CBL's Literary Adventures in 2016 Part 3

My name is Carrie, and I'm back for my 6th year in this group. I've been reading non-stop since the age of 4. I'm a baby boomer, but just barely since I was born at the tail end of that generation. (I identify more with Gen Xers since I was the oldest child/grandchild in my family.) I'm a librarian who is learning to live with the reality that there will never be enough time to read all the fascinating books that cross my radar. I have one "furbaby", Adrian (named for Adrian Monk), a very sweet 4-year-old Shih Tzu I adopted from the Humane Society in September 2013. You'll see photos here from time to time.

My reading is fairly eclectic, but I have a special love for classic mystery authors like Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Josephine Tey. And I have a growing appreciation of Rex Stout, who I recently discovered is my 3rd cousin 3x removed. I also try to fit in books about local, state, regional, or U.S. history and genealogy as part of my family history research, which I've been actively pursuing since middle school.

Best of the year to date:
The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel (5) - Review here
Hell Is Empty by Craig Johnson (4.5) - Review here
The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes (4.5) - Review here
Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies & Alison Leslie Gold (5) Review here
Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 by William Dalrymple (4.5) Review here

Books read in February
11. The Richest Woman in America: Hetty Green in the Gilded Age by Janet Wallach (2) - completed 2/2/16
12. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain (3.5) - completed 2/5/16
13. Hell Is Empty by Craig Johnson (4.5) - completed 2/7/16
14. The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes (4.5) - completed 2/14/16
15. The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys (4) - completed 2/15/16
16. Elsewhere: A Memoir by Richard Russo (4) - completed 2/18/16
17. Boxers by Gene Luen Yang (4) - completed 2/20/16
18. Saints by Gene Luen Yang (4) - completed 2/20/16
19. Crooked House by Agatha Christie (3.5) - completed 2/21/16
20. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare (4) - completed 2/27/16
21. The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers (3.5) - completed 2/28/16
22. Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies & Alison Leslie Gold (5) - completed 2/29/16
23. Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 by William Dalrymple (4.5) - completed 2/29/16

Books read in March
24. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (3.5) - completed 3/4/16
25. How to Be Both by Ali Smith (4) - completed 3/7/16
26. Pilgrimage to the End of the World by Conrad Rudolph (3.5) - completed 3/8/16
27. The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare (4) - completed 3/11/16
28. Celebrations at Thrush Green by Miss Read (2.5) - completed 3/11/16
29. Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh (4) - completed 3/13/16
30. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (4) - completed 3/14/16
31. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (4) - completed 3/16/16
32. The Social Life of DNA by Alondra Nelson (3.5) - completed 3/21/16
33. Then by Morris Gleitzman (3.5) - completed 3/25/16
34. How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson (4.5) - completed 3/25/16

Books added in February:
8. Jane Austen's Names: Riddles, Persons, Places by Margaret Doody (gift)
9. The Prime Minister by Anthony Trollope (free ebook)
10. We the People by Juan Williams (ER ARC)
11. The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare (free ebook)

Books added in March:
12. A Journal of the Disasters in Affghanistan, 1841-42 by Florentia Sale (free ebook)
13. The Lively Place: Mount Auburn, America's First Garden Cemetery, and Its Revolutionary and Literary Residents by Stephen Kendrick (Feb. ER book)
14. The Light on the Island: Tales of a Lighthouse Keeper's Family in the San Juan Islands by Helene Glidden (purchased)

@PaulCranswick's British Authors Challenge

JANUARY
Barry Unsworth - Land of Marvels - COMPLETED 1/5/16
Susan Hill - The Various Haunts of Men - COMPLETED 1/25/16

FEBRUARY
William Dalrymple - Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 - COMPLETED 2/29/16
Agatha Christie - Crooked House - COMPLETED 2/21/16

MARCH
Thomas Hardy - Far from the Madding Crowd
Ali Smith - How to Be Both - COMPLETED 3/7/16

@Smiler69's Canadian Authors Challenge

JANUARY
Kim Thuy - Ru - COMPLETED 1/9/16

FEBRUARY
Helen Humphreys- The Frozen Thames - COMPLETED 2/15/16

MARCH
Anita Rau Badami - The Hero's Walk

@msf59's American Authors Challenge/@weird_O's Pulitzer Prize Challenge

JANUARY
Anne Tyler - Saint Maybe - COMPLETED 1/27/16

FEBRUARY
Richard Russo - Elsewhere - COMPLETED 2/18/16

MARCH
Jane Smiley - A Thousand Acres - COMPLETED 3/14/16

@Chatterbox's Nonfiction Reading Challenge

JANUARY - Biography/memoir/autobiography
The Upstairs Wife by Rafia Zakaria - COMPLETED 1/15/16
The Richest Woman in America by Janet Wallach - COMPLETED 2/2/16

FEBRUARY - History
Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 by William Dalrymple - COMPLETED 2/29/16

MARCH - Travel
Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and Their Journey by Isabel Fonseca

My Commonwealth Challenge

I'm in the middle of a multi-year quest to read Agatha Christie's works in publication order. I'll list them here as I finish them.

Crooked House (3.5) - completed 2/21/16

I've been reading books about Jane Austen or books about or inspired by her novels. I'll list them here as I finish them.

I'll be following the Hogarth Shakespeare project that began with Jeanette Winterson's retelling of The Winter's Tale as The Gap of Time. If I haven't already read the play, I'll read it first. Next up is Howard Jacobson's retelling of The Merchant of Venice, Shylock Is My Name.

Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler (The Taming of the Shrew) - completed 3/16/16

My brother will celebrate a milestone birthday this week. Here's a picture of the two of us taken just a few years ago. Believe it or not, I remember going to the department store in Knoxville to have this photo made, and I remember the photographer posing us. I was probably 3 years old at the time. My brother looks a bit younger than 2, and I'm less than 2 years older than he is. (At least, I was then. We're both 29 now!)

Currently reading:



The World According to Mister Rogers
Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies & Alison Leslie Gold; read by Barbara Rosenblat
Return of a King : The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 by William Dalrymple

17. Boxers by Gene Luen Yang
TIOLI #5 - Title includes an action word (box)

Boxers looks at the history of China's Boxer Rebellion from the perspective of a young man who grows up to become a leader of the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fist. Little Bao received martial arts training and he in turn trained others. The young men from his village joined with others throughout China to fight the “foreign devils” and “Christians” that they believed were destroying China from the inside. Little Bao and his companions perform a ritual before battle, and the spirits of gods are shown to enter their bodies at the end of the ritual. They engage in battle in the form of these gods. Cultural misunderstandings and false rumors are suggested as causes of the conflict. The art has just the right amount of detail to tell the story without unnecessary distractions. There is a companion volume, Saints, that tells the other side of the story, and these two novels should be read together.

4 stars

18. Saints by Gene Luen Yang

Saints looks at China's Boxer Rebellion from the perspective of a Christian Chinese girl who was converted by foreign missionaries. Four Girl, whose name sounds like the Chinese word for “death”, was never given a real name by the head of her family. Her conversion to Christianity came with a new name chosen from the names of Christian female saints. She has visions of Joan of Arc, who has not yet been canonized as a saint. When the Christians begin to be persecuted by groups like the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fist, Four Girl (now Vibiana) believes she has been chosen to save others. This volume shows the Christian and western/European misunderstandings and false rumors that are suggested as motivations for the conflict. It also fills in the background for characters and events that are shown only in passing in the companion volume, Boxers. The two volumes should be read together for the complete story.

4 stars

19. Crooked House by Agatha Christie
TIOLI #2 - Title word suggests damage (crooked)

In this stand-alone mystery, Charles Hayward meets and falls in love with Sophia Leonides when both are employed in Egypt shortly after World War II. Charles has another posting that will separate him for Sophia for two more years, and he announces his intention to propose to her as soon as he returns to England. Two years later, he arrives back in England to find the Leonides family mourning the death of its head, Sophia's grandfather, Aristide Leonides. While most people would assume that a man of his age (nearly 90) had died of natural causes, this doesn't prove to be the case. He was murdered. Sophia will not agree to marry Charles until the murder is solved, refusing to attach him to the suspicion that will hover over the family with an unsolved murder. Charles has no choice but to go to the family's estate and gather enough information to solve the crime. He'll have no trouble getting information from the police since his father is Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard.

This is a characteristic Christie country house mystery with a surprising twist at the end. I didn't see it coming. In the author's foreword, Christie admits that this book is one of her favorites. The characters include the murdered patriarch who controlled the purse strings, two sons and their wives, three grandchildren (the youngest of whom reminded me very much of Flavia de Luce), a very young second wife, a poor relative taken into the family fold, and the younger grandchildren's tutor. There are young lovers separated by suspicion and a missing will. I deducted points because no one really solves the mystery. They discover a letter that reveals the details of the crime that others were only beginning to suspect.

.”..Some people, I suspect, remain morally immature. They continue to be aware that murder is wrong, but they do not feel it. I don't think, in my experience, that any murderer has really felt remorse . . . And that, perhaps, is the mark of Cain. Murderers are set apart, they are 'different'--murder is wrong—but not for them--for them it is necessary—the victim has 'asked for it,' it was 'the only way.'”

3.5 stars

Happy new thread, Carrie! Nice reviews of the Yang GNS - adding those to my list, as I liked his American Born Chinese. I skipped your review of the Agatha Christie as I have that one on tap for this month - I'll come back to compare notes after I have read it.

Happy New Thread!

Happy New Thread, Carrie. Pretty much flying along at present.

Happy New Thread!

Happy New Thread Carrie! Poppy says hi and she and I just had a vigorous game of tug of war. She really loves to play.I got the graphic book PlumDog as seen on Mark's thread and maybe Poppy will want to read it with me, do you think? :) In my youth I read a lot of Agatha Christie but Crooked House sounds really interesting. Thumbed your review and did not read the spoiler!

Happy new thread, Carrie! Love the Adrian pic! Going back to your previous thread, I am very happy to read that your neighbourhood has patrol by a private security firm. Carjacking that close to home must feel unnerving.

>17 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! I think Boxers and Saints were a good choice for my first foray into graphic novels. I hope you enjoy the Christie!

>18 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel!

>19 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! I suspect I'll hit the doldrums this week. It will be one of the busiest weeks of the year for me.

>20 ronincats: Thanks Roni!

>21 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! I saw the Plumdog book on Ellen's thread and added it to my WL. I think Poppy would enjoy being read to. I've been known to read to Adrian on occasion, usually when I'm reading poetry. Reading aloud helps me understand it, and Adrian doesn't seem to mind. :-)

I read most of Christie's books in high school and college, especially after my grandmother retired and moved to live near us. Her house was full of books and I borrowed lots of Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Erle Stanley Gardner books from her.

>22 lkernagh: Thanks Lori! I remember arriving at home from the pharmacy around 11:45 on Saturday morning and locking myself in the house after taking Adrian outside. I usually don't lock the front door during the day when I'm at home, but for some reason it seemed like a good idea on Saturday. Maybe I had a premonition about the danger?

Happy new one, Carrie!

>25 scaifea: Thanks Amber!

Morning, Carrie!

Happy new thread, Carrie! Glad you enjoyed your chosen Christie.

Congrats on your shiny new thread, Carrie.

>27 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! It's Monday, but the good news is that it's already half over!

>28 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda! I haven't met a Christie I really didn't like. Her books are comfort reads for me.

>29 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara!

True.

Happy new thread, Carrie! I love the new Adrian picture, and also the one of your and your brother in >12 cbl_tn:. You were cuties! It's a very good idea to remain 29 - I might have to suggest it to my brother, who is three years younger than I am.

>32 susanj67: Thanks Susan! It's nice having a twin brother now. I always wanted a twin growing up (too many Bobbsey Twins books, I guess), and now I have one! You and your brother should try it. ;-)

Happy new thread, Carrie! Boxers and Saints sound very interesting. Crooked House is a Christie that I must have read before but that hasn't stuck in my memory for some reason. Sounds like a good one though.

>35 cbl_tn: Thanks Heather! I'm not the best judge of GNs, but I think you would probably like Boxers and Saints.

I'm sure I hadn't read Crooked House before. I'll have to check and see if it's been adapted for TV. I like to watch the adaptations after I've read the book.

ETA: Apparently a film version of Crooked House is in production, with Julian Fellowes as scriptwriter!

>14 cbl_tn: >15 cbl_tn: >16 cbl_tn: a glut of books! And so different from each other too. Wonderful :)

>25 scaifea: Oh, a film adaptation by Julian Fellowes sounds like it will be good! There's a TV adaptation of Trollope's Dr Thorne this year for which Fellowes has done the script. I'm looking forward to that a lot.

>36 LovingLit: i seem to be on a roll! I hope to finish the three books I'm currently reading before the end of the month. They're different still.

>37 souloftherose: It sounds like Julian Fellowes is finding plenty to do post-DA. If he wants to adapt works by my favorite authors for the screen, I'd be glad to suggest a few more!

>12 cbl_tn: What a lovely photo. It is amazing that you remember posing for this! My early memories are regarding Kindergarten. I did not want to be there. I was painfully shy. When I saw two boys fighting over a fire truck, I was horrified and cried, cried, cried for my mommy.

Happy Day to you Carrie. And, congratulations on accomplishing so reading so many books related to the challenges. I confess that I am not that dedicated.

Morning, Carrie! Happy Tuesday!

>39 Whisper1: Thanks Linda! My earliest memories are drom age 2, when my family moved. I suppose the move is what stuck in my mind. I have no memories of living in the previous place, but a few from our earliest days in the new location.

>40 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Unfortunately I seem to have had a second Monday today. I slipped on the slick concrete when I took the trash out this morning and sprained my foot. Then I got a call back about a test I had last week. I have to go back Monday for a follow-up procedure. Ugh! I plan to spend the evening in the recliner with ice on my foot.

>23 cbl_tn: No sign of any doldrums thankfully.

>41 cbl_tn: Ouch! Take care of yourself, Carrie.

Sorry to hear about your slip. I hope your foot feels better soon. Take care.

>42 PaulCranswick: I will try to do that! I was supposed to go to a conference on our campus this evening. Instead of that, I'll stay home with ice on my foot. I hope I don't undo everything tomorrow when I have to be at work.

>43 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara! No skiing for me this week!

Oh so sorry to hear about your sprained foot! Poor old Adrian without his walks, though he sounds like a quite a content fellow. About 8 years ago, when we had Daisy, our former dog, I fell and fractured my wrist and foot. Just slipped in my foyer. So my dear old mom came over every afternoon that Dave was working and took Daisy out for a mile long walk. I so appreciated that. Fortunately Daisy was older and not so energetic , so she did not need as much walking and running as Poppy.

I hope you heal quickly!

Oh, Carrie! SO sorry to hear about your sprain! How is it feeling today?

>45 vancouverdeb: >46 Crazymamie: Thanks Deborah and Mamie! Adrian has been surprisingly patient with me. I spent the evening in the recliner and iced it off and on. It feels better this morning, and my foot doesn't hurt when I bend it like it did yesterday.

That's good, Carrie, but still, take it easy.

Take care, Carrie. Don't overdo, please.

Carrie, I'm sorry to hear about your foot. It sounds like it's getting better, but be careful!

>48 Crazymamie: >49 Ameise1: >50 susanj67: So far, so good today! My thigh muscles are bothering me more than the foot today. I did the splits as I fell and I must have pulled a muscle or two.

I have a college class reunion this afternoon/evening. It's across the street from work so I won't have far to go. I'm not going to the activities after dinner. I'll come home and put my feet up again. It just struck me that the last time I had a sprain (ankle) was a few weeks before graduation. I was worried about walking across the platform on crutches. Fortunately I was off the crutches by graduation. It somehow seems fitting that I have a sprain for the reunion.

I hope you're back on your feet soon, Carrie. Foot/leg problems are no fun when you can't live a life of idle luxury.

>52 rosalita: I'd love to be able to stay off of my feet for a few days! I am finally home after a long day that ended with a college class reunion. There were only 8 of us there, but we had a good time visiting. One couple I hadn't seen in years and years.

I'm settled in the recliner for the evening with a book, tea, nd an ice pack for my foot,

Sorry to hear about your foot, Carrie. Time to rest up and read.

Too bad about your foot, Carrie. Strange that it happened similarly to your grad. Adrian should be patient with you while you are less mobile; he has learned patience from you when he is sick.

I hope that you're feeling better today, Carrie.

Morning, Carrie! Hoping the foot is feeling a bit better today.

>54 lindapanzo: Thanks Linda! Instead of reading last night, I watched the most recent Garage Sale mystery on the Hallmark Movies & Mystery Channel. I fell asleep and missed the resolution of the mystery! I'll have to catch it another time.

>55 Familyhistorian: Yes, I thought that was odd, too! There were only 8 of us at the reunion dinner, but we had a good visit. I hadn't seen one couple in years - maybe not since graduation.

>56 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl! My foot feels much better today and I'm not as stiff as I was yesterday. Tomorrow is trash day again. I'll be more careful when I take out the trash!

>57 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! The foot is feeling better. I have a sick puppy, though. His breakfast came right back up. I cooked him some rice and fed him rice and cottage cheese right just before I left for work.

Oh my, Carrie, I just went to your previous thread and read about the apprehension of the alleged carjackers. Glad that's taken care of and in a timely manner too!

Another Oh my, about Adrian and the headless gingerbread man. We had a similar moment with Mittens, our cat. We found a bit of kitty vomit underneath the Christmas Tree. All silver tinsel! I thought it was high enough for him not to have noticed it, but you know, cats! Anyway, we watched him closely and nothing else came up. Hopefully, he'd learned his lesson as did we. No tinsel this Christmas.

It appears to have been an eventful week for you, but not in a good way. I hope the clouds will soon pass over, Carrie.

Happy newish thread, Carrie. I'm doing well with the Hogarth series. I read both Shylock Is My Name -- I'll be watching for your comments, and I got Vinegar Girl as an ER book, so I read that one, too.

I hope you're feeling better.

>59 Carmenere: I'm glad the carjackers are in custody somewhere else!

Adrian keeps me on my toes. I can't afford to lose track of where he is and what he's doing!

>60 Trifolia: Thanks Monica! I'll plan to take it easy this weekend to give my foot more time to heal. It's better today, but it was starting to ache a bit by the time I left work.

>61 BLBera: Thanks Beth! I may have to buy Shylock Is My Name since it doesn't look like the public library has a copy on order. Anne Tyler is probably popular enough that they'll order a few copies of Vinegar Girl.

I'm a little late to say sorry about your injured foot. Hope you are well on the road to recovery now!

>63 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! I could really do with a day off to rest. Just one more work day to get through!

Good luck with your injured foot, Carrie.

>65 DianaNL: Thank you Diana! I'm looking forward to the weekend!

Morning, Carrie! We made it to Friday!

>67 Crazymamie: Hallelujah!

>69 Crazymamie: I'm not sure what kind of critter that is, but it's reminded me of the old Ray Stevens song, "The Mississippi Squirrel Revival": https://youtu.be/K16fG1sDagU

We actually had a squirrel at our church in one of the children's Sunday School classrooms a few years ago. A deacon from Mississippi took care of it. I thought that was fitting!

Yep. Squirrel.

Just back from watching the video - too funny! I hadn't seen that one before.

>72 Crazymamie: It's my favorite Ray Stevens song!

Hi Carrie. How is your foot? I hope it's getting better.

So far behind, but I think I'm caught up now. Hope your foot is feeling better!

Happy Friday Carrie! I hope you can put your foot up and rest over the weekend.

>74 Ameise1: It's much better. Thanks Barbara!

>75 leahbird: I know the feeling. I'm behind and despairing of ever catching up!

>76 souloftherose: Hi Heather! I'm glad it's Friday! I'm in the recliner with my feet up! :-)

Glad to hear that your foot is doing much better, Carrie! Take it easy!

Morning, Carrie!

>78 vancouverdeb: Thanks Deborah! I'm not wearing my New Balance shoes this morning and I'm having a little bit of pain in my foot. I guess I still need the extra support from the shoes.

>79 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Happy Saturday!

Morning Carrie! Hope you have a wonderful weekend in store! hope the "little bit of pain" goes way soon!!

>81 Carmenere: Hi Lynda! I have next to nothing planned for the weekend. Lots of reading, lots of laundry, grocery shopping at some point, and maybe a bit of Netflix. The Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel is having a Murder, She Wrote marathon today, and I've got it on for background noise.

Adrian is absorbed in his window gazing. He sits on the back of the sofa and stares out the window for long stretches of time. It's sunny enough that he'll probably try stretching himself out on the window sill before long. I think he likes the warmth of the sun through the window glass.

>82 cbl_tn: LOL, truth be told Carrie, I sometimes do what Adrian's doing.
Your weekend sounds lovely! Enjoy!

>83 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda! We've been on our walk and now Adrian is napping on the back of the sofa in front of the window. I'm thinking about joining him!

Sounds like you are having a wonderful relaxing weekend, Carrie. Enjoy!

>82 cbl_tn: I am having a fairly relaxing weekend too as my lady boss is at my MILs visiting sick relatives and I am left to, erm, hold the fort.

Hope your weekend continues sublimely, Carrie.

>85 Familyhistorian: It's been a good weekend so far! The weather today looks like it will be just as nice yesterday.

>86 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I'm pretty sure that holding a fort requires books. You might need to do a bit of shopping!

A little late to say sorry about your injured foot and happy new thread! :)

I like the sound of the sunbathing. Just seems very relaxing! Hope you have a good week and the foot is better soon.

>88 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel!

>89 charl08: It was a fairly relaxing weekend, although last night I started getting anxious about a medical test I'll be having this morning. I don't think it's a major health worry, but the procedure may be painful. Mondays are bad enough without something like this on top of it, but at least it won't mess up another day this week.

Happy Leap Day, Carrie!

>91 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! It turned out OK!

The good news is that I managed to finish Return of a King and the audio of Anne Frank Remembered last night. The bad news is that I'm now 4 reviews behind! I'll try to get caught up by tomorrow.

I have ambitious reading plans for March. My list includes:
The Social Life of DNA by Alondra Nelson
Introverts in the Church by Adam McHugh
Bury Me Standing by Isabel Fonseca
The Tragedy of King Lear by Shakespeare
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
How to Be Both by Ali Smith
We the People by Juan Williams
Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
Pilgrimage to the End of the World by Conrad Rudolph
The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami
Then by Morris Gleitzner

Audiobooks:
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Celebrations at Thrush Green by Miss Read
How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson

I heard a rumor about a group read of The Prime Minister. If it's this month, I'll probably read it instead of Far from the Madding Crowd.

Hi, Carrie!

Who's reading your James and the Giant Peach?

>94 scaifea: Julian Rhind-Tutt. He's a new reader for me.

This was that very rare thing - a duplicate post! So now I'll use it to wish you a Happy March!

Morning, Carrie! I have a soft spot for James and the Giant Peach. That is some line-up for March - as you know, I'll be joining you for A Thousand Acres. I have Far From the Madding Crowd, but I am doubtful I will get to it as I just read a Hardy last month. I plan on counting that one as my BAC.

>95 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie - I'll have to keep an eye out. I just recently bought the audio version of Danny the Champion of the World read by Peter Serafinowicz, whom I absolutely love.

>82 cbl_tn: 'Adrian is absorbed in his window gazing. He sits on the back of the sofa and stares out the window for long stretches of time.'

Out kitty does that, although her pose is back legs on back of sofa, front legs on windowsill - I think because this means her tummy is over the nice warm radiator!

>93 cbl_tn: Last time I discussed The Prime Minister with Liz we were still thinking of March but perhaps starting mid-March.

Happy March, Carrie!

>82 cbl_tn: My cat love window gazing, too, especially in the warmth of the sun. I watch a TV show on Animal Planet where the cat behaviorist calls that "cat TV." I guess it's "dog TV" too!

>96 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie!

>97 Crazymamie: I remember that my brother loved James and the Giant Peach, but I don't think I ever read it. I have a hold on A Thousand Acres in OverDrive and I'm next in line. It should become available in another week or so.

>98 scaifea: Hi Amber! Danny the Champion of the World isn't available in my library's OverDrive collection. Just Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, The BFG, and Fantastic Mr. Fox and Other Animal Stories.

>99 souloftherose: Sometimes Adrian sits with his front legs on the windowsill. When he wants to nap, he drapes himself across the top of the sofa with his back legs hanging down one side and his head and front legs hanging down the other.

>100 tymfos: Hi Terri! Dog TV, huh? I like it!

Morning, Carrie! Happy Wednesday!

>102 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Just two more work days left this week! One of them is Saturday this week.

20. The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare
TIOLI #12 - Book written at least 50 years ago

When the merchant Antonio is approached by his friend, Bassanio, for a loan, he doesn't have money in hand to loan. He's expecting a large profit upon the arrival of ships from various centers of trade, so he borrows the money from Jewish lender Shylock. If Antonio can't repay the loan by the due date, instead of interest, Shylock will take a pound of flesh from Antonio. Meanwhile, Bassanio is off to court Portia. Bassanio is lucky in love, but Antonio is very unlucky in business. All of his ships are lost, and Shylock is demanding his pound of flesh. Bassanio is distraught at having put his friend Antonio in this position. Fortunately, Portia has a plan...

This is more like two different plays instead of a unified drama. Portia and her suitors begin as a separate story line, finally connected to the main plot through Bassanio's arrival. I think Polonius delivered his famous monologue to the wrong character in the wrong play. Antonio, Bassanio, and Shylock could all have benefited from his advice to “neither a borrower or a lender be”!

4 stars

21. The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember by Fred Rogers
TIOLI #5 - Title contains an action word (remember)

Although I was just an occasional viewer of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood as a child, I have good memories related to his show. My high school chemistry and physics teacher used to sing the theme song to us during tests. (I mostly did OK on the tests so it didn't bother me, but I'm sure it really annoyed some of the struggling students.) This compilation of quotes is organized around the themes that characterized his children's programming: “The courage to be yourself”, “Understanding love”, “The challenges of inner discipline”, and “We are all neighbors”. It's a nice little gift book that's suitable for anyone who grew up watching Mister Rogers on PBS.

My favorite TV memory of Mister Rogers isn't from his show; it's from Candid Camera. The crew hid a camera in hotel rooms, including Mister Rogers', to capture their reactions when they learned that there were no TVs in the room. This didn't bother Mister Rogers at all. Peter Funt disguised as a hotel employee wasn't able to provoke reaction from him. He maintained the same calm, courteous, and kind demeanor in what he believed was a private conversation that he had on his television show. That's integrity.

3.5 stars

22. Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies & Alison Leslie Gold
TIOLI #5 - Title contains an action word (frank, remember)

If you're familiar with Anne Frank's story and you've ever wondered what was happening on the outside while her family was in hiding in Amsterdam, Miep Gies's memoir provides the answer. Miep (her real nickname, but not her real name) tells of being sent from her home in Vienna to live with a Dutch family after World War I so that she could regain her health and strength. She recalls working with Otto Frank in a company that sold pectin for jam making. Miep became a friend of the whole family, and she shares her memories of her first meeting with Anne and of watching her grow up. When the Franks and another family went into hiding in the firm's storage area, Miep and a few other employees were their only connection to the outside world. Unknown to the Frank family, Miep and her husband also hid a Jewish man in their home. As the months passed, it became increasingly difficult for Miep to find enough food to feed so many people. After the Franks and the others were discovered and sent to concentration camps, Miep and her husband had to endure the “hunger winter” and its extreme shortage of food, fuel, and electricity.

It always made me sad that Anne Frank and her family were discovered just months before the end of the war and the Holocaust. I thought that if they hadn't been discovered, they could have remained in hiding until the end of the war and Anne could have published her diary herself. After hearing Miep's description of the “hunger winter” and how difficult it became to find any food at all, I'm not certain that the Franks and their companions would all have survived in hiding even if they hadn't been discovered. Miep probably couldn't have continued to feed that many people. It's a tragic, but important, story, and a good complement to the more famous Diary of Anne Frank.

5 stars

Good morning, Carrie. You had some fantastic readings recently. Thanks for the reviews.

Thanks Barbara! Happy Thursday!

Morning, Carrie!

Hi Carrie! Anne Frank Remembered sounds really interesting. I was so fascinated by her story when I was young. I'll have to put this book on my mental wish list. Great review!

>109 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

>110 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! I am so glad that I read Anne Frank Remembered and learned the other side of the story. There were things that Miep and the others kept from those in hiding because they didn't want them to worry about things they couldn't control.

23: Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 by William Dalrymple
TIOLI #19 - Nonfiction about the history of a country on the Asian continent

While there are other histories of the First Anglo-Afghan War, Dalrymple is apparently the first historian to use Afghan sources in his research. The result is a balanced account of the war and the decades leading up to it from both the English and the Afghan perspective. It's a tragic story from either perspective, and it didn't need to happen. Dalrymple's analysis of the many failures of leadership will make this of interest to students of leadership and management as well as military historians and readers with an interest in colonialism and the history of the British Empire. Potential readers shouldn't be discouraged by its heft. It's not dry like some histories, and it reads quickly for a book of its size.

I was particularly taken with Lady Sale, the wife of Sir Robert “Fighting Bob” Sale. While “Fighting Bob” and those under his command were under siege in Jalalabad, Lady Sale and other British dependents were in Kabul and left in the disastrous winter retreat. Lady Sale was among those taken hostage by Akbar Khan. She had as much, if not more fortitude than the British officers among the hostages, and contributed to their escape from captivity. Dalrymple quotes extensively from her published journal account of the events of 1841-42, and it piqued my interest in reading the whole thing. Project Gutenberg has a free electronic version of Lady Sale's journal that now resides in my reader app.

4.5 stars

February Recap

Best of the month: Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies & Alison Leslie Gold
Worst of the month: The Richest Woman in America: Hetty Green in the Gilded Age by Janet Wallach

Physical books owned: 3
Physical books borrowed: 4
Ebooks owned: 1
Ebooks borrowed: 2
Audiobooks owned: 1
Audiobooks borrowed: 2

>112 cbl_tn: Glad to see that your views on the Dalrymple were in tune pretty much with my own. Quite right that Lady Sale did come accross as a great character.

>114 PaulCranswick: If not for the BAC and the GeoCAT, I wouldn't have read this book. I'm glad they worked together to steer me in that direction!

>115 DianaNL: Hi Diana! I'm not as excited about Friday as usual. I have most of the day off today, but I have to work tomorrow.

Morning, Carrie! Happy Friday! Hooray for most of the day off, but sorry you have to work tomorrow.

>117 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! It's been nice to have most of the day off, even though I have to work tomorrow. I took Adrian to the groomers after my meeting this morning and did some grocery shopping before going home. I've done a couple of loads of laundry, and Adrian and I went for a walk. I managed to finish an audio book with all of the time in the car today!

24.: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
TIOLI #15 - Book by an author born in Wales

Young orphan James Henry Trotter lives with his mean spinster aunts, Sponge and Spiker. His aunts keep James busy doing chores and never give him time to play either by himself or with other children. One day, James is given some magic crystals with a promise that they'll change his life, but he loses them on the ground before he can follow the instructions he's been given. Imagine his surprise when a tree in the garden where he spilled the crystals grows an enormous peach! James explores the inside of the peach and meets several creatures, including a centipede, and earthworm, a grasshopper, a silkworm, and a spider. The peach rolls away with James inside it, launching James and his companions on a big adventure.

I would have enjoyed this book more if I had discovered it as a child. As an adult reader, I'm too aware of the educational aspects of the story, such as facts about the insects that James meets inside the peach. I also couldn't help being concerned about James's willingness to accept the crystals from a complete stranger, and that he would have followed the stranger's instructions to make a drink from the crystals if he hadn't accidentally dropped them in the garden.

James's ingenuity and the way the traveling companions work together to get themselves out of difficult circumstances provide positive messages for children about problem solving and team work. This is a great story for early readers to read on their own. The audio version read by Julian Rhind-Tutt is also enjoyable, with a variety of vocal characterizations and sound effects that enhance the story.

3.5 stars

Next up in audio: Celebrations at Thrush Green by Miss Read

When I think of giant peaches, I always picture the one we'd see as we drove from one set of grandparents to the other. I always kept an eye out for the Big Peach as we traveled. I don't remember ever actually stopping at the farm store, but we surely must have at least once.

Great reading in February, Carrie. The Dalrymple sounds good to me.

>121 BLBera: Thanks Beth! I will be keeping an eye out for more of Dalrymple's books!

>122 cbl_tn: I have a few more on the shelves and I may get to one of them pretty soon.

Have a great weekend, Carrie.

Happy weekend, Carrie.

Carrie, I loved your review of Return of a King. I'm definitely going to get to it, although I have White Mughals first. I hope your day at work goes OK. At least you seem to have got most of the house stuff done yesterday, which is always lovely :-)

Morning, Carrie! Happy Saturday!

>123 PaulCranswick: >124 Ameise1: >126 Crazymamie: Thanks Paul, Barbara & Mamie!

>125 susanj67: Hi Susan! I'll watch for your comments on White Mughals whenever you get around to it. I think I'll be on the lookout for From the Holy Mountain next.

It's been a beautiful Sunday here. Adrian and I went on a long walk with his friend Stella and her "mom". I'm cooking a roast now, and I'll make some blackberry cobbler in a little while. I listened to more of Celebrations at Thrush Green while I worked in the kitchen, but other than that I haven't got much reading done today. It's just too nice a day not to enjoy it. I might have also watched couple of episodes of Fuller House on Netflix when I found out it's a Netflix original series.

I had a nice surprise at church this morning. My friend gave me a necklace that looks like Adrian! And it's not even my birthday!

Oh what a darling necklace ! Looks just like Adrian! Sounds like a lovely dinner ahead of you! Poppy and are off on our walk. I've spent some time getting up to date on LT and she is getting impatient. James and the Giant Peach - my kids loved it! It never grows old, does it.

Hi Carrie!

>128 cbl_tn: Adorable! And what a sweet thing to have a friend give you a gift just because. :-)

Your review of Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan is excellent. Dalrymple's works are getting lots of good press about these parts.

I'm sure you will love that necklace. I hope Adrian doesn't play with it as much as my kittens would play with one.

Carrie, it looks like I'll be joining you and Mamie in reading A Thousand Acres this month. It will be a reread for me. Like others, I read Some Luck and wasn't too excited about two more long books of anecdotes.

>128 cbl_tn: What a lovely surprise!

>129 vancouverdeb: The dinner turned out great, especially the vegetables and the cobbler. Chuck roast isn't my favorite, but that's what Kroger had on sale when I was shopping on Friday.

>130 EBT1002: My friend takes care of Adrian when I travel and can't take him with me. She's his second mama, and she loves him almost as much as I do!

Have you read anything by Dalrymple? This is a good one!

>131 thornton37814: Adrian doesn't bother my jewelry when I'm wearing it, and he can't get to it when I'm not wearing it. I think I'm safe!

>132 Donna828: That will be fun Donna! It's always fun to have someone to talk with about a book I've just read. I'm still waiting for my turn with the OverDrive ebook. I'm next in line...

>104 cbl_tn: at least 50 years ago, I'd say! I haven't read that since school but I remember some of my lines :)

>128 cbl_tn: sweet necklace

>134 LovingLit: It was a first read for me. Good, but not my favorite of Shakespeare's plays!

I finished How to Be Both for the BAC this evening, but I watched the final episode of DA instead of writing a review. Maybe tomorrow. I need to let the book settle before trying to review it anyway. It will be difficult to write a review that does justice to the book.

Morning, Carrie!

Hi Mamie! Happy Tuesday!

Morning, Carrie! Happy Wednesday!

Hi Mamie! Sorry I didn't check in yesterday. Spring is here, and my asthma is flaring up. I'm taking the day off to stay home and rest, and I'll try to get a doctor's appointment before the weekend.

Morning, Carrie! Sorry about the asthma - I have to take an antihistamine daily this time of year. Hoping you feel better.

Thanks Mamie! I have an appointment with the nurse practitioner in an hour. Hopefully she'll prescribe some prednisone and I'll be back to normal by Monday. I always have trouble this time of year even with a daily antihistamine and several other allergy and asthma medications that I take on a daily basis. :-(

Total bummer! Wishing you luck, Carrie!

25. How to Be Both by Ali Smith
TIOLI #14 - Author's initials spell a word (as)

But which came first? Her mother says. The chicken or the egg? The picture underneath or the picture on the surface? The picture below came first, George says. Because it was done first.

But the first thing we see, her mother said, and most times the only thing we see, is the one on the surface. So does that mean it comes first after all? And does that mean the other picture, if we don't know about it, may as well not exist?

The structure of this novel plays with this idea – which part comes first? There are two sections to the novel, Eyes and Camera, and the print edition was issued with the sections in two different orders. The ebook edition contains both versions of the novel, and I chose to read it in the order Camera – Eyes. In one sense, the events of Eyes take place before the events of Camera, but in another sense, Eyes takes place after Camera. It's the old chicken and egg question in novel format. The author and publisher say that the novel works equally well in either order. I'm not convinced of that. I think most readers will find Eyes easier to understand if they've read Camera first. What Smith has done with this novel is impressive, but I never became absorbed enough in the writing to lose awareness of its mechanics. So, my verdict is good but not great.

4 stars

Just as I suspected, my asthma has flared up. I had a breathing treatment at the doctor's office, and they're working on a prescription for a nebulizer that I can use at home. I get to take prednisone for a few days, which I hate, but it works. The nurse practitioner was thoughtful enough to write a prescription for an antibiotic in case an infection is brewing. I won't fill it unless I develop signs of an infection, but if that happens, it's likely to happen over the weekend so she wanted me to have the prescription ready to go.

Spring is here.

As another regular asthma sufferer, I wish you a speedy recovery and return to a proper lungful of air. Take care, Carrie. xx

Sounds like your doctor's visit was a smashing success, Carrie. Hoping that the prednisone does the trick and that you don't have to fill the prescription for the antibiotic.

Asthma is so wicked. I hope it is under control soon.

>146 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! You'd think I'd realize when I'm not breathing well, but apparently I get used to it until it reaches a breaking point.

>147 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! I think I got on top of this pretty quickly so the prednisone should take care of things.

>148 Whisper1: Thanks Linda! Me too!

Sorry to hear about the asthma flare up - hope that the med work as they ought.

I was really interested in what you said about the digital edition of How to be Both giving you the option which bit to read first - I already had got my library copy when I read reviews that I heard it was published in different ways. I never saw a bookshop doing this, but it would have been fun to have two piles and explicitly choose. Definitely a vote for the ereader experience.

>150 charl08: Thanks for the good wishes! I'm still very tired this evening so I'll play it by ear in the morning. I have some important meetings at work next week so I need to be back in working form by Monday.

The digital edition includes both versions of the novel. Not a problem if you're borrowing it from the library like I did, but maybe so if you buy it and you have limited space on your ereader. I chose to read it in the order Camera-Eyes because it was second in the file and I could see exactly how far it was to the end of the book.

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

As if the pollen wasn't enough, there was a brush fire just across the river from me earlier this afternoon and the smoke drifted this way. I believe the fire is under control now, and I hope the air will clear soon.

Sorry to hear about the asthma, Carrie. Does it get worse in the spring?

>152 BLBera: It seems to be allergy induced, and the spring allergens are some of the worst for me. The steroids are working. A little too well, since it's 3:30 a.m. and I'm wide awake. I might as well see if I can finish King Lear so I can start A Thousand Acres.

Sorry to hear about your asthma flare up,, Carrie. I wish you a speedy recovery.

>154 DianaNL: Thanks Diana! I'm feeling better this morning, although tired from being wide awake in the middle of the night.

My asthma is also a little bit allergy bound - dust mites, very cold weather, certain types of science-fiction and un-serviced air-conditioners all do for me......well three of those four do; one of them just puts me to sleep.

Have a lovely weekend. xx

>156 PaulCranswick: The cold weather didn't bother me this winter like it usually does, so that's a good thing. Dust mites and mold are the worst allergens for me based on my test results, but I have more problems with asthma in the spring with the tree pollen.

I am loving A Thousand Acres so far. The chapters are fairly short and I've already starting reading "just one more" before I put it down. There's a good chance I'll finish it this weekend if the dogs will allow it. I'm dog sitting tomorrow for a friend's dog. She's at least part chocolate lab. I've met her before but Adrian has not.

I finished the audio of Celebrations at Thrush Green this evening when I went to the pharmacy to pick up my nebulizer. (Yay!) Now I am three reviews behind. I hope to catch up this weekend. I could use that hour we're going to lose tomorrow night.

My reading goals for the weekend are finishing A Thousand Acres and Introverts in the Church and maybe starting the audio of How We Got to Now.

I'm sorry to hear about your asthma flare up. Glad the prednisone worked. I have yet to read A Thousand Acres myself. It is on my TBR list. I hope Adrian's blind date goes well! :)

>159 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! The prednisone is working a little too well. I woke up at 2:30 and haven't been able to get back to sleep. At least tomorrow is Saturday and I don't have to work. I've been reading A Thousand Acres since I'm awake. Maybe I need to switch to something less interesting that might put me to sleep!

Carrie, I'm sorry to hear you're having allergy problems, but good use of those wee small hours when you can't sleep! I don't suppose you'll be able to nap much with two dogs to look after. I hope Adrian likes his new pal.

>161 susanj67: Hi Susan! I'm hoping the dogs will let me nap for a while now that they've gotten acquainted with each other. We'll see! I got nearly 50 pages further with A Thousand Acres during the night. I find all of the characters flawed but likable, so I know that I'm in for heartache at some point.

Here's a photo of Sky, my guest dog for the day:

Happy Saturday, Carrie. I hope it hasn't gone to the dogs! *bad pun* Have a great day!

>163 Carmenere: Ha!

The dogs seem to be content. I've taken them out a couple of times. I watched Mr. Pip on Netflix this morning and loved it. It's fairly faithful to the book. I made some peanut butter oatmeal no-bake cookies for Sky's dad (a sort-of nephew) to take home with him. Now I'm watching Chip & Joanna on HGTV. It's been a good day so far!

26. Pilgrimage to the End of the World: The road to Santiago de Compostela by Conrad Rudolph
TIOLI #6 - In memory of Coco
Non-Fiction challenge

Santiago de Compostela in Spain has been a destination for Christian pilgrims for more than a millennium. Art historian Conrad Rudolph made the pilgrimage from Le Puy all the way to Finisterre. Rudolph provides a brief history of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages, an account of his pilgrimage experience, photographs of some of the sights along the way, and practical advice for doing the pilgrimage. Rudolph points out that many pilgrims have a spiritual purpose but not necessarily a religious one.

The first three sections of the book have a timeless feel. Pilgrims make the journey on foot, and the route passes through areas that haven't changed much since the Middle Ages. At some points on the route, the original Roman road is at the surface. The final section of the book containing practical advice for making the pilgrimage has some dated elements. Rudolph repeatedly advises potential pilgrims that it would be a mistake to take books in their packs. It's obvious this was written before Amazon's Kindle ushered in the ebook era. He also advises travelers to buy film along the way and mail it home along the route, with a mention in passing of the “new digital camera”.

Many readers won't feel a need to read this book from cover to cover. Each section of the book could stand on its own. For most readers, it will be a book to borrow from the library rather than a necessary purchase.

3.5 stars

27. The Tragedy of King Lear by William Shakespeare
TIOLI #3 - Embedded word in the title (ear)

King Lear makes a fateful decision to divide his kingdom between his three daughters. The reaction of one daughter, Cordelia, displeases the king so much that he cuts her out of any inheritance. The kingdom will be divided between the other two daughters, Goneril and Regan. His plan is that they will take care of him in his old age. They soon decide that they don't want to use their inheritance to support their father, and the king finds himself with nowhere to shelter in a violent storm. Meanwhile, the Earl of Gloucester's illegitimate son plots to usurp his legitimate brother's place as their father's heir. As in many of Shakespeare's plays, there are characters in disguise. It's filled with violence and cruelty without comic relief like the gravedigger scene in Hamlet. The family conflict at its heart will continue to resonate with audiences and readers as long as there are families.

4 stars

28. Celebrations at Thrush Green by Miss Read
TIOLI #18 - Has a title word describing a place someone could live (Thrush Green)

The village school in Thrush Green is approaching its centenary, and plans for a celebration are underway. Meanwhile, village resident Harold Shoosmith is thrilled to learn of newly discovered letters written by Nathaniel Patten, Thrush Green's most distinguished son, who had gone to Africa as a missionary in the Victorian era. Harold had lived near the African village where Nathaniel Patten had founded a church, a school, and a medical center, and where he was remembered as a hero. Harold retired to Thrush Green because of its connection with Nathaniel Patten, and he reintroduced its current residents to the dedicated missionary who had left there for Africa 100 years ago. School and church decided to combine forces and have a joint celebration of both centenaries. The book describes the year of planning culminating in the centenary celebration.

This book is somewhat disappointing compared with other books by this author. It focuses too much on the planning and not enough on the reason for the celebration. There were some side stories, like Winnie Bailey's illness, that detracted from the focus on the event planning, which already suffered from being divided between the school and the Victorian missionary. The narrator of the audio version is good, but not good enough to distract most listeners from the dullness of the story.

2.5 stars

Hi Carrie, joining the others with wishes that your sprained ankle is better.

>162 cbl_tn: - Sky looks like a sweet dog.

>168 lkernagh: Thanks Lori! The ankle has fully recovered. I wore my New Balance walking shoes for a week and it helped tremendously.

Sky is indeed a sweet dog. She was no trouble at all.

I am finally feeling better today. The combination of the prednisone, a better night's sleep last night, and overnight rain settling the pollen has me breathing better than I have in days. Since we lost an hour last night and I hadn't been sleeping well since starting the prednisone, I gave myself permission to stay home from church this morning. The flu season is peaking in East TN now, and even though I've had a flu shot, they're not 100% effective. The prednisone makes me more susceptible to infection, so avoiding crowds seemed like a good thing to do. I will have to venture out to the grocery store later today, though.

I am loving A Thousand Acres. Both of my parents are from the Midwest and I've spent lots of time around farmers over the years. My mother is from an Indiana county that was originally swampy. It was drained for farming in the late 19th century, and I grew up hearing stories about how my great-aunt's father-in-law and others had helped to dig the drainage ditches. The rich, black soil is some of the best farmland in the U.S. I love the parts of the book that describe this process in the fictional Zebulon County. My father was born in Iowa not far from where this novel is set, although he had no memories of Iowa. His family moved to Illinois when he was 6 months old.

Hi Carrie - I'm glad you're feeling better. There is a lot of flu going around here, too. My daughter told me that 9 of her 23 students were out sick on Thursday. Little Scout spent the week sick, too. :(

If you love A Thousand Acres, her new trilogy might appeal to you, also. The first one, especially, is all about Iowa farm life.

>171 BLBera: I've added Some Luck to my OverDrive wishlist. I also want to read Moo since I've been around academia all my life, as well as her biography of Dickens.

I'm sorry that Scout has been sick. I hope she's improving now.

29. Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh
TIOLI #3 - Title contains an embedded word (trove)

After years of frustration and anguish, Presbyterian pastor Adam S. McHugh has grown to understand and embrace his introverted personality and draw on its strengths for ministry. He shares what he's learned from his reading on personality theory, his interviews with fellow introverts in a variety of ministry positions, and his own experience. McHugh points out the spiritual dangers in the emphasis on extroverted behaviors that are characteristic in contemporary evangelical Christianity, sometimes to the point that introverts are considered sinners if they don't adopt certain extroverted behaviors. This book will help introverts understand and accept their natures and give themselves permission to carve out the solitude they need for processing their thoughts and experiences. Extroverted readers will gain an awareness and insight into the different ways that introverts experience the world that will help them be sensitive to the needs of their introverted parishioners and colleagues. McHugh cautions introverts not to use their personality as an excuse for isolating themselves from the community that is integral to the church. This book would be particularly useful for those in ministry or preparing for ministry. It also offers a lot of value for lay readers. Highly recommended.

4 stars

Catching up with you, Carrie! Look at you churning out those reviews - nice work! I still have yet to start A Thousand Acres, but I am hoping maybe later this week. We shall see...

Hoping you are feeling even better today. The pine pollen is crazy here!

Finally catching up with you, Carrie! Sorry to hear you had an asthma flare-up :(

I'm so glad you are enjoying A Thousand Acres. It's so well done. I might do a re-read for the AAC this month...

>166 cbl_tn: This is a much better synopsis of Lear than I consulted on Wikipedia. I do like Jane Smiley's version despite the fact it is a tragedy.

It is National Pi Day, so have yourself an ample slice of your favorite pie. This one is only a suggestion. :-)

>176 weird_O: Thanks! I love Smiley's version so far. I have a bit over 100 e-pages left to read. Even though I don't know what the characters are going to do, I have some idea what to expect since I've read Lear, and I've steeled myself for the inevitable tragic ending.

>177 weird_O: Thanks for the pi! Sadly, it's probably the only one I'll get today. I did buy blueberries at the grocery store yesterday so I could whip up a cobbler pretty quickly. Hmmm.

Sorry to hear the the Miss Read book was not for you. I'm not sure they are to my taste either. I know my mom enjoys them, for what that is worth! And good news on the dog walking front. It is supposed to be better weather later this week and today the dog walker came instead of her usual Thursday! Yeah a day to stay inside! :)

>179 vancouverdeb: I've read other Miss Reads that I've enjoyed. Just not this one. They don't require a lot of concentration and they're good comfort reads for when I'm sick or can't concentrate on anything heavy.

I'm glad you got to stay dry today! It's raining here and Adrian still needs to go out for his evening walk. Maybe the rain will stop before it gets dark.

>174 Crazymamie: Oops! I missed a couple of posts up there! It's been a hectic and stressful day, just the first of several this week. I'm still feeling better, but I didn't sleep well again last night and work took a lot out of me today. I had to use my inhaler once this evening after not needing it at all yesterday.

>175 katiekrug: Hi Katie! I just finished A Thousand Acres, and I'm still gathering my thoughts. The ending wasn't quite what I anticipated, but it was a great ride.

Catching up Carrie!

>106 cbl_tn: You hit me with a book bullet for Anne Frank Remembered. The Diary of Anne Frank was one of my favourite books growing up.

>112 cbl_tn: I haven't seen a single negative review for any of the Dalrymple books. I have From the Holy Mountain on loan from the library but don't seem to be getting round to starting it!

>128 cbl_tn: Ah, that's a really sweet necklace :-)

>145 cbl_tn: Sorry to hear your asthma has flared up :-( I hope the medication eases that soon.

>173 cbl_tn: Interesting review of Introverts in the Church. I've had that on my wishlist for a while, I think since reading Susan McCain's Quiet.

>184 Crazymamie: Sorry to hear thiongs are hectic and stressful. I think work is going to be like that for me this month too.

Hi Heather! I'm not sure I've ever read The Diary of Anne Frank, although I've seen the movie version. Anne Frank Remembered also reminds me of The Hiding Place, which is one of my favorite books. Miep's experience is similar to Corrie ten Boom since they were the ones doing the hiding and not the ones hidden.

I have my eye on From the Holy Mountain and I'll read it at some point.

I wish Introverts in the Church or a book like it had been around when I was a young adult. It would have saved me lots of anguish.

We have an accreditation site visit today and tomorrow so this isn't a great time to be having asthma problems. I think the spring pollen triggered the asthma, but stress makes it worse. The prednisone is still keeping me awake for hours in the middle of the night, so I'm not at my best. Next week is spring break, and while I don't automatically get it as vacation time, I'm going to take at least a couple of days off.

Morning, Carrie!

Hi, Carrie! Sorry you've been dealing with allergies and asthma, but glad to hear things are improving.

Introverts in the Church sounds like a helpful book. I come from a "quieter" tradition than some Christians, but still find my introverted nature gets in the way sometimes.

>184 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

>185 tymfos: My rural church is quieter than many of the contemporary churches, and I sometimes have introverted issues, too. Like when the speaker tells everyone to stand up and greet someone next to you. It's always made me very uncomfortable, and it disrupts my focus.

I spoke too soon about the asthma issues. It flared up again today, I think because my office was too hot. The thermostat is controlled remotely, so I had to come home for a while because I couldn't breathe. The office had cooled down after lunch so the afternoon was better, but I was ready to try the new nebulizer when I got home. The instructions seemed incomplete, so I called the pharmacy to find out what I was supposed to use to dilute the medicine with since all the instructions say is "dilute before using". I found out that the prescription was written for concentrate, and I should either have had a prescription for an additional medication to mix with it or a prescription for the premixed version. I won't be able to straighten it out until tomorrow after a very important meeting in the morning. I'm hoping that the inhaler will be enough to get me through that meeting. Of course, worrying about it isn't helping a bit!

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Vinegar Girl through NetGalley, and it's exactly what I need this evening to relieve some of this stress. So far it's very different from the other Anne Tyler books I've read. It's more like chick lit, and pretty funny so far.

Sorry to read that your medications have been mixed up. That must not have helped your stress levels at all. Hope your asthma is manageable with your existing inhaler whilst you get it sorted out.

I like the sound of Vinegar Girl - am I right in thinking it's another Hogarth Press Shakespeare? Or have I got that mixed up with something else?

>188 charl08: It didn't help my stress level at all! What did help was curling up in the recliner with my dog, reading and watching Fixer Upper. I slept better last night, and I'm breathing well this morning. Fingers crossed that it lasts after I get to work.

Yes, Vinegar Girl is Hogarth Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew. It's probably one of the more challenging plays to modernize (at least in a U.S./European setting), and Anne Tyler has exceeded my expectation.

Morning, Carrie! Sorry to hear about the asthma flaring up again - so scary!

I also have Vinegar Girl - just came this weekend; I won it in the ER from last month. I am eager to get to it.

>190 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I think you'll like Vinegar Girl! It's a short book and it won't take long to read.

I just checked in with the pharmacy. They've worked things out with the doctor's office, so I'm going to pick up my correct medication during lunch. My asthma has behaved this morning and made it through my important meeting without any breathing issues. Yay!

Glad they got it all sorted for you, Carrie! And hooray for asthma that is behaving!

Hi Carrie - Vinegar Girl was fun, wasn't it? It seemed like Tyler was having fun with it.

>192 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Well, my asthma flared up again last night, and I didn't sleep well again last night. I'm hoping things will look different after I give myself a breathing treatment.

>193 BLBera: Yes, Vinegar Girl was fun! I finished it last night. The ending was a bit of a let-down for me, but I enjoyed the book. It was the perfect read for me this week. I think it's great that a Pulitzer winner can do chick lit, too!

Good morning, Carrie! >186 cbl_tn: Oh I feel for you! I have asthma too and when my husband turns up the heat I need to remind him that I can't breath when it's set so high. I don't use a nebulizer just daily maintenance inhaler and albuterol for emergencies but I fear that my dr. will prescribe one for me at my next breathing test in April. I hope your breathing treatment brings you relief!!

Morning, Carrie! Bummer about the asthma. Did you do the treatment yet? How did that go?

>195 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda! I'm hoping I only need to use the nebulizer during the spring pollen season.

>196 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I sed the nebulizer and I think I did OK with it. It will take some getting used to. I went in to work for a bit and did what absolutely needs to be done today. Now I'm home and I'm going to see if I can sleep for a while.

It sounds like spring has sprung in Tennessee, Carrie. I feel sorry for those who suffer from pollen allergies. It's such a lovely time of year for the rest of us.

I'm glad you are liking A Thousand Acres. I seem to have left it at home. I've only managed to read one short book on this trip and now I'm reading my Tony Hillerman for the month. Not much reading time but Hope is a joy to be around so I don't miss it.

>198 Donna828: I used to love spring, too. Sigh. Have you read A Thousand Acres before, or will this be the first time for you? I really liked it.

I think I'm dealing with more than asthma now. I think I'm sick. I've contacted the doctor's office to see if I should go ahead and start the antibiotic prescribed last week to use in case I developed signs of an infection over the weekend (I didn't) or if I need to make another office visit. They may want me to go in for a flu test. The flu season is peaking here. I was vaccinated in December, but it's not 100% effective.

Get wel soon, Carrie.

>200 DianaNL: Thanks Diana! I started an antibiotic last night and I'm already feeling better.

I just got notice that my request for an egalley of Eligible has been approved. Guess what I'll be reading this weekend?!

Morning Carrie! Congrats on snagging an egalley! What a great way to enjoy the weekend.
I hope the antibiotics kick in and you'll be feeling like your ole self again.

>203 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! The antibiotics have kicked in and I feel like a different person this morning! The cough is nearly gone already. I'm a happy camper!

Morning, Carrie! Glad to hear that the antibiotics have kicked in and that you are feeling better this morning.

>205 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Happy Friday! I feel better than I did 24 hours ago, but I'm tired after being at work most of the day. I'm looking forward to chilling at home with Adrian this evening!

Sorry about all the breathing issues--no fun! Glad you are feeling better and hope you have a good, restful weekend.

I'm glad you're feeling a bit better, Carrie, and I am super jealous that you've scored an e-galley of Eligible. I'm looking forward to that one!

>207 ronincats: Thanks Roni! I'm looking forward to a weekend of nothing but reading!

>208 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! I'm thrilled about getting Eligible. I read the first two chapters this morning before I left for work, and it seems like it's going to be a fun read.

Take care, Carrie. I'm glad you feel better. Eligible sounds fun.

Morning, Carrie! Happy Saturday!

>210 BLBera: Hi Beth! Eligible has taken a turn I don't care for. I'll keep reading and see how it plays out.

>211 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! Hooray for Saturdays!

30. A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
TIOLI #19 - Book in which pulses are eaten (cheese garbanzo enchiladas, lots of peas)

I was always aware, I think, of the water in the soil, the way it travels from particle to particle, molecules adhering, clustering, evaporating, heating, cooling, freezing, rising upward to the surface and fogging the cool air or sinking downward, dissolving this nutrient and that, quick in everything it does, endlessly working and flowing, a river sometimes, a lake sometimes. When I was very young, I imagined it ready at any time to rise and cover the earth again, except for the tile lines. Prairie settlers always saw a sea or an ocean of grass, could never think of any other metaphor, since most of them had lately seen the Atlantic. The Davises did find a shimmering sheet punctuated by cattails and sweet flag. The grass is gone, now, and the marshes, “the big wet prairie,” but the sea is still beneath our feet, and we walk on it.

Jane Smiley translated the timeless elements of Shakespeare's King Lear to a Midwestern farm family. In many respects, Smiley's adaptation improves on Shakespeare's Lear. Larry Cook owns one of the most productive farms in Iowa's Zebulon County – one thousand acres resulting from the consolidation of several adjoining acreages. The widower Cook farms with the assistance of two sons-in-law, the husbands of two of his three daughters. Cook's sudden decision to incorporate the farm and cede control to his daughters and sons-in-law is the first in a chain of events that leads to tragedy. The return of draft dodger Jess Clark, prodigal son of Cook's neighbor, Harold Clark, becomes a catalyst for growing feelings of discontent in Cook's eldest daughter, Ginny, the first-person narrator. As sisters Ginny and Rose and their husbands extend themselves beyond their means, the family rift grows, and their neighbors in the small farming community choose sides.

The Midwest farm crisis was an inspired choice as the modern setting for this tragedy. This was a period when many multi-generation family farms were lost to corporations. Many smaller tragedies took place throughout the Midwest during this time period. Smiley's novel carries an authenticity that will resonate with readers with ties to the Midwest and its farmers. Highly recommended.

4 stars

31. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler
TIOLI #14 - Author's initials spell a word (at)

Twenty-something Kate Battista still lives at home with her widowed father, a Johns Hopkins research scientist, and her 15-year-old sister, Bunny. Kate is a teaching assistant at a local preschool, where she is loved by the children but barely tolerated by the parents and school administrators for her lack of diplomacy, tact, and restraint. Kate's father is about to lose his talented research assistant, Pyotr, and he has begun to act strangely. Pyotr's visa is about to expire and he'll have to leave the country. Unless, of course, he marries a U.S. citizen and gets a green card...

The plot of The Taming of the Shrew would be difficult to translate to a 21st century North American or European setting. Anne Tyler made it look easy. The Pulitzer winner demonstrates an equal talent for chick lit. It's a fun, light-hearted read that had me giggling throughout. Tyler's characteristic Baltimore setting puts her own stamp on this Shakespeare retelling. It's a solid entry in the Hogarth Shakespeare project.

This review is based on an electronic advance reader copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley.

4 stars

Great comments, Carrie. I think I might be due a reread of A Thousand Acres; it's been a while. You captured the spirit of Vinegar Girl perfectly. I think Tyler had fun with this.

>215 BLBera: Thanks Beth! I sure had fun reading it. I wonder how they're selecting authors for specific plays? Are they up for grabs, or do they have one of the plays in mind when they approach an author? I also wonder who will take on King Lear since A Thousand Acres is already out there. Maybe they could just reissue it in the Hogarth Shakespeare series!

Oh - some wonderful reviews, Carrie. I hope to get my hands on Vinegar Girl, so I am please that you enjoyed it! If you can believe it, I've yet to read A 'Thousand Acres, but it has been languishing on a TBR shelf for many years . One of these days! I hope you and Adrian had a good day today. Poppy says hi to both of you.

>213 cbl_tn: & >214 cbl_tn: Very interesting reviews both, Carrie. I am frustrated that my copy of A Thousand Acres has been mislaid at exactly the wrong time and only yesterday I had another look for it. I would hazard that you are one of the first in the group to read Vinegar Girl and I am not sure when it will make the stores here but I will watch out for it.

Two renowned American lady authors, two Mark AAC picks and both updated Shakespearean plays in a modern American setting.

From a decidedly tropical setting I will wish you a wonderful weekend. xx

Carrie, I'm really looking forward to getting Vinegar Girl when it comes out here. You and Beth have both enjoyed it, and that's good enough for me! Sorry you've been battling health problems. It's good news that the antibiotic kicked in and fixed things. Plus, recliner time with Adrian must help. I find recliner time helps and I don't even have an Adrian :-)

>217 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! I hope you like A Thousand Acres when you get to it. Hi to Poppy!

>218 PaulCranswick: Paul, it seems you aren't meant to read A Thousand Acres right now. I think you'll appreciate the book whenever you do find it and read it. I'll be thinkng of you and your mum over the next couple of days.

>219 susanj67: Hi Susan! Just think how much more relaxing your recliner time would be if you had an Adrian!

>213 cbl_tn: I've never read anything by Jane Smiley but after reading all the reviews of her books this month I definitely need to give her a go! A Thousand Acres sounds amazing.

>214 cbl_tn: I can't wait for Vinegar Girl to be published in Canada! I'm also really excited for Atwood's retelling of The Tempest, Hag-Seed.

Morning, Carrie! Nice review of Vinegar Girl - I just started that one yesterday, and you are right; it's a lot of fun. Hoping to finish it up today. I posted a link to the Hogarth Shakespeare series on my thread just this morning, so I can tell you that Edward St. Aubyn is slated to write the retelling of King Lear, and it is due out April 3, 2018. They have a lovely timeline of all the future releases.

>173 cbl_tn: I've heard good things about Introverts in the Church, glad you enjoyed it.

Happy Spring!

>221 Cait86: A Thousand Acres was my first Jane Smiley, and it seems like a good place to start with her works. I'm glad to know Atwood's Tempest retelling has a working title! Now I'll know what to watch for. I'm looking forward to that one, too.

>222 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! I'm not familiar with Edward St. Aubyn. Have you read anything he's written?

>223 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel! It doesn't feel like spring here. We had really hot weather last week, then it cooled down quite a bit over the weekend. Today's high is supposed to be in the low 50s.

Morning, Carrie! I have not read Edward St. Aubyn. I had never even heard of him before. And I follow Charlotte's thread and everything.

Happy Monday, Carrie! Glad the meds have done their job

>225 Crazymamie: I hadn't heard of him before, either, unless maybe he's Jane Eyre's cousin?

>226 Carmenere: Happy Monday Lynda! It's spring break so not a typical Monday, and a 4-day work week since I'm taking off Good Friday. :-)

>227 cbl_tn: Ha!

Morning, Carrie!

>225 Crazymamie: Ha! I've not read him either.

Looking forward to many of these planned reimagined Shakespeares though.

>228 Crazymamie: :-)

>229 charl08: I don't feel so bad for not recognizing him then! I suppose his Shakespeare adaptation will be the first of his books that I'll read.

32. The Social Life of DNA: Race, Reparations, and Reconciliation After the Genome by Alondra Nelson
TIOLI #14 - Author's initials spell a word (an)

DNA testing has become increasingly popular among genealogists over the last decade. Sociologist Alondra Nelson examines the use of DNA testing by African Americans, who encounter difficulty finding a paper trail for their slave ancestors. Nelson focuses on African Ancestry, a DNA testing company founded by African American geneticist Rick Kittles and business partner Gina Paige. This company compares its customers' DNA test kits against a database of samples from the African continent and provides results suggesting ethnic group and geographical origins within modern national boundaries. Nelson describes how African American activists have employed DNA to achieve social goals. These include the using DNA in reconciliation projects, which Nelson defines as using “genetic analysis...to contribute to community cohesion, collective memory, or social transformation”, as supporting evidence for reparations suits, and restoring the national and/or ethnic identity that was lost during the era of slavery. Nelson's study is more descriptive than analytical. While she does note the shortcomings of DNA for achieving these goals, these aren't emphasized as much as perhaps they should be. Recommended primarily for readers with an interest in African American studies and African American genealogy.

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

3.5 stars

>214 cbl_tn: I think my favorite episode of the TV series Moonlighting was the one that was a spin-off of The Taming of the Shrew. It is one of my favorite Shakespeare plays. They Tyler book tempted me when it was offered in Early Reviewers, but having just read a Tyler that had not worked so well for me, I decided to not request it. I may try to get around to reading that one sometime.

Have a wonderful Easter.

Carrie, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

>233 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! Our church isn't having a sunrise service for the first time in about 30 years, and I'm going to miss it.

>234 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara! The eggs I decorate aren't nearly that beautiful!

Morning, Carrie!

Morning, Mamie!

33. Then by Morris Gleitzman
TIOLI #3 - Embedded word in title (hen)

Then continues the story started in Once, beginning with 10-year-old Felix and 6-year-old Zelda's escape from the trainload of Jews bound for a Polish death camp. Felix and Zelda find a place to hide and assume new identities (thanks to Felix's love of Richmal Crompton's books). Although Zelda isn't Jewish, Felix is, and his presence endangers both Zelda and the woman sheltering them both. Zelda's uncontrollable temper doesn't help matters. A Polish boy in the village becomes Felix's enemy, but Felix and Zelda find friends in unexpected places.

Just as every chapter of Once starts with the word “once”, every chapter of Then starts with the word “then”. “Once” brings to mind stories and fairy tales. “Then” just seems awkward. “Once” puts a comfortable distance between the story and the reader. “Then” makes the story more immediate and personal. Felix witnesses some horrible things, and it's difficult to read about them without the repetitive use of “once” that keeps some space between the the terrible events and the reader. Finally, it's missing a very important “then”. The book ends with Felix in hiding in the hole he dug earlier in Genia's barn. There's no “then the war was over, and Felix came out of hiding.” Readers don't know if Felix survived the war, or if he was discovered in his hiding place. Even though this book fell short of my expectations, I plan to continue the series to find out what happened next.

3.5 stars

Carrie, I have fallen behind. You asked waaaay up there if I've read any Dalrymple and the answer remains, sadly, no. But I will read something by him one of these days now that he is on my radar.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead.

Hi Ellen! I'm waaay behind on threads myself. Maybe with the long weekend I can catch up a bit and still have time for other things!

Hi Carrie, just trying to catch up on LT.

Have a Happy Easter, despite the lack of a sunrise service this year.

Hi Linda! Happy Easter to you also!

34. How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson
TIOLI #3 - Embedded word in title (go, no)

Author Steven Johnson takes a big picture look at six areas of scientific discovery and technological innovation that have had a major impact on civilization: glass, artificial cold, sound, cleanliness, time measurement, and artificial light. As new technologies are discovered and adopted, they trigger unintended or unexpected consequences. For example, Johnson traces the history of artificial cold from ice harvesting to refrigeration to air conditioning, which made geographic regions with inhospitably hot climates inhabitable. The population shift in the United States from the colder northern states to the warmer southern and southwestern states led to a reconfiguration of the electoral college and U.S. politics. This is popular science at its best. Recommended.

4.5 stars

Next up in audio: Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler

Hi Carrie - I, too, am behind on visiting threads, but oh well.

Here's the link to the list of Hogarth books and authors: http://publishingperspectives.com/2015/02/hogarth-shakespeare-series-adds-to-its...

>245 BLBera: Hi Beth! Thanks for the link to the article about the Hogarth Shakespeare series. I hadn't seen that one.

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I've got a head start on Easter dinner. I'm baking sweet potato pudding this evening, and I might need to sample it tonight. :-) All I'll have to do after church tomorrow is broil the lamb chops and steam some broccoli and I'm all set!

Happy Easter to you and Adrian! He sounds like quite the character, resting on benches! Glad you enjoyed An Incomplete Revenge. I am sure I will too, but I've not yet had much time to make much headway.

Happy Easter, Carrie

>247 weird_O: Peeps! Love to look at them, but I've never been a marshmallow fan. I'm not sure if it's the texture or the taste that doesn't agree with me.

>248 vancouverdeb: Yes, Adrian is a character. He has a mind of his own most of the time. He keeps me on my toes!

>249 Carmenere: Happy Easter Lynda!

Happy Easter, Carrie!

>251 souloftherose: Happy Easter, Heather!

Stopping in to wish you a Happy Easter, Carrie! Hope it was full of fabulous!

Thanks Mamie! It's been a good day. Adrian and I went over to Stella's house for a while this afternoon. Her family has been camping in the yard this weekend (they have a camper) and they invited us to join them outside this afternoon. I took some bubbles for the dogs to chase. They scared Stella and Adrian just wasn't interested. The chickens kind of liked them, though!

>244 cbl_tn: Carrie, How We Got to Now sounded strangely familiar, and then I realised that there was a BBC series based on the book, with the author as presenter. I'm not sure I need to read it now :-) The series was good, though. How funny about the bubbles and the chickens :-) You now have the perfect chicken-distracter, should you ever need one. I'm not sure whether you get today as a holiday or not but, if so, enjoy!

>255 susanj67: Hi Susan! I noticed that the TV series is available on Netflix, so I've added it to my queue. I don't get today as a holiday, so I'm back at work. I remember that Easter Monday is a holiday in the UK, and I hope you enjoy it!