CBL's Literary Adventures in 2016 Part 5

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

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

Here's Adrian with his Little Lamb. It used to be my lamb, but Adrian claimed it the minute he saw it. I think he likes it because it looks like him!

Best of the year to date:
The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel (5) - Review
Hell Is Empty by Craig Johnson (4.5) - Review
The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes (4.5) - Review
Anne Frank Remembered by Miep Gies & Alison Leslie Gold (5) - Review
Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, 1839-42 by William Dalrymple (4.5) - Review
How We Got to Now by Steven Johnson (4.5) - Review
As the Crow Flies by Craig Johnson (4.5) - Review
The House by the Lake by Thomas Harding (5) - Review
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (4.5) - Review
Old Filth by Jane Gardam (4.5) - Review
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (5) - Review

Books read in May:
51. The House by the Lake by Thomas Harding (5) - completed 5/7/16
52. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (4.5) - completed 5/7/16
53. Work Song by Ivan Doig (3.5) - completed 5/8/16
54. Oedipus the King by Sophocles (4) - completed 5/9/16
55. The Siamese Twin Mystery by Ellery Queen (2) - completed 5/14/16
56. We the People by Juan Williams (3) - completed 5/15/16
57. Into the Blue by Robert Goddard (3.5) - completed 5/23/16
58. Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh (3.5) - completed 5/27/16
59. Bosnia's Million Bones by Christian Jennings (2.5) - completed 5/27/16
60. Old Filth by Jane Gardam (4.5) - completed 5/30/16
61. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (5) - completed 5/30/16

Books read in June:
62. Quiet as a Nun by Antonia Fraser (3) - completed 6/4/16
63. Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog by Kitty Burns Florey (3) - completed 6/5/16
64. The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance by Paul Robert Walker (3) - completed 6/10/16
65. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley (3) - completed 6/17/16
66. A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson (4) - completed 6/19/16
67. The Lively Place: Mount Auburn, America's First Garden Cemetery and Its Revolutionary and Literary Residents by Stephen Kendrick (4) - completed 6/19/16
68. Two in the Bush by Gerald Durrell (4) - completed 6/24/16
69. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer (3.5) - completed 6/26/16
70. The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow (3) - completed 6/26/16
71. Messenger by Craig Johnson (3) - completed 6/28/16
72. Time Remembered by Miss Read (4) - completed 6/30/16
73. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad (3) - completed 6/30/16

Books Read in July
74. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (4) - completed 7/3/16
75. Sayonara Slam by Naomi Hirahara (3.5) - completed 7/3/16
76. Tokyo Girl by Brian Harvey (3) - completed 7/4/16
77. Spirit of Steamboat by Craig Johnson (4) - completed 7/9/16

Books added in May:
22. Sayonara Slam by Naomi Hirahara (April ER book)
23. The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial by Peter Goodchild (L.A. Theatre Works production) (free audio download)
24. Divine Collision: An African Boy, An American Lawyer, and Their Remarkable Battle for Freedom by Jim Gash (free audio download)
25. This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff (free audio download)
26. Egg & Spoon by Gregory Maguire (free audio download)
27. Love & Friendship by Whit Stillman (gift)

Books added in June:
28. The Boy Born Dead by David Ring, David Wideman, & John Driver (free audio download)
29. Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy (free audio download)
30. The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow (May ER ebook)
31. The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson (free audio download)
32. Tokyo Girl by Brian Harvey (May ER book)
33. Crossroads of Empire by Ned C. Landsman (Thingaversary purchase)
34. Shakespeare for Grown-Ups by E. Foley & B. Coates (Thingaversary purchase)
35. Common People: In Pursuit of My Ancestors by Alison Light (Thingaversary purchase)
36. Anything But Civil by Anna Loan-Wilsey (Thingaversary purchase)
37. The Shih Tzu by Deborah Wood (Thingaversary purchase)
38. S. by J. J. Abrams & Doug Dorst (Thingaversary purchase)
39. On the Map by Simon Garfield (Thingaversary purchase)
40. Now by Morris Gleitzman (Thingaversary purchase)
41. Donny's Brain by Rona Monro (free audio download)
42. Death and the Family Tree by Linda Berry (used book sale purchase)
43. The Novels of Anthony Trollope by James R. Kincaid (used book sale purchase)
44. Julia's Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child (used book sale purchase)
45. Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran (used book sale purchase)
46. Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark (Thingaversary purchase)
47. The Invasive Species by Frankie Bow (June ER book)

Books added in July
48. Symphony for the City of the Dead by M. T. Anderson (free audio download)

@PaulCranswick's British Authors Challenge

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

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

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

APRIL
George Eliot - Middlemarch

MAY
Robert Goddard - Into the Blue - COMPLETED 5/23/16
Jane Gardam - Old Filth - COMPLETED 5/30/16

JUNE
Joseph Conrad - The Secret Agent - COMPLETED 6/30/16
Antonia Fraser - Quiet as a Nun - COMPLETED 6/4/16

JULY
Bernice Rubens - Favours

@Smiler69's Canadian Authors Challenge

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

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

MARCH
Anita Rau Badami - The Hero's Walk - COMPLETED 4/10/16

APRIL
Margaret Atwood - The Journals of Susanna Moodie - COMPLETED 4/2/16

MAY
Emily St. John Mandel - Station Eleven - COMPLETED 5/7/16

JUNE
Joseph Boyden - The Orenda

JULY
L. M. Montgomery - Anne of Green Gables

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

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

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

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

APRIL
Take Hold!: An Anthology of Pulitzer Prize Winning Poems compiled by Lee Bennett Hopkins
A Few Figs from Thistles by Edna St. Vincent Millay - COMPLETED 4/23/16

MAY
Ivan Doig - Work Song - COMPLETED 5/8/16

JUNE
E. Annie Proulx - The Shipping News

JULY
John Steinbeck - Of Mice and Men - COMPLETED 7/3/16

@Chatterbox's Nonfiction Reading Challenge

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

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

MARCH - Travel
Pilgrimage to the End of the World: The Road to Santiago de Compostela by Conrad Rudolph - COMPLETED 3/8/16
Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and Their Journey by Isabel Fonseca - COMPLETED 4/4/16

APRIL - Religion
Growing Up Amish by Ira Wagler - COMPLETED 4/2/16
The Bloomsbury Reader on Islam in the West
Pollution and the Death of Man by Francis A. Schaeffer - COMPLETED 4/17/16

MAY - The Arts
The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance by Paul Robert Walker - COMPLETED 6/10/16

JUNE - Natural history/Environment/Health
Two in the Bush by Gerald Durrell - COMPLETED 6/24/16
The Lively Place: Mount Auburn, America's First Garden Cemetery and Its Revolutionary and Literary Residents by Stephen Kendrick - COMPLETED 6/19/16

JULY - Current affairs
The Bloomsbury Reader on Islam in the West
The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer

My Commonwealth Challenge

The Orchid House by Phyllis Shand Allfrey (Dominica) - completed 4/24/16

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

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

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

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (1.5) - completed 4/1/16

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

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

Before I adopted Adrian, I hadn't had a dog since Elementary school. Here's my brother with our dog, Bernie. He was a friendly, well-behaved dog. He loved water, and he occasionally got loose and went for a swim in a nearby pond.

Currently reading:



Middlemarch by George Eliot
Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh
Bosnia's Million Bones by Christian Jennings
The Bloomsbury Reader on Islam in the West edited by Edward E. Curtis

Happy New thread!

>13 cbl_tn: Thanks Rachel!

56. We the People by Juan Williams
TIOLI #5 - Scrabble challenge

Journalist and political commentator Juan Williams gives readers a biographical survey of influential persons who shaped 20th-21st century public policy. He refers to these individuals as the “new founding fathers”. The individuals profiled include John F. Kennedy, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Jr., Henry Kissinger, Eleanor Roosevelt, Billy Graham, Jesse Jackson, and Charlton Heston. The issues summarized include immigration reform, civil rights, human rights, urban planning, labor unions, feminism, gay rights, the environmental movement, and the second amendment. Williams selected individuals from both ends of the political spectrum. He seems to aim for objectivity, although a liberal bias is occasionally apparent. Most of the chapters/essays are interesting individually, but I found it difficult to read more than one or two at a time without losing interest. It will be best appreciated by dipping into it a chapter at a time.

This review is based on an advance readers copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

3 stars

Happy new thread, Carrie. I love the picture of Adrian with his lamb.

Congrats on your shiny new thread, Carrie. I love the Adrian topper.

>17 Familyhistorian: >18 Ameise1: Thanks, Meg and Barbara!

Morning, Carrie! Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Carrie.

Great to see the fun continues quickly into thread #5.

The book by Juan Williams looks an interesting one.

Happy New Thread, Carrie!

Happy new thread, Carrie. Lots of good reading here.

>13 cbl_tn: Oooh, a NZ book! Would you believe that I haven't read anything of here's? And there was even an auditorium named after her at the university I attended as an under-graduate.

Happy new thread, Carrie :-) Adrian looks very attached to Little Lamb!

>20 Crazymamie: >22 kidzdoc: >23 BLBera: Thanks, Mamie, Darryl, and Beth!

>21 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! The book sounds more interesting than it turned out to be. It took much longer than I expected to finish it.

>24 LovingLit: Yes, a NZ author! Although most of the books in this series are set in the UK.i

>25 susanj67: Adrian's Little Lamb is almost as big as he is. It's funny to watch him carry it around the house.

Morning, Carrie!

>27 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

The new season of Genealogy Roadshow started this evening and one segment of tonight's show highlighted my ancestor, Penelope Stout!

Happy New Thread, Carrie!

>29 ronincats: Thanks Roni!

>28 cbl_tn: How cool! That was an interesting story--are you part of the "Penelope" blogosphere he talked about at the end of the segment? :)

Happy new thread Carrie. Love the picture of your brother with Bernie. Cute!

>28 cbl_tn: Very cool!

Morning, Carrie!

>31 kac522: No, I'm not part of the blogosphere, although I've read some of the blog posts. I don't believe that Penelope Stout was 110 years old when she died. I think she was 90. That's still old for that day and time! One other cool thing about Penelope Stout is that in a 1648 lawsuit she was associated with a Thomas and Elizabeth Applegate who are also likely ancestors in my Stout line from a marriage that occurred more than 200 years later.

>32 charl08: Thanks! Bernie was a sweet dog. I think he and Adrian would have been friends.

>33 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

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

I'm off for my evening walk on the cross-country trail. Last night I discovered a killdeer nest beside the trail. I want to see how the eggs are doing. I hope I'm in the right place at the right time to see the babies when they hatch!

Morning, Carrie! Sweet Thursday, as Mark would say. We have newly hatched baby sparrows swallows in the nest on our front entry, and they are SO cute.

I think I read (or tried to read) that Ellery Queen book (on your last thread) once and didn't like it. I'm not as big of an Ellery Queen fan as some though so I may have chalked it up to that.

>35 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Adrian and I will check on the nest later this evening. He loves chasing birds, but I don't think the birds much enjoy this.

>36 thornton37814: I've listened to a couple of his other books recently and this one was much below average.

Happy new thread, Carrie! Wishing you a great weekend!

>38 tymfos: Hi Terri! Happy weekend to you, too!

Woot woot's and Happy Friday, Carrie. Happy new thread also. Wow, interesting that your ancestor was highlighted on GR. 1648! amazing!

Morning, Carrie!

Hi Carrie! I'm a bit late to wish you a happy new thread, but

Happy New Thread!

anyway :)

>40 Carmenere: >41 Crazymamie: >42 katiekrug: Thanks Lynda, Mamie, & Katie!

I had plans to catch up on reading and threads over the weekend, but it looks like I'll be spending some time with Amazon Video at some point. I just got an email notice that Julian Fellowes's new project, Doctor Thorne, is now available for streaming for Prime members. It's an Amazon original series.

>43 cbl_tn: Thanks for that heads up, Carrie. I am definitely going to check that out. I miss Trollope! Doctor Thorne was such a good book…as was the entire Barsetshire series. I may try the Palliser books again. I think I will have to reread the first one because it's been a couple of years since I read it. Time flies!

The Doctor Thorne TV series looks good I have to say, although, I was a little confused as there seems to be a lot of the War and Peace cast involved. I hope they don't get muddled up as Tolstoy and Trollope mixed together could be utterly confusing.

Have a great weekend, Carrie.

Morning, Carrie! We will have to check out Doctor Thorne!

>44 Donna828: >45 PaulCranswick: >46 Crazymamie: Hi Donna, Paul, and Mamie! Doctor Thorne wasn't my favorite of the Barsetshire series, but I did like it. It should lend itself well to dramatization.

A Tolstoy and Trollope mashup might be interesting, and it would definitely be odd!

Hi Carrie, I hope you're enjoying the weekend and the Doctor Thorne-series. They've been on television here too, but I still have to watch them. I didn't know the series was based on Anthony Trollope's books. He's one of those writers I still need to catch up with.
I notice you're reading Middlemarch. Now that is book I started three times, but never continued although most people who have read it say it's worth its while. I'm curious to read your opinion.

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. Two threads behind.... Wow, did I miss a lot!

Congratulations on getting caught up with your reviews (and for 50 books read while still in April!) Love the pigs fly-by!

Making note of the 5-Star rating (and great review) for The House by the Lake.

I have completely failed when it comes to working on my Commonwealth Challenge this year. I took on too many challenges, what with all three author challenges and the Dewey challenge, I am starting to feel overwhelmed. I am thinking about scaling back the author challenge reading to one author from one of the three challenges each month.

How cool to have the Genealogy Roadshow highlight one of your ancestors! WOOT!

Wishing you a lovely weekend, Carrie.

>48 Trifolia: Hi Monica! Middlemarch has been slow for me, but I'm enjoying it. Some aspects remind me of Trollope. I haven't started Doctor Thorne yet. One if the cable channeks had a Murder, She Wrote marathon yesterday...

>49 lkernagh: Hi Lori! I am far behind on threads, too. I suppose spring is to blame. I have nearly stalled on my Commonwealth challenge as well. I hope to work some books into the GeoCAT whenever possible.

Carrie, Doctor Thorne was well-reviewed over here, so I hope you enjoy it. And that there are no more Murder, She Wrote marathons for a while ;-). I'm not doing very well with the threads either, but I'm currently on a bus trundling around the Isle of Dogs, so I will make the most of my time!

Morning, Carrie!

Hope you had a great weekend Carrie! Happy new week!

>52 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! >53 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! The weekend has been OK. I haven't read as much as I hoped, but I've enjoyed what I've read. I'm in the middle of Robert Goddard's Into the Blue. I'm off tomorrow for a routine medical procedure, and I hope to finish the book before I have to go back to work on Tuesday.

57. Into the Blue by Robert Goddard
TIOLI #5 - Scrabble challenge

When a psychologically vulnerable young Englishwoman disappears from the island of Rhodes, suspicion falls on the last person to see her before she went missing – British expat Harry Barnett. For the last decade, Barnett has been a caretaker for British MP Alan Dysart's Greek vacation home. Heather Mallender's sister, Clare, was working for Dysart when she was killed by an IRA bomb meant for Dysart. Heather had a breakdown following her sister's death, and Dysart offered his home to her while she recovered. Barnett had befriended Heather before her disappearance, and he is convinced that she is still alive. He hopes that, by following the trail that led her to the place where she disappeared, he can figure out where she went next. Harry's search for Heather hints at deep secrets that someone will go to any length to keep hidden – perhaps even murder.

The first ¾ of the book is a tightly plotted thriller. It unraveled a bit in the last quarter of the book. There are a few too many secrets, and the number of people involved strain credibility. Other characters are too eager to confide in Harry. Harry's retracing of Heather's path reminds me of a Nintendo game where you have to visit different locations and ask the right questions of the people you encounter there. It's like they're all waiting in the designated spot for the next player to appear on the scene. This is one of Goddard's earlier books. I'd like to try one of his more recent books to see how his pace and plotting has improved with experience.

3.5 stars

Morning, Carrie!

>56 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

Good afternoon Carrie! I thought of you yesterday as I was out walking Poppy. There was brightly dressed hippy sort of a fellow - who really stood out with his bright, fluorescent colours and he was pushing a small dog in stroller. It not infrequent that I see someone with a dog in stroller, but this fellow really stood out and though it was a warm enough day at about 68 F , he had a big fur rug for his little dog :) I thought it was so cute, but perhaps a little warm for the dog. But perhaps his dog is elderly enough to feel a chill easily.

>58 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! How is Poppy? I haven't been by your thread in a few days to check up on both of you! I don't see too many dog strollers around here, but I think it's a trend that just may catch on!

Morning, Carrie! Happy Thursday!

Thanks Mamie! I'm taking a vacation day today and hanging out at home with Adrian.

Nice! Enjoy it!

For all the Gregory Maguire fans out there, one of this week's free Sync audio downloads is Egg & Spoon.

Morning, Carrie!

Hi Mamie!

58. Overture to Death by Ngaio Marsh
TIOLI #9 - Book published during the decade of my mother's birth

Tensions among the residents of a small English village erupt the evening of a theatrical performance. Wealthy spinster Idris Campanula drops dead as she plays the opening chords of the piano prelude. Until moments before the program started, everyone thought that the other village spinster, Eleanor Prentice, would be playing the prelude. Which woman was the intended victim? And which village resident wanted her dead? The squire, who is a cousin to Miss Prentice? His son, Henry? The rector's daughter, Dinah, who, much to his family's dismay is the object of Henry's affection? The rector? The local doctor? Or new arrival Mrs. Ross, who repels the village women as much as she attracts the men? Inspector Roderick Alleyn of Scotland Yard patiently assembles details from the suspects' statements and seemingly innocuous clues to identify the murderer.

This isn't the best of Ngaio Marsh's mysteries. For one thing, it's slow to start. For another thing, one of the clues was emphasized so often that it became obvious why it was important and who it pointed to. The descriptive details and the conversations between the characters are longer than they needed to be. Marsh's writing isn't as concise as her contemporary, Agatha Christie's. Christie was a master at revealing both character and plot in a few words. My mind wandered a bit as I listened to the audio version and I still managed to correctly identify the murderer well before the end of the book.

3.5 stars

Next up in audio: Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

59. Bosnia's Million Bones by Christian Jennings
TIOLI #4 - Two letters in the author's name are next to each other in the alphabet (ST)

In the aftermath of the Yugoslav wars, and particularly the massacre at Srebrenica, the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) established a massive DNA laboratory to identify the remains of missing persons, return them to their families for burial, and provide documentation for war crimes trials. The ICMP developed new techniques and designed affordable equipment for processing the forensic evidence on a large scale. This mostly Bosnian organization soon had a global reputation for success and efficiency, and it began to field requests for assistance in identifying persons missing as the result of natural and humanitarian disasters in all parts of the world.

The subtitle “solving the world's greatest forensic puzzle” is misleading. The book is light on forensics and science. The emphasis is actually on politics and law, policies and procedures. While minor errors are to be expected in advance reading copies like the one I read, this book needed more extensive editing than it was likely to receive this late in the publication process. The book is poorly organized and repetitive. There's enough material here for an interesting article in a magazine like Smithsonian, but unfortunately the book is padded with facts and details that are only marginally related to its stated purpose.

2.5 stars

Hey Carrie! Into the Blue sounds like my cup of tea. Is it part of a series?

Hi Lynda! There seem to be three Harry Barnett books. I'm not sure if you'd call it a series or a trilogy.

I just got back from an adventure. I took Adrian to walk on the cross country trail. He wanted to run most of the first lap to catch up with another dog, so I jogged quite a bit. When I got home and unloaded my pockets, my inhaler was missing. It had fallen out while I was walking. I went back to the trail to look for it. One of my brother's best friends and his family arrived just after I did, and I told them I had lost my inhaler. My pharmacy is closed until Tuesday because of the holiday. They're normally closed on Sundays. I headed home to call a doctor to see if they would call in a new prescription to one of the local Walgreens. My phone was ringing as I walked in the door. It was my brother calling to let me know that his friend had found my inhaler. He didn't have my number, so he called my brother in Texas and had my brother call me. I met them at the end of their first lap and retrieved my inhaler. Crisis averted!

So glad your inhaler was found!

Have a great rest of the weekend!

Carrie!! I have not been on the threads as much lately, but if memory serves you had a birthday on Thursday. And I did not come and wish you happy.



Hoping it was full of happy and wonder. Happy belated Birthday, dear!

Carrie, your lost inhaler reminded me of the time I lost my car keys while on a ski vacation in Breckenridge. My story didn't have a happy ending, though. I'm sure someone found them after the snow melted! Enjoy your long weekend.

Glad your inhaler turned up!
>66 cbl_tn: It's been several years since I read that one, but I mainly remember the two older women fighting over the one available man as being a giggle. I think Marsh's Dead Water was a much more complex mystery in the series.

>71 tymfos: >73 Donna828: >74 mstrust: Thanks everyone! It reminded me of the Christmas that my father lost his insulin. He had more at home, but we were staying with friends a couple of hours away. He had to go to the ER and get a doctor there to write a prescription, then find the one pharmacy that was open on Christmas Day.

>72 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! It was a good day, even though I had to get allergy shots in the afternoon. I had ribeye steak, salad, baked sweet potato, and blueberry cobbler with ice cream. I had to wait for presents, though. Part 1 of my brother and SIL's present arrived on Friday - Love & Friendship. Now I have to decide whether to see the movie first or read the book first. I think the movie may have actually come first in this case. I have an idea that part 2 may be a video series from my Amazon WL. I might have accidentally peeked when I was editing the list the other day.

Happy belated birthday, Carrie.

I love your inhaler story. What luck - and you got a chance to talk to your brother!

I loved the Marsh mysteries. Your comments make me want to go and unearth them. I'm sure I have quite a few of them in a box somewhere.

>75 cbl_tn: - Carrie, happy belated birthday!!

Re: Love and Freindship - the movie is not based on that work of Austen's. It's based on her Lady Susan. Just FYI :)

>77 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! I wish they had chosen a different title for the movie and book. The book I received is written by Whit Stillman, who wrote and directed the film. I think the book is based on the film. I loved Lady Vernon and Her Daughter, which is also an adaptation of Lady Susan. I'm a little worried that it raised my expectations too much for this one.

Yes, the whole thing is needlessly confusing. Fun fact: Whit Stillman and I went to the same prep school :)

I am really looking forward to seeing the movie... it's gotten great reviews.

>66 cbl_tn: Idris Campanula!? What a fabulously over the top name :)
I still need to read me some Ngaio Marsh....tut tut Megan. I hope you are well!

Morning, Carrie! Happy Monday!

>79 katiekrug: Cool!

>80 LovingLit: The name sounds like one that an author would normally give to a siren character rather than a spinster! You do need to try Marsh at some point since she's a NZ author.

>81 Crazymamie: Happy Memorial Day, Mamie!

Morning, Carrie! Happy Tuesday!

Hi Carrie! Very belated happy birthday wishes and I'm relieved you managed to find your inhaler.

Have you watched the adaptation of Doctor Thorne yet? I actually didn't rate it that highly. I thought it was a poor adaptation of Trollope's novel and was too caught up in that to try to work out if it was a good TV programme on its own. A shame, because the cast was very good and it would be lovely if anyone did adapt more of Trollope's novels. But hopefully you enjoy it more than me!

I'm also very interested in the Love and Friendship movie - but why couldn't they just call it Lady Susan? Another good retelling of Lady Susan was Janet Todd's Lady Susan Plays the Game.

>83 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

>84 souloftherose: Hi Heather! I watched Doctor Thorne over the weekend. Like you, I wasn't terribly impressed. Where was Frank's beard? And no fight?

I'll have to look for that Lady Susan retelling. Thanks for the recommendation!

60. Old Filth by Jane Gardam
TIOLI #6 - Spring cleaning challenge

His colleagues at the Bar called him Filth, but not out of irony. It was because he was considered to be the source of the old joke, Failed In London Try Hong Kong. It was said that he had fled the London Bar, very young, very poor, on a sudden whim just after the War, and had done magnificently well in Hong Kong from the start. Being a modest man, they said, he had called himself a parvenu, a fraud, a carefree spirit.

Filth in fact was no great maker of jokes, was not at all modest about his work and seldom, except in great extremity, went in for whims. He was loved, however, admired, laughed at kindly and still much discussed many years after retirement.

In a sense, this book is like an extended obituary of Sir Edward Feathers, aka Old Filth. Readers learn at the beginning that he was a legend in his own time. The rest of the book tells how the legend was made. Filth's story is told in layers that alternate between past and present. By the end of the book, readers will understand Filth better than he understood himself, and may count themselves among his admirers.

Filth was what is referred to as a “Raj orphan” - British children whose parents lived and worked in one of Britain's colonies. When the children reached school age, they were sent back to Great Britain to be raised by family members or even strangers. This theme may have special appeal to readers who were third culture kids, like children of missionaries.

Filth's wife, Betty, is still somewhat of a mystery to me. Apparently her story is told in a companion novel, which I will be compelled to read at some point in the future.

4.5 stars

61. Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

This classic children's story tells how Wilbur the pig's life was saved, not once, but twice. First 8-year-old Fern Arable convinces her father not to kill the runt of the litter. She is allowed to raise the pig until he's old enough to sell. Then Wilbur goes to live on her uncle's farm. The other animals in the barn warn Wilbur that the Zuckermans are just fattening him up for their holiday table. Wilbur's friend, Charlotte, a spider, comes up with a plan to save Wilbur's life.

I listened to an audio version recorded by the author. In his very brief introduction, he says that he wrote the story for his own pleasure. An afterword recorded by George Plimpton reveals just how much effort the author made to tell the story just right, revising the draft until it worked. Some writer! There are plenty of lessons in the story about life and death, friendship and responsibility. White doesn't make the mistake that many children's authors do by drawing attention to the morals/lesson, lest children miss the point. There are timeless lessons here for children of all ages, and the lessons will grow with children.

5 stars

Next up in audio: A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson

May Recap

Best of the month: The House by the Lake by Thomas Harding; Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Worst of the month: The Siamese Twin Mystery by Ellery Queen

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

Currently reading:




The Feud that Sparked the Renaissance by Paul Robert Walker
Middlemarch by George Eliot
The Bloomsbury Reader on Islam in the West edited by Edward E. Curtis
A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson (audiobook)

Additional June reading plans:
Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog by Kitty Burns Florey
Two in the Bush by Gerald Durell
The Lively Place by Stephen Kendrick
Quiet as a Nun by Antonia Fraser
Time Remembered by Miss Read
The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
Sayonara Slam by Naomi Hirahara
The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad

Audiobooks:
The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters
Torn from Troy by Patrick Bowman

"Some writer!"
Ha! Love it.

>91 scaifea: :-) I was afraid no one would get that!

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

I signed up for the public library's summer reading program. Adults have to read or listen to 4 books between May 21 and July 15. That will not be a problem for me. I decided that I'll only count books that I've checked out of the library. I've already logged two books, and I'll have a third one finished by tomorrow. The prize is a $5 voucher for the Friends of the Library Used Book Sale at the end of this month.

Just stopping by to with you a Happy Weekend, Carrie. Looks like plenty of interesting reading going on!

>93 vancouverdeb: And 100% more dogs! I am dog sitting this weekend, and I'm outnumbered with an extra dog in the house.

Hi Carrie! I hope your doggy visitor doesn't cause you too much extra work. How funny that your brother's friends found your inhaler. Pockets with zips for you next time!

>95 susanj67: Hi Susan! I was just over on your thread!

Morning, Carrie! Happy Saturday! Which dog are you hosting this weekend - is it Stella?

>97 Crazymamie: Yes, it's Stella! And I've been providing outdoor hospitality for the miniature pinscher across the street. He haunts my yard whenever Stella is here. :-(

Oh, dear!

Love the sound of the library challenge - the kids get one here but not the adults...

>100 charl08: 4 books in about 8 weeks doesn't sound very challenging to me. I suppose it's about the same as the teen and children's challenges. They have to log 20 hours of reading. Children too young to read have to listen to 40 books to get their prize. Attending story time at the library counts for 1 hour of reading.

62. Quiet as a Nun by Antonia Fraser
TIOLI #11 - Just for U (title contains the letter "u")

Investigative journalist Jemima Shore returns to her old school in a Catholic convent at the request of the Reverend Mother. One of the nuns, an old friend of Jemima's, has just died in tragic circumstances, and there are unexplained circumstances about her death. The current students tell Jemima a story she hadn't heard during her time as a day student, about a mysterious Black Nun who appears just before or just after a death. There does indeed seem to be an unknown nun roaming the halls of the convent.

This book is more adventure than mystery. The suspense lies in how Jemima will escape danger rather than in how she will solve the mystery. It's a bit like Nancy Drew for an adult audience. (Nancy Drew would not have an affair with a married man.) It combines some of the features I loved about the Nancy Drew series – a search for a hidden document and a secret passage. It was entertaining while it lasted, but it won't leave much of an impression.

3 stars

Afternoon, Carrie!

Hi Mamie!

Lunch is coming up shortly (New York strip, green beans, blueberry kuchen & ice cream). I'd love to finish The Feud that Sparked the Renaissance. And maybe a nap and a movie to round out the day. A long walk doesn't seem to be in the cards thanks to the rainy weather. And the extra dog. I think Stella's "bubba" may be picking her up around 4.

Yum! I'll be right over.

I'll set a place for you!

*grin*

Morning, Carrie!

I have been fasting today with the commencement of Ramadan so I am glad i came to "see" your New York strip after the sun sunk over the Kuala Lumpur skyline.

>102 cbl_tn: I read that a few years ago and keep meaning to read another in the Jemima Shore series. "Nancy Drew for adults" is a good description.

Hi, Carrie! I liked the "some writer!" comment, too!

>108 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

>109 PaulCranswick: I'm glad you timed your visit well!

>110 mstrust: I might read another in the series at some point. I'll keep it in mind for "escape" reading!

>111 tymfos: Thanks Terri!

63. Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog by Kitty Burns Florey
TIOLI 7 - Something in the title makes you go "Oh, no!" (barking dog)

I've never liked writing, but in high school I discovered that I could enjoy grammar, and have fun with diagramming sentences. I haven't been asked to diagram a sentence since high school and the practice receded from my memory until I came across this book. The author reminisces about the nun who taught her to diagram sentences, provides a history of the origin and eventual decline of sentence diagramming, and comments on diagrams of sentences taken from the works of well known authors like Gertrude Stein, Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, James Fenimore Cooper, Marcel Proust, Joyce Carol Oates, John Updike, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Eudora Welty. Some of these authors would have been taught to diagram sentences during their school days. Florey considers whether sentence diagramming made them better writers or imposed boundaries that they had to escape in order to succeed. Despite her professed love for sentence diagramming, the author is doubtful about its effectiveness as a teaching method. I was disappointed to learn from the acknowledgments at the end of the book that another person had created the complex diagrams that illustrate the book.

3 stars

Morning, Carrie!

I am wondering if my library has Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog because it sounds like it would be fun to at least look through - bummer that the author didn't create the diagrams.

*back to say that I requested it!

Hi Carrie - My library also has a challenge, but it goes for the year. The challenge asks us to read books in at least 10 of 15 categories. I know people will ask about the categories, which are:
1. Read a National Book Award, Man Booker Prize or Pulitzer Prize winner
2. Read a book by or about a person of color
3. Read a book by an author from Minnesota
4. Read a book with a main character who is Muslim
5. Read a YA novel
6. Read a book by or about someone who is Native American
7. Read a book originally published the year you were born
8. Read a book about politics (fiction or nonfiction)
9. Read a nonfiction book about science
10. Read a book by or about someone who identifies as LGBTQIA
11. Read a book recommended by a library staff member
12. Listen to an audiobook
13. Read a book with a main character who has a mental illness
14. Read a graphic novel
15. Read a book you were supposed to read in high or college, but didn't

This will keep me busy for a while.

>114 Crazymamie: The diagrams are the best part of the book, and I was disappointed to find out that the author didn't do the most difficult ones!

>115 BLBera: That sounds like fun! How many have you completed so far?

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

Sorry to be MIA over the last couple of days. I discovered last night that Ancestry recently added Indiana birth and death certificates. Several generations of my mother's family are from Indiana, so I have been almost completely absorbed in looking up records and saving them to my tree.

I've done 2, 4, 5, 13. I don't know that I'll get to all of them, but we only have to complete 10.

The ancestry stuff sounds fascinating.

>113 cbl_tn: Intrigued by this. I had not heard of diagramming until a friend talked about learning grammar this way in the US.

Morning, Carrie! Happy Friday!

>117 BLBera: I can easily become completely absorbed in Ancestry when new record sets are released!

>118 charl08: I wonder if it's just a US thing? I don't remember doing any diagramming until high school.

>119 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Not so happy here today. I think I'm coming down with something, and I'm supposed to fly to Oregon tomorrow evening. I have a low grade fever, and that's after taking Tylenol. I have an appointment to see the nurse practitioner at my doctor's office later this morning. My doctor is on vacation. :-(

64. The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance by Paul Robert Walker
TIOLI #11 - Title includes the letter U

This book is a history of the the first decades of the Quattrocento in Florence. The most prominent Florentine artists during this period were Filippo Brunelleschi, who designed and built the dome of the Duomo, and Lorenzo Ghiberti, who created two of the three bronze doors for the Baptistery. Brunelleschi and Ghiberti were among the vanguard of the Renaissance art world, and their work influenced later generations of artists. Brunelleschi also shaped the landscape of Florence with his famous dome as well as other architectural projects.

The author's note and source notes provide evidence of extensive research. However, the author is not an art historian. The book is filled with speculation about the authors' motives, feelings, and interpersonal relationships. No illustrations are included, so readers who aren't already familiar with the buildings, sculptures, and paintings discussed in the book will need to look for images elsewhere. This is at best an introduction to the art world of early Renaissance Florence. The lack of illustrations limits its usefulness for this purpose.

3 stars

Oh, Carrie! Bummer! Hoping you feel much better very soon.

>122 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! I feel a little better this afternoon. The nurse practitioner prescribed an antibiotic and a prednisone pack, but I talked her out of taking the prednisone immediately. I'll have enough trouble sleeping with a 3-hour time difference between here and Oregon without adding steroid insomnia to the mix. I only have to take the prednisone if I don't get better with the antibiotic. And she wrote me a letter to carry in case the airport officials have a problem with my nebulizer, which I was hoping not to take but which I think I might need.

I am heading to Portland for a library conference. In case you're wondering, it's the same one that Lori is going to. I'm traveling with friends. We just had a nice meal at the only restaurant in the airport and we're all set for an evening of flying. I have The Lively Place in paper and an ARC of the 8th Flavia de Luce mystery on my iPad. I think I'm all set!

Wishing you safe travels, Carrie!

Thanks Mamie! I was worried that I wouldn't feel wellfor traveling this evening, but the meal helped. It was nice to eat a meal that someone else prepared!

Glad you are feeling better. I love to cook, but I agree that it is nice to eat a meal that someone else makes and cleans up.

>127 Crazymamie: Still feeling better, but the trek between gates here in Chicago tired me out a bit.

I bet.

Safe travels, Carrie. Feel better soon.

Enjoy the conference, and I hope you have a chance to visit Powell's.

>124 cbl_tn: Oooh Portland and Powells! Enjoy, Carrie.

Oh how fun - the ARC of the new Flavia de Luce! It's already on my pre- order list :-) Sorry that you are not feeling well and I hope that you are feeling better and enjoy your conference. Adrian will miss you, I am sure, but it good to know that he is in good hands. Take care!

>115 BLBera: I love those challenges. Our book club is doing one similar to that over this year.

Loving the book reviews I have read here from your last few weeks reading! You have read some interesting stuff lately.

>67 cbl_tn: It's too bad about Bosnia's Million Bones. It has such an intriguing cover and title.

>87 cbl_tn: I LOVED Charlotte's Web! It is the first novel I ever read as a child, and the first movie my nephew ever went to. :)

>129 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

>130 BLBera: Thanks Beth! Today was a little better. I had a rough time at a late afternoon meeting, but dinner perked me up. I got enough of a second wind to go on a long walk with friends this evening.

>131 ronincats: I hope so too, Roni! If I don't make it to Powell's, I spotted a bookstore/coffee shop on our walk this evening. It may have to do.

>132 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! I don't think the weather could be any better than what we had today. It was gorgeous!

>133 vancouverdeb: I don't have to worry about Adrian when I travel. I know he's in good hands! We saw lots of dogs out with their people today and it made me miss Adrian.

>134 LovingLit: Thanks Megan! It sounds like you have a fun book club!

>135 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! First novels are special, aren't they?! My first was Alice in Wonderland.

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

I added a couple of today's photos to my member gallery, but I won't try to add any to my thread until I'm back at home. I'm working on the iPad Mini this week.

Morning, Carrie!

Hi Mamie! As the day after Sunday gies, this should be pleasant. The conference starts with a meeting at 4:30 thus afternoon. My friends and I are going to the coast after breakfast. :-)

Happy Thingaversary, Carrie!

Thanks Mamie! I'm hoping to buy at least some of my Thingaversary books at Piwell's tomorrow night.

I hope you're feeling a bit better, Carrie, and Happy Thingaversay! What was the coast like?

Be sure to report back! So fun to get your Thingaversary books while on a trip! Hoping today is full of fabulous, Carrie and that you are feeling better!

Happy Thingaversary, Carrie.

>141 susanj67: Hi Susan! I felt lots better yesterday. I must have had an infection of some sort or the antibiotic wouldn't have helped. I don't think I'll need the prednisone. :-)

I uploaded a couple of yesterday's photos to my member gallery.

>142 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! I have a list of books I want to look for, and I hope Powell's will have most of them.

>143 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

Lori and I went to Powell's this evening, and I made most of my Thingaversary purchases. They're being shipped home for me. I can look forward to a package containing:

Shakespeare Basics for Grown-Ups
Common People: The History of an English Family by Alison Light
S. by Doug Dorst and J. J. Abrams
Now by Morris Gleitzman
Anything but Civil by Anna Loan-Wilsey
On the Map by Simon Garfield
The Shih Tzu by Deborah Wood

I still need to buy two more books for my 8 years plus one. I received an Amazon.gift card for presenting so it should cover the last two books.

Carrie, what a lovely lot of books! And how nice to be able to look at them *and* get them shipped home. I'm glad you're feeling better. Maybe the sea air helped :-)

Nice haul, Carrie! And I agree with Susan - you got the best of both worlds. Can't wait to see what you choose from Amazon. Happy Wednesday, dear!

Morning, Carrie!

>146 susanj67: Hi Susan! It seemed a little strange to leave my books with the checkout clerk and give him lots of money for the privilege of looking at them for a few minutes. I'm not used to leaving purchases in the store unless it's appliances or furniture!

>147 Crazymamie: >148 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Happy Thursday! (Although it feels like Friday.) This morning Lori took me to buy Dove chocolates to hand out to volunteers at an afternoon meeting. I think the messages on the wrappers will add some fun to the meeting!

Morning, Carrie! Friday!! Hooray for the Dove chocolates -good thinking!

Safe travels home, Carrie. Nice book haul.

Great book haul! Going to Powell's is high on my list of things I need to do.

>150 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! I had chocolate left over. How sad. Now I'll have to eat it myself.

>151 BLBera: Thanks, Beth!

>152 mstrust: Powell's is amazing! Not to be missed if you're in the Portland area.

Great haul, Carrie! Happy Thingaversary! Hmm i did I spell that correctly?

>154 vancouverdeb: Thanks! Looks good to me!

Obviously I wasn't at that meeting. Dove chocolates--YUM!!

ETA Oh? Happy Thingaversary!

>156 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! I still have Dove chocolates to spare!

Leftover chocolates?! *sputters* What?!

Morning, Carrie - Happy Saturday!

>158 Crazymamie: I know! More for me, right?!

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

I have been home since about noon. I didn't sleep much on the plane. I took about a 2-hour nap and was afraid to sleep any longer than that in case I don't sleep tonight. But I keep dozing off every time I sit down. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries (or is it Mysteries & Movies?) is having a Murder, She Wrote marathon today, and it's the perfect thing for today. Adrian has been cuddly this afternoon. He's curled up on my lap right now. :-)

I only finished one book on the trip - Thrice The Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd, an ARC of the next Flavia de Luce mystery. I made good progress on The Lively Place and I hope to finish it this weekend. I'm not sure I'll get any reading done this evening since I keep nodding off, but there's always tomorrow afternoon.

I still have two more Thingaversary books to purchase. Maybe later this weekend!

>145 cbl_tn: Isn't the world full of books, Carrie?

I haven't got a single one of your additions but I am sure that I will eventually!

Have a lovely Sunday.

Oh dear, I'm so far behind. Happy Sunday, Carrie. I finished Old Filth yesterday evening. I loved it, too.

>160 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! I'll be heading to a church picnic later this afternoon. When I arrived home yesterday, I found a bag of cucumbers and yellow squash from my neighbors' garden. I made a cucumber salad to take to the picnic since I had more cucumbers than I could eat on my own. I'm baking brownies now. I finished an audiobook while I worked in the kitchen - A Serpent's Tooth, book #9 in the Walt Longmire series.

>161 Ameise1: Hi Barbara! Do you plan to continue with The Man in the Wooden Hat? I'm terribly behind as well, so don't feel bad! I'll try to get over to your thread later today.

Poppy wished Adrian a wonderful day! We are off for a nice long walk shortly. Have a wonderful time at your church picnic!

>163 vancouverdeb: I think Adrian had a wonderful day! We enjoyed the picnic. Stella was there and Adrian hung out with her.

I am now three reviews behind:
Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradly
A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson
The Lively Place: Mount Auburn, America's First Garden Cemetery and Its Revolutionary and Literary Residents by Stephen Kendrick

Oooh! Murder, She Wrote. I remember that show. With Angela Lansbury! She's awesome. I loved her in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. hehe That was my favorite movie when I was a kid.

>166 The_Hibernator: I don't think I've ever seen Bedknobs and Broomsticks! I used to have the book, but I'm not sure that I ever read it, either!

Morning, Carrie!

>162 cbl_tn: Carrie, I think I'll read it some day. My library has got a copy of it.

>168 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

>169 Ameise1: My library has a copy as well. One of these days I'll get to it!

65. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley
TIOLI #13 - Book I have a specific reason to read (NetGalley ARC)

After several months away from Buckshaw and Bishop's Lacey, Flavia arrives home to find her father in the hospital with pneumonia. Flavia keeps missing visiting hours at the hospital, and she soon finds a new mystery to distract her. The vicar's wife, Cynthia, sends Flavia on an errand to a wood carver's home. When the carver fails to answer the door, Flavia opens his unlocked door and searches for him. She finds him hanging upside down on the back of his bedroom door. The race is on as Flavia does her best to beat Inspector Hewitt to the solution to this unusual death.

I had hoped that returning Flavia to her home and the village surroundings would get this series back on its original solid footing. Sadly, that didn't happen. The mystery isn't much of a mystery, and it's unsatisfying. The secondary characters are mostly underutilized, and their plot lines remain stagnant. Flavia herself remarks on the fact that not all of the questions she raised in her investigation had been answered. However, Flavia's view of life through the lens of chemistry is still entertaining, and I expect I'll keep reading this series as long as Bradley keeps writing it.

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

3 stars

66. A Serpent's Tooth by Craig Johnson
TIOLI #7 - Title contains something that make's me go "Oh, no!" (serpent)

At the beginning of this book, I thought I might be listening to the Elves and the Shoemaker. Walt Longmire thinks something is fishy when he overhears a woman talking about the angels who complete tasks she leaves for them on a list. When Walt and his deputy, Vic Moretti, check out the woman's home, they discover that the angel is really a teenage boy, a runaway from a polygamous Mormon sect. The boy is looking for his missing mother, and the details he shares with Walt and his officers cause them to worry about her well-being. Their search for the missing woman brings them into conflict with the sect and its leader, who are doing some mysterious drilling around the clock.

I liked but didn't love this series entry. There was too much violence and there were too many weapons in this one. Yes, Walt is a big man, but there are lots of big men in this world. Walt's wit is one of his most endearing traits, and I enjoy the books much better when he's outwitting the bad guys rather than out-shooting them. And I really don't like where his relationship with Vic seems to be heading. Walt's daughter, Cady, is married to Vic's brother, so Vic is her sister-in-law. Cady's unborn child will be Walt's grandchild and Vic's niece or nephew. If Walt marries Vic, his son-in-law will become his brother-in-law, his daughter will become his sister-in-law, Vic's sister-in-law will become her step-daughter, and Walt will be uncle to his own grandchild. Next thing you know, he'll be his own grandpa!

4 stars

I almost forgot to post some photos from my Oregon trip. Here's a picture of one of several falls along Route 30:



I didn't get a good photo of Multnomah Falls. We were there right at noon, it was sunny, and the sun was perched practically on top of the falls. Not a good photo op. :-(

Here's the Yaquina Head lighthouse:



And here's my favorite photo, taken from the lighthouse:

So looking forward to Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd . I am sorry to hear that the story did not pan out as well as hoped. Like you, I'll keep reading the series as long as Alan Bradley can put them out. He is in his early 80's, if I am not mistaken? I hope for more Flavia de Luce and it is with some concern that I hear her father is in hosptial with pneumonia. Dave and I did a great tour of Route 30 back in the 2004. Definitely a lovely place to visit. ( and maybe live? ) A bit isolated for my tastes , as far as living goes.

Morning, Carrie! I picked up the Sister Bernadette book at the library yesterday.

It's too bad the Flavia book didn't work for you. It's such a great title!

>174 vancouverdeb: I'm always concerned when anything is wrong with anyone Flavia loves. She has a history of sadness, doesn't she?

>175 DianaNL: Thanks Diana!

>176 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! I'll be watching for your comments on Sister Bernadette!

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

I used my Amazon gift card to make my final two Thingaversary purchases:

Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark
Crossroads of Empire: The Middle Colonies in British North America by Ned C. Landsman

I love the pictures of the sea and the lighthouse. Thanks for sharing these.

Just a social call, lured here by mention on another thread of lighthouse photos. I've never seen an actual west coast lighthouse. Just Outer Banks, Jersey Shore, coast o' Maine lighthouses.

Hi, Carrie! I love the photos from your trip. I'm another who hasn't yet been to a West Coast lighthouse, though I've seen a lot of them on the East Coast.

>179 charl08: Thanks!

>180 weird_O: Thanks for dropping in! I'm still trying to get around to all the threads. It seems like a losing battle. :-(

>181 tymfos: I've been to one other West Coast lighthouse, at Point Loma in San Diego. You can barely see it on the top of the hill in the photo below. It's not a typical lighthouse. It looks more like a small church with a light instead of a steeple.



There's a better picture with the Wikipedia article.

>173 cbl_tn: great shot taken from the lighthouse! A agree, it's my favourite too. Lighthouses are just so special, such magical places.

>183 LovingLit: Thanks! Do you have lots of lighthouses in NZ? I would think that you would, but I haven't been there to see for myself!

Hey Carrie! We've really got to get ourselves to the northwest! It looks so awesome! Thanks for sharing the pics.

Morning, Carrie!

>185 Carmenere: I loved the northwest, and I will gladly go back whenever an opportunity presents itself!

>186 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

It's too hot for me to feel like doing much for supper this evening. I have some yellow squash that needs to be used, so I may just eat fried squash. If I can talk myself into the effort.

On the reading front, I enjoyed the New Zealand portion of Gerald Durrell's Two in the Bush and I'd like to visit Australia with him this evening.

Carrie, your trip to Portland sounded great. Good haul at Powell's, a place that is on my bucket list. I've only been to Portland once and we couldn't find the time to go. Or maybe I should say "he" instead of we! The Rose Garden was lovely, though… Isn't the Oregon coast beautiful. I love the big rocks and finding driftwood on the beaches. Also the sea lions. I think I'd better put my bid in for a return trip!

It's hot here, too. We are currently having a thunderstorm. I hope it breaks the heat tomorrow. I have a feeling that I will be a sweaty mess after my morning walk tomorrow, but at least I won't have to water plants!

>188 Donna828: Hi Donna! My Powell's package arrived today. I enjoyed opening the box almost as much as I enjoyed shopping for them last week!

It's still hot here. Last night I waited until nearly sunset to walk my ~2 miles around the cross-country trail. When I drove home at almost 9 p.m., the car thermometer said it was 88 degrees. Way too hot for this early in the summer!

I went to the Friends of the Library book sale this afternoon and came away with 5 books for $5. Here's my haul:



Death and the Family Tree by Linda Berry
The Novels of Anthony Trollope by James R. Kincaid
Julia's Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child
Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks by John Curran
Vermeer's Hat: The Seventeenth Century and the Dawn of the Global World by Timothy Brook

I remembered that Vermeer's Hat had been on my wishlist for a long time. I couldn't remember if I'd already bought a copy. I decided at that price that I'd rather risk duplicating it than pass it up. I found out when I got home that I already own a copy, so this one will go into the library collection at work.

An interesting bit of trivia: If you've seen the movie October Sky, the science fair was filmed in the Jacobs Building where this year's book sale is located.

Another bit of October Sky movie trivia: The Ennesse Theatre sign, supposedly in Indianapolis, is actually the Tennessee Theatre sign from downtown Knoxville. You can see a photo from the film on the Theatre's web site: http://www.tennesseetheatre.com/discover/blog/brighter-and-better/

Now serving blueberry crisp & vanilla ice cream. Still warm from the oven. Seriously. Bring your own book. Or you can borrow one of mine. :-)

YUM! I hope there is still some left since I didn't make it over last night. Morning, Carrie!

That looks amazing, but I've just had a coconut lime slice, so...

>194 Crazymamie: So just s smallish bowl for Charlotte.

>192 Crazymamie: Plenty left! It's cooled off, but I can heat it up in the microwave. There's still plenty of ice cream, too!

>193 charl08: >194 Crazymamie: Smallish bowl it is! I've found that blueberries pair well with just about anything.

Yum, Carrie. For a taste of that, I'll bring YOU a book. :)

Looks delicious! I'll have some, please.
I also cooked with blueberries a few days ago. I had one two pints of them, so made a simple blueberry compote.

>197 mstrust: Still plenty to go around! Blueberry compote sounds good. This is when blueberries are cheapest in our stores. Last summer I bought extra and froze them in measured quantities that were just right for blueberry muffins. I may do that again in the next week while they're still plentiful.

Last night my neighbors brought me a bag of cucumbers and yellow squash from their garden. I made a cucumber sour cream salad this afternoon. I need to decide what to make with the squash. Maybe a casserole.

>198 cbl_tn: I'm jumping the gun here (no sign of cucumbers growing in the cucumber plants yet) but what's in a cucumber sour salad?

Frozen blueberries for future muffins sounds wonderful.

>199 charl08: It's pretty simple. Sliced cucumbers mixed with sour cream. There are a few other ingredients - a little sugar, a little salt, some white vinegar or lemon juice, and onion. I substituted onion powder. I can't eat onion, but onion powder works and provides the onion flavor.

If you can't get sour cream, you could probably substitute creme fraiche or plain yogurt.

Sounds good, thanks. I'll cross my fingers for my cucumbers now...

Morning, Carrie!

I do a Japanese cucumber salad. Peel off the majority of the skin, slice really thin and mix with white vinegar, a little salt and refrigerate until chilled, then top with roasted sesame seeds. I've been making this one for so many years that I've forgotten where I first saw it.

>203 mstrust: That sounds good, too! If my neighbors continue to share their garden produce with me, I'll be looking for different ways to prepare vegetables.

67. The Lively Place: Mount Auburn, America's first garden cemetery, and its revolutionary and literary residents by Stephen Kendrick

While visitors to Cambridge, Massachusetts’s Mount Auburn Cemetery appear to be the primary target for this book, it will have a much broader appeal. I have never visited and may never visit this cemetery, yet I gathered a lot of useful knowledge from this reflection on the cemetery’s history and its influence on national thought about death and burial customs. The book is part history, with information about the formation of the cemetery, its dedication, its early historians, its notable (deceased) residents, and its connection to the transcendentalist movement. It is part environmental study, with information about the cemetery’s flora and fauna, its relationship to the movement to create public parks and public spaces, the ongoing efforts to restore parts of the original landscape, and the newly available “green” burial options. This book will appeal to many readers with an interest in American history (especially intellectual and literary history) and genealogists and family historians with an interest in American cemeteries and burial customs. It will also appeal to many readers with an interest in environmental conservation or bird watching. Warmly recommended.

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

4 stars

My heart has been heavy for the last couple of days because of the news that former Lady Vols Pat Summitt is likely in her last days. Coach Summitt is a remarkable person. She was always very generous with her time, and she inspired those around her to be their best and do their best. This news is affecting me because it's connected with some painful experiences in my own life. Coach Summitt announced that she had early onset Alzheimer's while my father was hospitalized in his final illness. I was spending most of my time in one of our local hospitals, and it was being discussed everywhere in the hospital. Also, Coach Summitt is the same age now as my mother was when she died of cancer.

68. Two in the Bush by Gerald Durrell
TIOLI #11 - Title contains a "U"

In the mid-1960s, Gerald Durrell, his wife, and two BBC cameramen (one was also a producer) traveled through New Zealand, Australia, and what was then Malaya to film a television documentary. This book is an account of their travels. The documentary's focus was the conservation of endangered species in each of these countries. Most of the conservation programs were just getting started.

I didn't Google every species, but I did Google several of them. Most of the projects I checked seem to have been successful except for the leathery turtle in Malaysia, which seems to be nearly extinct there now, although it may still be found in other parts of the world.

New Zealand's royal albatross is one success story. It was first spotted at Taiaroa Head in Dunedin in 1914. The first royal albatross egg was found there in 1919. The first chick hatched there in 1938. When Durrell's party was there in the mid-1960s, a sanctuary had been established, but it was going to be years before the albatross population reached a stage to allow public access. Thanks to Google, I discovered the Royal Albatross Centre in Dunedin. The website history says that an albatross observatory opened in 1983, nearly 20 years after Durrell's visit, and Princess Anne opened the Royal Albatross Centre in 1989.

The last chapter of the book is an appeal for readers to donate to Durrell's Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. It exists today as the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, with the Princess Royal as a patron.

4 stars

69. The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer
TIOLI #4 - All title words share a common letter (E)

News of the Earl of Rule's intention to propose to the eldest Winwood daughter comes just in time to save the family from financial ruin. However, the eldest Miss Winwood is in love with her childhood sweetheart, a military man who had the misfortune to be born a younger son. Seventeen-year-old Horatia Winwood, affectionately known as “Horry”, rightly deduces that the Earl of Rule wants to marry her sister, not for love, but to produce an heir. Horry offers herself as a bride in her sister's place, and the Earl accepts her offer. It's a marriage of convenience, but the Earl and his bride soon begin to develop genuine feelings for each other. They try to hide their feelings because, after all, this is a marriage of convenience. This inevitably leads to misunderstandings.

Horry proves to be a spendthrift after her marriage, with the family propensity for gambling. She's also a social hit, and she soon catches the eye of Lord Lethbridge, the Earl of Rule's bitter rival. Lord Lethbridge would like nothing better than to separate the newlyweds, and he finds willing assistants in the Earl's mistress and his cousin and heir. While the plot is predictable, there are some very funny scenes as Horry's friends try to help her out of one scrape after another without the Earl's knowledge. It felt like Pride and Prejudice meets The Scarlet Pimpernel, since the Earl reminded me very much of the Scarlet Pimpernel, while Horry seemed more than a little like Kitty Bennet.

3.5 stars

70. The Black Thumb by Frankie Bow
TIOLI #11 - Title contains the letter U

Dr. Molly Barda, a professor at Hawaii's Mahina State University, once again finds herself mixed up in a sudden death. An old grad school classmate, recently landed a job at the university, and she's staying with Molly until she can find a place of her own. She accompanies Molly to a local garden club meeting at a historic house. Molly has ulterior motives for attending the meeting, since Molly wants to buy the house. Molly's friend dies in a tragic accident during the meeting, but very soon Molly is charged with her friend's murder. She is forced to investigate her friend's death in order to clear herself of suspicion.

I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as the other book I've read in this series. It is set in the summer when Molly isn't teaching, so the university and its politics don't have as prominent a place in this book. Molly didn't spend as much time with her friends Emma and Pat in this one, and when they were together, their relationship seemed strained. The mystery plot is unsatisfactory. Molly proves to be one of the TSTL* cozy heroines. Technically, she doesn't even solve the mystery. The murderer reveals herself to Molly when Molly gets too close to the truth. And if that wasn't enough, the murderer gets away without being caught by the police.

I read cozy mysteries as brain candy, and the most important ingredients for me are the setting and the characters. The unusual setting away from the tourist areas of Hawaii and Molly herself will lure me back to this series.

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

*Too Stupid to Live

>202 Crazymamie: Oops! Missed you up there. Sorry! My excuse is that it's the day after Sunday. I hope yours was better than mine!

I am so far behind on threads I will never catch up. Your ancestor was on Genealogy Roadshow? - how cool is that! I watched really closely when they went to Rhode Island as I have connections there but none of my ancestors got a mention.

>113 cbl_tn: Hmm, maybe there is some kind of correlation here, I hate diagramming sentences and I am a writer. So maybe those that write prefer not to parse?

Looks like a good book haul at Powell's. Good that you got better at the end of your stay in Portland.

>208 cbl_tn: I find that most Heyer's give me a lift. Hmm, maybe it's time to get one of the shelf for a read.

I believe you are all caught up with your reviews again, Carrie. Nicely done!

>206 cbl_tn: I was deeply saddened to hear about Pat Summitt's passing. What a difference she made to so many lives on and off the court.

>212 Crazymamie: Yes, pigs are flying here again!

Peyton Manning is one of many who have released condolence statements about Pat Summitt's death. You can see his full statement here: http://www.local8now.com/content/news/reactions-to-the-passing-of-Pat-Summitt-38...

Another good article here: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/peyton-manning-on-pat-summitt-she-was-kind-of-...

I remember when a close family friend was seriously injured in a car accident 20 years ago. I visited her in the hospital and noticed among the cards displayed in her room a child's hand-made card. It was from then 6-year-old Tyler Summitt. The friend's daughter is one of my long-time coworkers, and I brought it up with her this morning at work. She says the family still has the card, and that Pat had also signed it. This happened near the beginning of basketball season in a year when the Lady Vols went on to win the national championship. Pat Summitt wasn't too busy to take time to encourage a friend and neighbor and her family during their personal crisis. There are many, many similar stories, and the ones we hear about will only be a drop in the bucket.

I was sorry to hear about the death of Pat Summit. I was just reading about how she tried to make sure her athletes graduated/did well. They were required to sit in the first two rows of a classroom and to show up. She or her coaches would follow up to make sure that they were meeting the grade, academically.

I know there are a few books out there on her. Maybe even an autobiography. I definitely need to read at least one of them.

Nice reviews, Carrie. I think I'll pass on The Black Thumb - a heroine TSTL (love it!) would annoy me. The Heyer sounds familiar, so I think it may be one I read years ago. It sounds fun, though. The Durrell sounds fascinating.

Too bad about Pat Summit - your stories are great.

>214 lindapanzo: All of the players who completed their eligibility under Pat Summitt earned a degree. 100%. If a player missed class without notifying the coaches ahead of time, she didn't play. It didn't matter if she averaged 5 minutes of playing time or if she was an All-American. I remember Candace Parker having to sit out a game or two. Everybody else was expected to step up.

Journalist Maria Cornelius has covered the Lady Vols for about 20 years, and she has a book coming out in October about Pat's last year of coaching following her diagnosis. I believe the title of the book is The Final Season.

>215 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! TSTL usually annoys me, but I'm tolerating it in this series. I snagged the next book in the series from the June Early Reviewers batch so I'll be reading another one soon.

I just read a wonderful letter that she wrote to one of her players before that woman's first game in 1982.

Winning isn't important, wanting to win is important. A message about sports but also about life. It's published in the Washington Post.

>217 lindapanzo: I found the article, and I noticed that the recipient of the letter left a nice comment as well.

The flags in Knoxville are at half staff today, and the governor has ordered that flags over state buildings stay at half staff through Thursday evening.

They're having a Celebration of Life service at Thompson-Boling Arena on the 14th. I'm thinking about going, but I'm afraid it might be hard to get in. I don't know how early I'd have to go to find a place to park and a seat in the arena.

One of the local news anchors just shared a story about Pat from her time on the UT women's swim team. At the beginning of the year, a couple of swimmers were late for curfew, and somehow Pat got a call because it was thought they might be basketball players. She was waiting for the swim team at their 5 a.m. practice and had words with them about doing things the Tennessee way. It didn't matter that they were swimmers and not basketball players. They were Tennessee athletes and she was a Tennessee coach.

71. Messenger by Craig Johnson
TIOLI #6: Author shares an initial with my father (J)

This short story bridges the time between As the Crow Flies and A Serpent's Tooth. Walt, Henry, and Vic have taken advantage of an Indian summer day to go fishing in the Bighorn Mountains. A scanner is the only concession to the fact that Walt rarely gets a true day off from his job as sheriff of Absaroka County. When they hear a distress call from a ranger, they head to the rescue and find the ranger and a visitor trapped on top of a porta potty by a family of bears. It's the woman's story of what's inside the porta potty that has them investigating, though.

This story advances the arc of Walt's relationship with his daughter and unborn granddaughter, but it's a rare miss for me. Native American shamanism is at the heart of the story, and, like Vic, I'm a skeptic. Series completists will want to read this one to find out how Walt's unborn granddaughter gets her name.

3 stars

>184 cbl_tn: we have a lot of coast line, so I'm guessing we have lots of lighthouses....I will google and check for you!

Eta: only 23 'manned', but check out this cool site!
http://www.backpackerguide.nz/10-loneliest-lighthouses-new-zealand/

>219 cbl_tn: the mark of a good person!

>221 LovingLit: The photos on the lighthouse sight are stunning! Thanks for sharing it!

Stories about Pat Summitt are still pouring out. My favorite is about the time she took over the men's basketball practice, shared by one of the former players on the men's team. Pat took practice as seriously as game day, and she didn't like the way the players were behaving during practice. She jumped out of her seat and ordered them to start running sprints. They all looked at their coach to see if he expected them to do it, and he sat down and let Pat run the rest of the practice. The player said that he remembers throwing up twice during that practice.

Bruce Pearl was the coach, and I wouldn't be surprised if he and Pat had planned it ahead of time. It's still a great story, though!

Morning, Carrie! I am loving all of the Pat Summitt stories.

>223 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! There are so many stories popping up everywhere that I can't keep up with all of them. I think it's comforting for her former players and friends to share their special memories of her.

72. Time Remembered by Miss Read
TIOLI #4 - All title words share the same letter (m, e)

In the second part of her autobiography, Miss Read fondly recalls the three years she spent in a village school. Miss Read was seven years old when her family moved from South London to a small village in Kent. It wasn't far in distance, but it was a vastly different experience for a child who up until then had only known the noise of London and a large school with large classes. Miss Read must have been an introvert. She hated London, and she was intimidated by the large school experience. The small school and village life suited her perfectly. The long walk to and from school, shared with a handful of friends, gave her an opportunity to observe the plants and wildlife that graced the neighborhood. At just about 100 pages with plentiful illustrations, this book is a quick read. It's perfect for reading on a rainy day or while rocking on the porch on a lazy summer day.

4 stars

Time Remembered by Miss Read. I'll have to ask my mom if she has read that. I know she is a big fan of the series, but I wonder if she has read the autobiography. Poppy says Happy Long Weekend to Adrian. Poppy is just back from her couple of hours with the dog walker and Poppy's dog walking friends, Nacho, Goop, and I forget the names of what makes up the six dogs. Poppy is all sandy , so I suppose she had lots of fun :) This is her once a week day with Isabel, our dogwalker. Poppy feels it always a most excellent day .

>226 vancouverdeb: It's apparently the second volume of her autobiography. If your mom likes her fiction, she would probably like this one.

Adrian says hi to Poppy. He wants to know if he can be in Poppy's dog walking group. I explained to him just how far BC is from here. It would be an awfully long walk for him to join them.

Morning, Carrie! Happy Friday!

>228 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! I believe we're getting one of those 48-hour Sundays this weekend!! :-)

73. The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad
TIOLI #4 - All title words share a letter (e,t)

At the turn of the 20th century, Adolf Verloc is a London shopkeeper. He has a wife (Winnie), a mother-in-law, and a brother-in-law (Stevie) with some sort of mental disability. Verloc is also a secret agent for a foreign government. He isn't called on to do much – just pass on the occasional bit of information and make contact with new arrivals who come as customers to his shop. This changes when he is called to the Embassy and ordered to execute a bombing attack on Greenwich. The bombing goes wrong, and everything falls apart for Verloc.

The plot sounds like it should be an exciting book. It isn't. Most of the book is filled with the thoughts of various characters – Verloc, his fellow anarchists, various police officials, Verloc's wife and her family. Their thoughts are occasionally interrupted by the comments or actions of other characters. This book was surprisingly difficult to follow in audio, even with a talented reader that I would otherwise enjoy listening to. I don't think I would like it any better in print. Hitchcock made a film version of the book, and I think I might like it better.

3 stars

Next up in audio: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This was a so-so reading month for me. No real standouts in either direction. This month's best and worst are only slightly better or worse than the rest.

Best of the month: The Lively Place by Stephen Kendrick
Worst of the month: The Feud That Sparked the Renaissance by Paul Robert Walker

Physical books owned: 5
Physical books borrowed: 2
Ebooks borrowed: 2
Ebooks owned: 1
Audiobooks borrowed: 2
ARCs: 2

As usual, I have an ambitious reading plan for July. I'd like to finish these in-progress books:

Middlemarch by George Eliot
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
The Bloomsbury Reader on Islam in the West edited by Edward E. Curtis

I also hope to read:
Sayonara Slam by Naomi Hirahara
Tokyo Girl by Brian Harvey
DNA USA by Bryan Sykes
A House for Mr. Biswas by V. S. Naipaul
Dark Water: Flood and Redemption in the City of Masterpieces by Robert Clark
Tresspassers in Time by Anne Patterson Rodda
Favours by Bernice Rubens
The Invasive Species by Frankie Bow
The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer

And I plan to listen to:
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery

It's been a busy Sunday. I invited a friend to lunch after church today. I baked a nice piece of salmon, cooked some brown rice, and sauteed zucchini and yellow squash in olive oil. I picked up some nice looking rhubarb at the grocery store and I made rhubarb crisp for dessert. I love rhubarb, but I had forgotten how much work it is to peel and slice. One benefit to spending so much time in the kitchen cooking and cleaning up is that I finished listening to Of Mice and Men.

74. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
TIOLI #5 - Has the word "ice" in the title

I had a rocky start with Steinbeck, so I picked up this book with trepidation. I felt a bit like Mikey from the old Life cereal commercials – I'll try it, but I'm not gonna like it. Just like Mikey, I did like it. I discovered that listening to Gary Sinise read makes Steinbeck a lot more palatable for me. Being an avid viewer of Bugs Bunny cartoons in my youth also helped with this one. Thanks to The Abominable Snow Rabbit, I had a pretty good idea where this one was heading. The abundance cultural references to this novel make it a must-read for students of American literature. I should read a print edition at least once so that I can pause to ponder specific passages, and refer back to earlier passages to examine connections to later ones.

4 stars

Next up in audio: The Hermit of Eyton Forest by Ellis Peters

Hi Carrie

I'm starting anew on all threads. I stop by to thank you for your kind words posted on my thread. Recovery is coming along bit by bit. I had a few days of set backs, but overall, I am heading in the right direction.

Good for you, one more book and you reached the 75 goal!

>235 Whisper1: Thank you Linda! It's so nice to see you with enough energy and focus to visit threads again. It seems like you've reached this point more quickly this time. I think that's a good sign!

#75 is coming right up!

75. Sayonara Slam by Naomi Hirahara
TIOLI #22 - Book includes an eating description (eating soup with a spoon)

The latest book in the series of mysteries starring Japanese gardener Mas Arai is set during the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Japan and South Korea are playing at Dodger Stadium. Mas is particularly interested in the work of the grounds crew, of which his son-in-law, Lloyd, is a member. Mas is present at a practice session where he witnesses the death of one of the Japanese journalists. Mas intends to stay out of the way and let the police handle the murder investigation. Before he knows it, though, he agrees to work as the driver and translator for another Japanese journalist who wants answers about his colleague's death.

I have enjoyed the three books I've read in this unusual mystery series. Although the books are set in the 21st century, history has a central role in this series. Mas is nisei, born in the U.S., but his family returned to Hiroshima before World War II, and Mas is a survivor of the atomic bomb. The treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II is woven into this story, as well as Japan's treatment of comfort women during the war. At the same time, the Dodger Stadium setting during the World Baseball Classic anchors the mystery firmly in the recent past.

The cultural and historical elements overshadow the mystery plot at some points, and I occasionally found it hard to follow. I had a hard time distinguishing among some of the secondary characters, and I had to flip back to earlier passages to sort out who was who. The author uses lots of Japanese terms but doesn't always provide a translation for them. Sometimes I could figure out the meaning from the context, but sometimes it remained a puzzle. A glossary would have been helpful. However, the payoff is worth the additional reading effort.

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

3.5 stars

Hi, Carrie! I've been lurking too much and not posting here at all lately - apologies. But the idea of grilled salmon has me de-lurking to clean the drool off your thread! YUM.
Happy 4th, friend!

Hi Amber! I have just a little salmon left. I'll save it to eat with salad for tomorrow's lunch. I have a nice ribeye steak to broil and eat with fresh green beans today. And there's leftover rhubarb crisp and ice cream.

Leftover salmon? Steak? RHUBARB CRISP?!

...

I'll be right over...

>240 scaifea: Adrian would love it if you bring Charlie, Mario, and Tuppence, too.

You know, "And Tuppence, Too" sounds like a great book title. Have you thought about writing one? ;-)

>241 cbl_tn: Ha! That would be a great sequel to a Charlie and Mario book...

You are making me hungry with all this talk of salmon, steak, rhubarb crisp, and ice cream.

>242 scaifea: Can I reserve the first copy?!

>243 thornton37814: You could be here by lunchtime, you know!

>244 cbl_tn: Carrie: Ha! You bet!

>244 cbl_tn: It would be pushing it now to arrive by lunch-time. I had kitten distractions -- both real life and literary!

>246 thornton37814: I decided to have the big meal for supper today, so there's still time! I've just been eating light things like fruit, veggies, cheese & crackers for lunch.

76. Tokyo Girl by Brian Harvey

After his unwelcome adventure of Beethoven's Tenth, piano tuner/jazz pianist decided to get as far away from Nanaimo as possible. He has ended up in Tokyo shortly after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Frank found a small apartment to sublet, and he gets by teaching piano lessons. One of his students turns out to be the mistress of a mob boss, and this connection eventually leads to trouble for Frank.

This short novel is Harvey's second for the publisher's Rapid Reads series of high interest, low reading level books for adult readers, including ESL students. Harvey writes well, and he weaves in interesting facts from his “day job” as a marine biologist. Both the time setting shortly after the tsunami that caused the nuclear disaster and a scene set in Tokyo's Tsukiji seafood market allow the author to write what he knows. My main disappointment stems from the fact that this book isn't much of a mystery, despite its billing as a “Frank Ryan mystery”. Its more of an adventure. It is indeed a rapid read that will likely be enjoyed by readers who find the setting appealing and who are comfortable with a level of sexual content just short of graphic and explicit. (It would probably earn a PG-13 rating if it were a movie.)

This review is based on an advanced reading copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.

3 stars

>249 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

Wow! This thread moves fast!
Happy 4th, Carrie! Have a blast!!

Hi Lynda! I've enjoyed hanging out at home with Adrian today! I hope you enjoy the rest of the day. Are you going to see fireworks?

I am listening to the Knoxville Symphony's 4th of July celebration downtown in Knoxville. They are doing a tribute to Pat Summitt right now. "Amazing Grace" is being sung (and played) right now. The new conductor is so young! He came from Kansas City. I really want to see the Boston Pops but right now they are in the singing part of the show instead of the orchestral part so I'm okay with skipping it. I wanted to see the tribute to Pat!

ETA - Rocky Top!

>253 thornton37814: Oh, I missed it! My uncle called and I was talking to him.

I can hear fireworks now. They're pretty loud, but they're not bothering Adrian. He's asleep on the sofa.

>234 cbl_tn: She liked it! She liked it! Hey, Carrie! And congrats on reaching 75!! WahHOO for you!

>255 Crazymamie: :-) Thanks, Mamie!

Hi Carrie - Congrats on reaching 75! Good luck with your July reading. You DO have a lot planned.

I'm also drooling.

Morning, Carrie!

Congrats on 75!

Congrats on 75!

>257 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! I'm finding The Bloomsbury Reader on Islam in the West slow going. It's interesting, but it isn't easy reading. The academic language, the slightly oversize pages, and the absence of illustrations and in-text citations make it very dense.

>258 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie!

>259 The_Hibernator: >260 drneutron: Thanks, Rachel & Jim!

Congrats on reaching the 75 book level, Carrie!!

Congratulations on blowing past the 75 book mark, Carrie!

>262 lindapanzo: >263 ronincats: Thanks Linda! Thanks Roni!

Congrats on 75!

Congratulations! Great job!

>265 charl08: >266 mstrust: Thanks, Charlotte & Jennifer!

Stopping by to say hi, Carrie. As for eating, Dave and I are pretty plain eaters, and we seldom eat out. However, a couple of days ago I was grocery shopping late in the day and decided to pick up some pizza. It was really quite good - butter chicken pizza, not too spicy, vegetarian, a BBQ chicken. I got 4 slices in total. Just as well Dave and I stick with boneless skinless chicken breasts, whole wheat bread, raw veggies and a few too many sweets. But the pizza was a nice treat.

Congratulations on hitting 75 books! And it is only July!

And yes, Poppy would love it if Adrian could join her walking group. She had wonderful fun on with her ' walking group" today, and headed to a beach with 6 of her very bestest friends :)

Carrie, I also plan to listen to Gary Sinise reading Of Mice and Men this month. I remember the book pretty well for having read it 50-some years ago! I've decided that audio books will be a good way to revisit books that I've liked. Glad to hear it worked for you a non-Steinbeck fan. Maybe that will change.

Adding my congratulations for reading 75 books. Go, Carrie!

>268 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah! Stella arrived today for a 10-day stay. Adrian will enjoy having company. We had strong storms this evening, and both dogs handled the thunder and lightning well. The thunder wasn't close enough to shake the house. However, I think the weather made Stella more jittery than normal. The slightest strange sound sets her off barking. I never realized how many scary sounds there are on TV from a dog's perspective. If I turn the TV off, then the outside noises are more noticeable. It's a dilemma!

>269 Donna828: Thanks, Donna! Gary Sinise is also the narrator for Travels with Charley, so maybe I'll give that one a try at some point.

Morning, Carrie! Ten days of Stella!! That is some sleep over.

Congratulations on reading 76 books thus far!

Great year of reading and posting so far Carrie and long may it continue. xx

Have a lovely weekend.

>271 Crazymamie: Yes, it's a long sleepover! All three of us took a 2-hour nap this morning. I didn't realize I was so tired! And I still have another week to go!

>272 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! What a beautiful picture. I love the book stand!

>273 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!