DeltaQueen Threads Her Way Through 2016 - Part 7

Welcome to my 2016 Category Challenge thread, Part 6. My name is Judy and I live in the suburbs of Vancouver, B.C. Reading is my passion and I read many different types of books, both fiction and non-fiction. This is my seventh year participating in the Category Challenge and I find the planning and sorting of books really fits my style of reading. I have enjoyed every year and 2016 is continuing the fun of great reading, good discussions and friendly banter. So pull up a chair and get comfortable as I aim some book bullets in your direction!

Since we here communicate by way of threads, I thought I would use the 2016 category challenge to pay homage to this colourful image to name each of my categories. I still like the idea of having a lot of themes so have gone with the full 16. I plan to read at least 9 (2 + 0 + 1 + 6 = 9) books in each category for a total of 144 books but I will probably end up with more than 9 books in most categories.

Actually I have reached my 9 books in each category goal, but as all my reading seems to fit easily into these categories, I will just continue on until year-end.



October looks to be a very good month for me. The pictures that I opened my thread with are from a resort called Point No Point on Vancouver Island. It's my birthday on October 4th and my husband and I are going to take a couple of days and chill out at this fantastic place where we can walk the beaches, curl up by the fireplace, read some books and de-stress. The cabins are right above the pounding surf that you can see in picture one, snuggled in among the trees.

I am also going to have my very first LT meetup in early October as Roberta (luvamystery65) will be coming to Victoria, and she, Lori (Ikernaugh) and I are setting up a meeting!

2016 CHALLENGE CATEGORIES



A. Threads of Mystery: This is where I will place mysteries and crime stories

B. Matched Threads: Series books will fit here

C. Vintage Threads: When it comes to vintage, my choice is often a mystery. This will be a place for my well-aged mysteries

D. Hanging By A Thread: This will be a category for adventure or thriller reads.

E. Colorful Threads: A place for YA and Children’s Literature

F. Threads of Love: Family Sagas and Romance will find a home here

G. Tangled Threads: Books that are set during a time of conflict or war

H. Fiber Optic Threads: Science Fiction

I. Magic Threads: Fantasy

J. Dark Threads: Dystopian, Apocalyptic, Horror

K. Thread Count: Thread Count must be absolutely accurate when labelling an item. This sounds like the perfect place for the truth that non-fiction reads will bring to me. There could be some DeweyCats listed here.

L. Designer Threads: Award Winners & Nominees, Books From Lists.

M. Threads of Time: Historical Fiction as determined by the Reading Through Time Group and other reads

N. Threads of Silk & Gold: Hope to find a few treasures in my Global Reading. Many of my GeoCat reads will be found here.

O. Threads of Fate: Randomly generated books by using the Folly button on LT. As I list all my TBR and wish lists here on LT, I will pick a book each month using this method. I have borrowed this idea from KatieKrug.

P. Random Threads: Reader’s Choice. Books that don’t fit in other categories.

Tickers

Books Read:




Pages Read:




Books From My Own Shelves:

Threads of Mystery - Police Procedurals/Mysteries



Books Read

1. Stonemouth by Iain Banks - 4.2 ★
2. Hear No Evil by Georgie Hale - 2.5 ★
3. Birthdays For the Dead by Stuart MacBride - 3.3 ★
4. Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth - 3.5 ★
5. Death At La Fenice by Donna Leon - 3.2 ★
6. The End of the Night by John D. MacDonald - 3.7 ★
7. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith - 4.1 ★
8. Tomato Red by Daniel Woodrell - 4.0 ★
9. The Never List by Koethi Zan - 3.0 ★

Category Completed

10. Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekback - 3.9 ★
11. Loving Geordie by Andrea Badenoch - 4.5 ★
12. Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon - 3.3 ★
13. The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins - 4.2 ★
14. Clandestine by James Ellroy - 3.7 ★
15. The Price of Guilt by Margaret Yorke - 4.1 ★

Matched Threads - Series



Books Read

1. Buried Strangers by Leighton Gage - 3.8 ★
2. Junkyard Dogs by Craig Johnson - 4.3 ★
3. The Meanest Flood by John Baker - 4.1 ★
4. Ill Wind by Nevada Barr - 3.4 ★
5. Skin by Mo Hayder - 3.8 ★
6. Children of the Revolution by Peter Robinson - 4.0 ★
7. The Snack Thief by Andrea Camilleri - 4.0 ★
8. The End Of The Wasp Season by Denise Mina - 4.5 ★
9. The Wrong Kind of Blood by Declan Hughes - 4.2 ★

Category Completed

10. The Treasure of the Golden Cheetah by Suzanne Arruda - 3.6 ★
11. Kissed A Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie - 4.0 ★
12. Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo - 4.0 ★

Vintage Threads - Well Aged Mysteries



Books Read

1. The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn by Colin Dexter - 3.3 ★
2. The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett - 3.6 ★
3. Night Has A Thousand Eyes by Cornell Woolrich - 4.1 ★
4. The Thirteen Problems by Agatha Christie - 4.1 ★
5. Have His Carcase by Dorothy Sayers - 4.2 ★
6. The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie - 3.5 ★
7. Police At The Funeral by Margery Allingham - 3.8 ★
8. One Two Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie - 4.1 ★
9. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie - 4.3 ★

Category Completed

10. A Question of Proof by Nicholas Blake - 3.6 ★
11. The Price of Murder by John D. MacDonald - 3.8 ★
12. Leave Her To Heaven by Ben Ames Williams - 5.0 ★
13. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie - 4.0 ★

Hanging By A Thread - Adventure/Thriller Reads



Books Read

1. Roosevelt's Beast by Louis Bayard - 3.4 ★
2. Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan - 3.8 ★
3. Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household - 4.5 ★
4. The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig - 3.2 ★
5. Three Rode Together by Ben Bridges & Steve Hayes - 2.6 ★
6. The Queen of the South by Arturo Perez-Reverte - 4.0 ★
7. The Captive Wife by Fiona Kidman - 4.0 ★
8. A Far Off Place by Laurens Van Der Post - 4.1 ★
9. Night of the Comanche Moon by T.T. Flynn - 3.5 ★

Category Completed

10. Lost Canyon by Nina Revoyr - 3.8 ★

Colorful Threads - YA & Children's Literature



Books Read

1. Darkness Be My Friend by John Marsden - 4.0 ★
2. Revolution by Deborah Wiles - 5.0 ★
3. Gatty's Tale by Kevin Crossley-Holland - 4.2 ★
4. Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo - 3.8 ★
5. Lassie Come-Home by Eric Knight - 4.0 ★
6. Red Glass by Laura Resau - 4.2 ★
7. Dunger by Joy Cowley - 4.0 ★
8. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson - 4.2 ★
9. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie - 4.2 ★

Category Completed

10. Storm-Blast by Curtis Parkinson - 3.2 ★
11. Breathe: A Ghost Story by Cliff McNish - 2.5 ★
12. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame - 4.0 ★
13. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle - 3.8 ★

Threads of Love - Family Sagas/Romance



Books Read

1. Bath Tangle by Georgette Heyer - 3.8 ★
2. The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys - 5.0 ★
3. The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan - 4.2 ★
4. Celebrations in Burracombe by Lilian Harry - 4.0 ★
5. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn - 3.6 ★
6. Blood Sisters by Barbara & Stephanie Keating - 4.2 ★
7. At Home In Thrush Green by Miss Read - 4.0 ★
8. A Durable Fire by Barbara & Stephanie Keating - 4.0 ★
9. Rilla of Ingleside by L. M. Montgomery - 4.0 ★

Category Complete

10. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon - 3.6 ★
11. Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery - 2.5 ★
12. The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas - 3.9 ★
13. In Borrowed Light by Barbara & Stephanie Keating - 3.9 ★

Tangled Threads - Conflict/War



Books Read

1. The Watch by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya - 4.3 ★
2. Elkhorn Tavern by Douglas C. Jones - 4.1 ★
3. Girl At War by Sara Novic - 3.7 ★
4. Where The Heart Is by Annie Groves - 3.4 ★
5. Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang - 4.1 ★
6. War Brides by Helen Bryan - 3.2 ★
7. Other Times by Leslie Thomas - 3.8 ★
8. The Sepoy Mutiny by V.A. Stuart - 3.4 ★
9. Sink The Shigure by R. Cameron Cooke - 3.6 ★

Category Complete

10. The Far Side of the Sky by Daniel Kalla - 3.9 ★
11. The Attack by Yasminda Khadra - 3.3 ★
12. The Eye In The Door by Pat Barker - 4.1 ★

Fiber Optic Threads - Science Fiction



Books Read

1. The Martian by Andy Weir - 4.3 ★
2. Pelquin's Comet by Ian Whates - 4.5 ★
3. Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes - 5.0 ★
4. Conflict of Honors by Sharon Lee & Steve Miller - 4.1 ★
5. Brothers In Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.1 ★
6. Way Station by Clifford D. Simak - 3.8 ★
7. Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson - 3.5 ★
8. Breathe by Sarah Crossan - 2.5 ★
9. These Broken Stars by Ami Kaufman - 4.0 ★

Category Completed

10. Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold - 4.5 ★
11. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes - 4.5 ★
12. Carpe Diem by Sharon Lee - 4.0 ★

Magic Threads - Fantasy



Books Read

1. Jack of Fables, Vol. 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Willingham - 4.1 ★
Jack of Fables, Vol. 2: Jack of Hearts by Bill Willingham - 4.1 ★
Jack of Fables, Vol. 3: Bad Prince by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
2. The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie - 5.0 ★
3. Fables, Vol. 13: The Great Fables Crossover by Bill Willingham - 4.1 ★
Fables, Vol. 14: Witches by Bill Willingham - 3.9 ★
Jack of Fables, Vol. 7: The New Adventures of Jack And Jack by Bill Willingham - 4.0 ★
4. Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch - 4.1 ★
5. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs - 4.0 ★
6. The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch - 4.2 ★
7. Journey To The Center of Earth by Jules Verne - 3.4 ★
8. The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Anne Noble - 3.0 ★
9. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison - 4.2 ★

Category Completed

10. Princess of the Silver Woods by Jessica Day George - 3.7 ★
11. Foxmask by Juliet Marillier - 4.5 ★

Dark Threads - Dystopian, Apocalyptic, Horror



Books Read

1. Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick - 3.3 ★
2. The Twelve by Justin Cronin - 3.9 ★
3. Wool by Hugh Howey - 5.0 ★
4. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer - 3.0 ★
5. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - 5.0 ★
6. Shadows by Ilsa J. Bick - 3.4 ★
7. Allegiant by Veronica Roth - 2.5 ★
8. Beyond Exile by J.L. Bourne - 3.8 ★
9. Until the End of the World by Sarah Lyons Fleming - 4.3 ★

Category Completed

10. Deadline by Mira Grant - 3.8 ★
11. So Long Lollipops by Sarah Lyons Fleming - 4.0 ★
12. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - 4.0 ★
13. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing - 4.5 ★
14. Autumn: The City by David Moody - 3.8 ★

Thread Count - Non Fiction



Books Read

1. Book Lust To Go by Nancy Pearl - 4.0 ★
2. Lost in Shangri-La by Mitchell Zuckoff - 4.1 ★
3. Resistance: A Woman's Journal of Struggle and Defiance in Occupied France by Agnes Humbert - 3.7 ★
4. Dior by Alexandra Palmer - 3.4 ★
5. Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery by Robert Kolker - 4.5 ★
6. Lama by Derek Tangye - 3.5 ★
7. The Johnstown Flood by Willis Johnson - 3.8 ★
8. The Garden of the Gods by Gerald Durrell - 4.0 ★
9. Trials and Tribulations: A Memoir of Volunteering in the Gambia by Cassie Bryant - 3.5 ★

Category Completed

10. Photograph by Ringo Starr - 3.8 ★
11. American On Purpose by Craig Ferguson - 4.1 ★
12. Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo - 5.0 ★
13. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America by Bill Bryson - 4.2 ★

Designer Threads - Award Winners & Nominees, Books on Lists



Books Read

1. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson - 5.0 ★
2. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi - 4.0 ★
3. City of Thieves by David Benioff - 4.5 ★
4. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad - 4.0 ★
5. Prayers For The Stolen by Jennifer Clement - 4.5 ★
6. The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell - 5.0 ★
7. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden - 5.0 ★
8. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan - 3.4 ★
9. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos - 4.1 ★

Category Completed

10. An Untamed State by Roxane Gay - 5.0 ★
11. Out Backward by Ross Raisin - 4.3 ★
12. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - 5.0 ★
13. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill - 5.0 ★
14. Ratking by Michael Dibdin - 4.2 ★

Threads of Time - Reading Through Time



Books Read

1. The Dog Master by W. Bruce Cameron - 5.0 ★
2. Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner - 4.5 ★
3. Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen - 4.1 ★
4. The Last Midwife by Sandra Dallas - 3.5 ★
5. Band of Angels by Julia Gregson - 3.0 ★
6. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon - 4.1 ★
7. The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott - 3.6 ★
8. Mister Teacher by Jack Sheffield - 4.0 ★
9. The Forever Queen by Helen Hollick - 4.1 ★

Category Completed

10. The Empress of Ice Cream by Anthony Capella - 4.2 ★
11. True Sisters by Sandra Dallas - 4.5 ★
12. A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott - 4.3 ★
13. The Falcons of Montabard by Elizabeth Chadwick - 4.0 ★

Threads of Silk & Gold - Global Reading



Books Read

1. A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam - 4.2 ★
2. And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini - 4.3 ★
3. Together Tea by Marjan Kamali - 3.3 ★
4. It Falls Into Place by Phyllis Shand Allfrey - 3.2 ★
5. Temple of a Thousand Faces by John Shors - 4.2 ★
6. The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville - 4.5 ★
7. Growing Up Wild in Trinidad by Gervase Bush - 2.7 ★
8. We Need New Names by Noviolet Bulawayo - 3.7 ★
9. Night of Many Dreams by Gail Tsukiyama - 4.0 ★

Category Completed

10. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie - 4.1 ★
11. Train To Pakistan by Khushwant Singh - 4.1 ★
12. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson - 4.0 ★
13. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - 5.0 ★

Threads of Fate



Books Read

1. Bad Penny Blues by Cathi Unsworth - 4.0 ★
2. Ragtime Cowboys by Loren D. Estleman - 4.0 ★
3. Witch Light by Susan Fletcher - 4.2 ★
4. Ice Moon by Jan Costin Wagner - 3.3 ★
5. Until You're Mine by Samantha Hayes - 3.0 ★
6. Dead Before Morning by Geraldine Evans - 3.3 ★
7. Never Look Away by Linwood Barclay - 3.8 ★
8. The Long And Faraway Gone by Lou Berney - 3.9 ★
9. Trumpets West! by Luke Short - 3.9 ★

Category Completed

10. Death By The Gaff by Vernon Loder - 4.0 ★
11. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - 4.5 ★
12. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - 4.2 ★

Random Threads



1. Fables, Volume 11: War & Pieces by Bill Willingham - 4.0 ★
Fables, Volume 12: The Dark Ages by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
2. Jack of Fables, Volume 4: Americana by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
Jack of Fables, Volume 5: Turning the Pages by Bill Willingham - 3.6 ★
Jack of Fables, Volume 6: The Big Book of War by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
3. Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat - 3.8 ★
4. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler - 4.0 ★
5. The Fade Out, Act 1 by Ed Brubaker - 4.2 ★
The Fade Out, Act 2 by Ed Brubaker - 4.1 ★
6. Fables, Volume 15: Rose Red by Bill Willingham - 4.0 ★
Jack of Fables, Volume 8: The Fulminate Blade by Bill Willingham - 3.4 ★
Jack of Fables, Volume 9: The End by Bill Willingham - 2.8 ★
7. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - 4.6 ★
8. The Walking Dead, Volume 23: Whispers Into Screams by Robert Kirkman - 4.1 ★
The Walking Dead, Volume 24: Life and Death by Robert Kirkman - 4.2 ★
9. Fables, Vol. 16: Super Team by Bill Willingham - 3.7
Fairest, Vol 1: Wide Awake by Bill Willingham - 4.0
Fairest, Vol. 2: The Hidden Kingdom by Lauren Beukes
Fairest, Vol. 3: The Return of the Maharaja by Sean E. Williams

Category Completed

10. Three Men In A Boat by Jerome K. Jerome - 4.2 ★
11. The Fade Out, Act 3 by Ed Brubaker - 4.1 ★
Fatale, Vol. 1:Death Chases Me by Ed Brubaker - 3.9 ★
Fatale, Vol. 2: The Devil's Business by Ed Brubaker - 4.0 ★
12. Fatale, Vol. 3:West of Hell by Ed Brubaker - 3.7 ★
Fatale, Vol. 4: Pray For Rain by Ed Brubaker - 4.1 ★
Fatale, Vol. 5: Curse the Demon by Ed Brubaker - 4.0 ★
13. Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson & Lumberjanes, Vol. 2: Friendship to the Max by Noelle Stevenson - 3.6 ★
14. Fables, Vol. 17: Inherit The Wind by Bill Willingham - 4.0 ★
Fables, Vol. 18: Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham - 2.5 ★
Fairest in All the Land by Bill Willingham - 4.0 ★
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson - 4.0 ★
15. Werewolves of the Heartland by Bill Willingham - 3.8 ★
1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham - 4.0 ★
Cinderella, Vol. 1: From Fabletown With Love by Chris Roberson - 4.0 ★
Cinderella, Vol 2: Fables Are Forever by Chris Roberson - 3.5 ★
16. The Dead Path by Stephen Irwin - 3.7 ★
17. Snapper by Brian Kimberling - 3.8 ★

2016 Reading Plans



I have found out over the years that I am not very good with planned group reads. I often say yes but when the time comes I have to bow out due to other commitments.

This year I will try not to do too much advance planning but I will definitely be participating in the 2016 Dewey, Geo and Random Cats as well as the BingoDog, Women BingoPup and the Monthly Alphabet Challenge. I also am very interested in participating, at least some of the time, in the Canadian Author Challenge although I didn't do very well with either the American or British Author Challenges of 2015.

Schedule

January:
February: Canadian Author Challenge - Helen Humphreys - The Lost Garden - Completed
March: Canadian Author Challenge - Farley Mowat - Never Cry Wolf - Completed
April: Hosting the Reading Through Time Monthly Theme - Women in War
May: Canadian Author Challenge - Emily St. John Mandel - Station Eleven - Completed
June: Canadian Author Challenge - Joseph Boyden - The Orenda - Completed
July: Canadian Author Challenge - L.M. Montgomery - Rilla of Ingleside - Completed
August: Hosting the GeoCat: Sub-Saharan Africa, Hosting the SFFF-Kit: Start a Series, Continue a Series
September: Hosting the DeweyCat: 700's
October: Canadian Author Challenge - Lawrence Hill - Someone Knows My Name
November: Hosting the RandomCat
December:

I took more spaces than I needed so here is a picture of the cabin that we have booked at Point No Point:

Happy new thread! I love the look of the cabin! It looks like a great place to read!

Happy new thread!
The cabin looks great and I'm sure you'll have a good visit!

Happy New Thread! I love the pictures in post #1 and I'm jealous of that cabin ( maybe covetous would be a better word). Damn - I think I've taken a vacation bullet. And how great about your LT meet-up. I've had a couple and I wish I could meet more people I converse with.

The cabin looks great. Happy new threads! I love them all.

>23 cbl_tn: It is a reader's paradise, Carrie. No TV so a fair amount of reading will hopefully be done.

>24 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer. I am excited for both .

>25 dudes22: This will be my first LT meetup and I am looking forward to it. What I didn't mention about the resort is it's restaurant! It's one of my favorites but unfortunately I don't think it will be open for dinner on the days we are going to be there. Luckily it will be open for lunch. :)

169. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie - 4.1 ★
Category: Threads of Silk and Gold
September RandomCat: Translated
TIOLI #8: Something on the Cover Has Me Seeing Red



Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie is set during the years of China’s Cultural Revolution. Two young men, the son of a doctor and a dentist, are sent to a remote mountain village for “re-education”. This re-education consists of being forced into backbreaking manual labor. The boys find they have a knack for storytelling and soon they are being given days off to walk to the nearest town, watch a movie and then return and recite this movie to the villagers. They also find that a fellow worker has a hidden cache of forbidden Western literature that, of course, includes Balzac.

They become involved with a local beauty, the daughter of the local tailor, and one of the boys reads Balzac to her and feels himself in love with her. The telling of these stories changes many lives in the book, but perhaps none so much as that of the Little Seamstress as she absorbs Balzac’s words that “a woman’s beauty is a treasure beyond price”.

Written as a poetic fable, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a layered, engaging story that expresses the power that literature can have over both the individual and the collective. Told in a cinematic style with one scene blending into another, this very visual story of friendship and the loss of innocence both charms and educates.

>26 BLBera: I missed you up there, Beth. Welcome, find a comfy spot and settle in. :)

Hi Judy:

Happy New Thread! The cabin looks wonderful, a true reader's paradise indeed.

Happy Saturday! Happy New Thread, Judy! LOVE those toppers. I am glad you enjoyed Balzac. It is such a good read.

I am visiting Walt Longmire in A Serpent's Tooth. Always a pleasure.

Happy new thread Judy! The cabin and the shore look wonderful -- have a good time there!

Happy new thread! The cottage pictures look great -- an excellent place to read.

Have a great meetup! I hope you will be buying lots of books at Russell Books for us to envy admire :D

Happy new thread! Love your thread topper. The cottage looks nice.

Happy new thread! It's always good to review what's gone before.

Everyone I've known who stayed at Point No Point loved it, and the cabin looks beautiful. Enjoy.

I took a bullet with Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress.

>30 lsh63: Hi Lisa. I am so looking forward to our mini-break, just a couple of days but I know I will feel rejuvenated when we return to civilization.

>31 msf59: Hi Mark. You are three ahead of me with the Longmire books, I need a visit with Walt and the gang! Of course the good news is that Season 5 of the Longmire show is coming to Netflicks this month!

>32 leslie.98: Thanks Leslie, the only problem I am having now is everytime I pick up a book I am setting it down again and thinking that I should save it until we go away. At this rate I'll be taking quite a stack of books!

>33 rabbitprincess: I'm not sure what or where we will be but it sure would be nice to take Ro to Russell Books or Monroe's!

>34 thornton37814: Hi Lori. It is a beautiful spot with hiking trails and beaches to explore and a fantastic restaurant to replace all those calories burnt on the hiking trails!

>35 VivienneR: Point No Point is a special place for sure, Vivienne. I think you will enjoy Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress it is beautifully written.

170. American On Purpose by Craig Ferguson - 4.1 ★
Category: Thread Count
September Dewey Cat: 700s
TIOLI #5: Title Starts With A Vowel



American on Purpose by entertainer Craig Ferguson is his moving and funny memoirs delivered in a straight forward style that starts literally at the beginning with his birth and upbringing in Glasgow, Scotland through to his success as a late night TV host. He doesn’t avoid the painful years of alcoholism and drug use, or his utter failure at his first two attempts at being a husband. I felt like writing this book was perhaps a type of therapy for him by letting him express and examine his demons.

I have long been a fan of his and this book only enforced that for me. I enjoyed learning how certain things came about in his life but the two things that remain with me from the reading of his book is how likable he is, both in person and in print, and how very lucky it is that he is still alive.

Overall I found American On Purpose to be funny, sincere and very well written. Craig Ferguson is a talented man, whether he’s playing the drums, being the host, doing stand-up comedy or writing a book.

>37 DeltaQueen50: Thumbs-up for your review! I enjoyed this book as well.

>37 DeltaQueen50: Craig Ferguson is largely unknown over here; despite living in Scotland for years I only heard of him via an American blogger I interacted with who was a big fan. I think I'd like to read this biography.

>38 rabbitprincess: RP, I thought of you when I was reading the parts of the book that mentioned Peter Capaldi!

>39 Jackie_K: Hi Jackie, I hope you do enjoy his book when you get to it. His younger years in the U.K. were spent as a drummer in various, largely unknown punk rock bands and doing some stand-up comedy, he didn't reach larger audiences until he was in America and was cast in the Drew Carey Sitcom.

The cabin for your get-away looks like a great place to relax. Hope you enjoy that and your first ever meet-up. If it wasn't on the Island I would be tempted to invite myself along so that I could finally have a meet-up too. The LTers who post about meet-ups make them sound like a great time. Remember to take photos and post them!

Happy new thread!

From the last thread: Some of the Fables spin offs sound like good fun. Since I finished the main storyline, it sounds like it would be a fun way to return to that world.

Also, love the Agatha Christie quote!

>41 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, I'm really looking forward to my first meet-up, it will be neat to put actual faces to people that I have only spoken with through print!

>42 andreablythe: Hi Andrea. I love the world of Fables, and it's great to see the series extended with these various spin-offs.

171. Kilmeny of the Orchard by L. M. Montgomery - 2.5 ★
Category: Threads of Love
September AlphaCat: M
TIOLI #2: The Title Describes a Woman or a Girl



Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery is a short, overly sweet love story about a young man who falls in love with a mute girl. This girl is Kilmeny, a great beauty but who never learned to speak. Due to the shortness of the book, the characters are never fully developed although we are told many times that the young man is rich and handsome whereas Kilmeny is described as perfection itself (although I found her to be rather naive and boring). They appear to fall in love with each other based solely on looks which makes the whole story seem shallow.

To my mind the most interesting character in the story was Neil. He was abandoned as a baby by Italian tinkers and raised along with Kilmeny by her aunt and uncle. He is also in love with her and takes it very badly when she falls in love with the young school master. He is treated much like a hired hand by the people who raised him and they also consider him having ideas above his station when they learn of his feelings for Kilmeny. I felt very sorry for this boy who grew up always being treated as a low class foreigner.

I found the whole “disabled girl who is able to miraculously speak perfectly when she needs to” very far-fetched. Unfortunately Kilmeny of the Orchard has neither the charm nor the humor of the Anne books to help the reader accept the improbable plot. This is one book that should have simply stayed up on the shelf.

I've been on vacation so I'm late to the party.... Happy New Thread! Hope your cabin stay and the LT meetup are both wonderful!

Hi Judy, it's been a while since I dropped in. Your escape destination looks beautiful. I'm sure you'll get plenty of reading in too, when you can pull your eyes away from the lovely view.

I like the sound of Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, it may end up on the Wishlist, I'm trying to resist but......

>44 DeltaQueen50: I vaguely remember that one not being as strong. It's been so long since I read all the Montgomery books though that I really don't remember specifics of individual books besides the Anne and Emily books. I think Jane of Lantern Hill may have been one of the stronger of the remainder. The short story collections were similar to just about any other short story collection--some were good, others not so much.

>45 VictoriaPL: I hope you had a great vacation, Victoria!

>46 Roro8: Hi Ro, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is a beautiful, and short book and well worth picking up.

>47 thornton37814: Hi Lori, I also remember liking Emily of New Moon a lot. I know I have read Jane of Lantern Hill and Pat of Silver Bush but don't remember either of them. I think I will give L.M. Montgomery a rest for now and then carry on with either Emily, Jane or Pat!

I remember reading American on Purpose, without even knowing who Ferguson was. It was such a good memoir. I have now caught his late show a few times.

>49 msf59: I find it strange that he isn't more well known. I've been a fan for years so I am biased but I think he deserves much more recognition than he gets.

Did anyone else wear themselves out following the pirate clues on LT yesterday? I finally found all 16 of the treasures but, man, did I ever give my brain a workout! If it hadn't of been for some very helpful clues supplied by other Lters there were a couple that I never would have found.

Drat! I forgot all about it!

>52 mamzel: I did too, but I did go to a Friends of the Library meeting and talk like a pirate. It made the budget report much more fun than usual!

>52 mamzel: That's too bad, they did extend the hours but I think it is either just about to close or has closed by now.

>53 clue: Even I, who hates the word "budget", could enjoy a budget meeting if everyone talked like a pirate!

>54 DeltaQueen50: I accidentally found that it was still open by tripping onto a page and managed to "find" 6 of the treasures. I earned a "corsair chest" medal for participating which was a pleasant surprise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kkdv-Z2eGE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0P--5knGIY

That's my favorite Craig Ferguson sketch. With bonus Ewan MacGregor! (it's in two parts.)

> 55 Good for you! I found some of those clues really difficult and never would have gotten them all without the bonus clues.

>56 RidgewayGirl: Kay, I love seeing Craig Ferguson and Ewan MacGregor together!

172. Death By The Gaff by Vernon Lodger - 4.0 ★
Category: Threads of Fate
TIOLI #4: A Word From the List of National Parks is in the Title



Death By The Gaff is written by Vernon Loder and is a golden age mystery that was originally published in 1932. The mystery revolves around a fly fishing resort on the banks of a river in North Wales. A very unlikeable guest’s body is found trapped in the river with strange wounds in his throat.
These wounds appear to have been made by a gaff, which is a huge hook attached to a long pole and is used to pull in large salmon. Just about everyone who came near this murdered man disliked him so there were plenty of suspects and the author made good use of this device making it difficult to decide which one of many was the guilty one.

I loved the setting of this remote hotel and the descriptions of the various pools along the river. Having grown up with a fly fishing father, I enjoyed all the references to that sport. Two of the guests played at being detective, and while they were likeable and intelligent, it was the slow, steady detecting done by the police inspector in charge of the case that eventually brought about the actual solution.

Overall I found Death By The Gaff to be a clever and fun read as it offers a little more than being just a simple “whodunnit”.

173. The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas - 3.9 ★
Category: Threads of Love
September GeoCat: Southern Asia
TIOLI #16: Author's Last Name Could be a First Name



Set amid the harsh beauty of the Himalayas and the lush Kashmir Valley, The Kashmir Shawl by Rosie Thomas spans decades in a dual story-line of two Welsh woman. Nerys Watkins has accompanied her missionary husband to India during the 1940’s and, in modern times, her granddaughter Mair is trying to learn more about her grandmother by tracing the source of a family heirloom, a beautiful Kashmir shawl.

It took me a little time to get into the rhythm of this book due to the jumping back and forth between the two story-lines but eventually the exotic setting and the interesting plot as well as the characters themselves drew me into the book. The two women were strong and independent and both story-lines were interesting. I found the descriptions of the lifestyles, particularly that of the British in 1940’s India as the British Raj was entering it’s final days quite fascinating.

The Kashmir Shawl is a romantic epic that mostly works in it’s effort to tell of love won and lost. I felt required to stretch my imagination over a couple of things, but the strength of the writing and the research, not to mention the romance, infidelities and scandals, ultimately won me over.

Hi, Judy! Love your thread topper photos. The cabin and its environs look incredibly peaceful!

Hi Terri, I am really looking forward to having a couple of days there.

174. The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins - 4.2 ★
Category: Threads of Mystery
TIOLI #1: A Word In The Title Is Repeated



The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins definitely took me on quite the ride. This was not an easy book to put down, the twists and turns kept the pages turning, but I was pretty much able to keep up with the author and so wasn’t surprised at the ending.

I won’t go into plot details in any depth as so much has been written about this book already. It’s a great character study of a group of dis-likeable, damaged people. I started the book with a certain amount of sympathy for Rachel, but, as with all drunks, she started to wear on me and I lost patience with her. As the layers kept getting peeled back and more and more of their lives were revealed, the reader becomes aware that no one in this book can be trusted, all are unreliable narrators. An alcoholic, a pathological liar, a cheat and homewrecker, a controlling and abusive husband, that only leaves the victim and she was a total mess! However, none of this took away from my enjoyment of the book, the author was in control of the whole proceeding and guided the story along at a great pace.

The Girl On The Train is a highly readable thriller and the fact that this is the author’s debut book is astonishing. Her ingenious take on the daily commute is original, the shifting perspectives keep the reader glued to the page and her skillful writing draws one into the story. I certainly don’t want to hang out with these characters, but they make for a very interesting read.

>59 DeltaQueen50: That one sounds interesting. I've added it to my public library wishlist!

Making a note to skip Kilmeny of the Orchard.

Happy Sunday, Judy. Hope you had a good weekend. Good review of The Girl on a Train. Thumb. I liked the book that too and I hope they do an admirable job with the film version.

>59 DeltaQueen50:, I've borrowed this one from the library multiple times but never managed to read it. Your review reminds me why I keep thinking of borrowing it again.

>62 DeltaQueen50: - This book was the big topic of book discussions with our group last year when we were on vacation. A couple of us hadn't yet read it, so I came home and read it. I just couldn't like it. The writing was excellent, I agree, and the story drew me in, but the characters were so dislikable. I think at the time I compared it to Gone Girl which I was one of the few who didn't like that either.

>63 cbl_tn: Carrie, when it comes to L.M. Montgomery I find her books can either charm me as in Anne of Green Gables or bore me as in Kilmeny of the Orchard. I will eventually continue with reading more of her books, but I am going to put some time between Kilmeny and my next read of hers.

>64 msf59: Hi Mark, thanks for the thumb. I can well imagine that The Girl on the Train will transfer to film quite easily as it read very much like a movie script.

>65 Roro8: I think it's the kind of book that you will know fairly quickly whether you are going to enjoy or not. All the characters are terrible people and if that gives you a problem than it might be better to put the book aside as these characters just keep getting worse as the book goes on!

>66 dudes22: I think a lot of people feel that way about the book, Betty. And I would say that if you are not a fan of Gone Girl than mostly likely you won't care for this book either.

Yes, needing to like a character in a book does rule out books like Gone Girl or Girl on the Train. I enjoyed it when I read Girl on the Train and I'll enjoy watching the movie when it makes it to my television screen.

>67 DeltaQueen50: My mother and I saw a trailer for Girl on the Train in theaters and she turned to me and said (and this might spoil Gone Girl so beware) "that reminds me of that horrible film where the girl slits the guy's throat when they were having sex"! LOL. It's funny that even folks that haven't read the novels can pick up on such similarities with even just a trailer to work with.

Good evening, DeltaQueen50! I've been on vacation for a couple of weeks. Happy new thread! I hope all is well with you. I hope to a couple of more reviews up by the end of the weeks. Sadly, I did not get much reading done on my time off.

Judy I can't wait to meet you and Lori! I am so excited. It's like LT Christmas because I thought if I ever met you it would be a very long way off in the future. Mark and I will be passing like trains in the night at Houston Intercontinental Airport, but we are trying our best to have a quick meetup if possible.

<68 I don't expect that I will see the movie of The Girl on the Train until it comes to my tv either.

Gone Girl was a little better done, but then, that may be just because it was the first.

>70 brodiew2: Hi Brodie, welcome back. I always expect that I am going to read up a storm when I go away but the truth is, often it's hard to fit reading time in when there is so many other things to do.

>71 luvamystery65: I am so excited, Ro. Just don't forget to let me know where we are meeting!

175. Deadline by Mira Grant - 3.8 ★
Category: Dark Threads
September Series and Sequels
TIOLI #8: Something On The Cover HasYou Seeing Red



Deadline by Mira Grant is the second installment of her Newsflesh Trilogy. I wasn’t a huge fan of the first book, but since I had Deadline on my Kindle I decided to continue on with the story. The first book told how the cure for the common cold and a cure for cancer were discovered, but unfortunately when these two virus met and combined a new virus emerged that killed billions and turned those billions into zombies that continued to attack the living. Decades later mankind is still clinging on and large parts of the world are uninhabitable. The CDC (Centre for Disease Control) has become the most powerful agency.

The main characters are news bloggers who independent of any organization get the news out to the world. Shaun Mason is the head of After the End Times, one of the largest group of bloggers in the world when they stumble across the possibility that someone is killing off people with reservoir conditions and even worse, is manufacturing new sub-strains of the deadly virus and releasing it. The clues all seem to lead back to the CDC.

Basically this middle book of the trilogy was one huge set-up for the final installment. The main characters were left sheltering from a second large rising caused by infected mosquitoes and the book ended abruptly with quite a surprising reveal that is sure to have a huge impact on the story. I actually enjoyed this book a lot more than the first and now, of course, I need to ensure that I read the third to find out what happens next.

>58 DeltaQueen50: Excellent reviews. I've added Vernon Loder to my kindle wishlist. I love Golden Age detective novels.

Girl on the Train is already on the wishlist, glad it gets your commendation too!

Glad you liked Deadline better and I hope you enjoy the third installment as well. I thought it came together well.

>74 VivienneR: Hi Vivienne. I had never heard of Vernon Loder until I stumbled across one of his books at Amazon. Apparently the Vernon Loder identity was a pseudonym for John George Hazlette Vahey (1881 - 1938), an Anglo-Irish writer who also wrote under a number of other names. He was quite prolific so I will be looking for more by him.

>75 andreablythe: Andrea, I am really looking forward to continuing on with the Newsflesh Trilogy. I had a hard time writing my thoughts about the book down without giving away some of the twists, but I am eager to see how the author brings it all together in the last book.

176. Train To Pakistan by Khushwant Singh - 4.1 ★
Category: Threads of Silk and Gold
September GeoCat: Southern Asia
TIOLI #6: A Nine Letter Word is in the Title or the Author's Name



Train To Pakistan by Khushwant Singh is set in 1947, a turbulent time in India as the British Raj ends, and the Partition of Pakistan from India takes place. Although inequality was a way of life in India with their caste system and the various religions, the violence that came about as Muslims were forced to flee east to Pakistan and Hindu’s west toward India was unprecedented. The province of Punjab was nestled up against this new border. In the small rural village of Mano Majra Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus had lived in harmony for generations, but when a train arrives from Pakistan full of dead Hindus it proves to be the spark that leads to the clash of these religions. Outside agitators, even the local police help to stir up emotions. The Muslims of the village are removed to a refugee camp with plans for them to put on a train to Pakistan. Meanwhile as another trainload of dead Hindus arrive in the village plans are being made to attack the next train heading west to Pakistan.

Train to Pakistan is a tight, taunt story that captures the feelings and flavor of India at the time of partition. Records now show that over ten million people were displaced and made homeless, while one million were slain during this period. The author himself says he thinks of this, his first novel, as more of a documentary, written in part to ease his mind over the impact that these chaotic events had for him. What the author achieved was to put faces on these Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims and through this one small story bring the larger picture into focus. Train to Pakistan is a book that I will long remember for it’s believability and story-telling.

Enjoy your getaway, Judy and hooray for a meet-up. I hope to see Ro tomorrow at the Houston airport. Passing ships...

>78 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I hope you and Ro manage to connect, I will look forward to hearing about it when I see Ro.

177. Treasure of the Golden Cheetah by Suzanne Arruda - 3.6 ★
Category: Matching Threads
October Reading Through Time: Month of Mystery
TIOLI #3: Main Character Has To Decide What Is True



Treasure of the Golden Cheetah by Suzanne Arruda is the 5th book in her Jade del Cameron series. Jade has been hired to escort a film crew on Safari to Mount Kilimanjaro where they are making a movie that is based on an African legend about a secret treasure. But on the eve of departure the producer of the film is killed by a seemingly crazed native and this begins a series of mis-adventures that plague the making of this film.

Out in the bush Jade is trying to find out who is trying to sabotage the film while back in Nairobi, her fellow, Sam Eastlake is trying to find out the backstory behind this film crew, as he too feels that things aren’t quite right. When Sam does put some of the pieces together he tries to rush to Jade’s side, but he is too late and Jade is left to face a vicious murderer on her own.

This series of historical mysteries is a fun one. Set in 1920’s Africa it has strong characters and exotic locations. In each book time is always taken to explore native traditions, but the mystery is usually front and center and requires Jade and her friends to pick up on clues and put the pieces together.

Just waving hello....

>73 DeltaQueen50: I really enjoyed the Newsflesh trilogy and thought that the final book concluded things well. I hope you like it as much as I did.

Hi Judy - I don't do zombies, but The Kashmir Shawl, Girl on a Train and Train to Pakistan all go on the list. I'm not sure about the Arruda series. I think I may have read the first one and it didn't make me want to read on. Maybe they get better?

Good morning, DeltaQueen50! (for another three minutes, anyway)

>80 DeltaQueen50: I'm not sure this book is my cuppa, but it reminds me of White Hunter, Black Heart which was a fantastic film that I have not seen in years. As I recall it was a fictionalized story of the filming of the African Queen. The central character is the aged John Huston. Compelling film directed by and starring Clint Eastwood.

Hi Judy - It was wonderful to have the opportunity to get to met you in person! I had a lovely time this evening visiting with you and Roberta (luvamystery65), your sister and Roberta's aunts. Thank you so much for the book!

I survived my isolation at Point No Point with no internet. The weather was mostly rainy but we were cozy in our small cabin with a fire crackling away. I read a lot, napped, went for short walks and spend a lot of time just watching the waves crash in. After we got back to Victoria, I dropped my husband off at the ferry to return to the mainland and then went to meet Lori (Ikernaugh) and Roberta (luvamystery65) for dinner. Roberta's aunts and my sister joined us and we had a lovely time. I think we forgot the cardinal rule of LT get-togethers and no one took any pictures! This was my first meetup with other LTers and it was just as so many describe, we just sit down and talk away like we've known each other for ages - which of course we have, even if it is only in print!

>81 katiekrug: Hi Katie, thanks for coming by. I am so behind here that I don't know how long it will be before I am able to catch up and start visiting again!

>82 mathgirl40: I did really enjoy this second book and now wonder if perhaps the first volume was just read at the wrong time! I am looking forward to the final volume, especially since the second one closed out with a surprising development.

>83 BLBera: Beth, the Arruda series could very easily be skipped. If I wasn't such a completest I would probably have dropped the series. The third book was the low point but I have felt that the last couple of books have improved. For me there is only one more book in the series and it would drive me crazy not to finish it.

>84 brodiew2: Brodie, I really should make a point of tracking that movie down as "The African Queen" has long been a favorite and I finally got around to reading the book a year or so ago and it was fantastic!

>85 lkernagh: Lori, it was so great to meet you as well. I hope we do get a chance to get together again and I hope you enjoy The Girl on the Train!

178. In Borrowed Light by Barbara & Stephanie Keating - 3.9 ★
Category: Threads of Love
TIOLI #9: A Title Word Can Be Changed by Adding, Subtracting or Changing One Letter



In Borrowed Light by Barbara and Stephanie Keating is the final book in the Langari Farm trilogy about three women who grew up together in Kenya and are bound together by friendship. Although they all went separate ways in adulthood, they keep in touch and are always ready to come to each other’s aid.

This final book finally finds all three women back living in Kenya. Each one goes through a personal crisis and comes out all the stronger. Their loyalty to each other is tested by loss and betrayal but their enduring friendship sees them through the most difficult hardships.

Although this book started slowly and took a long time to develop the actual plot, I enjoyed this final volume and was happy to get closure on all the various storylines. The writing can be a little clichéd but the authors have the ability to draw their readers into the story and involve them in the drama. There is a definite need to read these books in order as both character development and story is drawn out over the three books.

>86 DeltaQueen50: I envy you for both your time at the cabin with books and a fire, and your meet-up with Lori and Roberta! Sounds like a great time!

Hi Judy - It sounds like you had a great meet up and a wonderful getaway.

Sounds like a wonderful time, a relaxing weekend away followed by an LT meet-up. You aren't the first meet-up group to forget about taking photos in the excitement. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Welcome home, Judy! Hurrah for the meet-up and boo for no pictures. I haven't read any Mira Grant as I just do not like zombies, but do you know that she is a pen name for my much beloved Seanan McGuire?

I know what you mean about catching up. I have finally caught my own thread up after my 3 week absence, but still have not caught up on everyone else's.

>86 DeltaQueen50: I'm so envious - a getaway at Point No Point and an LT meetup! How great is that! Glad you all had a good time but sorry you forgot the photos.

Hurray for a meetup! Glad to hear you all had a good time. You'll have to have another one and get photos then! ;)

I am managing a short time away from my family this morning in order to visit LT. We are all going to my sister's for Thanksgiving Dinner this evening and I am looking forward to this as she is an amazing cook!

>88 mstrust: Hi Jennifer, yes, life is pretty good for me right now. Also, when I get home this Wednesday, I will have time to do some laundry and pack up again then we are heading out on a very short road trip. My husband has a bad back and there is a chiropractor who is in Vernon, B.C. that he has an appointment with so at the same time we will have a quick visit with one of his brothers and drive home using a scenic route that takes us through Whistler, B.C. (As long as there is no snow in the mountains!)

>89 BLBera: Thanks, Beth.

>90 Familyhistorian: We were all talking so much that no one even thought of taking pictures. It's true that when you meet other Lters, it's like you have known each other for years!

>91 ronincats: Hi Roni, my catchup with LT is going to have to wait even longer now as we are heading out for a short road trip next week. I did know that Mira Grant was Seanan McGuire and I will have to give her a try under her own name one of these days.

>92 VivienneR: I know, I'm hanging my head in shame at forgetting.

>93 rabbitprincess: Thanks, RP. I guess I definitely have to have more meetups so that I get the procedure right!

179. So Long Lollipops by Sarah Lyons Fleming - 4.0 ★
Category: Dark Threads
TIOLI #9: One of the Title Words Can Be Changed by Adding, Subtracting or Changing One Letter



So Long Lollipops by Sarah Lyons Fleming is a short addition to her dystopian trilogy. This book explains what happens to one of the main characters when he becomes separated from the main group for a couple of months. It is very short, somewhere around 80 pages, and fits in between the first book and the second.

Enjoyable, light, with enough zombie action to keep it interesting, this was a nice way to both whet my appetite and stay in touch with this series until I actually get around to reading the second book.

180. The Price of Murder by John D. MacDonald - 3.8 ★
Category: Vintage Threads
TIOLI #2: A Book With "Murder" In It's Title



The Price of Murder by John D. MacDonald is a stand-alone hard-boiled crime story that almost comes off. The book opens at a trial and the readers aren’t told who is on trial for a vicious murder or who the victim was other than that she was a female. The story then goes back in time with each of the characters given a long chapter as they are introduced and we see the events from their point of view.

What made this book seem rather contrived and unbelievable to me was the marriage between the junior college professor and the extremely selfish and rather moronic Lucille. I couldn’t imagine any scenario that would have these two planning a future together. Other than that, the author paints a vivid, brutal story of vicious, greedy people who are willing to “sell their souls” for a sizeable amount of cash.

Originally published in 1957 this is a character study of the dark side of human nature and the extent that greed can play in pushing a person beyond what is acceptable. I thought the author played his story out in an interesting manner which makes The Price of Murder stand out from other “pulp fiction” of the day. John D. MacDonald is an author that I am looking forward to exploring further.

That looks pretty interesting, as I'm a sucker for pulp.
MacDonald's name sounded familiar, so I looked, and he has a long list of books with good, lurid titles, but he also wrote the book that the movie "Cape Fear" was based on. I'' definitely look for any from him.

Hello DeltaQueen50. I read the first of his Travis McGee books and it put me off of him for a while. Was it well written, hard-boiled pulp? Absolultely. Did it disturb me a certain level. Absolutely. I may try another at some point in the future, but I'm not in a hurry.

>97 mstrust: I stumbled on one of John D. MacDonald's books earlier this year when I needed to fill a square in the BingoDog with an author born in a certain year. His books are the absolute definition of "hard-boiled" and I find myself quite intrigued. I have Cape Fear on my Kindle and I am looking forward to it as I love the 1962 movie.

>98 brodiew2: Hi Brodie, I haven't read any of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee books and I probably won't start that series. I intend to concentrate on his stand-alone books which are twisted and quite violence, but I find these dark stories absolutely thrilling.

181. Carpe Diem by Sharon Lee - 4.0 ★
Category: Fiber Optic Threads
TIOLI #10: Three Different Vowels Are In The Title



Having been introduced to the Liaden Universe by a fellow LTer, I knew that I would enjoy Carpe Diem by Sharon Lee and, of course, I did. This author has a deft touch with both her storylines and her characters that make these science fiction stories totally immersive. In Carpe Diem, we are treated to two of my favorite couples that are connected to Klan Korval.

Val Con and Miri are stranded on a distant planet that is a number of generations away from developing advanced technology while Shan and Priscilla are involved in the hunt for them. The story is a wonderful adventure and we are given more information about the Klan and the political situation in Liaden. As an added bonus both Edger and Sheather come to the aid of Val Con and Miri, and one learns that crossing a member of the Clutch can have devastating results.

Originally published in 1989, one has to make a few allowances for the slightly dated devices that are still in use in the Liaden Universe, such items were cutting edge or futuristic in the 1980’s but seem more like historical artifacts today. I admit to noticing these mis-steps but I am so caught up in the adventure and romance of the story that they are easily ignored. I am looking forward to continuing to travel through the Liaden Universe in future books.

182. The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson - 4.0 ★
Category: Threads of Silk and Gold
October Geo-Cat: Eastern Asia
TIOLI #6: Book Features An Unusual Childhood



The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson is an epic story of what it is like to be a North Korean under one of the most despotic of regimes that this world has produced. Throughout the story the author sprinkles evidence of how corrupt and totally controlling this government is. A strange story that wanders very close to being more of a fable than the absolute truth, nevertheless, this book paints such a strong and vivid picture of North Korea that the reader is spellbound.

As the strange story of Jun Do unfolds we learn that even following the arbitrary rules it is still almost impossible to avoid the violence and paranoia that is prevalent in this country. With elements of romance, mystery and satire the surreal plot points can be confusing at times but this is an important piece of fiction that stands out and well deserved it’s Pulitzer Prize.

This is the first book that I have read that really taught me what it would be like to live under the dictatorial regiment of this dynasty that currently controls North Korea.

>101 DeltaQueen50: I haven't decided yet if I want to read that one yet or not, but your review pushes it closer to the "must read" status. Maybe in 2017?

>100 DeltaQueen50: Hurrah for the Korval enjoyment!

>102 thornton37814: Lori, the book was quite different from what I expected, but I know this will be a book that I won't forget. Partway through, there's a huge change that threw me off but it also made me anxious to find out what the heck was going on. This is a book to make one thankful that they weren't born in North Korea!

>103 ronincats: Roni, I loved Carpe Diem. Both the couples are fun to read about and I love the fact that the author never lets science overpower the actual story. I am looking forward to the next book.

Hi Judy - One of my colleagues has been pushing The Orphan Master's Son on me, so I'll probably read it during winter break.

I don't know how I missed your 105 post thread. I'll catch up in a minute, but I just want to say that Point-No-Point is my brother and his wife's favourite BC get away, and their son went on his honeymoon there. They make it sound amazing, and from your pictures, it looks fabulous. I should book a trip. I wonder what it's like in winter -- my husband has a big b-day coming up in December. Maybe some storm watching? Anyway, off to read your thread now.

>106 Nickelini: Joyce, I think winter would be wonderful at Point No Point. Each cottage has a fireplace which totally warms the whole place and a hot tub out on the deck. The restaurant is very good, but when booking you may want to check and see what nights it is open. Of course the cottage have fully equipped kitchens which is good as it is a bit of a drive to Sooke where there are restaurants. My husband has always wanted to be there when a storm comes in so far we haven't managed it.

Thanks! I'm definitely looking in to it. Right now I don't need to go all that far to see a storm--there's one happening right outside my window.

>108 Nickelini: I know, I rushed out to the grocery store this morning to stock up on supplies and now I am sitting here hoping that the power doesn't go out!

183. Clandestine by James Ellroy - 3.7 ★
Category: Threads of Mystery
TIOLI #1: A Weather Forecast Word is on Page 33



Clandestine by James Ellroy is set in 1951 Los Angeles. The author effortlessly recreates the grit, violence and sordidness of the dark side of this city. Frank Underhill is an ambitious young policemen who allows his suspicions to lead him into an alliance with an unstable and shady detective that has disastrous effects on his life. When a very similar murder takes place a few years later, he is compelled to investigate even though he is no longer a policemen.

This is one of Ellroy’s earlier books and all the plot points that make him such an excellent noir writer are there but the book has a tendency to drag and at times I thought I would never reach the end. However, the author’s in depth exploration of the main characters’ motives and actions raised this book far above normal crime fiction. The author’s vivid descriptions of 1950’s LA and his casual references to the corrupt police practices that were prevalent in those days gave the story a gutsy reality.

Although a little rough around the edges, the twists and turns in Clandestine totally drew me in. With it’s deeply flawed characters and engrossing story the author has evoked a very compelling and disturbing period LA history. As I am a huge fan of noir fiction and I admired the author’s writing style, James Ellroy is certainly an author that I will be visiting again.

>101 DeltaQueen50:, I loved The Orphan Master's Son, I also found that there were a couple of points where I got confused, but the confusion spurred me on to try and understand. I read it 2 years ago now and I still remember it. I'm glad you enjoyed it too.

>111 Roro8: Hi Ro. When the storyline suddenly took such a weird turn, I was very confused for a bit, but you are right, I had to keep reading to find out what was going on.

184. Kissed A Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie - 4.0 ★
Category: Matched Threads
TIOLI #5: A 4 Word Title



Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie is the sixth book in her Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series and in this outing they are investigating the murder of a young woman from a prominent family in the tea importing business who have many secrets. Using the technique of merging past and present storylines, the present is affected by the story of a child who was evacuated to the country during World War II. Through this story, the background of a couple of characters are revealed that becomes important in the modern day investigation.

Meanwhile Duncan is working on how to help Kit adjust to the information that he is the boy’s father and how to make this new relationship work in both their lives. Meanwhile Gemma is making some decisions about her own life and although her relationship with Duncan is secure, she wants to ensure that there is room for personal growth as well.

These are excellent books that not only deal with mysteries but the development of the on-going relationship between the investigators. These are adults who work together and are finding themselves personally involved as well. I very much enjoyed the setting of Kissed A Sad Goodbye. The author gives a real sense of place to Greenwich, the Docklands and East London. This is a series that just keep on getting better. I am looking forward to book number seven.

185. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton - 5.0 ★
Category: Designer Threads - From the 1001 List of Book to Read Before You Die
October AlphaKit: "W"
TIOLI #7: One or Two Word Title That Totals 10 Letters



Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton is a haunting tragedy told in a quiet subdued manner that nevertheless I found emotional and moving. The author wastes not a single word in this short bleak novel that speaks so eloquently. I was totally taken up by this story which I read by internet installments through the Daily Lit program.

Originally published in 1911, it is set in a fictitious New England village and tells the sad story of Ethan Frome, his wife Zeena, and Mattie a young relative of Zeena’s who has come to live with the Fromes’ in order to help the sickly Zeena. Ethan develops feelings for Mattie, and we learn that she returns these feelings. Of course Zeena picks up on this and makes arrangements for a serving girl to be hired and for Mattie to leave. At different points in the story I was sympathetic to all three of these characters. They were caught up in something that could never end well but Edith Wharton’s ending left me speechless. This was a story that pointed out exactly how trapped people were by the rules of society, and in particular how difficult it was for a woman to chose any path that was not strictly what was required of her.

This beautifully written novella evokes feelings of pain, isolation, desperation and, of course, regret. The cold, sparse setting was perfect for this sad morality tale, but a word of warning, this book is not for people who are looking for a happy ending. For me, Ethan Frome was a story to savour and will long be a story that I remember as just about perfect.

>113 DeltaQueen50: and >114 DeltaQueen50: - Nice reviews, Judy! As you know, I'm another fan of the Crombie series. And Ethan Frome is so sad and beautiful...

>115 katiekrug: Hi Katie, Ethan Frome quite simply blew me away! It came in 37 installments from Daily Lit but I think I read it in three sittings, I just keep hitting the button for the next installment to be sent right away. As for the Deborah Crombie series, I am totally hooked. I love the relationship between Duncan and Gemma, it rings true with both of them, considering their histories and personalities, taking their time and thinking through each step as they move closer.

186. Leave Her To Heaven by Ben Ames Williams - 5.0 ★
Category: Vintage Threads
October AlphaKit: "W"
TIOLI #5: A Four Word Title



Leave Her to Heaven by Ben Ames Williams was such an excellent read. Originally published in 1944 and made into a 1945 movie which won the lead actress an Academy Award, this is a story of obsession and jealousy. If this book was published today, I believe it would be overdone instead, this book is subtle and builds slowly until you realize when Ellen says “I will never let you go” to Richard, she really means it.

Richard Harland meets the beautiful Ellen on a train and they turn up as guests at the same ranch in New Mexico. Although his inner voices are telling him to walk away, they fall in love and marry within two weeks of meeting. At first delirious with happiness, Richard eventually sees how pathologically jealous of him Ellen is. She doesn’t want anyone else to come into their inner circle and this includes his younger, crippled brother, her sister, or even their unborn child.

The story is told in flashback sequence and slowly the reader learns about Ellen and how she manipulates people and events to her advantage. The author is a true storyteller and although slightly melodramatic, I was totally drawn into the story and found this a hard book to put down for any length of time. I love the movie based on this book and so I was eager to see how the book compares to it. I am happy to say both are great fun and Ben Ames Williams has created a deeply flawed but brilliant character with the self-absorbed cruel Ellen. Although some may find Leave Her To Heaven a little dated, for me it was reading perfection.

>117 DeltaQueen50: Sounds great, on my "to read" list it goes.

>113 DeltaQueen50: - Every time you write about this series, I think I really need to start it. I've got a few in my TBR so that's no excuse. Soon.

Sweet Thursday, Judy. I am so glad you loved Orphan Master's Son. I was crazy about that one too and agree with you about the Pulitzer.

I also loved Ethan Frome. Never did read Leave Her to Heaven but remember really liking the film, many moons ago.

>117 DeltaQueen50: I really need to read this book.

Wow, Judy some amazing reviews of recently read 5 star books.

My husband and I got home from our short road trip this afternoon. We didn't have the best of weather, but there were a few breaks in the weather here and there. Yesterday we took a very scenic drive from Salmon Arm, B.C. to Whistler, B.C. and luckily the rain held off. At one point we were up high enough for there to be snow on the side of the road. We loved poking around the ski village of Whistler and we had a fantastic dinner at a restaurant there.

Since we've been home I've set up my thread for next year's Category Challenge and now I am eager for 2017!

>118 clue: It's a fascinating read and certainly encouraged me to look for other books by this author.

>119 dudes22: I think you will enjoy the Deborah Crombie series when you get to it, Betty. Although there is a lovely romance growing between the two main characters, the author doesn't forget that these books are first and foremost mysteries.

>120 msf59: Hi Mark, I am on a bit of a reading high right now. October has turned into a very good reading month for me. The Orphan Master's Son is a book that will stay with me for a long time and now, I've just had two 5 star reads back-to-back. Currently I am listening to The Haunting of Hill House and reading The Book of Negroes two more excellent books.

>121 luvamystery65: You do, Ro, and if you like I could send you my copy of the book since other family members have already read it. PM me if you want me to send it to you.

>122 mdoris: Hi Mary. I have found before that 5 star reads often come together. And I am lucky enough to be reading a couple more really excellent books as well.

I'm glad you liked Ethan Frome- it's a great one and my favorite from Wharton. Now I need to find Leave Her To Heaven. I'd seen the movie listed but never saw it. Your review makes me think I'll really like that one.

Your trip sounds wonderful!

>117 DeltaQueen50: I only saw the movie once and I vaguely remember a scene with a boat on the lake. Was it Gene Tierney in the film or some one else?

Hi Judy - It sounds like your road trip went well -- 2017! You are very organized.

I'm another fan of the Crombie series.

Welcome home, Judy! I cannot believe that you have already set up next year's thread!!!

>124 mstrust: Jennifer, if you get a chance give "Leave Her To Heaven" a view. It's a 1940's "woman's picture" filmed in early technicolor with amazing sets, costumes and actors. I was wrong above when I said Gene Tierney won the Best Actress Award, she lost out in 1946 to Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce. I recommend both the movie and the book.

>125 brodiew2: Hi Brodie, yes, it is Gene Tierney in the movie version of "Leave Her To Heaven" and I was wrong about the Academy Award (blush) but she is excellent in the role.

>126 BLBera: Hi Beth, yes, our trip was fun. My next years challenge is very simple so not too much organization required. The Deborah Crombie series is yet another one that I may never have found but for Library Thing!

>127 ronincats: Thanks Roni. I decided that there was no way that I was up for keeping track of 17 different categories next year, so I simply based my challenge on the alphabet and plan to concentrate on my own shelves as much as possible.

187. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - 4.5 ★
Category: Threads of Fate
October RandomCat: What Scares You
TIOLI #13: A Halloween Creature Can Be Found in the Title



The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson was a re-read for me and this time I listened to an audible version of the story. The story is of a group of people who come to Hill House to investigate and, if possible, to find proof of the haunting that this house is famous for, One of the group, Eleanor is a strange, rather mentally delicate young woman and the house appears to reach out and express a desire for Eleanor to always stay in the house.

This was an excellent “haunted” house story. The author delivers a layered tale that is rife with tension and terror. Never overdone, the author alternates the horror scenes with a light, almost playful atmosphere but eventually the reader realizes it is the house that is controlling the mood and playing with the guests. From the housekeeper who must keep to her schedule in order to get out of the house before dark, to the strange opening and closing of doors, even the simplest of things is used to give the readers a slow mounting case of the shudders.

I admire the understated creepiness of The Haunting of Hill House, the author doesn’t have to resort to gore or extreme violence to deliver a story that has both style and chills. The Haunting of Hill House is an impressive story and well deserves to be placed among the small group of literary horror stories that stand the test of time.

It must feel good to be back home, Judy. It looks like your vacation might have taken in the best of our weather as the last forecast I saw was rain and heavy rain for the next few days.

Happy Sunday, Judy. I am just about done with Someone Knows My Name, aka The Book of Negroes. It has been excellent. It might be a 5 star read.

>130 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg, yes it looks like the rains have really caught up to us and we are in for some heavy weather. I need some indoors time as my house badly needs a cleaning. Also I could use some time in a comfy chair with a good book!

>131 msf59: Hi Mark, I am also currently reading Someone Knows My Name so I definitely agree that it could possibly be a five star read. My only problem is that I keep having to put it down for other things, but I hope to seriously get to it later this week. I also need to do some catching up here on LT!

Happy new thread... :) Oy, I've missed a lot. Love the pictures from your trip - what a great place to vacation. And a LT-meetup as well - Canada is still on my bucketlist, so perhaps if it happens again, I'll elbow my way in. :)

>133 -Eva-: We'd love to have you up here Eva!

>134 DeltaQueen50:
I've had a cold for the last few days and have been vegging in front of the telly - today has been the day for Border Security: Canada's Front Line, so now I want to fly into Vancouver to see if I can spot any of the "stars" of the show. :D

>134 DeltaQueen50: There is actually a lot of filming done here in Vancouver so spotting the "stars" is a regular activity! Hope that pesky cold goes away.

188. The Far Side of the Sky by Daniel Kalla - 3.9 ★
Category: Tangled Threads
October GeoCat: Eastern Asia
TIOLI #10: Title Has At Least Three Different Vowels



The Far Side of the Sky by Daniel Kalla opens on Kristallnacht, November 9, 1938 in Vienna. When the mob hang his brother from a lamp post, Dr. Franz Adler comes to the decision that he must get his remaining family away from the Nazi’s. His sister-in-law, his daughter and he embark on a ship with their final destination being Shanghai, China.

Shanghai is under the control of the Japanese, but German Jews are still being allowed in. The Adler family manage to start a new life in Shanghai, but then on December 7, 1941 comes the attack on Pearl Harbor, bringing the Americans into the war and solidifying the bonds between Germany and Japan. It isn’t long before the Nazi’s are requesting that the Jewish refugees be placed under their control, and Franz Adler is once again wondering how to keep his family safe in such a crazy world. To make matters even more complicated he has fallen in love with an Eurasian nurse, Sunny Mah and he fears that she will suffer by being associated with him.

The Far Side of the Sky has captured a time in history when Chinese, Japanese and Jewish cultures came together and this is a story that blends love, terror, hope and despair in equal measure. The author places his story on a wide canvas but generally manages to keep his main characters in the forefront. I did unfortunately find that these characters were a little one dimensional, but this little known time in history was interesting to read of.

>113 DeltaQueen50: Count me in as a Deborah Crombie fan too! I just started In a Dark House. I believe the next one is set at Christmas. I hope I manage to get it in December.

>135 -Eva-: today has been the day for Border Security: Canada's Front Line, so now I want to fly into Vancouver to see if I can spot any of the "stars" of the show. :D

If it's really important to you, my friend works for Border Security in a different capacity, but knows all those border guards, so could see about getting you a tour or at least an introduction.

>138 VivienneR: You are a few ahead of me, but I am taking note that the book after In A Dark House takes place at Christmas for the future.

>135 -Eva-: & 139 There you go Eva - another reason, other than meeting all of us, that you should come to Vancouver!

189. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - 4.0 ★
Category: Dark Threads
October RandomCat: What Scares You?
TIOLI #4: One of Library Things 250 Most Reviewed Books



The story of Victor Frankenstein as told by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein was a very familiar one having seen so many different versions on film and television over the years, and although the film “Young Frankenstein” starring Gene Wilder will always be my favourite, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the original.

This classic story, originally published in 1818 about a young scientist who discovers a method to reanimate the dead and creates a grotesque creature who then inadvertently causes trouble isn’t the horror story that I was expecting. Instead this is a story that examines what it is to be human. Although Victor sees this creature as a brute it is in fact, his own arrogance and his treatment of this living being that makes him the monster rather than the creature he created.

Written in rather flowery and somewhat dated prose nevertheless this is a book to admire for many reasons. Written when she was only 18, this particular novel has inspired generations and Frankenstein has become a familiar legend to all. This book is also one of the first science fiction books ever written and it’s themes of a science project gone wrong and the ethical issues of advancing technology beyond known limits are still a mainstay of that genre. Frankenstein is a story that deserves to be read for it’s emotion and imagery and although classed as horror what I will take away from this book is the feeling of sadness and rejection that being “different” brings.

>117 DeltaQueen50: Leave Her to Heaven sounds fascinating ... both the book and the movie! Last year, I watched a spate of noir films like Double Indemnity and Laura, and this sounds like it's similar in style.

>137 DeltaQueen50:, I've had that one on my wishlist for a while. Nice review.

I'm glad you enjoyed Frankenstein! It's really amazing that Shelley was just 18, and that her story has resonated for so long. I'm reading another story that resulted in that same getaway- The Vampyre by Polidori.

>142 mathgirl40: Paulina, I read a blurb that called Leave Her To Heaven a dark noir film shown in glorious technicolor. And it does have that feeling.

>143 Roro8: One thing I forgot to mention is that The Far Side of the Sky is the first book in a trilogy. This one ends in 1942 and the next one, as far as I know, picks up from there.

>144 mstrust: Hi Jennifer, it's also amazing at how wrong most of the film versions of Frankenstein are. This was so much more than a story of a large greenish monster held together with bolts and brought to life with a lightning bolt! It's always surprising to me when I finally read a classic and find it is quite different than I had thought it would be.

Hello DeltaQueen50! I hope all is well with you.

>129 DeltaQueen50: I never would have considered 'Haunting', but I like your review. I know this book has been filmed, but I can't help but be reminded of Ray Milland in the 'The Uninvited'. I enjoyed that film quite a bit.

>141 DeltaQueen50: I have never read Frankenstein, but I have just started The Count of Monte Cristo on audio. It is quite an undertaking. I am thankful that it is off to a good start.

>145 DeltaQueen50: I don't know why they changed Frankenstein's monster so much for the Karloff movie either, though I'm sure someone out there can provide an explanation. I remember when De Niro's version came out and a movie critic accidentally outed herself as never having read the book by complaining that De Niro's monster was too articulate.

>146 brodiew2: Hi Brodie. The 1944 film 'The Uninvited' is my favorite ghost story! Great story, excellent actors and beautifully filmed. I do hope you enjoy The Count of Monte Cristo, I participated in a group read of it a few years ago and loved it.

>147 mstrust: I can certainly see that if you had never read the book, you would think that Frankenstein's monster should look like Fred Munster.

I read Frankenstein about 12 years ago and really, really didn't like it (thank goodness it was short). But I like the idea of it, and I like the story surrounding how it was created (the whole "year without a summer" thing) and who Mary Shelley was hanging out with when she wrote it.

I came across this interesting article this morning that covers some of that: "The climate event that helped create Frankenstein and the bicycle."

http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2016/10/25/year-without-summer/

I didn't know the bicycle part--weird!

>149 Nickelini: That article was fascinating, Joyce. I didn't know about the bicycle part either. The weather that year certainly explains the abundance of gloomy atmosphere that is such a part of Frankenstein. I loved the bit about Victor being the "worst" of fathers!

190. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill - 5.0 ★
Category: Designer Threads - Best Book, 2008 Commonwealth Writer's Prize
October Canadian Author Challenge
October DeweyCat: The 800's
TIOLI #5: Four Words in Title



From the moment I picked up The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill I knew that it was going to be a special book. The life story of Aminata Diallo, her abduction from her African village at age eleven to her association with Abolitionists in London in the closing days of her life, this is the story of a remarkable and strong women. Sold into slavery, she never gives up and continues to work towards her freedom and improving herself throughout her life. From her time on an indigo plantation to her emigration to Nova Scotia with the Loyalists she manages to survive by using her skills as a midwife and healer. Perhaps the most extraordinary time in her life was when she came full circle and returned to Africa with the “Back To Africa” Loyalists who founded the city of Freetown in the country of Sierre Leone in 1792.

First and foremost this is a story about slavery. This dark trade that is a blight on the history of the world is examined from geographical, historical and human angles. The author is convincing in detail but never lets his narrative skill be overcome by dry facts. The story of Aminata is wrenching and breathtaking and truly is a masterpiece of writing.

I found The Book of Negroes to be both powerful and inspiring. The author has created an unforgetable heroine and her story simply jumps off the page and into the readers’ heart.

Hi Judy: You got me with THe Far Side of the Sky and The Book of Negroes. What a lot of good reading you've done this year.

And I see you are getting into the Halloween mood. :)

>152 BLBera: Thanks Beth, I am particularly happy that a couple of my 5 star reads have been by Canadian authors - Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill and The Orenda by Joseph Boyden.

I'm currently reading what will probably be my last book for October and it's a ghost story so, yes, I\ve managed to fit a few Halloween reads in as well. :)

>151 DeltaQueen50:, that one is on my wishlist too.
>145 DeltaQueen50:, thanks for the heads up on the trilogy situation. It is always better to know before you start.

191. The Dead Path by Stephen M. Irwin - 3.7 ★
Category: Random Threads
October AlphaKit: I
TIOLI #9: A Title Word Can Be Changed by Adding, Subtracting or Changing One Letter



The Dead Path by Stephen Irwin is a supernatural thriller that did a pretty good job of delivering the chills. A man trying to escape his ghostly visions returns to his home to Australia and then realizes that this is the place from which all his terrors originate. The strange woods that are located just down the street from his childhood home and the even stranger old woman who is associated with them seem to be the cause of all the tragic things that have happened in his life, from the murder of his best friend at age 10 to the recent death of his beloved wife.

Now bad things are happening again. Working with a group of people that also believe, Nicholas must face this malignant power and try to destroy it before it takes everything from him. As he explores these dark woods he must unravel the mystery surrounding the ritual child-killing and face many dangers including his own personal phobia, spiders.

Since spiders are something that cause my skin to crawl, this book certainly hit my “creepy” button. An ancient story set in contemporary Australia the author delivers an eerie tale that draws the reader along slowly. As with all horror stories I eventually found it a little overdone but overall this was a fairly scary thriller and one that was perfect for Halloween reading.

Well on course for 200 books again I see, dear Guru.

>151 DeltaQueen50: I need to track that book down.

>146 brodiew2: Hope you are enjoying The Count of Monte Cristo. It's been a favorite since we read it in tenth grade English class. I've re-read it a couple times since then.

Happy Halloween everyone. We usually have a pretty quiet Halloween around here. A few kids at the door but usually it's all wrapped up by 8 o'clock. I did save myself an episode of The Walking Dead to watch later tonight, other than that it is business as usual.

>156 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. The Books of Negroes is sometimes better known by it's newer name Someone Knows My Name and is well worth tracking down, it's a great read.

>157 thornton37814: Indeed I am, thornton37814! John Lee's narration is perfect for the material. I am enjoying it greatly. I am on disc 8, approximately one quarter of the way through. This would be quite a tome for a 10th grader. However, Hucklberry Finn wasn't short and I read that in high school.

DeltaQueen50: Given that you love the noir, did you ever see a film called 'Where the Sidewalk Ends' with Dana Andrews? For a 50s era film, this was one of the more thematically dark films I recall of the Film Noir era. In these films, things usually go from bad to worse, but most time you can feel sorry for the poor sap who is either victim or perpetrator. In this one, there is simply a bad questionable person doing bad things. I like Dana Andrews in general.

Happy Halloween, Judy!
I'm hoping to have more kids than last year's seven. Last night's episode of TWD was pretty calm in comparison to last week.

>159 brodiew2: I have seen "Where the Sidewalk Ends" and remember that it was a pretty decent film except that Dana Andrews is not one of my favorite actors so, for me, not that great. Another lesser known film noir that I loved was "The Big Heat" starring Glenn Ford and a very scary Lee Marvin, it's well worth watching if you get the chance.

>160 mstrust: Well, Halloween was very quiet here. The doorbell rang all of three times and then other than some firecrackers in the distance, all was quiet. I didn't get around to TWD but maybe tonight.

192. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - 4.2 ★
Category: Threads of Fate
November RandomCat: Celebrating NaNoWriMo
TIOLI #12: A Book That Has Been Translated Into At Least One Other Language



Laurie Halse Anderson has long been an author that I know I can rely on to deliver an intelligent and meaningful YA story and Speak proved to to be another stellar read from this author. From the beginning of her freshman year of high school the reader realizes that something went very wrong in Melinda’s life and all hints seem to point at one night in the summer when she and her friend we invited to a party where things got a little out of hand. Melinda called the police and for that she became the year’s social outcast.

No one will talk to her, she has no one with whom she feels she can confide in and so the silence grows. Her grades slip, her parents wonder what is going on, her teachers question her, but she stays mute. We discover that on that night at the party, Melinda was raped by a senior, a popular boy and she feels that no one will take her word against his. It is only once her ex-best friend starts to date this same boy, and Melinda fears for her that she gathers her courage to speak out.

A book with a powerful message and yet the author still manages to craft a very readable story with a sympathetic main character. The daily ups and downs of high school life are convincingly pictured and she gives an emotional and real voice to a young rape victim and the stages of anger, depression and fear that she goes through.

>162 DeltaQueen50: This is a book I highly recommend to my students every year. It is one of a handful that I actually have more than one copy.

>163 mamzel: I think the way she handled the story was fantastic. She made it real and not a text-book situation. My admiration for this author just keeps growing!

>161 DeltaQueen50: I saw 'The Big Heat' once. I believe it was the first film that Robert Mitchum made after his marijuana bust. It was good.

Good to see that you thought so highly of The Book of Negroes, Judy. I started it but got distracted by some library books that have to be finished.

You are lucky to only get a few kids. I didn't count but think there were about 100. All I know is that it was hard to get anything done for 2 and a half hours!

>160 mstrust: Our record number of Halloweeners was last year at 55. This year, although I prepared for more, we were overwhelmed at the 150 count and had to turn off the lights at 7:30 - as well as apologizing to a group of about 15 heading our way! Our dark doorway didn't scare off anyone and we had continual knocking at the door until after 9pm. I have to say, the costumes and kids were wonderful.

>167 VivienneR: Lucky! We had a grand total of zero. Zero. Granted, we're on a cul-de-sac at the top of a hill with very few houses on the way up, but it would have been nice to see one or two. And us with a cat skeleton by the door and everything.

Kids are not unhappy to have that bowl of Hallowe'en candy, however.

>139 Nickelini:
That would be awesome! If I were in any way meant for law enforcement, I would definitely worked in customs. My dad was a police officer and he did some extra work with customs that always seemed so exciting!

>140 DeltaQueen50:
I really should!

>165 brodiew2: Ido have to say that I very rarely see a film noir that I don't like. I love the dark settings and the even darker storylines.

>166 Familyhistorian: It's hard to figure out how many kids we are going to get. Last year we had well over 30 kids and then this year just three small groups.

>167 VivienneR: Wow, Vivienne, over 150 is a little too many for me. I like to get around 30 - 40. I do enjoy the kid's costumes these days, they are usually very inventive.

>168 RidgewayGirl: The fashion in our neighbourhood seems to be that there are certain streets that really go overboard with the decorations and those are the ones that seem to attract the most kids. My puny pumpkin in the window didn't seem to draw very many kids this year! However, my grandkids will appreciate all the leftover candy that we have (that is if my husband can bring himself to share!)

>169 -Eva-: We will hope to see you up here one day, Eva. :)

>162 DeltaQueen50:, Speak sounds pretty good. I'm going to see if my library have it.

>167 VivienneR: Wow! I have to agree with Judy, 150 is too many. Who would anticipate that many and have that much candy on hand?

We had a few bags of Twix left unopened, so I'm not complaining. ; )

My sister lives in a neighborhood where I can remember her saying she had something like 225 kids one year. It was one of those neighborhood plats where parents would bring their kids by car and then just let them walk through the neighborhood. I don't think she gets that many any more now that parents aren't quite as trusting. I had a total of 13. It's odd - some years I have a lot and then there are years like this where I only have a few.

>171 Roro8: Speak is not a very long book, Ro, but the author manages to bring the story and characters to life.

>172 mstrust: >173 dudes22: My Halloweens are like Betty's - sometimes just a few and sometimes quite a lot. Perhaps there were weekend activities that took the place of trick or treating this year.

193. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 4.0 ★
Category: Designer Threads - 1001 Books To Read List
TIOLI #3: A Book Purchased in August, September or October 2016



A true Jazz Age novel, The Great Gatsby written by F. Scott Fitzgerald is set in the 1920’s and the story unfolds through the eyes and voice of Nick Carraway, a young Midwesterner now living on Long Island in the fictional town of West Egg. Carraway finds himself fascinated by the mysterious past and lavish lifestyle of his neighbour, the nouveau riche Jay Gatsby. He is drawn into Gatsby’s circle and becomes a witness to Gatsby’s obsession and tragedy. For Gatsby’s reality is that he is a man in love. He wants to recreate the past with his lost love Daisy, Nick’s cousin who is now married to the philandering Tom and the mother of a young child.

The author paints a vivid picture of a lifestyle and a time in history where the rich lived carefree and thoughtless lives. These people are living a life of decadence and greed with no thought to the consequence of their actions. These flawed and shallow characters are difficult to like or empathize with but overall, I found this a sad story of disenchantment.

The Great Gatsby seemed a very different book from the one that I read when in high school. Back then, I was aglow with the romance of it and I wanted Gatsby and Daisy to be together and find happiness. This time I could barely stand Daisy and, perhaps because I knew how the book was going to end, I could see that this is no simple love story but a tragedy that reflects the times in which it was both set and written. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s writing style was unique in that the novel is beautifully underwritten yet abounds with metaphors and symbolization. The Great Gatsby truly stands the test of time and I know I take much more from it now than I did as a teen.

>162 DeltaQueen50:
I loved Speak (and rather like the movie, too). I'm so glad you also enjoyed the book.

>175 DeltaQueen50:
When I read The Great Gatsby in high school, I hated it. Reading it years later as an adult, I loved it because I could finally appreciate the beauty of the language.

>175 DeltaQueen50: Excellent review of The Great Gatsby, DeltaQueen50. It has been a long time since I read the book, but I saw Baz Luhrman's film recently. I quite enjoyed it. His stylized production lends itself well to depicting the Jazz Age as well as the tragedy of Gatsby delusion and Daisy's compromise.

Interesting cover you chose. I have never seen that one before.

>176 andreablythe: I will have to see if I can find that movie, Andrea. Laurie Halse Anderson has become a favorite author through the books by her that I have read. Sometimes I wonder at the choices of books we were forced to read in high school. I can see why The Great Gatsby was chosen - fairly short, an interesting social commentary, filled with symbolism etc. But at the same time so many people have been turned away from some really good books by being forced to read them at the wrong time in their lives. I can not tolerate reading Shakespeare to this day, although I'm ok with watching a performance.

>177 brodiew2: Another movie I will have to watch for as I haven't seen that version of Gatsby. I have seen the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow version and remember that one as rather a stinker! I've been trying to remember where I got my copy of The Great Gatsby from and I suspect I ordered it from The Book Depository so the cover is probably the UK version.

>178 DeltaQueen50: Don't waste your time on the movie version of Speak. Kristen Stewart stars in it. They altered the end of the book in a manner that stripped all of the positive message from the story. I was so mad I screamed at my TV.

>179 mamzel: Thanks for the heads up, Mamzel. I am not a fan of Kristen Stewart's surly acting style and I too would have fits if the storyline got changed.

>162 DeltaQueen50: Nice review. Coincidentally, my teenage niece, who's visiting this weekend, recommended this very book to me a couple of hours ago, so I should definitely put it on my reading list!

>181 mathgirl40: Hi Paulina, this book speaks eloquently about the young girls who hide this type of attack as they feel that no one will believe them or that the boy is too popular or too good at sports for her word to be taken over his. I think this is a book that most teen girls should get a chance to read.

194. The Price of Guilt by Margaret Yorke - 4.1 ★
Category: Threads of Mystery
November AlphaKit: "Y"



Margaret Yorke excels in writing mysteries that feature lonely middle-aged women. In The Price of Guilt Louise Widdows is the unfortunate heroine who is attempting to escape her unhappy past with a extremely controlling husband. The one word that kept occurring to me over and over with this book was irony. Louise’s outcome was ironic, but even more so was her bully of a husbands’ final fate.

When Louise’s mentally abusive husband disappears on the same night that she is the victim of a hit-and-run accident, it is her chance to escape and start a new life. She meets a journalist on the train and they form a friendship and she eventually dreams that he could be the son that she gave up for adoption many years ago. Meanwhile her husband is lurking nearby and he hasn’t quite finished with Louise.

This was a very low-key thriller full of interesting coincidences and suppositions. The author cleverly keeps the action subdued and her plot simple by relying on the supporting characters to fill in the blanks. This is an author that I have come to rely on for good psychological mysteries that don’t require unbelievable actions on the part of the characters or require the reader to make huge leaps of faith. I found The Price of Guilt to be both intelligent and compelling.

Hi Judy - Great comments on Speak- It does sound like one that teens should read. I know some of my students mention her as one of their favorite authors.

I reread The Great Gatsby not long ago an agree - it's wasted on high schoolers, I think. I thought it held up well, a complex novel that has surprising depth.

I'll have to look for Yorke - it sounds like I would like her.

Hi Beth. I don't really know why Margaret Yorke isn't better known here in North America. She was a contemporary of Ruth Rendall and I do see some similarities in their writing.

195. The Falcons of Montabard by Elizabeth Chadwick - 4.0 ★
Category: Threads of Time
Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme: Medieval Period
TIOLI #12: A Book That Has Been Translated into At Least One Other Language



The Falcons of Montabard by Elizabeth Chadwick is the story of Sabin FitzSimon who is packed off to the Holy Lands in order to rebound from the scandal of his dalliance with the King’s mistress. He is put under the charge of Eric Strongfist who is advancing his own career by donating his sword to King Baldwin of Jerusalem. Strongfist has a daughter, Annais, and Sabin is warned to stay away from her but circumstances eventually lead him to the fortress of Montabard where Annais is now the chatelaine and upon her becoming a widow and Strongfist being captured by the Saracens, Sabine must make good his vow to protect her and her young son.

Elizabeth Chadwick excels in historical fiction, her research is always spot on and her stories are usually wrapped around a believable romance or relationship. She specializes in writing about the medieval period and in The Falcons of Montabard she delivers a lively story of adventure and love set during the time of the Crusades.

Happy Sunday, Judy! Lots of good reading going on over here. Hooray for The Book of Negroes and the appropriate 5 stars!!

I have been meaning to revisit The Great Gatsby. Maybe next year.

I want to send you a couple of warbles, both with a beautiful Alaska setting: To the Bright Edge of the World and Jimmy Bluefeather. Not quite done with the latter, but it is a gem and both of these are your cuppa.

>187 msf59: Hi Mark, and happy Sunday to you as well. Thanks for the warbles! I loved Ewoyn Ivey's first book, The Snow Child so I am pleased to hear you recommend To The Bright Edge of the World. Jimmy Bluefeather is new to me but a quick glance at the reviews tell me that I need to add this one to my list as well. The first review I looked at referenced Kent Haruf, and you know that immediately sold me!

Well, Judy, my fellow fan of TWD, what'd you think of last night's episode? That was a whole lot of Daryl being kicked around.

>189 mstrust: Hi Jennifer, I was a little confused by the timeline at first, so this is supposed to be happening after Glen has been killed - right? So where is everyone else??? I guess this is all going to be slowly revealed over the season, but it's kind of driving me crazy - I wish they would pick up the pace. When I compare Negan to the Govenor, I'm afraid that I actually found the Govenor a much more interesting villian. His performace was layered while so far Negan seems to only have one layer and after awhile it's just not that interesting. I really want the series to pick up and I will continue to watch it cause I am so hooked but I really found last night quite painful!

196. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle - 3.8 ★
Category: Colorful Threads
November SFFFKit: Time Travel
TIOLI #3: A Book Purchased in August, September or October of 2016



A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle is a children’s science fantasy novel originally published in 1963. Although I admired and enjoyed this story, there were aspects that I was a little uncomfortable with. I know it is regarded as a great work of literature for children and I could certainly see why this is so. The characters are extremely well defined and make excellent role models. The themes of nonconformity, friendship and courage are powerful and the overall feeling being given is that being “different” is something to be celebrated which was inspiring.

I had thought this was a re-read for me but I quickly realized that this was the first time I had read this book and that may have been part of the problem I had with the story. At first I was totally carried away by this story of three children who, accompanied by three celestial beings, cross the barriers of time and space in an effort to rescue their scientist father. But slowly I came to feel that the story was trying to manipulate me into thinking a certain way by the addition of so many Christian symbols and this rather strong spiritual message pulled me away from the story. I believe that had I read this book as a child however, the message wouldn’t have stood out so strongly.

A Wrinkle in Time has been a major influence in children’s literature and well deserves it’s place of honour. The story isn’t “dumbed down” in any way, the author obviously respects her readers enough to not simplify the science and delivers a plot that is complex and detailed. I believe the character of Meg in particular was an inspiring one for a generation of women. Because of this I was able to overlook the strong Christian message and simply admire the story, much the way I do with the Narnia books.

197. The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing - 4.5 ★
Category: Dark Threads
TIOLI #7: The Author's Initials Make a Recognizable Short Form



The Fifth Child by Doris Lessing is classed as horror and I readily admit to finding this book truly horrifying. The author stayed in the bounds of possibility which made this story resonate with uneasiness and fear. I found this a book that was impossible to put down.

A short and simple tale, set in the 1960’s, of a couple who chose to live their lives under the old fashioned manner of having a large family. They are happily bringing up their four children when they discover that a fifth is on the way. After a difficult pregnancy, they are delivered of a child that is far from normal. Possessing a strange appearance this child is large, ugly, violent and uncontrollable. This is a child that cannot be trusted around animals or even other children, he appears to have no moral centre and his mother finds the only way to control him to with dire threats. Sadly, this family is being destroyed by this fifth child, their way of life, their other children and even their marriage appear to be slipping away.

This was the first Doris Lessing book that I have read and I am very impressed with her ability to elevate this short work with such intensity and drama. This is her take on the “changeling formula” and she delivers a story that is chilling, disturbing and oh, so very readable.

>192 DeltaQueen50: As I said on another thread, glad you liked this one. If you're looking for another Doris Lessing to try, I suggest The Grass is Singing. It's short too. Very different from The Fifth Child, different from anything else, actually.

I love A Wrinkle in Time; the Lessing sounds good, too, albeit creepy.

>190 DeltaQueen50: Yes, it's immediately after Glenn and Abraham have been killed. Last week, we saw what Carol and Morgan had been up to while their friends were being captured and murdered, and this week was Daryl's story, and I expect the next episode will be showing how Maggie, Sasha and Rosita, along with everyone else, are doing. Remember what a bear Sasha became after Bob was killed? What will she be like now? I shudder.
It reminds me of the Wolves episodes, when first we got Rick, Glenn and that group in the woods and hearing the truck horn, then the next episode showing what Carol and the group in Alexandria were dealing with and why the horn was sounding.
I agree that Negan's constant smiling as he does horrible things could end up being annoying. I guess we'll have to wait and see how closely they're going to follow the graphics with him. I can tell you that already they've made him a little better for the show, as GN Negan has a harem.

>193 Nickelini: I am glad that you recommend The Grass Is Singing as I just happen to have that one sitting on my shelf! :)

>194 BLBera: Beth, it was creepy and rather disturbing but still an excellent read.

>195 mstrust: I guess you can tell that I am still quite miffed over a certain somebody's demise. But it will be interesting to see how they go on from here. Ha, Ha - yes, I remember Negan's harem in the GN!

198. Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo - 5.0 ★
Category: Thread Count
November DeweyCat: 900's
November Reading Through Time Monthly Theme: Presidents, Veeps & Elections
TIOLI #2: Something or Someone Political In The Title



I absolutely loved Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure by Matthew Alego. The book details a road trip that Harry Truman and his wife, Bess took in the early summer of 1953. Truman had said goodbye to politics and left Washington after Dwight Eisenhower was sworn in. He was now a member of the exclusive club of Ex-Presidents. He and his wife decided to undertake a road trip, driving from Independence, Missouri to the East Coast and back again. There was just the two of them in the car, no aides, no secret service, no photographers. They attracted some attention, but many times it was just Harry at the wheel, Bess as navigator and miles of highway to travel.

The author sprinkles tidbits of information about the 1950’s, the various states that they travelled through, the people along the way and the Truman’s in particular. This road trip came to be significant in that it helped to define the role of an ex-president. Harry Truman was the last president to return to civilian life with no retirement package or benefits of any kind. (This was ammended in 1958 when Eisenhower signed a presidential pension package into law.)

The author captures the essence of the 1950’s effortlessly and whether he is describing a meal the Truman’s ordered in a roadside dinner or making a particular point about politics or history, he holds the readers attention easily. North Americans have long had a love affair with their automobiles and taking a road trip has become a tradition. Harry and Bess Truman’s 1953 road trip was great fun to read about and Harry Truman’s Excellent Adventure is truly a gem of a book.

>197 DeltaQueen50: This sounds great and my library has it! On my looooong to read list it goes.

That does sound like a good one, so I'll be looking for it. The title alone lets you know that it'll be fun.

>198 clue: & >199 mstrust: I hope you both enjoy the book.

199. Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo - 4.0 ★
Category: Matched Threads
November AlphaKit: "N"
TIOLI #12: A Book That Has Been Translated Into At Least One Other Language



Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo is the second book in his Harry Hole series. In this outing Harry is sent to Thailand to assist in the investigation of the death of the Norwegian ambassador, who was found in a brothel with a knife sticking out of his back. Of course, the real reason Harry was sent to Thailand was to ensure that this case was kept out of the public eye. Unfortunately Harry has been spending his time in the bottom of a bottle lately but he sobers up and goes to Thailand and quickly becomes involved in a complicated case where it seems the officials are more interested in a tidy end than actually learning the truth.

I enjoyed this book and found both the complicated case and the assorted characters very interesting. Harry, like so many fictional detectives is a damaged soul, but his dark personality, his suffering from both alcoholic withdrawal and the severe heat in Bangkok all help to bring the book to life. Harry works his cases in a dogged style, stubbornly following through on every piece of evidence. He has a physical need to put all the pieces in place and have the final picture of the crime complete and correct even if this does upset those who just want a quick solution.

Cockroaches helps in giving the reader background into Harry’s life, his family and his romantic past and the story, with it’s many twists, features the sordidness of child pornography, drugs and corruption and is one that holds the reader’s attention.

Hope you are having a great weekend, Judy. It's good reading weather!

Meg, today I have been reading a lot - switching back and forth between my current "zombie" read and the wonderful Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Sometimes these "dark and stormy" days are just what the doctor ordered! :)

200. Autumn: The City by David Moody - 3.8 ★
Category: Dark Threads
TIOLI #11: Title Contains the Word "Autumn" or "Fall"



Autumn: The City by David Moody is the story of a small group of survivors after a deadly
disease has infected the majority of the world's population. After an almost instantaneous
death, people lay wherever they happened to fall. The few immune survivors huddled together
and existed in total shock. But after two days things started to change. Some of the dead
became reanimated, and then a day or so later these dead creatures appeared to be attracted
to the living. At first the dead are mere husks but as time goes by they appear to be getting
stronger.

This is the second book in David Moody's Autumn series and this volume tells a separate story
from the first. The main characters from the first book eventually make an appearance, but
not until partway through. This series takes a slightly different look at "zombies", as these
dead creatures do not seem to want to rip humans apart and eat their flesh as much as they seem
to need to be near the living. Whether they are reaching out for help or in anger, they are
dangerous as people can be crushed or smothered by their sheer numbers.

As this is the second book, there is still plenty of story left to be told, and I am interested
in finding out what happens next.

Ooh! I loved Purple Hibiscus.

Not so sure about the kind of zombies...

Hi, Judy! Good review of Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure. Big Thumb! I love reading about Truman, so I do not know why, this one somehow got past me. It is now back on my radar.

>205 BLBera: Hi Beth, Purple Hibiscus is a very special book and one that I loved as well. (My review follows)

>206 msf59: I am sure that you will love Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure, Mark.

201. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - 5.0 ★
Category: Threads of Silk and Gold
November RandomCat: Celebrating NaNoWriMo
TIOLI #10: I Am Thankful For ______



Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Nogzi Adichie is the story of fifteen year old Kamibli and her family in Nigeria as they live under the control of her strict Catholic father. Although he is revered both in the community and church as a leader, he is a horror to live with. He supplies his children with written schedules that they must adhere to or suffer severe punishment. He places high expectations on them that they strive to live up to. He also “punishes” his wife for any misdemeanours, causing a miscarriage in the early part of the book. This family suffers under his obsessive rule, trying to please him but never quite being perfect enough.

Then comes the day when Kamibli and her brother are shown a different life when they visit their father’s sister. They cannot believe that such freedom exists and Kamilbi trembles every time the phone rings fearing that it is her father calling to bring them home. Meanwhile, as their family crumbles so to does their country.

Like the fragile, rare purple hibiscus, freedom for Kamibli is elusive. This was quite simply a spellbinding book that draws the reader into a story that speaks directly to the heart. The author is able to weave together the complex history and politics of this struggling country with a family’s story of love and abuse and the end result is a book that is honest, disconcerting and haunting. Highly recommended.

You know, I've had a copy of Purple Hibiscus on my tbr for some time. Time to push it toward the top of the pile. Good review!

Kay, I am ashamed at how long Purple Hibiscus had lingered on my own tbr. It's really worth pushing it up a little.

So, An Irish Doctor in Peace and at War? I saw this at B&N recently and I was not sure where I saw it before. I think it was on one of your previous pages. It looks good and reminds, in some ways, of To Serve Them All My Days. Do you recommend it?

Hi Brodie, I haven't read An Irish Doctor in Peace and at War yet, but I am reading the series and next up for me is An Irish Country Wedding which I am planning on reading next month. I enjoy this series, it reminds me a little of the James Heriot vet. series, although the patients are human in this series. Light, humorous and harkening back to a different era. I passed the first book onto my Mother and she is a huge fan of this series so I usually buy the next book and pass it onto her first then take it back after she is finished and put it on my shelves.

My mum has started reading the Irish Country series -- from the library, which makes me especially happy because my parents don't use the library nearly as much as I do. (They are excellent buyers of books, though!)

Thanks for the heads up. I have enjoyed Jan Karon's Mitford series set in North Carolina over the years. This seems like a good mix Karon and Delderfield (mentioned in >211 brodiew2:). There is a place in my heart for small town shenanigans. :-)

>213 rabbitprincess: My Mom is more of a buyer of books than a library borrower, although our family used to all go to the library. Since she doesn't drive, I think she just doesn't like to ask someone to take her there and back.

>214 brodiew2: I love books that are set in small towns. I haven't read To Serve Them All My Days but I do have his Swann Family trilogy - God Is An Englishman, Theirs Was The Kingdom and Give Us This Day sitting on my Kindle. I also have the first of the Mitford books as well.

BB for Purple Hibiscus. It looks great!

>215 DeltaQueen50: Mitford is a real treat up through the fourth book. I fell off after that, but have returned to listen to the last three or four on audio. To Serve Them All My Days is personal favorite and I highly recommend it. I have looked at the Swann trilogy over the years, but never engaged.

I've read most of the Mitford books. They are lovely sweet cozy reads that tackle some difficult subjects. I love that main characters are older.

Judy, I just wanted to come by with a belated thank you for dropping off the links to your 2017 thread and the SFFF thread for next year. I kept losing the SFFF threads this year because I didn't have the main thread starred, and now I do. Much appreciated, ma'am!

>216 andreablythe: Hi Andrea, I've read Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun by this author and both were very good. She's an author well worth checking out.

>217 brodiew2: An, audio would be a good way to listen to the Mitford books, I will have to keep this in mind when I finish book #1.

>218 luvamystery65: Hi Ro. I've found that since I've put on some years myself I enjoy reading books with senior citizens as protagonists. Guess I can identify much easier now.

>219 ronincats: You are most welcome, Roni, I always enjoy your input into the fantasy and sci-fi reads.

202. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America by Bill Bryson - 4.2 ★
Category: Thread Count
November DeweyCat: 900 - 939
TIOLI #7: Author's Initials Make a Recognizable Short Form



I don’t know whether people from small town America are charmed or insulted by Bill Bryson’s Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America, but for me this was a humorous and light-hearted look at rural America. Both his snide comments and outright zingers were dangerously close to “going to far” but at the same time there was always a grain of recognizable truth in his comments. Although his observations seemed neither terribly original or outstandingly witty, they reminded me of things my own snarky family would say to amuse each other.

What this book did do was fire me up, get me ready to grab a travelling companion and hit the roads for my own exploration of small town America. Road trips have long been my preferred mode of vacationing, I enjoy the “getting there” better than actually “being there” so this book appealed to me on that level. I kept an American road map close by during the reading which helped me visualize where he was and how he got there. I totally agree with his disdain towards the large interstate freeways, as I too, prefer to travel the scenic byways and smaller highways.

To me there is a magic to be found on the open roads and The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America captured this feeling perfectly.

My LT friends keep reminding me to read more, Bryson. I am always surprised how prolific he is, so there is plenty to choose from.

I read The Lost Continent just a few months ago. It made me want to visit small towns too, places I'd never heard of. But I had the same issue with this book that you did, that there were times when he seemed a bit meaner than the Bryson he would grow into later. This book was an early one from him so he was younger and hadn't mellowed into "Bryson Classic" yet. ; )

>222 msf59: He does have quite the body of work, doesn't he. You can pretty well go around the world with his books.

>223 mstrust: He does appear to have mellowed in his later years, but I have to admit that he gave me a few giggles.

>221 DeltaQueen50: If you haven't read Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon you might want to take a look at it. His 12,000 mile trip on "blue highways", the color of state highways on a map, was in 1978 and his book is considered a classic among American travel books.

>225 clue: Thanks for the recommendation, Blue Highways looks like a book I would enjoy and so I have added it to my wishlist.

203. The Attack by Yasmina Khadra - 3.3 ★
Category: Tangled Threads
November GeoCat: The Middle East and North Africa
TIOLI #5: There are the Same Number of Vowels in the Author's First and Last Names



The Attack by Yasmina Khadra opens in the wake of a terrorism bombing in Tel Aviv. Dr. Amin Jaafari works tirelessly on wounded patients putting the pieces together again. Tired beyond belief, he drives home and falls into bed only to be woken up and asked to return to the hospital. When he arrives he is told he needs to identify a body that they believe is his wife Sihem. It is with total shock that he identifies his wife and learns that she is believed to be the suicide bomber. Thus begins Dr. Jaafari’s nightmare as the Israeli police try to connect him to the incident. Even after he is released by the police, he is attacked and beaten by an angry mob. Through all of this Amin clings to his faith in his wife, in no way could he see her as a bomber especially as children died in the attack. But then he receives a letter from her that she wrote just before the incident.

After a stellar opening, this book simply did not give this story the heart or soul that it needed. The Attack is meant to show the human cost of terrorism but although I found the story interesting, it did not really touch me emotionally. I found the writing too flowery and the main character of Dr. Jaafari too remote and guarded. He speaks of the deep love he and his wife had, but I didn’t feel that coming across on the pages. He seemed more concerned with the fact that his wife may have been unfaithful to him, than that she murdered innocents.

The author did do a good job at not vilifying any one nationality but I still have no real understanding of how one can put themselves in the position of being a suicide bomber or that there could ever be any justification in the murder of innocent people in order to state a political view point. The Attack was an interesting read but I do not feel particularly enlightened by it.

All caught up with you, Judy, and as usual you hit me with a few book bullets. Definitely adding Purple Hibiscus and the Harry Truman book. Hoping that your weekend is full of fabulous.

Hi Mamie, you've picked two excellent reads!

Wonderful review of Purple Hibiscus, Judy. Have a wonderful Sunday.

>230 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I am now looking forward to reading Americanah at some point!

204. The Eye In The Door by Pat Barker - 4.1 ★
Category: Tangled Threads
TIOLI #7: Author's Initials Make a Recognizable Short Form



The Eye in the Door by Pat Barker is the second part of the Regeneration trilogy. The book is set in London, starting in the spring of 1918. The book continues the story of Billy Prior with Dr. Rivers and Siegfried Sassoon making further appearances as well. The story concentrates on what was happening away from the front, which all too often meant persecuting the conscious objectors and engaging in witch-hunts to root out homosexuals.

The main focus of the story is Billy Prior, now liberated from Craiglockhart and working in military intelligence. Billy is a mass of contradictions being both a soldier who fought at the front but also who suffered from shell shock. He is an officer but is from a working class background, and he is bi-sexual. Still being treated by Dr. Rivers, Billy suffers both memory lapses and blackouts but with his strong personality and internal conflicts he is the driving force in this book.

As with most trilogies, I suspect this second book works as a bridge to connect the first volume to the third. I am still very much intrigued with how the author is serving up a story that deals with so many difficult subject matters including the mental aspects of war, class divisions, the struggle with striking unions, pacifists and how homosexuality was perceived as a threat to British society. A challenging read but also a rewarding one. I am looking forward to the final volume.

I loved Americanah as well, Judy. You are in for a treat.

I've been meaning to start the Regeneration trilogy. Sigh. Next year?

>233 BLBera: We are very lucky that we have so many great books to get to that we have to line them up and make plans!

205. Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie - 4.0 ★
Category: Vintage Threads
TIOLI #15: No Photo On Cover



Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie is a collection of eleven short stories, all featuring Hercule Poirot and his friend Colonel Hastings. Originally published in 1924, these stories are all meant to highlight Poirot’s superb skill at detection as he solves each one quickly and ties up all the loose ends.

In ”The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge” Poirot cannot even go to investigate the case in person as he is suffering from influenza. Instead he has Hasting go, ask questions and then telephone him. To everyone’s surprise he is able to solve the case immediately which stretched my believability somewhat. I also enjoyed that some of these stories were very easy for the reader to figure out, making me feel a little more on a level with Poirot. The both of us could feel smug while Hastings and the police struggled to find the answer.

Overall I found Poirot Investigates a very engaging set of stories which included a locked room mystery, the abduction of a Prime Minister, a million dollar robbery and enough murders to satisfy the bloodthirsty. All are written with Christie’s light touch and flair. Reading this book is very much like taking a trip back to 1920’s Britain with the added bonus of the amazing deductive powers of Hercule Poirot.

Hi, Judy! It's been so long, it's going to take me weeks to catch up, if I ever do, but I didn't want to wait that long to say hello. As always, coming to your thread is dangerous to my wishlist. I marked a couple of your reviews as favorites so I can wishlist the books.

>236 Storeetllr: Mary, so good to hear from you! I hope everything is going well in RL for you.

206. Snapper by Brian Kimberling - 3.8 ★
Category: Random Threads
TIOLI #1: Cover Has At Least One Bird Whose Beak is Facing the Spine of the Book



Rather than a linear story, Snapper by Brian Kimberling is a delightful assortment of the main character’s thoughts, opinions and reminiscences. These entertaining tidbits range from the Ku Klux Klan to smoking banana peels, his one night in jail to the girlfriend that strays all too often. Nathan Lochmueller earns his money by doing field studies of birds in Southern Indiana. He is marking time until he decides what he is going to do with his life, but he is approached his late 20’s and needs to make some decisions.

Clever, insightful and funny, I really enjoyed Snapper with it’s assortment of unusual characters, the humorous situations and, above all, the author’s wonderful writing. Whether he is writing about the lush woodlands and the songbirds that inhabit them, or his odd-ball acquaintances and the strange things that they do, his words paint a vivid picture.

Although at times the book appears a little choppy and the main character a little too self-involved, I found the author’s love/hate relationship with the state of Indiana along with his wry sense of humor made this book of observations a fun one.

Snapper sounds right up my alley! Wish listed.

Hi, Judy! I enjoyed Snapper too, when I read it, last year. I like that quirky style and of course, I love that cover.

>235 DeltaQueen50: It's hard to go wrong with Poirot.

>239 RidgewayGirl: Hope you enjoy it, Kay.

>240 msf59: Ha! I didn't make note of this, but now that you say you read it last year, I probably took the BB for Snapper from you.

>241 thornton37814: I know, Lori. He's so vain and conceited but he always makes me smile.

207. Ratking by Michael Dibdin - 4.2 ★
Category: Designer Threads - 1988 CWA Gold Dagger
TIOLI #7: Author's Initals Make A Recognizable Short Form



Ratking by Michael Dibdin is the first book in his Aurelio Zen series which was originally published in 1988. This book serves as an introduction to both the series set in Italy and the main character. Aurelio Zen is an Italian police commissario who has been relegated to a mundane desk job after failing to please the right people in an earlier high-profile kidnapping case. When political pressure is brought to bear upon the Roman officials regarding a kidnapping case in Perugia that has stalled, Zen is dusted off and sent north to Umbria as the expert on this type of case.

Kidnapping seems to be rather commonplace in Italy and often has political connections. The author appears to be very knowledgeable on all aspects of Italy, including the geopolitical divisions of the country. The victim here is from one of Italy’s most powerful families and it isn’t long before Zen realizes that not everyone in this secretive family wishes their father to be returned.

Ratking has a definite noir feeling about it. The tone is dark and morose with corruption on all sides. Zen appears to stumble along, working as an outsider, but slowly it becomes obvious that his apparent indifference and aloofness is a shield that he uses to hide the clear moral code that he follows. Even though it seems that everyone else in the story is working toward his downfall, he stubbornly carries on. This book totally immerses it’s reader in Italy with the food, the scenery and traditions vividly outlined. With such an interesting setting along with it’s strong stoyline and interesting cast of characters, this will be a series that I will be continuing on with.

I envy you just discovering the Aurelio Zen series now. You have some excellent reading ahead of you.

>243 DeltaQueen50: The Aurelio Zen series sounds great! Another set of books to add to my wishlist ....

>243 DeltaQueen50: I've had that first book in the series on my tbr shelves for quite a while. It's never really made it that close to the top of the read next pile but I think you've pushed it up the list with your review. Thanks Judy.

>244 RidgewayGirl: Kay, luckily I have the next two on my shelves. I have no idea how I have missed this series before!

>245 mathgirl40: I know, another series - right? But, the first one was excellent ...

>246 AHS-Wolfy: Hi Dave, we all know how it is with our tbr shelves - it's great to know that these great books are quietly waiting for us.

Even though we here in Canada celebrate Thanksgiving earlier in the year, this weekend has become the kick off to the festive season. I am going to open a new thread that will take me through to the end of the year.

I'm off to do some construction!

My new thread is now up and running, please come on over and join me! (Oops, I forgot to use the continuation feature!)

My 2016 Category Challenge - Part 8

Hello DeltaQueen50! I hope all is well with you. Have a great weekend and Noir ON!



-Richard Widmark Night and the City

Have you seen the original Narrow Margin? So good.

<250 Hi Brodie, I don't think I have seen "Narrow Margin" and it looks good. I will have to let my brother know and see if he can line it up for us to watch when I next visit him.

Just to repeat:

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My 2016 Category Challenge - Part 8