FamilyHistorian Reading in 2016 - thread #4

I love that time in the spring when the leaves start filling in the view off my balcony.

My name is Meg and this is my fourth year in the 75 challenge. I live in Canada close to Vancouver. I read mysteries and history and a lot of other stuff that strikes my fancy and follows me home. That is probably why I am surrounded by so many books! I love to do research, which is a plus for a genealogist but all those tomes take up a lot of shelf space. I am hoping to participate in a few challenges this year and intend to read books from my personal library so maybe those books will be read in my lifetime.

Challenges I will do my best to partake of in 2016

American Authors

January: Anne Tyler - The Accidental Tourist DONE
February: Richard Russo - Nobody's Fool DONE
March: Jane Smiley - Private Life DONE
April: Poetry Month - Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins DONE
May: Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun DONE
June: Annie Proulx
July: John Steinbeck
August: Joyce Carol Oates
September: John Irving
October: Michael Chabon
November: Annie Dillard
December: Don DeLillo

British Author Challenge

January: Susan Hill, Barry Unsworth - The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill DONE
February: Agatha Christie, William Dalrymple - Endless Night by Agatha Christie DONE
March: Ali Smith, Thomas Hardy - Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy DONE
April: George Eliot, Hanif Kureishi - Gabriel's Gift by Hanif Kureishi DONE
May: Jane Gardam, Robert Goddard
June: Antonia Fraser, Joseph Conrad
July: Bernice Rubens, H.G. Wells
August: Dianna Wynne Jones, Ian McEwan
September: Doris Lessing, Laurie Lee
October: Kate Atkinson , William Golding
November: Rebecca West, Len Deighton
December: Yorkshire writers
LADIES
RUMER GODDEN
ELIZABETH TAYLOR
ROSE TREMAIN
MEN
GEORGE ORWELL
PATRICK HAMILTON
MICHAEL MORPURGO

Canadian Author Challenge

January: Robertson Davies, Kim Thúy - World of Wonders by Robertson Davies DONE
February: Helen Humphreys, Stephen Leacock - The Reinvention of Love by Helen Humphreys DONE
March: Farley Mowat, Anita Rau Badami - Tell it to the Trees by Anita Rau Badami DONE
April: Margaret Atwood, Michael Crummey
May: Michel Tremblay, Emily St. John Mandel - Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel DONE
June: Timothy Findley, Joseph Boyden
July: LM Montgomery, Pierre Berton
August: Mordechai Richler, Gabrielle Roy
September: Miriam Toews, Dany Laferrière
October: Lawrence Hill, Jane Urquhart
November: Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Laurence
December: Alice Munro, Rawi Hage

Non-Fiction Reading Challenge for 2016

January: Biography/Memoir/Autobiography - Newspaper Titan: The Infamous Life and Monumental Times of Cissy Patterson by Amanda Smith DONE
February: History - The Long Road to Change: America's Revolution, 1750–1820 by Eric Nellis DONE
March: Travel - Agatha Christie: Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery edited by Mathew Prichard DONE
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson DONE
April: Religion & Spirituality (Easter/Passover)
May: The Arts - The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson by Anne Newlands DONE
June: Natural History/Environment/Health
July: Current Affairs
August: Science and Technology
September: Philosophy/History of Ideas
October: Politics/Economics & Business/Commentary
November: Essays
December: Quirky/Who Knew?

I'll keep track of the reads I have finished on this post so I can see how successful or un I am in keeping up with any of these. I am also participating in Reading Through Time. I just hope lots of the books I read will count in more than one category!

Books acquired in March 2016

Circle of Shadows by Imogen Robertson
Seven for a Secret by Lyndsay Faye
Mrs Jeffries Wins the Prize by Emily Brightwell
The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha

Books acquired in April 2016

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel
Speaking from Among the Bones by Alan Bradley
The Victoria Vanishes by Christopher Fowler
White Corridor by Christopher Fowler
love in lower-case by fancesc miralles
Because of Miss Bridgerton by Julia Quinn
Garden of Lies by Amanda Quick
The Counterfeit Heiress by Tasha Alexander
Mayhem: Post-War Crime and Violence in Britain, 1748-53by Nicholas Rogers
Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin
A Woman Unknown by Frances Brody
Braking for Bodies by Duffy Brown

Books read in March 2016

The World of Agatha Christie: The Facts and Fiction of the World's Greatest Crime Writer by Marin Fido
Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb
Tell it to the Trees by Anita Rau Badami
The Curious Profession of Dr. Craven by R. Harrison
Thunderstruck by Erik Larson
Agatha Christie: The Grand Tour: Around the World with the Queen of Mystery edited by Mathew Prichard
Before Scotland: The Story of Scotland Before History by Alistair Moffat

Books read in April 2016

Private Life by Jane Smiley
Five Dead Canaries by Edward Marston
Shadowed Ground: America's Landscapes of Violence and Tragedy by Kenneth E. Foote
Family Fables: How to Write and Publish Your Family's Story by Maisie Robson
The Limehouse Text by Will Thomas
The Women's Land Army by V. Sackville-West
Gabriel's Gift by Hanif Kureishi
Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins

In April I started a blog about history which is inspired by my further research into events that affected the families I am researching. The first topic is about tuberculosis which was inspired by the course I took on medical history.

Here is my profile shot and the link to my blog follows.

http://genihistorypath.blogspot.ca/

Currently reading

Planned reading for May

Grab a book and make yourself comfortable.

This thread is open for business.

Am I first! Up late, trying to catch up a little on the threads! A bit of a challenge with our lovely weather! I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, Meg!

Happy new thread, Meg!

>1 Familyhistorian: What a pleasantly sylvan aspect.

>8 Familyhistorian: Fascinating

>11 Familyhistorian: I will, of course do that. xx

Hi Meg! Happy new thread! I will check out your blog. I had a great uncle who died of TB in the 1930s. He was a minister like my grandfather (his brother). My grandparents were in Iowa in the 1930s and Uncle Harold was in Kansas. My grandparents helped out as much as they could. Uncle Harold finally ended up in a sanitorium in Florida, where his mother had moved, while his wife and child moved back home to Pennsylvania.

Happy new thread, Meg!

>1 Familyhistorian: Nice view! Congrats on the new thread, Meg.

>13 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, it is about time being last timewize had some advantage. Hope you are enjoying the great weather today!

>14 PaulCranswick: When you make yourself comfy in that chair not only will you have a large library of books to chose from but you also have a great vantage point to take in the sylvan view. Happy Sunday, Paul.

>15 cbl_tn: Tuberculosis devastated a lot of families, Carrie. The worst part was that it affected people at the prime of their lives and they lingered on and on not able to support their families as there was no cure at the time.

>16 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. Hope you are having a great weekend or if you are working that things are going well.

>17 jnwelch: That is the view outside my window, Joe. I get to see it fill in over the spring so I am very in touch with the seasons. It was actually an action shot. There was a black dog plunging in and out of the stream after a Frisbee but he didn't come out in any of the photos that I got.

35. Human Genetics: Race, Population and Disease by Russ Hodge

I wanted a basic book on DNA that would help me make sense of the different ways that the science of DNA affects our society. Human Genetics: Race, Population, and Disease give an overview of it all. The author goes into the history of how DNA was discovered and how it is used in the study of disease and cures. He deals with how DNA is used in forensic science and how genetic fingerprinting is now used in puzzling out crimes. My favourite part was the description of how it is used to unravel old mysteries such as who are the real descendants of Thomas Jefferson. And what book on DNA would be complete without mention of Otzi the Iceman? (Otzi is a personal favourite ever since I found out that he comes from the same mitochondrial clan as I do.) This is a recommended read for those looking for a solid overview of DNA science.

Great weather out there today. I am on my way to the main Vancouver Library to pick up a book by Doig for the AAC and to take out some research books for my next topic on my blog - now to figure out what that will be. All of the challenge reading is giving me ideas about historic topics to cover. They are all percolating in my head, I just have to chose one and run with it.

Love the view outside your window, Meg, and love the chair--it only needs an ottoman to be perfect!

>25 ronincats: Yes, an ottoman would help, wouldn't it? I have a tendency just to curl up in the chair so my feet are all taken care of.

Congrats on your new shiny thread, Meg. You remind me to go on with the Bradley series.

Nice view from your balcony and I love the image in >4 Familyhistorian:.

As we say in these parts, Happy New Thread, Meg!

>27 Ameise1: It has been awhile since I read one of the Flavia stories, Barb. I enjoy picking them up periodically and it is May M&M!

>27 Ameise1: It has been awhile since I read one of the Flavia stories, Barb. I enjoy picking them up periodically and it is May M&M!

>28 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, hasn't this weather been great - perfect for photo taking.

Happy new thread, Meg!

Thanks Mamie. Hope your Tuesday is going well.

Ohh I love Flavia! Enjoy I am Half-Sick of Shadows. I might give Whose Body a try - got it from the library today - so much encouragement that it will be a fun read! Thanks for that!

>34 vancouverdeb: I like to space my Flavia books out but I have a few on the shelves. I have also read posts about Bryant and May on the threads and I am checking out one of those books - will see how that goes.

You reminded me to order my annual Flavia book for March Murder and Mayhem from the library. I am up to The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches.

Happy new thread, Meg!

>36 ronincats: Flavia is always good for a change of pace, Roni. I have more waiting in the wings but like to read them sporadically.

>37 katiekrug: Hi Katie, good to see you here. Are you still run off your feet at the conference?

Happy (sort of) new thread, Meg! (I am way behind on threads.)

Thanks for the link to your blog! I'll go check it out right now!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Meg. xx

>41 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel, I hope you find it interesting, I really enjoy writing about the history that I have uncovered and doing the art.

>42 PaulCranswick: It is shaping up to be a wonderful weekend weather and readingwise, Paul. I hope your weekend is likewise.

Glad your weekend is looking good, Meg! I hope the temps remain as they are - perfect for me. I like it a little cooler. I try to space out my Flavia books , but it is not easy! :) I was not interested in them until about 4 were written and then I had a bit of a Flavia de Luce binge.

>45 vancouverdeb: I seem to be reading the Flavia books at a rate of about 2 a year, Deb. It seems to be working because there are still lots more in the series to read. There are so many other books on my shelves to read that it is sometimes hard to fit even 2 of the series in during the year.

Weather forecast sounds like it will cool off a bit this weekend. When I got home tonight the air was filled with fluffies coming from the poplars - something that usually happens in June, not the beginning of May.

You might have already read it, but I read a book about Mary Mallon, who was known as " Typhoid Mary." It was fiction, but I think the author followed her real story quite closely. I really enjoyed it. Just in case, here is the name Fever by Mary B Keane.

>47 vancouverdeb: Fever sounds interesting, Deb. Onto the wish list it goes.

This time when I went for a walk I remembered to bring a book for our Little Free Library. I left The Reinvention of Love but, of course another book caught my eye. I picked up Murder Between the Covers.

The Little Free Library is in the city's garden area where the vegetable plantings are doing very well.



Salad garden



Asian garden



Garlic

Our weather has been so warm that our growing season is further ahead than it usually is at this time of year.



The poplar trees have all their leaves



and their fluff is in the air and piling up in drifts on the grass



and in the water.

36. I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

My latest foray into the world of Flavia de Lucia was the fourth book in the series, I am Half-Sick of Shadows. In this book, I missed Flavia getting into mischief on trusty Gladys because the action takes place around Christmas time. It is so Christmasy that there is a blizzard that traps everyone at the de Luce family estate, Buckshaw.

As Falvia's father has rented out the estate to a film crew, there are a lot more people there than usual. Add to that most of the village has braved the elements to see the film star, Phyllis Wyvern, perform in Buckshaw's foyer and there is a veritable crowd trapped at the estate by the blizzard – all the more to be counted as suspects when the body turns up.

This was another entertaining installment in the Flavia de Luce series although the action was lessened a bit by the fact that most of the events took place at Buckshaw (or around or on top of it).

Hi Meg. I am slowly making my way through the threads. How fun to play tourist in your own town. It usually takes a visitor to gt me into tourist mode too. How cool to have a museum built around a ship! Great review of The Limehouse Text! I have read - and enjoyed - the first two books in the Barker & Llewelyn series, Some Danger Involved and To Kingdom Come. Looks like the author has been busy writing... I don't remember there being 7 books in the series when I picked it up.

Congrats on walking the 10K of the Sun Run in 94 minutes and congrats on your new blog!

A little free library in the city's garden area... sounds like a perfect location to me.

>53 lkernagh: It seems harder to keep up with the threads this year, Lori. I just think I am getting close to catching up and they take off again.

Thanks for the congrats. I will have to look for more of the Barker & Llewelyn books if I can fit them in. I am trying to keep up with too many challenges this year.

Happy New Thread, Meg! Love the greenish topper!

How is the Crummey?

I will also be reading Last Night in Montreal.

Hi Mark, welcome back to the threads. I knew there was a reason why they got faster moving all of a sudden.

River Thieves is a very slow read for me. Last month I realized that I have a hard time reading sad books (Hardy and Crummey in one month made me realize.) This one is a double whammy because I know what happens to the Beothuk and I inherited the book from my father, so it makes me think of him.

I am looking forward to reading Last Night in Montreal, it is always interesting to read books set in a place that you are familiar with.

Love the pictures Meg. I like the summer months when the hedge obscures the neighbours' gardens (although it makes the bird watching more tricky). Your local little free library looks very tempting.

>57 charl08: Hi Charlotte, there is usually lots of green here but it just increases as the weather gets warmer. It might get trickier for bird watching but then the warm weather brings out more birds.

I thought I was going to be able to just drop off a book and move on because the pickings were slim at the LFL the last time I looked. This time it was full and there was one that tempted me *sigh*

Lovely pictures of your part of the city! Very green - like here. How fun to have a Little Free Library. As far as I know, we don't have a LFL in Richmond. Yesterday I was in Steveston ( as is so often the case) and they are filming Power Rangers and one of the main Roads in Steveson was "had been all chewed up into a pile, with car wrecks all over the place." I would have waited and taken a picture for fun, but I was in hurry and they were in the midst of filming. My husband tells me today they had cows on the main street . It is sort of interesting, but if you are shopping or getting your hair cut in Steveston , it sure makes a mess of the parking. I'm accustomed to StoryBrooke, but this is much worse.

>59 vancouverdeb: It would be interesting to hang around the filming and see what they are doing and take photos if you didn't have any where to be, Deb. Maybe Little Free Libraries haven't caught on in Richmond given your demographics.

Happy new thread, Meg. We had such lovely weather while we were on the road, but I wasn't disappointed at all with the rain shower we had this afternoon. I would love to hang onto the fresh, green look we have going on outside right now.

>61 DeltaQueen50: Rain? we had a few sprinkles and that was it, Judy. Funny because there is usually more rain over here by the mountains. Sounds like you had a great road trip. It does seem very green here after you have been away. I remember when I was in Scotland being surprised that there were very few trees on their mountains - I was happy to get back to our regular greenery!

May is proving to be a tough month to finish any books. Maybe I have too many on the go at the same time, quite a few taken out from this library. It is either too many books at a time or RL not slowing down. There are big changes at work and more involvement at PoCo Heritage now that we have regrouped after the loss of some of our more active members. Consistently writing blog posts takes up a fair bit of time as well as they involve research, writing and coming up with the art.

No volunteering commitments this weekend so I hope to get some blog posts done and maybe even catch up a bit with LT.

>50 Familyhistorian: I love the garden photos.

>52 Familyhistorian: I've read The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag last week.

Happy weekend, Meg.

>64 Ameise1: The best part about the garden is that I can take pictures of it and enjoy it without doing any of the work!

Aren't the Falvia de Luce books fun, Barb? I like to read them for a change of pace from the heavier stuff.
Have a great weekend!

Meg, I put my very best directionn on my thread for you ( and anyone else ) to find the so called LT Oracle :) As for Potato Tornado's -which I call spiral potato, from googling they seem to have originated as Hong Kong, Korean Street food, as you say. You try googling Potato Tornado Vancouver and see if that bring any results. The one that I go to is run by a Caucasian Lady, and they also have sandwiches, pop, slushies etc - and it is open all year round. You know how Steveston is sort of a tourist draw as well as very good place to walk your dog. Do you have a Chinese Night Market near you? I suppose that is one place you might find potato tornadoes? Best of luck - we just found the little place that I've only been to twice by walking in the area with our dog so much of the time :)

>66 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the instructions on finding the LT Oracle, Deb. I have been playing with it to see if I will actually like some of the books that I own. I will keep my eyes open for the Tornado's in my neighbourhood.

37. Life as We Have Known It: The Voices of Working-Class Women edited by Margaret Llewelyn Davies

Most of the writing in Life as We Have Known It: The Voices of Working-Class Women, is by the women themselves. They tell stories of starting to work as children and continuing to struggle as they marry and have families of their own. For most of them the Women's Co-operative Guild brought hope and a sense that they had some say in their lives.

The accounts detail the circumstances of their lives; hard lives where they scrimp and save and sometimes fail. Lives that are offered hope and education and a measure of political power by their membership in the guild. For women didn't have much power at this time, their lives were flavoured by the type of work that their men did and if their men were successful at staying in work.

Virginia Wolf puts this in to context in her introduction which describes a guild meeting in 1913 where the women speakers are seeking reforms. She says, “In all that audience, among all those women who worked, who bore children, who scrubbed and cooked and bargained, there was not a single woman with a vote. Let them fire off their rifles if they liked, but they would hit not target; there were only blank cartridges inside. The thought was irritating and depressing in the extreme.”

I'm having trouble finishing up books this month, too. In fact, I'm not sure if I've finished any at all! But I guess everyone has months like that.

>69 The_Hibernator: I have had a busy month but not as busy as yours, Rachel. That might be why finished books are few and far between this month. Maybe next month will be better.

I received an ER copy of Spies, Sadists and Sorcerers but it was an e-copy. Not sure how that happened because I don't ask for e-books. I received the copy back in March but it has taken me until today to get to it. My Kobo is new to me and it took me most of the afternoon to download it.

I am a novice at this e-book thing. Add to that the meltdown that my main computer had after Microsoft sent Windows 10 to it. It took 2 computers and a lot of cursing to download the book. Just so you know you need Windows to be able to access your Kobo on your computer - it didn't work with Linux.

That's funny, I received a copy of that book too & I don't remember requesting it. I've not requested an ebook via ER before.... hmmm.

>72 Deedledee: I know that I did request one book that would come as a PDF and I did receive that one but, although, Spies, Sadists and Sorcerers interested me, I wouldn't have requested it if it only came as an e-book. Were you able to download the book and, more importantly, did you like it?

I just sent them a message asking for it in a different format. I'm going to download it tonight and see how I feel.

>74 Deedledee: I was finally able to download it onto my Kobo and it is the first ever book that I am reading on an e-reader. I wouldn't have an Kobo except that it was the only gift that appealed to me for a work anniversary gift. Seems like an interesting book so far. Best of luck getting it in more readable form.

>68 Familyhistorian: I love this kind of oral history so will add this to the wishlist. How gray that these women's thoughts and experiences were recorded.

>76 charl08: It was good to hear from the women themselves instead of having someone studying the lower classes write about them. It is a classic and my book says that it is "one of Virago's first ever publications". From reading some of the LT threads Virago's are prized, I think.

>68 Familyhistorian: Life as We Have Known It: The Voices of Working-Class Women sounds really interesting. Great review! Perhaps the nice weather we have had slows us down with our reading? Though tonight I think it is currently raining.

>78 vancouverdeb: No rain over here, Deb. But they say rain tomorrow and, of course, for the long weekend. The reading is slower but I think, in my case, it is because of all of the challenges that I took on. Those books are not fast reads!

>68 Familyhistorian: That one sounds like a winner. I'm going to add it to a reading list with no idea as to whether it will ever make it to the top or not.

>80 thornton37814: It was very interesting and fairly short, Lori. Hopefully it will make it to the top soon.

38. The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson by Anne Newlands

I have a collection of books about Tom Thomson in my own personal library. Most of these books are full of photos of paintings and The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson was no exception. This book not only had Thomson's paintings but those of the other artists as well.

It was interesting to read about the artists in the Group of Seven and the importance of this group to Canadian art. Newlands explains how the group was a catalyst for change in Canadian art. She has also chosen photos of paintings to compare the artists and to offer insights about about their techniques and what they are trying to convey. This was a very good introduction to the group, their history and their relationship to Tom Thomson.

>68 Familyhistorian: Has the world changed a little in a hundred years. I would like to think so. Women have the vote and mine has voted with her feet and gone off to a school reunion for the weekend. Good-o as I am free to read and LT to my heart's content.

Have a glorious weekend, Meg.

Happy Saturday, Meg! Have a great weekend and I hope it involves plenty of reading.

Hi Meg! Adding my wishes for a great weekend filled with things you love to do.

Stopping in to wish you a weekend full of fabulous, Meg!

>83 PaulCranswick: The world has changed quite a bit in the last hundred years, Paul. It has changed in my lifetime because I can remember getting paid less than my male counterparts for doing the same job; the assumption being that some male would support women so they didn't need as much money. Huh! A weekend free of supervision, I am surprised that you aren't on your way to a bookshop. Maybe book shopping needs that extra spice of having to smuggle in the books after? Have a great weekend!

>84 msf59: I will get in lots of reading this weekend, Mark. I am researching the next topic for my blog and have a few shorter books to read. I hope you have a great weekend full of reading too!

>85 karenmarie: Hi Karen, I have lots of projects for this weekend and I hope that they will be enjoyable. I envy you your retirement and your family bibles.

>86 Crazymamie: Before I get down to my research I plan to get in some steps and hit the produce market. The local strawberries are out already and I know they will fill my weekend with fabulous! Have a great weekend, Mamie!

I am taking advantage of the sub par weather today - okay, it is typical May weather but seems strange after the wonderful warm weeks of sunshine we have had! - to try and get caught up with some threads.

>68 Familyhistorian: - Taking a BB for the Margaret Llewelyn Davies book.

>71 Familyhistorian: - There have been times when I double check the ER listings and I swear at the start of the month some books don't display that they are e-books. I don't mind e-books - I have gotten quite adept at loading them on various devices and converting them to a format that will work, if need be, but I can see how it would be strange to receive an e-book when you never request e-books.
... wait a minute.... did this book show up a second time in the LTER system? My copy was from the January LTER batch. Hmmm....

Wishing you a lovely weekend, Meg.

Stopping by to wish a lovely long weekend Meg! I hope you get caught up with all of your projects. Dave is off, so that is nice. Weather is little overcast here at this moment, but quite subject to change, it seems. Thanks for the link to your blog - I am enjoying reading it.

>91 lkernagh: I miss the sunny warm days too, Lori. Of course it is the May long weekend so it is supposed to be like this or worse for all those campers out there.

My Kobo is a newer acquisition as it was the only item in a list of work anniversary gifts that I was likely to use. I have stayed away from e-books and the ER book is the first one being read on the device. Figuring out how to download it was a challenge particularly due to the Windows 10 meltdown that my main computer went through. None of my Windows software works and I had not remembered how I had set-up the Kobo in the first place. Once I twigged to what had happened, I downloaded the set up files to my backup netbook which still has Windows 7 and was finally able to get the ER book onto the Kobo.

Have a great weekend, Lori.

>92 vancouverdeb: Nice that you have a long weekend with your significant other, Deb. It seems like the kind of weather to get caught up on stuff. I am working on the next set of posts for my blog. The new posts should start tomorrow if all goes well.

Hi! Hope you had a great weekend and happy new week!

>95 The_Hibernator: Hope you have a great week, Rachel!

39. Regina's Terrible Tornado, June 30, 1912 by Frank W. Anderson

This short book was first published in 1968 and is a must read for anyone interested in the Regina Cyclone. It is full of pictures and stories of the people who were affected by the devasting storm. I am currently researching the tornado and read this book as part of my research.

40. Storm of the Century: The Regina Tornado of 1912 by Sandra Bingaman

My research also took in The Storm of the Century: The Regina Tornado of 1912 which gives an in depth look at the tornado and the effects that it had on the city and the people. It is very well presented with lots of photos, maps and other emphemera. Bingaman has thoroughly researched the topic and brings a critical eye to the reports of the time.

This book was a definite help in the latest topic on my blog which is about the Regina Cyclone (or tornado as it is more correctly called). Check the blog out at http://genihistorypath.blogspot.ca/.

The garden in my local park is in full bloom.

On the shores of the lake I came across this duck family. There seem to be a lot of young ones for one set of parents.



Here are some of the family in action.

41. Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler

There have been a few posts about the Bryant & May series here on LT. I had to read one. I checked out the library and Ten Second Staircase was the earliest book in the series that I found. It probably would have been better to start with the first book as there seems to be a lot of backstory that I have missed already as this was the fourth book in the series.

The detectives take a bit of getting used to but they seem like the type of characters that grow on you. The mystery seemed a bit bizarre, why would a highwayman be wondering around modern London killing people in strange ways? Once the reveal comes in the end it all makes perfect sense, marginally. But then, it is the peculiar crimes unit. I was intrigued enough that I will read more in the series.

Lovely pictures of the garden area in your community! Not dissimilar to what I see here, not surprisingly! :) That does seem to a lot of ducklings for one set of parents. I wonder what the average mallard duck family is ( at least I think they are are mallard ducks.

Happy Friday, Meg! Love the photos! Hooray for the baby ducks! Hope you have a nice R & R weekend planned.

>102 vancouverdeb: It seems like a lot of ducklings for one family, Deb. What was striking is that they were the only ducklings and there is a large colony of ducks that hang out at that lake. Maybe they were taking care of another couples offspring as well? I don't know if ducks do that.

>103 msf59: Hope you have a great weekend, Mark. I am not sure about the R&R for me. Lots happening still but I have to trek down to the library to take some books back. It's always enjoyable to peruse the shelves when I am there.

>100 Familyhistorian: The pics of the ducks are very sweet and bring a smile to my face.

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend, Meg.

>106 karenmarie: They do look cute at that age don't they, Karen? I first noticed them when they were even smaller following in formation behind their mother in the water.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

42. Bucking the Sun by Ivan Doig

The books starts with a scene set in 1938, as a pesky little sheriff watches as a pickup is pulled out of the dam. The naked bodies of a man and a woman are found inside once the vehicle is out of the water. Sherriff Kinnick is informed that they are Duffs, a well known family in the area.

““What's the matter now?” Kinnick burst out. The little sheriff prided himself on always staying a few steps ahead in the mental department, but somehow he wasn't up with the expressions on all the rest of the men around the truck. What's got them spooked? It wasn't as if this dam had never killed anybody before. Naked and dead out in public wasn't good, nobody could say that. But you'd think it would take more than that to scandalize damworkers. Funny for a husband and wife to be out here going at it in a truck when they had a home of any kind, that was true. But Saturday night and all, who knew what these Fort Peckers were apt to get up to. So what could be out of kilter, if this couple was - “They're married people, right? You said their names were both Duff.”
The undersheriff hesitated. He hated dealing with this fierce doll of a man his job depended on.
“That's the thing about this, Carl,” the undersheriff said at last. “Married, you bet. Only not to each other.”"

From this opening the reader is brought back to 1933 to dried up farms overrun by grasshoppers and Hugh and Meg Duff and their two sons. A government agent is there to offer money for the farm which will be flooded by the dam. And so begins the tale of this family of Duffs and the building of the Fort Peck Dam.

As the story unfolds and the dam takes shape, the Duff family gets bigger. Marriage brings in more members so that the reader who thinks they have figured out who the couple are that were fished out of the dam now has more possibilities. It is a masterful device for pulling the reader through the story – I bet your guess won't be correct – mine wasn't.

I am off to the library to take back some books, do some research and pick out some new books for the challenges. Once again this weekend over full with things to do. Not sure why I did this but I volunteered for the committee that looks after the natural history displays at PoCo Heritage. I am a bit fuzzy about what natural history is (I think maybe the definition of natural history is fuzzy, which may be my problem).

Anyway, I was asked to do research on the wildlife that used to be in Port Coquitlam. I love doing research but sometimes end up with too much of a good thing. I need to research the new topic for my history/genealogy blog as well. The current posts are about the Regina Cyclone/Tornado of 1912. The blog is here http://genihistorypath.blogspot.ca/.

Good reviews, Meg.

A mystery by Ivan Doig? You've got me intrigued.

I want to get back to the Bryant and May series. I do think finding Full Dark House would help you. I have a sister who just loves these books.

>110 jnwelch: I picked up Bucking the Sun because I knew the mystery would pull me through the story, Joe. I was not so keen on reading about Montana. I lived in Calgary for a short time. Montana is just south of there. I couldn't wait to get out of Calgary and reading about Montana brought back feelings of why.

I am just on my way to the library and will have a hunt for Full Dark House. Thanks for that. Hope you are enjoying your Sunday.

Hi Meg, that Ivan Doig sounds intriguing, I will have to look for that title. Currently I have been totally lost in The Orenda which I am loving. I will be sorry to see this one end.

>112 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, that was my first Ivan Doig and from the sounds of it, probably not his usual style. I still have to decide what to read for the CAC as I don't know either of the authors.

43. The Murder of Tutankhamen by Bob Brier, Ph.D.

My personal library is heavy on history, archeology and mysteries and The Murder of Tutankhamen covered all of those bases. Brier gives a good background on the dynasty that preceded Tutankhamen, good enough for someone who had very little in depth knowledge of Egyptian history. This laid the groundwork for his theory that Tutankhamen was murdered. Then he goes over the clues, the archeological evidence and the written record and finally he weighs the evidence against the suspects. What he said made sense to me but I am not sure how his theory was received by the community of Egyptologists.

44. Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel

Last Night in Montreal is the story of, Lilah, a woman who was abducted as a child and who has never stopped running to elude the detective who is looking for her. It is also the story of people whose lives she has touched and altered unknowingly. Lilah seems little touched by the drama, the fallout happens to the people whose stories briefly mesh with her own. Poor Eli, the ex-boyfriend that is looking for her to make sure she is ok, he got more than he bargained for.

I was going to lend this book to a friend because I know that she would also get a kick out of the Montreal settings. After reading the ending I am not sure that I will.

Meg, how dreadful that you had shingles at Girl Guide camp! So young for such a thing too! I think rubella was preferable to get at camp rather than shingles! I always thought one was at least 30 or more to get shingles , but I suppose there is always an exception. I recall despite my having rubella, they developed a vaccine for rubella a couple of years later and of course my parents made sure that I had it anyway - in the line -up at elementary school. It's amazing even in my lifetime how many child hood diseases now have vaccines.

Sorry to read that Last Night in Montreal did not measure up.

Hi, Meg! Bucking the Sun sounds good. I had not even heard of that one. It is now on the list.

I also just finished Last Night in Montreal. I may have some mixed feelings but there is much to admire and her writing is pretty impressive. I might have liked it to be a bit tighter and more focused.

>116 vancouverdeb: Actually the shingles weren't bad at all. No pain that I remember. It is amazing the amount of vaccines they have now even one for chicken pox which shingles are related to. That vaccine is a newer one as it wasn't around when my son was in grade school.

I didn't dislike Last Night in Montreal. It was a well written and engaging story but I am not really sure what I think about it.

>117 msf59: From the feedback I am getting, it seems like Bucking the Sun is a bit of a departure for Doig, Mark. It worked out well for me 'cause I like a bit of mystery in my books.

I know what you mean about Last Night in Montreal. Good story but the ending?

Gah, I am seriously falling behind here. The threads keep getting away from me, I am close to the bottom in the Fitbit group, I am trying to make up lost time on the challenges. What have I been doing with my time? I really need to pull up my socks and put some effort into everything - strange thing is that I have been putting effort into lots of things but lacking behind on all the measurable stuff. *sigh* And I thought I would have so much time when classes were over.

45. Genetic Twists of Fate by Stanley Fields and Mark Johnston

Genetics is an interest of mine. Maybe it was spawned by my obsession with family history. Both the study of genetics and family history have been enhanced by research into DNA and the developments in that related field. This book will bring you up to speed on developments in the world of genetics.

Genetic Twists of Fate is written by people who clearly know their stuff but also have the talent to write accessible and entertaining prose to get their points across. They bring the stories of real people in as examples to keep up the reader's interest. Highly recommended for readers with an interest in the field of genetics.

Meg, if you can , try not to worry to much about keeping up with challenges, threads etc ( though I do love it when you visit mine). Reading should be fun, though I know I try to challenge myself with my reading choices. You are so busy with so many different things. Is you place cool enough for you today? I am certainly glad we have out two so called portable air conditioner - one in our bedroom that faces west and other that faces our living area - which faces east. You were mentioning that you find your bedroom nice and cool , as you are so close to trees and a stream. We have two sliding door on each level too -but it's too warm for me - but great with the air conditioners! I think even Poppy the dog appreciates them quite a bit.

Genetic Twists of Fate sounds very interesting. So much of personality and tendency to illness is genetic, I'm not sure how much we realize that truth.

Hi Deb, it was pretty warm last night but liveable. Good to hear that your air conditioners are doing their job but Poppy's walks must be warm.

The challenges are good because I am discovering new writers but it is hard to squeeze other reads in and I miss that. I will probably continue trying to keep up with my challenge reads this year because I like to finish what I start but will do a rethink for next year.

I find books about genetics fascinating and that is a good one.

>120 Familyhistorian: Deb is right, Meg. No need to fret or huff and puff to keep up in the imaginary race! Your thread is always a great place to visit and your visits to my place and others are always great. xx

Hi Paul, I know the challenges are take it or leave it but I like to finish what I start *sigh*. It's kind of like the overtime at work. They keep on approving overtime for our Fridays off. We work it because it is there but wouldn't be disappointed if they said no. Wait maybe last part of why I can't keep up!

>125 Familyhistorian: :D

Meg, the past couple of days my husband has been doing the walks. He takes Poppy to a shaded off leash area and she goes into the river. Even so, my short forays outside are very warm! Dave will back to work on Wednesday and then it's all me for 4 days. But supposedly it will cooler and even maybe a bit of rain? Hoping! Tomorrow is a dentist visit for me.. Always dread those dentist visits.

>126 PaulCranswick: LOL

>127 vancouverdeb: Ah, nice to have someone else do the walking in the heat, Deb. Are you spoiled a bit? I heard that it is supposed to get cooler towards the end of the week but you never know around here. Good luck at the dentist.

Hi, Meg! Just checking in. Hope you had a good weekend. Genetic Twists of Fate sounds interesting. I will keep that one in mind.

>130 msf59: The weekend was good but short, Mark. You know how that goes. Genetic Twists of Fate was good and they made links to everyday people and some well known people so that made it more relevant. Hope you have a good week.

On yesterday's walk back from the library I took the long route and checked out the Little Free Library. There were only 2 books in it so in an effort to boost my steps today and to feel virtuous about clearing out some books I decided to walk to the LFL after work. Someone must have had the same thought because there were lots of books in there today and one of them was the latest J.D. Robb Brotherhood in Death that I have been waiting to come out in paperback - now I don't have to! Reward!

Such a great story, Meg, and how cool about the J. D. Robb book!! Happy Tuesday to you!

>133 Crazymamie: Too bad rewards like that don't happen more often! Hope you have a great week, Mamie.

Ah, great to have a fellow Eve Dallas fan, Meg (and Roarke, too, of course, not mention Peabody and her goofy lover and . . .)

I enjoyed Brotherhood in Death, which I Kindled. Nice grab at the LFL - that showed wonderful generosity by the donor. Woot!

>135 jnwelch: Right place, right time, Joe. That book wouldn't have lasted long in the LFL. The in death series is great fun.

Hi Meg, congratulations on your "score" at the LFL. Obviously your good deed of taking books there paid off.

>137 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, it really felt like a reward! Too bad that doesn't happen more often.

Isn't it fun when you just sort of stumble onto a book that you really want? Enjoy!

I love your Little Free Library! So cool! Nice score at LFL! Well, as far as walking in the heat Dave enjoys the heat much more than I do. We make a good team in our division of labour, after 33 years of marriage, I'd say. : ) Yesterday was pleasant walking the dog - a little on the cool side and nice a breezy by the water. Lovely weather.

>139 tymfos: It's fun but doesn't happen too often, Terri. Hope you have a great weekend!

>140 vancouverdeb: If you like cool and breezy it looks like this will be the weekend for you, Deb. That is unless it gets carried away with the rain.

I love the LFL and I think this is the first year that it has been there. The books change frequently as it is in a park and there are alot of highrise condos across the street from it.

Ah, I went for a walk in the sun after a day full of showers and now I am catching up on LT. Thank you all for being here to make a rough day better.

Today was a difficult as I went to the funeral of a friend who passed away. She is the one I did lots of volunteer work with that I posted about before when I went to visit her after she was moved to a hospice. Her daughter was the one who coordinated her care after she was diagnosed with a brain tumor and her daughter who was planning the funeral. The funeral today was also for the daughter as she died this week from a stroke.

So sorry for your loss, indeed, your double loss and I would imagine the daughter's death was unexpected? How tragic.

>144 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. I didn't meet the daughter but I know that her death was very unexpected. It was a sudden stroke out of the blue. She was 42.

>143 Familyhistorian: so sorry to hear about your friend Meg. And what a terrible time for her remaining family with both mother and daughter passing away so close together.

>146 SandDune: Thanks, Rhian. It will be difficult for the family to regroup after losing two strong women, but as the daughter's blended family consists of husband and five daughters maybe one of them will come to the fore.

>143 Familyhistorian: What sad news, Meg. The fates can be so cruel sometimes. The lady is leaving behind five daughters? Oh my.

That is just so tragic, Meg. There are just no words - so very sad for her daughters and husband. Keeping you in my thoughts and sending healing mojo.

So sorry to hear of the loss of both your friend and the sudden passing of her daughter. It's hard to take it all in. (((hugs)))

>148 PaulCranswick: >149 Crazymamie: >150 vancouverdeb: Thanks Paul, Mamie and Deb. I knew that my friend was dying so that was not unexpected but her daughter was 30 years younger and, by all accounts, a dynamic person so her sudden death was a shock to everyone.

Hi Meg. How sad, both for losing your friend and for the shockingly early death of her daughter. As Paul says, the fates can be cruel.

>152 karenmarie: It is very sad and such a shock. As the minister said they are experiencing two kinds of grief, one where there has been time to prepare and say goodbye's and another for a life that has been suddenly taken away.

Oh wow. Hugs for the deaths. I hope you find a lot of friends to comfort you in your grief. :)

>154 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel. The day after the funeral I attended an opening at the museum where my friend was such a going concern. It helps to talk things over with people who are going through the same experience.

Wishing you a better week ahead, Meg. Take care.

Thinking of you, Meg.

Yikes, sorry to hear about your friend and her daughter, Meg. My condolences.

>143 Familyhistorian: So sad and so difficult, Meg. I hope the memorial provided some solace and the ability to remember, grieve, and appreciate their presence in your life.
It's another reminder that every day is so incredibly precious!

On a more cheery note, I love the bright yellow Little Free Library in your town's garden. We have several in our neighborhood and I'm a frequent contributor and an occasional borrower. It's a wonderful community "thing."

We are way ahead in our growing season, too, and I worry about what that means. It has cooled off some this week so I hope that slows down some of the snow melt. I want there to be water in August......

I remember loving Bucking the Sun when I was in an Ivan Doig phase many years ago. And Last Night in Montreal has me intrigued. I'm not sure whether you're recommending it or not.... heh.

>156 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb, thanks for the wishes. Hope your week is a good one!

>157 scaifea: Thanks Amber.

>158 jnwelch: Hi Joe, I knew the death of my friend was coming which somehow makes it easier. The daughter was a surprise.

>159 EBT1002: I think that Bucking the Sun is one of the lesser known of Doig's works. It was the one book out of the library's collection of Doigs that spoke to me when I checked them over.

I am not sure whether I am recommending Last Night in Montreal either, Ellen. It is good but I am not sure about the ending. I liked being able to visit Montreal again through its pages.

Stopping in to wish you a Tuesday full of happy, Meg.

Hi Mamie this week should be better than last. Are you getting many steps in?

Hello Familyhistorian!

>4 Familyhistorian: lovely painting.

>9 Familyhistorian: Wow. That is quite a selection. I have toyed with reading/listening to I am Half Sick of Shadows for some time. I'm not sure why I haven't done it yet. Is it best to start at the beginning?

I think Simon Winchester is fantastic. I look forward to your thoughts on Crack at the Edge of the World. In fact, that one is headed to my audio wishlist immediately.

>11 Familyhistorian: Is this your reading area? That would be cool.

Have a great day.

Hi, Meg! I'm so sorry about the deaths of your friend and her daughter.

>166 brodiew2: Hi Brodie, good to see you here. I started Flavia de Luce at the beginning which is pretty rare for me. So far the books could be stand alone. There are only a few relationships that have developed a bit more over time but a bit more of the family situation is revealed as you get further into the series.

I just finished the Crack at the Edge of the World and will post a review as soon as I get a chance. It was my first book by Simon Winchester and I lapped it up!

>11 Familyhistorian: It should be my reading area but usually has some kind of books in it - not sure how that happens *sigh*

>167 tymfos: Thanks Terri, in a way it was a strange funeral. Very well attended - there was standing room only in the lobby of the church (or whatever that's called). They had speakers out there so people could hear - they have had large funerals at that church before as they hosted the one for Terry Fox.

The thing that was strange about this funeral was that it was kind of like a wedding as you weren't sure who the mourners had showed up for, mother or daughter or both.

Hi, Meg! I am so sorry to hear about the losses in your life. Here is a gentle hug. I hope you can find some solace in a good book or two.

>170 msf59: Thanks Mark, and, yes, there are lots of books around here to find solace in. (Sometimes it looks like there may be a few too many.)

>165 Familyhistorian: Nope. It's very hot and humid outside and inside we have moved Daniel's bed into the living room since he cannot go up all those stairs right now. This causes a bit of a traffic jam with my normal indoor route. My stepping has suffered greatly.

>172 Crazymamie: Funny, my excuse yesterday was that it was too cold and rainy. I wondered what was happening because I was able to pass you - that was a surprise. Look out though, Katie is gaining in leaps and bounds. How long will Daniel have his cast on and not be able to do the stairs?

I saw that Katie is stepping it up! Daniel should have his cast on for 6-8 weeks depending on the x-rays. Originally, they said he would have to be off of it for 8-10 weeks, but they ended up not having to fuse the tibia to the fibula like they thought they would. Once he has the cast on, he can attempt the stairs at his leisure - I just don't want him trying it with a splint and an incision that isn't fully healed - we're talking $5,000 worth of surgery here, so I don't want it messed up. Our stairs are 16 steps up and kind of narrow - pus, you have to turn a corner, so...

>174 Crazymamie: Ohh, ouch $5000 - there is something to be said for social medicine. We break something we just go to the hospital and don't worry about the cost.

Katie is picking up the pace but I met a friend for a walk this evening and hope to keep ahead!

Oh, we have insurance - but there is a $5,000 deductible for surgery (for the family, but no one else has needed surgery so far this year). I can't complain - we can pay it, and Daniel got the care that he needed.

Good for you with the walking. We got rain yesterday, finally, and it cleared off some of the humidity, so I am hoping to get some stepping in later today.

Meg, I forget to put on my fit bit that past couple of days! Argh with myself! The weather has been strange lately -but it is looking very good right now. Off for a walk shortly!:)

>176 Crazymamie: Wow, a $5000 deductible, that would still hurt. For all we gripe about the delays in our system at least we don't have to pay and I like it that way.

Good luck with the stepping. We are having rain off and on and I am getting out for walks when I can.

>177 vancouverdeb: Hope you had a good walk and remembered your fitbit, Deb. It has been on and off weather lately including today. It looks like they are predicting more of the same for the next three days and then, when the work week starts again, it is steady sunshine.

>173 Familyhistorian:, >174 Crazymamie:, >175 Familyhistorian: - Katie was on vacation in NYC. She has now returned home and will, presumably, return to her slothful ways... ;-)

Hi Meg! I'm so sorry to hear about the double whammy of your friend and her daughter. That is just so hard.

>180 katiekrug: Ah that explains it, Katie. All that walking to explore the city. But you are doing so well, you should keep it up!

Thanks for your thoughts.

Happy Saturday, Meg! I hope your weekend includes some book time. Enjoy!

Happy Saturday, Meg!

>182 msf59: Hi Mark, I always manage to squeeze in some reading time on the weekend. Hope you have a great one!

>183 Crazymamie: Afternoon, Mamie. Hope you have a weekend full of fabulous!

Happy Weekend, Meg! Rainy today, unfortunately. Most of the days have been pretty good in my neck of the woods, but not today.

>186 vancouverdeb: I was just commenting on the weather on your thread, Deb. Yesterday was so beautiful but I didn't get to enjoy it much as I worked and then had a meeting after work and now this miserable weather. Most days I try to go out in it any way to keep up with the Fitbit librarythingers (they are very competitive) but it is too cold out there today. I hope it clears up for tomorrow.

Hi Meg. As I mentioned on my thread, Poppy and I had to do our walk, rain or not. Well, we got caught in the most dreadful down pour. Luckily I had on a light gortex jacket and I had put Poppy's pink rainjacket on just in case. The heaven's really opened up for about 30 minutes - not a drizzle but a real downpour. Near the finish of our walk, the rain calmed down. Still have my jeans hanging up to dry as well as Poppy's jacket etc.

And to top it off, I forgot to put my fit bit onto the belt loop of my pants. Shoot me now! :)

I hope it clears up tomorrow too!

I can see that there is little choice but to go out and find one of those step counter thingies in a vain attempt to keep up with you ladies. I am sure that I can create some interesting stats on steps walked against pounds and inches shed....just sayin'!

Have a great weekend, Meg.

Happy Sunday, Meg. I finally caught up here. I'm sorry for your loss. thinking of you.

>188 vancouverdeb: Was that drenching walk today, Sunday, Deb? It looks like it might be clearing a bit here now. I am hoping so because I will be trekking to the library in a little while. As I walk and take the bus that adds to my steps. I am in the habit of checking for my Fitbit at various times and feel like I am not fully dressed without it so I don't forget it very often.

>189 PaulCranswick: I am sure that a Fitbit would be right up your alley, Paul. It keeps all kinds of stats. Mamie set up a group on Fitbit for LTers. It is very competitive and no doubt would get you out there and competing to keep up with the leaders.

>190 Ameise1: You are doing better than I am, Barb. I am many, many threads behind and they keep growing! Just wait, I will pop up on your thread one of these days. Thanks for your thoughts.

46. Tartan Tragedy by Antonia Fraser

Tartan Tragedy was first published in the '70s but there are only a few mentions of the excessive fashions of the era. Other than that it comes across as a fairly contemporary mystery as Jemima Shore, the amateur sleuth, is a TV personality and modern woman who goes to the Scottish islands for peace and solitude and finds murder and more complications than she can handle. It was an enjoyable mystery and I will probably look up more books in the series.

Hi Meg! Hope your week was better than the last one. And here's to a new week ahead!

>195 The_Hibernator: Yes, last week was much better than the one before but then, I am an incurable optomist! Hope you have a great week coming up, Rachel!

Last night I was finally getting to my LT reviews when my computer froze. Memories of the Windows 10 debacle came back to me and I thought that I had lost all of the work that I did yesterday.

My son had a look this morning and said that I needed a new mouse, he took the mouse from my netbook and plugged in to my desktop. Wouldn't you know it, then I was having trouble copying stuff with the mouse on my desktop! I went out and got 2 mouses (mice?) and now I am just zipping along. Gotta love technology - when it works!

Thanks to you I remembered my fit bit today! :) A great walk with Poppy on a sunny day but not too warm. I hope your computer continues to work well for you. My son was over today ( Dave had to work Father's Day - of course) and he and I were discussing a new computer. He tells me he knows nothing about Windows 10 and so he is bit worried about me getting Windows 10 so he is going to ponder on that .

>198 vancouverdeb: Good for you for remembering your Fitbit, Deb. Did you remember it today too? If you do get a new computer it will be Windows 10 unless you get a Mac. I have been looking over laptops because I want a new computer that will have Windows so I can run some of the software I have. Technology, hard to deal with but can't live without it.

47. Adam's Curse by Bryan Sykes

Bryan Sykes writes very accessible books about genetics and the exciting new discoveries with the growing knowledge in the field. His first book about DNA was The Seven Daughters of Eve which focused on mtDNA and the history of the female part of the human race. Adam's Curse is about Y-DNA, the male history.

Adam's curse is the deterioration of the Y-chromosome which is built in to the way in which reproduction takes place. There is no renewal of the Y-chromosome in the recombination process of reproduction. Not good. But then the Y-chromosome has had good innings so far.

There is some very interesting history which can be uncovered studying the distribution Y-DNA in current populations. It can be used to trace the origins of populations in places like Polynesia or Iceland; just where did the people who immigrated to these lands come from. The study of Y-DNA in current populations can also show how prolific certain men became – wealth and power leading to an immense spread of progeny in the case of the Great Khan, or a merely large spread of progeny in the case of other powerful leaders such as Somerled, the Lord of the Isles.

I like the way that Sykes' books make the science of genetics make sense. One aspect that I found particularly fascinating was that families are known to be 'male' or 'female' families. Interesting. I had to look into that further. Check out my blog post of June 20 Male and Female Families

Hi Meg, I haven't been keeping up with my visiting but last week I was busy with RL and now I am so far behind with everyone. I take some consolation in the fact that I know I am not alone in this struggle to keep up!

>201 DeltaQueen50: It only takes a day to get behind, Judy. I have been struggling to keep up but falling woefully behind. I am not sure how the prolific posters keep up with even their own threads!

Gosh Meg, that Adam's Curse and male and female families sounds fascinating! I have a friend who has 7 grandsons from her 4 children - with her children being boy - girl - identical twin boys- and all 4 of the kids have only had sons. Kind of amazing!My own parents had 3 girls in a row- and then thought - just one more and yes it was a boy and then oops - another boy.

Hi! Just dropping in to catch up. Nothing much to say . . . (waves)

>203 vancouverdeb: The study of genetics is really interesting Deb and new discoveries with DNA are bringing up interesting facts all the time. I know of families where they have boys and keep on trying for girls and end up with all boys. My father's mother had seven children with two different husbands, six boys and one girl (guess who got to do all the household chores?)

>204 tymfos: Hi Terri, thanks for dropping by.

>197 Familyhistorian: I have a spare mouse in my cabinet, although my problems are usually that I need new batteries! I prefer the wireless ones.

>200 Familyhistorian: Fascinating! A BB for sure.

Happy Wednesday!

>200 Familyhistorian: That does sound interesting, Meg. Thanks for the good review.

>207 karenmarie: I usually have spare batteries but have never kept a spare mouse on hand. I don't usually have mouse problems - at least, I didn't think I did.

Bryan Sykes has written a few interesting books about genetics and DNA, Karen. If you like Adam's Curse you might want to check the other ones out.

>208 jnwelch: It's a good one, Joe.

I agree with Joe - good review, great sounding book!

>211 drneutron: Good to know that it isn't just me who finds the current info on genetics interesting, Jim. Sykes' books are very readable.

>194 Familyhistorian: I wonder if I read that one back in the 70s? There's a good chance I did.

>200 Familyhistorian: One of the books from the 3rd visit to Powell's is by Sykes. I'll make you and everyone else wait until it arrives to see which it is.

>213 thornton37814: It is definitely a 70s book from the description of the clothes but other than that it doesn't seem dated at all.

Hmm, do you remember which book of Sykes it is, Lori, or is that why you have to wait until it arrives?

>214 Familyhistorian: I remember which Sykes book it is, but I don't want to lose all the suspense. I actually told Jeff last night he could read it after I finished it. Of course, I probably won't get to it until after I finish writing the book.

>215 thornton37814: I thought you would remember which Sykes books it is, Lori. I have read quite a few of his books and some books by other authors that quote from his books - particularly the ones about Scottish DNA. Sounds like Jeff might have a long wait to read that book!

48. The Women's Land Army by Neil R Storey & Molly Housego

Shire Library publications are short books with comprehensive coverage of particular subjects. The book, The Women's Land Army, traces this organization from its initial inception in WWI, to its rebirth in WWII, to when it was disbanded in 1950. It is chocked full of facts and photos, a great resource for anyone doing research into the Land Army.

49. Dying for You by Geraldine Evans

I must have been in a hurry when I was in the library. I thought that Dying for You was the first in the Rafferty and Llewellyn Series by Geraldine Evans but it is number 6. It reads like a book where most readers would already know the characters but it is a good mystery for all that. In this story Rafferty, feeling left out after his sergent ties the knot, joins a dating agency. The problem is that two of the women he fancies end up dead. How can he keep his personal involvement under wraps while investigating the crime?

50. Once was a Time by Leila Sales

I was quickly drawn into the story of Lottie and Kitty, best friends in war time England. Lottie's father is an absent minded professor/inventor type and his area of expertise is time travel. Just think of how helpful that would be to either side in the war.

At a critical juncture, when the girls are in danger, Lottie escapes through a time portal and ends up in America in 2013. At first it is a real shocker to her but things are not so different. Girls of a certain age are still school children. Only it is different this time around, suddenly she is popular. Will that distract her from her search to find out what happened to her best friend, Kitty?

>218 Familyhistorian: That Geraldine Evans sounds good, Meg. I bought a bunch of her mysteries as they on at a reduced price and since I enjoyed the first one, I will look forward to working through them.

>220 DeltaQueen50: It was good, Judy. Now I have to look for the first one in the series. So many series so little time *sigh*

>216 Familyhistorian: Only a few months wait. He's got to update the book he wrote about a decade ago so he wouldn't get to it much faster anyway.

You are really going to town with the book, Meg! Enjoying our fairly good weather? I am , though it is a little cooler. In out townhouse complex we recently re-fenced the place , a today, for a second time, a group of us are going to meet with the company that has been contracted to paint the fence and so far it is very difficult to find colour that most people like . Today the painter is bringing four more stain colours along, Cross your fingers for us.

>222 thornton37814: So you are encouraging Jeff to finish the rewrite by telling him he can read the Sykes book when he is done?

>223 vancouverdeb: Good luck with the colours, Deb. I remember when we had a choice of colours for the trim and front porches of our townhouses. Unfortunately, someone had already narrowed down the selection so that all of the colours were basically in the same palette - I didn't like any of them which made it an easy choice. I am still unhappy about the paint colour so I know how important the colours around homes can be.

51. Postcards by Annie Proulx

The novel starts with the main character, Loyal Blood, committing a horrendous crime. He feels he must run away to protect himself and by doing this he leaves his family in dire straights. He was the family's hope to keep the farm going.

Nothing is good in Loyal's new life either as he drifts from place to place, job to job. He sends postcards to his family to let them know he is alright but never with any return address. He doesn't know how the farm is lost, or how his father dies and then his mother. To Loyal home remains as it was when he left. The story spans Loyal's life until he reaches the end friendless and alone.

This is a prize winning novel but I prefer my fiction to be a bit more positive.

Ahh, well, we ended up picking what I would describe as the best of the worst. LOL! It is a challenge to choose a colour when you have the input of so many people and a looming deadline. Because the fence had been standing for a year and half without being painted, the painting contractor suggested we go with a solid stain and the contractor seemed to only deal with Sherwin Williams paints. I suppose a bit of it comes down to people not wanting to pay to much of an extra levy, so the president picks out someone we have dealt with in the past re the painting and it goes from their. Cross my finger and hope for the best.

As for Postcards, good for you in taking on a dark read. Sometimes I am okay with them, but lately I've wanted something a little more positive , as you say

>227 vancouverdeb: I would imagine that choosing colours by committee makes very few people happy, Deb. Hope the fence paint turns out ok.

I only read Postcards because Annie Proulx was the June author for the AAC. I tried to read The Shipping News which is her better known novel but I couldn't handle the style in which it was written. Through reading for the challenges I have discovered that I am not very familiar with US fiction authors. I tend to read British or Canadian authors, maybe because I am more familiar with the locations or culture - I am not sure why exactly.

I saw the movies The Shipping News long ago and and very much enjoyed it, but like you, I'm not keen on reading Annie Proulx. I know Barkskins is really making the rounds on LT, but the topic and author don't call to me. I tend to read more Canadian or British authors as well - not sure why. That said, there are some really fabulous authors that I love.

>229 vancouverdeb: I remember the buzz about The Shipping News but it never caught my interest, maybe because it was set in Newfoundland. I find it easier to read British and Canadian authors - I think there is something in the tone and feel of the books. It is kind of like being across the border, I never quite feel at home.

52. A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 by Simon Winchester

Winchester's book about the San Franscisco quake of 1906 is about much more than that earthquake. He gives a comprehensive view of the major faults and plates in North America and covers the reporting of the 1906 earthquake as well as some other quakes which have happened.

After finishing the book, I feel that I have a much better understanding of the forces at work and the effects of earthquakes. That is probably a good thing as I live in the earthquake prone West Coast of North America.

Stopping in to wish you a happy Friday, Meg. Hope it's a good one!

>224 Familyhistorian: I supposed you could interpret it that way. The one I found at Powell's was Saxons, Vikings, and Celts: The Genetic Roots of Britain and Ireland. Jeff has Viking ancestry so I suspect he's quite interested in this one.

>231 Familyhistorian: Thank you for this review of A Crack at the Edge of the World, familyhistorian. I have loved the idea of Simon Winchester for some time, but have never read or listened to one of his books. This sounds really interesting.

>231 Familyhistorian: I loved A Crack in the Edge of the World. His writing is so informative and readable. Glad you liked it. I'm from Los Angeles and have lived through some interesting earthquakes, so learning more about plate tectonics and other earthquakes and even the history of California was fascinating.

>232 Crazymamie: It's one of the best Fridays Mamie - a stat holiday because it's Canada Day!

>233 thornton37814: Ooh, interesting. Has Jeff proven his Viking roots, Lori? Saxons, Vikings, and Celts was a good one. Only thing is there is a website given in the book if you want further info - it is no longer operational which was disappointing. I wanted to see what further research had been done since the book was written. My Scots came from the Western Isles - not sure if there are an Viking connections.

>234 brodiew2: Hi Brodie, I understand how you feel because I liked the idea of Winchester way before I cracked open any of his books - they looked like they might be hard to get into. But it was very accessible.

>235 karenmarie: It was interesting to understand how the forces behind earthquakes work, Karen. Up here close to Vancouver we don't seem to be in as active a zone as in LA but they keep predicting the Big One. Do you still live in LA, I didn't get that impression from your thread.

Hi Meg, I'm a little late in the day but wanted to wish you a Happy Canada Day. We had a quiet one here, stayed home and had a family BBQ this evening.

>231 Familyhistorian: Loved Crack in the Edge of the World, too--last year I listened to Winchester read it--he's quite a good narrator. This year I listened to him read The Map that Changed the World. Not quite as compelling as the other book (identifying layers of rocks and fossils doesn't pack quite the same punch as smashing and grinding plates), but still good, especially the story of William Smith.

>240 DeltaQueen50: It sounds like you had a great Canada Day, Judy. Nothing special happened here except it was a day off work!

>241 kac522: The Crack at the Edge of the World was great. In the book there are also some pictures and maps of the plates etc. I also have Atlantic on the shelves that I should get to one of these days.