lindapanzo's 2016 reading--2nd inning

People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring....(Rogers Hornsby)

Welcome to my 2016 thread. Eager for a springtime's worth of great reading, as I follow the NHL hockey playoffs and the start of the major league baseball season. The quote, above, sums up my feelings about the winter/spring season.

Much of my reading is based on the current year's category challenge. For 2016, once again, my focus is on simplicity. I'm using only four categories: (1) mysteries; (2) fiction; (3) sports books; and (4) books on history.

Most of the time, I'll have one book going in each of these four categories.

Currently Reading

On the Horizon

BOOKS READ IN AUGUST

72. The Punch by John Feinstein--finished on 8/1/16
73. Home by Nightfall by Charles Finch--finished on 8/3/16
74. Murder in the Secret Garden by Ellery Adams--finished on 8/9/16
75. Knit Your Own Murder by Monica Ferris--finished on 8/13/16
76. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry--finished on 8/28/16
77. Title Wave by Lorna Barrett--finished on 8/30/16
78. Humanity by Jordan Michael Smith--finished on 8/31/16

BOOKS READ IN JULY

64. Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 7/3/16
65. Gone at 3:17 by David M. Brown--finished on 7/6/16
66. Off the Deep End by W. Hodding Carter--finished on 7/9/16
67. Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck--finished on 7/11/16
68. Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 7/15/16
69. Some Like It Cold by William Povletich--finished on 7/18/16
70. A Fatal Chapter by Lorna Barrett--finished on 7/21/16
71. Dark Chocolate Demise by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 7/26/16

BOOKS READ IN JUNE

56. Thread and Gone by Lea Wait--finished on 6/2/16
57. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini--finished on 6/5/16
58. Grace Interrupted by Julie Hyzy--finished on 6/6/16
59. Devil's Food Defense by Jessica Beck--finished on 6/11/16
60. The Last Hockey Game by Bruce McDougall--finished on 6/17/16
61. The Only Rule Is It Has to Work by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller--finished on 6/23/16
62. Dead Loudmouth by Victoria Houston--finished on 6/24/16
63. Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames--finished on 6/30/16

BOOKS READ IN MAY

39. Murder in the Dark by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 5/2/16
40. The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom--finished on 5/6/16
41. The Queen by Brian Hoey - finished on 5/7/16
42. Unforgettable World War II by Scott S. F. Meaker--finished on 5/8/16
43. Max: Best Friend. Hero. Marine by Jennifer Li Shotz--finished on 5/9/16
44. A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron--finished on 5/10/16
45. Murder on the Hour by Elizabeth J. Duncan--finished on 5/11/16
46. Fugitive Filling by Jessica Beck--finished on 5/12/16
47. Yotsuba&!, Vol. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma--finished on 5/13/16
48. The Secret Dead by S.J. Parris--finished on 5/13/16
49, Theft on Thursday by Ann Purser--finished on 5/15/16
50. The Case of the Curious Bride by Erle Stanley Gardner--finished on 5/17/18
51. Do or Diner by Christine Wenger--finished on 5/19/16
52. A Clue in the Stew by Connie Archer--finished on 5/23/16
53. Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian by Anthony Ervin--finished on 5/25/16
54. Not a Girl Detective by Susan Kandel--finished on 5/26/16
55. Threads of Evidence by Lea Wait--finished on 5/28/16

BOOKS READ IN APRIL

29. A Likely Story by Jenn MacKinlay--finished on 4/1/16
30. The Road Not Taken: Finding America in the Poem Everyone Loves and Almost Everyone Gets Wrong - David Orr--finished on 4/3/16
31. Little Shop of Homicide by Denise Swanson--finished on 4/8/16
32. Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 1 - Kiiro Yumi, Hiro Arikawa--finished on 4/9/16
33. The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser--finished on 4/10/16
34. Switcheroo by Aaron Elkins--finished on 4/13/16
35. The Echoing Green by Joshua Prager--finished on 4/16/16
36. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson--finished on 4/21/16
37. A Scout's Report: My 70 Years in Baseball by George Genovese--finished on 4/27/16
38. A Chicago Cubs Triple Play by D.C. Brod--finished on 4/28/16

BOOKS READ IN MARCH

22. The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn--finished on 3/5/16
23. The Case of the Howling Dog by Erle Stanley Gardner--finished on 3/8/16
24. The Game Must Go On by John Klima - finished on 3/13/16
25. A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd--finished on 3/17/16
26. Devonshire Scream by Laura Childs--finished on 3/21/16
27. The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys--finished on 3/24/16
28. Helluva Town: The Story of New York City During World War II by Richard Goldstein--finished on 3/29/16

BOOKS READ IN FEBRUARY

13. The Train to Crystal City by Jan Jarboe Russell--finished on 2/4/16
14. Death by Water by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 2/7/16
15. Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon--finished on 2/10/16
16. Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey--finished on 2/15/16
17. Navy Blues by Debbie Macomber--finished on 2/16/16
18. Raspberry Revenge by Jessica Beck--finished on 2/18/16
19. January 1973: Watergate, Roe v. Wade, Vietnam, and the Month That Changed America by James Robenalt--finished on 2/22/16
20. Mrs. Roosevelt's Confidante by Susan Elia MacNeal--finished on 2/25/16
21. Chicago Noir: The Classics edited by Joe Meno--finished on 2/26/16

BOOKS READ IN JANUARY

1. Keith Magnuson: The Inspiring Life and Times of a Beloved Blackhawk by Doug Feldmann--finished on 1/2/16
2. Twisted Threads by Lea Wait--finished on 1/6/16
3. Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson--finished on 1/7/16 (5 star)
4. Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson--finished on 1/10/16 (5 stars)
5. Yes Please by Amy Poehler--finished on 1/11/16
6. Gator Bowl by J.J. Cook--finished on 1/12/16
7. Blood Will Tell by Jeanne M. Dams--finished on 1/17/16
8. Gibson's Last Stand by Doug Feldmann--finished on 1/18/16
9. Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 1/23/16
10. SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard--finished on 1/27/16
11. Dying on the Vine by Aaron Elkins--finished on 1/28/16
12. Meeting Tom Brady by Richard J. King--finished on 1/31/16

Happy New Thread, Linda! Not a bad day today. Like all that sunshine.

>4 msf59: Hi Mark, it looked nice from the inside, looking out. Sadly, very busy once again and I didn't even get to read at lunch today. Hoping to remedy that tonight.

I guess there's a big snowstorm heading this way. Most of the forecasters seem to think it'll hit in Wisconsin, between Milwaukee and Green Bay. I hope it stays there, too. I am ready for spring.

I finished Devonshire Scream...interested to hear what you think.

>6 cyderry: That opening was a shocker, considering that this is a cozy.

I'm about halfway through and should finish it tomorrow.

Nice new thread you got here! And I like the way you have the books you are reading up at the top. : ) Congrats on already being at 25!!

Just saw the cover for SI's spring preview. Their forecast is for the Astro's to win over the Cubs in the series this fall.

Happy new thread, Linda. xx

>8 Berly: Thanks. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I loved how you handled yours.

>9 xymon81: Oh no. Jinx time. SI put our Patrick Kane on their cover last week and my Blackhawks have been on a big losing skid, since then.

>10 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. Thanks for stopping by.

Book #26

Devonshire Scream by Laura Childs--finished on 3/21/16

This long-running teashop series of my favorite cozy mystery series of them all. I really enjoyed this brand new installment in the series, even though it opened with a decided non-cozy start. I was taken aback by that, but things quickly settled down to a more cozy style.

Love the recurring characters in this one.

The only drawback is that I now need to wait an entire year til the next one.

>11 lindapanzo: I know, I have been keeping up. Playoffs are a different story though. The Blackhawks become a different beast when it really matters.

>13 xymon81: They usually do turn things on once the playoff time arrives but I haven't seen them this bad in a long time.

Rainy day today. A very cold rain. We're not far from the snow line. Keeping my fingers crossed that it stays as rain. I don't want to deal with snow.

At work...we were asked to do 3 "wellness" things over the past year. There were about 8 to 10 choices. One I did involved a "route 66" exercise program. Another involved attending a certain number of wellness webinars. I just finished my third one, a "feel like a million bucks" wellness thingy.

Anyway, the book connection is that, because I've finished my wellness thingies, I was able to choose a $200 gift cert at one of about 8 to 10 placeds. Of course, I chose Amazon. I figure it'll probably be at least 20 books for my Kindle, if not more.

Hurray!!

Nice going on the wellness thingy, Linda! And hooray for the gift card and lots of new books.

I have a day off today and it looks like I got lucky. Cold and rainy out there. I think I will just stay right here with the books.

>15 lindapanzo: Well done, Linda! Enjoy spending your gift certificate!

>15 lindapanzo: Nice prize! I could certainly use one of those for my upcoming Thingaversary haul. I think I've mostly made my selections. Most will be Kindle books.

Have a wonderful Easter.

I am eagerly awaiting the list of health-earned Amazon books!! : )

>20 Berly: Here you go.

Books Purchased With Wellness Incentive

1. Murder in the Dark by Kerry Greenwood (Miss Fisher Series #16)
2. Robert Frost: A Life by Jay Parini
3. Throwback by Jason Kendall
4. Volume 2 of the Eleanor Roosevelt bios by Blanche Wiesen Cook
5. The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser

Book #27

The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys--finished on 3/24/16

This is a World War 2 novel set in the English countryside, far from the bombings in London and elsewhere. The focus is on Gwen, a Royal Horticultural Society employee, who has volunteered to leave London and head out into the countryside to take charge of turning rundown gardens into vegetables for the war effort, with the help of volunteer Land Girls. Living nearby is a group of Canadian soldiers.

Gwen's most treasured possession is a huge two volume encyclopedia of roses. She also loves Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse.

This is a beautiful, simple, thought-provoking story. When I finish a Helen Humphreys book, I always feel a sense of disappointment, yet I continually think back to the book and its lovely-drawn characters.

Definitely plan to read more by Humphreys. This is my second one, after Coventry.

Mark mentioned this the other day, a best of essays-type list. I'm determined to read more of these. I think I've read only 3 of them, so far.

http://bookriot.com/2016/03/16/100-must-read-essay-collections/

>22 lindapanzo: I'll probably get to Coventry soon. It's currently on the list of books I'll probably purchase for my Thingaversary in a few days.

>21 lindapanzo: Well, it's official, Linda...I'm definitely going to have to complain to my husband's company about their lack of books for the wellness incentive. If I had those, I would lose all the weight I needed to and be so fit... LOL!http://www.librarything.com/topic/220375#

>24 thornton37814: I need to look and see what other books Humphreys has available.

>25 rretzler: Dinners were an option for the non-readers, or else using Amazon for some other purpose. A woman I work with took an Amazon gift card but had never purchased anything from them and had to set up an account. She is not using it to buy books whereas I've been trying to contain my excitement. So far, I've purchased only 4 books with mine, albeit the four I really wanted.

In other news, as I picked up a copy of the second book in Blanche Wiesen Cook's trilogy about Eleanor Roosevelt, I note that the final bio in the trilogy is due out this fall. I think it's been something like a 20 year wait.

I read the first one when I was on long-term disability in the early 1990s and now need to read teh second one sometime soon.

Happy Saturday and Happy Easter, Linda! Glad you enjoyed The Lost Garden. I am looking forward to reading much more of her work.

Happy Easter if you are into that. Otherwise, I can only hope you like chocolate!!

Love the Easter graphics. Kim, that's my all-time favorite one.

Hope you all had a happy Easter. I ate too much and drank too many mimosas at brunch and then came home and took a nap.

Oh my!! My heart was in my throat, momentarily.

My sister, BIL, niece, and nephew are in DC for spring break. She was just telling me something about going to the Capitol on the tour but, thankfully, it wasn't today.

Still, I saw that story about the shooter at the Capitol and worried for a minute. She immediately texted that they weren't there, though. Whew.

Living in the District suburbs, I've come to realize that our news goes all over when to us it's just local. The Capitol Police are a lot better a their jobs than the DC metro ones. IMO

>33 cyderry: Tomorrow is the day they're going to the Capitol. I don't want to hear any big news from there on Thurs.

Book #28

Helluva Town: The Story of New York City During World War II by Richard Goldstein--finished on 3/29/16

Absolutely loved this book, an overview of everything war-related to New York City.. Spies, soldiers and sailors getting called up, disasters including the military plane crashing into the Empire State Building, dimouts, the Stage Door Canteen, and on and on.

Fascinating look at Wartime New York. My only gripe is that sometimes, the coverage was just glossed over. A great book nonetheless.

Hi, Linda! That's a neat wellness incentive they have there.

>30 Berly: LOL!

>36 tymfos: Hi Terri, it is a nice incentive. I've spent only about a quarter of it so far which, for me, is showing remarkable self restraint.

A 4-day weekend ahead!! I'm taking the train down to the city tomorrow for the Chicago Symphony. They're doing Rimsky-Korsakov's Sheherazade, which will be a real treat, among other things. Of course, I need to pick out something to read for the long train ride.

Then, as is customary, I'm taking off for baseball opening day so I can watch 4 games or so. It won't feel the same with the Cubs starting at 9 pm though (their opener is vs the Anaheim Angels).

Did you see that yesterday Lester hit his first home run of his career? Hopefully this means a step up for him from that awful hitting he did last year. I know most people don't expect a lot from the pitcher but it got to be pretty embarrassing.

>38 xymon81: I saw that. I do recall being at the ballpark and pulling for him to finally get a hit. These are good athletes and I'm always surprised when a pitcher is a total dud as a hitter.

Glad the Cubs aren't opening up at home on Monday. Highs in the upper 30s that day and nighttime would be much colder, of course.

>37 lindapanzo: I envy you your train ride to Chicago, the symphony, but especially the baseball opening day. We are rivals, since I'm a Cardinals' fan. Good luck to the Cubs this year.

A pitcher worth his salt ought to be able to at least put down a decent bunt.

>40 labwriter: Oddly enough, the Cardinals are my second favorite team and I root for them, unless they're playing the Cubs.

It makes me nervous that the Cubs are favorites this year. We're not used to this.

I always take off on opening day then watch games, usually at noon, 3, 6, and 9. I've been to maybe 7 or 8 Cubs Home Openers, two Cardinals Home Openers, and one White Sox Home Opener. One of my Cardinals ones was the first game ever played at the new Busch Stadium, which was lots of fun.

Opening day Monday, Yayy. And its a national broadcast. :)

Happy Friday, Linda! Happy 4-day weekend. I have a 3-dayer. We are going to Rockford tomorrow to visit a favorite aunt, otherwise we are staying local.

Watched some of the Cubs game last night. My first of spring training. Getting exciting...

Weekends, baseball, hockey, the symphony and books. What could be better.

Today, for the train ride, I took a library book about baseball. Pitch by Pitch by Bob Gibson. Promptly fell asleep on the way down but read quite a bit on the way home. All around pleasant day off.

Book #29

A Likely Story by Jenn MacKinlay--finished on 4/1/16

Enjoyed the 6th book in the cozy Library Lovers series. While I like the cupcake series quite a bit and the hat shop series is ok, the Library Lovers is my favorite of her series.

Book #30

The Road Not Taken: Finding America in the Poem Everyone Loves and Almost Everyone Gets Wrong - David Orr--finished on 4/3/16

Robert Frost's poem, The Road Not Taken, has long been my favorite poem. I re-read it periodically. Well, it turns out that, according to this author, my interpretation of the poem as a salute to can-do individualism has been wrong. Instead, it's a commentary on the self-deception we use when we discuss our own lives.

I was hoping this book would spend more time analyzing the poem but, instead, it's many other things, with just a brief analysis. It's also a mini-biography of Frost. There's also a look at the biological, psychological, and philosophical aspects of choice.

Not a bad book but it could've been better.

Go Cubs Go!!

Very excited about the start of the Cubs season tonight.

crossing crossables for your cubbies tonite.

Nice start to the season, Linda!

>51 jnwelch: For the Sox, too, Joe.

Hawks AND Cubs tonight. I am not staying up to 12:15 to watch the end of the game, though.

We're going to see the Hawks play St. Louis Thursday night.

I recorded last nights game and watched it all the way through, I am exhausted today but it was totally worth it. They looked so good.

>53 jnwelch: We are going on Thursday night, too, Joe. Usually, we sit up on the 200 club level but I think we are down in the 100s on Thursday.

>54 xymon81: I was very excited. About the best they've ever looked on an opening day.

Too excited to read though I was playing a lot of Trivia Crack, WWF, and other games on the iPad.

>55 lindapanzo: I'm not sure where we'll be, Linda (the tickets are from friends), but we'll look for you. I think we'll be in 100s or 200s, too.

I'll check ours, too.

Considering the capacity of the UC and how few people I know who go to Hawks games, I'm amazed that I run into people I know as often as I do.

Busy day ahead. A 30th anniversary reception for two co-workers and me this morning and a friend and I are going to the Blackhawks game tonight.

Morning, Linda! Hope the week is going well. I am getting tired of this cruddy weather. It looks like we are getting robbed of our spring.

Go Hawks! Go Cubbies!

Book #31

Little Shop of Homicide by Denise Swanson--finished on 4/8/16

This is the first in the cozy mystery series, Devereaux's Dime Store series.

After an investment banking careeer ends with potential criminal charges at her firm, the sleuth, Devereaux Sinclair, returns to her small town home, in Missouri, to take care of her elderly money and run the local dime store and basket making business. The fiancee of her high school crush is found murdered and a vindictive detective, who lost his retirement money with her old firm, is out to pin it on Deveareux.

Despite a few annoying things, like a sleuth running into potential peril way too often, this series shows a great potential for me and I definitely want to return to it.

Morning, Linda! It feels like February out here, despite the sunshine. Groans...

Enjoy your day of baseball & hockey!

Book #32

Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 1 by Kiiro Yumi--finished on 4/9/16

The main challenge for this month's TIOLI is to read manga. I thought I'd give it a try and when I heard that many people were reading this one, about libraries and censorship, I thought I'd give it a try.

Glad I tried it but the right to left style was very off putting. I had a hard time following it. The artwork and the story were both disappointing, as well.

Happy Sunday, Linda! Looks to be a perfect day, for kicking back. I have been spending time with the books, waiting patiently for the Cubs game to begin.

Stop by and check out my latest review. It might be something you would like.

>62 lindapanzo: I may have to try that one.

>64 xymon81: There's an entire thread about manga and, in particular, this one. It's at: https://www.librarything.com/topic/220901

Stopping through to wave hello! The Cubs are looking good so far today. Happy weekend!

Book #33

The Sergeant's Lady by Susanna Fraser--finished on 4/10/16

I rarely read romances but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, by an LT author (and 75er) set during war in the early 1800s. A sergeant's woman went into labor and along with another sergeant, a higher class wife of an officer happens by and assists in the delivery of the baby.

A romance in a military setting. Loved it. Definitely will read more by this author.

>65 lindapanzo: Thanks I will have to take a peek. Are you ready for the home opener today? I so wish I could go :( Im also bummed about what happened to Schwarber. Also did you see the clubhouse refurbishments? Absolutely amazing.

>68 xymon81: Something's up with my kitchen TV remote. I was watching the Home Opener in Spanish. Once I finished my dinner, I relocated to another room.

One thing that I found with the pair of boxes of books during my work desk cleaning, a bunch of old books that I'd forgotten I had. A real treasure trove.

One such book is a baseball mystery, Murder at the Baseball Hall of Fame. Very excited to plunge into some of these.

Howdy, Linda! Still cool out here but all the sunshine sure helps!

Nice Cubbies win last night. Go Russell!

>71 msf59: I love this time of year, Mark. Tomorrow, only in the 50's but, after that, the 60's and the 70's as far as the eye can see.

During the day I'm reading the latest Aaron Elkins, mystery featuring Skeleton Detective Gideon Oliver, in Switcheroo. The plot revolves around switched children during the evacuation of Jersey before the Nazi invasion, during World War 2.

At time, dividing my time between a baseball book, The Echoing Green, still, and a new novel The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson.

Book #34

Switcheroo by Aaron Elkins--finished on 4/13/16

I enjoyed this latest in the Gideon Oliver "Skeleton Detective" series. This time, Gideon does very little skeletal sleuthing but there's a lot of vacationing on the isle of Jersey. I like a mystery where the key lies in the past, as here, where a pair of young boys are switched when the Nazis were about to occupy Jersey during WW2.

Good weather, baseball, lost books found...life is good!!

Happy Saturday, Linda! Looks like a beauty today. I managed to snag The Summer Before the War on audio. I hope you are enjoying it.

>73 lindapanzo: The locations are the big draw for me for the Gideon Oliver series. Jersey sounds interesting!

Hi Kim, Mark, and Carrie. Spectacular day today. I was in the western suburbs visiting my sister, celebrating her 49th birthday, and it reached the lower 80s today. It probably was only about 64 at home.

My niece, the 15-year old swimmer, drove to the restaurant for lunch. She has had her learner's permit for about 3 months. Good driver.

Cubs won today and we saw a bit of the game.

In the wee hours (1:30 am) I finished an excellent baseball book and, this morning before leaving for my sister's, I started one of my ER baseball books, about a baseball scout.

Carrie, in the Gideon Oliver books, I think the author got tired of keeping him at home. He seems to go to a lot of conferences in various places.

Howdy, Linda! It was about 84 on my way home today. Without any humidity, and a bit of a breeze it felt just fine.

Hope you enjoyed your 3 day weekend.

And Go Cubbies! Let's de-feather some Cardinals!

Just got the news this morning that our work move, the first temporary move, will be a week earlier than expected, 4/28 instead of 5/5. Glad I put so much elbow grease already as to cleaning, tossing etc.

One fly in the ointment is that the move is next Thurs and I'm off Mon--Wed so I need to be packed up and ready to go by the end of the day on Fri.

One fly in the ointment is that the move is next Thurs and I'm off Mon--Wed so I need to be packed up and ready to go by the end of the day on Fri.

Oh, that's rough. Earlier move than expected, and then even earlier for you . . .

Your Cubs are great this year. My Pirates can't seem to keep it together.

>80 tymfos: Hi Terri. Still early. The team that is a huge disappointment is my Blackhawks who could get knocked out of the playoffs in the first round tonight.

Just got my marching orders and I'm moving to the first floor for about 6 to 8 weeks and then moving elsewhere on the first floor late June/early July. Since I absolutely hate stairs, I'm pleased. It's a quiet, cool but sunny location and I've got my closest work friend across the way.

Very sad to hear the news about Prince today. Everyone's shocked. Only 57.

As for books, I've finished two tremendous books in the past week and, when I get a moment, will post comments.

It took me a long time to get into The Echoing Green about the famous Bobby Thomson home run in the deciding game of the 1951 baseball playoff series.

Then, at about 1:30 am last night (this morning?), on a work night no less, I finished the outstanding new novel, The Summer Before the War, dealing with the impact of the start of World War 1 on a small British village.

I've somehow managed to fall behind on ER books again so I am reading my ER book about the baseball scout, George Genovese.

" I finished the outstanding new novel, The Summer Before the War." Well, that's good enough for me, Linda! Glad you were smitten.

Arrieta Cubs no hitter!!! Wow!

Very exciting!! My Sox fan friend was texting me info about the Blackhawks game but I stayed with the Cubs.

Unbelievable, Linda! I was so distracted with all the runs being scored, the no-hitter snuck up on me.

Way to go, Arietta!!

>82 lindapanzo: I have an egalley of The Summer before the War sitting on my tablet....must get to it. I really the author and have been looking forward to reading this on the plane going over to London in two weeks. So glad for your recommendation.

Good to hear re The Summer Before the War, Linda. I've got it teed up for my next read. I loved Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.

Hi Joe, Tina, and Mark. Hope you like it. I'd read somewhere that, if you like Downton Abbey, you'd like this. Not necessarily. This is more of a village novel.

What a sports day yesterday (and early this morning). A Cubs no-hitter and a Blackhawks double overtime game winning playoff game. I stayed up til the end though I was fading fast at 12:30 am (after staying up til 1:30 am the night before finishing The Summer Before the War.

Hopefully, after an abundance of manual labor packing etc at work, I'll enjoy a nice relaxing few days off.

Back to back book winners!!

Book #35
The Echoing Green by Joshua Prager--finished on 4/16/16

The focus of this book is on the famous 1951 baseball playoff in which the New York Giants' Bobby Thomson hit a walk off home run to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers.

I was somewhat bored with the early portions dealing with the history of cheating in baseball though it was a bit more interesting when the author addressed how the Giants came up with, and implemented, their cheating system. They used a telescope and a buzzer and relayed the other team's signs to their batters, including Thomson.

The detail about the 3-game playoff series, particularly about the pivotal third game, was fascinating, not only for the game details but also as a look at the time.

Most interesting of all, though, was the portion of the book dealing with the aftermath as Thomson and pitcher Ralph Branca, who threw the pitch to Thomson, have been forever linked. How they each handled the immediate aftermath and beyond but, especially, how they handled the knowledge of the cheating scandal.

Excellent book, even if you're not a baseball fan.

Book #36
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson--finished on 4/21/16

Another top-notch read, a look at a small British village during the summer of 1914, before the start of World War 1 and the early days of the war. The way the village interacts with the new Latin teacher, Beatrice, was especially interesting.

I stayed up til 1:30 am on a weekday to finish it so that should tell you something. Absolutely loved this one. Probably my favorite work of fiction so far this year.

Probably 25 years ago, or so, I read the first volume of Blanche Wiesen Cook's trilogy about Eleanor Roosevelt. Absolutely loved it. I've owned a copy of volume 2 and somehow never got to it.

However, I've learned that the long-awaited volume 3 is due out this fall, 17 years, I think, after the publication of volume 2.

Motivation to read volume 2.

Just catching up here....*waves*

Yay for back to back book winners. Those both sound good.

Hi all, I was away for a mini-getaway. Only about 75 or 80 miles from home but it was nice. Back now, which is a good thing since I got very little reading in.

Came back to work and unpacked in my new location. Totally settled in.

>92 Berly: Hi, summer swim practice started a few weeks ago and the new season starts this weekend. They swim farther away during long course (including University of Iowa) so I plan to go on Sunday at a reasonable distance meet.

The big news is that my 15-year old niece is applying for a job as a lifeguard at a country club. She needs to get 25 hours of lifeguard training in asap.

>93 SuziQoregon: I've been on a real winning streak at least in terms of reading lately. The one I finished late last night, an ER book, was very good, too.

Speaking of ER books, I won one this month and it's not a mystery or a baseball book, even, which is astounding for me. It's called Some Like It Cold which is about the "Malibu of the Midwest." Who knew that Sheboygan, WI is a surfing hotbed? I didn't and so I am interesting in learning more about it as that city isn't all that far from where I went to college.

Book #37

A Scout's Report: My 70 Years in Baseball by George Genovese--finished on 4/27/16

After 70 years in baseball, George Genovese has seen it all as a player (though only briefly in the majors), a coach, a manager, and, over most of his baseball career, as one of the greatest scouts ever.

I enjoyed hearing about his days trying to break into baseball and also about his stories from World War 2. I especially enjoyed hearing about famous and not so famous players and the interactions he had with them as a fellow player, coach, and manager.

The bulk of the book, naturally, focuses on his career as a scout, including 30 years with the Giants. He set up a semi-pro team so that he could see potential players play. He explained how "bird dogs" work and talked extensively about many of the 250 players he signed. Sadly, he also talked about how the Moneyball revolutionary affected scouting.

For the baseball fan, this is an outstanding book. One I would highly recommend to those who follow the game and like to read about familiar parts of the game.

A Chicago Cubs Triple Play by D.C. Brod--finished on 4/28/16

I love the Chicago Cubs, my favorite sports team. I love mysteries, my favorite type of reading. So what could be better than mysteries involving the Cubs? Not much.

My only gripe about this trio of Chicago Cubs-related novellas is that I wish there'd been more. Still pretty good though.

One novella dealing with a bar filled with Cubs fans on the night of the first night game in Wrigley Field in 1988. A second novella about a group of friends who've owned/shared Cubs season tickets for many, many years and suddenly, one by one, they're dying in suspicious circumstances. A third novella about an agent's assistant and the Cubs starting shortstop.

>96 lindapanzo: My biggest gripe with your Chicago Cubs is that they beat my Cincinnati Reds 6 of 7 times this month. ;-)

Morning Linda! Happy Saturday! We leave for Boston in the tomorrow. Looking forward to it.

I wonder if the Cubs will be rained out again? It is raining here.

>97 thornton37814: It's about time we beat someone. LOL.

>98 msf59: Have a great time. Say hi for me.

I just came home from brunch and then a run to Target. Really got rained on. Whew. Home now and drying off.

I am just getting caught up with your thread now, Linda. That is quite the wellness incentive - do you still have most of that Amazon gift card left? I am not sure how long I could hold on to that.

>100 Familyhistorian: I've had it for a over a month and I think I still have $70 left.

I've signed up to try for another Amazon gift car in the upcoming year. The first one is a walking challenge. I need to average 5,000 steps per day for 10 weeks.

My first Cubs game of the season tomorrow afternoon at Wrigley Field vs the Washington Nationals. Best of all, a high temp of about 75 degrees expected. Many times, that early May game I attend is so cold that I leave early.

>101 lindapanzo: 5000 steps per day for 10 weeks - easy peasy. The next gift card will be yours soon. I wish I had a wellness challenge that rewarded me so well!

>102 Familyhistorian: I have to complete 3 challenges. That'd be the first one. I'll also do 4 wellness webinars for the second one. Not sure which I'll pick for my third one.

I don't get enough walking in but I nearly always get at least 5,000 steps. Every once in awhile, I'm a total lazy slug for a day and so need to add in extra to balance that out.

I hope you're having fun at the ballgame. I just watched the Cubs hit 2 home runs to take the lead (watching via MLB Network), so I imagine you are enjoying it right now.

Beautiful day for baseball! Go Cubs!

Oh, you were there to see Lackey's 2,000th strikeout!

Great game today. Perfect weather. Lots of home runs and great defense, though the bullpen almost blew it. Fun game and yes, I saw Lackey's 2,000th strikeout.

Book #39
Murder in the Dark by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 5/2/16
I love this long running series featuring Phryne Fisher. In this one, Phyrne spends a few days at the multi-day "last best party of 1928. Lots of threats and other goings-on. Lots of fun, alwayss

Book #40
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom--finished on 5/6/16

Music is the narrator in this novel about music. Music is life to Frankie Presto, from birth to death. He's a fictional Elvis-like character yet one of the greatest guitarists ever, but with some real-life famous musicians who'd agreed to let the author include fictional remembrances, such as Tony Bennett and Wynton Maralis. Absolutely loved this novel.

Book #41

The Queen: 90 Majestic Years by Brian Hoey - finished on 5/7/16
A nice little Kindle single about Queen Elizabeth II. The author is always interesting when writing about the Queen.

Best parts involved the queen's daily life and also her education. The more historical parts were not as interesting.

Book #42.

Unforgettable World War II by Scott S. F. Meaker--finished on 5/8/16

This short book was NOT unforgettable. In fact, I'd call it probably the worst book I've read this year. Ugh!!

I was interesting in learning more about the aftermath of World War 2, not reading what sounded more like a high school term paper. Substandard writing and an overuse of inappropriate cliches. I could not get "Hitler was at the top of his game" out of my mind. The best part about this one is that it was short.

Big Waves and Hugs to Linda!! We are back and we brought the cruddy weather along with us. Don't be mad.

We also came back to the Red-Hot Cubbies!! Lordy, they are on fire! B.A.G.

>110 msf59: Welcome back, Mark. At least we had some great days and, at least we're not back to wintry weather.

Glad you had a nice vacation.

Book #43

Max: Best Friend. Hero. Marine by Jennifer Li Shotz--finished on 5/9/16

This is an enjoyable little YA novel about a Marine war dog. The Marine that Max, the dog, worked with in the war is killed and the dog has the doggie equivalent of PTSD. The dead man's parents and younger brother take the unruly dog in and the younger brother bonds with the dog.

I've been a part of TIOLI since its inception. One time, a few year back (in June, 2013), I completed a TIOLI sweep, that is, I read a book for each challenge.

I'm trying to do the same this month, reading one book in each of the 17 challenges. I'm heavy on mysteries and shorter works. Just about halfway there....

I still have 50 bucks left on my Amazon gift card, last year's wellness reward. This year's wellness program starts today. I need to average 5,000 steps or more for the next 10 weeks to earn the first wellness badge. I need 3 in all to get another $200 Amazon gift card.

Hi, Linda! Hope your Monday went well. Come on you can do 5,000 steps- EASY!!

Ooh, $200 gift card...sounds tantalizing.

>115 msf59: Now a postie probably does 5,000 steps a day easy.

I need to post comments on my recent reading. I've been in a reading frenzy. Only 6 mysteries to finish this month to meet the May TIOLI sweep.

The current one is a Perry Mason book, The Case of the Curious Bride. I've also got an ER book, a swimmer bio, called Chasing Water going.

Cheering you on for the 5000 steps. Ten weeks isn't that long. Can you average them out if you get less than 5000 in a day?

>117 Familyhistorian: Absolutely. I just need 350,000 steps over 10 weeks. It doesn't have to be 5,000+ each day, as long as I average out to that.

Some days, I know I'll be walking a lot. Others, not as much. On day 1, I had 5,514, which is probably about an average day. I'd like to build a surplus, if I can, in case I have one of those "lazy slug" days which admittedly are far fewer in the spring and summer.

Last night, I read my 50th book of the year.

I'm way, way behind in mentioning what I thought of the last 6 or 7 books though.

>118 lindapanzo: When you write out the total it really looks like a lot so I had to go and look at my FitBit page to see my step totals - over 3,000,000. (That is over a much longer period than 10 weeks, of course.) I think I need a nap.

Lots of books and steps!! Keep it coming. : )

>119 lindapanzo: I'm about 10 behind my normal at this point, and I feel it will only get worse. Maybe I'm wrong. I see myself finishing 75 this year, but 100 is questionable, and I'm used to reading 125 or so.

>120 Familyhistorian: You have way more steps than I do!! I think I'm at about 2 million.

>121 Berly: Hi. Thanks. Long course kickoff swim meet at the University of Iowa this weekend.

One of the books I'm trying to finish for my TIOLI sweep is a swimming bio. It's also an ER book.

>122 thornton37814: I've been as high as 150 books but 120 is right about my usual. I'll probably end up close to that.

Hooray, for hitting 50, Linda! You go girl! It looks like our weather is beginning to turn. Nice one today.

>124 msf59: Beautiful day today. I love temps right around 70.

Big weekend ahead. On Fri night, a friend and I are going to the Heart concert. I've always wanted to see them. Then, on Sun, we have those front row White Sox tickets.

>213 lindapanzo: Yeah, but maybe I started counting steps before you, Linda.

Way to go Linda with your reading this year. We are normally close in numbers but you are a good handful in front of me this year.

Have a great weekend.

>126 Familyhistorian: Could be. Mostly, I sit at a desk all day. My walking usually involves parking far, far away and walking to and from the building.

>127 PaulCranswick: I have big reading spurts and then I'll go awhile with almost nothing.

Yikes, I am 8 books behind in offering comments. Need to sit down and do that.

My walking program is going well. After the first week, 6 of 7 days were over 5,000 steps and the other one wasn't that far below it so I'm averaging close to an extra 1,000 steps per day.

"My walking usually involves parking far, far away and walking to and from the building." that is a good trick I should use more often! Don't even talk to me about being behind on reviews.... ; )

>128 lindapanzo: I tend to park pretty far from my destination and walk in. I also have a walking group at work and we walk on some of breaks which helps. Sounds like you are doing good on the steps - way to go!

^What a great game, Linda! A real nail-biter, right to the very end. Go Cubbies!!

Not far into it, but I am really enjoying The Summer Before the War. I added you to the nudge-list.

Saw Evita at our local professional theater last night. Excellent as always. Cubs game tomorrow. In between times, reading.

Finished Threads of Evidence by Lea Wait this morning to complete my TIOLI sweep!!

My niece the swimmer started her first-ever job this morning, as a lifeguard at a country club. Looks like rain so apparently she had no one to lifeguard the first hour so she's getting some reading in while she waits for someone to watch over.

Lots of comments to catch up on...

Book #44

A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron--finished on 5/10/16

I bought several of these Cameron dog fiction books for my 13 year old nephew who absolutely loves them. This also meant that I could pick up a Kindle copy for $1.99, so I did.

A dog tries to learn his purpose. This book has doggie deaths but then, doggie reincarnations. An enjoyable read.

Book #45

Murder on the Hour by Elizabeth J. Duncan--finished on 5/11/16

The latest in the Welsh village nail salon series. Love this series.

Book #46
Fugitive Filling by Jessica Beck--finished on 5/12/16

The latest in the donut shop series. This time, the donut shop owner investigates with her husband, a former cop. Kinda getting tired of this series.

Book #47
Yotsuba&!, Vol. 1 by Kiyohiko Azuma--finished on 5/13/16

I gave manga another tried and I liked it pretty well. Not sure if I'll read another anytime soon though.

Book #48
The Secret Dead by S.J. Parris--finished on 5/13/16

A mystery novella about a friar who looks into the death of a local townswoman. This after he helps a medical friar do an autopsy. Just ok for me.

Book #49
Theft on Thursday by Ann Purser--finished on 5/15/16
I enjoy this series featuring a woman who runs a cleaning service. Didn't care for this one though.

Book #50

The Case of the Curious Bride by Erle Stanley Gardner--finished on 5/17/18

I'm working my way through the Perry Mason books. This is the last one before DA Hamilton Burger is introduced. Just ok.

Congrats on the TIOLI sweep! Also, congrats on 50+ books already!

Book #51
Do or Diner by Christine Wenger--finished on 5/19/16

The first in a cozy diner series. Good potential and I liked it, so I quickly picked up the second one.

Book #52

A Clue in the Stew by Connie Archer--finished on 5/23/16

The latest in the soup restaurant series. I love this series. It's among my favorites.

Book #53

Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian by Anthony Ervin--finished on 5/25/16

(ER book)

It’s partly my own fault, I know. I expected a biography/autobiography of an Olympic gold-medal-winning swimmer to be, well, about swimming. Instead, what I read was mostly about that swimmer’s reckless lifestyle. The excessive drinking, the recreational drugs, the casual sex, and the high-speed motorcycle riding (he reportedly got his bike up to 170 mph). His depression. His wandering/crashing from couch to couch. At that point, I was sorely disappointed. I wanted to read this book for the swimming, not to learn what it’s like to wake up in a jail’s drunk tank.

In the end, though, it picked up. He tried to make a swimming comeback and the last 40 or 50 pages were the best part of the book, detailing his efforts to get back into competitive swimming in 2011-12 and perhaps make the 2012 London Olympic team. As he said, the pool was a prison for him when he was a youth but it later turned into a sanctuary. He's now 33 and trying again next month, for Rio. After his "tortured" life, I'll be curious to see how this latest chapter turns out.

In the end, I’d say I liked this book but didn’t love it.

Book #54

Not a Girl Detective by Susan Kandel--finished on 5/26/16

The sleuth writes biographies of famous mystery writers. In this one, she was writing about Nancy Drew. Since I never read any Nancy Drew (yes, strange, isn't it?), I suspect that a lot of this one just went over my head. Not bad though.

Book #55

Threads of Evidence by Lea Wait--finished on 5/28/16

One of my favorite mysteries this month. A famous actress buys an old, abandoned mansion in small town Maine and attempts to fix it up, in large part because she knew the family that lived there, especially the daughter who died there in 1970 and, she suspects, was actually murdered. The sleuth, a director of a needlepoint company, helps her out.

Now I love both of Lea Wait's series.

Whew!! All caught up now, I think.

That's a lot of reading!! Congrats on getting caught up.

Book #56
Thread and Gone by Lea Wait--finished on 6/2/16

I've read and loved all of the Lea Wait mysteries both in this Mainely Needlepoint series and in her other one, the Antique Art Print series. Sooner or later, I was bound to encounter a dud. Well, this was it.

Not that bad but the mystery was skimpy and it was more of a history lesson than anything else.

Book #57
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini--finished on 6/5/16

Totally not my thing but I thought I'd read it when I heard that my niece, the HS girl, has to read it over summer vacation. I think she may be surprised by the violence of this novel set in Afghanistan. It's excellent but, in many ways, a hard read, both due to the historical era and to the treatment of women in Afghanistan.

Hi, Linda! I met W. Bruce Cameron in Petoskey, last year. An engaging guy. I have not read A Dog's Purpose but I did read The Dog Master, which was pretty good. You might like it too.

Go Cubbies!!

>138 msf59: I think I'd like to give more Cameron books a try.

Sad times. Downsizing at work, including a woman from another office who works closely with me. No one in the my dept though, when we heard the news, I was talking to two friends and my boss's boss (who is an old friend) came up to us and said "this affects you." For a moment, I thought she was delivering bad news to us personally but quickly decided that they would not tell us that way. In the end, it did affect our work as this downsized woman worked closely with us.

Tonight, dinner and a movie. We are going to see the Jane Austen movie, Love and Friendship.

I'm sorry to hear about more downsizing at work. It's a difficult time for those left behind as well as for those who are let go.

How was the movie? I received the book fir my birthday a couple of weeks ago.

>140 cbl_tn: I feel blue since it's a woman I work very closely with in Arkansas on my two main products. I haven't heard from her in a day or two so I'm hoping she's ok. I know she had a part-time job on the weekends and am hoping that they'll give her more hours, at least until she gets something else.

The movie, Love and Friendship, outstanding. I highly, highly recommend it. A delightful comedy of manners.

At first, I thought I'd have a hard time keeping track of all the characters but they all have definite personalities. We started chuckling when no one else was. I definitely want to read the Lady Susan novella. What a flirt!!

Happy Saturday, Linda! Hope you enjoyed the film.

A scorcher out here today. I hope it goes quickly. I want to be somewhere cool, having a cold beer and watching our Cubbies!

I'm sorry to hear about the downsizing and your colleague.

I'm reading a book that, according to my notes, you recommended: And Hell Followed With It, about the EF5 tornado that tore through Topeka in June of 1966. Thanks for the book bullet! I can hardly put it down.

>143 tymfos: That was a good one, Terri. I need to find a good disaster book I haven't read. It's been awhile.

My heart (and my prayers) go out to those involved in the Orlando massacre. I guess I've read too many disaster books but the moment by moment descriptions I've read feel like some of the nightclub fire books I've read.

>144 lindapanzo: That shooting makes me sick. What a waste! So many lives cut short senselessly. And, yes, I thought about those nightclub fire books, too. So many people trapped in a deadly situation.

In one of those odd coincidences we sometimes have with books, my current audio book police procedural mystery, The Cold, Cold Ground, involves a detective trying to catch a killer who announced that he is targeting gays -- including an attack on a gay bar. (shudder) Too close to current reality.

Whew, I am in my permanent new place at work. This moving business got easier with practice and now things can return to normal.

I'm reading a hockey book, called The Last Hockey Game. Definitely enjoying this look at the last Stanley Cup finals game before late 1960s expansion, between Montreal and Toronto.

Also reading a mystery, Dead Before Morning, by Geraldine Evans. As recommended by Judy.

Dabbling in an ER book about baseball, The Only Rule Is It Has to Work, sort of a Moneyball for minor league baseball. I started Annie Proulx's The Shipping News but haven't gotten back to that since the weekend.

Stopping by to say hi, Lydna! It appears you are enjoying your reading . Glad to hear that you are in a permanent place at work. You must be feeling much more settled.

If you've ever purchased an ebook from Amazon, check your email. You might have gotten a part of the Apple e-book settlement.

I got one and was shocked. In fact, I thought it was spam and logged into my Amazon account directly.

I think it worked out to $6.93 for every bestseller purchased and $1.57 for other e-books purchased over a just over two-year period from April 2010 to May of 2012.

>147 vancouverdeb: Yes, it feels great to be settled. It takes some getting used to, in terms of different nearby co-workers but not bad, all in all.

Sorry about the downsizing and loss of your co-worker. Congrats on making it through the move successfully!

>149 Berly: Hi, I don't know about you but I am very excited for the start of the U.S. Olympic Trials, starting on Sunday. Of course I want to see Katie Ledecky and all the big stars. I want to see Missy Franklin square off against Natalie Coughlin. I want to see if Michael Phelps still has it.

But I'm also curious to see how some of the girls my niece has been swimming against compete on this big state. Local Illinois girls like Alexis Yager, Kayla Jones and Val Tarazi. My niece's best events are the 100 and 200 breaststroke and the 200 and 400 IM, so those are the ones I want to see. During the summer, swim practice is from 6 am to 8 am. On days that she works, it's from 10 to 5. I suspect she's going to be watching a whole lot of the Trials.

It's been a slow reading month for me.

Book #58

Grace Interrupted by Julie Hyzy--finished on 6/6/16 and #59 Devil's Food Defense by Jessica Beck--finished on 6/11/16

More enjoyable entries in these cozy series.

Book #60
The Last Hockey Game by Bruce McDougall--finished on 6/17/16

Really enjoyed this look at the final Stanley Cup finals game, on May 4, 1967, before the big expansion. To the purist, this finals game between Montreal and Toronto is seem as the last real game.

Writing an entire book about one game would not make sense but the extra material, including how the game was before and after expansion, made this an extremely worthwhile, terrific book for me. One of my favorite hockey books in years!!

Book #61
The Only Rule Is It Has to Work by Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller--finished on 6/23/16

An ER book!!

Think Moneyball for the minor leagues. The really, really low level minor leagues. The Sonoma Stompers to be exact.

Think the ultimate fantasy league where a pair of sabermetrics geeks get to test out their ideas on a real live baseball team one summer. Of course, they encounter managers and others who are less than willing to go along with the program. Their ideas and how they worked out, not to mention how they got the team to go along with those ideas, were the best parts of the book.

Overall, a book that any baseball fan could love.

Happy Friday, Linda! Hope the week went well and you have books on your weekend plans.

Are the Cubs going to snap this mini-slump tonight? Fingers crossed...

>152 msf59: I won an ER book in December and have started it a few times. I'd like to make this the weekend I either read it or read enough to decide I don't want to read it.

I also started reading a "lighter" history of the famous dinner where Teddy Roosevelt caused an outrage by inviting Booker T. Washington to dinner at the White House in 1901.

>150 lindapanzo: I love watching the Olympics! Haven't checked yet to see what kind of coverage there is. I love the swimming, of course. Also diving, soccer, beach volleyball, gymnastics, and water polo. : )

>154 Berly: Olympics start in early Aug. Aug 5 maybe. Olympic Trials for swimming start Sun. The early rounds each day are on NBCSN and the finals are on NBC every night.

During the Olympics, I like to watch the sports I don't usually see, like diving, gymnastics, and swimming. Things like basketball or soccer, not as much.

At our library, the summer reading club focus is on Olympic sports. I'll probably read a few Olympic bios. Bonus points for watching a movie so maybe Touch the Wall, the Missy Frankln story. I saw the Jesse Owens movie in the theater earlier this year or that would've been a good one. One of the guest speakers at the library is Jesse Owens' daughter.

Good thing that most of the Olympic Trials races are during the day when I'm at work and that, in the evening, there's only an hour's worth of coverage. At least it's not cutting into my reading time.

Of course, that doesn't prevent conversation with my niece, my sister, or even complete strangers about our budding Olympic swimmers.

One guy finished first in his race, set a new American record, and qualified for the Olympics. We note that he still holds the meet record in that event at the meet my niece swam at this past weekend. Set in 2011, I think.

One curious thing: My niece said she couldn't believe how nervous she was watching the finals on Sun. She always looks so calm before her own races.

Book #62

Dead Loudmouth by Victoria Houston--finished on 6/24/16

The most recent in the Loon Lake series set in northern Wisconsin. I love this cozy fishing series, even though I don't fish.

Book #63

Clobbered by Camembert by Avery Aames--finished on 6/30/16

This is the third in the cheese shop cozy series. I haven't read any of these in awhile. I liked it but had a really hard time keeping the characters straight. Next time, I won't wait as long.

Happy Saturday, Linda. Is it hot in Chicagoland? We will be returning tomorrow night.

Are you reading a Steinbeck this month? Are you a fan?

Final question: Are we going to take the next 2 from those pasty Mets?

>158 msf59: Hi Mark, it's supposed to be a pleasant long weekend. Highs around 80 or so. I'm going to the Cubs game on Monday so I hope the fine weather lasts til then. Much hotter (mid 90's) starting about Wed or Thurs.

I forgot about Steinbeck. I'm at the library right now and will have to see what they've got. I've already read The Grapes of Wrath and I think I read The Moon Is Down the last time you had a Steinbeck month. I've also read Cannery Row and Travels with Charley.

Aha, I have four Steinbecks on my Kindle, including Tortilla Flat and East of Eden so maybe I'll read one of those. I assume there's a Steinbeck thread up so I'll go check that out. Thanks for the reminder, my friend.

>160 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Can't believe I haven't visited my own thread all week.

Dad's 80th birthday was yesterday. Celebrated yesterday and again today.

Proud auntie time. My niece, Jill, got her first ever individual state qualifying time today, in the 100 meter breaststroke. So happy for her as I know how long she's been trying to do this. She'll have another chance at the 200 breakstroke tomorrow and will likely be in one or two relays at senior state in August. I think they swim at the University of Chicago.

A trio of good books for my last 3 reads.

Book #64
Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 7/3/16

An enjoyable entry in the cupcake shop cozy series. In this one, the cupcake shop gets involved in providing cupcakes for a beauty pageant. Of course, solving a murder, too.

Book #65
Gone at 3:17 by David M. Brown--finished on 7/6/16

I haven't read a disaster book in quite awhile but this one has been on my radar for quite awhile. A fairly obscure disaster that I knew little about.

This one covers a natural gas explosion at an East Texas school in March of 1937. Some first hand narrative accounts via recent interviews with survivors.

Because of this disaster, natural gas got that rotten egg smell so that people could tell that it has accumulated.

Book #66
Off the Deep End by W. Hodding Carter--finished on 7/9/16

A humorous look at a man's mid-life crisis. He was a championship swimming at Division 3 swimming powerhouse, Kenyon College, in the 1980s. During his college career, he came close to qualifying for the Olympic Trials. However, in his 40s, after not swimming all that time, he decides he's going to qualify for the Trials.

I especially loved the scenes with him going back to Kenyon College. My favorite scene, though, had him showing up in a swim meet wearing skimpy Speedo's while all the young guys were wearing jammers or tech suits, as they do these days.

Lots of fun.

Current reads include John Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat and the Miss Fisher mystery, Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood.

I've decided that I'd like to make a dent in my actual book pile next, even though I've got that huge Amazon gift card for e-books burning a hole in my pocket, from the antitrust settlement.

>161 lindapanzo: Hi, Linda! Congrats to Jill!

>164 tymfos: Thanks, Terri. We're excited for her. Last year, we got to watch her and her relay teammates swim on a live online stream. I hope they do the same again this year for the Senior Championships.

Book #67
Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck--finished on 7/11/16

While reading this series of episodes experienced by the paisanos of Tortilla Flat, I kept wavering between liking the book and not liking it. So many of the episodes started to sound similar. In the end, I liked Danny and his friends and their attempts to scrounge bottles of wine and do the right thing, even if on the edge of the law. Not my favorite Steinbeck but it was ok.

Book #68
Murder on a Midsummer Night by Kerry Greenwood--finished on 7/15/16

Set in 1920's Australia, midsummer is in January and a hot north wind keeps blowing as Phryne, assisted by her companion, Dot, her adopted daughters, Ruth and Jane, and Socialists Bert and Cec, investigate the drowning murder of an antique store owner.

I love this series for the clever mysteries and the vivid cast of characters. I thought Greenwood was continuing it but this is #17 and I think that, so far, there are only 19 or 20. So, just a few to go unless she gets cracking. The last one was in 2013.

Happy Saturday, Linda. Glad you joined us on the Steinbeck read. Sorry it did not ring more of your bells.

And Go Cubbies!

>167 msf59: I'm thinking about Joyce Carol Oates for next month, Mark. Back in college, I read Them but nothing else. Appreciated the article you posted the other day about her top books.

Last night, I saw a bizarre, but in the end, outstanding modern day version of Man of La Mancha at Marriott Lincolnshire. Set in the modern day. Wow!!

Today, lunch with friends. Tomorrow, lunch with my sister, BIL, and the kids.

I'm reading (and enjoying) an ER book on Midwest surfing, specifically, surfing in the "Malibu of the Midwest" in Sheboygan, WI.

Just read about how one of the two main characters, Larry, rescued two boys from the Sheboygan Pier, years ago.

Sadly, just saw a post on FB from my old college, about how 4 current or former college members were just swept off the Sheboygan pier. Two of them are still missing.

It was sad enough reading it in the book but for it to happen again, with an apparent loss of life, is even worse.

<169 Oh, how sad.

>170 Whisper1: I've read a few local newspaper reports. It looks like 4 current students/recent grads were walking on the pier when a big wave came up. One was able to run for help but the other three got swept into the water and one of those managed to save himself.

Book #69

Some Like It Cold by William Povletich--finished on 7/18/16

(ER book)

When they think of Wisconsin, most people likely think about beer, brats, cheese, or something of that sort. Rarely do they think of surfing yet, the "Malibu of the Midwest," a surfing hot spot can be found in none other than Sheboygan, Wisconsin, halfway between Milwaukee and Green Bay, for freshwater surfing on Lake Michigan.

I knew none of this but requested this ER book because I lived about an hour north and thought it'd be interesting. That it was.

Larry and Lee Williams are twin brothers from Sheboygan who recount their lives surfing in Sheboygan, going back to their early days in the 1960's, idolizing older boys who surfed. They formed their own surf club and, for many years, they organized the Dairyland Surf Classic, which was held on Labor Day weekend and attracted surfers from everywhere.

They also recounted their close calls in the water, as well as the role that surfing played in their family lives.

Much to my surprise, this was an excellent book!! Loved it.

Hi Linda! Good review of Some Like It Cold. I am glad you ended up liking in. And yah for beer, brats & cheese!

I just started Everyone Brave is Forgiven. This is just your cuppa. It begins very well.

Go Cubbies! Let's beat up on some Mets!

>173 msf59: I might start that one next, or at least soon.

I've not been feeling well. Late last week when it was really hot, I think I had heat exhaustion. I pretty much stayed inside in the AC.

Very lethargic. No appetite or energy. In fact, not much interest in anything, including reading.

Today's my best day in awhile.

I hope the weather your way cools down to a reasonable temperature soon, and I hope you feel better soon!

It's really hot outside here today -- and the humidity made it so much worse. I'm thankful I could be inside in the air conditioning.

>175 lindapanzo: Argh! It must be bad if you can't even read. Was feeling much the same yesterday, but mostly because I was sitting around in a grump over someone hitting my car in a parking lot and DIDN'T leave a note. Spent the evening imagining creative ways for the mystery driver to get their comeuppance.

Hope you feel better.

Thanks for stopping by. While I can't say I feel 100 percent, I am feeling much better every day. Today, we had a department lunch from work and I ate half my entree, which is about the best I've done in quite awhile.

My prime reading time is 10 pm to midnight every day but I've been going to sleep at 10 pm so that's really cut into my reading.

I am feeling more rested.

I had an interesting discussion with a friend at work. Since we've moved to the first floor, we are now in a very chilly area. She said, and it's certainly true for me, too, that since I'm so chilly in the office, to the point where I'm throwing on a fleece hoodie most days for at least part of the day, it seems like going out into the heat is actually worse. The interesting part is that my friend is extremely fit, participates in outdoor sports seemingly every day, and she said the heat got to her when leaving work one day and she felt woozy as well.

>178 michigantrumpet: I saw that on FB. That's terrible. Hope you can catch whoever.

Mom found damage on her car in a parking lot a few months ago and was similarly ticked off.

Hi, Linda! I did not realize you were not feeling well. I hope you are feeling much better. This heat has been ridiculous. The temps were lower today but the humidity was still high.

I hope we can find a way to beat Sale tonight. It would sure be nice to split the series.

Sorry you've not been feeling well. I believe it's true that spending time in very cold air conditioning indoors makes it harder to take the heat when you're out in it. I think there have even been studies about it.

It's been hot and humid here (not so much as you've had in Chicago, but unusually so for here) and it was really getting to me; but today is rainy and cooler.

Hi Mark and Terri. Feeling much better. A couple of nights with 10 hours plus sleep, back to somewhat normal eating and, best of all, much cooler weather, all help.

Glad you are feeling better again! Congrats to your niece Jill on making the individual state qualifying time!! Whoohoo!

Book #70
A Fatal Chapter by Lorna Barrett--finished on 7/21/16

The second most recent book in the Booktown series (in a town where there are bookstores everywhere). An enjoyable cozy series.

Book #71

Dark Chocolate Demise by Jenn McKinlay--finished on 7/26/16

I like this cupcake store cozy series too. Way too much a focus on the safety of one of the sleuths but still enjoyable.

Book #72

The Punch by John Feinstein--finished on 8/1/16

Even if you're not a basketball fan, you may well have heard about "the punch." in December of 1977, in the middle of a game, a player on the Houston team elbowed a LA Lakers player. Another Lakers player, Kermit Washington, came back to help and, sensing someone coming up behind him, punched the incoming player, Rudy Tomjanovich. Nearly killed him.

This fascinating book addresses how Washington and Tonjanovich got to that point, what happened that night and soon thereafter, and how this incident has defined the lives of both of these players for all these years.

Feeling better every day.

>184 Berly: The seedings are out for senior state. Jill is not well seeded in her individual event (58th, in fact), but she was not tapered when she got that qualifying time. She'll be shaved, tapered, and wearing her tech suit this weekend so she could have a time drop.

Besides the individual event, she is swimming on the B relay team in the 400 free relay (on Sun) and the 800 free relay (on Fri), though I understand there still could be a change in the 400.

Big news is that she is on the A relay team in the 400 medley relay on Sat night. They are seeded fifth in the state!! She is swimming with two college girls and one of the top sprinters in the state. No pressure or anything!!

They are fielding their largest ever state team so she'll have lots of teammates cheering her on.

she is on the A relay team in the 400 medley relay on Sat night. They are seeded fifth in the state!!

Way cool, Linda!!! You must be so proud!

>187 tymfos: Illinois Swimming has its own You Tube channel so I'll be able to watch it online, live. My sister has given me an estimated timetable.

There's also this app called Meet Mobile. It sounds like a dating site but it's actually an app that shows swim meet results so I can keep tabs on the rest of her team.

Hi, Linda! Just checking in. Go Cubs! They are on fire. Love those late inning comebacks.

I just finished Dark Matter. If you are looking for a fun, fast-paced summer read, with a Chicago-setting, give this one a try.

^Agreed!

A mixed day for Jill. In her individual event, she did not set a new personal best but did have her second best time ever.

Most unexpectedly, her 800 freestyle B relay team beat their A relay team and plenty of others. The B team NEVER beats the A team. They finished 10th in the state. I would not have believed it was possible if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes.

Unfortunately, her teammate in the breaststroke event had a slightly better time and knocked Jill out of the A relay on Sat night. However, as they proved today, the B team can do exceptionally well, too.

Her one teammate is the state champ in two events already. That guy is incredible.

Happy Saturday, Linda! Thanks for keeping us updated, with your niece, Jill. You are a Good Aunt.

I thought of you, when I saw this: "THE SKY IS FALLING: 10 GREAT BOOKS ABOUT DISASTERS"

Here is the link: http://bookriot.com/2016/08/04/sky-falling-10-great-books-disasters/?utm_source=...

I have read a few of them and I have Before the Fall on my TBR stack. I would really like to read Pompeii.

>192 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I will have to check that out. Looks good.

Not sure how much reading I'll get done while the Olympics are on. I'm watching Olympics swimming, while flipping over to women's rugby from time to time, while live streaming the Illinois Senior State Champs, though I pay attention there only when a Shark is swimming or else maybe one of Jill's HS teammates.

Seems like I've got a lot of books going. Lonesome Dove, Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. An Ellery Adams mystery.

Bummer about your niece being bumped from the A relay team, but the upset was amazing!!! Wishing her goo luck tomorrow. Are you watching the Olympics yet? I watched just a little swimming today. Preliminary qualifying heats.

>194 Berly: I've been splitting my time between the Olympics and the Illinois champs live feed. Sometimes I have both going but turn the volume up on the live feed only occasionally. Today, she held her own in her leg of the 400 medley relay.

One of her teammates has won four state championships in the first two days. Their guys are in second place overall and I think the girls are in 9th. They've been fun to watch.

Good to hear that you are feeling better in time to enjoy following your niece and the Olympics.

?196 Thanks, much better.

The state meet just ended and Jill's team ended up in fifth place overall in the state, with 4 state championships (won by the same guy), a pair of seconds and a whole bunch of other top 10 finishes, including my niece's relay on Friday.

Today, she had her best ever leg in the 400 free relay.

Now I can focus on the Olympics. I love the swimming and the gymnastics most of all.

Now that club season of swimming has officially ended, she doesn't have to practice again until HS season practice starts up. On Wednesday.

Hooray for Jill! Hooray for the Cubs! And hooray for Lonesome Dove. Hope you found some reading time this weekend, with your various distractions.

>198 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I appreciate that swimming finals and semi finals are live, or close to it, at the Olympics. Sadly, gymnastics is not live and I already know the result of today's competition. I'll still watch it though.

Just finished my 74th book of the year. Way ahead of the pace of recent years. Hoping to finish #75 this week.

I hope your niece enjoyed her two nights off. I've been glued to the Olympics whenever I'm home. I'm enjoying the swimming as much as anything right now. There have been some great races so far!

>200 cbl_tn: Great night of swimming at the Olympics!!

My niece got two days off from swimming. Yesterday, on the first day off, she and her teammates took the train downtown and went to one of the beaches near there. Today, she took the whole day off. Two a day practices start tomorrow.

>199 lindapanzo: Like you, Linda, I knew the gymnastics result, but it was still great to see them do it. What a group! That was really impressive. I think the reliability and skill level of Biles gives them all confidence.

Amazing swimming, too. I was skeptical Michael Phillips could still do it at this age, but he sure can. And Ledecky! Wow.

Way to go on the reading - almost there.

>202 jnwelch: I absolutely loved the Olympics swimming. So many breakout performances. Maya Dirado, Simone Manual, Ryan Murphy, just to name a few. I'm not nearly as interested in track and field which will likely be the focus this week, along with more gymnastics. I'll watch the Olympics but probably not follow along as closely.

Book #73
Home by Nightfall by Charles Finch--finished on 8/3/16

The most recent in this historical mystery series set in mid 1800s London. The relationship between Charles and his older brother was the focus of this one. Probably my favorite in this long-running series.

Book #74
Murder in the Secret Garden by Ellery Adams--finished on 8/9/16

I love the premise of this cozy series, a hotel devoted to books and readers. I'd love to stay there, except for the murders. I hope this series lasts a long, long time.

Book #75
Knit Your Own Murder by Monica Ferris--finished on 8/13/16

Another long-running cozy series I love, set in a Minnesota craft store. Loved this latest installment with a clever murder method and a twist I've never ever seen before.

I'd say on to my next 75 but I probably won't make that this year. On to my next 50 is possibly do-able.

Congrats on 75!

Congrats on reaching 75!

Happy Sunday, Linda! Hooray for hitting #75!

Go Cubbies! Nice, tight game.

Congrats!

Thanks!!

Last year, I got to 75 books on Sept 7 and ended up reading 116 books for the year.

Mark, I was at last night's game. The Cubs bullpen worries me, as usual.

I like going to games but Sunday night games leave me tired all week. I got home after midnight. Often times, I'm up til midnight reading but was way more wound up last night so really tired today.

Still hanging in on Lonesome Dove. Maybe I'll finish it this month.

Congrats on reaching 75!

>192 msf59: Speaking of disaster books, I just bought and read (in less than a day) Mighty Fitz: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Michael Schumacher. Very good.

I've started the thread for September Series & Sequels.

It's at: http://www.librarything.com/topic/229450

Hoping you'll all stop by.

Drive-by hello, Linda! I'm looking forward to September Series & Sequels.

>212 tymfos: Hi Terri. I'm looking forward to September S&S, too.

For a couple of weeks, I'be been reading nothing but Lonesome Dove. I absolutely love it and am totally absorbed in it but i'm also looking forward to getting back to reading shorter works.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through the McMurtry book and hope to finish it before I go back to work after my week off.

Book #76

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry--finished on 8/28/16

I've long said that my all-time favorite novel was Time and Again by Jack Finney. Now, I think there's a new number 1, Lonesome Dove.

Clocking in at nearly a thousand pages, this one took me a couple weeks to read but it was an effort of pure joy. Gus, Call, Deets, Newt, Lorene, and all the rest felt like they became part of my family and when I wasn't reading about their cattle drive north to Montana, I was thinking about them.

Simply outstanding!!!

"Now, I think there's a new number 1, Lonesome Dove."

Hooray, Linda! WOW! The Grapes of Wrath is still holding my number one spot, but LD may be a close second.

If you have a chance to see the mini-series with Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, try to do so. It is excellent.

>215 msf59: Thanks for the suggestion, Mark. I bet our library has that.

For awhile, I think I'll focus on cozy mysteries and other shorter works.

The mini-series is 6 hours, but it could have easily been 10. Hope you get a chance to see it. Enjoy your cozies and shorties!

If you can find Owen Meany or Garp for next month's AAC, try to do so.

Discovering a new favorite book -- now that's a delight!

>218 tymfos: It was, Terri. I'd tried to start reading it before but never got very far into it.

I said that, after reading such a long book, I'd stick to cozies for awhile. I do have a cozy going, the latest Lorna Barrett, but I'm also reading a fairly breezy history, too. Guest of Honor by Deborah Davis. It looks at the White House dinner that shocked the nation (the first time that a black man was invited as a guest to the White House). Mostly, though, it provides an overview of how Teddy Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington got to that point.

Yay for Lonesome Dove! So glad you had such a great time with it. Pride and Prejudice is still my #1, but LD, Grapes of Wrath, TKAM and Plainsong are right up there.

>220 jnwelch: The Grapes of Wrath is up there for me, too. Probably time for a re-read on that one. Never read Plainsong. What is TKAM? (I'm probably be slapping my forehead after I realize that it's something everyone knows, including myself.

To Kill A Mockingbird. :-)

P.S. I could've sworn Mark and I mentioned Plainsong once or twice. *ducks*

>222 jnwelch: TKAM. Of course!! I liked it when I read it in high school but it was never iconic for me.

"Never read Plainsong." ?? I know you are still glowing in the light of LD but you will have to mend this glaring oversight. Yes, we are pushy warblers but at least we are consistent.

And I think a reread of TKAM is in order too. I think you will have a whole new appreciation of it, reading it as a mature, worldly adult.

>224 msf59: Sigh. I'll have to give it a try. I've picked A Prayer for Owen Meany for the Sept AAC. So long but I'll get to it when I can.

I won an unusual ER book, for me at least. I've definitely been pigeonholed into the mysteries and sports categories. Probably 75% or more of my reading is in those two categories and so, rightfully so, nearly all of my ER books fit into those categories, too.

Now I've learned that I've won a music-related ER book. Why the Monkees Matter.

Please join me at my new thread at: https://www.librarything.com/topic/231243