DeltaQueen Threads Her Way Through 2016 - Part 2

Welcome visitors. My name is Judy and I live in the suburbs of Vancouver, B.C. I read many different types of books, both fiction and non-fiction. This will be my eighth year participating in the Category Challenge and I find the planning and sorting of books really fits my style of reading. I have enjoyed every year and am sure this will be another year of great reading, good discussions and friendly banter.

I was quite successful in reading off my own shelves in 2015 and I hope to continue with this in 2016. Most of my read books are passed along to other family members so the more books I read off my shelves, the more room I can make for new ones!

Since we here communicate by way of threads, I thought I would use the 2016 category challenge to pay homage to this colourful image to name each of my categories. I still like the idea of having a lot of themes so have gone with the full 16. I plan to read at least 9 (2 + 0 + 1 + 6 = 9) books in each category for a total of 144 books.

I had a very successful reading month in January and I hope to continue this trend.

2016 CHALLENGE CATEGORIES



A. Threads of Mystery: This is where I will place mysteries and crime stories

B. Matched Threads: Series books will fit here

C. Vintage Threads: When it comes to vintage, my choice is often a mystery. This will be a place for my well-aged mysteries

D. Hanging By A Thread: This will be a category for adventure or thriller reads.

E. Colorful Threads: A place for YA and Children’s Literature

F. Threads of Love: Family Sagas and Romance will find a home here

G. Tangled Threads: Books that are set during a time of conflict or war

H. Fiber Optic Threads: Science Fiction

I. Magic Threads: Fantasy

J. Dark Threads: Dystopian, Apocalyptic, Horror

K. Thread Count: Thread Count must be absolutely accurate when labelling an item. This sounds like the perfect place for the truth that non-fiction reads will bring to me. There could be some DeweyCats listed here.

L. Designer Threads: Award Winners & Nominees, Books From Lists.

M. Threads of Time: Historical Fiction as determined by the Reading Through Time Group and other reads

N. Threads of Silk & Gold: Hope to find a few treasures in my Global Reading. Many of my GeoCat reads will be found here.

O. Threads of Fate: Randomly generated books by using the Folly button on LT. As I list all my TBR and wish lists here on LT, I will pick a book each month using this method. I have borrowed this idea from KatieKrug.

P. Jumbled Threads: Reader’s Choice. Books that don’t fit in other categories.

Tickers

Books Read:




Pages Read:




Books From My Own Shelves:

How I Rate Books:

2.0 ★: I must have been dragged, kicking and screaming, to finish this one!

2.5 ★: Below Average but I finished the book for one reason or another.

3.0 ★: Average, a solid read that I finished but can't promise to remember

3.5 ★: Above Average, there's room for improvement but I liked this well enough to pick up another book by this author.

4.0 ★: A very good read and I enjoyed my time spent with this story

4.5 ★: An excellent read, a book I will remember and recommend

5.0 ★: Sheer perfection, the right book at the right time for me

2016 BingoDog



2016 BINGODOG CHALLENGE

1. Debut Book:
2. Comics, Graphic Novel: Jack of Fables, Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham
3. Less Than 200 Pages: The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys
4. About a Writer: Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen
5. Title Has a Musical Reference: The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan
6. Title Uses Word Play:
7. Protagonist Has Job/Hobby I Want:
8. Body of Water In Title:
9. Food Is Important:
10. Self Published
11. About or by an Indigenous Person
12. In Translation
13. Read A Cat: And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
14. Author Born in 1916:
15. Features A Theatre:
16. One Word Title: Stonemouth by Iain Banks
17. About An Airplane Flight: Lost In Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff
18. Focus on Art:
19. About the Environment
20. Senior Citizen as Protagonist
21. Autobiography or Memoir: Resistance by Agnes Humbert
22. Adventure
23. Coming of Age Story: Revolution by Deborah Wiles
24. Published Before I Was Born: Night Has A Thousand Eyes by Cornell Woolrich
25. Survival Story

2016 WOMAN BINGOPUP CHALLENGE



1. Female Ruler:
2. Woman in Science: Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan
3. Less than 10 Year Old: Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
4. Short Story Collection
5. Women in Non-traditional Role
6. Published Before 2000
7. Afro-American Author
8. About A Spy
9. Different Genre by Same Author
10. Award Winner: Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
11. Autobiography, Memoir, Correspondence: Resistance by Agnes Humbert
12. Women in Combat
13. By or About a Woman: Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer
14. A New-To-You Author: The Earth Hums In B Flat by Mari Strachan
15. Set in Latin America or Asia: A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam
16. African Author
17. Made Into A Movie
18. Set in Europe, Australia or New Zealand
19. About a Female Critter
20. Author Over 60 years of Age
21. 1920's - 30's Detective Fiction
22. Author From the Middle East
23. From Your TBR Pile
24. Poetry or Plays
25. Male Pseudonym

Threads of Mystery - Police Procedurals/Mysteries



Books Read

1. Stonemouth by Iain Banks - 4.2 ★
2. Hear No Evil by Georgie Hale - 2.5 ★
3. Birthdays For the Dead by Stuart MacBride - 3.3 ★
4. Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth - 3.5 ★

Matched Threads - Series



Books Read

1. Buried Strangers by Leighton Gage - 3.8 ★
2. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson - 4.3 ★

Vintage Threads - Well Aged Mysteries



Books Read

1. The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn by Colin Dexter - 3.3 ★
2. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett - 3.6 ★
3. Night Has A Thousand Eyes by Cornell Woolrich - 4.1 ★

Hanging By A Thread - Adventure/Thriller Reads



Books Read

1. Roosevelt's Beast by Louis Bayard - 3.4 ★
2. Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan - 3.8 ★

Colorful Threads - YA & Children's Literature



Books Read

1. Darkness Be My Friend by John Marsden - 4.0 ★
2. Revolution by Deborah Wiles - 5.0 ★
3. Gatty's Tale by Kevin Crossley-Holland - 4.2 ★

Threads of Love - Family Sagas/Romance



Books Read

1. Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer - 3.8 ★
2. The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys - 5.0 ★
3. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan - 4.2 ★

Tangled Threads - Conflict/War



Books Read

1. The Watch by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya - 4.3 ★
2. Elkhorn Tavern by Douglas C. Jones - 4.1 ★

Fiber Optic Threads - Science Fiction



Books Read

1. The Martian by Andy Weir - 4.3 ★
2. Pelquin's Comet by Ian Whates - 4.5 ★

Magic Threads - Fantasy



Books Read

1. Jack of Fables, Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham - 4.1 ★
Jack of Fables, Vol. 2: Jack of Hearts by Bill Willingham - 4.1 ★
Jack of Fables, Vol. 3: Bad Prince by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
2. The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie - 5.0 ★

Dark Threads - Dystopian, Apocalyptic, Horror



Books Read

1. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick - 3.3 ★
2. The Twelve by Justin Cronin - 3.9 ★

Thread Count - Non Fiction



Books Read

1. Book Lust To Go by Nancy Pearl - 4.0 ★
2. Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff - 4.1 ★
3. Resistance: A Woman's Journal of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied France by Agnes Humbert - 3.7 ★

Designer Threads - Award Winners & Nominees, Books on Lists



Books Read

1. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - 5.0 ★
2. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi - 4.0 ★

Threads of Time - Reading Through Time



Books Read

1. The Dog Master by W. Bruce Cameron - 5.0 ★
2. Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner - 4.5 ★
3. Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen - 4.1 ★

Threads of Silk & Gold - Global Reading



Books Read

1. A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam - 4.2 ★
2. And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini - 4.3 ★

Threads of Fate



Books Read

1. Bad Penny Blues by Cathi Unsworth - 4.0 ★
2. Ragtime Cowboys by Loren D. Estleman - 4.0 ★

Jumbled Threads



1. Fables, Volume 11: War & Pieces by Bill Willingham - 4.0 ★
Fables, Volume 12: The Dark Ages by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
2. Jack of Fables, Volume 4: Americana by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
Jack of Fables, Volume 5: Turning the Pages by Bill Willingham - 3.6 ★
Jack of Fables, Volume 6: The Big Book of War by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★

23

Wow, look at this! A thread is being constructed entirely of threads! ;-)

Reading Plans



I have found out over the years that I am not very good with planned group reads. I often say yes but when the time comes I have to bow out due to other commitments.

This year I will try not to do too much advance planning but I will definitely be participating in the 2016 Dewey, Geo and Random Cats as well as the BingoDog, Women BingoPup and the Monthly Alphabet Challenge. I also am very interested in participating, at least some of the time, in the Canadian Author Challenge although I didn't do very well with either the American or British Author Challenges of 2015.

Schedule

January:
February: Canadian Author Challenge - Helen Humphreys - The Lost Garden - Completed
March: Canadian Author Challenge - Farley Mowat - Never Cry Wolf
April: Hosting the Reading Through Time Monthly Theme
May: Canadian Author Challenge - Emily St. John Mandel - Station Eleven
June: Canadian Author Challenge - Joseph Boyden - The Orenda
July: Canadian Author Challenge - L.M. Montgomery - Rilla of Ingleside
August: Hosting the GeoCat: Sub-Saharan Africa, Hosting the SFFF-Kit: Start a Series, Continue a Series
September: Hosting the DeweyCat: 700's
October: Canadian Author Challenge - Lawrence Hill - Someone Knows My Name
November: Hosting the RandomCat
December:

17. The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie - 5.0 ★
Category: Magic Threads
TIOLI #1: ISBN Has At Least One Number In Its Correct Position



The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie is an amazing feat of storytelling. Although classed as a fantasy, this tremendously thick book is really a story about war. Covering the four days of one military encounter, the ebb and flow of battle is detailed as each side engages the other in a struggle for control of a particular valley. This is all out war fought with swords, spears and axes. A southern ‘civilized’ country of armour, flags and horses against the ragged, brutal northmen who live to fight in combat.

They are all caught among these pages, the brave, the foolhardy, the cowards. Those that act first and think later and those that plan their every move. From leaders to followers, this is a vivid description of those who go to war and what happens when they do. I was totally caught up in the ambitious plots and daring escapades as bone-weary warriors who have forgotten why they are fighting, surviving each encounter is all they ask for.

For those who have read other Joe Abercrombie books you will recognize a number of familiar characters who show up to battle each other and interestingly enough old friends are now enemies and old enemies are now friends as sides are chosen. Written in his morbid, grim, nourish style and full of the blackest of humor, The Heroes was simply an excellent read for me although I feel that many would not rate this book as high as I due to it's violence and dark outlook.

Happy new thread! Continued good luck with all your bingos and reading plans.

A new thread and the year's not even a month old!

Happy new thread(s), Judy!

Pretty, shiny!

Happy new thread Judy! I am impressed with how many of your books so far are your own (82%) -- I have a terrible library addiction! This year I am trying harder to curb that & focus on my own books but it is already a struggle (52% -- at least it is a little over half!).

Happy new thread! I love the Bayeux Tapestry illustration.

Happy new thread, Judy!

Love the new thread Judy. Where would you suggest a newbie start with Joe Abercrombie?

Happy new thread, Judy. 17 books so far - that's almost one a day.

"...that's almost one a day." *applauds*

Happy new thread, Judy! And a great review of The heroes. He's writing faster than I can keep up with.

It's still January and you are already on thread no. 2... Happy new thread and of course happy reading!

>26 DeltaQueen50: I really should get back to Abercrombie. I started his books before you did but you're further along with them than I am now. Glad to see there's no lessening in his ability to tell a story and if anything even improving on what's gone before.

Good grief, I haven't visited your thread(s) since January 8th! Going back to your previous thread, looks like Roosevelt's Beast is one that doesn't strike me as one of Bayard's better novels. I will probably pass on that one, but I will take a hit for the Joe Abercrombie book The Heroes. Is this a stand alone read?

Sorry to see that the arthritis has been flaring up and causing you no end of mobility issues and a lot of pain. Glad to see that the cortisone has been working.

I love your new thread, Judy.

Happy new thread . . . threads! Love the threads of threads! Such clever graphics. You're off to a great start this month.

Thank you to all my visitors for coming and baptizing my new thread. We went and picked up our new car today which was exciting. We currently have a 2008 Lincoln MKZ and have loved it so when we learned of a brand new 2014 one available in Alberta (the next province over) and at just about half price we were excited. Luckily we have a brother-in-law in Calgary who knows cars and was able to go and check this one out for us and gave it a thumbs up. We had it shipped to a Ford dealership here in Vancouver and it arrived yesterday.

I also was able to go and visit a girlfriend and have coffee with her which was great as I hadn't seen her for some time.

All the waiting for the car to be inspected, registered and insured also meant plenty of reading time for me and I have finished one book and am within 10 pages of finished another.

>27 mstrust: Thanks Jennifer, I obviously love a challenge and we have so many good ones going on this year!

>28 RidgewayGirl: See what retirement (and being house bound) can do for you! ;)

>29 katiekrug: >30 mamzel: Thanks, Katie and Mamzel

>31 leslie.98: The way I control my library weakness, Leslie, is to not browse the shelves. I pre-plan my month's reading then I order the books I need to get from the library over the computer and then when they are in I put blinders on and only pick up my order. If I started actually looking at the books on the shelf, I know I would come home with more books from the library. I know this system wouldn't work for everyone, but it does the trick for me.

>32 rabbitprincess: I would love to see that tapestry, of course as an added bonus I would have to go to France to see it, and boy, would I ever love to go to France!

>33 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie!

>34 luvamystery65: Ro, Abercrombie's books are all set in the same fantasy land and sometimes characters make appearances in different books but I would say that Best Served Cold is pretty much a stand alone book and would be a good place to start. Then there is a trilogy of books - The Blade Itself, Before They Are Hanged, Last Argument of Kings that need to be read in order. The Heroes has a sequel - Red Country which will be next up for me. There is also another trilogy: Half A King, Half the World, Half the War. These last three are tagged YA which may mean less violence and gore. As you probably know by now, I love this guy's writing!

>35 dudes22: The test will come in February, Betty, I doubt if I will be able to keep my reading rate up so 16 categories may become more of a chore!

>36 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. (Takes a bow)

>37 MissWatson: If I ever run our of Abercrombie's to read, well, let's just say it won't be pretty!

>38 Chrischi_HH: Thanks! :)

Happy New Thread, Judy! I just started Winterdance. Have you read this one? If not, I think it is just your cuppa.

<39 He's certainly one of my favorites! One of my other plans this year is to catch up with Locke Lamorra. Red Skies Under Red Seas is next up for me, hopefully in March.

>40 lkernagh: Roosevelt's Beast was my first Louis Bayard, Lori, so I was a little disappointed since I've read so many good reviews of his other books. I have The Black Tower on my shelves so I will be sampling him again one day.

>41 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I always have fun coming up with challenge ideas.

>42 tymfos: Hi Terri. It's going to be a busy reading year, but I will definitely keep the fun in the reading and not let numbers bog me down.

>44 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Uh, Winterdance does look good and is now being added to the list. I remember reading The Hatchet by that author with my grandson a few years ago. We both loved it. I am on the last few pages of Lost in Shangri-la another one of your recommendations!

18. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - 5.0 ★
Category: Designer Thread - ALA Best Books For Young Adults 2010
Women BingoPup: Award Winner
TIOLI #9: Owned Since Before January 1, 2015



Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson was an exceptional read. Both painful and powerful, this is the story of 18 year old Lia and how her life is spiralling downward with anorexia and self-abuse. Lia’s best friend Cassie has just died, alone, in a motel, vomiting her life away. Lia is haunted by both grief and guilt. Her way of coping is to shut down, eat a little less, cut a little deeper.

What captured me was the tone of the book. Lia is angry. Angry at her family, at Cassie, at herself, at life. This anger positively radiates off the pages. This isn’t something that happened overnight, she has been anorexic since the eighth grade and has learned all the tricks of pretending to eat, pretending to be trying but with a mother who works long hours and a father and stepmother who seem to want to bury their heads in the sand it is almost too late for Lia to come back.

With Wintergirls the author has created a fictional story that rings true. She is brutally honest about this disease, and makes Lia’s story come alive. As an adult reading the book, I just wanted someone to step in and do something, but the author has educated me enough to realize that only Lia could make the final choice for herself. I found Lia’s story profoundly touching and I highly recommend this emotional book for both teens and adults alike.

I have Zuckoff's last book to get to. I need an extra 2 days added to my week. Sighs...

>43 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for the tip! If I just go in and out without looking at the shelves, that would help a lot :)

>48 msf59: I think even 2 extra days would still find us moaning about our TBR shelves! So many books out there to discover. ;)

>49 leslie.98: Well, it certainly makes a trip to the library short. In and out and no looking around. The hardest part for me is that in order to get to the reserved shelves, I have to pass right by the new books shelf!!!

19. Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff - 4.1 ★
Category: Thread Count
BingoDog: About An Airplane Flight
TIOLI #6: Written by an American Author But Taking Place Elsewhere



Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff is the true story of a how a sight-seeing jaunt for 24 U.S. Army servicemen and WAC’s turned into a horrific plane crash and a fight for survival in the jungles of New Guinea during World War II. New Guinea at this time was still a largely unknown area, and this particular flight was to see from the air a unknown valley that had been given the nickname, Shangri-La. Unfortunately the plane went down on a mountainside before they reached the valley.

As the survivors emerged from the wreckage, the book goes on to tell of how they managed to get themselves down from the crash site to a open area in order to signal to the planes that were searching for them. As there was no place for planes to land, supplies, and even a rescue party with medics were dropped into the jungle. The crash took place on May 13, 1945 and the party were finally evacuated from the jungle on June 28, 1945.

The author reconstructed this harrowing adventure in great detail to deliver an astonishing story of survival. The intricate rescue mission was fascinating to read about and Lost in Shangri-La once again reminds me that jungle survival is something I have no wish to experience other than as an armchair adventure. A very absorbing read.

Hi Judy - So, enjoy the new car smell...

I've heard so many good things about Lost in Shangri-La that I have to get to it soon.

Happy new car!

I haven't read Abercrombie yet, and it looks like I've been missing out. I've added Best Served Cold to my wishlist.

Happy Friday, and have a lovely weekend!

>19 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, Lost in Shangri-La sounds fabulous. I'd also like to read his Frozen in Time, too.

>51 DeltaQueen50: I reaad Lost in Shangri-La a couple of years ago and thought it was a great story. I don't remember the name of the nurse that was central to the story, but wasn't she just amazing?

Finally got around to your new thread! I have some Abercrombie books on Mt. TBR, but I just never seem to get to them - I need to plan for them in my challenge soon!

Happy Weekend, Judy! Good review of Lost in Shangri-La. I like his writing.

You are a fan of Winterdance, right? I am currently...loving it.

Happy New Thread! I'm glad you liked Lost in Shangri-La. I think I've mentioned that I have my eye on that one for the airplane flight Bingo square. It's available as an Overdrive audiobook.

Speaking of audiobooks, you may need to listen to a few while you tool around in your new car. Congrats!

Yay for the new car, Judy!

Good to see that you have been able to get out some!

Also some good reviews.

>52 BLBera: Beth, I absolutely love that new car smell! We haven't insured it for driving yet, as we are waiting until we sell our old car, but I do sneak out to the carport and sit in it to soak up that smell.

>53 Storeetllr: I hope you like Abercrombie's book when you get to them, Mary. Just be forewarned that they are full of violence and gore.

>54 lindapanzo: I think you would really enjoy Lost in Shangri-La, Linda.

>55 clue: Margaret Hastings was her name and I can't even imagine putting myself in her shoes. She handled everything well, in fact they all did. None of them gave up hope or seemed to succumb to despair. They simply got on with things.

>56 -Eva-: I think you are in for a treat when you finally get around to an Abercrombie book, Eva.

>57 msf59: Hi Mark, I haven't read Winterdance as of yet, but rest assured your warbling has placed it on my wishlist. :)

>58 cbl_tn: No tooling around yet, Carrie. But I suspect if our health continues to be good, we may be off on a road trip when the weather gets better! I'll have to choose an audio book that would appeal to both my hubby and I.

>59 tymfos: Thanks, Terri.

>60 hailelib: I am pretty much back to normal (or as normal as I get) and it is great to be able to go out on my own. Of course being more mobile seems to have cut into my reading time!

20. Fables, Volume 11: War & Pieces by Bill Willingham - 4.0 ★
Fables, Volume 12: The Dark Ages by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
Fables Group Read
Category: Jumbled Threads



Fables, Volume 11: War & Pieces

This issue mostly deals with the war between the Fables and the Empire. The opening story featured Cinderella as she undertakes a mission to South America to pick up a valuable package that will aid in this war. The rest of the book is dedicated to the war that has been building for years. Many of my favorite characters make an appearance in this epic as they take the fight to the Homelands and give the Adversary a taste of his own medicine.

As always the story is interesting, the artwork stellar and the fun factor in this volume is high.

Fables, Volume 12: The Dark Ages

The Dark Ages lives up to it’s title. There is little to celebrate as things take a turn for the worse in most areas. Fabletown is in peril, dark creatures and spells are being released, and we lose a favorite character as unintended consequences bring changes to the post-war chaos. This volume was definitely a downer. I also had some difficulty with the artwork. Obviously, more than one artist was used and their styles were quite different, so characters kept changing their appearance throughout the book.

Even though this volume ended on a cliffhanger, it is recommended to now turn back to the Jack of Fables stories so I have already placed an order at the library for the next three Jack of Fables volumes.

>62 DeltaQueen50: Glad to see you're still enjoying the Fables books. I'd agree with the recommendation to read the Jack books before continuing as the next volume is a crossover between them. That's the next I have to read on my own Fables adventure.

I'm glad you're doing so well, and a new car too! Good for you!

>63 AHS-Wolfy: Hi Dave, I am loving the Fables series!

>64 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! :)

21. The Watch by Joydeep Bhattacharya - 4.3 ★
Category: Tangled Threads
February GeoCat: Central Asia
TIOLI #10: The Word "Extraordinary" or a Synonym is on the Front or Back Cover



In The Watch, author Joydeep Bhattacharya draws his inspiration from the Greek myth Antigone and creates a novel of war that touches on themes that are as old as time itself while still infusing the story with modern idiom and pop culture references. An ancient tale brought into today, passed along by different narrators that manages to portray the brutality, stupidity and gut-wrenching violence that war brings to the living.

A young, mutilated Afghanistan woman shows up outside the American outpost the morning after a fierce fight to first request, then demand the return of her brother’s body. She claims that her village has been destroyed and her family wiped out by an American drone so in retaliation her brother led the attack on the American fort. The Americans, sleep deprived and battle weary, are suspicious of her motives suspecting that she could be a spy or a suicide bomber.

I loved how each chapter was from a different viewpoint, the author excelled at inserting the reader into the story and make them feel a part of it. Each chapter displays a different morality and we come to know these people through their innermost thoughts. What shows through clearly is the stress, tension and uncertainty that living in a combat zone generates. The Watch is a deceptively simple story with a timeless theme about the futility and senselessness of war.

Congratulations on the new thread so early in the year! I'm still trying to keep up with everybody's threads (and not succeeding very well). I plan to read Lost in Shangri-La so I'm glad to read your excellent review. Wintergirls is another one for my wishlist too.

>62 DeltaQueen50: One thing that can be said of the series is the gorgeous cover art!!

>66 DeltaQueen50: The Watch sounds interesting!

Well, it's a red letter day here! My husband noticed one of my library books sitting on the table and he glanced through it. He decided that he would like to read it and asked me to download it to his Kindle. This is a big move cause he never asks for a particular title, just leaves it up to me to keep him supplied in reading material. I feel like a proud Mom!

>67 VivienneR: Hi Vivienne. Keeping up with LT is a full time job and I don't know how most people are able to do it.

>68 mamzel: The artwork for all the Fables has been stellar, which was why I was so taken aback when Volume 12 had different artists with different ideas of how the characters should look.

>69 VictoriaPL: Victoria, I first heard about The Watch on the podcast, "Books On The Nightstand" from which I get a lot of recommendations. They were right because this story drew me in right away and really touched me.

Wow Judy a second thread already! Congrats on the new car, the shared read with hubby and feeling better!

>70 DeltaQueen50: What was the book?

>31 leslie.98: -- there is no such thing as a "terrible library addiction." The libraries need circulation for their funding. You are doing a great service to society in using your library.

>47 DeltaQueen50: I read Wintergirls a few years ago and agree with your comments. I want to read more from that author.

>19 DeltaQueen50: Lost in Shangri-La has been in my TBR since I saw the author on Jon Stewart when the book was published. My brother was an aircraft mechanic in New Guinea for 8 years in the 80s, and I went to visit him and flew around in several small planes . . . which is my way of saying I must bump this up my TBR pile.

>71 lsh63: Thanks, Lisa. I feel like I have to take a computer course to understand the car, but I guess it will all become familiar with use.

>72 Storeetllr: Hi Mary. The book is Ragtime Cowboys by Loren Estleman. It's set in 1920's Hollywood and has Charlie Siringo and Dashiel Hammett working as Pinkerton Detectives. They work on a case that involves Joseph Kennedy Sr. I haven't read it yet but it looks like it will be fun read. I was a little surprised that my husband was interested but when I think about it, he loves westerns and mysteries and this one falls in the middle of those.

>73 Nickelini: You are right, Joyce. Just last year I was seeing red when a councilman here in Delta suggested that they would save a lot of money if they closed one of their library branches. Thank heavens I wasn't the only one who jumped all over that!

>74 Nickelini: Regarding Laurie Halse Anderson, I have read Chains and Forge from her Seeds of America series and also Fever 1793, all three of which I liked very much.

>75 Nickelini: Oh, you would probably get a lot out of Lost in Shangri-La having been to New Guinea, I'll look forward to reading your thoughts on it

>76 DeltaQueen50: I feel like I have to take a computer course to understand the car, but I guess it will all become familiar with use.

I know that feeling. My husband got one of those cars last year. It's probably the safest vehicle ever (even safer than my Volvo!) , yet I was paralyzed whenever I had to drive it. Then I got used to it, and it's so lovely. Now when he complains about being stuck in traffic, I remind him he's basically driving a computer and he can do all sorts of things my 10 yr old manual drive Volvo can't do. (I still love my car. Even though it's not an iCar. But I hear the new Volvos are space age, so . . . )

LOL! Good that he's showing active interest, but you've probably been supplying him with great reading anyway.

RE Wintergirls Isn't Laurie Halse Anderson a great YA author! When I read Speak, I actually started wondering if we had gone to the same highschool. She described mine very accurately.

Your new car sounds lovely, Judy. I got a new one (an Infiniti) last May with the navigation system and cameras and everything, and it is like driving a computer! I didn't get the advanced safety features, unfortunately, but still feel a lot safer with all the side airbags and the like.

>70 DeltaQueen50: Kudos to the DeltaKing for requesting a book! You see, Judy, you just can't help but be a book warbler even when you are not trying. :-)

lol >73 Nickelini:, you are enabling me! :P

Seriously, though, I love my library but it sometimes makes it hard for me to read the books I already own. I am going to try Judy's method of quick in and out, no browsing!

And Judy, congrats on the new car. Also glad to hear that your knee is feeling better, which I meant to say earlier but got distracted. So much happens on your thread!

>77 Nickelini: I bet a new Volvo would look pretty spiffy parked in your driveway - just saying. :)

>78 cammykitty: I've been slowly working him around to the idea of reading and now finally after 30 some years, I do believe it's finally taking. He's reading a lot more than he used to, and even has two books going right now!
Katie, Speak is going to be my next Laurie Halse Anderson.

>79 ronincats: Hi Roni, I am looking forward to when we actually get it on the road. My husbands sits and reads the instruction manual every night, but I learn best when it's a hands on situation, so I need to go sit in the car and actually do things!

>80 rosalita: I'm doing my best with him, I know he's worried about retirement and how he's going to fill his time so having a book or two on the go will help with that.

>81 leslie.98: I hope my system works, Leslie. :)

22. Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen - 4.1 ★
Category: Threads of Time
BingoDog: About A Writer
February Reading Through Time Theme: Authors
TIOLI #14: The Word 'Leap' Appears In the Text



First and foremost, Mrs. Poe is a story of a doomed love affair between two married people but in telling her story, the author, Lynn Cullen also manages to shine a light on the ambitions and rivalries of literary New York in the 1840’s. In these pages you will meet authors such as Clement Moore, Herman Melville, Louisa May Alcott and, Edgar Allan Poe.

It was however, the main character, Frances Osborne, who drew my sympathy and attention. At this time, she had been deserted by her artist husband, and had to rely on the kindness of her friends to house both herself and her two young daughters. She is a published poet and a writer of children’s stories but due to the popularity of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” publishers are asking her to change the style and content of her writing to be more like Poe’s. They are looking for a “Mrs. Poe”. Meanwhile she meets the original Mr. Poe at a literary gathering and a spark is ignited.

I found Mrs. Poe a very layered read, full of atmosphere, tension, passion and mystery. A gathering of interesting and original characters, one of which, the real life consumptive Virginia Poe deserves special mention, this will be a character I long remember. With Mrs. Poe the author has created a masterful blending of history and fiction and served up a compelling story.

Oh, Mrs. Poe sounds interesting. Good review!

Mrs. Poe sounds great!

Nice review, Judy! I read Twain's End by her, and it was well done. I can't quite decide if I like this category of fictionalized biography or not - I go back and forth, but when it is well done, it is very entertaining.

>83 DeltaQueen50:,>86 Crazymamie: This is on my TBR, and has been quite awhile, so I'm glad to see you liked it.

I always approach fictionalized biography with some trepidation too, I read that Paula McClain has said that her newest, Circling the Sun was "inspired" by Beryl Markham. Later I heard her speak and didn't feel quite so put off. She did talk about her research which included going to Africa.

Hi Judy. I'm trying to catch up on threads with my sick day (and then I'm going to, um, read!).

Mrs. Poe sounds very interesting!

Hi Judy - Ditto on Mrs. Poe. It sounds good.

The new car appears to be a hit!

Mrs. Poe sounds very interesting.

>84 RidgewayGirl: >85 VictoriaPL: Hi Kay & Victoria, it was a very good read - and I know I say that a lot, but most of my books are picked by reading reviews and comments from other LTers so I find most of the books I read these days are "a very good read".

>86 Crazymamie: I know what you mean, Mamie, I've now got a strong vision of some of these characters and how they acted but, in honesty I really don't know what part is real and what part is from the author's imagination. So I can see where this type of literature can be quite misleading. This style does seem to be popular right now, I recently read Roosevelt's Beast and I am currently reading a book with Dashiell Hammett as a character. It's getting hard to tell the difference between Narrative Non-Fiction and Ficionalized Biographies!

>87 clue: Obviously I didn't do my research on this read as I was expecting something quite different from Mrs. Poe and in the long run I was pleasantly surprised. This was a much darker read than the domestic drama I was expecting.

>88 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, enjoy your reading time!

>89 BLBera: >90 hailelib: Hi Beth and Trisha. I guess it's not surprising that many of us seem to enjoy reading about authors!

>83 DeltaQueen50: What a great review! And, I have the book...if I could just remember where I put it! I think I should probably start putting location as well when I enter my books! Heading out to look for it shortly.

>87 clue: I'm listening to Circling the Sun now and so far, it's really good!

Judy, speaking of real people written into fiction, have you read The Fade Out graphic novels? There are two out so far and the third is coming out later this month - set in 1940s Hollywood and written in noir style. In the first one the main character wakes up in what turns out to be a murder scene, and he has no memory of how he got there. He is a screenplay writer and the murder victim is a famous movie star. Really well done, and I would think right up your alley if you haven't already discovered them.

Duh! Back to add that what made me think of them is that Dashiell Hammett makes an appearance in the second one.

>86 Crazymamie:, >87 clue: I, too, have some difficulty with novels based on real people and situations -- though one of my very favorite novels is The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara's Pulitzer-winning historical novel of Gettysburg. (He researched for years, and it shines through in the writing.)

I do often wonder what is real and what is strictly the author's imagination (unless it's a subject I know well, like Gettysburg, and know a lot of what is based on the historical record.) One thing I can say, often when I do read a novel of that type, I follow it up with a non-fiction book on the subject.

>92 Dianekeenoy: Diane, I try to keep my books in alphabetical order so that I can find them, but even then there are often ones that go walk-about. Sometimes they have fallen through to the back side because the shelves are so full and at others I have lent them out to a friend or daughter. It drives me crazy when I know I have a book and can't find it!

>94 Crazymamie: >95 Crazymamie: The Fade Out is duly noted, Mamie, and it does sound like something I would enjoy. I just checked and my library has the first two issues!! I made a mistake this year with my challenge by not having a graphic novel category, I will try to squeeze them in somewhere or perhaps I will just start listing them separately!

>96 tymfos: The Killer Angels is another book that has long been on my wishlist, Terri. I haven't read any of the Shaara's books (father /son) but they do seem to get a lot of raves.

23. Revolution by Deborah Wiles - 5.0 ★
Category: Colorful Threads
BingoDog: Coming Of Age Story
TIOLI #14: The Word "Leap" Appears in the Text



Revolution by Deborah Wiles paints a vivid picture of the early Civil Rights Movement, and, in particular the Freedom Summer of 1964. Set in the small town of Greenwood, Mississippi the author delivers an impressive coming-of-age story centered around two children, one white, one black, who are discovering the confusing and frightening facts of racism and segregation. Young civil rights activists arrive in town and set to work on voter registration and setting up “Freedom Schools” to help educate the local black population on their rights. This does not sit well with most white Mississippians and tensions mount as quickly as the summer heat.

I thought the author captured the essence of the summer of 1964. From the movies that were playing at the local theaters, to sports and political references, 1964 was brought back clearly to me. The author includes pages of photographs and articles that document the events of that summer which I thought really added to the story. But even more than the facts and figures this is a story that touches both the heart and soul.

Personally I thought Revolution was absolutely brilliant and I had trouble putting it down. History brought to life through excellent storytelling. This is the second in a planned trilogy, the first book dealt with the Cuban Missile Crisis, this book the Freedom Summer of 1964. Both were excellent reads and I can tell that Revolution will linger in my mind in the same way that her first book does. I look forward to the final volume in her Sixties trilogy.

>97 DeltaQueen50: I shelved my books by color once. It was a beautiful disaster...I couldn't find anything. It was so pretty though.

>99 VictoriaPL: LOL! I have thought about shelving by subject matter but I know that would simply be an invitation to disaster! I had better stick with the alphabet.

>100 DeltaQueen50: I have different genres in different rooms of the house and then they are filed by association. Joe Hill is with his Dad, Stephen King because they are both Horror but his Mom Tabitha King is in another room.
My husband just asks me where something is now and I can usually find it pretty quickly. LOL

>101 VictoriaPL: I think I'll leave the creative shelving to you, Victoria. I would totally forget where everything is.

>101 VictoriaPL: I do that too! Though my mysteries are shelved in mostly alphabetical order by author, then by publication order, my other genres are less organized. I do keep books together by author & series in order but otherwise sort of higgledy piggledy.

>94 Crazymamie: I know Mamie was recommending that series of GNs for you, Judy, but I'm going to see if they have them in my library!
I hope you have a fabulous weekend ahead of you!

>98 DeltaQueen50: Revolution sounds like a great read. I'll have to keep this one in mind.

>103 leslie.98: I kind of like being the book authority in the house. It makes me feel useful.

I can't decide if it's good or bad that the books you are discussing today aren't available at my local library.
They are particularly spotty when it comes to graphic novels ...

>96 tymfos:,>97 DeltaQueen50: I love The Killer Angels too, I've read it a couple of times but just looked back and it's been 6 years since I last read it so I'm going to put it on my list of rereads. Jeff came to our library when Gods and Generals came out and he talked about how much he disliked his dad's interest in the Civil War since every family vacation was to a Civil War site, so obviously Michael did his research. Such a pity that it didn't become a huge seller/award winner until after his death.

>105 mathgirl40: I loved Revolution and also her book called Countdown which is set during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

>107 hailelib: I know that feeling, often books - especially graphic novels aren't available at my library either. I was very happy to see the first two volumes of The Fade Out are available.

>108 clue: I can see that I really must bump The Killer Angels up my list!

Judy, you hit me with the 60s Trilogy. SO I will see if the library has Countdown, which is the first, yes? And I am thrilled that your library has the first two books of Fade Out - I think you will love this series, and the artwork is such a great fit for both the storyline and the style.

Did you post your review of Revolution? If so, I will thumb.

>110 Crazymamie: Thanks for the thumb, Mamie. These books don't have to be read in order as the only connection between them is that they take place in the 1960s. That said, I loved Countdown so I am glad you are going to look for it.

Judy, I was just on Katie's thread, and she didn't know who Timothy Olyphant was. Isn't that just the saddest thing?

>112 Crazymamie: That is shocking!!! Where did we go wrong?

*shakes head* I just don't know, Ro. I just do not know.

>112 Crazymamie: & >113 luvamystery65: I love that she doesn't know who he is - all the more for me!!! But it sounds like there must be an interesting discussion going on over there - I'd better go and check it out!

>115 DeltaQueen50: That's my Judy, looking out for numero uno. ;-)

>116 luvamystery65: You know me so well, Ro!

I ask you who would want to share this:

24. Ragtime Cowboys by Loren D. Estleman - 4.0 ★
Category: Threads of Fate
February RandomCat: It Takes Two
February Reading Through Time Theme: Authors
TIOLI #8: A Type of Animal, Bird or Reptile is Part of the Title



When I was a little girl and needed some comforting, my father would softly sing a song called Ragtime Cowboy Joe so when I saw there was a book called Ragtime Cowboys by Loren Estleman, of course, I had to read it. This book turned out to be a delightfully fun story about two ex-Pinkerton detectives in the early 1920’s. The two detectives are Charlie Siringo and Dashiell Hammett and they make unlikely but highly readable partners. They are brought together by Wyatt Earp as he hires them to find a valuable racehorse that was stolen from his stables but during their investigation they stumble onto something even bigger.

I think the author has as much fun writing this book as his readers will have with the reading. It’s a veritable who’s who of 1920’s California. Ragtime Cowboys is an entertaining adventure that’s a quick, light read. I very much enjoyed the colorful characters and the snappy dialogue and will certainly be looking for more by this author who specializes in both Westerns and Mysteries.

>112 Crazymamie:, >113 luvamystery65:, >114 Crazymamie:, >115 DeltaQueen50:, >116 luvamystery65:, and >117 DeltaQueen50: - AHEM. I can hear you.

OMG! How did I get so far behind so early in the year!

>47 DeltaQueen50:
I love Andreson's writing and have been eyeing Wintergirls for a while now. Your review bumps it up the list.

>62 DeltaQueen50:
Yeah, The Dark Ages broke my heart. He was my favorite character in the series by that point.

>63 AHS-Wolfy:
Mrs. Poe sounds interesting. I find Edgar Alan Poe as a character and the historical literary world appeals to me.

>119 katiekrug: Katie, poor dear deprived Katie, I can't believe that you have been kept from discovering the wonder that is Timothy Oliphant! But just remember, I saw him first!

>120 andreablythe: Hi Andrea, I've been reading up a storm and can barely keep up with myself! Laurie Halse Anderson has become a favorite author, she never fails to amaze me with her stories. I've switched over to Jack of Fables for the next three volumes, but I have my fingers crossed that someday, that favorite character will somehow find a way to come back.

>112 Crazymamie: and more... I had to look up that name. Never heard of him before. Katie is not the only deprived one here :(

Hi Judy, I am taking advantage of a holiday Monday to try and get caught up with some threads. Congrats on the new car! Lovely to see that Fables continues to go from strength to strength.

>70 DeltaQueen50: - So exciting! My other half isn't much of a reader, although lately he has made a point of asking what I am reading and even lets me leave the audiobook playing through the stereo if he comes home and I have it on.

Hi, Judy! Hope you had a good weekend. I see you are doing some fine reading.

Good review of "Revolution". I had not of this one or the author. It is on my radar.

I read several Estleman crime novels, back in the 80s and 90s. Cool, that he is doing westerns now.

>122 VivienneR: Vivienne, if you get the chance to see the TV program "Justified", it's well worth the watch.

>123 lkernagh: Hi Lori, my husband has learned to be very tolerant of my reading, but strangely enough, he acts almost jealous when he comes along and I am listening to an audio. But it's been slow steps, first introduce him to reading books, then get him a Kindle, maybe he will eventually go for audios as well.

>124 msf59: Hi Mark, the reading has been good lately! Ragtime Cowboys was my first Estleman and I have another of his, a western about Judge Roy Bean, on my shelves. I should give one of his mysteries a try as well.

25. Jack of Fables, Volume 4: Americana by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
Jack of Fables, Volume 5: Turning the Pages by Bill Willingham - 3.6 ★
Jack of Fables, Volume 6: The Big Book of War by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
Category: Jumbled Threads
Fables Group Read



Jack of Fables, Volume 4: Americana - 3.8

We find Jack and group of Fables tracking down the treasure that Humpty Dumpty told Jack about when they originally escaped from the Golden Boughs. They are joined by Hilary Page, who is my favorite of the Page sisters, perhaps because she is librarian. They discover a route to the fabled land of Americana, a land of American folk tales.

I enjoyed this episode and I liked that there was were a number of party members to follow as I prefer Jack in small doses. Babe the Blue Ox has emerged as a favorite character. Americana had lots of humor, lots of adventure and great artwork. I guess my only complaint would be that this volume was a little short.

Jack of Fables, Volume 5: Turning the Pages - 3.6

This is my least favorite issue of the Jack of Fables. We are told about Jack’s days as a desperado in the West and how Bigby put a stop to his evil ways. And speaking of evil ways, I think this is why I wasn’t so fond of this issue. Jack is usually a cad and a rogue but in this story he was truly an evil, bad man.

Finally the story gets back to the trouble at Golden Boughs and has the Literals lining up for a battle. Most of the Fables don’t seem to understand what is happening and are looking at this as another opportunity to escape. This story does give us a little more information on the Page sisters, and thankfully, Baby the Blue Oxen is along for comic relief , although I didn’t find him as funny in this issue as in the last.

Jack of Fables, Volume 6: The Big Book of War - 3.8

Another short book, Volume 6 deals with the confrontation at the Golden Boughs. For a time it looks like the Bookburner and his horde will overtake Mr. Revise’s people, but Jack, in all his military glory has something to say about this. Of course, being Jack most of what he says is nonsense!

Lots of action, some humor, and a few secrets revealed. The volume closes by whetting the readers appetite for the next volume in the Fables series. The Great Fables Crossover which I will get to next month. I did however, feel that this issue was a little on the rushed side, but I will be returning to Jack’s story after the next Fables book.

You know that Olyphant has been in the last few episodes of Rob Lowe's sitcom "The Grinder", right? I think last week might have been the wrap up for his character though.

I am reading Jack of Fables, The Bad Prince volume 3 right now Judy. I have up to volumes 6 out from the library. I love that naughty boy. I have skipped your reviews but will be back soon to read them as I am devouring these.

He had me at "get Brad Pitt to play me" LOL!

>98 DeltaQueen50: I'm going to have to look this up to see if my library has it. Being that you've read the first two, do you suggest reading them in order, or does it not really matter?

And >117 DeltaQueen50: Yum.

>127 mstrust: Oh no, I missed seeing Timothy Oliphant!

>128 luvamystery65: I also like the Jack of Fables side stories, Ro. I still prefer the main Fables but Jack makes a nice change.

>129 virginiahomeschooler: Hi Traci. As far as I can see you could read Deborah Wiles 1960 books in any order as the only connection seems to be the timeframe. The characters and settings are completely different. I hope you are able to track them down.

And Yum is right! ;)

26. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson - 4.3 ★
Category: Matched Threads
February AlphaKit: J
TIOLI #8: An Animal, Bird of Reptile Appears in the Title



Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series is consistently excellent and number six, Junkyard Dogs is no exception. Actually this volume is my favorite one so far. The story opens just before Valentine’s Day and Montana is in a deep freeze. Walt’s love-life has cooled off, mostly due to his own waffling and one of his deputies has given notice. To top things off things are not quite what they seem at the Stewart’s Junkyard, and what starts off as a funny family incident quickly escalates into a very dangerous case.

This episode felt like a homecoming. Walt is back working out of his office in Durant and all the usual side characters are front and center. With Ruby on the front desk, Dorothy at the diner, and Henry along for the ride, all Walt needs to do now is settle his mind and heart over Vic. I am getting a little worried about Walt as he is being hesitant in other areas of his life as well. This almost cost him his life, or at the very least a bad mauling a few times during the course of story.

Wyoming is served up to the reader on a large plate, the author’s descriptions remain one of the many reasons why I love this series. Some of the other reasons are the great characters, the small town feeling, the humor, the sarcasm, the action and adventure. All in all, Junkyard Dogs was great way to show that this series still packs a punch.

I'm taking the first one in the series on vacation in a couple of weeks and am really looking forward to it. I've heard good things about the series.

>132 dudes22: I think you will enjoy the Walt Longmire series, Betty. The author effortless brings Wyoming to life.

27. Birthdays for the Dead by Stuart MacBride - 3.3 ★
Category: Threads of Mystery
February DeweyCat: Psychological Thriller



I am a long time fan of Stuart MacBride’s Logan McRae series so was interested to see what he would do outside this franchise. Birthdays For the Dead is a psychological thriller that goes way out beyond the normal and delivers the darkest story I’ve yet read from this author. Unlike the McRae series, there wasn’t as much humor to balance the violence, and unlike McRae, the main character in this book is almost a psychopath himself and very difficult to relate to.

Although I do admit once this over-the-top story grabs you, it is impossible to put down. Like being unable to turn away from a car accident, this story details how a detective spirals out of control and apparently takes his more likeable but dysfunctional sidekick along with him. There is no road to redemption in this book it becomes simply a matter of holding on until the end.

Stuart MacBride knows how to keep his readers glued to the pages, but this book did have a fair number of plot holes and seemed a little unpolished. I am still a fan of his horrific, dark stories but would warn everyone that this particular book involves the torture of children and I wouldn’t suggest this as a place to start with this author. I understand there is a second book about these characters but I think it will be a long time before I am ready to read about them again.

It has taken a while to catch up with your thread and I got 2 BBs for my trouble. Ragtime Cowboys sounds good and so does The Fade Out GN series. Congrats on the new car.

>131 DeltaQueen50: I just finished Junkyard Dogs myself. I'm so glad the series has not slacked off. When are you thinking of reading #7?

>135 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, good choices for book bullets! I am looking forward to getting to The Fade Out, it looks very interesting.

>136 VictoriaPL: I seem to manage only about 1 book for most of my series per year, Victoria, but if you are planning on reading #7 later on this year, let me know and I will try to squeeze it in.

28. The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys - 5.0 ★
Category: Threads of Love
BingoDog: Less Than 200 Pages
February Canadian Author Challenge
TIOLI #18: A Four Corner Word on Page 16 or 20



The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys is a deceptively simple story, but one of many layers which makes it difficult to describe. Set during World War II, this is less a story of war and more of a reflection on the emotions of war - love, longing and loss. The author obviously is a gardener and uses the plants as a metaphor for these very emotions.

The main character, Gwen Davis was a researcher at the Royal Horticultural Society in London but came to the country to oversee a group of Land Girls and to get away from the constant bombing and destruction of the city that she loved. When she arrives however, she realizes that she is a fish out of water with no ability to inspire those she is intended to lead. Other standout characters are Jane, who became a Land Girl with the hope that it would help her cope with the fact that her fiancé is missing in action and Captain Raley, who is a Canadian officer in charge of the soldiers billeted nearby. He is mourning the loss of a friend and pondering his own mortality as the days of combat approach.

This book packs an emotional punch that one would not expect from such a slender volume. This beautifully written story is lyrical and visual, yet there are moments of humor and a sense of discovery that makes the book very accessible. I highly recommend The Lost Garden.

That's sounds really interesting, so it goes on the WL. You hit me with a BB!

I hadn't known that Birthdays for the Dead is a stand-alone. I find that the humor in his books misses more than it hits, so I'll try this one.

>138 DeltaQueen50: Excellent review of The Lost Garden. Helen Humphries is such a great writer.

>138 DeltaQueen50:, I loved The lost garden when I read it a few years ago. I've yet to read her other books though.

I already have The Lost Garden in my TBR so no BB for me, but nice to know it will be a good read when I get to it.

Hi, Judy! we seem to be following each other around, in our reading life. I am really enjoying The Girl with All the Gifts. I also loved Junkyard Dogs. I think I am one ahead of you, in the Longmire series. And I have The Lost Garden waiting nearby. 5 stars, eh? Looking forward to it.

All is good.

I love Humphries. The Lost Garden sounds familiar. Maybe I read it years ago? It sounds like I should read it again.

>138 DeltaQueen50: Wow, 5 stars! I have The Frozen Thames checked out to read this weekend. I'll have to see if The Lost Garden is also available from the library.

I've spent some time today shuffling books around and working on finding shelf space for all. I didn't think I was going to be able to do it, but by stacking the "Fs" in a different way, I was able to find a place for everything. Whew!

>139 mstrust: Ha! Just call me Miss Sure-Shot!

>140 RidgewayGirl: Birthdays For The Dead isn't exactly a stand-alone Kay, there is one sequel called A Song For Dying. I'm not sure if there are more planned.

>141 VivienneR: I've now read two of her books, Vivienne and I agree - she's outstanding!

>142 paruline: I've read Coventry and would recommend that one, and I have heard excellent things about The Frozen Thames which I hope to get to soon.

>143 dudes22: Betty, I think you will really enjoy The Lost Garden.

>144 msf59: We are both having a great reading year so far, that's for sure! My only problem is fitting everything in!

>145 BLBera: Beth, I think The Lost Garden would be an excellent re-read. There are so many different layers to explore in this book, I would think the reader would take something different away from each reading.

>146 cbl_tn: She is an author that seems to resonate with me, Carrie. I am very eager to get my hands on The Frozen Thames but that seems to be a book with a very long wait list at the library.

>138 DeltaQueen50: - Great review of The Lost Garden, Judy! I loved the story when I read it a few years back but I found it a bit difficult for me to pin down my thoughts 'to paper'. Your comment that this is less a story of war and more of a reflection on the emotions of war is spot on with my memory of the story.

>148 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. I found this a very difficult book on which towrite a review. I had originally planned to place The Lost Garden in my Category for War Stories but after reading it, I decided it was more suited to my "Threads of Love" category.

>138 DeltaQueen50: Well, back to Amazon to order The Lost Garden. This is the third book I'm buying tonight. I better stop reading these threads and start reading my books! Have a great weekend!

>138 DeltaQueen50: Sounds like a very interesting book.

>150 Dianekeenoy: I know exactly what you mean, Diane. Instead of an envelope or a box, today the mailman showed up with a giant mailbag that was filled with books. Time to slow down my ordering and stick to my reading!

>151 thornton37814: Lori, The Lost Garden is the type of book that different people will take different messages from. Amazing when you consider it's less than 200 pages long!

29. The Earth Hums In B Flat by Mari Strachan - 4.2 ★
Category: Threads of Love
Woman BingoPup: New-To-You Author
BingoDog: Musical Reference in Title
TIOLI #5: A Word in the Title Can Also be an Action



The Earth Hums in B Flat is set in a small Welsh town in the 1950’s and tells the story of twelve year old Gwenni Morgan, a bookish misfit. On the verge of adulthood, Gwenni is a very unique girl. She is convinced that she can fly and she has a very different way of looking at most things. When a neighbouring man goes missing, Gwenni fears that his wife and two little girls may lose their cottage so she tries to find out what happened to him. But little does she know that her questioning ways may expose harmful secrets that many, including her own family want to keep buried.

Gwenni’s mother is obsessed with keeping up appearances and Gwenni seems unable to live up to her expectations. She increasingly takes out her anger on Gwenni lashing out with violence causing her to turn to her father and grandmother for understanding and kindness. As her mother grows stranger and stranger, Gwenni comes to realizes that peeling back the layers has caused more damage than good. Ultimately this is a story about family history, family secrets and coming to terms with who people are and accepting them.

I enjoyed this book, and Gwenni’s narration was spot on. She is interesting, different and quirky without being overly cute or forcing the issue. Although there is a magical feel to the story, the author stays within the realms of believability, understanding that her adult audience will have a greater grasp of what’s happening even though it is being shown through a twelve year old’s eyes. This is the author’s debut book and she has presented a strong and memorable story.

>153 DeltaQueen50: You rated that one a bit higher than I did, but I did enjoy it.

>153 DeltaQueen50:
Oh, I just loved that one - it was a magical read for me.

Happy Valentine's Day, Judy!

"My only problem is fitting everything in!" Hey, it's a great problem to have, right?

Happy Sunday, Judy. Hope it has been a book-filled weekend.

>153 DeltaQueen50: I loved that one! It's one of those books that has stuck with me over time.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

We've spent a quiet weekend as we are planning to head down to Mount Vernon, Washington next weekend to visit my hubby's brother and his wife.

I made Salted Carmel and Chocolate Cupcakes this morning and they look pretty good - but not nearly as gorgeous as the picture on the recipe! I just hope they taste good. I am making a special dinner for the two of us tonight, Veal Scallopine with a Lemon Cream Sauce, Rice Pilaf, Roasted Asparagus, a Tinhorn Creek Pinot Gris (a B.C. Wine) and the Cupcakes.

I have been able to fit a fair amount of reading in which is good as one of the books I am currently reading is The Twelve by Justin Cronin, a 738 page whopper.

>154 thornton37814: Lori, The Earth Hums in B Flat was one of those perfect books at the right time for me. I loved it!

>155 -Eva-: Eva, I wish I had written down who I took the book bullet for TEHIBF from, I suspect it was you, Lori or Carrie!

>156 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. Hope you are having a nice Valentine's Day.

>157 msf59: You are right (as usual) Mark! Of all the problems one can have, fitting books into the schedule is a pretty good one to have. ;)

>158 cbl_tn: I think The Earth Hums in B Flat will be one that I long remember as well, Carrie. The author really struck the right note with this one.

>159 DeltaQueen50: I really enjoyed The Passage and The Twelve. Just ordered the third book in the trilogy today. Can't wait to get it! Your Valentine's dinner sounds perfect. Kevin is making us NY Strip steaks with potatoes and my frozen summer corn. Hand made dark chocolate for dessert. I just Valentine Day!

>160 Dianekeenoy: I loved The Passage and now am enjoying The Twelve, I was thinking about pre-ordering the next one, but will wait a bit. Since my Thingaversary is in June, I may order it then.

>153 DeltaQueen50: - Great review of the Strachan book, Judy. I also really enjoyed that one!

>162 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori. I know that one of the books I am reading right now was a book bullet from you. I am really enjoying Pelquin's Comet!

>153 DeltaQueen50: Seems like many from LT have already read this one. Well, I haven't. On the WL it goes!

>134 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy! I thought you might like to know that you've written the author for Birthdays for the Dead as Craig Johnson. I only point it out because I'm not sure Craig Johnson could write a book that would get only 3.3 stars. :-)

>163 DeltaQueen50: - Well , if it helps you any, Pelquin's Comet was a BB I took from Pete last year. ;-)

Salted Caramel Chocolate cupcakes & roasted asparagus!!! You had a good Valentines day!

Earth Hums in B Flat sounds interesting. It sounds like it wanted to be a mystery, but probably has more in common with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time than Agatha Christie. WL!

Judy, your Valentine's Day dinner sounds delicious! Especially the cupcakes :)

It's a beautiful sunny spring-like day here and I am going to go out and run a few errands shortly. My grandson was here for dinner last night and tonight my granddaughter is coming. She's a little tricky to feed so I've decided to make pancakes and bacon for dinner. I need to go out and get some fresh fruit as we need something healthy to eat as well!

>164 Chrischi_HH: It does seem to have been a popular book with Lters. It took me a couple of years before getting to it, but it was obviously worth the wait!

>165 rosalita: Thanks, Julia. I obviously had Craig Johnson on my mind! You are right, I don't think I've given any of his books less than a 4 star rating!

>166 lkernagh: I love seeing how these book bullets spread around!

>167 cammykitty: I am happy to report that my dinner turned out really well. You are right, The Earth Hums in B Flat started out like it was going to be a mystery story but soon became more a story about family.

>168 katiekrug: It was delicious, Katie. Of course, hubby couldn't wait and had a cupcake in the afternoon. He didn't say much after eating it so I asked him what he thought about the salt. He looked very relieved as it turns out he wasn't sure if I had either spilled salt on his cupcake or had used the salt by accident. I think he was afraid that senility had struck!

>169 DeltaQueen50: I'm a big fan of brinner and usually make a fruit salad, especially since Monsieur is not a big fruit eater but (and I know it sounds like he is a little kid) will eat cut up fruit.

>170 mamzel: I used to have breakfast for dinner more often when my girls were young. Tonight's dinner was a success. I added sliced fresh strawberries and everyone seemed very happy.

30. The Twelve by Justin Cronin - 3.9 ★
Category: Dark Threads
SFFF-Kit: Published Within the Last 5 Years
Fantasy February
TIOLI #18: A Four Corner Word Can Be Formed on Page 16 or 20



The Twelve by Justin Cronin is the 2nd book in his Passage Trilogy, and unfortunately I made the mistake of waiting almost 2 years between these two books. It took me some time to figure out who was who and what was going on, but eventually the stories fell into place. This book takes almost a side-step from the first and it’s almost 300 pages before the reader is brought back to the original characters. This was ok because the other stories were both gripping and vivid. Eventually all storylines link and we catch up with Peter, Alicia, Amy etc. and they are still hunting the original twelve.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first, I found the author tended to get a little biblical and I didn’t always understand what was going on. At over 700 pages I think the book could have been shaved down somewhat. There are lots of plot twists and a few too many coincidents that were hard to swallow. But over all this is a brilliant look at survivors who are moving away from their lost past and forging a new and different future.

I did like that most of the storylines were pretty much wrapped up in this volume, leaving new directions to be explored in the final volume of the trilogy. There was a tantalizing hint of what is to come as Zero, the original is still very much a part of the picture. I am looking forward to the conclusion of this epic dark fantasy.

Hi, Judy! Glad the Twelve worked for you. It fell flat for me. A rare dud. I liked the beginning of the book but then it fell apart. Sad, because I really liked The Passage.

But I did LOVE, The Girl with All the Gifts. Yah!

>172 DeltaQueen50: - I thought that author sounded familiar. I have an earlier work The Summer Guest somewhere in my TBR pile.

BTW - what's a "four corner word"?

>174 dudes22: I had no idea he had written this earlier book, just put in on my wishlist! Thanks for the info.

Oh, sorry...Good morning, Judy. I also loved The Girl with all the Gifts .

>174 dudes22: Ooh, The Summer Guest is really good! And it could not be more different than the Passage trilogy. Not a vampire or a supernatural happenning anywhere.

>173 msf59: Hi Mark, The Twelve certainly wasn't as good as The Passage, I think there were too many characters and disjointed storylines. I am looking forward to the final volume and seeing how he wraps this up. I loved the slightly different viewpoint on zombies that was in The Girl With All the Gifts, it was a fun read.

>174 dudes22: Betty, The Summer Guest, sure does sound different from the post-apocalyptic "Passage" series. It would be interesting to see what else he can do.

The Four Corner Word is one of the TIOLI Challenges this month. You look at the page (in this case it's page 16 or 20). You take the first letters of the words that start the first line and the last line. Then you take the last letters of the final word on the first line and the last line (the corner words). If you can make a 4 letter word out of these letters then the book qualifies for the challenge. For example I am on page 70 of the book I am currently reading and on the first line the first word is never, the last word is pistol. On the last line at the bottom of the page, the first word is and, and the last word is mule. So the four letters are n, l, a and e which I can arrange to spell lane. So if the challenge had asked for a 4 letter corner word on page 70, I could have used this book. It sounds a little confusing, but it was fun to go through and check the books that I wanted to read this month. The trick seems to be to find a good balance between vowels and consonants.

>175 Dianekeenoy: Hi Diane. I am a sucker for zombie books - I just love them, but even I am getting a tired of the same old thing. The Girl With All the Gifts was great because it was a little different from most of the zombie books out there.

>176 rosalita: Julia, I read that Justin Cronin divides his time between New England and Texas. Sounds like he lets his wild and crazy side come out in the books he sets in Texas!

>177 DeltaQueen50: I also fear that I have become tired of zombie fare. I gave up on The Walking Dead and I have 'no thanks'ed the last three zombie recommendations.

O - I get it now.

>178 VictoriaPL: I'm not as far along as you are with ignoring the zombies yet, Victoria. I still am a faithful watcher of The Walking Dead, but I definitely am putting less "Zombie" books on my TBR.

>179 dudes22: It's silly how convoluted some of our challenges are when you think it's really just a way of choosing your next read! Because of the Category Challenge, I usually have chosen the books that I want to read and then try to fit them into the TIOLI Challenges, while others use the TIOLI Challenges to pick which books they are going to read.

I've "visited" the 75 group once in a while and seen the number of challenges there are each month. Probably makes it hard to come up with new ones so they get more convoluted. I tend to pick my books the way you do to go with my category challenge. I try to leave enough space for the Random because I like it so much and a few more to see how things go.

>182 dudes22: It's pretty obvious that I like a good challenge! I look forward to the new challenges every month and trying to fit my chosen books into those challenges. We try not to repeat any challenges but instead make small adjustments to keep them original.

31. Pelquin's Comet by Ian Whates - 4.5 ★
Category: Fiber Optic Threads
February SFFF-Kit: Published Within The Last 5 Years
TIOLI #17: A Person Possessive Title



Wow, what a fun ride I had with Pelquin’s Comet by Ian Whates. I don’t read too many ‘space operas’ but this one reminded me a lot of the old TV program Star Trek. Man going out into the frontiers of space seeking treasure and finding adventure. The story follows the crew of an independent space ship as they hunt down an alien treasure cache.

There is a great assortment of characters and we are treated to the interesting back-story on a few of them. They are accompanied on their quest by a representative of the bank, Drake and he brings along his pet “Mudball”. Of course there is more to Drake than he lets anyone know and, of course, there is much more to Mudball. They are being shadowed by a representative of a mining corporation that would like to snatch the treasure for themselves. This, along with assorted aliens and the Guardian of the treasure all add to the action.

Pelquin’s Comet was a page-turner that was exhilarating and fast. Although the story is complete in this issue, there are threads left to be unravelled so it’s no surprise that this is the first in a series. The second has yet to be released, but you can be sure that when it does I will be right there to get my copy.

I want to thank Lori (Ikernaugh) for this great book bullet as this is a book that I would never have picked up on my own.

>184 DeltaQueen50: Pete and Lori have already hit me with that BB but another very positive review doesn't harm its cause.

<185 This one is fast and fun and one I know you will enjoy, Dave.

>184 DeltaQueen50: - YAY! Such a fun read. Glad you loved it!

>184 DeltaQueen50: Pelquin's Comet sounds like just my cup of tea!

>187 lkernagh: I sure hope the wait for the next book isn't too long!

>188 DianaNL: Hi Diana! Hard to believe it's Friday already, this week has flown by so quickly.

>184 DeltaQueen50: I hope you love Pelquin's Comet, Leslie. :)

>2 DeltaQueen50: I'm excited to read The Twelve, but I've decided to wait until I have The City of Mirrors in my hand first (which I recently pre-ordered), and then plan to re-read The Passage. I received The Passage as an ER copy, by far the best ER book I've ever received, and certainly hoping that the trilogy as a whole lives up to the long wait!

>191 LisaMorr: That sounds like a good plan, Lisa. I let too much time go between reading The Passage and The Twelve and it took me quite some time to figure out who everyone was and where the first book had left them. I see Amazon has May 24th, 2016 as the date that The City of Mirrors becomes available. It may just become one of my Thingaversary books in June. ;)

>138 DeltaQueen50: I really liked Coventry by Helen Humphreys when I had read it a few years ago. Your review for The Lost Garden reminds me that I should seek out more of her books.

>193 mathgirl40: Helen Humphreys seems to be able to tackle any subject matter and produce a very readable book. I agree Coventry was excellent and now I am looking forward to getting my hands on a copy of The Frozen Thames by her.

32. Resistance: A Woman's Journal of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied France by Agnes Humbert - 3.7 ★
Category: Thread Count
BingoDog: A Memoir
Woman's BingoPup: A Memoir
TIOLI #14: The Word "Leap" Appears in the Text of the Book



Resistance is the journal of Agnes Humbert, a resident of Paris who writes of the German occupation of Paris. She was forty-three at the time and her first instinct was flight. She left Paris but returned a few weeks later. She and a friend formed one of the first resistance cells in Paris, which was unfortunately betrayed in 1941. Her colleagues were executed and she was deported to Germany and spent years as a slave labourer.

This felt like I was peeking over her shoulder and reading her diary. I received a first hand look at what a French woman felt and did when she saw her country fall. She personally did not surrender, she both fought and suffered to help free her country. Her years in Germany as a forced labourer were truly horrifying and stand as a testament to the degree of human suffering the Nazis inflicted on others.

Translated by Barbara Mellor this book is the story of one woman’s war. Some of the small details caused joy such as her seeing a Stefan Zweig book in the bookseller’s window one day but when she went back later, it had been removed and included on the list of banned books yet the bookseller slipped her a copy anyway. Of course other details of her years of suffering were difficult to read about but Agnes Humbert was a remarkable woman with a zest for living and courage to spare.

I took a BB from Kay a couple of days ago for The Book of Aron (fiction) about the Warsaw Ghetto and I think I'll take a BB on this book too.

>195 DeltaQueen50: Wow - Resistance sounds like a good one.

Happy Saturday, Judy! You are sure mowing down the books. Impressive.

I finally pulled together a mini-review of The Girl With All the Gifts. Stop by and check it out. Just warblin'...

>195 DeltaQueen50: I enjoyed Resistance too.

Great comments on Resistance, Judy. I started it years ago, got sidetracked and put it down. You make me want to go back to it.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. We just got back from visiting my bother-in-law and his wife in Mount Vernon, Washington. Although there were a few showers, the weather was very springlike today and I noticed that the daffodils in my garden are showing yellow tips, so they should be out fully in a week or so. Spent so much time visiting this weekend that I only finished one book (review follows).

>196 dudes22: Betty, The Book of Aron would have been a book bullet for me as well, but it's already on my wishlist!

>197 LisaMorr: Although Resistance isn't all that well written, it is very interesting and touching.

>198 msf59: Hi Mark. I am glad that you enjoyed The Girl With All the Gifts. I liked it a lot and enjoyed that it was a little different from the average zombie book. I be by to check out your review.

>199 VictoriaPL: It was interesting to read something by someone who lived through the experience. I thought she was very brave, I don't think I could have faced up to imprisonment as well as she did.

>200 BLBera: When you do get back to it, Beth, it is fairly short so the reading will go quickly! :)

33. Elkhorn Tavern by Douglas C. Jones - 4.1 ★
Category: Tangled Threads
February AlphaKit: J
TIOLI #8: Title Includes an Animal, Bird of Reptile in the Title



Elkhorn Tavern by Douglas C. Jones is much more than a comprehensive record of the Battle at Pea Ridge, Arkansas. He has obviously researched this battle in order to supply the details that are included but his main story revolves around the Hasford family. The father is gone, serving in the Confederate army and the mother, Ora and her two children, Calpurnia and Roman are tending the farm in the shadow of Pea Ridge. As March 6, 1862 approaches the armies are gathering with both Elkhorn Tavern and Ora’s farm standing right in the middle of this western battleground.

Never shirking from displaying the horrors of battle, Jones tells the story of this family as they struggle for survival amidst raids from Jayhawkers, Union soldiers and a neighbour’s treachery. The author does a great job of bringing this era to life and giving the reader much to learn and think about.

This is a well-researched, well written account and he manages to make the history come alive on the pages as he paints a vivid picture of the Civil War and the people that were caught up in it.

>195 DeltaQueen50: Sounds like an interesting journal.

>201 DeltaQueen50: Daffodils coming up already? I must go check mine. So far I've only seen crocus. We had so much rain recently in BC's south-west that there is no snow to speak of in town. That rain fell as vast amounts of snow in the mountains so our scenery is spectacular.

>201 DeltaQueen50: I saw a flowering tree in full blossom a few days ago, Judy. Spring is definitely in the air!

I saw daffodils blooming on my walk last week. I do love their bright yellow colour at this time of year!

>203 thornton37814: Hi Lori. It wasn't on a par with, say, Anne Frank but it was an interesting read.

>204 VivienneR: Yep, daffodils on the rise is a sure sign that spring is just around the corner. We have been very lucky and haven't had any snow to speak of for the last few years. But it is good for the skiing and the water levels to see the mountains getting lots of snow.

>205 Familyhistorian: Meg, I haven't seen a flowering tree yet, but I love those delicate pink blossoms.

>206 lkernagh: Our back yard is quite shady so I was surprised that our daffs are up and showing color. Usually my daffodils are the last ones to bloom. I love daffodils plus we have had to give on on tulips as the squirrels seem to dig up the tulip bulbs and eat them.

>202 DeltaQueen50: I''m so glad you enjoyed Elkhorn Tavern by Douglas C. Jones. Doug grew up in my hometown of Fort Smith, Arkansas. He was of my parents generation but I met him several times and have always been one of his greatest fans. You may not know that this is the first of a trilogy although I think each stands alone as well. The second is Roman (or Roman Hasford in the case of a paperback edition) and the third, Come Winter.

>208 clue: I have previously read The Barefoot Brigade and consider that the best book I have read about the American Civil War. I have passed Elkhorn Tavern on the my husband and he is enjoying it now. I would like to read all the books in the trilogy, and I see that Roman Hasford is readily available but I will have to try and hunt down a copy of Come Winter.

34. Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan - 3.8 ★
Category: Hanging By A Thread
Woman BingoPup: A Woman of Science
February SFFF-Kit: Published Within the Last 5 Years
February Alpha-Kit: B
Fantasy February
TIOLI #8: An Animal, Bird or Reptile Appears in the Title



The Tropic of Serpents, continues the series detailing how Lady Trent becomes the world’s premier dragon naturalist. Of course this isn’t the world that we know, but a very similar one with some differences chief among them being that dragons exist and thrive in this world. The time compares to our own Victorian era with it’s strict rules of society and Isabella, with her craving to explore nature and study various dragon breeds is defying her family and, risking scandal.

She puts together an expedition to travel to the county of Eriga, a country with abundant draconian life, but this country is on the verge of war and of course, Isabella and her party end up involved in politics and warfare as she travels through an area called the Green Hell, a swamp like, steamy jungle.

A great deal of the book was taken up with the politics, customs and descriptions of the country and less attention was actually spent on dragons. I did enjoy this book, but I can see why many rate this as inferior to the first due to the lack of actual dragon lore. As she was travelling in a country that would compare to one of our African nations, I found the travelogue descriptions interesting. Also the character of Isabella is intriguing as she is both a strong female character but, also, one who examines her ambitions and motives and often finds herself falling short.

Lady Trent’s adventures will definitely be a series that I will continue to follow.

>210 DeltaQueen50: fascinating! I have not heard of this series before.

>210 DeltaQueen50: I really enjoyed the first book in that series, Judy, so I am glad to know that the second one holds up. Nice review!

>210 DeltaQueen50: - I read the first one last year for one of the SFFF months (the month with creatures maybe?) and liked it well enough to probably continue with the series at some point in time. I think I would probably like the second one from your description.

All of the Lady Trent books are as much about politics as dragons, I think. I also think you will enjoy the third one, and the fourth is coming out April 5.

>211 VictoriaPL: It's a fun series, Victoria, it reminds me a little of Amelia Peabody only with dragons!

>212 Crazymamie: I really like having a few of these lighter series on the go for when you need a quick read. Isabella is a character that I enjoy rooting for.

>213 dudes22: I think you will, Betty. I enjoyed learning about the world that the author has created, so very much like ours in the Victoria era, but with some differences.

>214 ronincats: Hi Roni, book number three is on my wishlist and I will have to make sure to add number 4! :)

>174 dudes22: >177 DeltaQueen50: I was going through my books looking for one I've lost (which has never happened before!) and I found a copy of The Summer Guest that I've had since 2004. Thank goodness I found it before I bought it (again!) and just finished it last night. It was just incredible, a 4.5 star read for me. Thanks for the conversation about it or who knows how long it would have taken me to get to it!

Trying to do a little catching up on threads and finding yours dangerous as usual. I just used my last credit at Amazon for the ebook version of Pelquin's Comet and added Elkhorn Tavern to the list of books available from my local library that I might want to read.

>216 Dianekeenoy: Thanks for letting me know how much you liked The Summer Guest - I better move it up a few notches!

>217 hailelib: Hi Trisha, Pelzuin's Comet is a fun read, of course, it is the start of a new series - just so you know! Elkhorn Tavern is well worth searching out - good story told with accurate and clear history.

35. Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth - 3.5 ★
Category: Threads of Mystery
February DeweyCat: 100's
TIOLI #10: The Word Extraordinary or a Synonym Appears on the Front or Back Cover



Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth is a psychological study of three teenage girls who have a history of jealousy, lies and perversion between them. These emotions eventually build into a tragedy. As events are slowly unveiled we learn the history of the friendship and how the secrets they held and the intensity of their relationship goes way beyond normal.

Told in a bleak, almost surreal manner, I had trouble getting into this book but eventually the hints the writer drops and the many questions that arose enticed me into the story. These are not likeable girls, they are mean, seem to have a sense of entitlement and no empathy to speak of. I can’t say I liked the story, but it certainly became one that was difficult to put down.

Cold Light seems to have left me with more questions than answers as I ponder the motivations of the characters. The story is told in flashbacks from 10 years in the future and in the end the strongest emotion I felt was one of sadness for the waste that their lives became by being shaped by guilt and shame. Not an easy or comfortable read but a memorable one.

>147 DeltaQueen50: Ha! Just call me Miss Sure-Shot! Oh Judy you tickle me. I sure do call you Miss Sure-Shot! I don't know if you have seen this post at the top of my 75 thread. It is dedicated to you. ( I actually called you the sure shot.)

http://www.librarything.com/topic/209066#5381952

>220 luvamystery65: Wow, with all the great shootists we have here on LT, I am honored to be mentioned, Ro. You have inspired me to try harder!

36. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi - 4.0 ★
Category: Designer Threads - 2011 Printz Award
February Alpha-Kit: B
TIOLI #6: Book Takes Place Mainly on a Conveyance



Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi weaves his excellent world building skills with a exciting YA high-sea adventure story. Having previously read and loved his book, The Windup Girl, I knew what the author’s vision for the future of earth is, and Ship Breaker is set amid this waterlogged world peopled with the very rich (swanks) and the have-nots. The world is a different place in the future, global warming has seen the poles melted, the water has risen covering many cities, earth’s natural resources are running out and there is money to be found in collecting old materials.

Nailer is a young scavenger who works with a crew on a beach that is near the drowned city of New Orleans dismantling old ships. He is little better than a slave, having to reach a quota every day or face dismissal. While working in the dark and dangerous nooks of these old ships he dreams of escaping and discovering a better way to live. When he stumbles on a wreak after a storm and rescues a beautiful girl who is obviously a swank, he first decides to use her to help him find his better way but after they get to know each other and form a bond of loyalty, he decides to put his faith in her and help her get back to her people.

The story has excitement, action, murder and desperation and while I found Nailer to be a well defined character, I would like to learn more about Nita and her background which hopefully the second book will explore. The story of Nailer and Nita’s fight for survival was interesting but definitely geared for a YA audience being far less detailed or sophisticated as The Windup Girl. However, I now feel invested in these characters and will definitely be reading the sequel The Drowned Cities.

>222 DeltaQueen50: Ship Breaker is another of those that already reside on the tbr shelves so it's good to see a positive review without the need for receiving another BB. Just need to get around to actually reading it now though.

>222 DeltaQueen50: Ship Breaker has always peaked my interest but I'm on the fence. The Windup Girl was such a mixed book for me, things I loved, things I didn't...

>222 DeltaQueen50: You may want to keep his latest, The Water Knife, in mind to read soon. It was one of my favorites last year.

I'll take a BB on Ship Breaker. I've been meaning to read The Windup Girl first, hopefully this will spur me on to get to it!

Happy Friday, Judy! You are just banging through the books. I love it. I also really enjoyed Ship Breaker, along with the follow-up, Drowned Cities.

Have a great weekend.

>223 DianaNL: Hi Diana wishing you a great weekend as well!

>224 AHS-Wolfy: I've had Ship Breaker for quite some time so I am glad I finally got around to it. Now of course I need to get to The Drowned Cities to compete the set.

>225 VictoriaPL: Victoria, I loved The Windup Girl but other than being set in the same world, Ship Breaker is quite different in tone and style. Definitely aimed at the YA market, this is more of a straight forward adventure story. The world building is still good but not nearly as detailed or intricate as Windup Girl.

>226 mamzel: I remember seeing your review and some others praising The Water Knife I am definitely adding it to my wishlist.

>227 LisaMorr: Lisa, Ship Breaker would be a good place to start as it is set in the same world as The Windup Girl. It's a fairly fast read as well.

>228 msf59: Hi Mark, I am pleased with my reading rate but I still have such a huge pile of books to read and, of course, I am adding more to that pile everyday!

>210 DeltaQueen50:
I was just about to say I didn't know there was a second book out, but when I looked at the series page, it looks like there's already four. Oops, I'm behind.

>230 -Eva-: I know! I knew there was a third book, but I was surprised to learn that the fourth book will be out in April. No wonder I can't keep up with all my series!

37. And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini - 4.3 ★
Category: Threads of Silk and Gold
February GeoCat: Central Asia
BingoDog: Read A Cat
TIOLI #18: A Four Corner Word Can Be Formed on Page 16 or 20



And the Mountains Echoed is the third book that I have read by author Khaled Hosseini. This one is slightly different from his previous two in that the focus is on many characters instead of concentrating on just one or two. Beautifully written the story moves through the upheaval of Afghanistan’s history from the early 1950’s to today. This book, for me, did not have the emotional punch that his previous two did, but does share some of the same themes of family, belonging, and loyalty.

The book reads like many interconnected short stories, each one complete upon itself, yet all flowing together and painting a picture of how the past echoes through to the future. The central family connection in this book is siblings, in particular Abdullah, and his beloved baby sister, Pari. There is also the story of Abdullah’s stepmother, Parwana and her crippled sister. Also Parwana’s brother Nabi plays as major role. Using this web of stories the author expands our knowledge of the country of Afghanistan and on a more personal level, how important the sense of family and belonging is to human nature.

Khaled Hosseini is a master storyteller and even though at times the stories were overly sentimental and I felt my emotions were being manipulated the impact was still powerful and his lyrical writing kept me enthralled. And The Mountains Echoed was a very good read.

>232 DeltaQueen50: I'm pretty sure that one is on my TBR list.

>233 thornton37814: It's a very good read, Lori. I just found with so many characters it didn't pull at my heartstrings the way his other two did. I cried like a baby with both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns but I didn't shed a drop with this one.

>234 DeltaQueen50: I agree with that. And the Mountains Echoed is a very good book, just really different from his two earlier works.

>235 Chrischi_HH: I read somewhere that he deliberately made this book a little different in order to show some variety in his styling.

38. Night Has A Thousand Eyes by Cornell Woolrich - 4.1 ★
Category: Vintage Threads
BingoDog: Published Before I Was Born
TIOLI #12: Book Written More Than 50 Years Ago



Author Cornell Woolrich is a master of the dark noir and in Night Has A Thousand Eyes, he explores the inescapable nature of death. Based on a psychic prediction that in three weeks time he will meet his death at midnight in the jaws of a lion, we read how millionaire Harlan Reid is slowly driven out of his mind. His 20 year old daughter isn’t in much better shape, but after police detective Tom Shawn is drawn into the case, it starts to appear as if this prediction can be beaten.

It begins with a correctly forecast airplane crash, then builds through a number of other accurately prophesized items and events all connected to the Reids and by the time of the death prediction both father and daughter believe totally in this strange mystic. It is up to the police to prove whether this is ordained or a carefully planned plot.

Cornell Woolrich allows the suspense to build by first establishing that his characters live by routine and predictability but slowly allowing the possibility of fate and foreknowledge to devastate their lives and allow a grim terror to take over. Even with it’s outlandish plot, I enjoyed this book very much. Woolrich shows his mastery over the dark suspense novel and Night Has A Thousand Eyes kept the pages turning and the reader guessing.

>237 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for the reminder that I still haven't added any of his books to my collection as yet. He's definitely an author I want to get to at some point though.

Happy March, Judy! My, I haven't visited your thread for quite a while. There's some very good reading and reviews here!

The Woolrich sounds like one I might like, given the right mood.

I really need to try something by Khaled Hosseini. I've heard such marvelous things about his books.

>237 DeltaQueen50: And another one - Night Has a Thousand Eyes sounds great!

>237 DeltaQueen50: Grrrr! That sounds like a really good one, and I went to see if I have it on my shelf already-nope, guess you got me with BB. Woolrich is becoming a favorite of mine.

I was out running errands in the rain this morning and I noticed that the flowering trees are out and they look beautiful with their pinks and whites. In my yard there is purple heather, yellow daffodils and a pale pink camellia blooming. Spring has arrived. Now we just need some more sunshine!

>238 AHS-Wolfy: I really like Cornell Woolrich, and although Night Has A Thousand Eyes shows it's age, it was still a real page turner.

>239 tymfos: Hi Terri, I am overdue to visit you at your thread as well. Khaled Hosseini is an excellent writer but I would recommend starting with either The Kite Runner or A Thousand Splendid Suns, they reach out to the reader at a more personal level. But make sure you have a box of kleenex close by!

>240 LisaMorr: Lisa, it's a fun read - where else can you read about a predicted death in the jaws of a lion?

>241 mstrust: Jennifer, I would offer to send it to you, even after our previous mishap, but my brother is chomping at the bit to get his hands on this one! It's certainly worth looking for though.

That's really nice of you to even think of trying again, but I'm sure your brother is a safer bet! I just hope some mail employee at the lost and found department is enjoying Horace McCoy.

>243 mstrust: It was such a small package I think it must have fallen down behind something but I would rather that someone is enjoying it!

39. Gatty's Tale aka Crossing To Paradise by Kevin Crossley-Holland - 4.2 ★
Category: Colorful Threads
March DeweyCat: 200s
TIOLI #7: Book Has Yellow On Cover



Gatty’s Tale is the 13th century story of a scruffy, high spirited serving girl who is first introduced in the Arthur trilogy by the same author. Gatty is to serve Lady Gwyneth as they embark on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Along with Gatty and her Lady are an assortment of characters. This core group travels to France then overland to Venice where they then are able to sail to the Holy Land. Along the way they encounter brigands, have adventures, bicker amongst themselves and struggle to find Christ within each other.

Gatty is a wonderful character. She is included on the pilgrimage mainly because of her voice. She can sing like an angel. She has the ability to make up songs that can express what people are feeling and seeing around them. She is earthy, inquisitive, impulsive and charming. Religion played an important role in medieval times. From day to day prayers to the actual visiting of the holy places in and around Jerusalem, praying at various shrines and churches, all this is incorporated easily into the story.

The author never loses sight of the fact that he is writing of the 13th century, and brings these times to life with his vivid descriptions and lyrical writing. Gatty is a heroine that the reader can root for as we read of how she matures into a responsible, mature young woman. Gatty‘s Tale is a great read for any age, it certainly can stand on it’s own, but reading the Arthur trilogy would help to set the background.

>242 DeltaQueen50: Spring has arrived.

Sob. We had 20 cm of snow yesterday and it was -22C this morning. Please keep talking about flowering trees so I can live vicariously through you :)

>246 paruline: Here is a spring picture of some flowering trees. This is taken in Vancouver on the way out to U.B.C.

I remember when we lived in Ottawa and were buried in snow at this time of the year and my grandmother from Victoria, B.C. would send us pictures of the daffodils and flowering trees. Partly rubbing it in and partly to give us hope that spring would eventually arrive in Eastern Canada as well!

That's very pretty!

>247 DeltaQueen50: That is stunning! It always does my heart good to see the blossom. Haven't seen any in my bit of Scotland yet, sadly.

>247 DeltaQueen50: It's a beautiful time of year at the coast! Here in the BC interior we had 16 degrees (61F) on Monday that dropped to zero (32F) and sleety snow on Tuesday. Great to see your trees blossoming.

>247 DeltaQueen50: So beautiful! Here in New England we struggled to get past 0 °C today, though like >250 VivienneR: it was much warmer several days ago.

>247 DeltaQueen50: I love the photo, Judy! We could desperately use some color about now. Everything here feels and looks dreary and washed out.

Hope the week is going well.

I had a strange day today, my husband and I went and looked at few condos in our area. Houses are selling at a fantastic rate in Vancouver and we have a standing offer from a builder who has already bought the house next door. It's a confusing time as well as we are greedy and want to make the most we can so are wondering when do we jump. A friend of my husband's whose wife is in real estate says to wait a couple more months that the prices will be going up again. At the same time, we don't really know if we are ready to make that move from the house into an apartment or townhouse. I know it will be harder on my husband who really enjoys being out in the yard. Of course the closer we get to summer the harder it will be to make that move. So we are really going back and forth on this one.

>248 mstrust: Hi Jennifer, it is nice to see some spring color after a gray winter.

>249 Jackie_K: Our springs do come early here, but they also last a long time. Usually Eastern Canada catches up to us and advances into summer before we are done with our long spring!

>250 VivienneR: It's just around the corner for you, Vivienne!

>251 leslie.98: We are spoiled here as we haven't had any snow to speak of for the last three years. Of course we do get many, many grey and rainy winter days.

>252 msf59: Thanks, Mark. It's definitely getting to be that time of year when one needs some color in their life! I guess if you can't get it in flowers and trees, you just have to be sure to read colorfully!

>242 DeltaQueen50: My jonquils are in full bloom too. I don't know if you know who P. Allen Smith is but you may see his garden shows on TV. His home, Moss Mountain Farm, is about 100 miles from where I live and I go a couple of times a year to tour the gardens and have a great lunch. I thought I would go down during jonquil season but spring is so early it surprised me and I haven't made reservations. He has 300,000 jonquils planted on his property ( just 280,000 more than I have) and the sight of them blooming is beyond spectacular.

>254 clue: I googled Moss Mountain Farm and found some lovely pictures. That looks like a lovely place to spend some time at any season., however I did find a picture of a field of daffodils at the farm that is very spring-like.

>253 DeltaQueen50: Isn't real estate just crazy? We are looking to upgrade, but it's just not realistic at this point so now we are looking at a reno (although it won't get us the space we desperately need). Have you or your husband ever lived in an apartment before? It can be a shock, and the thing I don't miss is dealing with the strata (especially if it's stacked with retirees who have nothing to do all day than nit-pick.) Before you decide on anything, look over the strata minutes and see what sorts of issues there have been. If your husband likes the yard, you might want to look at a townhouse that has a little patch that he can get out in.