rabbitprincess' 2016 challenge: "The one, the only, and the best" - Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my David Morrissey category challenge. This is the place to be on LT for all things DM. And yes, that is actually me with DM at Fan Expo Canada. I'm still pinching myself trying to believe it actually happened.

Category listing:

Doctor Who – SFF
The Other Boleyn Girl – History
Thorne – Mystery
The Hollow Crown – Plays
Blackpool – Audiobooks
Sense and Sensibility – Rereads
The Walking Dead – Group reads
The Deal – Non-fiction
South Riding – General fiction
Cause célèbre – French

Doctor Who - Science Fiction and Fantasy

Doctor Who was my first exposure to David's work. He starred as the mysterious title character of the Christmas special “The Next Doctor” alongside then-Doctor David Tennant. To nobody's surprise, this is my favourite Who episode. In interviews DM has stated that he drew inspiration from the earlier Doctors for his role: specifically Hartnell, Troughton, and (Tom) Baker.

1. Doctor Who: City of Death, by David Agnew (audio, TV soundtrack)
2. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas Adams (full-cast audio dramatization)
3. Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth, by Terrance Dicks
4. Fear of the Dark, by Trevor Baxendale

The Other Boleyn Girl - History

Let us debate the historical value of this movie, based on the Philippa Gregory book, but we can all agree that David has a bit of a Richard III vibe with that hair. Bwahaha. And the FACE in this picture! I’m on the floor.

(Also, in a nod to my 2014 challenge, this movie features Benedict…)

1. Blood Sisters: The Women Behind the Wars of the Roses, by Sarah Gristwood
2. A Shameful Murder, by Cora Harrison
3. Frenchman's Creek, by Daphne du Maurier
4. 1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion, by Morgan Llywelyn
5. World War Women: Canadian Women and Total War, by Stacey Joanne Barker
6. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective, by Kate Summerscale
7. Fatal Passage: The Untold Story of John Rae, the Arctic Adventurer Who Discovered the Fate of Franklin, by Ken McGoogan
8. Under Enemy Colors, by S. Thomas Russell
9. A Burial at Sea, by Charles Finch
10. Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy and the End of the Edwardian Age, by Greg King and Penny Wilson
11. Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, by Erik Larson
12. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick
13. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing
14. Murder on the Celtic, by Conrad Allen
15. Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty, by Dan Jones

Thorne - Mystery

David produced and starred in adaptations of two Mark Billingham novels: Scaredycat and Sleepyhead. I’ve read the first one and have yet to read the second, but I did read a short story of Billingham's in the OxCrimes collection!

And this year I should perhaps actually watch the adaptations.

Sub-challenge: Read a Tom Thorne book (done 3 Feb), watch the adaptations

1. The Dark Winter, by David Mark
2. Death of an Airman, by Christopher St. John Sprigg
3. Meltwater, by Michael Ridpath
4. The Black Book, by Ian Rankin
5. Scaredy Cat, by Mark Billingham
6. A Man Lay Dead, by Ngaio Marsh
7. The Blackheath Poisonings, by Julian Symons
8. Sea of Stone, by Michael Ridpath
9. The Case of the Vagabond Virgin, by Erle Stanley Gardner
10. A Little More Free, by John McFetridge
11. Last Seen Wearing..., by Hillary Waugh
12. God Save the Mark, by Donald E. Westlake

The Hollow Crown - Plays, short stories, essays, graphic novels, other miscellaneous books

David appears in an Every British Actor Ever(tm) cast of Richard II, the first of the four plays presented in The Hollow Crown. Hail, Earl of Northumberland!

Sub-challenge: read a Hollow Crown play (either first or second set) -- completed 22 March

Plays

1. Henry IV Part I, by William Shakespeare
2. The Tempest, by William Shakespeare
3. The Guid-Sisters, by Michel Tremblay

The rest

1. The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island, by Bill Bryson
2. Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries, ed. Martin Edwards
3. Glyph: A Visual Exploration of Punctuation Marks and Other Typographic Symbols, by Adriana Caneva and Shiro Nishimoto
4. My Discovery of England, by Stephen Leacock
5. The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris, by Steve Martin
6. Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection, by The Awkward Yeti
7. A Good Hanging and Other Stories, by Ian Rankin

Blackpool - Audiobooks

David stars as casino owner Ripley Holden who becomes embroiled in a murder investigation led by David Tennant (that GUY again!!) as DI Carlisle. Everyone periodically bursts into song, and it’s a hoot. The songs are all “existing” (i.e. they were not written specifically for the show, but are already popular songs) and it’s a great soundtrack.

Example: You Can Get it If You Really Want: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDL0N4842MU

1. Doctor Who: City of Death, by David Agnew (TV soundtrack, with linking narration by Lalla Ward)
2. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas Adams (full-cast audio dramatization)

Cause célèbre - Livres en français

Um, the title is French??? That’s the only connection I got. Also, super obscure! This is from the 80s. Helen Mirren and David Suchet also star in this adaptation of Terrence Rattigan’s play, in which David (Morrissey) plays the character of George Bowman.

1. Mon ami Maigret, by Georges Simenon
2.

Sense and Sensibility - Rereads

I watch this one a lot. A LOT. I am probably committing Austen heresy by expressing a preference for David as Colonel Brandon, but I regret nothing.

As further evidence, I offer this Pinterest pin: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/467530005038710025/

1. Tales of the Greek Heroes, by Roger Lancelyn Green
2. Last Chance to See..., by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine
3. The Best of James Herriot, by James Herriot
4. The Tempest, by William Shakespeare
5.
6.

Our Mutual Friend - Group Reads, RandomCAT and GeoCAT

DM plays Bradley Headstone and garners way more sympathy than the book character probably deserves, from what I hear... well no kidding!

Group Reads
January:
February: Sad Cypress, by Agatha Christie (BAC)
March: Rogue Male, by Geoffrey Household
April: The Cornish Trilogy, by Robertson Davies (continues in May and June)
May: The Guid-Sisters, by Michel Tremblay (CAC)
June: The Secret Agent, by Joseph Conrad (BAC); The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden (CAC)
July: The Invasion of Canada, by Pierre Berton (CAC)
August: Oh Canada Oh Quebec, by Mordecai Richler (CAC); Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
September: The Game of Kings, by Dorothy Dunnett (shared with japaul22)
October:
November: Declarations of War, by Len Deighton (BAC)
December: Gallows View, by Peter Robinson (BAC)

RandomCAT
January: (Embrace Your Uniqueness) Doctor Who: City of Death, by David Agnew (audio dramatization) (shared with 1 other user)
February: (It Takes Two) The Wood Beyond, by Reginald Hill (a Dalziel and Pascoe mystery)
March: (Celebration) Trick or Treachery, by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain (murder at a Halloween party)
April: (Earth Day) Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth, by Terrance Dicks
May: (Colour Your World) All the Colours of the Town, by Liam McIlvanney
June: (I Do, I Do!) The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife, by Erle Stanley Gardner
July: (Good times) The Sands of Time, by Justin Richards
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:

GeoCAT
January:
February:
March: Russka, by Edward Rutherfurd
April: Unfamiliar Fishes, by Sarah Vowell
May: The Guid-Sisters, by Michel Tremblay
June: No Highway, by Nevil Shute
July:
August: Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
September: Sharpe's Tiger, by Bernard Cornwell
October: South by Java Head, by Alistair MacLean
November: Mrs Pollifax, Innocent Tourist, by Dorothy Gilman
December: We, the Drowned, by Carsten Jensen

The Deal - Non-fiction and DeweyCAT

David plays Scottish MP and eventual UK PM Gordon Brown in this fact-based drama. In addition to his excellent performance (and Michael Sheen’s smarmy Tony Blair), a lot of the fun comes from the old skool technology. FAX MACHINES and mobile phones the size of bricks! Hahaha.

Non-fiction
1. Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery, by Henry Marsh
2. Holy Shit: A Brief History of Swearing, by Melissa Mohr
3. Editing Canadian English (3rd edition), by the Editors' Association of Canada
4. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande
5. Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot, by Mark Vanhoenacker
6. Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks, by Keith Houston
7. A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup
8. Adulting, by Kelly Williams Brown
9. Works Well with Others, by Ross McCammon
10. The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English, by Roy Peter Clark
11. The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Rescue, by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman
12. How to Not Write Bad, by Ben Yagoda
13. The Violinist's Thumb, by Sam Kean
14. Coastlines: The Story of Our Shore, by Patrick Barkham
15. Naked Money: A Revealing Look at What It Is and Why It Matters, by Charles Wheelan

DeweyCAT

Some months I will be playing the "fiction equivalent" card instead of reading a non-fiction work, because I am using only books I own.

January: 000s: The Marsh Madness, by Victoria Abbott (fiction equivalent = series about a collector of rare books)
February: 100s: Never Saw it Coming, by Linwood Barclay (fiction equivalent = protagonist is a psychic)
March: 200s: Lamb: The Gospel of Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore (fiction equivalent = Christianity)
April: 300 - 354: The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli
May: 355 - 399: Scotland Yard, by Sir Harold Scott
June: 400s: For Who the Bell Tolls: One Man's Quest for Grammatical Perfection, by David Marsh
July: 500s: Last Chance to See, by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine
August: 600s: No Highway, by Nevil Shute (fiction equivalent = aviation)
September: 700s: The Game, by Ken Dryden
October: 800s: Henry IV Part I, by William Shakespeare
November: 900 - 939: Nation Maker, by Richard Gwyn
December: 940 - 999: The Great Fire of London, by Samuel Pepys (Penguin Little Black Classics series)

South Riding - General fiction

This is an excellent book by Winifred Holtby, and David is compelling as Robert Carne, the male lead of the story. And Anna Maxwell Martin makes an excellent Sarah Burton.

1. Red Arctic, by Richard Rohmer
2. The Friends of Eddie Coyle, by George V. Higgins
3. David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens
4. Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel
5. Get Carter, by Ted Lewis
6. Runaway, by Peter May
7. The Blue Ice, by Hammond Innes
8. The Damned Utd, by David Peace
9. A Demon in My View, by Ruth Rendell

The Walking Dead - Abandoned reads

I seem to be abandoning books with a vengeance this year, so let's have a separate category for them.

1. Sharpe's Tiger, by Bernard Cornwell
2. Trick or Treachery, by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
3. A Small Death in the Great Glen, by A.D. Scott
4. The Night Manager, by John le Carré
5. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore

Next one's yours! I'll start the stereo with a Thea Gilmore song from David's most recent radio programme. This song is called "London" and the lyrics were written by the late great Sandy Denny of Fairport Convention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLhkSO1T-68

And the full programme, featuring David, Thea Gilmore in person, and David's mate Ian Hart, whom some of you might know as Professor Quirrell from the first Harry Potter movie. https://www.mixcloud.com/sohoradio/david-morrissey-with-thea-gilmore-and-ian-har...

Who wants whisky??

>12 rabbitprincess: Nice song! Happy new thread.

Happy new thread! I just saw your snow-pics on the previous thread and have to say that snow is quite pretty. In pictures... :)

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

>13 mathgirl40: Thanks! It is a lovely song. I've been listening to it almost non-stop. :)

>14 -Eva-: Thanks! Yes, much better viewed in pictures than to be experienced. Now it's above zero and it was raining this morning. Lots of meltwater, big puddles and slippery sidewalks (where they haven't been cleared).

>15 paruline: and >16 leslie.98: Thank you both!

****

Taking advantage of a free afternoon to power through this book.

Get Carter, by Ted Lewis
Category: South Riding (although the library shelved this as Mystery, I consider it more of a thriller, which in my rules equals general fiction)
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/126520553

This is an iconic crime novel, and while I don't entirely regret reading it, I don't particularly want to spend any more time in Jack Carter's world, either through the movie or the other two books in the Jack Carter trilogy.

Happy new thread!

Going back to your previous thread, it is interesting how any kind of storm can lead to some transit chaos in city centers. Like you, I don't think that a culture of presenteeism is to be blamed... of course, I had to look up what that meant. For example, I have the ability to work from home, but that only works if I remember to bring my laptop home in advance, and quite frankly, I only bring the laptop home when I know that I will be working from home. I usually leave it at the office. It also supposes that I don't have meetings with supervisors, other senior staff or clients that requires me to be in the office (at least until an official cancellation of the meeting is sent out). Weather is hard to predict.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread! Enjoyed seeing your picture topping it.

Congrats on new thread!

Happy new thread! I agree with Eva, the snow pictures are nice to look - while cuddling on the sofa. ;)

Happy new thread!

have to say that snow is quite pretty. In pictures... :)

I'll agree with that, too!

Hi RP, are you still up for Rogue Male in March? Any particular time frame? I've also reminded Leslie as well.

>18 lkernagh: Thanks! I agree completely with your assessment of working from home. That's how it works in my office as well, with people generally coming in rather than adopting widespread teleworking. The option is nice to have, though.

>19 MissWatson: Thanks! :D

>20 thornton37814: Thanks! It was the best present I could have given myself.

>21 mamzel: Thanks! :D

>22 Chrischi_HH: Thanks! Yes, they are very nice to look at while cozy and warm on the sofa!

>23 tymfos: Thanks! I do love having a good amount of snow on the ground in winter -- I like my seasons to behave the way they're supposed to around here -- but having 51 cm of it fall at once was a bit much and definitely best enjoyed from indoors :)

>24 DeltaQueen50: I sure am! Just retrieved my copy from Overdrive! I have the book for three weeks so will probably start closer to the beginning of March.

****

As if last week's snowstorm wasn't enough, now we're getting a sloppy, messy system that's bringing snow, freezing rain, and regular rain. It was ice pellets on my way home (as my friend texted: "Ow! Pointy snow") and the sidewalks and roads were slushy and filled with icky meltwater. The buses were splashing up some pretty big waves. And all of that melted snow and slush will freeze right up again. Joy.

But it's perfect weather for reading and writing reviews. Here's a book I finished yesterday.

1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion, by Morgan Llywelyn
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: Chapters Bookstore, Dublin
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/108913798

A timely book, given that this year is the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising. Also, I bought this book in Dublin! The book itself was pretty good, and I'll continue with the series.

>25 rabbitprincess: Excellent, I will put Rogue Male at the top of the pile and start it sometime during the first week of March.

>25 rabbitprincess: 'Pointy snow' - I love that!

>25 rabbitprincess: I've checked with Leslie and it looks like all three of us will be starting Rogue Male next week. I'm looking forward to it.

>28 DeltaQueen50: So I went and looked and the book sounds interesting. I just couldn't figure out why you all would be so excited about reading a book with the title of Rogue Male!

>26 DeltaQueen50: >28 DeltaQueen50: Yay! I'll have to actually remember to have thoughts about it so we can discuss ;)

>27 LisaMorr: It's a very apt description!

>29 RidgewayGirl: HAHA! I just guffawed out loud. Yes, I can see where that title might raise an eyebrow!

> 29 Ha! I never really thought about what the title could imply! I am interested to see how close the 1941 movie, Manhunt, which is based on this book, came. Also, I have seen some rave reviews here on LT which tweaked my interest!

>31 DeltaQueen50: I will be interested to hear your perspective on the book vs. the movie! I actually know very little about this book other than it being on one of the Top 100 crime novel lists compiled by either the UK or the US crime writers' association.

****

I'm on a roll with language books. Just finished one, am flipping through another, and am planning to read a third at some point. I'm going to call it research for my stint as host of the June DeweyCAT, which focuses on the 400s (languages).

Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks, by Keith Houston
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/125088242

If you like to read about the history of the written word or enjoyed Eats, Shoots and Leaves, you might like this book. The author also has a blog on this topic: http://www.shadycharacters.co.uk/

Princess, is he talking about you?



Happy new thread!

>33 mstrust: Heeee!!! I did nearly drop to the floor after the photo op. Once I went to collect my photo, I dissolved into giggles and everything from the knees down turned to jelly. :D

Thanks for stopping by the new digs!

>25 rabbitprincess: Nice review of 1916. I have it on my TBR shelves. I do not know much about that time in history. Do you think that is a prerequisite for reading the book?

>35 Tara1Reads: Thanks! I don't think you need to know too much about the history going in. It may help if you recognize the names of some of the major players, but the characters provide enough background on how everyone relates to everyone else that I felt comfortable following along. Not sure I'd be able to explain everything to somebody else if they asked me, but within the confines of the story I was OK.

If you did want to read up on the history beforehand, I imagine there will be a few titles published this year to commemorate the anniversary (or there may have been some already).

****

Went shopping today. Needed new winter boots and a new raincoat for spring, and got both. Did not need a new dress or a new blouse, but they ended up coming home with me anyway :)

Hoping to spend some of this evening catching up with last week's episode of the DM radio show, which featured actor and comedian Peter Serafinowicz: https://www.mixcloud.com/sohoradio/david-morrissey-22022016/
The part I managed to listen to was in the second half of the show, in which they talked about narrating audiobooks (including DM's turn narrating Morrissey's autobiography).

****

This book occupied a fair chunk of my time yesterday.

The Blackheath Poisonings, by Julian Symons
Category: Thorne
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/125865348

I got sucked right into this one. Couldn't guess whodunnit. Kind of wish I hadn't read the epilogue so that I could preserve the mystery!

Editing to include a book I polished off this evening:

Glyph: A Visual Exploration of Punctuation Marks and Other Typographic Symbols, by Adriana Caneva and Shiro Nishimoto
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127288603

This ended up making a pretty good companion to Shady Characters mentioned above. I would have liked more typographical information though and less about the history, given that I had just read about it. Three stars for content and an extra 0.5 for the cuteness of the book.

I am unlikely to complete any of my books tonight, so let's call February done with a recap.

This felt like a more varied reading month. I had mysteries, travel, science fiction, history, and language passing through my brain in February. I also managed to finish my audiobook category in record time and started or continued subject-matter trends (medicine and language). The total number of books read for February was 16:

Scaredy Cat, by Mark Billingham
The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island, by Bill Bryson
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande (Overdrive)
Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries, ed. Martin Edwards
Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel
Sharpe's Tiger, by Bernard Cornwell (unfinished)
Frenchman's Creek, by Daphne du Maurier
A Man Lay Dead, by Ngaio Marsh
Last Chance to See… by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine (reread)
Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, by Douglas Adams (audio dramatization by Dirk Maggs)
Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot, by Mark Vanhoenacker (partly read)
Get Carter, by Ted Lewis
1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion, by Morgan Llywelyn
Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks, by Keith Houston
The Blackheath Poisonings, by Julian Symons
Glyph: A Visual Exploration of Punctuation Marks and Other Typographic Symbols, by Adriana Caneva and Shiro Nishimoto

My favourite book of the month was Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande. I was inspired to read this after reading Do No Harm in January, and both were my books of the month. Excellent reads.

My least favourite book was Sharpe's Tiger, by Bernard Cornwell. I've tried several times to read Cornwell books and have never finished one. It's frustrating because I love the concepts of the series he writes, but I can never sit through a whole book. Time to move on.

Of my February plans, I did not read the Agatha Christie audiobook, but did listen to a different one. I am still reading my February RandomCAT and have the Canadian Author Challenge book ready to go in my purse. Two of last month's library books were returned unread and a third was returned partly read.

Currently reading

The Wood Beyond, by Reginald Hill -- my February RandomCAT selection (it features the detective duo of Dalziel and Pascoe). It's a cumbersome hardcover but will become my bus book for the next day or so.
Dumfries and Galloway: Local, Characterful Guides to Britain's Special Places, by Donald Grieg -- a travel book I borrowed simply because the library ordered it. We visited this part of Scotland a couple of years ago and I'd love to see all the places we visited and get ideas for more places to see! For this reason it's a good bus book.
The Night Manager, by John le Carré -- this was my bus book for the past week but will have to be set aside for a while until I get some library books out of the way. Fortunately the miniseries doesn't start airing in North America until April, so I have a bit of time.
Runaway, by Peter May -- just added this today because it's due back at the library soon!

March plans

My RandomCAT selection for March is Trick or Treachery, by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain. It fits the theme of "celebration" by having a murder that takes place at a Halloween party.

With regard to Group Reads, I will be reading Rogue Male, by Geoffrey Household, with @DeltaQueen50 and @leslie.98. I know very little about this book so will be interested to see how it plays out.

On my library shelves this month:

World War Women, by Stacey Joanne Barker (a companion piece to the Canadian War Museum exhibit on the subject)
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup (poison and Agatha -- how could I resist?)
Sea of Stone, by Michael Ridpath (Fire and Ice series #4, set in present-day Iceland)
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective, by Kate Summerscale (borrowed after discussing Victorian-era crime with one of my friends)
A Small Death in the Great Glen, by A.D. Scott (Joanne Ross series #1 -- set in Scotland in the 1950s)
A Little More Free, by John McFetridge (Eddie Dougherty series #2 -- set in Montreal in the 1970s)
Fatal Passage: The Untold Story of John Rae, the Arctic Adventurer Who Discovered the Fate of Franklin, by Ken McGoogan (borrowed after watching Arctic Passage, a documentary about the Franklin expedition)
The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris, by Steve Martin, Cynthia Burlingham, and Andrew Hunter (yes, THAT Steve Martin)
Mr. and Mrs. Disraeli: A Strange Romance, by Daisy Hay (borrowed once and had to return unread -- MUST read it this time)
The Steel Bonnets: The Story of the Anglo-Scottish Border Reivers, by George MacDonald Fraser (inspired by the Dumfries and Galloway book)
Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps, by Kelly Williams Brown (inspired by some recent adulting of my own)

On my coffee table in the DVD stacks:

Hamlet at Elsinore (Christopher Plummer as Hamlet -- yeah yeah this was on the table last month too)
The Spill (documentary about BP prior to the Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010)
The Walking Dead, Season 5 (borrowing for the extra features)
The Man from UNCLE (this didn't get very good reviews, but I was curious anyway)

>36 rabbitprincess: That's true. I forgot that this year is the centennial.

Being Mortal was one of the best books I read last year. I've been recommending it to everyone I know, particularly those looking after elderly parents.

>29 RidgewayGirl: lol!

>28 DeltaQueen50:, >30 rabbitprincess:. I have gotten my copy of Rogue Male from the library (wish I could figure out what happened to the copy I owned!) and started last night. How does a buddy read like this work?

>40 leslie.98: I have started Rogue Male today. Leslie, I think we just read the book and if RP is ok with our using her thread, we can comment on the book here.

>38 Tara1Reads: It only just occurred to me when I picked up the book! I'd put it in my pool as a possibility for the Women BingoPUP (the author was over 60 when the book was published) and then noticed that it was also timely!

>39 pamelad: It was really good! And so important.

>40 leslie.98: >41 DeltaQueen50: Sure, you can pop by here to leave comments if you want! I'd love to play reading-group host. I'll start my copy once I finish Peter May's latest novel (it's due back either tomorrow or Friday).

****

Third time was the charm in terms of weather. We had our third winter storm warning in as many weeks -- the forecasts were calling for 25 cm of snow today, but we ended up getting only about half that. The storm ended up tracking north, which is a good thing for the local ski hills.

Monday, meanwhile, was incredibly windy. Stayed indoors and watched The Man from U.N.C.L.E., starring Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. I enjoyed it. It's a Guy Ritchie film so it does have the same sort of feel as the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes movies. If you liked those, you might like this one too. I certainly did.

****

February RandomCAT finished!

The Wood Beyond, by Reginald Hill
Category: Our Mutual Friend (RandomCAT)
Source: Friends of Library and Archives book sale
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70473970

I feel churlish giving this book anything less than a 3, but I did sleepwalk through most of it. I think I'm just reading Dalziel and Pascoe for the characters and dialogue, not so much the mysteries. The plots aren't simplistic -- far from it. They may just be too complicated for my brain to handle.

You've been reading up a storm!

Glad the last winter storm mostly missed you.

I have finished Rogue Male and will be posting my review on my thread this morning. I won't say much until I know everyone has finished, but personally, I loved it!

I'm sorry to put this in your head, but every time I see the words "Rogue Male" I think of the silly 80's band of the same name:


Please go back to your mature discussion of literature.

>43 tymfos: It does help that I read at breakfast, at lunch, on the bus, and instead of doing housework ;) We are all very glad to have missed out on the latest storm. Next week the temperatures will be above zero, so the melting will probably begin...

>44 DeltaQueen50: Wow! That was fast! I am glad you loved it!

>45 mstrust: Haha! I nominate Ripley Holden from Blackpool as my current favourite "rogue male": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPXb0BmMDn8#action=share

****

As I walk along, I wonder, how'd I read this so fast?

Runaway, by Peter May
Category: South Riding
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/126899141

I've enjoyed both Peter May books I've read so far. Both have been standalones and I've liked both for different reasons. The first one I read, Entry Island, I liked for the setting. This one I liked for the Swinging Sixties and all of the songs that got stuck in my head, including one that shares its name with the book's title.

Another book from the pool finished!

My Discovery of England, by Stephen Leacock
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/123134190

Overall an easy read, and I love the New Canadian Library edition I managed to find, but there is one essay with particularly outdated attitudes that I found irritating.

>46 rabbitprincess: I've watched that clip before, yet it still amazes me that it was a musical in which neither of the leads could sing- but they're very nice to look at! Note the first comment is "Now Kiss". Ha!

>48 mstrust: I can't decide who I'm more jealous of in that clip! Also, this really shows just how tall DM is. He's 6'3" and still manages to tower over David Tennant, who is 6'1".

And I LOVE the "I just found me a brand new box of matches" dance. :D

****

Polished off two books this weekend!

Rogue Male, by Geoffrey Household
Category: Our Mutual Friend (Group Reads)
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/126898595

I read this as a buddy read with @DeltaQueen50 and @leslie.98, and we all really liked it. Thanks for the prompt to pick it up!

World War Women, by Stacey Joanne Barker
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127062445

Another Canadian War Museum catalogue. I liked this one better than the Flanders one because it talks about knitting!

Also, an interesting trend with my history category: all five books in it so far were written by women! That trend will be broken eventually but I thought that was a great statistic.

I feel like I haven't had much time to read recently. Annoying! And yet here I am with reviews.

Sea of Stone, by Michael Ridpath
Category: Thorne
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127257421

Well, now that that narrative arc in the Fire and Ice series is mostly wrapped up, where to next? I'll be interested to find out. In the meantime, yay, I'm up to date on a series! (There are a couple of .5 installments, but I don't count those.)

Trick or Treachery, by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
Category: The Walking Dead
Source: EVM
Rating: 1/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/92648569

I was prompted to try this by the March RandomCAT, because the story was about a murder at a Halloween party. Ended up declaring it a DNF because I found the narrative voice unbelievable and the dialogue laden with exposition and clunky-sounding remarks. But still, it's been tried and now it is going out of the house.

It's the weekend, and spring seems to be approaching. High of 12 degrees today. And enough snow has melted that I might actually be able to wear shoes outside instead of boots! Shoes always feel so light after a winter spent clomping around in boots.

Yesterday my BF watched Spellbound, which I borrowed for him from the library. Gregory Peck was adorable, and Ingrid Bergman was excellent as always. And there's a trippy dream sequence designed by Salvador Dali himself. I ended up watching more of the movie than I intended -- normally I am not really a big movie watcher because I don't have the attention span for them. (And yet I can spend hours reading a book...)

A most interesting book from the library:

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127214420

Worth reading if you like Agatha's books involving poison. It's structured so that you can read just the chapters for books you've already read, which is helpful. The arsenic and strychnine chapters were the best. Also, the bibliography cites The Arsenic Century, by James Whorton, which I highly recommend as well.

Twelve degrees?! You should be in a full snow suit and skis!

>52 mstrust: Twelve degrees Celsius, I mean ;) For some people here, that's shorts weather!

>51 rabbitprincess: Oh, I love Spellbound! I'm glad your winter snow is melting. I think it's already summer here. :-( I just took the dogs out and it was too hot for my comfort. One of the local stations says it's 77F/25C at the moment, but it feels warmer than that here.

Wow, 12 degrees would be great! We're still in single figures (just about single figures +, rather than single figures -, so I suppose I should be grateful for that!). At least we are starting to see some of the spring flowers coming up - crocuses, snowdrops, early daffodils - and a couple of days ago on a walk I saw some lambs for the first time this year, so it looks like spring is on the way. I'm really hoping we actually have a summer this year - last year we seemed to miss out summer altogether, other than a couple of days!

>54 cbl_tn: Wow, already 25 degrees C? My wardrobe full of dresses would love that kind of weather! But yes I can see where it would be uncomfortable especially when it's only March!

Spellbound was indeed interesting. D'aaawwww Gregory Peck! He and Jimmy Stewart are my favourite classic Hollywood actors.

>55 Jackie_K: Awww! Lambs! Glad to hear the flowers are starting to come up too. Hope you end up having a summer this year!

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I've done some housekeeping on the category front: combined my audiobook and French categories into one post, renamed the Group Reads category to "Our Mutual Friend" (@MissWatson and @kac522 should be happy :D), and created an "abandoned reads" category called The Walking Dead. Sadly, it's because I seem to be abandoning books at a steady clip this year and I didn't want them cluttering up my main challenge. Here's another one.

A Small Death in the Great Glen, by A.D. Scott
Category: The Walking Dead
Source: library
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127288785

Good idea for a series, good setting and an interesting time period to examine. However, it felt like it was way longer than it needed to be, and the story didn't seem to be moving very fast. Also, one of the characters' names kept changing, which is an indication that the book may not have received as thorough an editing job as it should have. Ah well, this is one series I can cross off the list, at any rate.

>56 rabbitprincess: Sorry to hear about the A.D. Scott series as I have the first two books sitting on my shelf. Poor editing can drive one crazy and I am sure when I get to the first book it may be enough to have me toss it aside as well.

>56 rabbitprincess: & >57 DeltaQueen50:
Oh no. I have a couple of those as well...

>57 DeltaQueen50: It also didn't help that I was reading a library copy and a previous reader was similarly vexed by some editorial lapses (corrected in pen!). But the previous reader didn't notice the name change either! I noticed because the character's real name is Don McLeod and it kept changing to Don McLean, so I had "American Pie" getting stuck in my head periodically.

Maybe the second book is better than the first! I generally don't have much luck with first in series read first, or at least it often seems that way! You'd think I'd learn not to start at the beginning ;)

>58 -Eva-: Maybe you'll have better luck than I did? Could also have been just the wrong book at the wrong time.

>59 rabbitprincess: And you would think that I would learn to stop buying two or three books in a series when I haven't read the first one!

>61 DeltaQueen50:
You'd think. My worst one was a series where I picked up the first six books (because I liked the locale) and then turned out not to like the author's style at all. :(

>51 rabbitprincess: That book sounds interesting. I've always liked Agatha Christie's mysteries and I really enjoyed The Poisoner's Handbook. I'll have to keep this book in mind.

>61 DeltaQueen50: It can be hard to resist, especially if you see multiple installments at a library book sale!

>62 -Eva-: Ouch! Six books! I hope they were at least cheap :(

>63 mathgirl40: A is for Arsenic name-checks The Poisoner's Handbook in the bibliography or "further reading" section, so if you liked that one, this might be worth checking out.

>64 rabbitprincess:
I'm pleading the fifth. I'm not known for making overly frugal decisions when it comes to book-shopping. :)

>62 -Eva-: Yes, I've done that, too. And then got rid of all of them after reading the first in the series. Which led to my single book buying rule: I can't buy a book by an author I haven't read if I already have one of their books on my tbr. If I've read something by the author already, then all restrictions are off.

I will confess that when I started a couple of cozy mystery series, I went wild at some library sales and bought lots (and I do mean lots) of books from many series indiscriminately. Eventually I realized I wouldn't read all these series and didn't even like some of them and purged many series back to the FOL for the sales.

>65 -Eva-: Duly noted! It can be difficult to be frugal when purchasing books ;)

>66 RidgewayGirl: That is an excellent rule.

>67 dudes22: I wonder if some of those series books have been bought and purged several times over!

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I've been experimenting with keeping a book at the office to read on my breaks. This is the latest book I finished at the office, and I think I should have read it at home.

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, by Kate Summerscale
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127257393

The story was interesting enough, and I liked the comparisons between real life and sensation novels -- I got a fair bit out of those sections by virtue of having read The Woman in White, and anyone who's read The Moonstone will get even more out of the comparisons. But I think this needed to be read in long stretches.

>68 rabbitprincess: It is a rule forged in the ashes of my many, many poor book buying decisions.

I really liked The Suspicions of Mr Whicher. It was a book that hit just the right note for me, but then I'm a big Lizzie Borden/ Jack the Ripper fan. That sounds weird, but I guess I really like Victorian murders. : )

>66 RidgewayGirl: Ah "The Ridgeway Rule" - sound like one I should adopt!

>69 RidgewayGirl: I'm trying to adopt the rule of buying only books I've already added to my TBR list instead of mindlessly picking up new ones. Trying to steer my impulse energies toward the library.

>70 mstrust: It was definitely interesting subject matter! I just think I would have got more out of it if I'd read it at home on the weekend instead of over two weeks or so at lunch. And now I want to pick up some of the sensation novels she discusses! I have a copy of Armadale on the iPad...

>71 DeltaQueen50: I like it!

>72 rabbitprincess: I'm trying to steer my impulse energies towards the wishlist! So far this year it's mostly working (I've been hit with nearly 30 BBs already this year, and only bought 3 of them). The wishlist is acting as much as a place-holder or reminder as anything else - if someone wants to buy me something then great, but if not I'll go through it every now and then and either prune it back, or check out the library (or, er, occasionally buy myself a treat).

>73 Jackie_K: Yay! I'm glad to hear the wishlist is working out. That reminds me, mine is probably due for a pruning...

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I've felt kind of restless in my reading this week. Haven't been able to settle much. I've been out a lot, which probably hasn't helped. A friend of mine was bunny-sitting for another friend, so naturally I had to go visit three times over the course of the week. The bunny really enjoys running around my friend's study and sniffing all the plants. And much to my friend's horror, the bunny has acquired a taste for cables. She chomped through an HDMI cable and did a number on another cable. Naughty bunny!

Here she is sharing a cup of tea:



In addition to bunny-watching, I've been out shopping and also visited the World War Women exhibit at the War Museum, which was interesting, although I think reading the catalogue beforehand was a bit of a spoiler :P Also bought a nice notebook at the gift shop that I discovered was produced by the Imperial War Museums... that may explain why I liked it so much.

****

I did manage to finish this book, but only by making it my bus book for the rest of the week:

Fatal Passage, by Ken McGoogan
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl (breaking the streak of all female authors... oh well)
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127444534

I've been interested in all things Arctic and Northwest Passage lately, and this is a very good read indeed. John Rae, the man chronicled in this book, was an indefatigable explorer who also obtained the first significant reports of what happened to the Franklin expedition. Unfortunately, he was not believed by the Admiralty, and he was discredited during his lifetime. He and his Inuit sources have subsequently been proven correct.

>72 rabbitprincess: I liked Armadale when I read it a couple of years ago, but not quite as much as No Name.

>75 cbl_tn: Hm, No Name is also on my to-read list! Maybe I should get a copy of that for the iPad as well.

****

Edit to add another review...

The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris, by Steve Martin et al.
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127444810

I was really getting this for the paintings, and it delivers admirably on that front. The essay about Harris's sketches was interesting, but the prefaces by the three primary authors were a bit overlapping and repetitive. Still, the book as a whole is worth perusing.

>74 rabbitprincess: Who could blame you for going to see a bunny three times? I had a pet rabbit as a kid and they're adorable. Sounds like you've had an interesting week with the museum, rabbit and Fatal Passage.

>77 mstrust: They are super adorable! My family had two rabbits over the years and I would like to have my own someday, but I'm not responsible enough yet. It has been an interesting week. Glad to have two short weeks to close off the month (I get both Good Friday and Easter Monday off).

>72 rabbitprincess: >75 cbl_tn: Just added both No Name and Armadale to the Kindle. Free books are hard to resist and it's good to have a few years' worth of reading in reserve, just in case.

>79 pamelad: Good thinking! You can never have too big a stockpile of books in reserve.

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Sunday seems to be my literary housekeeping day. Finished off two books.

Dumfries and Galloway: Local, characterful guides to Britain's Special Places (Bradt Travel Guides (Slow Travel))
Category: not categorized
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/126250952

Not categorizing this because it was borrowed solely to flip through, but couldn't leave it unchronicled. Worth checking out if you are interested in visiting this part of Scotland.

Adulting, by Kelly Williams Brown
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127523183

I really enjoyed this book, especially the first half. Am thinking of getting my own copy, mainly for the cleaning and the "fake it till you make it" chapter about work.

Adulting sounds interesting. Not that it's a goal of mine to become an adult, but there are days when I have to act as if I were one.

>74 rabbitprincess: - What a sweet looking bunny... even if it has an love for electronics cables!

Ah, rabbits. When my daughter was seven we got her the two rabbits she'd wanted since she could barely walk. We were assured that the average lifespan of this kind of rabbit was five years. While one did die on time, the other is still going strong and my daughter is fifteen. My father, who is caring for the rabbit while we're in Germany, has begun feeding it things like tortilla chips and cranberries, but these just seem to encourage it to stick around. He does get the run of a large screened-in porch, which he seems to enjoy.

The ship notebook is lovely!

>74 rabbitprincess: Bunny! So cute.

>81 -Eva-: It's a good book for those kinds of days. I feel like I'm only just now learning how to be an adult, despite having been full-time employed since leaving university. I'm particularly keen on the parts that help you cope with small talk and other social situations.

>82 lkernagh: Yes, my friend couldn't stay mad at that cute little face for too long!

>83 RidgewayGirl: They can live a surprisingly long time! My family had two rabbits over the course of my childhood and both of them lived to be about 8 or 9, maybe even older (we're not entirely sure how old they were when we got them, but they were certainly at least a year old). Maybe your rabbit thrives on tortilla chips and cranberries! And having regular exercise would certainly help keep it feeling young at heart.

The bunny-sat bunny in my previous post was introduced to grapes (a huge hit) and bok choy (also a success).

>84 luvamystery65: Totally adorable!

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Bunny news flash: we just learned from the bunny's actual owner that she is actually a boy. The, ahem, "evidence" was more visible than before. A name change is in the works.

Apparently Mother Nature did not get the memo that it's springtime in Ottawa. We're under a winter storm warning for tomorrow and into Friday. Fortunately, the storm track seems to suggest more snow than ice pellets, at least for the period where I'll be out of the house. All of my coworkers who took tomorrow off to extend their Easter weekends had the right idea!

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Given the number of books I've felt indifferent about or abandoned this month, I think it's March Meh-ness around here.

Henry IV Part I, by William Shakespeare
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: Bearly Used Books, Parry Sound, ON
Rating: 2/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112147664

It helped me greatly to envision Jeremy Irons, Tom Hiddleston, and Simon Russell Beale in the roles of Henry IV, Prince Hal, and Falstaff respectively. Otherwise, I wouldn't have progressed as far as I did. This was a tough one for me.

The Adulting blog has gone pretty quiet since the book came out, but I used to read it regularly, trying to get a handle on that "adult" thing.

>87 paruline: It's such a relief to know that other people struggle with adulthood too! Currently my coping strategy is to surround myself with people of my parents' generation, so that I don't have to be a grownup ;)

One of my favourite quotes (in the sense of "YES! This is me!") from the book was this one, from the first chapter:

"We all sense our own dysfunction so clearly....We don't remember the fourteen things we do reasonably well; we remember our one arena of miserable failure."

A bumper crop of reviews on this Good Friday. Long weekends are good for literary housekeeping.

The Case of the Vagabond Virgin, by Erle Stanley Gardner
Category: Thorne
Source: EVM
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/88362548

Of the four Perry Masons on my shelf, I chose this one to read first because of the ridiculous title and pulpy cover to go with it. Started it yesterday and blitzed through the rest this afternoon. Slightly predictable but not taxing at all.

The Night Manager, by John le Carré
Category: The Walking Dead
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 2/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/118502833

I think I'll just watch the TV adaptation. The storytelling style in this one felt too far removed from the action.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore
Category: The Deal (March DeweyCAT), The Walking Dead
Source: mysterymax, who had an extra copy :)
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/119684246

I like the idea behind this book; however, I just couldn't get into it for whatever reason. Maybe not having any formal religious education whatsoever means that references are going over my head. I wouldn't discourage anyone from reading it if they wanted to, but it did not work for me personally.

****

Just saw that CBC will be airing And Then There Were None (the recent BBC adaptation with Aidan Turner)! Airing in two parts starting on Monday, March 28. I'd requested it from the library, but it's still showing as On Order, and I'm 37th in line on 1 copy so it might be a while before I get to it that way. But because CBC might cut things in order to accommodate commercials, I'll still watch it from the library to get the whole picture.

Have a Happy Easter!

I just watched And Then There Were None and it is excellent. I can't recommend it highly enough. The acting is superb, the setting is glorious and I loved the costuming. Enjoy it!

>90 mstrust: Thanks, and a happy Easter to you too! This is the best/worst time of year for me because there are lots of adorable bunny-themed things around, but I don't have the money or house space to buy all of them. ;)

>91 RidgewayGirl: Very glad to hear that! The commercial looked great. It did, however, feature Charles Dance most prominently, almost to the exclusion of the other actors, which seemed kind of like a spoiler to me. Or could that be because I've already read the book and know what's going to happen?

****

One book review on this Easter weekend. Hoping to read some more over the rest of the long weekend.

A Little More Free: An Eddie Dougherty Mystery, by John McFetridge
Category: Thorne
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127348094

An interesting series set in Montreal about 40 years ago. This is the second book and is set during the Summit Series (between Canada and the Soviet Union) in 1972. Will have to go back and read the first book.

>92 rabbitprincess: I'm afraid I mostly noticed Aidan Turner. I realize that this is very shallow of me.

>93 RidgewayGirl: If what I hear about him parading around in only a towel is true, you would have been heroic indeed to notice anything else.

Happy Easter!

>93 RidgewayGirl: Kay, there you go again name-dropping Aiden Turner. Making a mental note....

>96 VictoriaPL: He's sooooo good! :D

****

One last review for the month, then a recap.

Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth, by Terrance Dicks
Category: Doctor Who, Our Mutual Friend
Source: used book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/102150220

A classic First Doctor story with iconic imagery and some unintentially amusing moments. Very good.

Monthly recap

I had a very ornery month in March. Impatience with my reading led me to declare four books DNFs:

Trick or Treachery, by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
A Small Death in the Great Glen, by A.D. Scott
The Night Manager, by John le Carré
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore

As for "actually finished" books, there were 16 of those:

The Wood Beyond, by Reginald Hill
Runaway, by Peter May
My Discovery of England, by Stephen Leacock
Rogue Male, by Geoffrey Household
World War Women: Canadian Women and Total War, by Stacey Joanne Barker
Sea of Stone, by Michael Ridpath
A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup
The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective, by Kate Summerscale
Fatal Passage: The Untold Story of John Rae, the Arctic Adventurer Who Discovered the Fate of Franklin, by Ken McGoogan
The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris, by Steve Martin, Cynthia Burlingham, Andrew Hunter, and Karen Quinn
Bradt Slow Travel Dumfries and Galloway
Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468(ish) Easy Steps, by Kelly Williams Brown
Henry IV, Part 1, by William Shakespeare
The Case of the Vagabond Virgin, by Erle Stanley Gardner
A Little More Free, by John McFetridge
Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth, by Terrance Dicks

My favourite book of the month was Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps, by Kelly Williams Brown. Non-fiction continues to rock my socks this year for whatever reason. I enjoyed this guide and hope to get my own copy.

My least favourite book was Trick or Treachery, by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain. I gave up after three chapters. It was painful to read.

I accomplished both of my planned reads for March (Trick or Treachery for the RandomCAT, and Rogue Male for a group read) and read all but two of my library books. One I decided to strike off the to-read list, the other I am keeping on the list for now.

Currently reading

Mon ami Maigret, by Georges Simenon -- borrowed from a friend and my first French book of the year. I'm actually able to read it on the bus, which is awesome and makes me feel very accomplished.
The Cornish Trilogy, by Robertson Davies -- I got a head start on the April to June group read and have already begun The Rebel Angels, the first volume of the trilogy. Last time I tried to read the trilogy, I stopped at page 218 or 219 of this book. I hope to progress further than that, at least!
The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov -- picked up because Asmodeus the cat from Rogue Male reminded me of the cat in this book. I have the Hugh Aplin translation published by Alma Classics.
Under Enemy Colors, by S. Thomas Russell -- the first in the Lt. Charles Hayden series, which is set during the late 18th century. It's set in the same time period as the Richard Bolitho series but the writing is more substantial. Even so, it's flying by fairly quickly.

April plans

I read my RandomCAT selection early -- it was Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth, by Terrance Dicks. I figured it fit the Earth Day theme because an invading Dalek force would in theory force everyone to band together and fight. Also, the Daleks are destroying the Earth.

As for Group Reads, I hope to get through the first part of the Cornish Trilogy, by Robertson Davies, this month. That's why I started a bit early, in hopes of getting a toehold in. Now I just have to make sure I don't get distracted by the library.

On my library shelves this month:

Tambora: The Eruption that Changed the World, by Gillen D'Arcy Wood
Works Well With Others: An Outsider's Guide to Shaking Hands, Shutting Up, Handling Jerks, and Other Crucial Skills in Business That No One Ever Teaches You, by Ross McCammon
God Save the Mark, by Donald E. Westlake (Overdrive)
After the Crash, by Michel Bussi (translated from the French Un avion sans elle by Sam Taylor)
A Burial at Sea, by Charles Finch
The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English, by Roy Peter Clark
The Arctic Grail: The Quest for the North West Passage and the North Pole, 1818-1909, by Pierre Berton
Lonely Planet London

On my coffee table in the DVD stacks:

Shakespeare Uncovered, Series 2 - PBS series examining six different Shakespeare plays
The Tempest - Shakespeare's Globe production featuring Roger Allam as Prospero
Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, Volume 2 - starring Joan Hickson as Miss Marple

I just read Burial at Sea and enjoyed the different location for the mystery. It's one of my favorite series.

>98 rabbitprincess: I'll be looking forward to your thoughts on The Arctic Grail. I love polar tales.

>99 dudes22: I'm looking forward to it as well! All things nautical have been catching my interest lately.

>100 VictoriaPL: It's a huge book, so there will probably be a lot of thoughts ;) Pierre Berton is a very reliable author, so I'm eager to get into it!

>98 rabbitprincess: I read Tambora in 2014. It's a great book and really shows how interconnected the world's weather is.

>102 inge87: I'm reading it right now! It's due back at the library tomorrow and can't be renewed, so I might have to re-request it if I can't finish in time. Such are the perils of having too many library books out at once ;)

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First book of April is a sea story.

Under Enemy Colors, by S. Thomas Russell
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/128121154

Overall I enjoyed this book and would probably continue reading the series. It's roughly the same time period as Poldark, but set on the seas. This is also the time period of Richard Bolitho, but Russell's writing is meatier than the Bolitho books. There is one French error in this book but I can't tell whether it's actually an error with the French or a brain cramp in the English translation brought on by the similarity between the terms "larboard" and "starboard" (and this is why the Royal Navy started using "port"...). Still, very good.

We've gone back in time to January... it started snowing this afternoon and we're supposed to have up to 15 cm in places. North and west of the city have received more snow, which is good for places like Mont-Tremblant I guess (one last kick at the can for ski season). But there are people who already got their snow tires removed who must have been cursing the weather gods today. I was not particularly happy either. After the big storm in February I have been officially done with winter. Tonight the temperature is supposed to go up and the precipitation will change over to rain, so I hope most of the snow will wash away.

All this to say it was a good evening to stay in and read. Ended up finishing off a book I started yesterday:

Works Well with Others, by Ross McCammon (um, no, touchstones, NOT "The Grapes of Wrath")
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/128326097

This follows on somewhat from my reading of Adulting -- me trying to get a handle on being a grownup in the world of work. I found this amusing and occasionally instructive (although in some instances, it was more of him showing dumb things he'd done and saying "don't do what I did here"). Worth flipping through at the library.

>104 rabbitprincess: We had snow here in New England all day Monday so I feel your pain.

I'll pass on the snow as well, but it is a great reason to stay indoors and read! :)

>104 rabbitprincess: Touchstones have been weird lately. So far (to name a few) they've thought Lord of the World was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Seven Last Words was The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The House of Gold was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and The Blue Whale was Moby Dick. At least the last two both involve whales. :)

>98 rabbitprincess: Your reading and DVD-watching plans look great! I really like Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. I also love Roger Allam in the Endeavour series and would be interested in seeing him as Prospero. If you've not seen it yet, I'd recommend the 2010 Stratford production with Christopher Plummer as Prospero.

>105 leslie.98: I think you might have had the system that hit Toronto on the weekend. That one missed us and then we got a system from Winnipeg. I hope this is winter's last gasp.

>106 -Eva-: It sure is!

>107 inge87: Good, I'm glad it's not just me having weird touchstone gremlins!

>108 mathgirl40: Hoping I'll have enough time to get through everything! I LOVE Roger Allam. He's so solid and reassuring, and what a lovely voice. Will see if I can find Christopher Plummer's interpretation of Prospero. Plummer makes an appearance on my Shakespeare Uncovered DVD talking about King Lear.

****

Went to see Hangmen tonight. The cinema billed it as an NT Live "premiere" because this was the first showing in Canada, but really it's an encore because the original live screening was March 3. No matter. I am grateful for the opportunity to have seen it. The first act is funnier than the second act, but the whole play is very well done. There's one scene in Act 2 I found impressive: Albert Pierrepoint comes to Harry's pub and gives him a dressing-down for talking to the press, and Pierrepoint, a very tall gentleman, actually looms over Harry, played by 6'3" David Morrissey. David's whole posture changes and he seems to shrink before our eyes. This was after cutting an intimidating figure himself in Act 1, during the scene in which he hangs Hennessey.

I am now looking forward to reading the play text, playing all the parts and doing abominable impressions of a Northern English accent (not within earshot of anyone from northern England). I need a dialect coach or a move to England ;)

Thought it was high time for a bit of sci-fi.

Fear of the Dark, by Trevor Baxendale
Category: Doctor Who
Source: BMV
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/124548903

The Fifth Doctor, Tegan, and Nyssa confront a horrifying entity in this story, which takes place some time after the TV story "Earthshock". The monster was creepy enough to make me exclaim out loud repeatedly (prompting confusion on the BF's part), but the story itself ran a bit overlong. So recommended with reservations.

Hi! Hope all is well with you. I'm not so much catching up, but jumping around all the past posts I haven't had time to read. Lol.

I dropped by to say hi and this guy followed me in. Sorry!

>111 andreablythe: Thanks for stopping by! Going by your thread, it sounds like you've been busy with lots of cool things!

>112 mstrust: :D :D :D He can follow you over here ANY time!

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Dear Spring: Where the heck are you? It was minus 4 this morning. It's mid-April for pete's sake! -- RP

Dear RP: It will be 20 degrees on Sunday! Hold your horses. -- Spring

Oh, yeah, busier than busy. But in a good way.

Yikes! That's cold!

>113 rabbitprincess: I think our weather is going in the opposite direction. After vaguely spring-like weather last week it has been cold and overcast this week, and I have just read on social media that there is a yellow warning for snow in our area on Friday! The poor daffodils are hanging on in there, but are starting to look a bit bedraggled.

>113 rabbitprincess: - Minus 4 degrees.... Brrrrr! Talk like that has me reaching for my woolly scarf/ hat and mitts! Here is hoping that spring comes your way soon!

>114 andreablythe: Yay, the good kind of busy! Glad to hear it :)

On the other hand, the cold mornings and relatively warm days have been great for maple syrup! It is set to be a record season, from what I hear.

>115 Jackie_K: Aaaaa! I hope that snow warning didn't result in snow! A couple of nights ago I dreamed it was snowing again and was not happy about it!

>116 lkernagh: Yep, the mornings have definitely been calling for scarves and mitts! But spring is here now, I think. It's supposed to get up to about 15 C today and then of course 20 C on Sunday. Woo hoo!! I am going out for tea on Sunday and am glad it will be warm enough for dresses.

****

April has been a bit slow for me in terms of reading, for whatever reason. Just can't seem to get stuck in books for too long. Hoping a week's vacation at my parents' place will help. Trying not to pack too much reading material because I will likely go shopping and/or borrow books from my parents. I also have a book of James Herriot stories that I picked for the BingoDOG (read a book by an author born in 1916), but it's a big hardcover and I don't really have much room for those here, so I'm hoping to read it in spurts over the course of the year whenever I'm at my parents' place.

Anyway, here's a book I did manage to finish:

For Who the Bell Tolls: One Man's Quest for Grammatical Perfection, by David Marsh
Category: The Deal (June DeweyCAT)
Source: Perfect Books, Ottawa
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/109675936

The only reason this isn't a five-star book is that I can't help but compare it to The Sense of Style (and of the two, Style is the one I'd recommend more). Still, it has a couple of very useful chapters on commonly misused words, and the overall tone is delightful. The bibliography will also add to your TBR if you like this sort of book.

I set this book aside for the June DeweyCAT, which is about the 400s. It would be a good choice for this challenge! (I'm hosting the challenge and really looking forward to it :D)

Have a good time at your parents- and a big "Yea!" for maple syrup prices coming down so we can all stock up!

Have a great time on your vacation! I'm going back to Sweden in May and I've already made a list of books I want to read while I'm there, but I would need a MUCH longer vacation to fit them all in. :)

>117 rabbitprincess: Bummer! My library doesn't seem to own For Who the Bell Tolls. But in a similar vein, you might like Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss, which is a (an?) hysterical look at punctuation.

For Who the Bell Tolls sounds interesting - just requested it via an inter-library loan. Still suffering from comma obsession after Confessions of a Comma Queen so I'm hoping Marsh's book doesn't exacerbate the problem.

I'm also disproportionately pleased about the bumper crop of maple syrup. It's almost as good as when I learned about Canada keeping strategic reserves of the stuff.

>118 mstrust: Thanks! I'm not sure how the supply will affect prices. There may be more set aside in the "maple syrup reserves" that the federation of maple syrup producers (in Quebec) maintains in case of a lean year.

>119 -Eva-: Thanks! I hope you have a great vacation in Sweden and that you get as many of those books read as you are able! I agree, there's so many books to cram into one's vacation.

>120 kac522: I read Eats, Shoots and Leaves a while ago, and For Who the Bell Tolls mentions it as well. David Marsh would say "a hysterical". ;)

>121 pamelad: I have a comma problem too -- at work I am known for putting in too many commas in an attempt to be hyper-clear about things. Also, the in-house style is to use the Oxford comma. But I like Marsh's approach to the Oxford comma, which is to use it when needed for clarity but to dispense with it when unnecessary (don't rigidly insist on its use at all times or ban it at all times). I will have to check out Confessions of a Comma Queen!

>122 RidgewayGirl: And then there was the time that a batch of maple syrup was stolen! The use of the word "heist' made it sound comical. I think it would be a great subject for a TV movie ;)

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Vacation is off to an excellent start so far. I attended a concert on Saturday (and ran into someone from Ottawa at the show, oddly enough) and went out for afternoon tea today. It was SOOOO good. We then went for a stroll in the park, because the weather was gorgeous. I already have my first sunburn of the year. Oops!

I also managed to finish a book on the train ride down:

Last Seen Wearing..., by Hillary Waugh
Category: Thorne
Source: one of the bookstores in Wigtown, Scotland
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/109072417

This was a good choice for the train because I had time to get stuck into it properly. I was a bit confused at first because I thought it was set in the UK and then it started talking about Philadelphia. I guess I thought Waugh sounded British! Anyway, it was a very good read. Better than I was expecting.

>123 rabbitprincess: One of the funniest tweets I saw recently was by an account called Shit Academics Say, one of my favourites: "3 things I like: lists, the Oxford comma and irony". Well it made me laugh :)

>124 Jackie_K: Haha! I just laughed out loud at my computer. Excellent tweet :)

My vacation is almost over -- I go back home on Friday, and then it will be the weekend and back to work on Monday. Yikes! But it has been great for reading and for book buying... I stopped at my favourite BMV on Edward Street and was slightly profligate in my shopping. Here's what I bought:

Turlough and the Earthlink Dilemma, by Tony Attwood -- part of the "Companions of Doctor Who" series. Haha this has a 2.56 rating on Goodreads. What have I got myself into?
Illegal Alien, by Mike Tucker and Robert Perry -- part of the "Monsters" collection of Doctor Who stories. Features the Cybermen and the Seventh Doctor.
The Silent Stars Go By, by Dan Abnett -- part of the "50th Anniversary Collection" of Doctor Who. This is the Eleventh Doctor's story in that series. @VioletBramble read this one recently, I believe.
Walking Wounded, by William McIlvanney -- looks to be a short story collection. There were two McIlvanneys on the shelves but this one looked more interesting. Also, it was only a dollar! Score!
Hannibal's War: Books 21-30, by Livy, translated by J.C. Yardley -- feeding my Latin bug
Cause Celebre, by Terence Rattigan -- now THIS was a find! Highly appropriate, too, given that it is one of my categories :)

My parents asked if I would have room in my suitcase. Of course I will! I brought back one of their books (a big fat hardcover of The Night Manager) and the only books I brought for reading are the ones in my purse. I did find it stressful to bring "only" three books for reading, but obviously I'm surviving on the scraps in my bookshelves here, as evidenced by this reread...

The Best of James Herriot, by James Herriot
Category: Sense and Sensibility
Source: EVM
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/72700899

I had intended to read this gradually over my next few visits home, but I ended up plowing through it in two days despite its size. All of the stories were familiar as soon as I stepped into them. Looking forward to reading more of his work and possibly checking out All Creatures Great and Small.

Wow, I just noticed today that I have 1000 reviews! One is in French; all the rest are labelled as English. Hoping to have review 1001 up this weekend.

>127 rabbitprincess: Outstanding!

Congrats on the 1,000 reviews!

Yes, that is very very impressive (I think I'm at the grand total of 3!) and dedicated of you!

Wow! I have a few hundred but 1000 is impressive!

Wow, that's a big number! Very impressive!

>128 mamzel: And astonishing!

>129 DeltaQueen50: Thanks! :)

>130 Jackie_K: Some are more dashed-off than others, but yes I do find it a good exercise to write down something for most books I read.

>131 VictoriaPL: It is such a pleasing round number too!

>132 mstrust: Yum! Thank you! The BBC makes the best chocolate cakes.

****

Going home today. Will be off to another book sale tomorrow, but in the meantime I'm being very good about reading books I already own.

The Tempest, by William Shakespeare
Category: The Hollow Crown, Sense and Sensibility
Source: a gift, according to my catalogue -- probably my parents bought it for me
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/70444628

I think I'll have to watch another production of this play to get the full benefit. Wasn't in the ideal headspace for this one.

Congratulations on 1001!

>127 rabbitprincess: Wow, over 1000 reviews! Very impressive. Congratulations!

>126 rabbitprincess: I would definitely recommend All Creatures Great and Small if you haven't read it before.

And I echo all the others in offering congratulations on reaching over 1000 reviews!

A thousand reviews is impressive. And I hope your vacation has you rested and ready to rejoin the fray.

1,000 reviews is great! I might comment on my thread about a book, but rarely post an actual review.

Thank you all for the congratulations!

>134 paruline: I like that 1001 is a palindrome ;)

>135 mathgirl40: Some of them go back to 2008 or even earlier! Some are from reading journals I kept in middle school, and those are funny/embarrassing.

>136 leslie.98: I saw a few James Herriots at the book sale this morning, but not that one. I'd also like to watch the TV series. I did get as far as borrowing it from the library but ran out of time to watch it.

>137 RidgewayGirl: It was a very re-energizing vacation. A good balance between activities and downtime, and lots of catching up with people. That was satisfying.

>138 dudes22: In some cases if I'm really stuck I'll just post the comments on my thread and then use them as my review!

****

A very satisfying morning/afternoon out at the used book sale. This was a new one to me -- a sale run by the public library at a branch I haven't visited before (but that is in the same neighbourhood as the AMAZING book sale I went to in November). This sale was huge! I got there 20 minutes early and there was a long lineup of people waiting to get in. It was close quarters but fortunately most people were very good about moving along and allowing people to get through.

I was highly efficient, picking up most of my haul before I managed to find my friend. It is also a somewhat virtuous haul in that nearly half of it will be going to my parents on my next visit.

These four books are for me:

Pilote de guerre, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (available in English as Flight to Arras)
La Louve de France, by Maurice Druon (Les rois maudits / The Accursed Kings series #5, in English as The She-Wolf of France)
Child's Play, by Reginald Hill (Dalziel and Pascoe #9)
Nonsense Novels, by Stephen Leacock (in a cool old-school New Canadian Library edition)

These three books will be going to my parents:

Shave the Whales, by Scott Adams (a very early Dilbert collection -- my parents' place is the repository for all of our comic-strip books)
Dilbert Gives You the Business, by Scott Adams (a Dilbert compilation I borrowed from the library and liked, and think my parents should have)
Afterglow and Nightfall, by Edith Pargeter (Brothers of Gwynedd #4 -- my parents have #3 in the series, so now we just need books 1 and 2!)

My friend was tremendously restrained and bought only one book (Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann). Then we had brunch at a nearby pub. All that food and the buzz of the sale, plus the frenzy of reorganizing I just embarked on in order to fit all my purchases on my shelves, means that I could do with a nap. zzzzz

>136 leslie.98: >139 rabbitprincess: The TV series is utterly wonderful - it instantly transports me back to my late 70s/early 80s childhood. We all had a huge crush on Peter Davidson (Tristan), and then were beside ourselves when he became Dr Who.

>127 rabbitprincess:
Congrats!! That's a great number - I'm hoping to join you in the 1000s by the end of this year. :)

>140 Jackie_K:
Ditto for me regarding Davidson! Tristan was very dashing, was he not?! :)

Congratulations on your 1001 reviews.

Have you come across Schmerguls who must be in his eighties, at least, and has posted over 5000 reviews? I'm so impressed by the number that I read every review of his that I come across and occasionally think, "Schmerguls would like this book."

>140 Jackie_K: I shall have to borrow the TV series again! And I can see where it would be weird for someone you know as Tristan Farnon to suddenly become Doctor Who! I must admit I felt a bit like that when Colonel Brandon / Jackson Lake suddenly became The Governor! It was so different!

>141 -Eva-: Yay! We'll have a 1000-review party!

>142 pamelad: Thanks! And wow, 5000+ reviews is highly impressive! I admire his dedication!

****

It's Monday and I'm run off my feet. A busy day at work -- hardly had time to breathe and people were throwing work at me -- and then I had to make a library run and do the laundry, not to mention do the dinner dishes and make a lunch for work tomorrow. Not much time spent reading. Hope to get in a few pages before bed.

I did manage to squeeze in a review of a book I polished off over the weekend:

God Save the Mark, by Donald E. Westlake
Category: Thorne
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/128450378

I wasn't expecting too much with this one. I borrowed it because the title, or a similar phrase, came up in Henry IV Part 1, and also I sometimes like to have an Overdrive book on my iPad for reading at mealtimes (easier to turn the pages). It ended up being entertaining and briskly paced. Enjoyable.

>140 Jackie_K: I loved the TV series as a teen and recently borrowed a few seasons from the library -- they are still great! I still think of both actors of the Farnon brothers as Siegfried (Robert Hardy) and Tristan (Peter Davison) when I see them in something.

>144 leslie.98: I know someone with the same name as an actor, so if I'm talking about a role the actor did, I pretend it's my friend and not the actor ;)

****

Finally my Cause Célèbre category has an entry in it! Only took me a month to read this. I read a lot more slowly in French.

Mon ami Maigret, by Georges Simenon (available in English as My Friend Maigret)
Category: Cause Célèbre
Source: borrowed from a friend
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/123247782

I loved the vibe in this one -- a sun-drenched Mediterranean island, fishing boats, and lots of beer and wine. I also liked seeing the awkwardness between Maigret and the English detective, Pyke, as Maigret tried to figure out what he was thinking and avoid looking like an idiot. Still can't solve the mysteries, but it's fun to tag along.

Well, look who was hanging out on Radio 6 this afternoon! I didn't find out until after the show had aired. You have 29 days left to listen!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b077t6rp

(also, I LOVE that plaid shirt! Men's plaids always seem so much nicer.)

Two more books reviewed to close out the month. I'll do a monthly recap later. How has a third of the year gone by already?!

Unfamiliar Fishes, by Sarah Vowell
Category: Our Mutual Friend (GeoCAT)
Source: Collected Works, Ottawa
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/84298874

I like the idea of the book but for some reason I couldn't get into it quite as much as I usually do with Sarah Vowell's work. I will chalk up at least part of that reaction to my retrospectively ill-advised decision to start reading it on the bus. It's an at-home book.

The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English, by Roy Peter Clark
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/127964594

Because I've read so many really good language books recently, this one suffered a bit in my estimation. The exercises may be helpful to aspiring writers, but the book as a whole didn't tell me anything I didn't already know (except for a bit of rock'n'roll trivia).

April recap

April felt like a slow reading month for some reason. Still, 11 books is pretty good, and at least I finished all of them (not like my ornery March with all those DNFs).

Under Enemy Colors, by S. Thomas Russell
Works Well with Others: An Outsider's Guide to Shaking Hands, Shutting Up, Handling Jerks, and Other Crucial Skills in Business that No One Ever Teaches You, by Ross McCammon
Fear of the Dark, by Trevor Baxendale
For Who the Bell Tolls: One Man's Quest for Grammatical Perfection, by David Marsh
Last Seen Wearing…, by Hillary Waugh
The Best of James Herriot: The Favourite Stories of One of the Most Beloved Writers of Our Time, by James Herriot
The Tempest, by William Shakespeare
God Save the Mark, by Donald E. Westlake
Mon Ami Maigret, by Georges Simenon
Unfamiliar Fishes, by Sarah Vowell
The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English, by Roy Peter Clark

My favourite book of the month was For Who the Bell Tolls: One Man's Quest for Grammatical Perfection, by David Marsh. This year has been a big binge on non-fiction and language books in particular. This was a good one.

My least favourite book was The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English, by Roy Peter Clark. Compared to For Who the Bell Tolls, it was a bit meh.

I almost finished the first book in the Cornish Trilogy, by Robertson Davies. Will probably finish it early next week. One of my library books is still on the shelf for this month; the others have either been read or returned unread.

Currently reading

The Cornish Trilogy, by Robertson Davies -- almost done The Rebel Angels. I was definitely not in the right headspace to read it the first time. Getting much more out of it now.
A Burial at Sea, by Charles Finch -- OK so far, but the font is formatted weirdly in my copy and some of the description errs on the side of too florid.
The Arctic Grail: The Quest for the North West Passage and the North Pole, 1818-1909, by Pierre Berton -- going to give this a try. I had to give up on The Klondike Fever because I had too many other books out, but the library stacks are quiet at the moment so I might be able to make some progress.

May plans

My May RandomCAT selection is All the Colours of the Town, by Liam McIlvanney. It's in my purse ready to go for when I finish A Burial at Sea.

I will also be continuing my group read with the Cornish trilogy.

And I've put The Guid-Sisters, by Michel Tremblay, on the on-deck pile because it will fit both the Canadian Author Challenge and the GeoCAT. Maybe I'll actually read it this month.

On my library shelves this month:

Regeneration, by Pat Barker
The Finest Hours: The True Story of the US Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue, by Michael Tougias

Yes! That's all I have on the library shelves right now. Scary, isn't it.

On my coffee table in the DVD stacks:

The Taming of the Shrew -- a 1980s adaptation featuring John Cleese (!) as Petruchio
Hinterland Series 1 -- It's Captain Blamey / Allan Woodcourt as a detective! I might just watch an episode or two to see how it is. I often sample box sets from the library without finishing them.
Last Chance to See -- Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine following in Mark's and Douglas Adams' footsteps

I'll be interested in your thoughts on the Michael Touglas book. My husband's birthday is in Aug and I usually buy him some kind of boat disaster book.

>148 rabbitprincess: I found Regeneration so moving! Hope you like it too.

>148 rabbitprincess:
11 is very respectable indeed.
My goal is to get to The Cornish Trilogy in July - looking forward to it!

>149 dudes22: One thing I noticed immediately is that the edition the library ordered (a movie tie-in) is that weird long skinny mass market paperback format. That will be annoying to read but I hope it will not detract too much from the content.

>150 leslie.98: I hope so! Good thing there are two more in the trilogy if I like it ;)

>151 -Eva-: Yay! It is so much more interesting than I probably thought it in high school.

****

First book of May. Still continuing on the boats theme.

A Burial at Sea, by Charles Finch
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/128586936

A good but not great mystery for me. The ship stuff was the main attraction, and it mostly delivered. I could have done without the constant reminders of Jane being pregnant, but I was glad that I was able to start the series at the 5th book and not be completely lost.

Just stopping by to say hi. Congrats on the multitude of reviews! Good haul at the book sale, too! :)

>153 tymfos: Thanks! It was a pretty good haul. I especially like being able to squirrel some of it away with my parents.

****

More boats!

The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue, by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129445671

The only reason this isn't a five star is that the format is annoying -- the skinny tall mass market paperbacks that don't stack properly with other mass markets. This book deserves a way better printing. The story is amazing. I tore through it in two days. Very much recommended.

****

I also may have stumbled upon another book sale today... came home with six more books.

Scottish Short Stories, a World's Classics collection edited by James M. Reid -- it's a tiny little book with a green and black cover and therefore adorable.
Cold Midnight in Vieux Québec, by Eric Wilson -- a children's mystery I read in grade 6 and really loved. It probably won't withstand my nostalgia, but I had to pick it up.
L'Affaire Saint-Fiacre, by Georges Simenon (available in English as Maigret Goes Home) -- the sale had three Simenons in French. One was a standalone, one was a Maigret I'd already read (whew, thank goodness I checked online), and the other was this one.
The Four Swans, by Winston Graham -- Poldark #6 in 1970s TV tie-in edition.
In the Wet, by Nevil Shute -- Nevil Shute, the British royal family, a pilot, and an old-school Pan paperback? Sure! I'll take a gamble.
The Captain, by Jan de Hartog -- I picked it up solely for the pretty cover with a boat on it. It's a 1966 "Book of the Month Club" hardcover and the dust jacket is a bit dinged up, but not too bad. I have worse in my collection.

>154 rabbitprincess: - Guess I know what my husband will be getting for his birthday! Glad it was a good read.

>155 dudes22: Hope he likes it! The boat itself has been restored and accepts visitors. http://www.cg36500.org/

****

Finished the first book in the Cornish trilogy! Yay!

The Rebel Angels, by Robertson Davies
Category: Our Mutual Friend (as part of the Cornish Trilogy group read)
Source: gift
Rating: 4.5/5 (for this installment)
Review: full review pending

The plot summary on Goodreads for this book focuses heavily on the element of "four guys obsessing over a female university student". I was initially worried about the book as a result, because I have a low tolerance for this type of storyline, but my concerns were greatly alleviated by the fact that said female university student, Maria Magdalena Theotoky, was one of the two primary narrators, and she was highly intelligent and self-possessed to boot. The only parts of her narration I found a bit difficult to get a handle on were the first couple of chapters, which talked periodically about the one-afternoon stand she had with her professor. The way she described it didn't sit right for me, probably because I knew that the author writing those words was a bearded old man and about as far from a twenty-something woman as you can get. But once the story picked up and got more into the clash between the three major characters and dissolute former monk Parlabane, and of course all the intellectual discussions you find in a university environment, her narration was on more solid ground.

The other primary narrator is Simon Darcourt, a priest at the college where Maria is taking her PhD. I did not have as much narrative disbelief because his character is closer in age to the author. Having two narrators of different backgrounds provided useful contrast, using both their perspectives to provide a fuller picture of the entire story. The alternating chapters also make it easy to put down the book if necessary or read it one chapter at a time, although I would often feel compelled to read three chapters in a single sitting.

The book is rich with quotes on all sorts of topics: learning, academia, philosophies of life. It also contains a colourful cast of characters, including the aforementioned Parlabane, a loathsome professor called McVarish, and the more worldly businessman Arthur Cornish, whose uncle Francis left a significant cultural estate to the university and is the namesake of the trilogy. We get glimpses into university rituals in the Oxford/Cambridge tradition, the petty squabbling of academia, and the struggle to make one's own mark in the world and reconcile one's present self with one's past.

The culminating incident of this book stunned me so much that I had to put the book down for a couple of minutes, confirming that what I had read was indeed correct. In contrast to the rest of the book, it is visceral and shocking, and I am glad that my high-school-age self did not get this far in the book, as she would probably have been even more disturbed than I already am. Fortunately, this is not how the book ends: the last chapter moves some time past the incident and sets the protagonists on track for the next book.

Overall, I am glad that the group read prompted me to pick this up. I'll be starting the next book in the trilogy soon, once I've read a shorter book to reset my brain a bit.

And that's actually not too far from us - a couple of hours maybe. We usually go to the Cape to visit friends when they come up from Va in the summer, so maybe we'll stay over and try to go see it.

>157 dudes22: Take pictures if you go! :)

****

This book was a gift I received about three weeks ago. It's lucky that the 101st anniversary of the Lusitania sinking was just this past weekend and prompted me to read it. Normally a book takes about three YEARS to be read around here.

Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy and the End of the Edwardian Age, by Greg King and Penny Wilson
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: gift
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129174069

The person who picked this out for me saw a review for it and thought "Hm, boats and British history. RP likes both those things." He was correct and this was a very good choice. I probably wouldn't have thought of it myself.

And in an amusing twist, I just had a library hold come in for Erik Larson's Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania. It will be Lusitania-palooza around here.

>158 rabbitprincess: Should be interesting to see how the 2 books compare. I read Dead Wake: loved parts of it; was annoyed with other parts. I'll be waiting for your thoughts.

>126 rabbitprincess: Oh yes, I read The Silent Stars Go By last year. The story was just good but I enjoyed it because Rory had a separate plot for part of the story. Rory is my favorite companion.

>154 rabbitprincess: I'll need to get The Finest Hours. I think there was a recent movie based on this book but it wasn't in theaters that long. I'll have to let my fellow Coast Guard Brats know about this book.

>159 kac522: The friend who recommended Dead Wake to me said it was the only one of Larson's books where she was equally interested in both narrative threads. I haven't read any of his work but I am always game for reading about ships!

>160 VioletBramble: Yay, more Rory! That is well worth purchasing this book, in my view. Rory is the best.

I know someone in the Canadian Coast Guard who saw the film and he said it seemed factually accurate from a nautical/boaty perspective. The CGI waves also looked impressive. I wasn't crazy about the shoehorned love story as it appeared in the trailers so I have decided to just read the book and forego the film. It's on DVD now so I hope it will be available to you soon at your library or on Netflix.

****

From the Irish coast in the 1910s to Norway in the 1950s...

The Blue Ice, by Hammond Innes
Category: South Riding
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/123120326

I came across this book through a listing at the back of one of my Alistair MacLeans. If you like MacLean, you might like Innes too. I have two more books by Innes and hope they are at least as good as this one.

Hello, Princess! Hope you're enjoying your Lusitania-palooza. I've read nothing about that shipwreck so far, but I do need to. I read Batavia's Graveyard earlier this year and that was really good, and I've read a few on the Titanic, of course.

>162 mstrust: Once I finish my current e-read, I'll get right into Dead Wake! I also have a nautical-palooza going on, with In the Heart of the Sea also ready on my iPad, and Coastlines, by Patrick Barkham.

Batavia's Graveyard sounds interesting too! Added to the to-read list.

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This weekend my BF and I have been watching And Then There Were None, one episode per night. Last night's episode, Ep 2, was "the one with the towel scene". I strongly approved.

I also managed to finish my RandomCAT book yesterday.

All the Colours of the Town, by Liam McIlvanney
Category: Our Mutual Friend (RandomCAT)
Source: Chapters Bookstore, Dublin
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/108913848

I liked this well enough to continue with the trilogy but I have read more mind-blowingly exciting thrillers. Still, I will never say no to a literary trip to Glasgow.

>163 rabbitprincess: That towel deserves an acting award.

>164 RidgewayGirl: It sure does! My friend and I were debating whether he used double-sided tape to hold it up and prevent "pantsing" incidents.

I watched Ep 3 yesterday and it was BRILLIANT. SO glad they kept the original ending! It was bleak and chilling and perfect. The scene between Wargrave and Claythorne was mesmerizing. And when he kicked the chair away I was astounded. "Damn! That's cold."

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We thought we had summer last week, but it turned out to be a false alarm. We've had an unseasonably cold air mass parked over us for the past few days, meaning that we've been having frost advisories in the overnight hours but temperatures in the teens (Celsius) in the afternoon! And the wind has been so cold that wearing dresses without tights is a foolhardy venture (unless you like having cold knees, which I do not). Hoping the weather will warm up again on the weekend, because it's a holiday weekend! Yee haa!

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Reviews of a couple of books. I've been socializing more than usual and my commute is shorter, so I don't get as much reading time in.

How to Not Write Bad, by Ben Yagoda
Category: The Deal
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129767262

One of the author's other books was mentioned in The Glamour of Grammar, which is why I decided to read this one off the TBR. I was underwhelmed. The basic premise of the book is good, but I wasn't crazy about the tone and disagreed strongly with a couple of the assertions. Not much new here for me.

Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection, by The Awkward Yeti
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/130199837

This is a cute collection. I tore through it before I'd even had a chance to catalogue it! I especially enjoyed the comics with Brain remembering the wrong things or having a brain fart at the least appropriate times. The website promises further adventures with other sentient organs, which cheers me greatly. I have much more to look forward to!

Glad you liked The Finest Hours. I was surprised and disappointed that the movie didn't seem very successful. It wasn't around long enough for me to get to see it. We have the book at the library -- when a patron asked for it, I recommended we get it, as I expected the movie to be a blockbuster that would get people interested in the book. (I mean, storm, shipwrecks, heroic Coast Guard? Should have been a hit.) The library copy is a hard cover first edition, so not having your format issue.

Hi RP! I am taking advantage of sub par weather this weekend to get caught up with some threads.

>127 rabbitprincess: - Congrats on 1,000 reviews! That is amazing!

>133 rabbitprincess: - The Tempest is one of my favourite Shakespearean plays.

Looks like April was a good reading month, to me anyways. Love the recap.

>152 rabbitprincess: - That Finch novel was sub par for me as well in comparison to the previous novels in the series.

>166 tymfos: Yeah, I am surprised it didn't do better. Around here anyway it didn't seem to be very well promoted. I hope the book does better at your library!

>167 lkernagh: Great to see you! Reading threads should be a category in itself. I am glad to know that I am not alone in my assessment of the Finch book. I will likely read the other one in the series that's on my list (The Fleet Street Murders) but I won't go looking for the rest of them.

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Happy long weekend to all of my fellow Canadian LTers! I was visiting my family over the past few days and it feels like I spent the whole weekend eating and sleeping. I also got in some Netflix time, watching the David Morrissey miniseries The Driver (4 eps of 45 mins, well worth your time).

I did manage to finish one book this weekend:

The Damned Utd, by David Peace
Category: South Riding
Source: Book Depository
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/116423196

Interesting to compare this with his later book, Red or Dead, written about a similar topic in a similar style. This one was easier to get into. Now I want to watch the movie again!

I have The Damned United on my list of movies to watch. Michael Sheen, not the soccer.

>169 RidgewayGirl: He does a good job in it. And Timothy Spall plays his right-hand man, Peter Taylor.

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And now we're into summer here! We might have to install the air conditioner this weekend because it's supposed to be hot and humid. I've got iced tea in the fridge and lots of books ready to read in front of the AC.

But first, a book review.

The Violinist's Thumb, by Sam Kean
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129827194

Another interesting science book from Sam Kean. This one talks about genetics and all the things that DNA can do (and the catastrophes that occur when something happens to mutate it). It's the sort of book where you want to keep reading bits of it out loud to people, to the point where you follow them around the house to make sure you have an audience.

I read on another thread that you are reading The Orenda by Joseph Boyden. He is one of the authors for the Canadian Author Challenge in June and I am just about to start it. This will be my first book by this author and I am looking forward to it.

>170 rabbitprincess: I've had this one on my TBR for awhile. LOL, loved your comments. I actually do that to my hubby, drives him up the wall!

>170 rabbitprincess: I have that book in my library and it's one of the choices I have when the Dewey challenge gets to the 500s. I'm happy to hear you liked it.

>171 DeltaQueen50: The Canadian Author Challenge was what prompted me to add it to the 2016 pool! :) I've read his other two novels but not the short story collection. So far I am finding The Orenda fascinating. There is violence, but only in flashes. There is also beauty and humour and sadness. I hope you like it!

>172 VictoriaPL: It drives my BF a bit up the wall too, depending on the book. He thought The Violinist's Thumb sounded rather morbid, because I remarked particularly about the story of the survivor of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki and about Toxoplasma gondii, the microbe that makes rodents unafraid of cats.

>173 mamzel: I hope you like it! The 500s will be an interesting month.

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A very hot Saturday here in Ottawa. Current temperature as I type is 32 degrees C at the Ottawa airport, with a humidex of 37. It's also the Ottawa Race Weekend, and because of the heat and humidity, the organizers have changed the start times for two of the races. The 10K is starting later in the evening tonight, and the half marathon is starting 45 minutes earlier tomorrow morning. Hoping everyone will stay hydrated and NOT try for personal bests in this kind of weather.

My best friend and I went out to another event in the morning: the Great Glebe Garage Sale, which happens every year on the fourth Saturday in May. Households in this neighbourhood (one of the nicest, in my opinion, with beautiful old houses, leafy trees and lovingly maintained front yards) arrange to all hold garage sales on the same day, and many local businesses get into the swing of things as well by offering sales or discounts or free samples to people strolling through.

I'm not much of a garage-sale person, but I do like when churches hold book sales to coordinate with the garage sale... especially when they advertise "thousands of books". This particular church book sale yielded seven books for me:

Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich, by Stephen Leacock (New Canadian Library edition)
The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence (New Canadian Library edition)
Marazan, by Nevil Shute (this was the least romancey-sounding one of his books on offer -- they all seemed to have some sort of "haunting romance" in them, ew)
Like Love, by Ed McBain (87th Precinct #16) (NOT the first Harry Potter book, as the original touchstone would have you believe)
The Doorbell Rang, by Rex Stout (a Nero Wolfe on the Top 100 crime novels list that the library did not have)
Murder on the Leviathan, by Boris Akunin (translated by Andrew Bromfield) (mystery involving a steamship -- yes please! also this copy was originally a 3 for 2 at Waterstones, which I found amusing)
The Killer Mine, by Hammond Innes (a thriller involving a mine in Cornwall)

The Stout and the Innes were both on my to-read list, which is fortunate. I thought the Margaret Laurence was too, but turns out that was The Diviners instead.

After much strolling and perusing of wares, and taking a break for some well-deserved gelato (raspberry and mango flavours for me, yum!), our footsteps took us past Book Bazaar, where I picked up 8 books... or 10 if you count the 2 books for my mum.

The books for my mum:

Sunrise in the West, by Edith Pargeter (Brothers of Gwynedd #1)
The Dragon at Noonday, by Edith Pargeter (Brothers of Gwynedd #2)

This completes the Brothers of Gwynedd quartet -- now we can start reading it!

The books for me:

Bertie and the Seven Bodies, by Peter Lovesey (Albert Edward, Prince of Wales #2) (on my to-read list)
The Detective Wore Silk Drawers, by Peter Lovesey (Sgt Cribb #2)
Mad Hatter's Holiday, by Peter Lovesey (Sgt Cribb #4)
Swing, Swing Together, by Peter Lovesey (Sgt Cribb #7)
Gideon's Badge, by JJ Marric (Gideon #12)
Doctor Who: The Reign of Terror, by Ian Marter (First Doctor novel)
Doctor Who: The Time Meddler, by Nigel Robinson (First Doctor novel)
Doctor Who and the Claws of Axos, by Terrance Dicks (Fourth Doctor novel)

They had a whole lot of Peter Lovesey so I cleaned up. Just need the third book in the Sgt Cribb series (Abracadaver) and the third book in the Albert Edward series (Bertie and the Crime of Passion). And they had almost an entire shelf of Doctor Who novels downstairs. It was VERY difficult to decide on the ones I did.

I am definitely not allowed to buy more books for a while ;)

Today I will be doing some literary housekeeping -- reading in front of the A/C with a glass of iced tea. I've also written a review of my second Lusitania book this month.

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, by Erik Larson
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129971457

In comparison to the other Lusitania book I read, this one includes a map of where the ship sank and I ended up writing down a lot more quotes from it. Granted, I did read this one via Overdrive, which makes it very easy to bookmark quotes for later, so that might have had an influence. The other one had way more pictures, though. However, both books work well. Dead Wake talks about the voyage and the broader context of the war: the U-boat commanders, the British intelligence tracking said U-boats, and the White House. Lusitania by Greg King and Penny Wilson focuses more closely on the lives of the passengers and the human cost of the disaster. I did find it handy to have read the King and Wilson book first because I was better able to keep track of the passengers in Dead Wake.

>175 rabbitprincess: You'll be an expert by now!
I'm also reading with the A/C on and iced tea this weekend. I bought a big jug of Moroccan Mint Tea from Trader Joe's. Enjoy your Sunday!

>176 mstrust: Even with this being only my second Lusitania book, I already recognized some of the notable anecdotes and quotations.

A/C and iced tea sounds like a great plan for this time of year. Right now it's 27 degrees C with a humidex of 33. It was worse yesterday, but this weekend has been the first really hot and humid weather of the year so people have been feeling the effects more. I'm drinking La La Lemon from DavidsTea in a formulation I call "lazy iced tea" because it involves brewing a pot of tea and then immediately pouring it over ice, rather than sticking it in the fridge. I drink it out of a pint glass and it looks remarkably like beer ;)

Your lemon tea sounds perfect. I switch to cold brew tea bags during the summer because Mike will drink a pitcher of it with dinner. It's so easy to just throw a bag in with cold water, stick in the fridge and forget about it.
We're suppose to hit 96 degrees F today, then it will climb and we'll hit 112 degrees by Saturday. It's hell. : )

Stay cool! I'm looking forward to the booksales I'll be able to go to once I'm back in the US, although I do have to note that it's been good for my TBR, this living in a non-English speaking country.

Catching up here. I have a hold on a library copy of The Orenda, which I plan to read next month. I'm glad to hear it's holding your interest so far.

I don't think I've read Hammond Innes before, but I plan to read The Strode Venturer later this year. It will fill in the Maldives slot in my Commonwealth reading challenge.

Have you watched any episodes of Hinterland yet? Netflix suggested it for me based on other shows I've watched. I tried the first couple of episodes and was bored with both of them. I'm not sure what the problem is with the series, but it just isn't working for me.

>175 rabbitprincess: Interesting that your edition of Dead Wake had a map--the hardcover from the library which I read last year had no maps, no pictures and no diagram of the ship, which I found frustrating. I heard Larson talk about the book, and he said he doesn't put pictures in his books because they distract from the narrative.

On the whole the book was a great story and was a real page-turner. Two things bothered me: 1) no accounts of all those poor souls in 3rd (steerage) class; and 2) too many pages dedicated to the side story about Wilson and Edith. It needed to be mentioned, but I think its prominence in the book was way out of proportion.

Sometimes I felt like I was only getting one side of the Lusitania story, but maybe that's just me. Perhaps reading another account like you did would be useful.

>178 mstrust: That sounds really easy! Are they specially designed to brew in cold water or is it just regular tea in cold water?

Hope you guys stay cool! Temps of 112 sound indeed hellish.

>179 RidgewayGirl: Thanks! I can imagine that not having ready access to English-language books would limit my TBR growth as well. Hope you have a great time at the book sales when you come back.

>180 cbl_tn: It is definitely holding my interest. Came across a particularly gruesome chapter today, but I think the pockets of violence are signposted easily enough that you can skim over them.

Now that's an interesting setting! I'll look forward to hearing about it!

I ended up not watching it because I ran out of time, and also I wanted to watch it in Welsh and I don't think the version the library got has the Welsh soundtrack :( I'm sorry to hear it's not working for you. I do love Richard Harrington (Captain Blamey in Poldark and Allan Woodcourt in Bleak House).

>181 kac522: It was the teeniest, tiniest map, but it showed where the Old Head of Kinsale was and where the ship sank. Maybe it was added to the ebook edition later. And you're right, there weren't that many pictures, I don't think. I've downgraded the rating to 4 stars on that basis! The other Lusitania book I read had way more pictures. However, it too did not have much about the people in steerage class. This was acknowledged in the introduction as they set the parameters of the book, which I thought helpful.

One could almost fill an entire category with Lusitania books! My next one will probably be the Conrad Allen mystery Murder on the Lusitania ;)

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Starting to wind down May. These might be the last two books I finish... but we'll see.

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129994981

The first chapter or so was a bit bumpy and "hey, look at this research"-y, but after that it became a book I couldn't put down. I also appreciated the inclusion of a sail plan and maps of where the crew of the Essex ended up after the ship was sunk by a whale. It is a harrowing story, and the chapter on dehydration will probably have you reach for several glasses of water.

The Guid-Sisters, by Michel Tremblay
Category: The Hollow Crown, The Deal (Group Reads - Canadian Author Challenge)
Source: a now-defunct bookstore
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70473936

I am not sure why this Canadian play was translated into Scots or how it ended up in the bookstore I found it in, but it was an interesting experiment. I'll have to read the play in the original French now to get the real story!

>182 rabbitprincess: They're specifically for cold brew. There are several makers but I believe we're using Lipton's right now.


Ya, it's pretty warm here.

>182 rabbitprincess: I am glad you liked In the Heart of the Sea; it's on my wish list.

>183 mstrust: I'll have to look into that! Some days it's so hot that even the kettle contributes to the stuffiness of the apartment.

>184 Tara1Reads: Hope you like it! The incident of the Essex was the inspiration for Moby Dick, but no knowledge of Moby Dick is required; the author discusses the literary treatment of the true events as and when needed.

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It's already the end of May, and I won't finish the books I have on the go, so here's a recap.

May recap

May was the Month of the Boat -- six books that could plausibly relate to the sea or other things nautical. That's nearly half of this month's total of 13 books.

A Burial at Sea, by Charles Finch
The Finest Hours: The True Story of the US Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue, by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman
The Rebel Angels, by Robertson Davies
Lusitania: Triumph, Tragedy and the End of the Edwardian Age, by Greg King and Penny Wilson
The Blue Ice, by Hammond Innes
All the Colours of the Town, by Liam McIlvanney
How to Not Write Bad, by Ben Yagoda
Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection, by The Awkward Yeti
The Damned Utd, by David Peace
The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code, by Sam Kean
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, by Erik Larson
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick
The Guid-Sisters, by Michel Tremblay

My favourite book of the month was The Finest Hours: The True Story of the US Coast Guard's Most Daring Sea Rescue, by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman. This was the book that really got the nautical party started.

My least favourite book was How to Not Write Bad, by Ben Yagoda. Either I'm burning out on language books or this one didn't tell me much that was new.

Along the way I had to declare defeat with The Arctic Grail. Not because it was bad, but because the book was so huge and I had so many other things on the go. What I have to do is buy a copy for my parents' Pierre Berton collection and then borrow it! The lending periods are much longer at the Library of Mum and Dad. And I was in the wrong headspace for Regeneration, so I returned it to the library to read another time.

Currently reading

The Cornish Trilogy, by Robertson Davies -- still haven't started What's Bred in the Bone. It's on the bedside table…
The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden -- my bus book. This is probably going to be my book of the month for June. I am amazed by how quickly I've gotten through it, despite its size and reputation for visceral violence.
Naked Money: A Revealing Look at What It Is and Why It Matters, by Charles Wheelan -- I've read the author's previous book, Naked Statistics, and liked his way of explaining things. This book has been very educational; it's also been repetitive in places, but in a way I am OK with the repetition, because it's reinforcing the concepts I'm learning (and I need a lot of repetition when I'm trying to learn about finance).

June plans

My June RandomCAT selection is The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife, by Erle Stanley Gardner. It's in my purse and will probably be read once I finish The Orenda.

I will also be continuing my group read with the Cornish trilogy.

And my selection for the June GeoCAT is in the on-deck pile: No Highway, by Australian author Nevil Shute.

On my library shelves this month:

Fatal Flaws, by Jay Ingram
Come Quick Danger: A History of Marine Radio in Canada, by Stephan Dubreuil
Double Negative, by David Carkeet
Murder on the Celtic, by Conrad Allen
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing
A Good Hanging and Other Stories, by Ian Rankin
The Third Riel Conspiracy, by Stephen Legault
Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty, by Dan Jones

And no DVDs this month. At least not right now. I've found I don't have much patience or attention span for movies or TV shows. I'd much rather be reading!

>185 rabbitprincess: Lots of great reading. I'm not a big movie-watcher myself, but I'll put in a plug for the new Austen movie Love and Friendship. Lots of great, rapid dialogue and fantastic performance by Beckinsale. But be sure to read Lady Susan first--you'll get more out of it.

>186 kac522: Your mentioning Austen makes me think it's time for a rewatch of Persuasion, the dishy Rupert Penry-Jones version! Maybe I'll read the book of that one first.

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June has started off with a bang.

The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden
Category: Our Mutual Friend (Group Reads - Canadian Author Challenge)
Source: Chaptigo, bought new for myself
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/107771622

I haven't done this book justice with my review. It blew me away. It might actually be my favourite Boyden, even better than Three Day Road. Very glad for the Canadian Author Challenge to give me the kick in the pants needed to pick this one up.

>187 rabbitprincess: - Really need to read something by him someday as everybody raves about his books.

>188 LittleTaiko: I would recommend either Three Day Road or The Orenda. I wasn't as crazy about Through Black Spruce, or at least not the parts that were set in New York City. Still have to read his short story collection, Born with a Tooth. Whatever you read by him, I hope you like it!

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It has been a very busy weekend around these parts. Doors Open, afternoon tea, more Doors Open and a rebroadcast of the "Shakespeare Live" performance that aired on April 23. David Tennant and Catherine Tate co-hosted and it was wonderful. There were scenes from many plays as well as from ballets, operas and musicals inspired by Shakespeare's works. I particularly enjoyed the Hamlets sketch, Judi Dench in all of her roles and Rory Kinnear's Macbeth. (If he hasn't played Macbeth yet, he needs a production, stat.)

It was also a very changeable weekend. Saturday was gorgeous and sunny. Ate outside in the park and did a lot of walking, which resulted in a sunburn. Then today it poured for most of the day. It's supposed to rain for much of this week, but hopefully not in these quantities. There were lakes in the parking lot near the movie theatre!

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Also found time to finish off and review a couple of books.

Coastlines: The Story of Our Shore, by Patrick Barkham
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/130108155

A beautifully presented and interesting book. I liked the setup, with a map at the beginning of each section and suggestions for walking trails and further reading at the end. Would like to see a follow-up for other places that didn't make it into the book!

Naked Money: A Revealing Look at What Money Is and Why It Matters, by Charles Wheelan
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129994078

I feel a lot more financially literate after reading this book. This is a clear introduction to how financial systems work and what happens when they go wrong.

>187 rabbitprincess: RP, I thought you did an excellent job with your review of The Orenda. A thumb from me. :)

>190 DeltaQueen50: Thank you very much! :D I gave your review a thumb as well.

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I read this one immediately after The Orenda as a sacrifice to the book hangover god. Wasn't expecting much out of it, so might as well read it after an amazing book!

The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife, by Erle Stanley Gardner
Category: Our Mutual Friend (RandomCAT)
Source: EVM
Rating: 2/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/88362732

I'm very glad for the RandomCAT challenge that gave me the push to read this! I knew it would be a read-and-pass-along kind of book; however, somehow those ones take forever to read because you know you won't get too much out of them. I liked the other Perry Mason I read (The Case of the Vagabond Virgin) better. Still, at least this one is read and will be going to a friend who wants to try it out.

An eventful day in Ottawa today... a massive sinkhole on Rideau Street!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/sinkhole-rideau-street-downtown-ottawa-1.36...

Naturally, the Beatles song "Fixing a Hole" is now stuck in my head.

Wow, that is a massive sinkhole. I hope no one was injured.

>192 rabbitprincess: Thanks for passing on that earworm! Now I will be humming Beatles for a while...

>193 VioletBramble: Fortunately the only casualties were a van that had been parked on Rideau at the time of the road collapsing, and a scissor lift belonging to the construction workers at the site. The street had been closed to car traffic a while back because of the ongoing light rail project. It could have been a lot worse if cars had been there. As it was, a bus only just escaped being sucked in. Yikes!

>194 leslie.98: Earworms are best when they're shared ;)

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Finished my May DeweyCAT a month late (although really, I'm reading Dewey books whenever, because the topics were known at the beginning of the year).

Scotland Yard, by Sir Harold Scott
Category: The Deal - DeweyCAT
Source: Friends of Library and Archives Book Sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112662661

I'm not sure how this ended up at the book sale, but I couldn't resist a history of the police force by a former commissioner of said force, written during the 1950s. It's an interesting snapshot in time, albeit with some dated views.

Some more history and ships (you'd think I liked these topics or something).

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/130459161

My library had a lovely Book-of-the-Month Club edition with a gorgeous cover. It also contains some of the photos taken by the expedition's official photographer. It's a thrilling story and recommended if you like books about the sea, humans vs. the elements, or the age of exploration.

>156 rabbitprincess:
It's my plan to read this one before we're done with the Group Read, but I'm not guaranteeing anything. ;)

>163 rabbitprincess:
I've had All the Colours of the Town on the wishlist for a long time mainly because he's William McIlvanney's son, so it's nice to see he's a decent writer.

>189 rabbitprincess:
That "Shakespeare Live" was so brilliant!!

>197 -Eva-: Glad to see you back! :D

I'm definitely not finishing the trilogy by the end of the month... but maybe I can finish at least What's Bred in the Bone. I did start it and it's a different beast from The Rebel Angels but still interesting.

I just hope he finishes the trilogy! There are two books out so far. The library has the first one but not the second, so I may have to try ILL or just scour the secondhand shops for it.

It really was! I liked how it wasn't just straight-up from the plays -- they were very playful and incorporated all sorts of things. And I love seeing David Tennant and Catherine Tate working together. They have a new line of Doctor Who audio dramas at Big Finish and I'm tempted to finally take the Big Finish plunge for those.

I started and finished this in a single morning. And now I have another series to read.

Murder on the Celtic, by Conrad Allen
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/130397085

This is the (apparently) final installment in Conrad Allen's "shipboard detectives" series featuring George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield. I found it light and frothy and enjoyable, mainly because I have been immersed in all things nautical lately. Now to go back and read the rest of them.

Two very different books.

A Demon in My View, by Ruth Rendell
Category: South Riding
Source: Book Market
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70473586

This has been languishing on my bookshelves forever, mainly because of the creepy cover, and this year I finally added it to the pool. Well done, but not the sort of thing I feel comfortable reading in large quantities. I would maybe have loved it more in high school, when I was less of a wuss ;)

Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty, by Dan Jones
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/130633211

I was almost surprised by how short this seemed in relation to most history books, which do very good impressions of bricks and are useful for weightlifting. But it's probably just the right length. Worth reading if you want a quick introduction to the period. And if you've seen Dan Jones's TV series, you'll probably hear his voice in the narration.

Stopping in to say hi, and "me too" about being less of a wuss in high school. I have yet to read any Rendell, despite having a few on my shelves (for years) and having watched some of her tv series, but I'm hoping she isn't too scary.

I remember loving Demon in my View when I read it years and years ago. When I first discovered her, I gobbled up all of her books that I could find and now many of them are mixed up with each other in my mind, but Demon in my View is one that seems to stand out for me.

>201 mstrust: Yeah, in high school I could read Val McDermid and Minette Walters with no problems, but nowadays I just find it too scary. Maybe it was The Wire in the Blood that did it.

I imagine most of Rendell's work isn't super scary -- it's more creepy in the sense of "yeah, I can see how this could happen." But just to be on the safe side, I kept this book for the bus, which is my new strategy for any book I am concerned about.

>202 DeltaQueen50: It seems like it would be memorable! The only other books of hers I've read are A Judgment in Stone and Simisola. I read Simisola for a mystery fiction course but can't remember very much about it.

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Another hot weekend here! Perfect weather for the pool or reading in front of the A/C. Haven't turned ours on yet but will probably do later on. High of 31 C today and high of 33 C tomorrow!

Managed to polish off a collection of Rebus short stories earlier in the week.

A Good Hanging and Other Stories, by Ian Rankin
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129994139

Twelve stories, all good in their own way. The title story is very cleverly named, and a few others make use of wordplay as well. The mysteries are probably easy to guess, given how short the stories are, but they provide a good snapshot of Rebus's world.

Starting a new thread for Father's Day... stay tuned!



Edit: New thread open for business! Follow the continuation link below.