments of the series.

Book #3 Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow series)
A holiday intallment of the series, and the last of my Christmas-themed readings for the season. Meg is in charge of the local Holiday Parade. The man who plays Santa Claus in the parade is more of a Grinch than a St. Nick, so nobody is surprised that somebody would want to kill him. But to do it just before the start of the parade? Who would be so cruel? There's no shortage of suspects, and Meg wants to sort it out so that the wrong person doesn't get blamed. Add in a freak (for coastal Virginia) blizzard, and Meg's usual madcap adventures ensue.

Book #4 Skinwalkers by Tony Hillerman (Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee series)

This series just keeps getting better and better. This is the first where both detectives appear in the same book. I think they compliment each other well. It's really neat that it's the younger Chee who is the Navajo traditionalist, while the elder Leaphorn is more "modern" (if that's the right word) in his beliefs. The book starts out with Chee almost slaugtered in his bed, and Leaphorn bewildered by a rash of seemingly unconnected killings. I really enjoyed this one.

Book #4a Beneath the Book Tower by Steve Hamilton (Alex McKnight series, short story)
This is too short to count as a book, but I wanted to post it. I saw "Book Tower" and thought library, but I guess it's just the name of a landmark Detroit building. This story goes way back, serving as a prequel to the McKnight series. In the story, he's still a Detroit cop, partrolling the streets with his partner. I liked it.

Book #5 Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon (Inspector Brunetti series)

A young man is found dead in a canal, murdered. Somehow, Brunetti doesn't think it's a simple mugging-killing, or drug-related slaying, as so many people seem to want him to decide. This book doesn't make the American military or the Italian politicians look too good. It was a complex tale, well told, and parts of it echoed things I've read recently in the news, even though this was written in the 1990's.

Book #6 Last Train to Paradise by Les Standiford

This is the true story of Harry Flagler, the building of his railroad and hotel empire in Florida, and especially the construction of the "railroad that crossed an ocean," the Gulf Coast railroad's final extension from the mainland to Key West. We were in Florida at the time I was reading it, and on the Keys for a day of that stretch, so it was a really timely read. He was probably too "soft" on Flagler and, later, on the government bosses who followed Flagler's path when attempting to build the Overseas Highway.

Intended for a popular audience, Standiford didn't include footnotes, but did a pretty good job indicating sources in the text, and he included a good bibliography.

Book #7 Native Tongue by Carl Hiaasen (Skink series)

Looking for a Florida read, Hiaasen is hard to pass up. He make me feel a bit guilty for being a tourist in the state, but then he takes shots at everyone, not just tourists. This was a madcap adventure which begins with the kidnapping of a pair of rare voles from a tourist trap in Key Largo, and all kinds of bedlam follows.

LT does not list this as part of the Skink series, but FictFact and the library listing say that it is, and they are right. It should be considered Skink #2, according to the Overdrive library catalog listing.

Book #8 Never Haunt a Historian by Edie Claire (Leigh Koslow Mystery Series)

I bought this on sale, drawn by the fact that it was set in Western PA, and involved Civil War reanactors and a property once owned by a Civil War veteran, with an alleged haunting. (No, this really isn't a spooky book -- the legend just adds a bit of atmosphere.) I'd not read earlier installments of the series, and I followed it just fine. (Some of the family relationships were a bit fuzzy to me for a while, but that was OK.) The man who lives in the "haunted" property disappears, and the neighbors are worried. Holes have been appearing around the grounds, and an odd map has been found -- a treasure map?

This was a decent cozy mystery. I liked the historical angle, and appreciated the author's note at the end. (I have no idea why she invented one detail that she did, but at least she owned up to it in the author's note.)

Book #9 Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie (Duncan Kincade/Gemma James series)

This book was an ambitious undertaking by the author, and I thought it was excecuted very well. There were times when I thought Crombie had tried to do too much, but she pulled it off stunningly. The book introduces us to Kincade's ex-wife, Vic. There is a strong literary angle. It involves Vic's research into a poet named Lydia Brooke who had died 5 years earlier, supposedly a suicide. Lydia was influenced by the life and work of Rupert Brooke (a real poet -- 1887-1915) whose name (but not whose bloodline) she shared. There is murder. There are major developments in Kincade's personal life.

This was not easy reading, and I was glad I had an actual paper copy that I could easily page back and forth to double-check details. The changes in time and perspective were a bit confusing at times, but in the end it all worked for me.

Lots of good reading going on here!

Book #10 The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall (Vish Puri series)

This was interesting due to the setting, in modern-day India. Vish is an interesting character. He's a private detective in Delhi. He calls all his associates by crazy nicknames and spends more time than he wants to conducting "pre-matrimonial" investigations. Vish is hired by a wealthy man because one of his servants has disappeared, and there have been allegations made that he killed her. Someone also tries to shoot Vish. This was a rather different kind of detective novel. I learned a lot about India from this book.

Book #11 The Small Hand by Susan Hill

This was a ghost story. I loved the sense of atmosphere -- Hill does that so well. From the abandoned house and overgrown garden in the English countryside to the remote monastery in the French Alps, she captures the feel of the surroundings. This was short -- really a novella -- and I think the textured dust jacket of my copy (a British printing) made it one of the most elegant books I own.

eta to add:This is my book for January's British Author Challenge.

>76 tymfos: Your description of the Susan Hill one makes me want to find it. I don't think that was an option at my public library, but I don't even know if I'll make it there to check out a book or not.

Welcome back to Internet-Land, Terri! I can sympathise: I've got some issues at the moment and it's driving me crazy!

>62 tymfos:

Aww, that is adorable! :)

OK, now I've at least posted something about the books I've read.

>77 thornton37814: >78 lyzard: Hi, Lori!

>78 lyzard: Hi, Liz! I hope your issues are resolved soon. It's amazing how dependent we get on this technology.

Now I need to address my dead microwave. I may miss that even more than I missed the Internet! Amazing, I never realized how much I depended on it to thaw things or quickly warm things up.

To end the evening (or start the morning, at this hour), a quote from The Small Hand, as the antiquarian bookseller who is the narrator and protagonist describes himself. After noting that the books he deals in professionally are very, very expensive and he only keeps a few of those in inventory at a time, he goes on to describe his personal book collecting habits:

I do collect books, much more modestly and in a disorganised sort of way, for my own interest and pleasure. My Chelsea flat is filled with them. My resolution every New Year is to halve the number of books I have and every year I fail to keep it. For every dozen I sell or give away, I buy twenty more."

Does that state of affairs sound familiar to anyone here??? ;)

And with that, I bid you all goodnight. I'm really nervous about the class I'm starting tomorrow, and as it's been snowing this evening, I probably won't have the best road conditions to get there. I'm nervous for my son, also, as he starts classes too!

Yeah...welcome back!!! Glad to see you are enjoying several of my favorite series: Commissario Brunetti, Vish Puri, the Deborah Crombie books, Donna Andrews, Tony Hillerman, and Inspector Montalbano. Some of the others look like I might have to go find them. This is going to be a dangerous thread.

Good for you! You read quite a lot of books thus far. Sig the cat and his antics always bring a smile to me.

And, what a great book haul. I'm adding The Thousand Year Flood to my tbr collection.

All the best,

You have been busy, Terri! Lots of fun reads there - I have read the Crombie and the Hall books. And I love the cover of that Susan Hill book - gorgeous. Last Train to Paradise looks interesting.

Keeping you and your son in my thoughts as you both start new things.

>81 tututhefirst: Hi, Tina! Since I found a lot of my favorite books/series from reading your thread, I'm not going to apologize if I cause your TBR list to expand!

>82 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! Glad Sig brings you a smile. I thought the Thousand Year Flood e-book was a good find, especially for free! I haven't started it yet, but it sure looks interesting.

>83 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! I just finished my first day of class. I'm hanging out in the college library waiting for my son, who has one more class. I think this is going to be interesting! I hope my son is enjoying his classes as much as I enjoyed mine.

BTW, today is Sig and my family's "anniversary." Two years ago today, I was shoveling snow on the coldest day of the year, and a meowing furball launched itself at me. I brought him in out of the cold "just long enough to track down his owner." Silly me. The only owner we could track down was Sig, and he wound up owning me. :)

Yay! You liked the class. How fun is that? Congrats on your anniversary and say hi to your owner for me--cute story.

>86 Berly: Hi, Kim! I said hello to Sig for you.

After clearing the dishes from dinner, I started boiling up a batch of chicken broth from a roast chicken carcass I'd saved in the freezer for this purpose. I plan to make a nice batch of chicken soup for the weekend. I have the fixings for a batch of chili, too. This is definitely soup weather!

Later this evening, hubby and I plan to open up a bottle of port, sip a bit of it, and watch the snow fall.

Well you sure did get a lot of books read on your vacation! I haven't read Native Tongue yet.

Stay safe in your snowy weather!!

Thanks, Joanne. I'm not planning to go anywhere until possibly church on Sunday, but I wouldn't be surprised if service got canceled with all this snow, especially since the governor declared a state of emergency.

Happy weekend, Terri. Stay safe and warm.

Thanks Diana and Barbara!

We must have at least a foot or so of snow, and it's still falling. Hard to tell just how much, as it's drifting and blowing. Some drifts are at least two feet deep. But we have power and I don't need to go anywhere today.

Well, I don't need to go anywhere until I go to work Monday at noon. Church is canceled for tomorrow. Just about everything is closed, even the shopping mall and movie theaters. A nearby high school had to cancel their SAT exams!

There were lots of SAT cancellations around here, and I don't think most of that was necessary. We ended up with about 1/4" of snow dust.

For one town not that far from us, I heard an official total of 35.5 inches. I'd round that up to 3 feet.

That is insane! Three feet. Wow. I think that means more port, fire in the fireplace, soup (how it did turn out?) and books. Maybe not in that order! Happy Sunday.

Hi, Kim. I never did bring that port up out of the cellar. I finished off the last bit of a bottle of Concord, instead. The soup was great. Chili turned out fine, too. No fireplace, unfortunately. Lots of books, though. And hot tea and cocoa.

We probably didn't get three feet right here. Maybe two and a half. Thigh high for me, but I'm short. We just finished shoveling out the drive - fortunately it's short, as the garage backs right onto the alley. It's just that there's no place to put it all, so it has to be heaved over the snow bank the plow left, into the back yard. (Glad that the street and alley did get plowed, though.)

That is the worst part--when you have to try and heave the snow over the already huge side banks. Glad your driveway is short!! I still think that deserves a drink. Maybe something hot.... ; )

I'm glad your snug at home and still have power. I watched this storm from afar since I was in San Diego for a meeting, but I arrived home this evening to find that I would have missed it if I'd stayed home. Knoxville didn't get much of anything this time.

And belated anniversary wishes to you and Sig. He knew what he was doing when he picked you!

>70 tymfos: No I don't have a thread Terri. I don't want to get overwhelmed like I did last year so I'm just taking things slowly and enjoying going on a few threads and seeing what people are up to. And what they're reading.

We managed to escape this storm completely I'm glad you're safe and snug and keeping warm:-)

>97 tymfos: And hot tea and cocoa.
About 2' here, and I've been wishing that I'd stocked up on cocoa mix.

>97 tymfos: Only two and a half feet of snow?! Thigh-high it would be up to my shoulders!

Oh, a belated happy anniversary to you and Sig! That was my Dad's birthday, so I will remember from now on. Our two year anniversary is coming up with Mercy on February 2nd - funny how both of us ended up with cats so close together in homes that thought they would never have cats! They came to us!!

Wow, a lot to get caught up on! Sounds like your trip to was a great success, even with the tornado warning. Love the Sig shot!. Great job on the reading and reviewing front. Glad to see you back 'connected' and that you did not lose power during the recent storm.

>98 Berly: I had a nice cup of tea. And, later, we finally got around to that port.

>99 cbl_tn: Glad you made it home safely, and your area got off easy with the storm, Carrie.

>100 brenzi: Well I'm glad you're back, Bonnie -- however you want to participate!

>101 qebo: Katherine:

glitter-graphics.com

ETA to add Katherine, just read on your thread of Epsilon's passing. I'm so sorry! Our furkids are so special to us.

>102 PaulCranswick: Well, Paul, it was more than enough snow -- snow banks higher than me in places -- but a lot of it has already melted. It got warm yesterday.

>103 Crazymamie: funny how both of us ended up with cats so close together in homes that thought they would never have cats! They came to us!!
Life is unpredictable that way, isn't it, Mamie?

>104 lkernagh: Hi, Lori! All in all, things have turned out OK all around.

Now I need to get looking into fixing or replacing my broken microwave oven. I never realized how much I depended on it until it stopped working.

Book #12 Wednesday's Child by Peter Robinson (Inspector Alan Banks mysteries)

A man and a woman, posing as social workers responding to an abuse allegation, take a woman's daughter away. When the mother learns that they weren't from social services, the police are called, and Inspector Banks is determined to find out who is responsible.

I love this series, and this was a very good installment. A first-class police procedural, it kept me turning pages when I should have been doing other things. I liked it so much, I immediately downloaded the next in the series from the library for my next e-book reading.

ETA to mention: I got a little confused trying to find the next book in the Inspector Banks series. It's one of those books where they changed the title for the American editions. Fictfact and LT's series function both list it as Dry Bones That Dream, but the edition most available here is called Final Account. (BTW, both titles bring up the touchstone for Dry Bones That Dream. Final Account is listed in Common Knowledge as an alternate title.)

I was planning to end the month by reading Anne Tyler's Breathing Lessons for the AAC and the Pulitzer Challenge threads. However:

1. Though I enjoyed the first two pages, I quickly found Maggie a bit too hard to take. The thought of 327 pages of Maggie made me less than joyful.

2. I lucked into the next two books in Deborah Crombie's Duncan Kincade/Gemma James series when a patron brought her ILL books back with time left on the loan period (which had been kindly renewed by the source library). It's neat that we're in the same place in the series!

Book #13 Final Account by Peter Robinson (AKA Dry Bones that Dream) Inspector Alan Banks series

Chief Inspector Banks is called to the scene of a brutal killing. While the female members of the household (mother and daughter) were tied to chairs in the house, the man of the house had been taken out to the barn. The women eventually found the body, kneeling, with head blown off by a shotgun -- a grisly murder scene. It looks like a hit, an execution, perhaps a contract killing. Banks and DC Susan Gay, along with the rest of the crew, are left to follow a scant trail of clues, which sometimes seem to provide more questions than answers.

OK, I downloaded this and raced through it quickly. I was awake until after 2 a.m. (I took my smart phone with Overdrive app to bed with me last night) and then read it today at every free moment I got, until it was done. This was a real page-turner of a police procedural. It had just the right number of twists and turns, and the characters were so complex, it was a really fine read.

>109 tymfos: I have a Robinson on my wish list, probably the first in series.

>85 tymfos: How I love your comment/thoughts regarding Sig finding you. That silly cat brings a lot of joy to many people. Kudos for taking classes. I also hope your son enjoys school as much as you do.

All the best. And, Happy Anniversary to Sig my buddy. The Adventures of Sig The funny furball sounds like a great children's illustrated book. Heaven knows you have many photos and images of his escapades, especially the one of him on top of the curtains.

I am so happy that he brings such joy to you. Animals are like that aren't they?

>110 thornton37814: The first one is Gallows View, Lori. Be aware, the series gets better as it goes along. I liked the first one, but I'm liking subsequent ones more, as I get to know the characters.

>111 Whisper1: Hi, Linda dear! My son says he's enjoying school. He came home a bit extra-hyper today, so I'm not sure if that's a good or bad sign as to how school is really going for him. Sig is currently curled up in his cat bed. Actually, the one we have now is a dog bed, but he's a big cat and loves to sprawl out a bit -- plus, the pet bed matched our living room furniture almost exactly! It's located in front of a radiator, so he's nice and warm there.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Friday, Terri! I started White Sky, Black Ice last night, and I am liking it so far. Final Account sounds good - I have not read any in that series.

>113 DianaNL: Thanks, Diana!

>114 Crazymamie: Glad you're liking White Sky, Black Ice. I hope to get to it soon.

Book #14 Lost Cat: A True Story of Love, Desperation, and GPS Technology by Caroline Paul. e-book (1-30-16)

This book was a Kindle Daily Deal today, and I grabbed it on a whim. (Having a gift card balance makes me much more "whim-sical.") It's a short book, so I zipped right through it on this quiet Saturday. It was a pleasant, quick read.

Injured in an airplane accident, Caroline is comforted in her recovery by her two cats. Then one of them disappears. Just as she and her partner Wendy give up hope, the cat -- Tibia -- returns. Caroline becomes obsessed, wondering where the cat was, and where he is going off to now. He's obviously eating somewhere, because he's not eating at home, and he's not losing weight. Adventures in cat-tracking ensue, with GPS devices, portable cat-cameras, psychics, and a course in animal communication.

This is mostly a fun book. There are sad an poignant moments in this book, too. I think it's one most "cat people" can read and relate to, even those of us not quite as obsessive as Caroline was in the aftermath of her accident.

Terri - I can tell that your thread will get me started on more series. I haven't read Peter Robinson, but have had my eye on him. The Case of the Missing Servant also sounds good.

Glad your Internet woes are resolved. Have a lovely Sunday.

Thanks, Beth!

An audio, The Riesling Retribution, and an e-book, Out on a Limb, are done. Posts on those maybe tomorrow.

I read Lost Cat a few years ago and was charmed by it. I also had a cat disappear for 7 months so I found it very relatable!

Posting from school while waiting for my son to finish class.

Book #15 The Riesling Retribution by Ellen Crosby e-book (finished 2/2/16)
(Wine Country Mystery series #4)

After emerging from shelter under a bridge when caught out in the fields by a tornado, vineyard owner Lucie stumbles on skeletal remains. While the police investigate the find (who is found to be a murder victim), Lucie deals with the aftermath of the storm, bad publicity about the old murder, a sudden wave of carelessness by vineyard employees, and preparation for the winery's 20th anniversary and a major Civil War reenactment to be held on the property (as the actual site of the battle is off-limits to reenactors).

This was a pretty good mystery, and I enjoyed the history which was included about the Battle of Balls Bluff (I've been to the battle site) plus the information about Civil War reenactments.

Book #16 Out on a Limb by Carolyn Jourdan (finished 2-3-16)

A student scientist/hiker/tree climber is attacked by an known assailant, atop a tree in a remote area of the Smokey Mountains National Park. Meanwhile, life in the park goes on. Nurse Phoebe deals with various situations; Park Ranger Henry deals with critters and people, including a big bear and some ignorant, annoying park visitors. Eventually, a search is launched when a backpack is found in the bear's paws. There is a lot of poor communication, some of it due to park logistics, some due to choices that characters make.

It was interesting to learn some things about the park, its flora and fauna, and park procedures. I can't quite put my finger on why I didn't like this better than I did. Somehow, the writing felt a little amateurish. There were a lot of information dumps included -- some of it interesting, but a bit too much. There were also a few details about the main character's life, nurse Phoebe, that just seemed odd and coming out of nowhere.

It was a so-so novel with a great setting.

Gah! The title of today's Nook Daily Find:

100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know:
I guess men shouldn't know them?

It gets worse when you read the subtitle and description:

Engagement Chicken and 99 Other Fabulous Dishes to Get You Everything You Want in Life
by Cindi Leive, The Editors of Glamour

Once upon a time, there was an easy roast chicken recipe that led to a marriage proposal…well many proposals. The editors at Glamour have gathered 100 of the magazine's most-loved, best-reviewed dishes, all designed to get you exactly what you want in life, exactly when you want it.

So that's how women (but not men) are supposed to get what they want in life?? Cook like their little dainty lives depend on it?

Give me a break!

On a happier note, my son and I stopped for Chinese food. I received what is probably the most honest fortune cookie in the world: The little slip of paper contained the following message:
Po says: if you are reading this, you are wasting precious eating time!"

Hi Terri! My favorite fortune cookies came in a pair. I was with my dad. His fortune said "You will be unusually successful in business." Mine said "You will receive a large inheritance." I kept waiting for my dad's business success. (He spent most of his working life in academia.)

Hi, Carrie! Love your fortune cookie pair story! I actually had one other really good fortune cookie. It said you will be lucky in love. That was on my first date with the man who eventually became my husband!

>124 tymfos: Nice coincidence!

>124 tymfos: That's a great story!

>121 tymfos: I love your mini-rant, Terri! And also your fortune. Well, both of them, actually. And also Carrie's story. See, your thread has helped me to get my happy on!! Happy Friday to you, dear!

>125 thornton37814: >126 cbl_tn: Hi, Lori and Carrie!

>127 Crazymamie: Great, Mamie! Thanks! Have a great weekend, Mamie!

And I've got my happy on because the guys are here delivering and installing my new microwave! Now if the plumber will come to fix the leaky toilet . . .

Most excellent! *crosses fingers for the plumber*

Thanks! Wishing you the best of weekends.

>121 tymfos: Doesn't everyone know that a man can be tricked into marriage if the chicken is cooked just right?

>131 mstrust: Yeah. Right. ;-}

A mostly good day today. Microwave is installed, and all is working -- cooking functions, vent, over-the-stove light, clock. We went out to dinner. Came home and watched some curling on TV, USA vs. Scotland, with US team winning.

Plumber didn't make it here today. And I just replaced the battery in my beloved kitchen wall clock (that we got as a wedding present) and it is still still -- hands not moving a bit. Well, at least I have a clock on the microwave now.

Yay for the new microwave! And they're showing curling on TV in a non-Olympic year?! I'll have to look for it.

I'm so sorry to hear about the wall clock. Clocks may be replaceable, but the memories and associations aren't.

Happy weekend, Terri.

>135 Ameise1: Love it! :) Thanks Barbara!

>134 cbl_tn: I think it was NBC Sports Network. Hubby is the real curling fan, having grown up near the Canadian border where they could receive Canadian TV stations -- a lot more curling up there, I gather.

eta to add Friday nights, NBCSports Network. They aren't live. The one we watched last night was a tournament recorded in December at Curl Masabi in Minnesota. That's in Eleveth, MN, where the US Hockey Hall of Fame (US amateur hockey) is located -- and in the region where my favorite Cork O'Connor mystery series is set!

>128 tymfos: I have a new microwave too. My old one (which wasn't really that old) was "sparking" a bit around the door frame. I used the oven to reheat things for a day or two until I had time to go purchase one. I decided to "downsize" on my microwave this time. My old one would hold a 9 x 13 inch pan. I really don't need one that big most of the time and decided I could probably use my oven anytime I did need to heat something that large.

>137 thornton37814: That sounds like a good strategy, Lori.

My kitchen is designed for installed over-the-stove microwave/exhaust fan, so I had no option to change sizes, but I "downgraded" a bit when replacing my old, dead unit. A little less power, fewer bells and whistles (things I generally didn't use anyway and which were just more opportunities for something to break). So the price with installation was less than the unit price of my old one before installation almost a decade ago.

I learned from past mistakes and this time I bought from a local business that services what they sell.

>138 tymfos: I really loved the Turbo/Inverter feature of my old one and got that on the new one. The wattage is close to the same though. I thought about ordering from Amazon but decided this was one that I wanted to "window shop" on.

>139 thornton37814: Lori, I don't think I've ever had a turbo/inverter feature on a microwave, but it sounds nifty!

I finished this next book in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Now here I am wide awake in the wee hours of Sunday morning. (I fear I may fall asleep after church and sleep all the way through the Super Bowl! )

Book #17 Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie

Another great installment in the Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. The murder victim is the managing director of a tea company, so there were tea facts scattered throughout the story. There was also a family link going back into the WWII era, when children from London were sent away into the countryside to live with strangers in order to keep them safe from bombings. (I don't think the way they did it was very well thought out, though.) This story takes place in the East End of London where the docks have been, in what they call the Isle of Dogs area. Each chapter began with a short quote from one or another book about the Dockland area.

Did I mention that it was also a good mystery?

>134 cbl_tn: >136 tymfos: up near the Canadian border where they could receive Canadian TV stations -- a lot more curling up there, I gather.

Ah hahaha...YES. Absolutely YES. (I don't care for curling, but I have a soft spot for it as a national sport.) :P

>140 tymfos: The turbo/inverter feature is what is used for defrosting, but you can tell it how much your meat weighs, and it knows how long to "thaw" it. It works much better than 30% power which most defrost cycles use.

>141 dk_phoenix: Hi, Faith! I'd never really watched curling until it turned up on TV stations we could get recently, and my husband was delighted. Now I rather enjoy watching it.

>142 thornton37814: OK, so that's what it is, Lori!

Touchstones don't seem to want to work right now. I tried updating my list of books finished and in progress and they just sort of quit working for me.

I'm working on too many books at once, but it all has to do with juggling books that have come to me ILL or from the holds list while in the midst of other books that are less time sensitive.

When I lived in Canada my parents used to both be on curling teams. It is a fun sport to watch and one I never seem to see down in the US. Love the fox picture!

Good grief! I just went to put a book I'm reading via library audio loan into "currently reading" status, and I see I actually own a paperback copy of the book.

I've returned the audio now (there was a wait list!) and will finish it via the copy that I own.

>144 Berly: Hi, Kim! It's an interesting sport.

Is anyone else having issues with touchstones? I cannot get them to work in my list of books at the top of the thread,

I'm going to see if they work in a shorter list.
Currently reading:
Dressed for Death by Donna Leon
A Finer End by Deborah Crombie
Shelf Ice by Aaron Stander e-book
The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO
LIttle Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter by Randy L. Schmidt
Nobody Knows by Craig von Buseck

Ok, I can already see that they aren't working.

>146 tymfos: issues with touchstones?
Yes, last night and this morning. Churn then time out.

>147 qebo: So it's not just my bad luck, then. . . .

Now instead of churning and time out, I'm just getting "no result" for every single book. Grrr....

eta to add Oh, I just tried to search for a book and got a message that the search system is offline, and they are working on a fix. I guess that might impact why the touchstones wouldn't work. At least I can find the book another way, as I recently rated it so a link is still on my profile page.

Book #18 Broken English by P.L. Gaus e-book
This is the second installment in Gaus' Ohio Amish Mystery series. It was a very good read up until the end. The mystery really kept me reading and guessing, but the end spoiled it a bit as a big part of what one character had done/was doing and why just didn't make a whole lot of sense. But, then, I guess people in real life frequently don't make sense. Overall, it was a good read.

>148 tymfos: Explanation here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/218985 .

>149 qebo: Thanks, Katherine!

Book #19 The Paper Moon by Andrea Camilleri (Inspector Montalbano series)

Another interesting installment in the Montalbano series. A man is reported missing by his sister, then found murdered in a state of, how shall we say, less than complete dress. This sister seems to have had all too much influence in the young man's life; she hates his current girlfriend. Meanwhile, prominent men are dying of "natural causes" that those in the know say were really drug related. It's all a little convoluted, but Montalbano is on the case and, in his inimitable way, is sifting through the clues.

This was one of the less annoying volumes in that Montalbano's lady Livia was mostly out of the picture. I really can't stand that self-centered nag.

Yay! I see touchstones are back! Good work, LT crew! At least, they work with new posts without too many books in them. My older, multi-touchstone posts still aren't taking. That's OK, at least there is progress.

eta to add I see in a post to try cutting and pasting older posts to get touchstones back in them. But that didn't work at first, so I played with it a little more, and I've got my touchstones back.

Have a happy weekend.

Morning, Terri! Happy Friday!

Happy Saturday and early wishes for Sunday...

Thank you, Diana, Mamie, and Kim! Wishing you all the best this weekend.

I think I'm going to abandon my current audio book, Artifacts' by Mary Anna Evans. It's not that it's a bad book -- in fact, it's very good. It's just not what I'm in the mood for -- wrong book at the wrong time. I've come up on the hold list for the next Montalbano audio book, and that's very much what I'm in the mood for, I think. Or maybe not, as the description sounds like there will be a big dose of the unreasonable Livia, a character that I detest. But I'm going to try it.

I am way behind on threads this year but finally catching up with you, Teri. I see you are back taking courses. What course(s) are you taking this time? I finally finished the program that I was in and should go and pick up my diploma soon. I got in the habit of taking classes so I signed up for another one. I am taking the history of disease and medicine which is proving to be interesting.

Happy Valentine's Day, Terri!

The touchstones are back and so am I, Terri, with Happy Valentine wishes. xx

>157 Familyhistorian: I'm way behind too, Meg. Just popping in to my thread from work, as I'm caught up on my tasks. I'm taking a beginning Web Design course at school. So if you see some new (to me) HTML effects showing up in my thread, that's practice! ;)

>158 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I hope your Valentime's Day was wonderful!

>159 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I hope you and Hani had a lovely Valentine's Day.

Icy, icy day. Schools closed, including colleges and libraries in the area.

Book #20 Shelf Ice by Aaron Stander (finished 2-15-16)

This was a decent little mystery, set in the northwestern part of the main part of Michigan (not all the way up in the UP), on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is February, and shelf ice has built up along the lake shore. The story starts out with Ray Elkins investigating a brutal home invasion. The story kept me reading along, but I found the end a bit of a letdown. Also, right at the start of the book, when an incident occurred involving Ray on his way to the reported crime, I'm not sure why it took so long for someone to go on and respond to the original reported victim, given the number of personnel responding to the scene. (I don't want to say more in explanation, lest it be a bit of a spoiler.)

Book #21 A Finer End by Deborah Cromtie (2-16-16)

I'm not quite sure what to make of this one. The bulk of this is set in Glastonbury, site of a ruined Abbey, Holy Grail legends, and a Tor which is the focus of much pagan history and interest. The mix of Christian and pagan influence extends not only into the setting but also the story itself. I'm not averse to a bit of mysticism in my reading, as I believe there are things that exist which science doesn't understand, powers both of Good and Evil. But this was such an odd mix, and not exactly what I expected in a police procedural in this series. Also, it took a full third of the book before our main characters became part of the larger drama laid out in the opening chapters. Once Duncan and Gemma got involved, and there was an actual crime to investigate, things got a little more normal, but there was still plenty of strangeness.

There are interesting developments in the personal lives of our series protagonists, so it wouldn't do at all to skip this one if you're following the series. And it was very interesting to learn a bit about Glastonbury, which is a very unusual place with a fascinating history. But for this series, I think that I prefer more down-to-earth mysteries.

Looks like a good day for reading!

>163 lkernagh: It was, Lori. Now I'm watching the Westminster Dog Show. Quiet day.

>121 tymfos: I hear you Terri! That book sounds like a through back to the 1950's when women were told to be happy with an iron for a Christmas present.

Also, I laughed at the Chinese fortune.

>161 tymfos: Lehigh University had a two-hour delay. I decided to take a vacation day. Our driveway is on a hill, and it was completely icy. Also, getting to campus is very difficult when it snows or when it is icy. There are narrow streets to climb up to the buildings, with cars parked on both sides, leaving only a slight space for cars to go through..one lane, in the hope that another car isn't trying to come down the hill.

Later in the day, it rained and the temps went up, but by then, I was nestled in the chair with a good book and did not venture out.

I think of you and your son. I imagine you are very proud of his accomplishments.

Deborah Crombie is one of those mystery authors I need to catch up on. Donna Leon, too.

Spring Training time. Thread is up at: https://www.librarything.com/topic/219327

Hi, Terri! It looks like it has been awhile, since I have stopped by. Looks like the reading is going well. I hope the rest of your life is following suit.

I NEED to read another Inspector Montalbano. I have only read 4 or 5.

>162 tymfos: That's the only book in the series that I haven't liked. As you say, there are important developments that make it difficult to skip, but I was sorely tempted...

I'm at school, but it's not time for class yet, and using a campus library computer for a few minutes.

>165 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! That sounds like it was a great way to spend an icy day.

I'm very proud of my son. This semester is more difficult for him, but we expected that.

>166 lindapanzo: Glad to see the Spring Training thread. Not sure what I'll read yet. I haven't been doing very well with challenges and special topics this year, but some kind of baseball reading sounds good right about now.

>167 msf59: I really enjoy the Montalbano books. They're short and quirky. They make me laugh, but also make me think. I think I've done them all on audio, mostly via Overdrive, but one with Hoopla. The narration by Grover Gardner is excellent.

>168 cbl_tn: I did find the history of Glastonbury interesting. I may read up on it more in a non-fiction source. (I did Google it and confirm some basic background stuff.)

I'm finishing off the varied books I've had going. I have three to post I finished yesterday, last evening, and overnight during a bout of insomnia. (One was the audio I've been listening to.)

Book #22 A Specter of Justice by Mark De Castrique e-book (2-17-16)

I love the Sam Blackman series! After the first four installments highlighted authors who had ties to the Asheville, NC area, this fifth installment featured local folklore -- of the spooky kind.

After his testimony leads to a tragedy, Sam is persuaded to participate in a fundraiser for children impacted by the violence. It's a night of ghost tours dramatizing some of Asheville's most famous ghost stories. But someone is trying to make real ghosts of the actors.

It was another good installment in a favorite series. The book was not very long, but offered interesting characters and some nice plot twists.

Book #23 August Heat by Andrea Camilleri AUDIO (2-17-16)

Montalbano helps Livia find a vacation house for visitors to the area. But after the son falls into a hole on the property, a grisly discovery is made.

Livia spends the rest of the book refusing to speak to Montalbano, which is fine with me. She's the one character in these books that I can't stand. Montalbano, meanwhile, is trying to find a killer. And an alluring woman is enticing him to cheat on his "unreachable" lady friend.

Can there possibly be a happy ending to this mess?

I always enjoy spending time with Inspector Montalbano.

Book #24 Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter by Randy L. Schmidt. (2-18-16)

A college display informed me that this is National Eating Disorders Awareness Month. I've intended for a while to read this bio of Karen Carpenter, whose life was cut short as a result of anorexia nervosa. This seemed a good time to read it.

This is an unauthorized biography of Karen Carpenter. Previous authorized biographies and bio-pics had reportedly been heavily edited at the family's insistence, and it's easy to see why. The author describes a horribly dysfunctional family. Reading the account of the family dynamics, especially with the mother, it's easy to see why Karen succumbed to a disorder like anorexia nervosa which, psychologists say, has roots in a need to control some aspect of one's life.

The book demonstrated what a beastly disorder anorexia nervosa really is. Even while spending thousands of her own dollars to be treated for the anorexia, Karen felt compelled to sabotage the treatment behind her therapist's back.

Little Girl Blue left me feeling more well-informed, but sad. I started the book feeling that a young life had been needlessly wasted, and finished feeling even more so.

The book seems well-documented, with sources and notes. A lot was based on interviews with people who worked with or were friends with Karen.

The book also contains a discography of Carpenters music.

>171 tymfos: I understand that a less-than-perfect ongoing relationship for a main character can provide interest and tension, but we never get the good side of the Montalbano/Livia connection. What does he see in her? Or vice versa, for that matter? I wonder if it's a cultural thing we don't appreciate.

>173 laytonwoman3rd: we never get the good side of the Montalbano/Livia connection.

Exactly! There are occasional moments of bliss, but they hardly seem to balance all the negative drama she brings to the relationship.

I wonder if it's that, deep down, Montalbano doesn't feel he's worthy of anyone better. And if that's the case, the ending of the book I just read isn't going to help matters. (Sigh. Here I am, talking almost like he's a real person!)

Happy to see the Inspector Montalbano love continues and great review of the Karen Carpenter book!

>172 tymfos: I've had that Karen Carpenter book on my Kindle for a couple of years. I keep hoping to get to it. I want to learn more about her life.

>160 tymfos: I took a Web Design course last summer. It was interesting. We ended up designing a website for a client. It was interesting but time consuming! Hope you enjoy your course.

>178 Familyhistorian: I'm hoping to learn enough to help a couple of local organizations I'm involved in with their informational sites.

>177 DianaNL: Thanks, Diana!

>176 lindapanzo: It was really interesting, but sad, Linda.

>175 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori!

I have now officially abandoned the Karin Fossum books. I didn't like the last one, and now I started the next one in the series and don't like it either. I dislike the story, characters, and writing style. Why keep reading?

>179 tymfos: I know in my course we went over what good design looks like. I think quite a few websites could use some pointers on that!

Good for you, Terri - why stick with a book or a series if it isn't working for you?! There are so many others out there. Happy Saturday to you, dear!

>162 tymfos: That was not one of her better books IMHO.

>170 tymfos: The Sam Blackman series is one of my favorites.

>171 tymfos: That's one of the Montalbanos I haven't read or listened to yet. Hopefully it will be available on audio for my next longish-drive.

>172 tymfos: She was one of the greatest female vocalists of all time. It's tragic her life ended so soon.

AAgh! I lost a filling -- it popped out when I was flossing. That's what I get for taking good care of my teeth. I was supposed to go in to work at noon, but the co-worker who covers the morning is able to stay late. My dentist will see me at 1. Hopefully, he can do a quick repair and I can get to work by two.

Earlier, Fed Ex left a package for a neighbor on my porch. There was no arrangement to do so, he just left it at the wrong house. It's too heavy for me to carry across the street, and the neighbor isn't home. I called FedEx to complain. Supposedly, they'll send the driver back to properly deliver it.

Yesterday, I got my car stuck in the mud at church. It was really a mess. Thankfully, church folks managed to get me out without a tow truck, but it took quite a bit of doing.

>182 Familyhistorian: I could suggest a few design changes to LT -- my pet peeve right now is that links in the upper right corner (profile, sign out, etc.) are so far up at the upper edge of the page, they're hard to use with my smartphone without hitting the url address bar, instead. Very annoying.

>183 Crazymamie: Around 1 a.m. I was reading a really good book, and while debating the merits of reading on or going to bed (knowing I should have been in bed long before) I said to myself, "Why do I read some of the junk that I read when there are books like this to enjoy?"

>184 thornton37814: I loved the history and atmosphere but didn't like the automatic writing, Lori. I just couldn't wrap my brain around that. I've heard of the phenomenon, but didn't expect it in that series.

>185 tymfos: Exactly - your time is important. Sorry to hear about your string of misadventures, Terri. That is quite enough for such a short period of time. Wishing you a whole lot of smooth and happy!

Well, I'm lucky with quick dentist appointment and the co-worker willing to fill in for me. So far, everything seems to be turning out OK, however annoying the misadventures may be.

True.

I see the package is gone from my porch, and is sitting on the porch that matches the address label. The FedEx guy must have gotten the message.

Honestly, if it hadn't been so big, heavy, and bulky, I would have just taken it over. But I have a bad back, and wasn't eager to aggravate it to fix someone else's mistake.

And if it's heavy, you would have felt terrible if you had dropped it. You did the right thing, Terri!

Hi Terri, when I got together with LTer Mark yesterday for pizza, along the way, I mentioned that I hadn't read a good new disaster book in quite awhile.

Have you read any lately that you'd recommend? It doesn't even have to be a quirky disaster, like the Boston Molasses Flood.

Posting from work: Does anyone know of a GOOD readable and accurate biography of Sacagawea that's written for adults, not YA or kids? For some reason, most book sites have all sorts of tools for sorting levels of children's books, but you can't ask them to just provide titles written for grown-ups.

I'll look at the listings here on LT, but not sure how much more luck I'll have.

>True!

> I'll think on it, Linda . . .

Lost filling and wrong FedEx delivery... sounds like a Monday one could do without experiencing. Glad to see it all worked out in the end with FedEx coming back to deliver the parcel to the correct house and your tooth being fixed.

Here is hoping that the rest of your week is uneventful and relaxing.

Tooth is good now. Work was crazy.

For some reason, I'm starting and abandoning a lot of books, especially audio books.

I'm going to check out another Montalbano audio book.

>194 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori!

I never posted my last book -- and it's been a few days since I finished it.

Dressed for Death (aka The Anonymous Venetian) by Donna Leon

A man's body is found in an area frequented by prostitutes; he is wearing a dress and high-heeled shoes. The assumption is that he's a transvestite prostitute. It takes a long time to identify him, and when they learn who he is, it's a big surprise.

It's interesting to see the attitudes of different characters in this circa-1995 book. In the end, I thought that the scheme Inspector Brunetti uncovered was pretty convoluted. It was still a good read. I like Inspector Brunetti a lot.

>196 tymfos: I also liked Brunetti but I do think the recent books have been treading water a little.

>197 PaulCranswick: Well, Paul, I have a ways to go in the series before I get to the recent ones!

It had to happen, working in a library. I had time to kill after work, waiting for a nearby hair appointment, and I started playing with Ancestry.com Library Edition. After an hour and a half learning more about my family's roots than I learned in over 50 years of life, I'm hooked.

Oddly, one of the documents I saw online was the death certificate of my grandfather's step-brother. He died at age 31 in the Veterans hospital in Asheville, NC -- I think that's the hospital where the Sam Blackman series (which is one of my very favorites) begins. I had no idea I had any NC connections whatsoever. Go figure.

>198 tymfos: Sounds like you have been bitten by the bug, Teri! It is great, interesting, costly but great!

>199 Familyhistorian: I must say, I don't know how much the library system pays for the library edition of Ancestry, but it's obviously a money saver for people who can use it at the library.

>200 tymfos: It is Teri but the library edition of Ancestry doesn't have everything on it and lots of people don't have time to go to the library every time they want to look something up.

True, but it is a great starting point for those who want to dabble.

It's probably a smart thing for Ancestry to offer it. People try it, get caught up in the search, and then buy a regular subscription.

I'm not sure I see myself doing the kind of travel some folks do to follow up on leads they find!

>202 tymfos: The travel grows gradually the further you get into it, Teri. There is nothing like walking the streets that your ancestors walked or finding how close or far one place with family connections is from another.

Well, we'll see what I can find. I already know some names of ancestors that I never knew before. I've also already stumbled into some mysteries and confusion that I'm not sure I'll be able to penetrate.

Unraveling the mysteries and confusion is the best part. Sometimes the clues can take years to unravel the mystery but then there it is staring you in the face!

>172 tymfos: I read this book a few years ago and came away with the same feelings/thoughts as you. It truly was so sad. At the time of her death, few had heard the term anorexia. There are two students that I believe have eating disorders. One, a wonderful young man who graduated a few years ago. Since that time, whenever I see him, he is skeleton like in appearance. His entire face is shrunken. Another young lady cannot find clothes small enough to fit her. Everything hangs on her. Her collar bones stick out dramatically.

I pray for them and hope that they will get some help. To date, they like being super, super skinny.

Happy Friday, Terri!

Hi Terri, I'm about 15% of the way into The Boys of Summer. Finally starting to get past the focus on Kahn's childhood and onto his newspaper career and, hopefully, a focus on the Brooklyn Dodgers.

>172 tymfos: I would like to read about Karen Carpenter someday and this biography seems much better than the family-edited versions. So sad that her life was so short. I know I read a good Sacagewea, but it was pre LT. Not sure I can find it again, but I will try....

Have a great Sunday, Terri.

>205 Familyhistorian: But, then, sometimes no answer is available, or can't be absolutely confirmed. I'm not great with ambiguity.

>206 Whisper1: It's truly a sad thing, Linda.

>207 DianaNL: Awwww.....cute! Thanks, Diana!

>208 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! Wishing you a great week.

>209 lindapanzo: I'm over a quarter of the way through now, Linda. It's starting to get more interesting to me.

>210 Berly: Thanks, but never mind about Sacagewea, Kim. I seem to have found something satisfactory for the person who was looking for it.

>211 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Best wishes to you.

I'm off to get laundry out of the dryer. I have another book to post . . . whenever.

I spent an hour this evening looking for the receipt for our bread machine and its extended warranty. I then spent more time shredding receipts that we no longer need so I don't have to root through them all next time I need to find one of the important receipts.

Then I decided to treat myself, and used part of my Ammy and Better World Books gift certificates that I got for Christmas.

I did manage to finish another book a few days ago.

Book #26 The Delicate Storm by Giles Blunt.
(John Cardinal series)

A dismembered corpse is found, fed to the local bears. A woman goes missing. Two separate cases, or are they connected? Why is CSIS involved in any of it? And what does it have to do with troubling times in Canada's history?

And then there's the mother of all ice storms . . .

I love the writing in these books by Giles Blunt. I love the wintery sense of place in his fictional Northern Ontario town. It was a good story, though I liked the beginning more than the end.

OK, I've started a new thread. Please follow me:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/219715