rabbitprincess' 2016 challenge: "The one, the only, and the best" - Part 3

Welcome to Part 3 of my David Morrissey category challenge! Halfway through the year and we're still going strong. The Other Boleyn Girl is proving a very popular category, as is The Deal. A split might be needed if the touchstones become too unwieldy.

Category listing:

Doctor Who – SFF
The Other Boleyn Girl – History
Thorne – Mystery
The Hollow Crown – Plays + graphic novels + short stories + other miscellaneous books
Blackpool – Audiobooks
Cause célèbre – French
Sense and Sensibility – Rereads
Our Mutual Friend – Group reads + Geo CAT + RandomCAT
The Deal – Non-fiction + Dewey CAT
South Riding – General fiction
The Walking Dead - Abandoned / unfinished / partly read books

Doctor Who - Science Fiction and Fantasy

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

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

The Other Boleyn Girl - History

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

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

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

Thorne - Mystery

David produced and starred in adaptations of two Mark Billingham novels: Scaredycat and Sleepyhead. Now that I've read both books, I should watch the adaptations.

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

1. The Dark Winter, by David Mark
2. Death of an Airman, by Christopher St. John Sprigg
3. Meltwater, by Michael Ridpath
4. The Black Book, by Ian Rankin
5. Scaredy Cat, by Mark Billingham
6. A Man Lay Dead, by Ngaio Marsh
7. The Blackheath Poisonings, by Julian Symons
8. Sea of Stone, by Michael Ridpath
9. The Case of the Vagabond Virgin, by Erle Stanley Gardner
10. A Little More Free, by John McFetridge
11. Last Seen Wearing..., by Hillary Waugh
12. God Save the Mark, by Donald E. Westlake
13. Gideon's Fire, by J.J. Marric
14. 1222, by Anne Holt (translated by Marlaine Delargy)
15. McGarr and the Politician's Wife, by Bartholomew Gill
16. The End of the Wasp Season, by Denise Mina
17. Dead Men and Broken Hearts, by Craig Russell
18. Black and Blue, by Ian Rankin
19. One or the Other: An Eddie Dougherty Mystery, by John McFetridge

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

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

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

Plays

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

The rest

1. The Road to Little Dribbling: More Notes from a Small Island, by Bill Bryson
2. Silent Nights: Christmas Mysteries, ed. Martin Edwards
3. Glyph: A Visual Exploration of Punctuation Marks and Other Typographic Symbols, by Adriana Caneva and Shiro Nishimoto
4. My Discovery of England, by Stephen Leacock
5. The Idea of North: The Paintings of Lawren Harris, by Steve Martin
6. Heart and Brain: An Awkward Yeti Collection, by The Awkward Yeti
7. A Good Hanging and Other Stories, by Ian Rankin
8. Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh
9. Yes Please, by Amy Poehler
10. Adulthood is a Myth, by Sarah Andersen
11. Photograph, by Ringo Starr

Blackpool - Audiobooks

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

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

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

Cause célèbre - Livres en français

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

1. Mon ami Maigret, by Georges Simenon
2. L'anglais n'est pas une langue magique, by Jacques Poulin

Sense and Sensibility - Rereads

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

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

1. Tales of the Greek Heroes, by Roger Lancelyn Green
2. Last Chance to See..., by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine
3. The Best of James Herriot, by James Herriot
4. The Tempest, by William Shakespeare
5. No Great Mischief, by Alistair MacLeod
6. Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist, by Dorothy Gilman

Our Mutual Friend - Group Reads, RandomCAT and GeoCAT

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

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

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

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

The Deal - Non-fiction and DeweyCAT

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

Non-fiction
1. Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery, by Henry Marsh
2. Holy Shit: A Brief History of Swearing, by Melissa Mohr
3. Editing Canadian English (3rd edition), by the Editors' Association of Canada
4. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande
5. Skyfaring: A Journey with a Pilot, by Mark Vanhoenacker
6. Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, Symbols, and Other Typographical Marks, by Keith Houston
7. A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie, by Kathryn Harkup
8. Adulting, by Kelly Williams Brown
9. Works Well with Others, by Ross McCammon
10. The Glamour of Grammar: A Guide to the Magic and Mystery of Practical English, by Roy Peter Clark
11. The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard's Most Daring Rescue, by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman
12. How to Not Write Bad, by Ben Yagoda
13. The Violinist's Thumb, by Sam Kean
14. Coastlines: The Story of Our Shore, by Patrick Barkham
15. Naked Money: A Revealing Look at What It Is and Why It Matters, by Charles Wheelan
16. Fatal Flaws: How a Misfolded Protein Baffled Scientists and Changed How We Look at the Brain, by Jay Ingram
17. Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War, by Mary Roach
18. The Family That Couldn't Sleep: A Medical Mystery, by D.T. Max
19. Brace for Impact: Air Crashes and Aviation Safety, by Peter Pigott
20. Making a Point: The Pernickety Story of English Punctuation, by David Crystal

DeweyCAT

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

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

South Riding - General fiction

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

1. Red Arctic, by Richard Rohmer
2. The Friends of Eddie Coyle, by George V. Higgins
3. David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens
4. Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel
5. Get Carter, by Ted Lewis
6. Runaway, by Peter May
7. The Blue Ice, by Hammond Innes
8. The Damned Utd, by David Peace
9. A Demon in My View, by Ruth Rendell
10. End of Watch, by Stephen King
11. HMS Ulysses, by Alistair MacLean
12. The Fifth Child, by Doris Lessing
13. Twenty-Six, by Leo McKay Jr.
14. The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, by Wayne Johnston
15. Each Man's Son, by Hugh MacLennan
16. The Gospel of Loki, by Joanne M. Harris

The Walking Dead - Abandoned / unfinished / partly read books

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

1. Sharpe's Tiger, by Bernard Cornwell
2. Trick or Treachery, by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain
3. A Small Death in the Great Glen, by A.D. Scott
4. The Night Manager, by John le Carré
5. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore
6. Come Quick, Danger: A History of Marine Radio in Canada, by Stephan Dubreuil
7. Gallows View, by Peter Robinson
8. Down to the Sea in Ships, by Horatio Clare

First review on the new thread!

No Highway, by Nevil Shute
Category: Our Mutual Friend, The Deal (June GeoCAT and August DeweyCAT)
Source: Beltie Books, Wigtown, Scotland
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/109072560

This is a thoroughly nerdy concept and I loved it. Aeronautical engineering, fatigue failure, and accident investigation. Also, Canada!
Less appealing was the hero-worship of the aeronautical engineer by two of the women in the story, which was very dated in character ("I might not be smart enough to understand your work, but I can support you in a female domestic way!").

Now to watch the movie starring Jimmy Stewart, which thankfully iTunes has.

Yay for the new thread. Enjoy your summer weather - summer hasn't managed to get started here and we're stuck in Spring with lots of rain.

Happy New Thread!
Oh good, I knew he'd show up for a rabbitprincess party-

>13 RidgewayGirl: Thanks! We have far too much of summer at the moment. 33 degrees C, humidex of 36. I'll send you a box.

>14 mstrust: BWAAAAHAHAHAHA that is brilliant! Very glad to have him and you here! :D

Yay, another new summer thread!

Happy New Thread! I see some interesting books in what you've read so far.

Happy new thread!

>15 rabbitprincess:
Yep, here too. So, so hot!

Happy new thread! Just in time for summer :)

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Going back to your previous thread, glad to see your positive comments regarding The Violinist's Thumb. I own a copy of that one, as well as a copy of The Disappearing Spoon. I plan on reading one of them as my July DeweyCAT read. I am sooo far behind with my Canadian Author Challenge reading, I am rather embarrassed.

That sinkhole on Rideau Street is something!

in high school I could read Val McDermid and Minette Walters with no problems, but nowadays I just find it too scary.

Uh-oh.... I don't do scary and I was planning on listening to an audiobook read of McDermid's The Grave Tattoo... now I am not so sure I want to do that.

Wow, you did have a hot weekend! We had highs of 18'C, which was still a bonus considering the weather forecast was for rain (which didn't happen).

Happy new thread!

>11 rabbitprincess: I've been abandoning a lot of books this year, too. Not sure why so many. Great idea to have a category for them -- and a clever title for the category, too!

>16 sturlington: Summer seems to be a good time to start up a new thread! :)

>17 dudes22: Thanks! It has certainly been an interesting year. Rapidly shaping up to be Year of the Boat.

>18 -Eva-: Thanks! Today we were supposed to get up to 34 C with a humidex of 39. And now we're waiting for a thunderstorm to approach. I imagine something will happen, at any rate, because it was very windy today. Nearly had my hat blown off on a couple of occasions.

>19 leslie.98: Indeed! :)

>20 MissWatson: Thanks for stopping by!

>21 lkernagh: Thanks! I'm behind on some of my challenge reading too but have relaxed my participation to "read this at some point during the year". Group reads and RandomCAT are the only things I try to read in a set month.

The sinkhole's been plugged now and most of the businesses on the street have reopened. It's taken a while for some of the restaurants, though, because they had to make sure the water was safe to drink.

The Grave Tattoo is not very scary at all. It's more of an academic mystery. Her Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, however, is SUPER creepy.

Assuming this promised thunderstorm clears the air, we're supposed to get back down to highs of 22 or so for the next couple of days.

>22 tymfos: Thanks! I noticed that a couple of other people had a category for abandoned books and thought it might fit in well with this year's theme ;) March was a particularly ornery month for me. Fortunately haven't had to abandon too many. I'm abandoning another one but not out of spite.

****

Another hot day. High of 34 C, humidex of 39. But very windy, which means maybe we'll actually get a thunderstorm? Got the big scary red THUNDERSTORM WARNING (extreme thunderstorm warning, plus watch out for tornadoes!) superimposed over our local news programming earlier, so we're watching the skies. I'll be shutting down the computer as a precautionary measure. But before I go, here's a review of a book I zipped through yesterday.

Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/108417395

Great fun if you like the blog! I didn't laugh out loud, but I did enjoy the comics very much and even wrote down a few quotes.

Happy new threads. I love the picture you closed your thread with, he was an excellent Governor!

>22 tymfos: I have abandoned three books this month! Unusual for me. Where has my patience gone?

Until recently I had not abandoned a book. While I haven't officially abandoned one, it's close to making the cut and joining the others.

>23 rabbitprincess:
I wish we could have a thunderstorm. Or at least rain... But, no, it's Fire Season in Los Angeles, so we have that instead: fires. :( Fire Season used to be in the fall, but now it kinda starts in spring and goes until the end of fall...

>24 DeltaQueen50: He sure was! I'm glad I mustered up the courage to watch the show... or at least his scenes ;)

>25 VictoriaPL: Oh no, an ornery June! Funny how they come in waves like that. I hope you find a great book soon!

>26 thornton37814: It's hard to know whether to officially abandon or not. I have another book that I'm not really "abandoning", just "not finishing because I get the point", but I'm going to be putting it in the abandoned category because I have too much in the other categories already.

>27 -Eva-: We didn't end up having much of a thunderstorm where I am! BOOOOOO
Hope you get some rain soon! Fires are scary :(

Pour us a pint, Harry! It's DM's birthday!!!

Meanwhile DC Larry Jackson from Framed (ITV series from 1992) will set the tables for dinner and cake!

Most importantly... you can't forget the tea.

Happy new thread!! Hopefully your abandoned books category stops growing.

Well I hope he's having a great birthday. Did you celebrate by eating birthday cake?

Happy new thread! I'll be happy to help you out with any leftover cake. :-)

Gosh, he looks so young in >30 rabbitprincess:! I kinda like the rugged good looks he sports now. Happy Birthday to DM!

>33 mstrust: I did indeed! Conveniently, we have cake in the house. My BF made cupcakes for a birthday party and had some leftover batter, so he used it to make a little cake for us.

>34 cbl_tn: Thanks! Cake assistance is much appreciated. I'll get more in from @mstrust's BBC! ;)

>35 DeltaQueen50: I know right?? He would have been only 28 at the time! And yes he is a very handsome fellow nowadays (even with a beard!).

>36 rabbitprincess: Sorry it's late but we just got your order. The staff boxed it up fast and haven't even had a chance to-

>37 mstrust: Thanks so much! A cake from the BBC is welcome any time.

My new motto, as espoused by the Tower of London's New Armouries cafe:

This book prompted a tweaking of my TWD category. Abandoned, unfinished and partly read books will go here.

Come Quick, Danger: A History of Marine Radio in Canada, by Stephan Dubreuil
Category: The Walking Dead (as a partly read book)
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/130199947

This is definitely not for the casual reader. The idea is interesting but there is a lot of highly technical nerdy discussions about radio equipment, and not enough heroic rescue stories for my liking.

Happy new thread! I actually wish I were better at abandoning books, so that I could devote more time to the books I really want to read.

>40 mathgirl40: It is difficult to know when to give up and how much of a chance to give to a book. I am debating whether to abandon my current bus book. Will probably read some reviews tomorrow before deciding.

****

Another visit to the cinema for National Theatre encore broadcasts. Saw "One Man, Two Guvnors", starring James Corden before he became host of the Late Late Show. It was a zany farce and was actually a loose adaptation of a 17th century commedia dell'arte piece (taking a basic commedia scenario and transposing it to Brighton in 1963). There was a cute skiffle band who served as the between-set-changes entertainment, some improv with audience participation, extremely impressive deadpanning by Oliver Chris (how DID he keep a straight face?), and great gusto from Jemima Rooper (whom I'd seen in Toronto with the production of Blithe Spirit). Worth seeing if you get a chance, and I think it helps to know that it was adapted from a highly farcical original -- it made the acting seem less over-the-top with that context (or rather, the OTT-ness of it makes more sense).

I also spent some time this weekend writing reviews.

Gideon's Fire, by J.J. Marric
Category: Thorne
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129405973

Not my favourite installment of the series. The police procedural part was fine, but the personal storyline contained a few problematic elements and there was too much going on with the police themselves: one storyline too many, perhaps.

End of Watch, by Stephen King
Category: South Riding
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/131303725

The trilogy is wrapped up and ends on a suitable note. I will miss Bill, Holly and Jerome very much. Might have to re-borrow Mr Mercedes sometime to check back in with them.

Here's wishing you a 5 star book. I say you've got a category for abandoned books, so I'd abandon the book in question. After all, it will have good company. I abandoned the one Christopher Moore book I tried too. Not my sense of humor.

>32 LittleTaiko: Eek! I forgot to respond to your post! Sorry about that. Thanks for the wishes regarding my abandoned-books category. It's still growing... but at least the abandoning is freeing up time for me to read the really good books!

>42 cammykitty: Thanks! I've had a run of four-star reads, which is pretty good too. And I think I will abandon the other book. I nearly gave up on it on the first page. Should have listened to my instinct!

****

Another day for reading in front of the AC is in order. Humidity is building and we might get rain and a thunderstorm overnight and tomorrow! But I'll believe THAT when I see it.

Two books meriting four stars.

Fatal Flaws: How a Misfolded Protein Baffled Scientists and Changed How We Look at the Brain, by Jay Ingram
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/129827147

This was brought to my attention by Quill and Quire way back in 2012 and I'm only just getting to it now. Very interesting, but possibly not good reading if you are a hypochondriac about brain diseases.

Yes Please, by Amy Poehler
Category: The Hollow Crown (essays)
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/131583264

This was an impulse borrow because the phrase "Good for her! Not for me" popped into my head and I wanted to see it in context. Ended up devouring the whole thing in very short order. Some good advice and interesting thoughts.

I liked Yes, Please too, but can hardly remember much of it, lol. I hate to compare it to Tina Fey's, but here I go- Bossypants was a lot funnier.

>44 mstrust: Comparisons between the two books are inevitable, given how closely Fey and Poehler work together. Not sure whether I'll get around to Bossypants, but it might make a good impulse read someday.

****

Yet another abandoned book. Should have done this on the very first page. :-/

Gallows View, by Peter Robinson
Category: Our Mutual Friend (group reads, BAC), The Walking Dead
Source: Friends of Library and Archives Canada book sale
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70474099

Should have stopped after the first page, which features an unnecessarily bow-chicka-wow-wow description of a woman undressing, only to find that shock! horror! she's got a peeping tom watching her! That was not fun to read on the bus. I read further to see if it would get better, but I'm not motivated to find out the perpetrators and Banks does not have much pep as a protagonist yet. Glad I didn't start with this one.

>45 rabbitprincess: I added that one to my TBR list, but it was based on a review of a later book in the series. I wonder how much I'd miss by skipping that one and moving on to a later one?

>46 thornton37814: I'd say not much. Banks's personal storyline does develop over the course of the series, but there is usually enough information provided to bring you up to speed. My favourite Banks is probably Piece of My Heart, because of the 60s music vibe. Another book in the series that has the 60s as a focus is The Summer That Never Was.

Happy new thread! I thought about your 2015 Benedict Cumberbatch thread yesterday when I came across Starter for 10 on one of my premium channels. I had never seen the movie so I sat and watched the whole thing.

>48 VioletBramble: Yay, Starter for 10! It's got a really strong cast -- lots of "Hey, isn't that so and so?" I love when Benedict does comedy. :)

****

A quick cartoon review...

Adulthood is a Myth, by Sarah Andersen
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/131444471

This was a very funny cartoon book and the only criticism I have of it is that it isn't long enough! Very enjoyable and lots for me to relate to.

Last book of the month and a very appropriate one for this challenge! A June recap will follow later this evening.

Hangmen, by Martin McDonagh
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: Book Depository
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/126520632

I was lucky enough to have seen the West End production via National Theatre Live, and it helped having the cast's voices in my ear as I read. This is a darkly funny play, recommended for those who like McDonagh's other plays or In Bruges.

June recap

Quantity was the theme this month! It was also fairly good quality, even with an abandoned book and a couple of lacklustre books in the mix of 20 (!).

The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden
Coastlines: The Story of Our Shore, by Patrick Barkham
Naked Money: A Revealing Look at What Money Is and Why It Matters, by Charles Wheelan
The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife, by Erle Stanley Gardner
Scotland Yard, by Sir Harold Scott
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing
Murder on the Celtic, by Conrad Allen
A Demon in My View, by Ruth Rendell
Magna Carta: The Birth of Liberty, by Dan Jones
A Good Hanging and Other Stories, by Ian Rankin
No Highway, by Nevil Shute
Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh
Come Quick, Danger: A History of Marine Radio in Canada, by Stephan Dubreuil (partly read)
Gideon's Fire, by J.J. Marric
End of Watch, by Stephen King
Fatal Flaws: How a Misfolded Protein Baffled Scientists and Changed the Way We Look at the Brain, by Jay Ingram
Yes Please, by Amy Poehler (Overdrive)
Gallows View, by Peter Robinson (abandoned)
Adulthood is a Myth: A Sarah's Scribbles Collection, by Sarah Andersen
Hangmen, by Martin McDonagh

My favourite book of the month was The Orenda, by Joseph Boyden. Amazing.

My least favourite book was Gallows View, by Peter Robinson. Glad I didn't start the series with this one! It was not an auspicious debut.

I returned two library books from the June "library shelves" pile unread, but all others were read and reviewed.

Currently reading

The Cornish Trilogy, by Robertson Davies -- I've started What's Bred in the Bone, finally! Hoping to read more of it tomorrow for Canada Day.
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, by Mary Beard -- I could use this book for weightlifting! It's been pretty interesting so far, although the challenge is keeping up my momentum, especially with lots of other big fat books to read.
HMS Ulysses, by Alistair MacLean -- My current bus book. It's thrilling and horrifying and spine-chilling all at the same time. It's also more focused than some of his other books, which is impressive considering this was his first one.
A Battle Won, by S. Thomas Russell -- Second in the Charles Hayden series. Due back on Saturday and I can't renew it! Fortunately Hayden goes fairly quickly, or at least the previous book did.

July plans

My July RandomCAT selection is all set to go in my purse: Sands of Time, by Justin Richards. The Fifth Doctor and the British Museum! Also, Egypt. This should be interesting. (Also I was spoiled for choice with this theme -- so many Doctor Who books I could have read.)

Maybe this month I'll get 2/3 of the way through the Cornish Trilogy!

And maybe I'll finally get around to my April DeweyCAT, The Prince.

On my library shelves this month:

1222, by Anne Holt (Hanne Wilhelmsen #8)
Frozen Assets, by Quentin Bates (Gunnhildur #1)
Murder on the Oceanic, by Conrad Allen (George Porter Dillman and Genevieve Masefield #7)
The Sea House, by Esther Freud
Dead Men and Broken Hearts, by Craig Russell (Lennox #4)
The Nerdist Way: How to Reach the Next Level (in Real Life), by Chris Hardwick
Written in Blood, by Caroline Graham (Chief Inspector Barnaby #4)
Audacity, Privateer out of Portsmouth, by J.E. Fender (Geoffrey Frost #2)

The only DVD I have out at the moment is Season 2 of The Kids in the Hall. Great series. They're all so YOUNG! How was 1990 so long ago?

The 2016 pool - Halfway point

Now that it's halfway through the year, let's see how I'm doing with the pool I created.



There are 48 books in the pool and I've read 24 of them, which is exactly halfway.
If you count the Cornish trilogy and the Pierre Berton omnibuses as three and two books, respectively, there are 51 books in the pool and I've read 25. Still just about halfway! This was a great idea ;)

I missed what your pool idea was but it looks fun. Is it books off your TBR pile to get to?

>52 japaul22: That's exactly it! These are all books I own that fit the DeweyCAT, GeoCAT, BingoDOG and Women BingoPUP, as well as proposed group reads (including our own shared read of The Game of Kings, which I'm looking forward to!). I'd decided to focus on only the challenges for which I already owned a book and this was a good way to remind me of the books I had. It also makes choosing a book off the TBR less overwhelming.

I usually do something similar. I look through my TBR when the CAT/DOG/Bingo/etc. get decided on to see what I can fit. Except this year I didn't pre-select my books for the Dog & Pup. I decided to just fill as I go.

>54 dudes22: I'm not playing along officially with the Dog and Pup, but having those possibilities in the pool was helpful (a prime example: Death of an Airman). Filling as you go would probably be a more relaxing way to do it rather than feel locked in to choices at the beginning of the year.

****

Another successful Canada Day in Ottawa. We started off with all-important free samples of President's Choice ice cream (the flavour on offer was Elk Crossing, which has peanut butter and chocolate in it, among other things), then moseyed through Major's Hill Park as we usually do, casing the free sample booths. Stopped at the Milk booth for our usual cheese curds (YUM) and played Canadian trivia at the Historica Canada booth. Then we went to the Museum of History in Gatineau for a sneak peek at the new "History Hall", which is to be unveiled one year from today. We were told there'd be cake. And there was! Yay free cupcakes. Then we moseyed down to the backyard of the museum, right on the river, where the Canadian Coast Guard had set up their Zodiac fast rescue craft and you could actually get in! I was the only adult doing so; the rest were small children. So my friend took some dorky photos of me and then we got some CCG swag: a floating keychain and a cardboard fold-and-assemble model of CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier. I love cardboard model vehicles!

Lunch was a chicken sandwich at Major's Hill Park -- we go every year. For $4 you get a chicken sandwich or a chicken Caesar salad, which is a very good deal and the food is good too. As we finished up, we saw the Snowbirds fly past! Always awesome. Then we scoped out freebies in Confederation Park and attended a performance of the Central Band of the Canadian Armed Forces at City Hall. They had been brought in by the Jazz Festival, so they played a jazz set (and a very good set too). During the band's set, it was raining intermittently and the clouds were darkening. By the time I caught the bus home, it had started pouring and there were some flashes of lightning. Seems to have cleared up by now though. Maybe it will blow through before the evening show on Parliament Hill begins.

HAPPY CANADA DAY to all the Canadian LTers! :)

Happy Canada Day to you too, RP. Your day sounds like a lot of fun and very Canadian as well. We woke up to clouds and rain which put a slight damper on our day but we are going ahead with a salmon BBQ with the family later on.

>56 DeltaQueen50: Going ahead with a barbecue in all weather sounds very Canadian too! Enjoy!

Happy belated Canada Day! I did watch Trudeau's brief message on twitter. That sounds like a perfect day.

I'm impressed with your ability to read the books in your pool. My first few years in the Category Challenge, I had great fun compiling lists of what to read in each category, and would finish the year having read, at most, two of them. Putting a book on a list just kills its chances with me.

Happy belated Canada Day from me too!

Happy belated Canada Day! I really need to put that on my radar...

>55 rabbitprincess: That sounds like a really fun day. Glad you had a good celebration! Of course, any day of free ice cream, cupcakes and a museum sounds pretty good.

Happy belated Canada day from me too, but more importantly, what was that about the free ice cream? Where do I sign up for that? Or do I need to be Canadian...?

>58 RidgewayGirl: Apparently he and the Governor General passed by us on their way to Parliament Hill (we were in nearby Major's Hill Park), but we did not run down to watch the convoy pass by. We did hear people cheering though!

I am surprised too! There are a couple that I suspect won't get read this year but I will have fun trying.

>59 leslie.98: >60 MissWatson: Thanks! :) Amusingly, a friend of mine has her birthday on Canada Day, which makes it a LOT easier to remember. (We also joke about the entire country getting the day off to celebrate her birthday.)

>61 mstrust: It was a fun day. We usually have a good time, whatever the weather. And the fun part about Canada Day is that, even though we do the same basic thing every year (go downtown to get free stuff), there's always at least one new thing to do! This year it was the museum cake. And next year will likely be pretty crazy and awesome because it will be Canada's 150th birthday.

>62 -Eva-: Thanks! And all you have to do is show up in Ottawa on Canada Day! Lots of companies and organizations set up booths in the vicinity of Parliament Hill and give out free stuff. :)

Happy belated Canada Day to you too! Sheesh, I forgot that you were in Ottawa, or else I'd have sent you a note to see if we could meet up. Anyhow, my family loved being in Ottawa for Canada Day.

I love your idea for the pool of books, as well as the graphic you used. I'll have to consider this for my own challenge next year.

>64 mathgirl40: It's nice to know that we were both downtown enjoying the day! I love Canada Day in the capital.

The graphic is a screenshot of all the books I tagged as "2016 POOL" shown in Covers View, with X's added in a basic Paint program via text boxes. I like that we set up our group challenges so far in advance; this allows me to build up a nice shortlist of choices.

****

Deviating from the pool and returning to my usual nautical fare from the library:

A Battle Won, by S. Thomas Russell
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/131051459

This was good but moved a little bit slower for me than the first book in the series. Still, I'll continue with it. Only two more books at present! As far as my series go, it's pretty manageable.

Happy belated Canada Day!

I'm catching up on threads and also had to mention your comments on The Violinist's Thumb (which I took a BB for!).

I then proceeded to follow my husband around and read to him about the microbe that makes rodents not afraid of cats.

He then wanted to know if that microbe would also make cats not afraid of cucumbers...

Happy belated Canada Day! I agree that any day with free ice cream is a great day!

Thought about my comment earlier about hoping your abandoned category didn't grow and wondered if I was thinking about it all wrong. If you're abandoning more books it just means more time for books you actually like instead of slogging through a so/so read. Maybe I should root for that category to grow. :)

>66 LisaMorr: Haha! I know a cat that is crazy about mushrooms (not the magic kind, the regular kind). Maybe he has a microbe that makes him not afraid of fungi ;)
That was a particularly share-worthy anecdote!

>67 LittleTaiko: And it was good ice cream too, which was even better. So glad it wasn't a mint chip or a bubble gum type flavour.
That's a good way of looking at the abandoned books category! I'm trying to get better at deciding not to start books in the first place. Easier to do with library books, because you can just take them back unread.

****

This was not an abandoned read, but it nearly was.

1222, by Anne Holt (translated from the Norwegian by Marlaine Delargy)
Category: Thorne
Source: library
Rating: 2/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/131318955

When even the detective doesn't feel like solving the mystery, it's difficult for the reader to muster up the interest as well. I also did not find the solution straightforward, as the detective did. Could probably have returned this unfinished. On the plus side, that's another series off the list.

Great review of 1222 by Anne Holt. I quickly erased this title from the list of books I want to pick up at the library!

Your Canada Day sounds wonderful. Small town Canada Day is mostly a lot of youngsters splashing at the waterpark! However, my birthday falls on July 4, always a big celebration around here!

>69 VivienneR: I am glad to be of service and hope you had a wonderful birthday! And a whole weekend to celebrate beforehand, too :)

****

It is very appropriate that I'm reading books set on the Arctic convoys while we're in the middle of a heat wave.

HMS Ulysses, by Alistair MacLean
Category: South Riding
Source: Chapters Books, Dublin, Ireland
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/108913248

MacLean's first novel and a classic to boot. (Not Das Boot; that's another book.) It's amazing what the men and their ship endure over the course of the book. Well worth reading if you like ships, WW2 fiction, and/or straightforward stories with a single plotline.

This is probably a book I'll be thinking about for a while, but it wasn't the greatest reading experience for me.

The Fifth Child, by Doris Lessing
Category: South Riding
Source: library
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/130897160

Well-written and certainly economical, but the ending left me searching for signs that pages had been ripped out.

****

I also read a stand-alone short story by Alistair MacLeod called Remembrance. It does not appear in his story collections; it was commissioned by the Vancouver Writers Festival and is a story of three generations of David Macdonalds. It is a very MacLeod story in setting, style and subject matter. Worth tracking down -- my library ordered it through Overdrive.

Now this was lots of fun! Many thanks to @Chrischi_HH for coming up with the perfect RandomCAT topic to lead me to read this now!

The Sands of Time, by Justin Richards
Category: Doctor Who, Our Mutual Friend (July RandomCAT)
Source: BMV, Toronto
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/124548877

A Fifth Doctor story with Tegan and Nyssa, set in Ancient Egypt and the Victorian period. Lots of timey-wimey stuff but it all hangs together. What an adventure!

****

It was raining heavily this morning with patches of thunderstorms, and it's supposed to continue raining for most of the day. Perfect weather for getting stuck into some books. I will probably read a one-sitting treat: Murder on the Oceanic, by Conrad Allen.

Enjoy the rain and your reading!

>72 rabbitprincess: You're welcome! :)

>73 mstrust: Thanks! It was a productive reading day. Made more progress on SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome (although it will not get finished by tomorrow, and it has holds on it so I can't renew) and read Murder on the Oceanic in one sitting, as predicted.

>74 Chrischi_HH: I keep hoarding Doctor Who books and not reading them, so I always appreciate a prompt to read them!

****

Still kind of grey out today but not quite as rainy as it was yesterday. I foresee another day of reading ahead. Mary Roach's new book, Grunt, is holding my interest most effectively.

In the meantime, here's a review of the book I read through in a morning yesterday.

Murder on the Oceanic, by Conrad Allen
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/131444270

This was another light, undemanding mystery, although there was one scene where I felt Genevieve acted totally out of character and it almost cost her very dearly. For that reason this was a 3.5 rather than a 4.

And because I seem to be reading the series in reverse chronological order, the next book I pick up will be #6, Murder on the Salsette.

We had a beautiful day here yesterday but were stuck at home cause there was a bicycle race whose course was all over our streets so everyone was asked to stay home. I spent a good chunk of the day outside on the patio and managed to finish two books! I love those kind of days.

>76 DeltaQueen50: That sounds like a blissful day indeed! I love the idea of some enforced reading time and some books that need to get finished! Excellent motivation.

****

Mary Roach does it again!

Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War, by Mary Roach
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/131929974

Given my propensity to read about all things military, I was highly likely to enjoy this book, and I did. If you liked Packing for Mars, this one might appeal as well.

>77 rabbitprincess: I've been curious about this one. I did enjoy Packing so I might give Grunt a go.

>78 VictoriaPL: I hope you like it! The connection for me is that they're both about difficult jobs that capture the popular imagination (astronauts and soldiers) and talks about all the things that you don't really think about but are actually quite important.

****

We had a huge thunderstorm less than an hour ago. Started off with a loud BOOM and then spent most of its energy making an extended supply of lightning. I was convinced some of them were right over us, but the thunder was much further off than I thought (or else cloud-to-cloud lightning doesn't make as much noise?). It didn't sound like it rained much here, but other places received torrential downpours. Hoping that this thunderstorm will FINALLY break the heat wave we've been roasting in all week.

A much cooler place is the Emerald Isle, the setting of my most recent mystery read:

McGarr and the Politician's Wife, by Bartholomew Gill
Category: Thorne
Source: Book Bazaar, Ottawa
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/123463156

A decent introduction to Chief Inspector of Detectives Peter McGarr. High stakes for him in this case. Knowing that there are subsequent installments in this series may dampen the effect of the ending, but I found it a tense read nonetheless. Also, it's a fairly short book (about 200 pages). For a mystery these days that's practically a novella.

>77 rabbitprincess: Great review of Grunt by Mary Roach! This one was the least enticing to me but your review has convinced me to add it to the wishlist. I loved Stiff.

>80 VivienneR: Thank you! I hope you like it! At any rate, Roach's books are such that you could easily just read the chapters that appeared to be most of interest.

****

It would be remiss of me not to note Benedict Cumberbatch's 40th birthday! Here he is playing William Carey to DM's Duke of Norfolk in The Other Boleyn Girl.



****

I took an extra-long weekend this past weekend to visit family. As usual, such a weekend involved lots of food and drink, and plenty of train travel. I finished one book and made good progress in two more.

The book I finished was a reread of one of my favourites.

No Great Mischief, by Alistair MacLeod
Category: Sense and Sensibility
Source: BMV
Rating: 5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/work/69631/reviews/101873079

The chapters about Alexander's grandparents hit me harder this time around. There were a few dicey moments on the train where I wasn't sure whether I could hide the tears. This is a beautiful book and I hope to read it again soon.

And look who's just been awarded an honourary degree from Edge Hill University! Félicitations, monsieur. :D

https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/news/2016/07/actor-david-morrissey-accepts-honorary-d...

Another day, another review. This book was mostly read over the long weekend, and I finished it yesterday.

Twenty-Six, by Leo McKay Jr.
Category: South Riding
Source: BMV, Toronto
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/112239431

This book was partly inspired by the Westray mine disaster in 1992. An explosion in a coal mine killed 26 men, and the inquiry into the explosion revealed horrifying details about health and safety conditions in the mines. The book met my expectations, but the time-jumping required more attention than I had bargained for. So I would recommend this with the caveat that it needs your attention.

Still working on about four different books, but this one was declared a DNF.

Down to the Sea in Ships: Of Ageless Oceans and Modern Men, by Horatio Clare
Category: The Walking Dead
Source: library
Rating: 2/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/131836474

Gorgeous cover, tedious content. I don't have a lot of patience for leisurely, contemplative writing, so I was continually putting this down to read something else. Oh well, at least it was from the library.

Stopping by with an appropriate cupcake for you-



>82 rabbitprincess: Ooooh, doesn't he look handsome, even in those garish colors?

>84 rabbitprincess: I recently got over my whole "if I start it, I must finish it" mindset. Now, for the most part, if a book can't hold my interest it's gone.

>85 mstrust: Delicious and highly appropriate! Thank you! :D

Yes, that is quite the colour combination! There are also some very cute photos of him on Twitter with various graduates. OH MY GOD so lucky! I wish DM had been getting an honourary degree when *I* graduated.

I'm more ruthless about library books. With books I own, I just stick a Post-it note in them and return them to the shelf. Might pick them up again years later!

I've been on a Glasgow mystery kick lately.

The End of the Wasp Season, by Denise Mina
Category: Thorne
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/132226451

I really like Alex Morrow as a character, and Mina is great at getting into all of her characters' heads. I found it harder to focus on this book, though, because the ebook formatting was annoying. I also had more trouble than usual trying to decipher who was speaking when multiple speakers had dialogue in a single paragraph (something Mina likes to do).

Dead Men and Broken Hearts, by Craig Russell
Category: Thorne
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/131695015

This is the fourth book in the Lennox series but the first one I read, because it's the only one my library has (in English -- it has a French translation of the first book for some reason). I enjoyed it immensely. Glasgow in the 1950s and a Canadian protagonist! Great voice on this fellow, too. Will have to hunt up the rest of the books in the series.

>77 rabbitprincess:
So great to hear that it's good - I had it out from the library, but ran out of time, so I'm getting back in line. Thumbing!

>87 rabbitprincess: That reminds me that I need to read more Denise Mina myself. I really enjoyed the first book of the Garnethill series but just hadn't gotten around to picking up the next one yet. The Lennox series sounds really good too.

>88 -Eva-: Thank you for the thumb! I hope you enjoy the book when you get to it :)

>89 mathgirl40: Garnethill is the one series of hers I haven't tried yet! Will have to get started on it sometime, maybe once I've caught up with the Alex Morrow series.

****

I've been slightly behind on reviews, mainly because I've been puttering around a lot more in the evenings (so much time-wasting on the Internet). But lo and behold, here are a couple of non-fiction reviews.

The Family That Couldn't Sleep: A Medical Mystery, by D.T. Max
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/132001811

I read this primarily for the family in the title -- fatal familial insomnia is a prion disease that destroys the thalamus, which helps regulate sleep and other systems that the body uses to maintain homeostatis. Other chapters discuss BSE, scrapie and kuru, but you can also get that information from Fatal Flaws, by Jay Ingram, which was published more recently.

The Game: A Thoughtful and Provocative Look at a Life in Hockey, by Ken Dryden
Category: The Deal (Dewey challenge)
Source: adopted from Grandma
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/88362831

This was my choice for the 700s section of DeweyCAT (September) and it was really good. Thoughts on sports, yes, but also on life in general. This book was nominated for Canada Reads 2012, the year they did non-fiction books. An interview with Dryden can be found here: http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/2012/01/ken-dryden-on-the-next-chapter.html

July recap

If this month had a theme, it was "O Canada", with clumps of Canadian content in the middle and at the end of the month. Total books read: 17.

A Battle Won, by S. Thomas Russell
1222, by Anne Holt (trans. Marlaine Delargy)
HMS Ulysses, by Alistair MacLean
The Fifth Child, by Doris Lessing
Sands of Time, by Justin Richards
Murder on the Oceanic, by Conrad Allen
Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War, by Mary Roach
McGarr and the Politician's Wife, by Bartholomew Gill
No Great Mischief, by Alistair MacLeod (reread)
Twenty-Six, by Leo McKay Jr.
Down to the Sea in Ships: Of Ageless Oceans and Modern Men, by Horatio Clare (partly read)
The End of the Wasp Season, by Denise Mina
Dead Men and Broken Hearts, by Craig Russell
The Family That Couldn't Sleep: A Medical Mystery, by D.T. Max
The Game: A Thoughtful and Provocative Look at a Life in Hockey, by Ken Dryden
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, by Chris Hadfield
What's Bred in the Bone, by Robertson Davies

My favourite book of the month was Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War, by Mary Roach. So many fun facts, so many passages read out loud to unwitting audiences.

My least favourite book was 1222, by Anne Holt (trans. Marlaine Delargy). I found the protagonist exasperating and the mystery unsatisfying. (If even the detective doesn't care whodunnit, the reader may have difficulty caring as well.)

The majority of the books in my library shelves pile ended up going back to the library unread. I've been feeling ornery about my library borrowings lately and have much less patience, especially when I have so many books out at the same time (and want to keep reading my own books). I did keep a couple on the to-read list, so their turn may come someday.

Of my July plans, I read the RandomCAT and the Cornish book, and at least started the Machiavelli, so I consider this a successful month.

Currently reading

The Cornish Trilogy, by Robertson Davies -- Just finished What's Bred in the Bone! This month maybe I can read The Lyre of Orpheus.
The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli (trans. Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa) -- FINALLY started this. Another one that I hope to finish this month.
Black and Blue, by Ian Rankin -- Borrowed this from my parents when I was home a couple of weeks ago and decided to cue it up in my bus-book rotation fairly quickly, because there wasn't any room on my borrowed-books shelf :S
Brace for Impact: Air Crashes and Aviation Safety, by Peter Pigott -- Once again my interest in transportation and accident investigation is being piqued. Also, the author is local, which is a nice surprise.

August plans

For August's RandomCAT, I'll be reading The Viking Symbol Mystery, by Franklin W. Dixon. In this Hardy Boys mystery, Frank and Joe go camping in the Northwest Territories. I am very glad for this challenge prompting me to read a Hardy Boys book; a lot of those are "read and pass along" books for me, and I don't always get to them in a timely manner.

I will also be reading the GeoCAT in the appropriate month with Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. It is next up in my bus-book rotation, after Rebus.

On my library shelves this month:

In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette, by Hampton Sides (Overdrive)
The James Plays, by Rona Munro
Lock, Stock and Icebergs: A History of Canada's Arctic Maritime Sovereignty, by Adam Lajeunesse
One or the Other: An Eddie Dougherty Mystery, by John McFetridge (Eddie Dougherty #3)
Take, Burn or Destroy, by S. Thomas Russell (Charles Hayden #3)
Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned the Tide in the Second World War, by Paul M. Kennedy
Agatha Christie's Murder in the Making: Stories and Secrets from Her Archive, by John Curran
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, by Wayne Johnston

No new DVDs from the library. Or rather, I did have two out but I've watched them both: Tales from the Royal Bedchamber, presented by Dr. Lucy Worsley; and Viking War: The Last Battle of the Vikings, presented by Dr. Jon Henderson.

Wow, 17 books in one month is amazing! Do you sleep?

>92 mstrust: LOL

>92 mstrust: >93 VictoriaPL: I commute by bus and do very little housework ;) Also, in July I visited my parents for a very long weekend, so I was able to read on the train.

>94 rabbitprincess: When I was first notified that my job was moving to another state, I was, of course, disappointed. Then the possibility of a commuter bus raised its head and I was elated! Keep my job AND time to read! Then I was told we were not eligible for the bus and I was really, really disappointed. I do the best that I can with audiobooks in the car. The problem is I don't want to stop listening when I get to work, LOL. Maybe my next job will allow me more reading time.

>95 VictoriaPL: So your job moved to another state and you drive to a whole other state to work? Wow! I imagine that would be a good way to get in some quality audiobook time. Too bad the bus didn't work out though.

****

Gearing up for another heat wave here. I've had headaches most of the week, which is probably symptomatic of eyestrain from the work computer and not drinking enough water. We also have fans going all the time at home (as well as the A/C), and the fans have a tendency of drying us out. Tomorrow will be really hot, so I think I will take the bus as much as possible tomorrow and avoid walking. Oh well it will be more time for me to read!

Finally read another book for the Pool.

The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli (trans. Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa)
Category: The Deal - DeweyCAT April
Source: BF's collection
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70474169

About what I expected. Not sure what I should say about it.

>96 rabbitprincess:. No, the transition is not yet complete, the new HQ is still being built. I meant my in-state commute, sorry for the confusion.

>97 VictoriaPL: No worries! I myself live in one province and work in another, so the idea of commuting to work in another state suggested itself quite easily to me :)

****

It's been a busier-than-usual weekend around here. Went to a concert on Friday, stayed over at a friend's place, then we went for brunch and shopping on Saturday. And I will have to go back out to the mall today because I picked up a pair of pyjamas in the wrong size and need to exchange them. I'll probably go around lunchtime and will have lunch at the mall rather than stare dolefully into the cupboards trying to conjure up something to eat. (I never know what to eat on weekends.)

In the meantime, I have two reviews for you.

Black and Blue, by Ian Rankin
Category: Thorne
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/132337104

Another fine entry in the Rebus series. He visits Aberdeen and the Shetlands in this installment, and also goes for Indian food with Gill Templer, which now means I am craving butter chicken and "a nan bread big enough to be plotting world domination".

Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
Category: Our Mutual Friend
Source: pilfered from family
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70473700

A surprisingly quick read for the GeoCAT. I liked the folklore and the role the women played, but was less impressed by Okonkwo's behaviour toward his wives and children. Still, a book I am glad to have read.

****

I also have long-delayed thoughts on What's Bred in the Bone. Might put those up later this afternoon.

I've yet to read Black and Blue but I'm almost certain I have it on the shelf, so yea. I read Things Fall Apart recently and was surprised too at how quickly it moves along. Okonkwo was a jerk. ; )

>99 mstrust: Agreed.

****

Some delayed thoughts on What's Bred in the Bone.

What's Bred in the Bone, by Robertson Davies
Category: Our Mutual Friend (as part of the Cornish Trilogy group read)
Source: gift
Rating: 4/5 (for this installment)
Review: full review pending

After being briefly introduced to Francis Cornish in The Rebel Angels, readers get his full life story in What's Bred in the Bone. The narrative is presented in third person, with interjections from two supernatural entities, one of which is the daimon that has helped shape the character of Francis by throwing various obstacles or situations into his life. Because Francis was born toward the beginning of the 20th century, his growing up neatly parallels that of Canada as a nation. We see his religious upbringing and are privy to family secrets, and watch him become a talented artist. Toward the end of his life, the story returns to the characters and setting introduced in The Rebel Angels.

This was a good middle volume to the trilogy; while it was interesting, I don't know how well it would have worked as a first volume. The brief introduction to him in the first volume piques the reader's interest for the second volume. I had formed a definite image of him based on that first volume and was therefore very surprised to learn about certain aspects of his life, such as his marrying (his first cousin, to boot) and his intelligence work in the lead-up to the Second World War. Those are details that would likely surprise his nephew, Arthur, and his friend Simon Darcourt, who at the beginning of What's Bred in the Bone is planning a biography of Francis. The structure was interesting, although I must admit I missed Maria's first-person narration from the previous book.

Of all the parts in this book, I particularly enjoyed the parts set in Cornwall and the glimpses into Canada's development as a nation (this is a pet interest of mine). The art bits were interesting on some level, but they would probably be of greater interest to people who know more about art than I do or who actually create their own art. There are discussions of symbolism, form and style, particularly of the Old Masters, that aficionados of that period of art history would find interesting.

Overall, I would recommend reading this if you enjoyed the first book in the trilogy. However, when you read this book, try not to spread the book over two months like I did; there are a lot of characters to keep track of and I found some of them difficult to remember when they came up again.

(review edited for clarity)

LOL, I try not to do trilogies. That "read in a short space of time" advice tends to get difficult for me because some oh so shiny books trip me and make me read them in the mean time. I love the idea of a faux biography that shows how a daimon has shaped a person's life, though.

>101 cammykitty: Oh, in this case I meant read this specific book in a short space of time. I started it sometime in June and only just finished it last week, and toward the end I'd forgotten about a couple of characters. I will edit my review to clarify. :)

And yes, I do find it hard to read trilogies in a reasonably short timeframe. I always have to have at least one book between installments.

The conversations between the daimon and the other creature can be pretty funny because the other one feels pity or challenges the daimon on things he did, and the daimon's like "You're thinking too much like a human."

Dropping in, attempting to catch up, realizing I'm too far behind for that, but dropping in anyway.

>103 andreablythe: Always glad to see you!

The most important posts on this thread are >14 mstrust:, >29 rabbitprincess:, >30 rabbitprincess:, >31 rabbitprincess:, >38 rabbitprincess:, >81 rabbitprincess: and >82 rabbitprincess: ;)

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Ugh, it was DISGUSTING out today. Yet another heat warning. Temperatures in the low 30s with humidexes pushing 40. I was very glad to be working from home today and will be doing so for the rest of the week. I will, however, be braving the elements tomorrow afternoon for the 4th Annual Ottawa-Gatineau LT Summit with @paruline and @mysterymax. :)

A couple of book reviews:

Brace for Impact: Air Crashes and Aviation Safety, by Peter Pigott
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/132434294

This is an excellent book about the history of air accident investigations, with a strong Canadian focus. It could have done with a smidge more editing for coherence, but the things I picked up were super picky, so I still feel confident recommending this book.

Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist, by Dorothy Gilman
Category: Sense and Sensibility, Our Mutual Friend
Source: probably a gift
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70476230

A reread for the GeoCAT (it fits November's theme). Not my favourite Pollifax, but a Pollifax is always pretty reliable. Interesting too to read books set in the age prior to computers -- at one point Carstairs talks about newspapers not having been microfilmed yet! *stifles giggles* The book was published not even 20 years ago and it's amazing to think how much technology has changed since then.

Thanks for the recap! You're right Morrissey is definitely at the height of importance.

I love Pollifax, but haven't read one for *gasp* probably 20 years. & What's Bred in the Bone sounds like one for the WL.

Might take a BB for my husband for the air crash book. He'd probably be very interested in it. Say hi to mysterymax for me. We had a meet-up a couple of years ago here in RI.

>105 andreablythe: In this challenge, definitely :)

>106 cammykitty: They are fun! I have been revisiting them gradually because I keep them at my parents' place. Hope you enjoy the Davies!

>107 dudes22: It contains a lot of interesting information! Lots of pictures throughout the book, as well, and the bigger page size means that it's not as thick a book to hold.

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Today was the 4th Annual Ottawa LT Summit. This year's summit was held at Cacao 70, a yummy desserts place with locations in the Byward Market and at Lansdowne Park. We went to the Byward location, as it was most easily accessible for the three of us. We all had delicious food:

@Paruline had a Vintage Strawberry Shortcake that came in what looked like a brandy snifter.



@Mysterymax had an apple crêpe.


And I had a Black and White waffle (vanilla and chocolate ice cream on top of a waffle, with dipping chocolate and whipped cream).


After the meal, the server took a group photo for us on my phone. Left to right: rabbitprincess, paruline, mysterymax


Paruline and I then went to Chapters on Rideau, where I was profligate in my book-buying and picked up three (!) British Library Crime Classics:

Murder in the Museum, by John Rowland
Calamity in Kent, by John Rowland
Death in the Tunnel, by Miles Burton

It was a great summit! Glad that we all braved the scorching heat to attend :)

Wow, those desserts look amazing! Glad everyone had a good time, and I am drooling over your books!

That sounds, and looks, like a great meet-up. And I would have picked chocolate ice cream and waffles too!

>109 DeltaQueen50: They were! We were all quite full by the end of it. That was dinner! ;) And yes they are very nice books. I love the British Library Crime Classics editions.

>110 mstrust: It was! I chose that dish because it had been in the running when I went there for brunch with my friend on Saturday. A good choice.

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This is a great Canadian mystery series and I recommend it.

One or the Other: An Eddie Dougherty Mystery, by John McFetridge
Category: Thorne
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/132499543

Save your neck / Or save your brother / Looks like it's / One or the other
-- The Band, "The Shape I'm In"

A great title for a great book. This series gets better and better with each installment. It was particularly interesting to read about the 1976 Olympics while the 2016 Olympics were on. And for those whose hearts are in Montreal, this book is packed with local colour and details, and clever use of French. Can't wait for the next one (even though this one literally just came out this month).

Those desserts all look so good! I'd have had a hard time choosing. And I think I'll take a BB on that series. Might see if they have the first one at the library. I think I still have a couple of places left in my "1st in a series" category.

ETA: Nope - Seems like the ILL only has book 2. Strange.

Wow. Those look like some good eats!

>108 rabbitprincess:
I'll take one of each, please!

I think I've taken a WB (waffle bullet). That looks AMAZING.

Sounds like you all had a great LT summit! The desserts look fabulous (I'll have the strawberry shortcake snifter, please!). And three British Library Crime Classics. I too love them.

>112 dudes22: That is weird that even ILL has only book 2! But to be honest I have read only 2 and 3 in full. I started book 1 at a time when I was super distracted and didn't get a chance to finish it. However, I don't think I missed out *that* much. You might be able to jump right in with 2.

>113 andreablythe: They were! Paruline and I also had milkshakes (mint chocolate for her, dark chocolate for me).

>114 -Eva-: We were all so full afterward. Not as full as the time we went to Oh So Good and had enormous slices of cheesecake, but definitely in an "I don't need dinner" mood.

>115 Jackie_K: I liked the swirly chocolate, too! How on earth did they get it to look like that?

>116 VivienneR: The LT summit comes but once a year, so I figured why not. Also, I'd picked up The Nature of the Beast for my mum, so I figured anything else I bought was a justifiable reward for being nice to my mother ;)

I love the summit pics. It looks like you had a great day. If I ever make it to that part of Canada, I'll have to plan my trip to coincide with a summit!

Your mention of Mrs. Pollifax reminds me that it's been a while since I treated myself to one of those books. I need a book about a female spy for my Bingo Pup, and I have Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station in my TBR stash. I'll pencil it in for the Eastern Asia month in the GeoCAT.

What a lovely picture of all of you! Love being able to see what everyone looks like. Sounds like a really fun day.

And a great time was had by all!

>118 cbl_tn: Yes! Or we can always arrange an in-between summit :)

Good thinking! I read Mrs. Pollifax on Safari for the first edition of the GeoCAT. She is very good for filling in those geography blanks!

>119 LittleTaiko: Thanks! It was a fun day. It was also disgustingly hot, so the milkshakes and ice cream were very refreshing.

>120 mysterymax: It sure was!! :D

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Catching up with some reviews.

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, by Wayne Johnston
Category: South Riding
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/132739607

The story of Joseph Smallwood, Newfoundland's first premier when it became part of Canada in 1949. It's a big book but it goes by quickly. The NAC is putting on a stage version of it, so I will be interested to see how they tackle it.

Each Man's Son, by Hugh MacLennan
Category: South Riding
Source: gift from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/72619756

MacLennan's fourth novel and an excellent companion piece to Twenty-Six, by Leo McKay Jr, as both books involve mining towns. One of the characters is a prize fighter so there are some gross descriptions of boxing injuries, but overall this is a great book. I'd recommend at least reading Barometer Rising first, though.

The Viking Symbol Mystery, by Franklin W. Dixon
Category: Our Mutual Friend
Source: library book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/116423054

Very glad that the RandomCAT for August allowed me to pick up this Hardy Boys book, which involves them camping out in the Northwest Territories on the trail of a Viking rune stone (...don't ask). It is bananas and contains some Canadian geography/cultural howlers. The book itself is probably a 2 in terms of quality, but I gave it an extra star because I was cracking up at the sheer nuttiness of it all.

Hardy Boys book, which involves them camping out in the Northwest Territories on the trail of a Viking rune stone (...don't ask). It is bananas and contains some Canadian geography/cultural howlers.

That really makes me want to read it! :)

>122 VivienneR: I had intended to read it and give it away and ended up liking it more than I thought! But I do need the space. So I would be happy to send it to you, rather than just have it go to the library sale. PM me if you're interested :)

A big thank you for the offer, that's so nice of you. However, the local library has this title so I'll pick it up sometime (I'm intrigued by a Viking rune stone in the NWT). Let some youngster have the joy of a new HB title from your library book sale. My son was a big HB fan when he was young. I must ask him about it, I'll bet he remembers this one.

>124 VivienneR: No worries, thought I'd ask :) I'll hang onto it for a little bit longer. Maybe it will go to next year's sale.

I'd be interested to hear whether your son remembers that one! Ask him what his favourite was. Mine is probably The Mystery of Cabin Island.

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We've had a couple of cool mornings this week; the overnight lows were almost at single digits! This makes it a bit difficult to dress for a 10-degree morning and a 27-degree afternoon, but I am welcoming the idea of being cold! Of course the humidity will pour back in later this week, annoyingly.

Also went for lunch with friends. The food and company were most enjoyable, but the buses to get there were not (I had to wait 25 mins for a bus because the midday service in the summer is terrible), nor were the wasps that decided they wanted to drink my beer. We ended up going inside but not before a wasp actually managed to land in my beer and drown itself. (My friend fished it out and I drank the rest of the pint as quickly as possible.) It was very annoying -- the wasps were non-existent last year, when we visited that same restaurant and ate on that same patio three times over the course of the summer. Something must be making them more populous this year.

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And last Saturday was what is believed to be the Tragically Hip's final concert. The lead singer, Gord Downie, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a brain tumour. It's the aggressive type and he's had surgery for it, but it is sadly likely to recur. They decided to continue with their tour to promote their latest album, and it's turned into something of a wake for Gord while he's still here to enjoy it. CBC broadcast the show commercial-free (interrupting their Olympics coverage to do so), which was being held in Kingston (the band's hometown). A friend of mine who is from there went down to watch the show in the square near the arena, while I watched at home. It was a momentous occasion. They played for three hours and Gord's energy and will and determination (and grace, too*) were amazing. According to the ratings, nearly 1/3 of the country tuned in, and donations to the Sunnybrook Foundation's Gord Downie fund skyrocketed in the two days following the Kingston show.

*I've seen several articles making this exact Hip reference so cannot take credit for it.

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Reading is a bit slower these days as I am back to occasional telework. I don't read as much when I'm not commuting! But I did finish another boat book.

Take, Burn or Destroy, by S. Thomas Russell
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/132489330

This is the third book in the Charles Hayden series. Lots of developments and a surprising one on the personal front (or rather, it didn't go the way I expected it to go, at least for now... but that could be a good thing). On a side note, after the Tragically Hip show I've had their song "Nautical Disaster" stuck in my head on an almost continuous loop. This made a very interesting soundtrack.

>100 rabbitprincess: I enjoyed reading your thoughts on What's Bred in the Bone. I'll be interested in hearing what you think of the third book of the trilogy, if/when you get around to it. I thought it tied together well the plotlines and characters of the first two novels.

>125 rabbitprincess: I watched the Tragically Hip concert with my family and friends at home. There was a big turnout in our city's public square, where they showed it on a big screen. Great concert ... brought back memories. My favourite line is from Fireworks, "Next to your comrades in the National Fitness Program, caught in some eternal flexed arm hang," as I'm old enough to remember that awful requirement from the Participaction program!

>126 mathgirl40: I might take it with me over the Labour Day weekend when I go visit my parents. Train rides are excellent for reading and I always get a lot done. It will be interesting to see how it all ties up and how Davies chooses to tell this part of the story.

That's a great lyric! One of my favourites for some reason is "When she saw that nickel stack, she whistled hard and I whistled back" from Thompson Girl. It pops into my head at the strangest times. Also, I love the line in Bobcaygeon about how "the sky was dull and hypothetical, and falling one cloud at a time".

>127 rabbitprincess: Those are great lines. Watching the concert reminded me of how incredible a lyricist Gord Downie is.

>125 rabbitprincess: I'm sorry you might be losing your favorite band. : (

>128 mathgirl40: And an incredible vocalist! I saw a YouTube video of Blue Rodeo covering "Bobcaygeon" at their show that same night, and it was a great cover but I always find Hip covers just don't sound 100% right. Nobody can really imitate Gord's voice!

>129 mstrust: It is a tough time for many music fans across the country. The assumption is that this will be the final tour, although nobody's said anything definitive on that matter. I am just glad that they were able to do the tour and give Gord a proper send-off. I have also enjoyed rediscovering their work.

The Hip are right up there in my music pantheon, but my all-time favourite band is Blue Rodeo. Fortunately they are not going anywhere anytime soon *knocks on all available wooden surfaces*

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Finally read one of my Book Spa books from last year!

The Gospel of Loki, by Joanne M. Harris
Category: South Riding
Source: Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights, Bath, England
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/121627809

This book was suggested by the bibliotherapist based on a chance remark I made about enjoying retellings of myths. This one tells the usual Norse myths from the perspective of Loki. I found it amusing, and it has a great cover! Now I want to reread the original myths again (even though I think I read the Myths of the Norsemen only two years ago...). Maybe instead of Roger Lancelyn Green I'll track down another collection?

I rather like Loki (and most of the trickster spirits/gods), so The Gospel of Loki sounds like something I'd be into.

>131 andreablythe: Hope you like it! Haha I felt like Tom Hiddleston should narrate the audio version ;)

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Managed to power through this in a couple of days in a haze of "Yikes, this is due back at the library and I can't renew it!"

Dead Ground in Between, by Maureen Jennings
Category: The Other Boleyn Girl
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/133530468

A bit meh for me in terms of the actual mystery. Probably a bit too much going on. The setting is still good, though, so I'm not about to abandon the series just yet.

>132 rabbitprincess: I hate when you can't renew.

>133 VictoriaPL: Same! If it's a new release I understand, but what really annoys me is when I have an older book out and think I can renew it, only to discover someone has placed a hold on it! Gah! (Granted, I probably do that to other people, so it all evens out.)

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Took it easy yesterday and flipped through a nice big coffee-table book.

Photograph, by Ringo Starr
Category: The Hollow Crown
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/133721641

Some really great photos here, especially the more unguarded shots of the Beatles. My only criticism is that it isn't long enough! A Volume 2 would be great ;)

>134 rabbitprincess: When I place a hold on a library book I always wonder if the present reader will have finished it in time - but then I go ahead and place the hold anyway :)

I loved Ringo Starr's book too! It was so unpretentious and friendly, like looking at an album over his shoulder.

Hey! Do you still want to read The Game of Kings in September? (That was you I talked about it with, right?!) I'm still up for it and will probably start at the beginning of the month.

>135 VivienneR: Yes I must admit I am pretty thoughtless about library holds ;) Ah well, I should be happy that lots of people are using the library! And yes that is exactly how Ringo's book felt. I have already instructed my parents to buy themselves a copy so they can enjoy it too (and I can flip through it again).

>136 japaul22: Yes, we had discussed The Game of Kings! Thanks for the reminder. I'll probably start after the Labour Day weekend because I'm hoping to use the long weekend to FINALLY finish the Robertson Davies trilogy I'm reading. Should we create a thread for it or just chat amongst ourselves?

>137 rabbitprincess: I could go either way on having a thread. It's hard to know with historical fiction how much there will be to talk about during the reading. Sometimes those just roll along. I'd love for others to join in, though, if anyone's interested, so in that way a thread would be better.

I'm also in the middle of a few books, but one is going quickly, so I'll probably start this weekend.

OK, I could probably start a thread in the next day or so. :)

>136 japaul22:, 137 Thanks for the reminder that I want to reread some Dorothy Dunnett this year. I hope you like The Game of Kings :)

>125 rabbitprincess:
I've never heard of The Tragically Hip before, but I've been listening on youtube a while now, and I'll be heading over to my local record store after work, for sure!

>140 leslie.98: Looking forward to it!

>141 -Eva-: Yay! My favourite album is one of their earlier ones, Road Apples. :)

>142 rabbitprincess:
Great, I'll see if they have that one. Thanks!

>143 -Eva-: Another safe bet would probably be their greatest hits as chosen by the fans, Yer Favourites.

Halfway through the Martin Beck series!

The Fire Engine that Disappeared, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö (not sure of translator)
Category: Our Mutual Friend -- September RandomCAT
Source: library book sale
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/70474039

Pretty good, but The Laughing Policeman is still my favourite.

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And now it's time for the AUGUST RECAP

No overriding theme this month, other than a few more CanCon titles in the middle of the month. Total books read: 15.

The Prince, by Niccolò Machiavelli (translated by Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa)
Black and Blue, by Ian Rankin
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
Brace for Impact: Air Crashes and Aviation Safety, by Peter Pigott
Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist, by Dorothy Gilman (reread)
One or the Other, by John McFetridge
The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, by Wayne Johnston
Each Man's Son, by Hugh MacLennan
The Viking Symbol Mystery, by Franklin W. Dixon
Take, Burn or Destroy, by S. Thomas Russell
The Gospel of Loki, by Joanne M. Harris
Dead Ground in Between, by Maureen Jennings
Photograph, by Ringo Starr
The Fire Engine that Disappeared, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
Making a Point: The Pernickety Story of English Punctuation, by David Crystal

My favourite book of the month was Brace for Impact: Air Crashes and Aviation Safety, by Peter Pigott. The strong Canadian focus made this book about accident investigation particularly enjoyable.

My least favourite book is hard to pick because I didn't have any books lower than 3 stars. I guess Dead Ground in Between, by Maureen Jennings, left me feeling the most disgruntled. The series has been fairly reliable, so to have a more lacklustre installment was disappointing.

I read only three of the books I originally had on the library shelf this month. The rest went back to the library due to lack of time. I did end up buying Agatha Christie's Murder in the Making for myself, so I will read that one eventually.

I read both books scheduled for August. Go me!

Currently reading

The Cornish Trilogy, by Robertson Davies -- Planning to start The Lyre of Orpheus this weekend; a long train ride should be the perfect time to get stuck into it.
Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East, by Scott Anderson -- Borrowed from Ben's dad aaaaages ago. Reading a chapter at a time on weekends.
L'anglais n'est pas une langue magique, by Jacques Poulin -- A sequel of sorts to La traduction est une histoire d'amour. I borrowed this from a friend. Ended up reading about half of it on the bus today in between my various appointments.
Little Black Classics Great Fire of London, by Samuel Pepys -- Excerpts from Pepys's diary regarding the plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of 1666. It's the 350th anniversary of the fire this year, so a timely occasion to read this.
The Sea Detective, by Mark Douglas-Home -- First in a series about oceanographer/detective Cal McGill. Interesting premise. We'll see how it goes.

September plans

I read my September RandomCAT book early -- The Fire Engine that Disappeared, by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, translated by an unnamed-in-my-edition translator. However, I do plan to continue the theme by reading The Troubled Man, by Henning Mankell, translated by Laurie Thompson.

Also on tap is a shared read of The Game of Kings, by Dorothy Dunnett. I'll be reading along with @japaul22, so feel free to join us! https://www.librarything.com/topic/231015

On my library shelves this month:

Smallwood: The Unlikely Revolutionary, by Richard Gwyn
Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation, by Elissa Stein
Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919, by Stephen Puleo
Swords of Good Men, by Snorri Kristjanson (Valhalla Saga #1)
The Discovery of the Bismarck, by Robert D. Ballard
In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette, by Hampton Sides
A Magnificent Obsession: Victoria, Albert and the Death That Changed the British Monarchy, by Helen Rappaport
Under the Black Flag: The Romance and Reality of Life Among the Pirates, by David Cordingly
The Falls, by Ian Rankin (Rebus #12) (I might borrow my mum's copy instead and return this to the library)
In Gallant Company, by Alexander Kent (Bolitho #5 chronological, #2 publication)

I am also working my way through the hilarious TV series "Moone Boy" and have season 3 of "Endeavour" to look forward to :)

If you read the Vintage Crime/Black Lizard edition of The Fire Engine that Disappeared (cover below), then it was translated by Joan Tate.

>146 leslie.98: I think that's the edition I have shelved on Goodreads because I couldn't find the one I actually have (and couldn't be bothered to add it manually). Mine is a Sphere Books paperback edition, ISBN 0722187963.

Another language book! This would have been perfect reading for June's DeweyCAT.

Making a Point: The Pernickety Story of English Punctuation, by David Crystal (or "Persnickety" depending on which edition you have)
Category: The Deal
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: http://www.librarything.com/review/133236358

I really enjoyed this book. It's 4 stars for most of the content and an extra 1/2 star for the discussion on how to teach punctuation in a way that will help people make sense of the system and use it confidently. I don't teach, but I do edit other people's writing, so I can see myself applying those ideas when explaining punctuation-related edits.

I like the idea of including the name of the translator in book reviews. I'm going to shamelessly copy you, if you don't mind.

>149 RidgewayGirl: As a translator I approve most heartily of your stealing this idea.

I approve of the bumping of translator roles as well - I've done a little bit "on the side" and it is extremely difficult work.

>151 -Eva-: And literary translation seems like it would be the most difficult of all, because it's not just a question of content -- you have to make sure the author's style and voice come through! I translate things for which no literary flair is required (technical stuff).

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I have had a very bookish/cultured weekend. On Friday I went to the Art Gallery of Ontario to see the Lawren Harris exhibit "The Idea of North", curated by Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin). Because Lawren Harris is not news to people in Canada, the AGO bookended Martin's curation with sections about Harris's early work in "The Ward", an area of Toronto where the current City Hall now stands, and what the Ward looks like today. It was very interesting and always nice to see Harris paintings.

Saturday I went to see Matilda: The Musical at the Mirvish Theatre with a friend. This was my second time seeing it (I saw it in London at the Cambridge Theatre) and it was just as fun as before. And before the show we did some shopping. Naturally this included a visit to BMV, and even more naturally this meant two Doctor Who novels followed me home:

Ten Little Aliens, by Stephen Cole (First Doctor)
Amorality Tale, by David Bishop (Third Doctor)

Yesterday we took a day trip to Parry Sound, a small town of about 6500 permanent residents in the heart of cottage country. The object of our visit was Bearly Used Books, an amazing bookstore that probably contains several times more books than the town contains permanent residents. We brought a box of books to trade in for store credit, which we promptly spent (and then some) before leaving. And by we I mean mostly me. This is what I got:

Murder on the Minnesota, by Conrad Allen (Dillman and Masefield #3)
The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook, by Franklin W. Dixon
Death Under Sail, by C.P. Snow
Trouble Follows Me, by Ross Macdonald
The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald (Lew Archer #9)
Gideon's Staff, by J.J. Marric (Gideon #5)
Murder on the Mauretania, by Conrad Allen (Dillman and Maseefield #2)
The Longest Day, by Cornelius Ryan
The Navigator of New York, by Wayne Johnston
The Cruel Sea, by Nicholas Monsarrat
47 Sorrows, by Janet Kellough (Thaddeus Lewis #3)

I was even able to find a John Dickson Carr that my friend didn't have: Poison in Jest. (She gave me a whole list of titles to look for.)

I also picked up Blood on the Tongue, by Stephen Booth (Fry and Cooper #3), but I am considering that my mum's book because she expressed interest in reading it too ;)

My mum got a copy of Wolf Hall, selecting from the several copies available, and a coffee table book about Mary Stuart's Scotland.

So all in all a successful weekend! I am leaving some of the books at my parents' place, bringing only the Doctor Whos and the last four of the main list because they were on my TBR list already. I have to do some reshuffling of the bookshelves to make room for more acquisitions.

>152 rabbitprincess: What an amazing haul! And the bookstore sounds lovely.

>152 rabbitprincess: That sounds like a brilliant bookshop - not unlike Barter Books (if you like you can take some books in for credit, although I've never done that to date). And that's a great haul!

I think you get the prize for most fun weekend!

That sounds like my idea of a perfect day. A roadtrip to a bookstore with the bonus of getting a pile of good books!

>153 MissWatson: I was very impressed with what I found. Because it's in cottage country, I didn't know how many gems I'd find among the tired old thrillers that make up a lot of cottage library fare.

>154 Jackie_K: I spent all of the store credit and paid some overflow. Well spent. :)

>155 mstrust: It was a pretty fun weekend! I need another weekend to recover though!

>156 DeltaQueen50: And the weather was excellent, too! We were also glad to visit the bookstore at the tail end of cottage season. The place must be heaving in July and August!

****

Heading home now and reading The Secret Agent on my iPad. Finding it hard to get into but it is at least being told in standard third person, rather than five levels of quote like in Heart of Darkness.

Tomorrow I will probably start a little thread to close out the year.

>152 rabbitprincess: Nice haul! I need to take some more books to McKays. I've still got credit there, but it never hurts to have more.

Great weekend! Plus a great haul of books! I vote we put you in charge of entertainment.

>158 thornton37814: An excellent plan! The clerk at the bookstore asked if we had credit with them from a previous occasion, and my dad said, "No, we usually spend it all before we leave the store." This visit was no exception.

>159 VivienneR: My first act as entertainment coordinator is to stage a musical. Blackpool, anyone?



Putting up a new thread. Stay tuned.

EDIT: follow the continuation link for Part 4! It's now open for business.